Participant Observation of City Cultures Essay Example

Participant Observation of City Cultures Essay Ethnography has become a very popular approach to social research, alongside other kinds of qualitative work. It is the study of a way of life and was introduced by anthropologists who studied marginal or isolated cultures, such as the study of Trobriand Islands by Bronislaw Malinowski. Anthropologists believed it to be fundamental to get as close as possible to the societies they were investigating; hence, ethnography bears a close resemblance to the routine ways in which people make sense of the world in everyday life. Some researchers regard this as it basic strength; others see it as a fundamental weakness. Participant observation is a means of gathering information; it allows the researcher to experience the culture under examination. It is a research technique that has been adapted to meet the requirements of sociologists and is used frequently to gain detailed qualitative results. In its most characteristic, form it involves the ethnographer participating, overtly or covertly, in peoples daily lives for an extended period of time and collecting any data that concerns topic of the investigation. In overt observation, researchers declare their true identity and purpose whereas a covert participant observer is hidden or disguised. Some researchers argue that overt observation is the best way since it avoids participation in immoral or illegal behaviour. Furthermore, the investigator can freely ask questions without arousing suspicion. However, being open in a study may affect the behaviour of the participants as they may become more self-conscious. Thus, covert observation is less likel y to disrupt the situation being observed since the researcher appears to be another member of the group, for example, a certain researcher, William Chambliss, had to maintain secrecy when conducting a study of an organised crime; if his true identity was revealed the crime may have been prevented. However, this does question the ethnicity of the study since informed consent is not given. In either case, observation can work well in situations where there is no pre-selected sample population and where the behaviour in question is hidden or deviant. We will write a custom essay sample on Participant Observation of City Cultures specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Participant Observation of City Cultures specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Participant Observation of City Cultures specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Ethnography aims to shed light on the meanings and intentions behind social behaviour. In this investigation I wish to study the Piccadilly train station which is based in the Manchester city centre. I have picked this urban space because it is a place which depending on what day and time I choose, can be a very busy environment which could contain active and dynamic participants. I have decided to carry out my study on a Friday evening for an hour, as this would be a busy time in the train station; both students and employed adults may be travelling back home. Moreover, it is a safe environment in which I can remain concealed since I wish to carry out a covert observation. I will study the main foyer of the train station as a site for cultural inquiry. For example, to what extent are youth subcultures a form of resistance to the socio-economic circumstances of young working-class people? Since it is a public space for cultural identities to meet, combine or even come into conflict, I wish to see whether this participant observation reveals cultures of marginal or deviant groups. Result of observation Train stations are an everyday aspect in many peoples lives and since I carried out my study on a Friday evening at approximately seven oclock, it was a very busy time. The train station is a form of public service and is open and available to anyone who is wishing to travel; it is not religiously or educationally bound in any way. Piccadilly train station is a large station; it contains various high street stores, supermarkets, food places and bars. However, I was observing the actual train area, so in terms of interaction, participants communicated with those they knew. Apart from that, participants interacted with staff members when purchasing tickets or making enquiries. Predominantly, I identified two main categories in which my participants fell into; there were a large number of students and also many working adults. Any children present seemed to be accompanied by adults. Many students were on the own but there were also small groups of them. Whilst waiting in queues or for the trains, I noticed that a lot of students used their phones; if they were not engaged in calls, they were probably just browsing or text messaging. It seemed as they were quick to get bored whereas most of the adults were content with the waiting. I also noticed that more females, particularly the working adults were carrying books and magazines, presumably for their journeys; however, I did not see any males holding any reading material. There were cultural roles visible in the train station. I noticed a series of actions that most of the participants seemed to be following. I found that as soon as participants entered the station, most