Why People Act

Why People Act Edward Albee believed in the unity of family, as he chose to focus on family relationships in many of his plays. Born in our nation's capitol (Washington, D.C.) in 1928, he was adopted by a theater executive named Reed A. Albee of the Keith-Albee chain of vaudeville and motion picture theaters. Edward is known for the symbolic dialogue and realism of his plays, and praised for resembling theater of the absurd characters (people who are unwilling to communicate or sympathize or empathize with each other) as well as criticizing long accepted but immoral ideas and values. He is called the most recent Eugene O' Neill.He attended many prep schools as a youth, and stayed at the Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut for a short while. He juggled through many odd jobs, before he decided to be a playwright. His first play was written in just three weeks in 1959 at the tender age of 31 called The Zoo Story.English: Drawing for The New York Times

The Key Features that Make Your Essay Analytical

The Key Features that Make Your Essay Analytical The Key Features that Make Your Essay Analytical Analytical essays require an intensive comprehension writing on a given subject, topic or subtopic. Such kind of academic paper usually starts with understanding the topic under discussion broadly and paying a lot of attention to the key aspects of it. Analytical essay writing involves thorough consideration of information on the content matter of the topic which is being discussed. The subject matter may be expressed by a question, phrase, proverb or an idiom. Also, a good analysis of the topic under study is attained by understanding what the audience wants from the study and which conclusions must be drawn. Instructions on writing vary depending on the nature of the assignment, but the aim remains the same: to research and analyze the given scope of information and bring about consistent conclusion. Some analytical topics require intensive reading while others require carrying out a project and doing a research. Therefore, the content matter differs per the topic studied. The effectiveness of analytical essays depends on the topic, subtopic or a phrase and other inclusive aspects of the assignment. This academic paper should have central analytical statements or research questions which the whole essay broadly revolves around. Moreover, analytical essays should have a personal opinion on the target group of the audience. They must end with references and examples on the information presented from other sources because work cited helps to judge and compare the information and find out how relevant it is with the content matter of the topic studied. These examples can also be used as a guide in conveying the subject in a better way. During presentation of an analytical essay, it’s crucial to evaluate the type and nature of the audience to address. To deliver the information under a certain topic in an efficient and effective manner, factors to consider are: language to use, writing style, conditions used and the target audience preferences. A well-presented analytical essay should display the basic formal rules that are followed during presentation because this way it shows the level of the skill-set the writer possess. It surely enables the reader and the audience to have a general overview of the ideas and in depth content of the subject matter of the topic under discussion. The main factor that alters the effective performance of an analytical essay is narrating when organizing your writing. You should definitely consider making a difference between describing details, analysis delivery and reference materials not to be taken unawares. In conclusion always follow your work to ensure that you are not out of the topic and give only already analyzed useful information. Do you need analytical essay writing help from experts? You have just found the best place to get it online. Contact our writing service now!

Soft determinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Soft determinism - Essay Example Freedom, in this case, can be defined as the ability to act without external impediments, which allows an individual to forbear and do as he wills (Trusted 24). In addition, it is also the power for an individual to act in the manner in which his will determines, meaning that if one chooses to rest, he could either rest or move as he wills. Therefore, one is free unless they are forced to take actions that are not according to their will. Soft determinism differentiates between external and internal causes. The internal causes are those actions that are as a result of one’s inner desires and wishes, as well as those that result from one’s freewill (Trusted 39). For instance, a person may leave the country because of their desire to travel overseas. External causes, on the other hand, are those that an individual is forced to undertake due to outside influences, such as being forced to leave the country because of government action. The distinction between external and internal causes explains the reason why a soft determinist needs freewill. Acting with freewill in soft determinism means that one is acting as per his/her nature, rather than according to external pressures exerted upon their situation. This is referred to as the liberty of spontaneity theory, which is a central theme in self-determinism (Trusted 39). While man’s nature is also determined by external factors, he also has freewill b ecause they possess spontaneity freedom. Although circumstance and nature determine man’s choices, the option taken is as a result of free will. With regards to moral responsibility, if internal causes like desires and wishes have a significant impact on actions taken, one is considered to be morally responsible (Trusted 41). For instance, choosing not to save a burning child because one does not feel like doing so means they are morally responsible for the death of that child, while failing to do so because one is crippled means they are

Spanning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Spanning - Essay Example This helps in storing the same or similar data in one hard disk and thus ensuring that less data is lost. It also makes the work of the technician much easier in terms of referrals and work in general. There is a software that is used for putting large data in a smaller capacity hard disk. However, most people refrain from using this because retrieving the data may be much more hectic. For a person to retrieve the data, they have to sue the same software that they used to remove it (Robins and Salowe, 2005). In the process, a lot of data may be lost or even corrupted and thus making the entire point of storing information useless or pointless. It is important to note that people do not like to be tied to any kind of software for either storing or retrieving their information. In this case, they look for versatility and efficiency at the same time. For spanning to be effective, it has to consider how feasible it is and how possible it is to run and to maintain. There are other projects that are known to be not feasible. It would be useless to carrying out a spanning activity that would be detrimental to the actions that he wishes to perform. Issues of feasibility include cost, the acceptability and the appropriateness of the program. It would be useless to carry out an activity that is not appropriate for the action that is to be performed. In this case, the results would not be what is expected and thus make the whole work useless (Monma and Shallcross, 2009). Appropriate means that the action has to be compatible with the technology. For instance, it would be futile to try and use an outdated antivirus to eliminate a virus that has just surfaced. Chances are very high that the virus is beyond the antivirus and cannot be eliminated at all. This means that the person will have lost money when purchasing the antivirus, they will have

