The National Labor Relations Board Research Paper

The National Labor Relations Board - Research Paper Example The agency mediates labor- management conflicts. The board monitors labor union elections and collective bargaining agreements. The board monitors and makes decisions regarding workers’ strikes and company lockouts. Evidently, the National Labor Relations Board ensures a working current management-employee relationship, ushering more economic benefits to the United States economy, employers, and the workers. Keywords: National Labor Relations Board, Unfair Labor Practice, Board Members. ABF Freight System Inc. V. National Labor Relations National Labor Relations Board 510 U.S. 317 (1994) Discussion of the agency’s formation (1 page) The United States government establishes laws that will increase the nation’s gross domestic production. To produce goods, companies hire workers. In turn, the workers eagerly produce the company’s goods in exchange for salaries or commissions. The company sells the workers’ goods at a profit. The government steps in to ensure there is a cooperative working relationship between the employees and the employers. The government established the National Labor Relations Board to monitor and maintain compliance with the provisions of the labor law. ... The labor law states that one of the major functions of the agency is to safeguard the labor rights of both the employees and the employers. The board has the power to prevent both labor and management from implementing acts that harm the workers’ welfare, management’s welfare, and the United States’ economic welfare. The board upholds the labor law’s interpretation of unfair labor practice. Likewise, the board defines unfair labor practice as interrupting, preventing, and forcing employees from exercising their rights listed in Section 7 of the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. The board complies with the United States government’s responsibility to reduce acts that will disable the nation’s industrial peace. Obstructions reduce the free flow of commerce. Further, the board issues policy statements. Some statements amend current labor rules regulations. Likewise, the board exercises the power to rescind unresponsive labor policies and ma ke new labor policies that will replace currently unfavorable ones (NLRB 2012). National Labor Relations Labor Relations Board: The Reasons for its Formation (1 page) The National Labor Relations Act of 1935 was originally coined the Wagner Act (1935). The Wager Act provides the workers’ right to form and maintain labor unions. The Wagner Act created the quasi-judicial body called the National Labor Relations Board (Boyer, 2001). The body interprets the National Labor Relations Act of 1935. The board has the authority to enforce its labor case decisions. The board hears complaints from the aggrieved labor parties. Both management and the employee will present evidences to the board. The board pens its decision. The board compiles all its case law decisions. The Act prevents

Factory Act Essay Example for Free

Factory Act Essay In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context, adolescent means a person who has completed sixteen years but has not completed eighteen years of age,adult means a person who has completed eighteen years of age, child means a person who has not completed sixteen years of age,day means a period of twenty-four hours beginning at mid-night, explosive substance includes any materials for making any explosive substance; factory means any premises including the precincts thereof whereon ten or more workers are working or were working on any day of the preceding twelve months and in any part of which a manufacturing process is being carried on with or without the aid of power, but does not include a mine subject to the operation of the Mines Act. Power to apply the provisions of this Act to certain places. (1) The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, declare that all or any of the provisions of this Act shall apply to any place wherein a manufacturing process is being carried on or is ordinarily carried on whether with or without the use of power whenever five or more workers are working therein or have worked therein on any day of the twelve months immediately preceding. (2) A notification under sub-section (1) may be made in respect of any one such place or in respect of any class of such places or generally in respect of all such places. 3) Notwithstanding anything contained in clause (f) of Section 2, a place to which all or any of the provisions of this Act are, for the time being, applicable in pursuance of a declaration under sub-section (l), shall, to the extent to which such provisions are so made applicable but not otherwise, be deemed to be a factory. Section 4. Power to declare departments to be separate factories. The Government may, by order in writing, direct that the different departments or branches of a specified factory be treated as separate factories for all or any of the purposes of this Act. Section 5. Power to exempt. The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, exempt any factory or any class or description of factories from all or any of the provisions of this Act for such period as it may think fit in the public interest: Provided that no such exemption shall be made for a period exceeding six months at a time. Section 6. Notice to Inspector before commencement of work. (1) The occupier shall, at least fifteen days before he begins to occupy or use any premises as a factory send to the Chief Inspector a written notice containing the name and situation of the factory,the name and address of the occupier, the address to which communications relating to the factory may be sent,the nature of the manufacturing process (2) In respect of all factories which come within the scope of this Act for the first time, the occupier shall send a written notice to the Chief Inspector containing particulars specified in sub-section (1) within thirty days from the date of the commencement of this Act.. 3) Before a factory engaged in a manufacturing process, which is ordinarily carried on for less than one hundred and eighty working days in the year, resumes working, the occupier shall send a written notice to the Chief Inspector containing the particulars specified in sub-section (1) within thirty days before the date of the commencement of work. Whenever another person is appointed as Manager, the occupier shall send to the Chief Inspector a written notice of the change, within seven days from the date on which such person assumes charge. (5) During any period for which no person has been designated as Manager of the factory or during which the person so designated does not manage the factory, any person found acting as Manager or if no such person is found, the occupier himself shall be deemed to be the Manager of the factory for the purposes of this Act. Section 7. Seasonal Factory. The Government may, by notification in the official Gazette, declare any factory in which manufacturing processes are ordinarily carried on for not more than one hundred and eighty working days in the year and cannot be carried on except during particular seasons or at times dependent on the irregular action of natural forces, to be a seasonal factory for the purposes of this Act. Section 8. Approval of plans and fees for licensing and registration. (1) The Government may require that previous permission in writing be obtained in the prescribed manner from the Chief Inspector for the construction or extension of any factory or class or description of factories, require registration and licensing of factories or any class or description of factories and payment of fees for such registration and licensing or for the renewal of licences, in the prescribed manner. If, in accordance with the provisions of sub-section (1) an application for permission accompanied by the plans and specifications is sent to the Chief Inspector and no order is communicated to the applicant within two months from the date of its receipt by the Chief Inspector, the permission applied for in the said application shall be deemed to have been granted. (3) Where the Chief Inspector refuses to grant permission to the said construction or extension of a factory or to registration and licensing of a factory the applicant may, within sixty days of the date of such refusal, appeal to the Government.

History of Solar Advancements Essay -- History Historical Energy Sun E

History of Solar Advancements Our sun provides us with a virtually unlimited resource that we have used for centuries in a multiple of ways. We use it to keep us warm, to grow our food and generate millions if kilowatts of electricity. Everyday the sun showers the earth with more potential energy that we produce in that day or even that week. According to the Go Solar Company (1999-2003), †on an acre of land with the sun overhead is receiving more the four thousand horsepower, which is equivalent to a large railroad locomotive, and in less than three days of the same intensity will match the estimated total of all fossil fuels on the earth†. Many of the visionaries I will be talking about explored almost all the renewable energy options familiar today, and in less than 50 year they (independent and jointly) developed an impressive array of technologies for harnessing solar radiation and converting it to energy in the way of steam to power the machines of their respective eras. You will see that p rior to World War 1, they were using all of the solar thermal conversion methods now being considered, but after the War and for a better part of 50 years their work was nearly forgotten in the rush to develop fossil fuels for an â€Å"energy-hungery† world (Smith , 1995). When the term â€Å"solar energy† is mentioned the common thought is of recent technologies, or rather a young approach to energy production, this in fact is not entirely true. What is true is that since the dawning of the space age solar-conversion used for energy production has grown with leaps and bounds but this technology has been around for some time. In fact the first documented usages of solar-conversion are found in the writings of Homer (Iliad and the... ...e energy needs. As Frank Shuman declared more than 80 years ago, it is "the most rational source of power." Work Cited: History of Solar Energy. Broadcast on Sun. 16/12/00. Reported by Alexandra de Blas: Interview of John Perlin. Internet: Online Sept.16, 03. Bailey Howe lib. UVM Available: www.abc.net/ â€Å"History of Solar Power†. Go Solar Company. L.A. California. Copyright 1999-2003. Internet: Online Sept. 27, 03. Bailey Howe lib. UVM. Available: www.solarexpert.com Smith, C. History of Solar Energy: Revisiting Solar Power’s Past. Tech. Review. July 95. Internet: Online Sept. 16, 03. Bailey Howe lib. UVM. Available: www.solarenergy.com â€Å"The History of Solar Energy†.The Solar Energy Science Project. Environmental Portfolio. Penn State. 1999. Internet. Online Sept. 27, 03. Bailey Howe lib. UVM. Available: www.personal.psu.edu

Gesture as a Mediating Factor in Speech and Sign Language Storytelling :: Language Education Teaching

Gesture as a Mediating Factor in Speech and Sign Language Storytelling There are many hearing individuals who do not know sign language but move their hands when speaking. Chances are these people would have a hard time telling the same story if asked not to use their hands. Additionally, the story told without the assistance of gesture would likely seem lackluster by comparison. The question becomes, to what degree is gesture an integral part of effective storytelling and how much does it add to the complexity and richness of a story? How does the gesture used in oral storytelling compare to that used in American Sign Language (ASL) storytelling? If gesture is taken into consideration, will the complexity of information conveyed be equivalent between languages? These are questions that Drs. Sarah Taub, Dennis Galvan, and Pilar Pià ±ar sought to answer in their recent study on the contribution of hand and body movements to the complexity and depth of ASL, English, and Spanish storytelling (Taub, Galvan, & Pià ±ar, 2004). Dennis Galvan Pilar Pià ±ar Sarah Taub Psychology Foreign Languages Linguistics Forming Questions The inspiration to explore the above questions grew from the .ndings of Galvan and Taub’s previous study (2004) in which they compared narratives by native ASL and English users. Results from this study indicated that when compared with English users, ASL signers consistently incorporated much more conceptual A Publication of the Gallaudet Research Institute at Gallaudet University Spring 2005 Kozol Presentation Combines Wit, Wisdom, Outrage, and Compassion** By Robert C. Johnson Jonathan Kozol, author of such books as Death at an Early Age and Savage Inequalities, gave a presentation at Gallaudet on March 30 called â€Å"Shame of the Nation: Resegregation, Inequality, and Over- Testing in Public Education.† The talk was sponsored by the Gallaudet Research Institute as part of its Schaefer Distinguished Lecture Series. In addition to the presentation, Kozol participated in several other sessions with Gallaudet faculty and students in which he reported learning a great deal about deaf students and their educational needs. He said he was particularly intrigued to learn from Gallaudet Department of Education faculty and students—deaf and hearing— that the statement â€Å"separate is never equal† does not necessarily apply to deaf students, many of whom thrive in education programs outside the mainstream. Kozol said his focus has not been on separate programs that are well designed and effectively meeting students’ needs. His concern is that current governmental and socioeconomic factors in America are depriving many students of quality educational experiences because of â€Å"racial apartheid† which is forcing too many minority children to stay in inferior learning environments. During a question and answer session with Kozol, Dr. Barbara Gerner de Garcia, a faculty member in Gallaudet’s Department of Educational Foundations and Research, pointed out