of them went to the large screens to view the allocated train times. This area was also a meeting point for a lot of the groups of students. Next, participants would purchase their tickets; most of them went and joined long queues, few would go over to the purchasing machines but this was quite rare. There were two queues, one for those who were travelling on that day, and one for future travels. Both were very long, the former queue being significantly longer than the latter. Finally, participants either caught their trains or waited for their arrivals. Some participants spent their time waiting by going into the supermarkets or getting food, one group of students went to the bar, but the majority of participants waited in the waiting area. The general norms of behaviour in the station were everyday aspects such as queuing and the general politeness strategies in conversation between participants and staff members. Since it was busy in the station at that time, many people were rushing which caused participants to push by each other, thus frequent apologies were made although there was an incident when a male participant accidentally pushed by an old female participant, nearly knocking her over and did not stop to apologise. This was noticed by other participants as well and comments were being made on how that was rude. This was the first form of deviance I noticed in this study. Another occasion where the norm of behaviour was violated was when two young female participants cleverly pushed into the queue. This was noticed by the female participant they pushed in front of, but she remained quiet even though it seemed to bother her. A final incident occurred when a large group of participants both male and female, presu mably students, became rather loud in the main foyer of the station; they attracted a lot of attention from other participants. They began to disrupt the public crowd as they were becoming boisterous, eventually security guards told them to quieten down or leave; they left shortly after. Conclusion When playing my role as an observer, I was quite confident in what I was doing. I was not bothering anyone and I did not interact with anyone at any time during the study. Since the environment I was in was extremely busy and most of the participants were rushing around the area, I was not noticed by anyone; I was able to blend in with the environment I was in. When considering my results, certain questions as to whether this account of behaviour is considered valid, or whether another researcher would observe the activity in the same way. This leads to many methodological problems with this observation. This process of investigation is one that is dependent on the role and position observer adopts while observing. Those who employ a participant strategy could overplay their role and affect the groups behaviour. There is also the risk of going native where they become more a full member of the group and less an observer. Thus, valid interpretation is a crucial requirement to enable good observational sociology. A certain researcher, Stanley (1990) has stated: the project which drives the writing of ethnography is different from that which drives the doing of social life. Ethnographic description is actually not, and cannot be, literal description.1 Thus, observational studies may not be entirely free of biasing effects and the validity of this study can be questioned. Gilbert and Mulkay (1984) argue that: no one interpretation of social action can be better than another whatever method is used to record or observe it because all social actions have numerous meanings, each created by and dependent on the interactive context in which it is constructed.2 Hence, this takes into account that my study and its results were unique in their own right. Conversely, some researchers, especially those who support the use of positivist methods may view participant observation as unscientific since the findings cannot be checked because the study cannot be replicated; some may view it as a subjective research method rather than an objective one. Additionally, ethical issues arise since no informed consent was given, as this study was a covert observation. In regards to deviant behaviour and marginalisation, there was one focal group that broke the rules of the norms of behaviour. This may have been because the participants were in a group and so felt they had the power to be different; solidarity between the participants in the group added to their confidence and may have given them the ability to embrace a deviant culture. In reference to the incident when the two female participants queue-jumped, the reason the other female participant remained quiet may have been due to the social pressure the two females were giving; she may have felt intimidated by them. In order to find out whether youth sub-cultures forms are resistance to the norms of behaviour in particular social contexts, I would need to study urban spaces that may entail more interaction between the participants themselves. In the train station, much of the activity was patterned which illustrates that a norm of behaviour has already been established in this environment. Culturally, there were unsaid rules that the participants followed; nevertheless there will always be some forms of deviance within society.