Political Science Essay Example for Free

Political Science Essay 1) Who is Oedipus? Jocasta? Laius? Theseus? Answer: Oedipus is the son of Laius and Jocasta there was prophet that he was going to kill his father and wed his mother. Laius is the king of Thebes and Oedipus’ father who was killed as a fulfillment on an oracle. Theseus is the king of Athens who takes Oedipus in and protects him after he has suffered greatly. 2) In the play Oedipus Rex, what is the relationship between truth, freedom, identity, and responsibility? Answer: Fate is inescapable. Oedipus learning the truth is him learning his identity and with freedom comes responsibility. 3) What is pollution? OR, why must Oedipus assume responsibility for things he did not know? Answer: Pollution is that for which Oedipus is responsible for. There are consequences for his actions and he must accept them. 4) What does it mean to say that freedom is recognition of necessity? Answer: It means we are never absolutely free. There is always a restraint. 5) In the final analysis, what advice about freedom, fate and the gods is Sophocles giving in Oedipus Rex? Answer: Strive for excellence in a world of constraints, rebel and accept the Gods, bravely acceptthe consequences of one’s actions, and do all of this in reverence and humility. 6) What does it mean to defend freedom on the basis of natural rights? Answer: Natural rights are rights that no person can give us. We have them because we arehuman.To say this is defending it. – Normative way of thinking 7) What does it mean to defend freedom on the basis of utility? Answer: Freedom as a utility are rights that defend the right on grounds of the city rather than ofthe Gods. 8) According to Adrienne Rich, what does a woman need to know to be free? Answer: She needs to know her own history, analysis of her own condition, her politicized female body, and creative genius of women in the past. 9) Whose freedom is Sojourner Truth advocating? Answer: Sojourner Truth is advocating the freedom of African Americans, free slaves, and women 10) According to John Stuart Mill, what is the greatest danger to freedom in a democratic society? Answer: The greatest danger to freedom in a democratic society is social tyranny (public opinion) because it penetrates so deeply into one’s soul that there is no alternative. It feathers the development of individuality (the notion of an autonomous and rationality of the individual). 11) According to Mill, what is the domain of consciousness, or those freedoms that are most precious? Answer: Conscious, Thought/Feeling, Opinion/Sentiment, Expression, Tastes Pursuits, Unite/Assembly 12) According to Mill, what utility does freedom have for the pursuit of truth? Answer: Partial truths may have some truth, but even truth must be combatted, questioned or it isnothing but prejudice or dogma. 13) According to Mill, what utility does freedom have for the development of individuality? Answer: The individual needs freedom for observation, needs freedom of reason and judgment, freedom to gather information, freedom to discriminate/to decide, and freedom and courage to hold firm to our tastes. 14) According to Mill, what utility does freedom have for the development of a progressive society? Answer: Societies that are possessive of innovation sustain truths and tradition and avoid mediocrity. 15) How does Sophocles portray Oedipus and the issue of guilt/innocence in Oedipus at Colonus? Answer: Oedipus is a stranger in need, he declares his innocence, and Thesesus and Athens offer him gifts. 16) What does Theseus offer to Oedipus in Oedipus at Colonus? Why? Answer: Theseus greets Oedipus with respect and empathy. He asks Oedipus what does he need and offers him hospitality and protection from Creon, Creon’s army, and Polynices. He gives him citizenship and grace. Theseus gives him gifts given by Athens because Theseus was once to in exile. 17) What is the function/importance of a language of the good? Answer: It teaches us what human beings need to achieve their potential. 18) What is Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? How does it compare to Aristotle’s theory of the goods of life? Answer: It is a pyramid showing the balanced goods or â€Å"diet† a human being needs to be happy like self-actualization, belongingness, esteem, safety, and physiological. How it compares idk. 19) Who is Pericles and what are the main principles of his funeral oration? Answer: Pericles is general and orator in Athens. The main principles of his funeral oration are city of freedom, city of empire, and citizenship. 20) What does Pericles have to say about citizenship? Answer: Citizenship requires excellence, public service, reverence for the city (patriotism), respect for authorities and law, military training, beauty, and willingness to die for the city. 21) What is Socrates’ vocation? Answer: He literally disapproves of the oracle which says he is the wisest man. 22) What are the formal charges against Socrates? Answer: The formal charges against Socrates are public opinion. 23) What are the informal charges against Socrates? Answer: He studies things that are above the sky and are below the earth. He makes strong arguments weak and weak arguments strong. He does not believe in the Gods of the city, but one new God. 24) What is Socratic ignorance? Answer: A certain type of wisdom is a certain type of ignorance. You don’t say what you don’t know. 25) What is Socrates’ daimon? Answer: The daimon is the inner God that speaks to him. It is a voice of subjectivity, consciousness, and rational insight. (picture a little angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other trying to tell you what you should do) 26) What is the relationship, in Socrates, of philosophy, death and the heroic tradition? Answer: Socrates does not fear death. He sees it as his characters (an eternal sleep or rejoining with loved one). The soul of one is not at stake. The soul of many is. 27) What does Socrates mean by caring for the soul? Answer: Caring for the soul means avoid injustice, ruthless intellectual honesty, engage in self-examination, and sustain moral energy. 28) What are the characteristics of Socrates’ theory of citizenship? Answer: The characteristics are caring for the soul, moral skepticism/dissent, a strong sense of moral individualism, all of this occurs in socratic ignorance, heroic citizenship (a citizen that does not fear death), and love of the city.