The Effects of Childhood Trauma Impacts

Abstract A common theme Northern Ohio Recovery Association have identified is how inappropriate behavior affects children systems education, mental health, child welfare, juvenile justice, and substance abuse. Trauma, the experience of an event by a person that is emotionally painful or distressful which often results in lasting mental and physical effects. This research proposal will attempt to measure how many youth’s at Northern Ohio Recovery Association Positive Action Program, have had effects of childhood traumatic maltreatment and how it impacts delinquent behaviors.The data collection is from SoQuic assessment tool. It will be completed at Northern Ohio Recovery Association facility. The outcome of this proposal will suggest that the youth entering the agency had some form of childhood traumatic maltreatment that caused delinquent behaviors. The number of participants will be according to the Facilitator Administration decision during the six-month treatment time perio d. Statement of the Problem Children exposed to traumatic maltreatment increases delinquent behavior.According to the U. S. Department of Justice the rate of youth involvement in the juvenile system in the United States has increase and continues to grow. However, it shows that youth in the rural communities are experiencing identical delinquent crimes as urban youth (U. S. Department of Justice, 1965-1992). The widespread and nature of crimes that is being committed by our youth are very important issues that needs behavioral modification treatment.Issues of juvenile delinquent offenders could connect to childhood traumatic maltreatment. This social problem has affected the value of life in our society, economical system, educational system, and social structure. This study examines issues in method, focus and how childhood traumatic maltreatment can lead to juvenile delinquency. The societal problems of sex offending behavior, youth attitudes towards violence crime, mental health issues, cost of imprisonment and the cost of boarding children from the child welfare system.These societal problems will indeed boost the crime rate, health cost, housing, and homelessness, which in turn will have the taxpayers, pay an additional cost for the reentry of these juveniles. There are so many youth who have been effected by trauma the significance and purpose of the study is rebuilding intervention program and focusing on the needs of youth. Literature Review According to DSM-V conduct disorder is a behavioral and emotional disorder of childhood and adolescence. Children with conduct disorder act inappropriately, infringe on the rights of others, and violate the behavioral expectations of others.One of the most effective courses of treatment for teenagers at NORA is behavior modification programs. They are designed to help the youth be able to make better choices. Dembo, Richard; Winters, Ken; Belenko, Steven; Gulledge, Laura (2007) looked at Truant youths represent an important target group for addressing drug use and related problems, and lowering risk for moving into the juvenile justice system. We are implementing and evaluating a brief intervention (BI) for truant youths brought to a Tampa, FL Truancy Center by law enforcement.We plan to enroll 300 official non-delinquent and minor delinquent truants and their parents in this NIDA funded Stage 2 clinical trial. The BI is grounded in Rational-Emotive Therapy and Behavior Problem Solving Therapy. Three groups will be compared: (1) a 2-session youth only condition (BI-Y), (2) a 2-session youth and 1-session parent condition (BI-YP), and (3) a standard truancy services (STS) condition. The impact of these service conditions on drug use and related behaviors (e. g. , delinquent behavior) will be assessed up to 18 months, involving five data collection points.We hypothesize that both the BI-Y and BI-YP conditions will reveal significant intervention effects compared to the STS group, and that BI-YP participants will reveal greater treatment effects compared to BI-Y, based on the expectation that enhanced parenting will favorably impact intervention effects. We report on the design, implementation and some preliminary results from this study. Schram, Pamela J. ; Gaines, Larry K (2007) examined Most research indicates that males comprise the greatest proportion of gang members. Since the 1990s, however, there has been an increasing interest in female gangs and gang members.The current study builds on this research interest by examining differences between female gang members and non-gang members who participated in a juvenile probation program designed to identify and intervene with youth considered to be high risk for subsequent criminal and delinquent activity. The results of a logistic regression analysis revealed that two factors significantly influenced a female offender's likelihood of being rearrested: she did not complete the program, and she did not live with her natur al parent(s).We conclude that the significant results do support findings from previous research in this area; we also discuss possible explanations as to why other factors were not significantly related to rear rests. In an identical review Greenwood, Peter (2007) explains how Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) involves the use of scientific data to guide intervention designs and decisions. A number of approaches to (EBP) for delinquent and dependent youth are being tested and marketed. All are facing varying degrees of difficulty with issues such as program transfer, model fidelity, funding, certification, and growth.This presentation will draw on the experiences of some of the leading private providers and program developers who have been dealing with these issues for a number of years. Salvatore, Christopher; Hiller, Matthew; Samuelson, Benta; White, Elise (2007) examined Although the first juvenile drug court was established over a decade ago, compared to adult drug courts, relative ly little research has been published on these programs and many question whether this intervention for drug-involved youth is a useful addition to the juvenile justice system.Recently, however, findings from a randomized study showed that a juvenile drug court (including modifications for including Multisystem Theory and Contingency Management) reduced the during-program delinquent behavior compared to youth in traditional family court. These findings suggest that it is important to develop a fuller understanding of the program impact theory and services delivery model of extant juvenile drug court programs (particularly as components of on-going evaluation activities.The current paper presents findings from a year-long process evaluation of a large juvenile treatment court serving inner city youth on the East Coast. Qualitative and quantitative data were collected through participant observation, in-depth surveys, and focus groups to describe the theory behind the implementation o f the program as well as the logical sequencing of specific types of services for helping youth to achieve both short-term and long-term goals, including remaining free from new adjudications, reducing and eliminating the use of illicit drugs, increase performance in school, and for becoming â€Å"productive† members of society.A logic model of the program linking characteristics of the target population to services and subsequent outcomes will be discussed as well as initial findings regarding participant compliance in the program. Research Question/ Hypothesis The hypothesis the effects of childhood trauma impacts juvenile delinquent is supported by research findings. (1) do the effects of childhood traumatic maltreatment impacts youth becoming delinquent?Using quantitative methods using the agency SoQuic assessment tool by the direct service management team to provide accurate information about the Bio-psychosocial history of the children engage in the program. 1. Dependen t Variable= Impacts juvenile delinquent 2. Independent Variables= Effects of childhood traumatic maltreatment The relationship between these two variables suggests that the independent variable is a cause of the dependent variable. Therefore, effects of childhood traumatic maltreatment are reason for increase juvenile delinquent. B.Our hypothesis we believe is true based on the literature concerning the effects of childhood traumatic maltreatment impacts juvenile delinquent because children who have been expose to maltreatment tends to engage in juvenile delinquent behaviors. C. The Null hypothesis is: The effects of childhood traumatic maltreatment have no difference on juvenile delinquent Research Design The type of design we will use to test our hypothesis is the classic experimental design. We chose this type of design because we already know the relationship between the variables.However, we wanted to find out if this relationship could show a cause in the impacts of juvenile d elinquency. We will have two groups of thirty youths’ who have engaged in delinquent behaviors. One of these groups will receive positive action (e. g. behavioral modification) intervention group and individual therapy related to delinquent behaviors and the other will not. The therapy will provide counseling on the following areas: degree of youth’s behaviors that evokes conflicts, behavior response expectations, and supportive services provided.The experimental group will receive this therapy for six months. Pretreatment therapy will be provided to engage, observe, and measure patterns of social norms with respect to parental authority. Counselors will be on hand to assist. Discharge process will take place after the six months is up the youths will be individually interviewed about the behavioral modification intervention in the previously mentioned areas once more. The study we are going to conduct also has some strength.Since we randomly select sample into two gro ups of youths, we are assured of being able to generalize our findings from the sample to the population. Due to the fact that our study is experimental, this means that our design is more rigorous and is more controlling for some internal validity concerns. In addition, the design controls for all of the internal validity concerns except for testing effects because we will only measure the change in the experimental and control group once rather than repeatedly. SamplingThe study population is the effects of childhood traumatic maltreatment impacts juvenile delinquent. We will use stratified random sampling in our experiment. We will have sixty youths in our sample and split them into two groups. Each of the groups will have as follows: presenting problems, living situation, social history information, education history, mental health treatment history, current medication information, past psychotropic medications, alcohol/drug history, alcohol/drug treatment history, legal history , abuse history, problem check list including functional domains, and suicidal history.Measurement Operational of the variables shows delinquent youth in this study will be measured by SoQuic assessment tool upon intake at the facility. We are concerned with test-retest reliability since we will be asking self reporting questions for both of the interviews. We will still need to be concerned with interobserver reliability if there is a difference between the different interviewers. Our experiment has face validity due to the fact that our reliable measures make