Free Essays on World War I

The United States Enters the War (1914-1917) Summary When war broke out in 1914, America's traditional isolationist tendencies took Hold. President T. Woodrow Wilson charted a neutral course, focusing on the maintenance of the rights of neutral countries on high seas. Sea rights were crucial to the United States because neutrality allowed American businessmen to trade with needy Allies and, to a lesser extent, Germany. By 1916, US trade with the Allies had jumped from US$825 million just two years before to US$3.2 billion. If the American merchant marine was in jeopardy, American business could make no profit. That is probably why the unrestricted submarine warfare practiced by Germany U-boats angered Wilson so much. In late 1915, a German U-boat sunk the merchant ship Lusitania, killing one hundred and twenty Americans. One year later, the Sussex was sunk, similarly without warning, as had been the custom prior to World War I. Americans were outraged at the violation of their rights on the high seas and enmity toward Germany increased considerably. Still, isolation ruled the day. In November 1916, President Wilson was re-elected to a second term under the slogan "He kept us out of war", suggesting the continued appeal of neutrality in the face of German harassment in the Atlantic Ocean. However, during the campaign, Wilson, a Democrat and admitted novice at military affairs, sought to placate the right by standing firm against Berlin, demanding that unrestricted submarine warfare end, or Washington would terminate all diplomatic relations with the German Empire. The United States was just a few steps away from war. Still locked in Monroe Doctrine-style isolation, America was slow to react. However, early 1917 witnessed the proverbial last straw. German Foreign Minister Alfred Zimmermann, in attempt to eliminate America as a direct military threat to the war in Europe, offered Mexico Germany's assistance in recovering the fo... Free Essays on World War I Free Essays on World War I The United States Enters the War (1914-1917) Summary When war broke out in 1914, America's traditional isolationist tendencies took Hold. President T. Woodrow Wilson charted a neutral course, focusing on the maintenance of the rights of neutral countries on high seas. Sea rights were crucial to the United States because neutrality allowed American businessmen to trade with needy Allies and, to a lesser extent, Germany. By 1916, US trade with the Allies had jumped from US$825 million just two years before to US$3.2 billion. If the American merchant marine was in jeopardy, American business could make no profit. That is probably why the unrestricted submarine warfare practiced by Germany U-boats angered Wilson so much. In late 1915, a German U-boat sunk the merchant ship Lusitania, killing one hundred and twenty Americans. One year later, the Sussex was sunk, similarly without warning, as had been the custom prior to World War I. Americans were outraged at the violation of their rights on the high seas and enmity toward Germany increased considerably. Still, isolation ruled the day. In November 1916, President Wilson was re-elected to a second term under the slogan "He kept us out of war", suggesting the continued appeal of neutrality in the face of German harassment in the Atlantic Ocean. However, during the campaign, Wilson, a Democrat and admitted novice at military affairs, sought to placate the right by standing firm against Berlin, demanding that unrestricted submarine warfare end, or Washington would terminate all diplomatic relations with the German Empire. The United States was just a few steps away from war. Still locked in Monroe Doctrine-style isolation, America was slow to react. However, early 1917 witnessed the proverbial last straw. German Foreign Minister Alfred Zimmermann, in attempt to eliminate America as a direct military threat to the war in Europe, offered Mexico Germany's assistance in recovering the fo... Free Essays on World War I World War 1 began in 1914 and ended in 1918. Until about 1939, especially in England, World War 1 was called the Great War because it was the most destructive and widespread war that the world had ever seen before. The First World War was less destructive than World War II to civilian life and property, but in other ways it was worse. This is because the world was not prepared for the outcome of the war, and large amount of effects, and all of the loses that came from the Great War. There were different reactions to the end of the war. The immediate reaction to the end of the conflict was one of relief. Everyone was satisfied that the war was finally over after four long years. All over Europe people were celebrating and having parties in the streets. When the celebrating stopped, thousands of men and women started trying to find the spot where their loved one or loved ones had died. There was a numbness after the war that seemed to put everyone into a kind of paralysis. Then everyone felt a need to justify what took place in the war and they wanted revenge. There was a great amount of people who died in the years between 1914 and 1918. There were also a lot of creative and talented people that were killed in that time too. There are approximately seven hundred and fifty names of poets, playwrights, writers, artists, architects, and composers listed in an anthology by Tim Cross who died as a result of the First World War. The people on that list are only people who had already accomplished something in their fields. Out of the ten million men who died in this war, there could have been a lot more men who could have gone on to do great things in the arts, sciences, medicine, and in politics. There was a lot lost in the war. There were approximately ten million men that died in the war; this did not include the twenty million that were wounded. Out of all the countries, Russia lost the most. There was also a lot of m...