Jacqueline Kennedy Essay -- Biography

Jacqueline Kennedy is probably best known for her style, love of art and history, and family values. She never looked to be First Lady but took on the role she needed to. Sometimes people seemed more interested in her than the president himself. Jackie was more appealing than previous First Ladies. She was original and dignified. She helped increase the popularity of her husband. She did what was called from her while still maintaining who she was. She was an inspiration to women everywhere. She will always be remembered for being a powerful woman. She knew she wasn`t the classic First Lady material. â€Å"The trouble with me is that I`m an outsider. And that`s a very hard thing to be in American life† (Perry 53). She knew who she was and she went with it. She didn`t try and change for what people wanted her to be. Many people try to change to the image people want them to be but she didn`t Family was the most important thing to Jackie. â€Å"If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do well matters very much† (Karen 37). She set a standard for mothers everywhere. â€Å"I’ll be a wife and mother first, then First Lady† (Klein 98). All that mattered to her was to be a family. She understood, no matter how important a position, family came first and always would. â€Å"The children have been a wonderful gift to me, and I’m thankful to have once again seen our world through their eyes. They restore my faith in the family’s future† (Anderson, 176). Her children were her world; everything she did was for them. She tried her best to be the perfect mother. She also valued her marriage. â€Å"Jacqueline wore a choker of pearls and a diamond bracelet that was a gift from the groom† (Bowles 63). She kept it simple and with great mea... ...ld have been very hard to tell her what to do. When someone is that comfortable with whom they are you cannot help but admire them. They are who they are and no one will ever be able to change that. They are above the trivial ways of trying to fit in to get people to like them. She had all she wanted, her family and the rest didn’t matter. No one would ever be able to shape her into what they want. She wasn’t out spoken but she didn’t let people use her. Isn’t that what makes heroism? She was someone who would never do something just because society told her. Isn’t that which make progress possible too? There are few ways progress can only be made by those who are willing to be different and not conform to society. Maybe that is what everyone liked about her, how she couldn’t be manipulated. She was always aware what was going on but it never caused her to change.