NBA Research Paper

NBA Research Paper Many critics and fans around the world call it the NBA greatest show on earth. No other league around the world brings what the NBAs game has brought every season. The greatest plays, games, dunks, players and passion for the basketball are reasons why the fans keep watching. The NBAs style of playing the game has changed dramatically through the years. From the 1980s to 2002, even though many aspects of the playing style have gone in to new era, NBAs style of playing basketball kept its heart the same. Professional basketball has usually kept its popularity with great stylish plays by the players. And style, which is defined as the way in which something is said, done, expressed, or performed, the league has maintained their unique game plays. The changes occurred when Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Magic Johnson changed the game during the 80s to guard dominantÐ ±Ã ¿ from Ð ±Ã ¾center domination from the 70s. Magic and Bird excited the crowds with their new styles and spectacular plays, as they influenced the rest of the league to change into a league based on their styles of play. (Levin) Then in 90s Michael Jordan has showed the best basketball in the NBAs history. As entering the new millennium, the leagues change in style showed up and downs but Shaquille ONeal, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, and Vince Carter brought a new definition to the game. These key players contain their own individual styles, but different generations in NBA had its own shooting, dribbling, dunking, coaching, defensively and other more line-ups of plays. Through this research paper the reader will recognize the differences in every categories and playerÐ ±Ã ¿s unique performance that NBA has maintain through the years. Most teams in the league kept its momentum style the same through the years with Ð ±Ã ¾run-and-gunÐ ±Ã ¿ executed by the point guards. In the NBA, momentum of the game decides which team survives with the victory. Having momentum will boost their team with chance of destroying the opponent. Great hustle plays usually brings out the momentum (Gandolfi 67). In 1980s Lakers switched the opponentÐ ±Ã ¿s momentum to theirs through Magic Johnson. Plays like Ð ±Ã ¾rebound from opponents miss shot then kick it off to Magic, and as Magic drives down the court he feeds no look pass to Byron Scott for the slam dunkÐ ±Ã ¿ these kinds of plays shifted the momentum for Lakers. Current season, teams like New Jersey Nets led by point guard Jason Kidd uses similar method like the 80Ð ±Ã ¿s Lakers. Running and gunning it with amazing ally-hoop passes from J. Kidd to Kenyon Martin, shifts the momentum to victories for the Nets. In fact with such plays, Nets came out to be this seasonÐ ±Ã ¿s most improved team in NBA. Pace of the game has been slowed down as years went by in the league. During the 80s and 90s, temple of the game was faster with more of the hustle plays ran by the point guards. Slow it down! is one of a coachÐ ±Ã ¿s favorite things to say in an offensive set. It gives a coach time to evaluate a defense, call his own play, and generally be a control freak (Oliver). This happens at lower levels as much as the NBA now and, as a consequence, so many point guards are now unwilling to lead a fast break for fear of an undressing by their coach (Oliver). Player like Shaquille ONeal, who is almost 350 pound, is able to keep up because of slow pace. So, is slow pace games a bad thing? Yes and no, because fast pace game excites the crowd and they are fun to watch. But speedy games lack in game plans strategically. The NBA team coaches want to do plays and run it for the offense. Coaches nowadays want their teams style to be slower, that way their team gets more efficient baskets. The NBA te am coaches want to do plays and run it for the offense. Teams like Chicago Bulls during the 90s used play call triangle defense, and won six NBA championship titles with that certain play (Sachare 93). Since the pace speed decreased, more of the half court offense and three pointers came in handy for some teams. During the 80s fast pace action, the three-pointer shooting teams were hardly recognizable. Although 3-point shooters were present in couple of the teams, players like Reggie Miller, Mark Price, Larry Bird, and John Paxson were known as three pointers. But today, teams like Celtics, Bucks, and Dallas Mavericks received the motivation of Ð ±Ã ¾live by the three, die by the threeÐ ±Ã ¿. Not only star players shoot threes in these teams, the entire team goes for the attempt. Three point attempts per game have increased from 10 to 16 during the 94 and 95(Oliver). Still these downtown shooting teams do not make all the treys, even though attempts are high, the percentage of making the shot is nearly 30%. Since threes are harder to make they significantly low. According to OliverÐ ±Ã ¿s research, the ratios of high percentage 3-point shooters are 1:4. That percentage can be very serious problem for the NBA. More attempts will lead to huge number of misses and slow the temple down even more. A huge significant change from 80 to 02 season has been the rule changes. The NBAs board of governors placed different rules for the 2001-2002 season, and removed the old rules as well. First of all, the league removed illegal defense to allow zone defense. That means that for the first time in 50 years, or almost since the league began, NBA teams will be allowed to play whats known as a zone defense, in which defensive players guard areas of the court. (White) Previous man-to-man defense is not the only way to play defense in the league today. But zone defense means less exciting plays off the offense. Since there are more defenders standing around the basket, the offensive players have to work their butts off to get a single point. Media folks tend to think that the new rule is a tradeoff. The game may become more exciting in the strategic sense, but itll lose the big plays and one-on-one matches that defined the NBA during its most recent heyday in the 1990s (White). Another chang e is the 8-second half court rule, in which ball carrier have to cross half court before 8 second runs out. This rule was made for one purpose only, to speed up the game. Also 8-second rule helps to eliminate walk-it-up approach that allows coaches to talk to their point guards while approaching the offensive set (Oliver). Other minor changes like 3 second defense rule which means defense gets called for 3 second inside key just like offense does. The significant part of the NBA style change was the key players who influenced the league to the NBA as greatest show on earth. When it comes to greatest key players in the1980s, it wonÐ ±Ã ¿t be a surprise if Magic Johnson and Larry bird comes in first. As Levin said, They influenced the rest of the league changed into league based on their style, Magic and Larry changed the game during 80s. Magic Johnson wasnÐ ±Ã ¿t a top scorer but his passing ability led the Lakers to championships. Larry Bird who was top-notch shooter who had dominant skill in offense led his Boston Celtics to championship also. MagicÐ ±Ã ¿s passing game taught rest of the league that scoring is not the only way to win a game. Great assists bring out smarter looks for a basket. Current player who carry the similar style as Magic is Jason Kidd (Smith). Before the 2001-02 season Jason Kidd was traded to New Jersey Nets, who only won 20+ games the previous year. When all the critics thought Kidds career migh t end with the Nets, right now Nets are competing in Eastern Finals and won 50 games this season. It is amazing how one player who is not even a scorer changes team 180 degrees with his passing ability. Kidd probably couldnt make it this far without observing the MagicÐ ±Ã ¿s style. A player who adopted Birds style is Dirk Nowitzki from Dallas Maverick. This player who is almost 7 foot plays guard and forward position, and he is also deadly from 3-point arc just like Bird. With their height advantage and offensive presence, Nowitzki demolishes his defender like how Bird gave his defenders a nightmare. With another style adoption starting 1990s, a player who changed the leagueÐ ±Ã ¿s style the most is Michael Air Jordan. As coming into the league in 1984, all the NBA fans were soaked with Magic and Birds performance. As years went by Jordan single handedly led his team, Chicago Bulls, to the playoffs and show the league whatÐ ±Ã ¿s known as human highlight film. Michael Jordans style was high flying acrobatic dunks, jumping ability, shooterÐ ±Ã ¿s touch, defense, and unstoppable (Sachare 173). He was simply the best all around player. Most importantly Jordan created his own style of basketball and influenced the entire NBA. For example, Jordan created whats known as A fade away jump shot, where he leans back avoiding the block while shooting. Right now about 70% of the player use this shooting style (Schwartz). Star players like Allen Iverson, Vince Carter, and Kobe Bryant use this shooting style every time they shoot. Speaking of Kobe Bryant, when people watch Kobe play, the y will see the Michael JordanÐ ±Ã ¿s style in him. From fade away jump shot to being unstoppable, Kobe is known as Jordan II. Great players influencing the rest of the league is what defines NBA. Slam-dunk is most popular style of basketball that pro players like as well as fans want to see. The dunk shot is one that can boost your teammates spirits and quickly demoralize the opponent. (Gandolfi 115) During the 80s before Michael Jordan came in to the league dunking was simply known as easy way to score a basket. But Jordan showed that dunks are style and creative art. Slam-dunk leads to change in momentum, temple, teamÐ ±Ã ¿s spirit, intimidation, and defenders mind. Although jumping ability is required to dunk, that just wonÐ ±Ã ¿t do much when it comes to stylish high-flyer. Players need creativity and timing when dunking. Michael Jordan dunk on opponents and almost over their head. But Vince Carter who is known to be best dunker of history clearly jumped over a 7 2 center and slammed through the basket during the 2000 Olympics. That dunk was called greatest play in sports history. And Vince continues on to do dunks that never seen before in the previous years. His sty le is what people love and keep watching NBAs basketball. The NBA has changed its outside styles like the new rule and plays, but it came into fact that inside heart didnt change. Players style influencing each other and passing down through decades is similar to cultural tradition. Back then game was exciting because of fast pace performance, now the games are still full of excitement because explosive plays like dunks, special moves, and great style that adopt from NBA icons. These two facts relates to each other in a way that they define NBAs heart and soul, the style.

Ben and Jerrys Essays

Ben and Jerrys Essays Ben and Jerrys Essay Ben and Jerrys Essay Ben and Jerrys BY tmh01854 Ben Jerrys corporate strategy is to be a force for social change through its presence in the frozen desert market. With a commitment to promoting social awareness and caring capitalism, Ben Jerry established itself as a leader with a unique image in the superpremium ice cream market by priding themselves with an anti-business style, both externally and internally. Theyre the largest corporate supporter of community and environmental issues (committing 7. % of pre-tax profits). They tand behind a casual working environment with a 5:1 salary ratio structure, which means the highest paid employee can only earn a maximum of 5 times the lowest paid employee. Ben Jerrys business strategy is differentiation, in that they offer a wide variety of products. While the company continues to pull slow moving products, they replace them with new flavors and selections that contribute to the companys growth. Using Porters 5-Force analysis, threats of new entrants and supplier power is low, but intense rivalry, threats of substitutes, and threat of buyers are high, giving he industry as a whole an overall rating of 2 stars. Threats of new entrants are relatively low, as there are high barriers to industry entry. These include the initial capital investment to purchase equipment, as well as establish distribution channels and marketing/advertising campaigns. There is a high threat of substitutes in the ice cream industry, as many products are available to satisfy the same needs. Buyer power is high, as both consumers and retailers drive the price and choices of ice cream. Since shelf space is limited, ice cream can easily be replaced. Supplier power is low as there are multiple sources to buy the ingredients to make the product. A company can get the raw materials Just about anywhere, but when venturing into the superpremium market, this product line uses brand candies from other companies. Rivalry is high since many compete to have better flavors and shelf space in stores. We do believe that the culture and values of create a sustainable advantage. Bs values include caring capitalism, funding community projects, free employee assistance programs, day-care, comprehensive benefits ackages, and their important 5:1 salary ratio rule. Ben Jerrys certainly possess a unique brand as it relates to culture. The companys social mission and its promotional awareness events generate interest in the company. By targeting social causes, the Ben Jerrys brand extends beyond the ice cream products where consumers may believe that through the purchase of Ben Jerrys ice cream, they are also contributing towards the social initiatives of the company. Further, the culture and values differentiate the company from its competitors. As a strategy, the social involvement dives awareness of the companys brand and product leading to fiscal growth. This benefitted Ben Jerrys during its growth period and formed a strong identity among consumers. From a sustainability standpoint, Ben Jerrys drove social responsibility issues before it became fashionable within the business sector. That said, culture and values contribute towards a competitive advantage, but is not a means to an end on its own. The company must still practice fundamental perational discipline and manage its cost structure to survive long term. Under Cohens leadership, cost and profit management was an afterthought to the social improving their position to cover short liabilities. Their gross profit margin has held steady over the last 6 years (averaging 28. 3%) after dropping from a high in 1981 (49. 76%). This is an indication of successfully adjusting their price point due to changes in their operation. However, their net profit margin fell over time as more expenses resulted from investments in non-production costs. While not robust, BJ increased both their net working capital and asset turnover from 1985 1989. They brought their long term debt ratio down to 31. 5% in 1986. However, since then, BJs additional financing came from debt (back up 70% in 1989) becoming a highly leveraged company. Two challenges that confronted Ben Jerrys by the end of the case include compensation at market rates for senior management as well as the friction between Ben Cohens ideology of the company and Chico Lagers desire to lead Ben Jerrys into a growing, businesslike environment. The 5:1 compensation plan limited the companys ability to recruit top talent within the management ranks leading to lengthy executive searches and vacant management positions. The latter point stemmed from the business crossroad that faced the company. While Cohen sought to preserve the identity and values deeply rooted into the companys DNA, the challenges facing a growing company became a reality. Business practices such as managing profits, instilling operational discipline, and hiring and retaining top talent created stress within Ben Jerrys.