ESPOSITO Surname Meaning and Origin

ESPOSITO Surname Meaning and Origin The common Italian surname Esposito was a last name commonly given to children in Italy (prior to its unification in 1861) who were abandoned or given up for adoption by their parents. The name derives from the Latin  expositus, the past participle of the Latin verb  exponere, which means to place outside. The Esposito surname is especially prevalent in the Naples region of Italy. Alternate Surname Spellings:  ESPOSTI, ESPOSTO, ESPOSTI, DEGLI ESPOSTI, SPOSITO Surname Origin:  Italian Famous People Raffaele Esposito is baker attributed with first creating the modern pizza. Genealogy Resources Contrary to what you may hear, there is no such thing as an Esposito  family crest or coat of arms for the Esposito surname.  Coats of arms are granted to individuals, not families, and may rightfully be used only by the uninterrupted male line descendants of the person to whom the coat of arms was originally granted. If youre interested in connecting with others who share the Esposito surname, the following resources can help: ESPOSITO Family Genealogy Forum: Free message board is focused on descendants of Esposito ancestors around the world.FamilySearch - ESPOSITO Genealogy and Family History: Explore over 350,000 digitized and transcribed historical  records, as well as lineage-linked family trees for the Esposito surname.ESPOSITO Surname Mailing List: Free mailing list for researchers of the Esposito surname and its variations includes subscription details and a searchable archives of past messages.GeneaNet - Esposito  Records: GeneaNet includes archival records, family trees, and other resources for individuals with the Esposito  surname, with a concentration on records and families from France and other European countries.The Esposito  Genealogy and Family Tree Page: Browse family trees and links to genealogical and historical records for individuals with the last name Esposito  from the website of Genealogy Today. Sources: Cottle, Basil.  Penguin Dictionary of Surnames. Baltimore, MD: Penguin Books, 1967.Dorward, David.  Scottish Surnames. Collins Celtic (Pocket edition), 1998.Fucilla, Joseph.  Our Italian Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 2003.Hanks, Patrick and Flavia Hodges.  A Dictionary of Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1989.Hanks, Patrick.  Dictionary of American Family Names. Oxford University Press, 2003.Reaney, P.H.  A Dictionary of English Surnames. Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Elsdon C.  American Surnames. Genealogical Publishing Company, 1997.

The problems of the management of Kodak Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

The problems of the management of Kodak - Essay Example This is so because success is based on an organisation's ability to create, rather than predict the future by developing those products that will literally transform the way the world thinks and view it self and the needs (Kanter 1995:71). Within the context of today's global competition, businesses and firms no-longer compete as individual companies but try to corporate with other businesses in their activities (Wu & Chien 2007:2). These researchers went further to argue that, this strategy has become quite common in many businesses including the retail clothing chain stores. The conventional vertical integrated company based business model is gradually being replaced by collaborative relationship between many fragmented, but complementary and specialized value stars and constellation (Wu & Chien:1). An alternative approach towards organisational success, one which is becoming increasing prominent and has attracted the sustained attention of both domestic and international business scholars are core competences, capabilities and resources (e.g. Madhok 1998, Prahalad & Hamel1990, Hamel & Prahalad1994 ). In today's global business environment it is no longer sufficient simply to meet customers demand as time quality and cost have become increasingly important in the phase of increasing competition (Petts 1997:551). 1.1 Capability and Competence of Eastman Kodak Client Focus and Problem Solving and Judgement Staffs are highly motivated, and the number of customers per employee ratio is high, the workforce is unionised. The company has access to financial market, which is not so easy to other competitors. The leverage ratio is very high (Debt to Equity ratio). As one of the organisations objective, to establish long term relationship with it customers through reliable and efficient services. The company is so effective in after sales and repairs services. Competencies provide a means of looking at those behaviours that differentiate the "best from the rest" and a common language for talking about critical on-the-job behaviours. Innovation and Strategic Thinking Being a pace setter in the industry with the ultimate vision to be a world leader in photographic equipments, Eastman Kodak capabilities include, continuous innovation and strategic thinking in different markets, Because of the higher level of motivation, and self-management encouraged in the workforce, employees are able to come up with new features, and suggestions to management to developed new equipments. The company brand identity, it salient features associated with quality and general brand awareness in the market. The company's reputation for film quality was (as it still is) regarded as one of the company's key assets Leadership and Results Orientation The management style and culture of the organisation are more family oriented. This has been responsible for the high level of profit being experienced by the company from creation, until the slump. With the leadership and technical know how of it founders and subsequent executives, the company developed it competences in innovation, product line extension and differentiation. The company was able to develop it core products and capabilities which included high end copiers, single use cameras, .In addition, the company had a