Case Study on Motivating Partners at Starbucks

TABLE OF CONTENT CASE STUDY ON MOTIVATING PARTNERS AT STARBUCKS2 Question 1: Given Starbuck’s training approach, benefits, package, work/life program, and partner relations mechanisms, what insights have you gained about its approach to employee motivation? Explain your answer. 2 Introduction2 Motivation2 Expectancy- Probability (E to P)4 Instrumentality- Probability (P to O)4 Valence- V(R)5 Conclusions6 Question 2 : What needs does Starbucks appeal to through its training approach, benefits package, work/life program and partner relations mechanisms? 7 Employees’ inner satisfaction. 7 Equal treatment8 Listen to employees8 Question 3: What is important to you in terms of your personal work motivation? How does that which motivates you fit with Starbuck’s approach to motivating partners? 10 CASE STUDY ON MOTIVATING PARTNERS AT STARBUCKS Question 1: Given Starbuck’s training approach, benefits, package, work/life program, and partner relations mechanisms, what insights have you gained about its approach to employee motivation? Explain your answer. Introduction Starbucks Corporation, the most famous chain of retail coffee shops in the world, mainly benefits from roasting, selling special coffee beans and various kinds of coffee or tea drinks. It owns about 4000 branches in the whole world. The reasons of why Starbucks is worldwide popular are not only the quality of coffee, but also its customer service and cosy environment. Besides, it is also famous for its satisfaction of employees. The turnover rate of employees at Starbucks was 65% and the rate of managers was 25% a year However, the rates of other national chain retailers are 150% to 400% and 50% respectively. Compared with them, the turnover rate of Starbucks is much lower than other industries on averagely. As a result, Starbucks would be one of the optimal business models for the strategies of employee motivation, customer satisfaction and cooperation of teamwork. Motivation Motivation refers to forces within an individual that account for the level, direction and persistence of effort expended at work[1]. People have basic needs such as food, secure or achievement, that translate into an internal tension that motivates specific behaviours with which to fulfil the need. If the behavior leads to ones success, the person will fall in the state of satisfaction or we can call it reward[2]. Rewards are two types; intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic rewards refer to satisfaction occurs in the process of performing an action. Such as a salesperson that sold encyclopaedias for intrinsic reward of helping children read well. Extrinsic refers to a reward given by another person such as promotion and bonuses. The understand that I had on Starbuck’s approach to its employee motivation is best by explaining the case based on the Vroom’s Expectancy Theory of Motivation; is based on an idea that work effort is directed toward behaviors that people believe will lead to desired outcomes. The Expectancy Theory of Motivation explains the behavioral process of why individuals choose one behavioral option over another. It also explains how they make decisions to achieve the end they value. Vroom introduces three variables within the expectancy theory which are valence (V), expectancy (E) and instrumentality (I). The three elements are important behind choosing one element over another because they are clearly defined: effort-performance expectancy (E to P expectancy), performance-outcome expectancy (P to O expectancy). Three components of Expectancy theory: Expectancy, Instrumentality, and Valence. 1. Expectancy: Effort > Performance (E>P); 2. Instrumentality: Performance > Outcome (P>O); 3. Valence – V(R) Expectancy- Probability (E to P) Expectancy is the belief that one's effort (E) will result in attainment of desired performance (P) goals. Factors associated with the individual's Expectancy perception are self efficacy, goal difficulty, and control. Self efficacy is the person’s belief about their ability to successfully perform a particular behavior. Goal difficulty happens when goals are set too high or performance expectations that are made too difficult are most likely to lead to low expectancy  perceptions. Control is one's perceived control over performance. In order for expectancy to be high, individuals must believe that they have some degree of control over the expected outcome. Starbucks had matched employees to the jobs based on their abilities and clear communicating the tasks requires for the job is an important part of this process. This process took place within the 25 hours of classroom training. Instrumentality- Probability (P to O) Instrumentality is the belief that a person will receive a reward if the performance expectation is met. This reward may come in the form of a pay increase, promotion, recognition or sense of accomplishment. In Starbucks, they offer various types of benefits package includes full medical and dental insurance coverage, disability and life insurance, vacation days, a retirement saving plan with match company contributions, discounted stock purchase plans and stock options as part of Starbuck’s BEAN STOCK Program. Instrumentality is low when the reward is given for all performances given. Factors associated with the individual's valence for outcomes are trust, control and policies. If individuals trust their superiors, they are more likely to believe their leaders promises. When there is a lack of trust on leadership, people often attempt to control the reward system. When individuals believe they have some kind of control over how, when, and why rewards are distributed, Instrumentality tends to increase. Formalized written policies impact the individuals' instrumentality perceptions. Instrumentality is increased when formalized policies associates rewards to performance. Valence- V(R) Valence: the value the individual places on the rewards based on their needs, goals, values and Sources of Motivation. Factors associated with the individual's valence for outcomes are values, needs, goals, preferences and Sources of Motivation Strength of an individual’s preference for a particular outcome. Motivation = expectancy x instrumentality x valence Managers should make each factor positive in order to ensure high levels of motivation. Conclusions Referring to this case study, the new Baristas carefully selected and will receive 25 hours classroom training before they start their job. During this training, Baristas will be trained, coached exposed to the company’s goals, diversity awareness, customers, succession planning and career development plan. This would be the E to P Expectancy Concept. The Baristas then exposed to the company’s benefits and rewards; where the P to O Expectancy Concept occurs. The last one is the Valences outcomes. Starbucks distribute rewards that employees’ value. This action can increase the expected value of outcomes resulting from desire performance. Expectancy Theory of Motivation remains ones of the better theories for predicting work effort and motivation, and with one limitation that is, the theory had ignore the role of emotion in employee effort and behavior. Question 2 : What needs does Starbucks appeal to through its training approach, benefits package, work/life program and partner relations mechanisms? From my analysis earlier, Starbucks training