Free Essays on Health Care

My essay will be on the topic of: Do you think the privatization of the Health care System is or will have a negative impact on the service you receive? To consider solving this growing debate one might want to turn to our neighbor to the north Canada. In Canada, health care financing, allocation, and delivery may be public, private, or a combination of both. In Canada there is a â€Å"single tier† health care system with access for everyone irrespective of ability to pay. The â€Å"privatization† of health care in many minds means an American system of health care which is a â€Å"two tier† system that offers better service for those who can pay and poorer or no service for those who cannot. Exactly what is â€Å"privatization†? That depends on which dimension of health care you look at (financing, allocation, delivery) Privatizing the financing of health services means shifting the burden of paying for health care from tax revenues to the private incomes of individuals through partial or complete payment for certain services. The privatization of allocation of health services involves using certain forms of market competition to determine what services are provided, who provides them, and at what costs. The privatization of delivery of health services means relying on individuals and organizations outside of government both non-profit and for profit to provide the services. The important question is not whether something is public or private, but rather how the arrangement of public or private financing, allocation, and delivery affects costs of care, access to care, accountability for care, and quality of care. The private/public balance in health care is particularly of concern to seniors, because they are more likely to need health care then any other group. The provisions of community-based services by private for-profit agencies are a cause for concern. Under the Reagan Administration, a review of the privatization of public ag... Free Essays on Health Care Free Essays on Health Care My essay will be on the topic of: Do you think the privatization of the Health care System is or will have a negative impact on the service you receive? To consider solving this growing debate one might want to turn to our neighbor to the north Canada. In Canada, health care financing, allocation, and delivery may be public, private, or a combination of both. In Canada there is a â€Å"single tier† health care system with access for everyone irrespective of ability to pay. The â€Å"privatization† of health care in many minds means an American system of health care which is a â€Å"two tier† system that offers better service for those who can pay and poorer or no service for those who cannot. Exactly what is â€Å"privatization†? That depends on which dimension of health care you look at (financing, allocation, delivery) Privatizing the financing of health services means shifting the burden of paying for health care from tax revenues to the private incomes of individuals through partial or complete payment for certain services. The privatization of allocation of health services involves using certain forms of market competition to determine what services are provided, who provides them, and at what costs. The privatization of delivery of health services means relying on individuals and organizations outside of government both non-profit and for profit to provide the services. The important question is not whether something is public or private, but rather how the arrangement of public or private financing, allocation, and delivery affects costs of care, access to care, accountability for care, and quality of care. The private/public balance in health care is particularly of concern to seniors, because they are more likely to need health care then any other group. The provisions of community-based services by private for-profit agencies are a cause for concern. Under the Reagan Administration, a review of the privatization of public ag... Free Essays on Health Care Managed Health Care Of the approximately 257.8 million individuals currently living in the United States of America, every one of them has a need for effective, affordable and accessible health care coverage and services. Within the past thirty to forty years, the scope and cost of health care coverage and services has drastically changed, altering the manner in which health care was previously managed. There are several factors that have affected the cost of health care coverage over the course of the past two to three decades. One of these factors is the introduction and rapidly increasing enrollment in managed health care insurance plans. Managed care health insurance plans can, in most cases, help to alleviate the rising costs of effective medical coverage. Another important factor that has affected health care costs is the invention and implementation of new medical technologies. As prominent researchers and economic analysts have discovered, there is a distinct and direct correlat! ion between advancing medical technologies and rising health care costs. Medical innovation has been proven time and again to be an important determinant of health care cost growth. It would appear that managed care health insurance plans, which attempt to lower health care costs, and highly expensive new medical innovations and procedures are at cross purposes, pulling against one another in very different directions. Market-level comparisons have found the cost growth of health care in markets with greater managed care penetration to be generally slower than that of non-managed care health insurance markets. However, managed care is unlikely to prevent the share of gross domestic product spent on health care from rising unless the cost-increasing nature of new medical technologies changes. Managed care health insurance plans differ greatly from indemnity fee-for-service, or FFS, insurance plans. Since the early 1970's, r...

Religion and the Elderly Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Religion and the Elderly - Case Study Example She showed her affirmation but told me to come after some days, as she won’t be able to give enough time. I made three intermittent visits to her residence to seek her reflections on various aspects of her life pertaining particularly to her outlook on religion and spirituality. When I asked Mrs. Miller to recall from childhood till now her experiences with life, she took a two minutes pause before starting but once she began, she continued without break. She was brought up by her grand-parents most of the time. She lost her father when she was three years old but she remembered the face of her mother, full of affection. Her mother’s untimely death permanently deprived her from motherly affection when Mrs. Miller was hardly eight years. ... Mrs. Miller’s Religious and Spiritual Practices According to Mrs. Miller, she started finding a religious and spiritual touch in her day-to-day functions. Earlier, she never attempted to know how both the terms differed in meaning but when circumstances provided the time and need to analyze these terms, she preferred to spend time to serve the poor. She found a new meaning of religion by tutoring poor school-going children in free. She started finding solace in serving the poor students by taking extra free classes in the evening. It was her way of supporting the cause of humanity, as education and knowledge had been her intangible properties, which according to her, would not decrease if she served the needy students. Mrs. Miller did not get rid of her religious affiliations. She had been in the habit of visiting the Church on week-ends. After the death of her husband, her visits to the Church increased, as she had more free time to sit there and engross herself silently in m editation. Although she had not been a worshipper of oriental spiritual practices in her past life but later, she developed a liking for the Indian tradition of yoga for health and spiritual attainment. Mrs. Miller started attending the yoga and art of living classes for her spiritual growth. She started having a firm belief that to march ahead on the path of spirituality, first thing one needs to do is to cleanse the heart from the impurities of hatred, enmity, greed, and avoiding any such act that promotes negative energy. It realized to her that in stead of spending and wasting too much time in daily busy chores, it was important to learn to do good deeds to cleanse the soul of the impurities of one’s actions. Her

Analytical Character comparison using epic similies Essay

Analytical Character comparison using epic similies - Essay Example Thesis Statement: The brilliance regarding the use of epic simile has emerged in the hands of Homer as an effective instrument though which he captured a complete impression of a situation, churned out the contrast among characters and finally led the audience to the layers of emotions dimensions of the character. The Use of Epic Simile to understand Ulysses’ character: The instances of Homer’s poetic magnificence regarding the use of simile to analyze the character, physical stature and emotional status of Ulysses are abundant throughout the Odyssey. However, in the book XI â€Å"The Descent into Hell† his craftsmanship has reached to its culmination. The character of Ulysses, in the Odyssey, has been presented by Homer in a unique way because the character, compared to the other epic heroes, does not appear to be invincible. While the humane side of his character has been presented through the shades of fear, deprivation, and agony, on the other hand, the stren gth of him has been projected through his courage, ruthlessness and anger. During his journey though the Hell, Ulysses has experienced several traumatic visions that evoked a sense of tremendous. However, the spontaneity of human morality and aspiration to overcome all the obstacles makes him a human being. Irrespective of the fact that he witnessed a fierce scene of human suffering in the Hell, however, the same could not stop him from rejuvenating his insatiable source of courage: â€Å"Now I the strength of Hercules behold, / A towering spectre of gigantic mould, / A shadowy form! for high in heaven’s abodes / Himself resides, a god among the gods;† (11. 741-11. 744). He feels himself in the same state like that of the great Greek God who is surrounded by â€Å"fowl†, â€Å"hovering ghosts† (11, 747). However, the prevailing evil though shrouded the divine glory but that could not stop him from fighting. The same courage that lurked in Hercules’ s heart, in the gloomy surrounding of the Hell Ulysses can feel the same: â€Å"Around his breast a wondrous zone is roll’d, / Where woodland monsters grin in fretted gold: / There sullen lions sternly seem to roar† (11. 751-11. 753). With the use of images from an array of references the poet has provided such an impression about Ulysses’ character that is empathetic in nature, gets troubled by the human angst and is ready to empathize with such situations. However, the moral strength of the character can be realized through his readiness to encounter all odds and through his confidence that with the traits of divine courage that every man possesses, he will be able to emerge as a triumphant against all evils; consequently he will be able to retain his dignity as a human being. Use of Epic Simile to understand Penelope’s character: Penelope, the wife of Ulysses, exists quite at a diametrically opposite pole compared to the features of her husband’ s nature as projected in the epic. Though the sings of respecting her self-dignity and empathy for other cannot be missed, however, Penelope seems to appear as a manifestation of traditional womanhood. Irrespective of

Evaluation of Zara, UK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Evaluation of Zara, UK - Essay Example According to the report Zara is able to access large quantities of stock based on its leveraging and access to finances. It is a boosting factor for its production targets, by which it stands to gain through the economy scale. Majority of its competitors do not have stable cash flow, hence they do not hold as much stock as Zara. An Example of such competitors is Mango. The second strength for Zara is the establishment of market and research through which it produces relevant and fast moving products and services. Zara keeps a good track of the market products and identifies the relevant needs and specifications of customers. Zara does a proper market study through its marketing promotions and gathers the consumer opinions to enable the production sector to adopt the emerging customer requirement. Fast fashion business has thus favored Zara since it began its implementation of flexibility in production brands.This essay stresses that  Zara, like other fast fashion chain stores in th e UK has its weaknesses, which poses a risk of losses and a decline in its overall performance. Zara runs a number of chain store subsidiaries in various parts of the UK, which are managed from a central administrative point. This leads to interference with the decision making processes. It means the decision making teams have to assess the situations of the chain stores distributed in many parts of the region before making proper decisions.

Herpert Simon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Herpert Simon - Essay Example These observations lead to Simon’s rejection of the classical economic assumption of prefect-knowledge and to derive â€Å"bounded rationality† in decision making (Simon, etal, 1987). â€Å"In (‘On how to decide what to do’) (Simon) claims, rightly, that traditional economics has too often been concerned with what decisions are made rather than how they are made.† (Hunt 1) How decisions are made is a better real world indicator of how resources are allocated, which is the study of economics. (Hunt 2) Simon’s interest was in how man processes the limited available information and with imperfect logic. Bounded rationality â€Å"refers to peoples limited ability to make comparisons, to see into the future, and, more generally, to process information†. (Cyret 63) Simon created the term â€Å"satisficing†, presumably a hybrid term mixing satisfying and sufficing, to indicate achieving the perceived best position with imperfect informa tion. Preferring a blend of thinking, laboratory work and empirical observations of thinking and decision making, Simon wanted economists to get out of the think tanks and go observe business people making decisions. (Cyret) Simon started with the conviction that human rationality was bounded externally by social constraints and internally by cognitive restraints (Sent 227). People were not truly free to make decisions since conformity and possibility were unquantifiable constraints in the process. Bounded rationality was not concerned with symmetry or macroeconomic functions at all. It is a decision making and problem solving theory not meant to strengthen neoclassical economic thought like Nash’s game theory which Simon considered crude and incomplete. In Simon’s theory, quantification is used to enhance rationality, not create it. The management situation sets the conditions for rational thought; therefore some actions are predisposed to be viewed as nonworking solu tions (Mankelwicz 60). Common sense, or heuristics, actually applies available metrics as a screening tool. â€Å"Human perception may be as bounded in scope as our rationality†. (Mankelwicz 63). Quantitative results may be viewed as symbols, talisman. Managers may experience numbers as moral symbols, guideposts (Mankelwicz 64) Technical rationality, degree of quantification, economic, social, legal politics and political stakeholders, although largely invisible, impact the final decision, certainly the reasonable solution possibilities (Mankelwicz 65). Simon studied bounded rationality, the decision making process, under several disciplines allowing him to consider â€Å"decomposability†, the breakdown of problems into hierarchies, the systems of considering means and ends to reach a decision (Augier & Frank 584). Applying rationality, people cannot have perfect information. So, the decision making process is like the scientific methods of laboratory testing and field data collection. Neither is the sole path to truth. Neither is the sole source of perfect decisions. (Hunt 2) Managers must reach decisions through satisficing, that is being at least as optimal as the competition. It is possible the cost of optimization is greater than the reward. (Hunt 2) As early as the 1960’s, theories of systems were forming. â€Å"A system may be defined as an orderly grouping of separate but interdependent components for the purpose of attaining