Explain this Confucian Virtue and discuss the ways in which this does Essay

Explain this Confucian Virtue and discuss the ways in which this does or does not exist in contemporary American society. Use concrete examples. Make sure that you adequately define this Virtue - Essay Example Thus, the core of the teachings of Confucius oscillated around the right individual ethics, values and virtues that are morally healthy and socially upright. Confucianism refers to an ethical, virtuous, moral and as well as psychological system of thought that was introduced by Confucius (Sun, 37). This system borrows its origin from the periods of Autumn and Spring in the Han Dynasty. During that period, Confucianism was majorly used as a tool for ethical and sociopolitical teaching. The teachings of Confucianism majorly revolve around humanism. Such teachings mostly espouse the importance of family relationships and disregards beliefs in gods. The teachings further depict that human beings can be taught through personal as well as communal endeavors. In addition, the teachings of Confucianism maintain that individuals are improvable as well as perfectible relevant to their personal as well as communal endeavors (Smith and Huston, 51). This can be realized mainly through self-creation as well as self-cultivation of morally upright virtues alongside lending credence to ethical maintenance. Confucianism’s teachings majorly revolve around four main ethical concepts. These include ren, yi, li and zhi. Ren observes the virtue of humanness and altruism whereas yi obligates righteousness and moral responsibility to do good (Smith and Huston, 47). Li determines the way a person should conduct himself or herself with regards to certain norms. Zhi regards the ability to identify what is considered either wrong or right relevant to how an individual relates to others in the society (Wong, 67). It is of critical significance to acknowledge that the teachings of Confucianism can bring good results when incorporated within the governance policies and rules of any country. Confucius argues that for a leader to govern his subjects effectively, he must start with