approach, benefits package, work/life program and partner mechanism had fall into needs theory of Expectancy Theory. As I have stated earlier that this theory had ignore the emotional factor. As this theory seems using some kind of mathematical method on measuring the level of motivation, the emotional entity was so abstract and difficult to measure. What most important is the positive impact or the outcome occurs. I wanted to conclude that there were several soft impacts happened in Starbucks as the consequences of the implementation of Expectancy Theory. Employees’ inner satisfaction. A pervious researcher, Pugh & Hickson cited Elton Mayo made an investigation called ‘Hawthorne Experiment’. According to the results, if managers provided a suitable working environment considering each personal requirement and their sense of satisfaction rather than a higher salary or bonus, workers were encouraged to be more hard-working and efficient. He also verified that if managers of an organization do not consider about individual works’ needs and wants, then treat them as equal units would â€Å"maximize payment and minimize effort†. As a result, how to use non-financial incentives would be an important issue for nowadays business. The chief executive officer of Starbucks Corporation, Howard Schultz, considers that the tip of success in Starbucks is not coffee but employees. Constantly accumulating the working experience of employees and providing chances of promotion in a company for working partners is the way to operate sustainability. He firmly believes that the spirit of Starbucks is employees and feels honoured about the value of Starbucks employees. For this reason, it is necessary to have a perfect education and training policy for better performance in a company. Starbucks offers an interactive structure that makes personnel instil themselves into their job; hence they can motivate partners to satisfy themselves then achieving a new level of performance. Equal treatment The managers in Starbucks treat each workpeople equally and all of the staffs are called ‘partners’, even the supervisors of each branch are called it as well. In order to narrow the gap between managers and employees, they also co-work with the basic level staffs in the front line. Due to this, they can maintain a well management system and create a much closer and more familiar atmosphere than other place, which makes not only employees can enjoy their job but also customers are affected by their enthusiasm. Listen to employees Starbucks has a well-organized communication channel for employees. It places a great importance on labours. For example, managers plan the working hours per workers and arrange the schedule of time off, according to their wants to meet their requirements. There are interviews weekly to see what employees’ need is. A special survey called ‘Partner View Survey’ is taken off approximate every two years. The managers can receive feedbacks through the event to which part should be improved or what issue should be paid more attention to. The partners have the right to figure out what is the best policy for them, and the directors show a respect for each suggestion. Starbucks even wants every employee to join in making and developing plans, then achieving their goals all together. As a result, the policies and principles are communicated between all staffs, and there is no limitation in employees’ personal opinions. For this reason, business could improve their strategies even innovate by different ideas. Question 3: What is important to you in terms of your personal work motivation? How does that which motivates you fit with Starbuck’s approach to motivating partners? My important personal work motivation would be the physiological, safety and social motivation. If one organizational can provide this, I would say that I will be there for a period of time. There would be important  leadership implications to  enhance workplace motivation. There are  staff motivation opportunities  by motivating each employee through their style of management, compensation plans, role definition, and company activities. Physiological motivation can be imposed by company by provide ample breaks for lunch and  recuperation and pay  salaries that allow workers to  buy life's essentials. In government sector (where I work for), offers physiological needs, safety needs and also social motivation. Based on my individual view, managers within this sector may become varies in style of leaderships. This happened due to different background of race, culture and political views. If the managers fail to be fair or fail to perform, dissatisfaction among workers may occur. In government sector, most of the organizations within tend to be people orientation than result orientated. This similar to the environment in Starbucks, its employees, including informal personnel, are offered a great deal of welfare policies, for instance, commodities discounts for employees, medical insurance (including health, vision and dental) and vacations. Moreover, the partners who work over 20 hours a week are entitled for benefits. This related to safety needs. Social needs can be generate a feeling of acceptance, belonging, and community by reinforcing team dynamics. Howard Schultz and other Starbucks senior executives worked to instill some key values and guiding principles into the Starbucks culture. The keystone value in the effort â€Å"to build a company with soul† was that the company would never stop pursuing the perfect cup of coffee. Because of this, they have the same goal; in other words, they are motivated to increase the sales to earn more profits. Starbucks just handles personnel with its core value, which is the employees are the most important asset of Starbucks. Showing a respect to employees and well-developed environment have lead Starbucks to produce the best working quality for customers and an increase in profits. Starbucks establishes a well-developed system to keep good relationship between managers and employees. At first, the leaders of a retail shops use the same title â€Å"partner† as a basic level worker to narrow the gap of bureaucracy. Furthermore, they co-work in the first line to eliminate the distance between different statuses. Secondly, the numbers of employees are usually from three to six. Such a small size of a retail shop makes staffs acquaint with each other easily and deeply. In the co-working period, this helps a team to match different personalities and majors quickly to achieve well performance. Next, the suggestions and complaints provided by employees are treated of equal importance. In the same way, they have a right to participate in the process of revising company policies as well as a manager. In that case, each staff thinks that they also play an important role in company operating, and they can join to work out a direction of Starbucks. These give employees not only a respect, but a sense of participation. Yet, this Starbuck’s approach was hardly to be found in government sector. In public sector, they tend to uphold the hierarchy line. There were obvious gap between managers and subordinates. Furthermore, the organizations normally contain numbers of staffs. ———————– [1] Schermerhorn,Hunt,Osborn and Uhl-Bien â€Å"Organizational Behavior 11th edition† John Wiley & Sons (Asia) Pte. Ltd. 2011 [2] Richard L. Daft â€Å"Management† The Dryden Press 1997