Organizational globalization in human resources Essay

Organizational globalization in human resources - Essay Example This will play a pivotal role within the understandings that are reached between the organizations and the different processes that are happening on a global level. It is very necessary for the stakeholders to realize their respective roles within the organization globalization realms as it gives them a clear cut idea as to how they should take care of their money and invest within such quarters that has a very global feel towards the ideology of building the competencies of the organization (Guillen 2001). This will reap rich results for the organization as it is bent upon going global in order to seek the best possible outcomes, which indeed is a very enticing proposition for any business at the end of the day. The definition of organizational globalization is â€Å"putting the local domains of a business in the perspective of the global industry†. This helps the organization to maneuver its basis within the international dynamics as well as helps it build upon the premise of a positive change, one that will bring about solid results. The definition of organizational globalization has therefore focused on the agenda of bringing a basis of worldliness with the norms and procedures that are followed within the organizations. It gives the companies a kind of leverage that is not very hard to envision, and more so because these organizations have adequately understood how their processes and related undertakings are going to be taken care of. If the element of globalization comes into the equation, there is a sense of doing things in accordance with the global regimes – an achievement for the organization in its own right. The fact that organizational globalization has been able to create a huge difference within the work realms is something that can be taken as a positive. It gives the companies the much needed boost as far as complying with their local working basis is concerned. It also

Herpert Simon Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Herpert Simon - Essay Example These observations lead to Simon’s rejection of the classical economic assumption of prefect-knowledge and to derive â€Å"bounded rationality† in decision making (Simon, etal, 1987). â€Å"In (‘On how to decide what to do’) (Simon) claims, rightly, that traditional economics has too often been concerned with what decisions are made rather than how they are made.† (Hunt 1) How decisions are made is a better real world indicator of how resources are allocated, which is the study of economics. (Hunt 2) Simon’s interest was in how man processes the limited available information and with imperfect logic. Bounded rationality â€Å"refers to peoples limited ability to make comparisons, to see into the future, and, more generally, to process information†. (Cyret 63) Simon created the term â€Å"satisficing†, presumably a hybrid term mixing satisfying and sufficing, to indicate achieving the perceived best position with imperfect informa tion. Preferring a blend of thinking, laboratory work and empirical observations of thinking and decision making, Simon wanted economists to get out of the think tanks and go observe business people making decisions. (Cyret) Simon started with the conviction that human rationality was bounded externally by social constraints and internally by cognitive restraints (Sent 227). People were not truly free to make decisions since conformity and possibility were unquantifiable constraints in the process. Bounded rationality was not concerned with symmetry or macroeconomic functions at all. It is a decision making and problem solving theory not meant to strengthen neoclassical economic thought like Nash’s game theory which Simon considered crude and incomplete. In Simon’s theory, quantification is used to enhance rationality, not create it. The management situation sets the conditions for rational thought; therefore some actions are predisposed to be viewed as nonworking solu tions (Mankelwicz 60). Common sense, or heuristics, actually applies available metrics as a screening tool. â€Å"Human perception may be as bounded in scope as our rationality†. (Mankelwicz 63). Quantitative results may be viewed as symbols, talisman. Managers may experience numbers as moral symbols, guideposts (Mankelwicz 64) Technical rationality, degree of quantification, economic, social, legal politics and political stakeholders, although largely invisible, impact the final decision, certainly the reasonable solution possibilities (Mankelwicz 65). Simon studied bounded rationality, the decision making process, under several disciplines allowing him to consider â€Å"decomposability†, the breakdown of problems into hierarchies, the systems of considering means and ends to reach a decision (Augier & Frank 584). Applying rationality, people cannot have perfect information. So, the decision making process is like the scientific methods of laboratory testing and field data collection. Neither is the sole path to truth. Neither is the sole source of perfect decisions. (Hunt 2) Managers must reach decisions through satisficing, that is being at least as optimal as the competition. It is possible the cost of optimization is greater than the reward. (Hunt 2) As early as the 1960’s, theories of systems were forming. â€Å"A system may be defined as an orderly grouping of separate but interdependent components for the purpose of attaining

14 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

14 - Coursework Example I personally think that this assumption is accurate that crimes can be controlled by monitoring the surroundings. it is different from the other techniques as it direct monitoring and controlling the surroundings. People are be watched and actions are taken immediately by the concerning authorities. Environmental manipulation occurs when the surroundings of an individual are used to prevent crimes. These include access control, surveillance, residential areas which include limiting the activities of pedestrians and other unrelated people, use of close-circuit cameras, activity support and motivation reinforcement. Observing all the methods and techniques of environmental manipulation to control crime; I personally think that use of close-circuit cameras would be much effective in crime controlling as such a technique would prevent from more crime and people would be aware of the fact that they are being watched by the official authorities who are monitoring their actions. It would help in controlling drug related crimes more

Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday Essay Example for Free

Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday Essay Bill Crow’s Jazz Anecdotes is a thought-provoking, often amusing collection of stories from within jazz’s inner circles, told by and about some of the genre’s leading figures. While not a history of jazz, it gives readers some insights to how jazz artists worked, lived, bonded, and coped with an America in which many were still outsiders. The book’s forty-three chapters (expanded from the original 1990 edition) describe the life jazz musicians shared, offering insights into a rather exclusive, unconventional circle of performing artists. The numerous anecdotes are categorized by chapters, gathering related tales and moving from a general overview of jazz life to anecdotes about individuals, like Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, and Benny Goodman. Essentially, Crow creates a context in which jazz musicians lived, and then places individual musicians within it, giving readers a better understanding of how they functioned in this rarified climate. For example, the volume opens with â€Å"Wild Scenes,† which Crow says describes how â€Å"the individuality of jazz musicians combines with the capricious world in which they try to make a living† (Crow 3). The brief chapter sets the stage for the rest of the book, giving glimpses of the unconventional world jazz musicians inhabited (which explains to some degree their relationship to society at large). â€Å"The Word ‘Jazz’† contains attempts to explain the origins of the genre’s name, and â€Å"Inventions† offers accounts of how certain innovations occurred (such as Dizzy Gillespie’s distinctive bent trumpet), giving the reader a sense of history though the work is not an orthodox history per se. Many of the stories contained in Jazz Anecdotes convey the musicians’ camaraderie and warmth toward each other, as well as each other’s idiosyncrasies. Others convey how difficult and often arbitrary the jazz lifestyle often was. â€Å"Hiring and Firing† demonstrates how unstable many musicians’ careers were, rife with disputes over money or dismissals for their personal quirks. (For example, Count Basie fired Lester Young for refusing to participate in recording sessions occurring on the 13th of any month. ) â€Å"Managers, Agents, and Bosses† offers a glimpse into the seamier underside of jazz, where dishonest managers and mobsters often trapped jazz performers in unfair contracts or worse. Though jazz musicians appear to inhabit a special world, Crow does not discuss jazz in a social vacuum, tying it to social phenomena like race relations. In â€Å"Prejudice,† the tales take a more serious tone by showing how black jazz artists faced abundant racism, particularly in the South. However, Crow notes that â€Å"Jazz helped to start the erosion of racial prejudice in America . . . [because] it drew whites and blacks together into a common experience† (Crow 148). Jazz artists dealt with racism in various ways – Bessie Smith and Billie Holiday stood up to it while Zutty Singleton accepted it. Meanwhile, even white musicians like Stan Smith angered both races – whites for performing with blacks, and blacks for â€Å"intruding on their music† (Crow 152). The final chapters focus on individual artists, illustrating the greats’ personalities. Louis Armstrong emerges as earthy and good-hearted; Bessie Smith as strong and willful but ultimately self-destructive; Fats Waller is an impish pleasure-seeker given to excellent music but poor business decisions; and Benny Goodman as gifted but tight-fisted and controlling. Taken as a whole, Jazz Anecdotes offers a look at jazz’s human side, including its foibles, genius, camaraderie, crookedness, and connection to an American society from which it sometimes stood apart. Its legendary figures are depicted as gifted, devoted artists who enjoyed hedonism, companionship, and particularly independence. If any single thing stands out in this book, it is the latter; for the figures in this work, jazz meant creativity and freedom, which they pursued with equal vigor and vitality. Crow, Bill. Jazz Anecdotes. New York: Oxford University Press, 2005.

Case Study of the Jewish Museum, Berlin

Case Study of the Jewish Museum, Berlin The Jewish Museum Berlin incorporates the social and cultural history of the Germany after World War 2 and aspired to correspond to the effects of the Holocaust on Jews in Germany. In his design, Libeskind claimed to combine three main concepts; the incapability to comprehend the historical agendas of Germany without the knowledge of the civilizational, academic and economic contribution that was made by the Jewish people in Berlin. Secondly he wanted to capture the bodily and spiritual journey in correlation to the experience of the Holocaust and its repercussions the society of Jews and finally he wanted to make amends by the acknowledgment, removal and the incorporation of voids, through which Berlin can move but this time with humanitarian existence. When the construction ended in 1999, the Director Michael Blumenthal declared that, the chief aim of the museum will be to bring a sense of the richness of Jewish cultural life in Germany before the Holocaust LIBESKINDS BOOK However, the Holocaust infuses the museum so strongly the museum has been called by reviewers and critics both didactic and pedagogical that the message is one for the present and, more importantly, for the future (BOOK MAKE UP). Because the context of the Holocaust remains such a strong thread in this space, it warrants examination as a unique addition to genres memorializing the Holocaust. Additionally, the museums triumph in its massive turnout rates particularly with young people, over the last decade calls for an analysis of its complexity of design and content to understand how the space performs to change the way we see things.WHY HE WON? For Libeskind, who was worn in Poland, a coupl of hundred Kilemoters from Berlin and whose family devastated during the Holocaust, the project presented a chance to reconnect to his past. Both of his parents were arrested by Soviet officials when the Red Army and upon their return home and have spend some time in concentration camp. Upon their retur n they learned that 85 members of families had died at the hands of the Nazis. These experiences made Libeskind design extremely personal and in a sence biased. In an nterview to Jewish Currents, a Jewish on-line magazine that deals with activism, politics and art Libeskind explains his approach; I would first point out that its not a project that I had to research in a library or study in the archives because it is part of my background, including my immediate background in every sense. My parents were Holocaust survivors and my uncle Nathan was one of the heroes of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. I myself grew up as a Jew in post war Poland under quite anti-Semitic circumstances. And Ive lived in Israel and New York. Certainly that museum is speaking, both backwards and forwards, to many issues that are part of my Jewish sensibility. Jewish Currents Just by observing the form of the structure, already the sense of pragmatic effect is playing a large role. The building is recognisable by its gleaming zinc walls, asymmetrical shape of the zigzag form with daylight penetrating through asymmetric cuts suggestive of the vile stabs on Jewish presence in Germany. Berliners immediately dubbed it blitz or the lighting. For Libeskind this tormented form represents all the brutality, all the ruptures in the history of the Jews in Germany. This could b a case of Libeskinds over-collaboration with the structure, as this lighting, zig-zag this design of the structure is developed from the disjointed Star of David which is only noticable from the air an image only seen by an angel( BOOK BY DANILEl. The building, for example, proposes that the horrified, broken world of the Holocaust is best evoked by shatter, broken space. The entrance to the exhibition is by a descending lobby staircase that leads into a world twisted geometry where floors are off centre and twisted. And instead of feeling something philosophical, you almost anticipate platforms moving as in a luna parks house of terror. The basement of the museum is made of three axes representing three certainties in the history of Jews in Germany. The first is Axis of Continuity and it is the longest one. It joins the Old Building with the central stairway which escorts up to the exhibition levels. To Liberskind is a representation of continuation of Jews in Berlins history and culture. Second, Axis of Emigration guides visitors outside to sunshine of the Garden of Exile. here the walls are to some extent skewed and distorted. A gigantic door must be opened before one can step into the garden. There is not much information about history and once again Libeskind heavily relies on the architecture, our imagination and experiences to construct the history. dead end is at the Axis of the Holocaust which is even more narrower becomes and darker and finishes at the Holocaust Tower. Unlike in Axis of Emigration there is bit more information about the holocaust. On the way glass case, documents and other personal possessi ons are displayed, confirming of a private life of their owners who were murdered. Underground, all three axes traverse, representing the link between the three certainties of Jewish life in Germany. One aspect of the museum that had an effect on me are Libeskind`s so called Voids which symbolise the fundamental structural element of the New Building and its association with the Old Building. Here a staircase guides visitors down to the basement and all the way to the voids of exposed concrete which connects two buildings. These are indeed empty spaces, some of which you can peek into, and theyre supposed to symbolize the voids left by those Jews and Jewish communities that have been wiped out during the Holocaust. While this is certainly a very dark aspect of the buildings intend, it is rather an abstract one and again a pre-acquired knowledge had to exist in order to understand architects intentions. While observing the images of Voids the feeling of bareness, confusion and loss are strong and almost agonizing. Here, an installation by the Israeli sculptor, Menasche Kadishman of over 10,000 circular iron disc faces is spread along the concrete floor. It represents the suffering that could be seen on the faces of Jews murdered in Nazi Germany. Although these discs were left there intentionally as is usually not case with the punctum they are my prick. Ten thousand faces look at you from the cold concrete floor and their wide open mouth appears to be screaming. The fact that visitors are invited to wal k all over those faces seems as it somehow desecrates the installation. Maybe one of those faces was my grandfathers friend. In summation, the motive for the museum can influence the architectural form and become its source of inspiration. However, architecture could never have the specificity of meaning of written or verbal communication. The ways in which a building might thus express its newly anointed role in the framing of history seem partial, and burdened with pitfalls. I very often think that contemporary culture has more style over matter, and it could be argued that the Jewish Museum is a case in point. People expecting to leave building and gain a much better perspective of what life was like for the German Jewish population, will be disappointed, but if they are prepared to let their mind follow Daniel Libeskinds interpretation of events then they`ll leave distressed and puzzled . However, if come with certain acquaintances and their own experiences from the holocaust, they will notice their punctum and leave wounded and tormented.