Thomas Edisons reputation Essay Example for Free

Thomas Edisons reputation Essay Thomas Alva Edison is a scientist that was born on February 1 lth 1874 in Ohio. His family had to move to The United States of America after the involvement of his father in many political matters. Thomas Edison lost a part of his hearing when he had a fever at the age of 1 year old as many articles indicate. They say that it was a very bad fever at that time. Some articles indicate that he lost a part of his hearing when a man pulled him by the ear to get him to a moving train. Another story and a very popular one is that there was a small explosion which led him to lose his earing. Despite all of that he was a great scientist with great creations and inventions. He was very hard working and very ambitious as the history shows us. He was so creative and innovative that he invented a new telegraphic device by the age of approximately 21 years old and that is a very young age to create in. Also, he was working by the age of 12 years old during the civil war in The United States of America. He was distributing newspaper. He also built a small chemical laboratory at the corner of his house garage. He was so dedicated to build his own reputation that e established his own newspaper and made two stores by the age of approximately 16 years old. The strangest point about those stores would be the idea of employing young men similar to his age at that time. Moreover, he was a businessman. He started his own factory when he was about 23 years old after selling some of his creations to the company he worked for. A year after that, he got married to a 16 years old girl that was working there. He invented so many inventions when he was 25 years old. He continued inventing so many things until he reached to his great invention which was the light bulb. He had the idea to lighten whole New York City when he was 35 years old. He suffered a bad emotional tragedy as a result of losing his wife. Two years after that, he got married again. Then he kept on working on his inventions and providing the world by what he thought good creations. From all of that we really can see and estimate that Thomas Edison was indeed a very fascinating man. He was very hard working and very ambitious. He was also a very good businessman who had a growing number of companies in several majors. He established a manufacturing company to manufacture electrical devices for him as a art of his plan to lighten all New York City at night time. He did succeed in a certain level but he could not accomplish everything he wanted. Despite all the wealth he made when he was young or before 40 years old, Edison was nothing but a very hard and dedicated person. When he was 81 years old he was awarded the congressional gold medal for all the creation the he had made. Thomas Edison the great scientist passed away on October 18th , 1931. In 22nd of January 2012, there was an article published in the internet written and revised by Ron Kurtus. It was a very useful rticle. The writer divided Edisons life into historical parts. Each and every part showed few of Edisons reputations and the events that led to those reputations. He started from the very first year of Edisons life pointing all the main events and the best creations and inventions. Also, the events during the civil war of The United States of America were mentioned in that article and thats a very good thing. The reason being is that it points out that Thomas Edison was a creative genius even under awtul circumstances such as wars. However, that article nad tew weak points hat are worth mentioning. One of them is the article discusses Edisons life from the date he was born until the age of 40 years old and thats kind of a weakness. Edison had a variety of events after the age of 40 years old. Actually, he was extra famous after the age of 40 years old. Moreover, the writer did not focus at the greatest invention of Edison and that is the light bulb. He Just went through it as it was an easy thing or a normal invention but in fact it changed the world to a better and a brighter world. After few months of this article the writer decided to write another rticle discussing the age of Edison starting from 40 years old until the end of his life. One other weakness to that article is using only one single book as a reference which in this case we need more than one. Another study was published on March 1 lth 2007 by Randall Stross in New York Times newspaper. That article was different from the previous one as it discussed Edisons life from a different perspective. The writer divided Edisons life regarding his creations and inventions not by history or event. The main focus of that article was to point out some of Edisons characteristics and nventions. Therefore, the writer did not discuss much of life event of Edison. Also, the writer aimed to point out Edisons famous reputation and explain few reasons leading to them. That particular article was very impressive. However, the article was corrected approximately twice and that shows that there were mistakes. Also, the writer did not point out the resources or references that were used in that article. Even though the article was very rich in meaning and phrases but still there were no references to asset those meanings. One more very important thing is that the writer oncentrated on the electricity and the electrical inventions more than any other creations of Edison and I could not find a reason for that. Perhaps the reason to that is huge role that the electricity plays in our lives but I still think that it is not fair at all to concentrate on one work and abandon the others. Other than that, the article was really helpful and very clear. The writer had a very clear vision about the scientist, it seems. Last but not least, the greatest book in my opinion about Edison which descried him in a very clear way, Thomas Alva Edison: Sixty Years of an Inventors Life y: Thomas Crowell. This book had everything about Edisons life. The writer discussed so many details regarding Thomas Edisons life. Furthermore, he mentioned so many characteristics about Edisons personality. Also, the book is really great in explaining several steps that were taken by Edison to achieve some of his goals and his inventions. The book covered many points of Thomas Edisons childhood and how he was a hard worker since he was a kid. In addition to that, the book broke down Edisons life into so many pieces with respect of clear words to roduce a clear image in every creation and invention. The book was also great in mentioning the names of Thomass family mates, such as his father, his mother and some of his relatives. Furthermore, the story of his first marriage was included as well in the book which gave it a better value and made the reader likes it more. The writer also put a good time and effort into explaining the business side of Edisons wife and how that affected his personality and helped him developing his reputation and fame. That book was really great by all meanings and it is very clear that the writer ut a lot of effort into that book to make the way it is. Finally, Thomas Edison was one of the greatest people in history. He did his best trying to improve the world. His reputation was growing up day by day due to the nard work ne was putting in himself. It is clear now that Thomas Edison is an unforgotten scientist. From all the above we can conclude that Thomas Edison overcame all the problems that were there in his time. He did not let the civil war in The United States of America stop him from achieving what he wants.