Culture and Social Structure Essay

Culture is a difficult thing to strictly define. Such a large variety of societal aspects fall under its realm, that it’s sometimes complicated to draw a line between what is part of a culture and what is not. To put it in extremely vague terms, culture is a way of life. All the traits that make up a particular society, from religious beliefs to modes of dress to art to methods of farming, build up a culture. Culture includes the good and the bad, the old and the new, the strong and the weak – essentially it includes â€Å"everything†. Many varieties of cultures exist. There are the obvious ethnic cultures – African-American culture, Latino culture, Greek culture, etc., each with their own foods, art, religion, familial roles, and values. American culture, for example, is generally considered to be relaxed – apple pie, blue jeans, baseball and the like. Family roles are not set in stone, there is freedom to choose a religion based on one’s own comfort (or choose no religion at all), and while a certain level of morality is maintained, values are generally loose. Compare this to the culture of the remote parts of India. There, a woman is required to serve her husband and his family, even after his death. They are very devout, and there is only one religion to â€Å"choose† from. They are held to a strict moral code, and anyone who violates this code is considered an outcast. There are many other ways to consider culture. There is the culture of a particular age group. A septuagenarian has a way of life very different than that of a teenager. His music, dress, beliefs, and goals are generally dissimilar to those of his younger counterpart. Or there is the culture of a particular time period. Pre-historic culture is, through modern inventions and human development, very different than the culture of today. A very important part of any culture is the social structure within. The social structure is essentially the roles or positions that particular individuals or groups in a culture fall into. For example, in the American culture, the President takes on a leadership role, those in the armed forces take on a protective role, and everyday citizens take on the responsibility of keeping the economy alive. On a much smaller scale, the social structure exists within a family as well. In your â€Å"typical† family, the mother takes on a nurturing position, while the father takes on the responsibility of earning money and providing for the others. Similarly, on a sports team, the coach is the leader, charged with guiding and motivating his players. The players themselves are responsible for putting forth their best effort and taking the team as far as it can go. While culture can be hard to define using words, one need only look around to experience everything that culture contains. One’s everyday life is culture, from the worldwide culture that everyone lives in, down to the personal culture of one’s own house. Each person has a role in many different social structures, and each role is genuinely important. It is these roles, in these social structures that make up every part of every culture.