Thomas Jefferson Essays -- essays research papers

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson was the third president of the United States. His terms lasted from the year 1801 to the year 1809. Jefferson was an American revolutionary leader as well as an influential political philosopher. Jefferson was among a group of the most brilliant Americans that resulted from the Enlightenment in Europe. Possibly one of the best writers during his time, Jefferson was the principal author of the Declaration of Independence. Jefferson ¡Ã‚ ¦s status as a Virginia aristocrat gave him the two most important things to become an educated man, which was a difficult thing to become during that time. Those two things, time and the resources, allowed him to educate himself in history, literature, law, architecture, science, and philosophy. He also had a great deal of influence on his ideals that came directly from the European culture and thought because he had been a diplomat and friend of French and British intellectuals. Jefferson was born on the thirteenth day of April of the year 1743 at Shadwell in Goochland (now in Albemarle) Co., Virginia, which was at the time considered a western outpost and was to remain as Jefferson ¡Ã‚ ¦s lifelong home. He was the son of Peter Jefferson and Jane Randolph Jefferson. His father, Peter, was a surveyor, a cartographer, and a plantation owner and he was also largely self-educated. His mother, Jane was from the prominent Rudolph family of colonial Virginia. Jefferson ¡Ã‚ ¦s intense interest in botany, geology, cartography, North American exploration, and love of Greek and Latin are due largely from his father and his surrounding environment out in the west where he also absorbed the democratic views of his Western countrymen. For several years, Jefferson studied at the local grammar and classical schools. After that, he entered the College of William and Mary in the year 1760. During his time at the college, he had become a close friend to three prominent residents of Williamsburg: William Small, George Wythe, and Francis Fauquier who was the lieutenant governor of the colony. Small was of the college faculty who Jefferson had studied under. Small had an in depth knowledge of the Scottish Englightenment and its approach to law, history, philosophy, and science. He had also introduced him to the natural sciences and to rational methods of inquiry. Wythe was of the Virginia bar. ... ...ge. Interest payments from the final settlement finally made the total price $27,267,622. Despite the scruples that Jefferson had about the purchase being constitutional or not, his other fears that Napoleon would change his mind because of Livingston ¡Ã‚ ¦s reports and from the overwhelming public approval of the Louisiana Purchase, except for most of New England, eventually overcame him and he approved. After the United States Senate ratified the treaty in October of that same year, the flag of the United States was raised over New Orleans on the twentieth of December. Even though the United States had purchased a great deal of land, it was still unclear. The wording of the treaty was vague and the boundaries were not clearly described. Also, the fact that the United States was to also own West Florida, which was suppose to be considered part of Louisiana was not assured. Despite that the final boundaries of the territory were not settled for many years, the boundaries roughly extended form the Mississippi River to the Rocky Mountains and from the Gulf of Mexico to British North America. The total purchase had doubled the national domain, increasing it 2,144,500 square kilometers.

Drugs In The Music Industry Essay -- essays research papers

Drugs in the Music Industry The Music World-glamorous, fast paced, and a world most of us will never be part of. But if we knew what it entailed, would we still want to be? The whole world seems to be building itself around drugs more and more every day, and music industry isn't immune. In fact, music is one of the most influential art forms of today's society, and drugs, especially to today's youth, just add to the attractiveness of it all. In the last two or three years, drugs, especially heroin, have risen in use dramatically. Kurt Cobain was the most high-profile drug-related rock star since the 1970's and was still battling heroin addiction when he committed suicide in 1994. Along with him, his wife Courtney Love made it fashionable to be a "junkie". In the last year, Stone Temple Pilot's singer Scott Weiland and Depeche Mode singer David Gahan, among others, have been arrested for cocaine or heroin possession. The number of top bands that have been linked to heroin through a member's overdose, arrest, admitted use or recovery is staggering: Smashing pumpkins, Everclear, Snoop Doggy Dogg, Dr. Dre, Blind Melon, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Breeders, Alice in Chains, Sex Pistols, Sublime, Iggy Pop, the list goes on and on. Together, these bands have sold more than 60 million albums(Newsweek pgs 50 & 53). Since kids emulate popular musicians, what is there to keep them from emulating their drug use? Moreover, what's to keep the majority of the population from doing the same? In the 60's and 70's, drug use was never spoken of nor did anyone admit that it was a problem. Nowadays, there is not a person in the world who hasn't heard about the rising drug use. But what are they doing about it? Back in the 80's, higher prices, the fear of contracting AIDS, and lower purity kept drugs out of the mainstream. Now, drugs are cheaper and easier to get then ever, being imported into the country at double the rate it was in the 1980's. Unfortunately, the outsider's view of drug use isn't the harsh reality. Janis Joplin, Billie Holiday, and Charlie Parker are among the many to die from heroin and other drug addictions. Drugs seem to make you a funnier, wiser, cooler person, but what the younger generation fails to realize is that they are fatal. Despite this, drug... ...are easy because they are wealthy, popular, and sublimely happy. Being rich and famous isn't all it's cracked up to be. They lead normal lives, have kids and pay bills just as we do, but this is still no excuse to put your life into your own hands. The music industry may be finally facing up to the truth that drug abuse has become a serious problem, though. The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences gathered in 1996 to discuss what could be done about it. The sense of crisis has been growing since Kurt Cobain committed suicide, blamed at least partly on his heroin abuse.(Time p57)Expressions of concern are easy to come by, but the chances for meaningful industry action are less clear. Record executives refuse to be drug police, especially in a society where drug abuse has long been accepted, and even condoned, as part of the creative process. Geffen Records has retained a drug counselor for it's musicians who seek help. (Time p 58). But the industry must recognize that pressure from the label to keep tutoring and recording can blow a drug problem out of proportion. It is a minimal step, but at least a start toward trying to keep musicians healthy, productive, and alive.