Macbeths Numerous Atmospheres :: Free Macbeth Essays

Macbeth's Numerous Atmospheres       The atmospheres in William Shakespeare's Macbeth are numerous, but begin as one surrealistic atmosphere initially with the witches' appearance at the outset. From there the atmosphere is incrementally added to regularly.    Charles Lamb in On the Tragedies of Shakespeare comments on the atmosphere surrounding the play:    The state of sublime emotion into which we are elevated by those images of night and horror which Macbeth is made to utter, that solemn prelude with which he entertains the time till the bell shall strike which is to call him to murder Duncan, - when we no longer read it in a book, when we have given up that vantage-ground of abstraction which reading possesses over seing, and come to see a man in his bodily shape before our eyes actually preparing to commit a muder, if the acting be true and impressive as I have witnessed it in Mr. K's performance of that part, the painful anxiety about the act, the natural longing to prevent it while it yet seems unperpetrated, the too close pressing semblance of reality,give a pain and an uneasiness [. . .]. (134)    D. F. Bratchell in Shakespearean Tragedy record's Charles Lamb's consideration of   Macbeth's atmosphere as essential to the purpose of the play:    For Lamb the essence of the tragedy in Macbeth lies in the poetically suggested atmosphere of horror and evil impulse, readily seized upon by the imagination of the perceptive reader, whereas stage representation concentrates the mind on the action. (133-34) Roger Warren comments in Shakespeare Survey 30 , regarding Trervor Nunn's direction of Macbeth at Stratford-upon-Avon in 1974-75, on opposing imagery used to support the opposing atmospheres of purity and black magic:    Much of the approach and detail was carried over, particularly the clash between religious purity and black magic. Purity was embodied by Duncan, very infirm (in 1974 he was blind), dressed in white and accompanied by church organ music, set against the black magic of the witches, who even chanted 'Double, double to the Dies Irae. (283) L.C. Knights in the essay "Macbeth" mentions equivocation, unreality and unnaturalness in the play - contributors to an atmosphere that may not be very realistic:    The equivocal nature of temptation, the commerce with phantoms consequent upon false choice, the resulting sense of unreality ("nothing is, but what is not"), which