Woody Guthrie, Influential Songwriter and Folk Singer

Woody Guthrie, Influential Songwriter and Folk Singer Woody Guthrie was an American songwriter and folk singer whose songs about troubles and triumphs of American life, coupled with his raw performing style, had enormous influence on popular music and culture. An eccentric character often viewed as something of a hobo poet, Guthrie created a template for songwriters which, carried along by admirers including Bob Dylan, helped infuse popular songs with poetic and often political messages. His most famous song, This Land Is Your Land has become an official national anthem, sung at countless school assemblies and public gatherings. Though his career was cut short by an incapacitating illness, Guthries songs have continued to inspire successive generations of musicians and listeners. Fast Facts: Woody Guthrie Full Name: Woodrow Wilson GuthrieKnown For: Songwriter and folk singer who portrayed the troubles and triumphs of Depression era Americans and had enormous influence on popular music.Born: July 14, 1912 in Okemah, OklahomaDied: October 3, 1967 in New York, New YorkParents: Charles Edward Guthrie and Nora Belle ShermanSpouses: Mary Jennings (m. 1933-1940), Marjorie Mazia (m. 1945-1953 ), and Anneke Van Kirk (m. 1953-1956)Children: Gwen, Sue, and Bill Guthrie (with Jennings); Cathy, Arlo, Joady, and Nora Guthrie (with Mazia); and Lorina (with Van Kirk) Early Life Woodrow Wilson Guthrie was born July 14, 1912, in Okemah, Oklahoma. He was the third of five children, and both his parents were interested in music. The town of Okemah was only about ten years old, recently settled by transplants who brought musical traditions and instruments with them. As a child Guthrie heard church music, songs from the Appalachian mountain tradition, and fiddle music. It seems music was a bright spot in his life, which was marked by tragic incidents. When Guthrie was 7 years old his mother’s mental condition began to deteriorate. She was suffering from undiagnosed Huntington’s chorea, the same disease that would, decades later, afflict Woody. His sister perished in a kitchen fire, and following that tragedy, his mother was committed to an asylum. When Guthrie was 15 the family moved to Pampa, Texas, to stay near relatives. Guthrie began to play the guitar. With his natural musical aptitude he soon mastered it and began performing with an aunt and uncle in a small band. He also learned to play mandolin, fiddle, and harmonica, and was known to perform in talent shows and plays at his high school. Woody Guthrie portrait. Bettmann  /  Getty Images After finishing high school, Guthrie took off to travel about the South, essentially choosing to live as a hobo. He kept singing and playing guitar wherever he went, picking up various songs and beginning to write some of his own. He eventually returned to Pampa, and at the age of 21 he married a friend’s 16-year-old sister, Mary Jennings. The couple would have three children. Pampa is located in the Texas panhandle, and when the Dust Bowl conditions struck, Guthrie was an eyewitness. He felt great empathy for the farmers whose lives were upended by the severe weather conditions, and began to write the songs that would comprise a body of work about those affected by the Dust Bowl. In 1937 Guthrie was restless to get out of Texas, and managed to hitch rides to California. In Los Angeles he performed, got noticed, and landed a job singing on a local radio station. He was able to send for his wife and children and the family settled in Los Angeles for a time. Guthrie became friends with the actor Will Geer, who was very active in radical political circles. He enlisted Guthrie to sing some of his songs at rallies, and Guthrie became associated with communist sympathizers. In 1940 Geer, who was staying in New York City, convinced Guthrie to cross the country and join him. Guthrie and his family headed to New York. Burst of Creativity His arrival in the big city in February 1940 sparked a burst of creativity. Staying at the Hanover House, a small hotel near Times Square, he wrote down, on February 23, 1940, the lyrics for what would become his most famous song, This Land Is Your Land. The song had been in his head as hed traveled across the country. The song God Bless America by Irving Berlin had become a huge hit in the late 1930s, and Guthrie was irritated that Kate Smiths rendition of it was endlessly played on the radio. In response to it, he wrote a song which declared, in simple yet poetic terms, that America belonged to its people. c. 1940, New York, New York City, Almanac Singers, L-R: Woody Gurthrie, Millard Lampell, Bess Lomax Hawes, Pete Seeger, Arthur Stern, Sis Cunningham. Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images In a span of a few months in New York, Guthrie met new friends including Pete Seeger, Leadbelly, and Cisco Houston. The folk song scholar Alan Lomax recorded Guthrie and also arranged for him to appear on a CBS radio network program. Dust Bowl Ballads In the spring of 1940, while based in New York, Guthrie traveled to the Victor Records studio in Camden, New Jersey. He recorded a collection of songs he had written about the Dust Bowl and the Okies of the Great Depression who had left the devastated farmlands of the Midwest for a grueling trip to California. The resulting album (folios of 78-rpm discs) titled Dust Bowl Ballads was released in the summer of 1940 and was notable enough to receive a very positive review in the New York Times on August 4, 1940. The newspaper praised Guthries writing and said of his songs: They make you think; they may even make you uncomfortable, though not as uncomfortable as the Okie on his miserable journey. But they are an excellent thing to have on record. Dust Bowl Ballads, which is now in print in a compact disc version, contains some of Guthries best-known songs, including Talkin Dust Bowl Blues, I Aint Got No Home In This World Anymore, and Do Re Mi, a mordantly funny song about the troubles of migrants arriving penniless in California. The song collection also contained Tom Joad, Guthries rewrite of the story of John Steinbecks classic Dust Bowl novel, The Grapes of Wrath. Steinbeck did not mind. American folk singer Woody Guthrie performs on a stoop for an audience of predominantly children, New York, New York, 1943. Eric Schaal / Getty Images Back West Despite his success, Guthrie was restless in New York City. In a new car hed been able to purchase, he drove his family back to Los Angeles, where he discovered work was scarce. He took a job for the federal government, for a New Deal agency in the Pacific Northwest, the Bonneville Power Administration. Guthrie was paid $266 to interview workers on a dam project and write a series of songs promoting the benefits of hydroelectric power. Guthrie took to the project enthusiastically, writing 26 songs in a month (often borrowing tunes, as was common in the folk tradition). Some have endured, including Grand Coulee Dam, Pastures of Plenty, and Roll On, Columbia, his ode to the mighty Columbia River. The odd assignment prompted him to write songs packed with his trademark wordplay, humor, and empathy for working people. Following his time in the Pacific Northwest he returned to New York City. His wife and children didnt come along to New York but moved to Texas, intent on finding a permanent home where the children could attend school. That separation would mark the end of Guthries first marriage. New York and War Based in New York as the city began to mobilize for war following the Pearl Harbor attack, Guthrie began writing songs supporting the American war effort and denouncing fascism. Photographs of him taken during this period often show him playing a guitar with the sign on it: This Machine Kills Fascists. American folk singer Woody Guthrie (1912 - 1967) plays his guitar, which has a handwritten sticker that says, This Machine Kills Fascists, New York, New York, 1943. Eric Schaal / Getty Images During the war years he wrote a memoir, Bound For Glory, an account of his travels around the country. Guthrie joined the U.S. Merchant Marine and made several sea voyages, delivering supplies as part of the war effort. Near the end of the war he was drafted and spent a year in the U.S. Army. When the war ended he was discharged and after some traveling about the country he settled in the Coney Island neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. In the late 1940s, Guthrie recorded more songs and continued writing. Many lyrics he never got around to setting to music, including Deportees, a song about migrant workers killed in a plane crash in California while being deported to Mexico. He had been inspired by a newspaper article that didnt provide the names of the victims. As Guthrie put it in his lyrics, The newspaper said they were just deportees. Guthries words were later put to music by others, and the song has been performed by Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, and many others. Illness and Legacy Guthrie remarried and had more children. But his life took a dark turn when he began to be afflicted with the onset of Huntingtons chorea, the hereditary disease which had killed his mother. As the disease attacks brain cells, the effects are profound. Guthrie slowly lost his ability to control his muscles, and had to be hospitalized. As a new generation of folk song enthusiasts discovered his work in the late 1950s his reputation grew. Robert Zimmerman, a student at the University of Minnesota who had recently started calling himself Bob Dylan, became fascinated with Guthrie to the extent of hitching a ride to the East Coast so he could visit him at a state hospital in New Jersey. Inspired by Guthrie, Dylan began writing his own songs. Guthries own son, Arlo, eventually began performing in public, becoming a successful singer and songwriter. And countless other young people, hearing Guthries old records, were energized and inspired. After more than a decade of hospitalization, Woody Guthrie died on October 3, 1967, at the age of 55. His obituary in the New York Times noted that he had written as many as 1,000 songs. Many recordings of Woody Guthrie are still available (today on the popular streaming services) and his archives are housed at the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Sources: Guthrie, Woody. UXL Encyclopedia of World Biography, edited by Laura B. Tyle, vol. 5, UXL, 2003, pp. 838-841. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Guthrie, Woody. Great Depression and the New Deal Reference Library, edited by Allison McNeill, et al., vol. 2: Biographies, UXL, 2003, pp. 88-94. Gale Virtual Reference Library.Guthrie, Woody 1912–1967. Contemporary Authors, New Revision Series, edited by Mary Ruby, vol. 256, Gale, 2014, pp. 170-174. Gale Virtual Reference Library.