The White Underclass

The White Underclass A) What is the White Underclass, and what are the national economic changes and forces? The United States economy took a turn for the worse in 2008, and has been steadily declining ever since. The reason for the financial crisis began with the failing of the financial institutions, which threatened the global economy. The reason for the failing of the largest financial institutions can be debated, but many believe that it was due to the failure of accurately and safely evaluating the risks involved in their lending procedures.Whatever the reason, the recession had a massive impact on the country, and none were affected more than the Americans living at or below the poverty level. These people are known as the American underclass. What defines an underclass? It has been defined as the bottom of society, those who have become victims of a poverty trap. The underclass is largely made up of unemployed, young, single-parent families that are living in destitute strick en areas, areas in which the children lack educational qualifications, good role models, and social skills.This provides them little opportunity to escape the unfortunate situation in which they’ve been placed (www. BusinessDictionary. com/definition/underclass, 2012). The term â€Å"underclass† has been classified in two different ways, according to the article â€Å"The White Underclass† (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). The first, simply put, is classified as areas that contain the extremely poor. The second classification gives a more detailed look as to why they are extremely poor.The second classification is areas that contain a high number of single family households, usually with women at the head of the household, and often dependent on government support. Charles Murray, an American libertarian political scientist, wrote â€Å"illegitimacy is the single most important social problem of our time – more important than crime, drugs, pove rty, illiteracy, welfare or homelessness, because it drives everything else. † (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994) These families are the victims of a vicious circle; the children of these families have a high dropout percentage, which often leads to having children out of wedlock.The absence of these fathers is usually due to crime, drugs, or just a lack of responsibility. Twenty-two percent of children born in 1991 were born out of wedlock, with that number increasing every year (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). Many of these unwed mothers are too young and inexperienced to be more than a burden on society, which doesn’t leave much hope for the children that they give birth to. Many of these young white women that are having children out of wedlock are not in the least ashamed at getting pregnant at such a young age and without being married.They believe that having children will â€Å"give them someone to love† (â€Å"The White Underclassâ₠¬ , 1994). Unfortunately, as seen in the documentary â€Å"Culture of Hate†, our children are a reflection of what we are (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). Financial obstacles are faced by almost everyone at some point in time, but with those that are part of the underclass, it is a way of life. It’s not poverty that is the issue, but rather the widening gap in economic classes.As learned in the most recent lecture, the median middle class makes between seventy-five thousand to one-hundred and fifty thousand dollars a year, whereas the underclass make on or under thirty thousand dollars a year, most often under (Merritt, 2012). This is quite a significant gap. The underclass is under educated, and under employed. Many people don’t think of whites when they think of those living in poverty, but the realization is that the whites are a growing group of those that are living in poverty. B) What is the White Underclass, and what are the regional (Lakeside, C A) economic changes and forces that account for its growth?Here in the county of San Diego, Lakeside California specifically, economic change is a leading factor to the growth of the white underclass. Change is inevitable in life, but that change is not always for the better. This is the case with the controversial East County city of Lakeside. Ranchers and farmers were the first inhabitants in the town of Lakeside, and the tight knit community was the proverbial picture of country living. Lakeside is a â€Å"place of many generations with deep roots, a place of hard working people with values† (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002).Many people want to hang onto the past, but things in Lakeside have changed dramatically. Dry riverbeds riddled with graffiti and litter has taken the place of where rivers once flowed. Sand mining operations have removed precious resources, only to replace them someone else’s trash. A town that was mostly rural, filled with farms and cowb oys, has turned into an urban city with widened streets that are filled with strip malls and fast food restaurants. Economic hard times have hit the working class. With the changes that came to Lakeside, changes in employment opportunities have also been effected.The majority of employment available is in the service industry; low paying, dead-end jobs that have little to no hope of making enough money to help the underclass rise out of poverty. The rate of unemployment is high, currently national rate is 7. 8%. California is significantly higher than the national average at 10. 2% (www. bls. gov , 2012). With the loss of jobs, and the high unemployment rate that plagues the state, poverty is rising and in turn, so are the numbers of the white underclass. Until the economy changes for the better, there is little hope that the numbers of white underclass will decrease.What are some of the social issues and demographic changes facing the White Underclass? America is no stranger to str uggling ethnic groups. Since the beginning of this country, others have strived to cast out groups of people that they didn’t consider equal. In the beginning, it was the Native Americans; next came the blacks. As time progressed on, white European immigrants known as the New Immigrants were discriminated against (Merritt, 2012). Now, though ethnicity still plays an integral part, any group that is at or below the poverty level is subject to acquiring the underclass status.In the mid 90’s, the white underclass were less than 2% of all whites. Black ghettos contained three to four times as many residents as the white slums (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). The numbers remained constant from the 1980’s through the 1990’s. The ghettos of the blacks and whites were found to be very similar in percentages. Both had a high number of men that abandoned the work force and children that dropped out of school, however, the black underclass had a slightly higher percentage of female-headed households than the white underclass.The white underclass, however, had a higher percentage of children who dropped out of school (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). The demographics are changing in the Grossmont school district as well. It has gone from having 95% white in the district, to 65% in the 2000’s (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). This has brought on racial issues to the area that once gave little reason to worry about. There are a lot of similarities between the ghettos of different ethnic groups, but there are still very distinct differences among them.Though the conditions of the white ghettos are bad, they are still not as bad as those of the Hispanics and blacks. They tend to experience less poverty than the others, and the crimes being committed in their neighborhoods, albeit violent, are far less in numbers to that of other ethnic groups. The main substance abuse in the black ghettos is crack cocaine, whereas the drug of choice for the whites is alcohol, with methamphetamines and heroine on the rise. This is a factor that heavily contributes to the number of violent crimes and domestic abuse cases that plague the white underclass.Poor whites do not tend to face as many problems as poor blacks, and this is because discrimination has caused the blacks to be more likely to live in extreme poverty than whites. In 1990, a census showed that 30% of blacks lived in extreme poverty areas, whereas the white percentage was only 7% (â€Å"The White Underclass†, 1994). Not only are the numbers of white underclass fewer than that of the blacks, but the white underclass are also more likely to leave the slums behind. The white underclass is a growing concern.The numbers are continually raising in the white underclass neighborhoods with no sign of improving. The effects of living in these neighborhoods have ruined the lives of so many. The only hope for the underclass lies with the state of the economy. How does â€Å"White Power† affiliation address the issue of identity for the â€Å"White Power† youth in Lakeside, California? What do the signs and symbols of their affiliation represent, and what do they mean to the â€Å"White Power† youth? We’ve seen the many hardships that are faced by the children of the white underclass.We’ve seen what happens to the youth that grow up in these areas. We’ve seen them set up for failure from the moment that their parents conceive them, whether it be on purpose or on accident. We’ve seen the life choices that most of them are forced to make due to the lack of opportunity, but we’ve yet to take a look at how these young men and women choose to affiliate themselves. In the case of the youth in Lakeside, California, the youth of the white underclass have a large affiliation with â€Å"White Power†. They have â€Å"no place to belong, except in a world of outcasts† (â €Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002).The children of the white underclass struggle with an ethnic identity. What does it mean to be white? According to Randy Blazak in the documentary â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, he believes that these youth have no ethnic identity and struggle because there is no real distinction to being white (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). â€Å"White Power† group members seem to follow a pattern. They come from broken homes, filled with violence and drugs. They have nobody to show them what it is to be a productive member of society. This fits perfectly in line with the patterns of the white underclass found in Lakeside.The symbols of â€Å"White Power† represent a symbol of belonging to these kids that had none before (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). Symbols like the swastika, whose meaning has been poisoned from what it once symbolized to a symbol of evil, a symbol of the desire to create a superior race of whites. Other sym bols that have a closer regional significance are the Dago bolts, which are the symbol of the local San Diego chapter of the Hell’s Angels. The Dago bolts are said to be mirrored after the SS bolts of Nazi soldiers, which ties directly to the same lineage as the swastika.The final predominant symbol that can be found â€Å"all around the edges of everyday life†, is the 4:20 symbol, which is widely known as a symbol for marijuana, but is also a reference to Adolf Hitler’s birthday (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). To the â€Å"White Power† youth of Lakeside, these symbols represent a sense of belonging, even if they aren’t really sure why. In the documentary â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, a young boy talks about a time that he shaved a swastika into the back of his girlfriends head. When he was asked why a swastika, he answered â€Å"Why?Because. Why not? † The girl quickly responded with â€Å"Nothing else to draw. It was the first thing that popped into our heads. † (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002). Many of these youth were students in the Grossmont school district, but were kicked out due to incidents where â€Å"White Power† symbols were involved. These students were expelled from school due to a â€Å"Zero Tolerance† position that the district took, which only made matters worse by pushing these kids closer toward the only identity that they knew (â€Å"A Culture of Hate†, 2002).Disintegration of the traditional family, lack of boundaries, lack of guidance, and an unlimited amount of anger drives these kids toward a life of hate. When combined with drugs and alcohol, as it so often happens with the children of the white underclass, the perfect storm is created. Children learn from their parents, parents who choose not to invest in their futures. These fate of these white underclass children have been set, their lives have been set up for failure before they ever even bega n.

Goup Influence on Self

Group Influence on Self from a Classical and Contemporary View Elizabeth H. Dixon PSYCH/555 September 3, 2011 Kelly Topp, Ph. D. Group Influence on Self from a Classical and Contemporary View Human behavior is often strongly affected by other people and groups of people as well as the groups to which a person may belong. Groups usually have established norms that tell its members how they are expected behave as members of the group.According to Baron, Branscombe, and Byrne  (2009), â€Å"Perhaps much more surprising is the fact that often, we are strongly affected by the mere presence of others, even if we are not part of a formal group† (Chapter 11, Effects of the Presence of Others, para. 1). Individuals can also withdraw from groups if they believe that the group is no longer providing their needs or has changed to a point where the group no longer reflects their desires, beliefs, needs, or values. Both of the above-mentioned styles of interactions can greatly affect an i ndividual and how he or she may come to terms within their role of self.These norms and expectations are a part of group influence and what is known as conformity and obedience. The subject of this paper will compare and contrast the concepts of conformity and obedience, analyze a classical and contemporary study concerning the effect of group influence on the self, and analyze individual and societal influences that lead to deviance from dominant group norms. A Comparison and Contrast of the Concept of Conformity and Obedience Group influence is a result of changes that result from indirect or direct interaction with groups of people.According to Fiske (2010), â€Å"Social influence broadly encompasses any changes in beliefs, attitudes, or behavior that result from interpersonal interaction† (Social Influence: Doing What Others Do and Say, Conceptual Definitions, para. 1). As such, the main influence of social influence is that of norms and roles in interactive settings. Key concepts aid in describing and analyzing the concept of social influence. For the purpose of the subject of this paper, conformity and obedience are two of the concepts that will be discussed. Conformity and obedience are similar in context and meaning; however, each affects an ndividual differently and has distinct differences when one is to define each concept. Conformity When one defines conformity, he or she must not forget to note that conformity exists in diverse types concerning individuals who are trying to fulfill their needs, wants, and desires. â€Å"Conformity is a form of social influence in which individuals change their attitudes and/or behavior to adhere to a group or social norm† (Shiraev & Levy, 2010, Social Interaction, Conformity, para. 1). Conformity is taught at very early ages. Parents place expectations of behavior on children as early as pre-kindergarten years.As children begin to socialize with other groups of people, they continue to learn that con formity is the baseline of norms and is â€Å"the unwritten rules of behavior. † Sometimes conformity happens as a motivation to gain rewards or avoid forms of punishment. This form of behavior is known as compliance, and tends to bring hope to individuals in need. For example, if people are desperate because of a lack of a need, or poverty, they may comply because of what may seem to be a convincing solution to their problems. Another reason that conformity exist is to escape sanctions administered by a group of people.For example, a person who does not conform to the expectations and rules of a group may receive sanctions, such as fines, against him or her and becomes at risk of ostracism from the group. Along the line of sanctioning, another reason that a person might conform is to remain in the good graces of others by living up to the expectations of others. In this case it is usually true that the â€Å"others† represent a majority of people. For example, people visit other countries that have different cultural norms, such as a woman wearing a scarf to cover her face.As a way to show respect for the culture, a woman may conform to the norms while a visitor within that particular country. Finally, a person may practice conformity because he or she is forced to comply. For an example, if a store is in the process of a robbery, the cashier and store clerk may do whatever the robber tell them to do. Both workers could also be compliant because they may be in a situation in which they are held at gunpoint and does not want to put themselves at a higher risk of being hurt or killed. Obedience People tend to try to interchange to use of the term conformity and obedience.Although obedience is very similar to conformity, the main difference between the two concepts is the source of the influence, or authority upon each term. Conformity has more to do with social expectations within a group or society, whereas obedience has more to do with influence from authority given by others or figures of authority. â€Å"Obedience is a form of conformity when a person simply follows orders given by others. Obedience to authority is defined as following orders given by an authority figure† (Shiraev & Levy, 2010, Social Interaction, Following Orders, para. 1).When obedience is shown toward another person or group of people, there is a belief that the authority figure has the right to demand actions, give orders, or issue requests. When a daycare worker wants compliance from the children in the daycare, obedience is the term used to describe what the worker wants from the children. When a police officer says to an individual â€Å"stop and put your hands up! † obedience is about a demand of action from a figure of authority. One way to define the difference of obedience and conformity is by noting that obedience is the result of a deliberate or active form of social influence (Shiraev & Levy, 2010).In other words, conformity i nvolves more personal choices than obedience, which involves an authority figure telling an individual or others how to behave in a particular way. Studies and research confirm that the concepts of conformity and obedience are similar in that each concept is driven by social interaction and social influences that greatly affect the concept of self. A Classical Study Concerning the Effect of Group Influence on the Self A historically well-known study of the self and the effect of group influence was that of an experiment conducted by a 1950s psychologist named Solomon Asch.Asch hypothesized that individual judgment is influenced by norms. Asch was interested in the extent that a person may follow or rebel against group expectations and norms. In Asch's experiments, a group of students were informed that they were to participate in a vision test. One subject was not told that the other participants were assistants of the experimenter (confederates). In the beginning of the experiment, the confederates were answering questions correctly, but eventually began to answer the questions incorrectly.The test subject knowingly had the correct answers but eventually began to answer the questions incorrectly. It became obvious that the individual was trying to conform to the participants who answered the question incorrectly. Findings of the Classical Study Nearly 75 % of the participants in these experiments went along with the other participants of the group at least once. The results indicated, along with the trial experiments, conformity approximately one-third of the time. Asch also found that the size of the opposing participants affected conformity as well.If the opposing is the majority, regardless of the number in the group, subjects conform just as easily as they would if the group is much larger in number. The experiments also showed the effect of group number and conformity. In the experiment when there was a presence of three or more confederates, the level o f conformity was more significant and obvious than the presence of one or two confederates. When more confederates was given the incorrect answer, while one confederate gave the correct answer, the level of conformity was dramatically lowered to between 5 to 10 %.Later studies have also supported this finding suggesting that social support is a valuable tool in decreasing or combating conformity (Morris & Miller, 1975). Limitations or Shortcomings with the Study The Asch experiments was criticized and believed to have limitations because critics of the experiment believed that participants had specific reasons in choosing to conform. According to some critics, the individuals may not have had a desire to conform to the group and that conformity could have occurred because of motivation to avoid any conflict.Critics also believed that the lab experiments may not have been an accurate reflection of the situations of the real-world. A Contemporary Study Concerning the Effect of the Inf luence of Obedience on the Self The January 2009 issue of American Psychologist discusses a more contemporary, new study that replicated Milgram's classic obedience experiment (Schaefer, 2011). In Milgram's 1960 experiment, participants were asked to deliver electrical shocks to a person who was known as the â€Å"learner† whenever an incorrect answer was given. Realistically, the learner was pretending to be shocked, as was a confederate in the experiment.The experiment was to prove and determine the willingness of people to obey the commands of a figure of authority. Despite that the learner seemed to be in serious distress, 65% of participants displayed a willingness to deliver the maximum level of shocks to the â€Å"learner. † Recently, a psychology professor at Santa Clara University, by the name of Jerry Burger, performed an experiment that replicated Milgram's famous study (Schafer, 2011). Under the same hypothesis of Milgram’s experiment, using modifica tions and safeguards to protect participants’ welfare, Burger repeated areas of the Milgram’s experiment with college undergraduates.Burger’s maximum shock level was 150-volts instead of the original 450-volts, and also participants were carefully screened to find whether or not the participants might experience negative reactions to the experiment. Burger also ensured through a screening process that students did not have knowledge of Milgram’s study. Findings of the Contemporary Study The results of the replication of the experiments showed surprisingly and startlingly similarities to Milgram’s original 1960 experiment. The participants, just as in the original experience, showed a high level of willingness to shock the learner.The most comparable point in the two studies revealed a full obedience measured rate of 70 %, not significantly high, compared to the rate of 82. 5 % measured more than 40 years ago. The results of Burger’s experime nt were high enough to reveal that participants obeyed at the same rate as in Milgram’s original study. Limitations or Shortcomings with the Study Critics of Burger’s experiment believe there are too many differences and lack of connections between his study and the earlier studies of obedience research to allow precise and useful comparisons within the study.The extreme differences in the maximum voltage are an example of what the critics view as conceptually unacceptable. However, supporters indicate that it is true that direct comparisons cannot be made when there is a significant difference between the 150-volt maximum of Burger’s research and Milgram’s 450-volt maximum; however, Burger’s procedures can be used to further the exploration of some of the situational variables studied by Milgram, along with other possible additional variables. This further exploration of variables would assist in explanations when analyzing contemporary examples o f group influence on the self.A Contemporary Example of the Effect That Group Influence Has on the Self A contemporary example of the effect that group influence has on the self is an approach that reminds this writer of a friend that she once had in college. This friend was a freshman that had never been away from home or her parents, and for the first time ever, was making decision about her life on her own. This friend, who will be referred to as â€Å"Angela† was bright and ambitious. Angela was so eager to fit in that she was willing to be a friend to anyone.Although Angela came from a rich family, she was not the type of person who would â€Å"look down† on others or prejudge others. Angela became friends with a girl that she met in one of her classes. Initially, the newfound friend seemed to like Angela, and both of them liked some of the same things. The new friend who will be referred to as â€Å"Jeannie† was a sophomore, and also from a rich background and quite preppy. Jeannie dressed a certain way, and carried herself a certain way, which was one of the true opposites between her and Angela.As time went by, including the school summer break, Jeannie and Angela became the best of friends. Upon their return to school, Jeannie introduced Angela to the girls in her sorority. Angela thought that it was a privilege that this prominent sorority seemed to have an interest in her. Angela immediately â€Å"took to† the group of young ladies. Eventually she pledged the sorority and became a member. During this time, this writer was still a friend of Angela; however, this writer noticed that Angela really did change.Angela altered her behavior and attitude to that of the group members. Angela bought expensive clothing and gadgets just so that she could be just like everyone in her group. Angela started to â€Å"look down† on other students by openly referring to them as â€Å"wanna-be’s† and other terms. Angela would be disrespectful toward members of the other sororities and always seemed to act as if she were better than everyone else. Angela acted as if she had very much power and authority, and within a year’s time, had conformed totally to the behaviors of her sorors.Angela had other friends, just like this writer, but eventually lost their friendship because of her â€Å"snooty† ways. Angela’s Transformation and the Conformity Theory This writer’s story is an example of the conformity theory in psychology. When Angela altered her behaviors and attitudes to that of the sorority members, she displayed one of the key aspects of the conformity theory known as the normative social influence. Angela openly referred to other people as â€Å"wanna-be’s† and began to â€Å"look down† on others, as she continued to follow the aspects of normative social influence.When normative social influence is exhibited, the influence of others leads one to conform to be accepted and liked by members within the group. The social impact theory is also displayed in this story because Angela became physically closer to the members within the sorority. According to the social impact theory the more important the group is, the closer a person’s physical distance becomes to that group. Angela found acceptance of the group’s mentality as her behaviors appeared to come naturally. Referent power was another factor in Angela’s transformation.Even though this sorority was not the most likeable, the group was perceived as rich girls from powerful and prominent backgrounds. Eventually Angela became just like the other members of her sorority and therefore, made other friends an outcast in her life. A long time after becoming a member of the sorority, Angela realized how her actions were and how unbecoming it caused her to be. After realizing the true friends she had were out of her life, and cared to have nothing to do with her , she chose to deviate from her sorority and became an inactive status within her sorority.The Individual and Societal Influences that Lead To Deviance Sociologists, define the term deviant as â€Å"exhibiting behavior that violates the standards of conduct or expectations of a group or society† (Schaefer, 2011, Chapter 7, Deviance and Social Control, What Is Deviance, para. 1). In the United States, the behaviors of drug users, alcoholics, and mentally ill people are examples of what society views as deviant behaviors. However, there are positive deviations that exist as well.Some people deviate from the norm to become more of an individual, and different because they may feel like standing up for what they believe versus that of belonging to a group that may seem opposite of the person’s beliefs. If one were to ask one of these people, how they became who they are, there is a strong likelihood that both individual and societal influences lead that person to these dev iant behaviors. Individual Influences and Deviance Individual influences that promote deviance may stem from other factors that play a role in how individuals become defiant and deviant.When it is concerning society being the group in question, researchers agree that the offspring’s actions stem from the individual influences that start from within the home. Within the family, if there is divorce, abuse, and deviant parental behaviors, there becomes a link to delinquency as juveniles and deviance as adults. Genetics and individual abnormalities also have been proven as reasons for deviance toward societal and group norms. It is generally acceptable practice to believe that genetic influences are significant in producing deviant behavior(s) in society (Carson, Butcher, & Mineka, 1996).Some people who deviate are not mentally ill or unhealthy, but have higher levels of self-actualization. Self-Actualization is â€Å"the highest level of the hierarchy, the level represents the need to be what one potentially is† (Goodman, 1968, p. 2). It is also generally accepted practice to believe that societal influences cause people to deviate from group norms and expectations. Societal Influences and Deviance Expectations such as cultural norms and values could cause a person to deviate from within a group.A deviant behavior clarifies moral boundaries, facilitates changes in society, encourages social unity, and affirms, as mentioned earlier, cultural norms and values (Carson, Butcher, & Mineka, 1996). Deviance is viewed by sociologists as a behavior engaged in a person by having common sociocultural backgrounds or the same experiences within a culture. In other words, deviant and nondeviant behavior is learned in the same way in that they both are behaviors that are a learned from others who engage in and encourage violation of cultural norms and values.Another form of a more common societal influence is that of peer pressure. Research has proven that deviant behavior is influenced by the presence or absence of a peer group. Example of Individual and Societal Influences and Deviance An example individual influence of deviant behavior is about the life of a son who became deviant because of behaviors that stemmed from within the home. This boy’s deviant mother practiced ineffective parenting and began teaching her son at the early age of five, to be criminally deviant. Kimes taught Kenny, the younger of two sons, to steal, murder, and commit scams.Fortunately, Kenny’s oldest brother did not follow in his mother’s footsteps. Kenny was graduated from high school and enrolled into college. It was in 1998 that Kenny dropped out of college to begin with his mother, a nationwide journey that initially seemed to have no particular purpose. The two made huge purchases using bad checks and fake identifications and were scamming even more to have money. The two of them murdered the victims of their biggest scams, and in July 1 998, landed in New York City, where they murdered Irene Silverman.Mrs. Silverman would be their last victim, after the two of them were infiltrated by the FBI, through a friend who sold Mrs. Kimes the illegal gun that was used to murder Irene Silverman. Sante and Kenny were tried in the spring of 2000 and found guilty of 58 different crimes (Sante) and 60 for Kenny. Sante received a sentence of 120 years and Kenny was sentenced to 125 years. A few months later, during an interview by Court TV reporter, Maria Zone, Kenny attempted to escape by pressing a ballpoint pen into Ms.Zone’s throat and holding her hostage for three hours before being subdued by authorities. Conclusion Many styles of group interaction exist among people. The subject of this paper had discussed the styles of conformity and obedience. There are both classical and contemporary studies that explain the importance of these styles when it concerns the concept of self and group influence. Finally, the discussi on of this paper was to analyze individual and societal influences that lead to deviant behavior and deviance from the dominant group norms.In conclusion, it is safe to state that groups or authority figures have powerful influence on an individual; however, although this may be a fact, there are still individuals who become nonconforming because individual influences and social influences will deviate from society and group expectations and norms. References Baron, R. A. , Branscombe, N. R. , & Byrne, D. (2009). Social Psychology (12th ed. ). Retrieved from https: //ecampus. phoenix. edu/content/eBookLibrary2/content/eReader. aspx? assetid= dcc36fe5-a546-43aa-a98f-7f22b00d6213&assetmetaid=0e66697f-8e59-426a-9e81- 0f11d551f5ad#ch11. Carson, R.C. , Butcher, J. N. , & Mineka, S. (1996). Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life (10th ed. ). New York, NY; HarperCollins College Publishers. Fiske, S. T. (2010). Social beings: Core Motives in Social Psychology (2nd ed. ). 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