Irelands Repeal Movement

Ireland's Repeal Movement The Repeal Movement was a political campaign spearheaded by Irish statesman Daniel OConnell in the early 1840s. The goal was to break political ties with Britain by repealing the Act of Union, legislation passed in 1800. The campaign to repeal the Act of Union was considerably different than OConnells earlier great political movement, the Catholic Emancipation movement of the 1820s. In the intervening decades, the literacy rate of the Irish people had increased, and an influx of new newspapers and magazines helped to communicate OConnells message and mobilize the populace. OConnells repeal campaign ultimately failed, and Ireland would not break free from British rule until the 20th century. But the movement was remarkable as it enlisted millions of Irish people in a political cause, and some aspects of it, such as the famed Monster Meetings, demonstrated that the majority of Irelands population could gather behind the cause. Background of the Repeal Movement The Irish people had been opposed to the Act of Union since its passage in 1800, but it wasnt until the late 1830s that the beginnings of an organized effort to repeal it took shape. The goal, of course, was to strive for self-government for Ireland and a break with Britain. Daniel OConnell organized the Loyal National Repeal Association in 1840. The association was well-organized with various departments, and members paid dues and were issued membership cards. When a Tory (conservative) government came into power in 1841, it appeared obvious that the Repeal Association would not be able to achieve its goals through traditional parliamentary votes. OConnell and his followers began to think of other methods, and the idea of holding enormous meetings and involving as many people as possible seemed like the best approach. The Mass Movement During a period of about six months in 1843, the Repeal Association held a series of enormous gatherings in the east, west, and south of Ireland (support for repeal was not popular in the northern province of Ulster). There had been large meetings in Ireland before, such as anti-temperance rallies led by the Irish priest Father Theobald Matthew. But Ireland, and probably the world, had never seen anything like OConnells Monster Meetings.   It is unclear exactly how many people attended the various rallies, as partisans on both sides of the political divide claimed different totals. But its clear that tens of thousands attended some of the meetings. It was even claimed that some crowds numbered a million people, though that number has always been viewed skeptically. More than 30 large Repeal Association meetings were held, often at sites associated with Irish history and mythology. One idea was so instilled in the common people a connection to Irelands romantic past. It can be argued that the goal of connecting people to the past was accomplished, and the large meetings were worthwhile achievements for that alone. The Meetings In the Press As the meetings began to be held across Ireland in the summer of 1843 news reports circulated describing the remarkable events. The star speaker of the day, of course, would be OConnell. And his arrival in a locality would generally consist of a large procession. The enormous gathering at racecourse in Ennis, in County Clare, in the west of Ireland, on June 15, 1843, was described in a news report which was carried across the ocean by the steamship Caledonia. The Baltimore Sun published the account on its front page of July 20, 1843. The crowd at Ennis was described: Mr. OConnell had a demonstration at Ennis, for the county of Clare, on Thursday, the 15th ult., and the meeting is described as more numerous than any that preceded it- the numbers are stated at 700,000! including about 6,000 horsemen; the cavalcade of cars extended from Ennis to Newmarket- six miles. The preparations for his reception were most elaborate; at the entrance to the town whole trees were plants, with triumphal arches across the road, mottoes, and devices. The Baltimore Sun article also referred to a large meeting held on a Sunday which featured an outdoor mass held before OConnell and others spoke of political matters: A meeting was held at Athlone on Sunday- from 50,000 to 400,000, many of them women- and one writer says that 100 priests were on the ground. The gathering took place at Summerhill. Before it, mass was said in the open air, for the benefit of those who had left their distant homes too soon to attend morning service. News reports appearing in American newspapers noted that 25,000 British troops had been stationed in Ireland in expectation of an uprising. And to American readers, at least, Ireland appeared on the verge of a rebellion. The End of Repeal Despite the popularity of the large meetings, which mean the majority of Irish people may have been directly touched by OConnells message, the Repeal Association eventually faded away. In large part, the goal was simply unattainable as the British population, and British politicians, were not sympathetic to Irish freedom. And, Daniel OConnell, in the 1840s, was elderly. As his health faded the movement faltered, and his death seemed to mark the end of the push for repeal. OConnells son tried to keep the movement going, but he did not have the political skills or magnetic personality of his father. The legacy of the Repeal Movement is mixed. Though the movement itself failed, it kept alive the quest for Irish self-government. It was the last great political movement to affect Ireland before the horrific years of the Great Famine. And it inspired younger revolutionaries, who would go on to be involved with Young Ireland and the Fenian Movement.

Autistic children in the general education classroom, mainstreaming, Essay

Autistic children in the general education classroom, mainstreaming, inclusion and pull out options - Essay Example This report stresses that available literature on the subject places less emphasis on exogenous variables perhaps due to the fact that it has been conclusively proved that autism is a genetic disorder. Despite this proof there is also a parallel attempt being made by teaching communities at large that behavioral tendencies of the autistic child could be altered with dynamic combinations of internal and external factors. Autism as a disorder affecting a few individuals, has been subject some of the worst misinterpretations in communities today. Yet a growing body of current research has shed new light on the many-faceted nature of this disorder as one of which the severity can at least be reduced with well designed programs that advocate a general educational environment based treatment option of inclusion instead of exclusion. This paper makes a conclusion that Schon’s indefatigable efforts have successfully proved to the world that professional attitudes have to be realigned with reflection-in-action so that a highly desirable qualitative change could be brought about to the very programs that have been hitherto administered with little or no attention being paid to the teaching/learning outcomes. This causative principle of attention re-focus has helped communities to undertake a complete reassessment of techniques and approaches based on compartmentalized thoughtless and antiquated perceptions and conceptualizations. Schon has revolutionized the treatment process by focusing on the need to be reflective-in-action.