Resistance to Change in Food and Beverage Department

1 Resistance to Change: A Case Study in the Food and Beverage Department 2 Change is common in an organization and is initiated due to the need to survive and adapt to the changing market. As change is a disruption of routines and what people are used to, resistance to change is a common reaction of the change recipients. People resist changes because changes are uncomfortable and require them to adapt to a new way of thinking and doing things. Also, people have trouble envisioning how life will be like after changed; hence, they tend to stick to the unknown rather than embracing the unknown.This essay is going to demonstrate why employees resist change in the hospitality and gaming organization with around 6000 employees and how the change agent can turn their resistance to advantages. The Food and Beverage department (F&B) is undergoing a change in the food safety management initiated by the new F&B director. The director attempts to introduce a new food safety audit scheme with th e objective to raise the food safety standard of the dining outlets. The change recipients, the F&B Kitchen, Service and Stewarding eams, are resisting the change by ignoring the director’s requests and refusing to cooperate with him. The change of food safety management creates disruption in the daily operations of the change recipients. As a result, rather than providing improved services, the number of guests’ complaints and the turnover rate of F&B staff increase drastically one month after the change has started. The process of change is now stuck at its beginning because of the conflicts between the director and the F&B teams. The employees’ reactions and resistance are so great that the change The proposed change, which is ow appears to be impossible to implement. originally of a good intention to upgrade the F&B outlets, is doomed to failure because the change agent – the F&B director – is so engrossed in his plan that he never tries to und erstand the reasons of resistance to his proposed change. 3 When the change was initiated, the change agent employed a consultant to assist in the process of change. The consultant works out a plan of the new food safety practices on what has to be changed and to what extent these things have to be changed.The use of outsider to teach and give comments to the F&B teams on how things should be done gives them an impression that their experience is not valued and their ways of work are not respected. The assumption in the change recipients’ minds is that their new boss thinks they have not been delivering a satisfactory performance in food safety so the director has employed an outsider to look for their wrongdoings. Other than the daily operation of the outlets, the change affects the social relationship among the three F&B teams and the food safety audit team.The use of a stricter audit system means that they have to work harder to comply with the standards. Moreover, failing the food safety audit will result in disciplinary actions, such as issue of warning letters or temporary suspension of work. Therefore, the social relationship among the three teams changes from cooperating with one another into shuffling the blame of food safety standard non-conformance off to one another. In addition, in the past, the F&B teams worked closely with the food safety audit team in upholding the agreed standard.However, because of the fear for failing the higher food safety standard, the F&B teams have become hostile to the audit team and are always trying to argue with the audit team on the result of audit. Another reason of resistance to change is that the director has put too much pressure on his teams in upholding the high standards and meeting the targets of continuous increase in restaurants’ income and reduction in operating cost. These unrealistic objectives lead to a huge workload and pressure and cause the teams overload. 4 Conflicts among the teams e merge, leading to frustrations and anger of the employees and finally, high turnover rate.The shortage of manpower in the restaurants contributes to the unsatisfying customer service and increase in guests’ complaints. Besides, the pressure of the restaurant managers and chefs to fulfill the objectives creates panic and confusion in the operating level. In order to save cost, chefs tend not to maintain the food safety standards that request them to throw away unused food items. On the contrary, the food audit team and the outlet managers demand the This confusion in employees to comply strictly with the food safety standards. peration and food safety practices leads to employees’ frustration, high turnover rate, and, consequently, shortage of labor in the restaurants, especially when the unemployment rate of the economy is so low that it is very easy for the employees to get another job. In addition, the change agent fails to listen to the employees when he is implemen ting the changes. The outlet managers and chefs have already told him that the high food safety standard is unrealistic and impossible to attain. The neglect of the employees’ frustrations has led to the employees’ chronic resistance and persistent hostility towards the change agent.As a result, that particular change and other beneficial changes introduced by the director do not work as planned and are totally rejected by the change recipients. Without the cooperation of the change recipients, the project is in slow progress because they try to fool around with the consultant and the director and refuse to cooperate. As the resistance of change persists, the change appears to fail sooner or later. The main reason of failure is that the change agent perceives the resistance as the â€Å"enemy 5 of change† because of the belief that a change process with only minimal resistance is a good change (Waddell and Amrik, 1998).In fact, resistance, like pain, reflects th at What something is wrong in the process, but not that the change itself is wrong. causes the resistance is how the change is implemented instead of what has to be changed. change. Resistance, when managed carefully, can be used as an advantage to assist In fact, resistance is an important form of feedback, giving the change agent some valuable inputs on what have gone wrong in the implementation of change. Therefore, the director should look into the resistance, try to understand it and use it to refine the change effort.In order to reduce resistance, it is essential to build a guiding coalition with the restaurant managers and chefs. In order to build the coalition, the director should abandon the idea that he is doing the right and proper thing while the change recipients are throwing up unreasonable obstacles or barriers intent on â€Å"doing in† or â€Å"screwing up† the change (Dent and Goldberg, 1999). Furthermore, the change agent should always communicate wit h the change recipients and try to understand the uncertainties and potential problems, caused by the change, faced by change recipients.He should also present his vision and the company goals clearly so that the change recipients can align their objectives with that of the change agent and the company. Moreover, Spreitzer and Quinn state that change agents contribute to the occurrence of what they call â€Å"resistant behaviors and communications† through their own actions and inactions, owing to their own ignorance, incompetence, or mismanagement (1996). The director, instead of trying to understand the difficulties his employees are facing in their operation, uses fear management and exerts pressure on the outlet 6 anagers and chefs to change because he believes that this particular change is good and necessary for the company. However, as Hultman (1979) comments that it is a fallacy to consider the change itself to be inherently good because change can only be evaluated b y its consequences. This belief cannot be proved with any certainty until the change effort has been completed and sufficient time has passed. The change agent should, rather than getting an outsider – the consultant – to initiate the change, elicit participation from the teams and respected their opinions regarding the routines of the restaurants.Besides, the change agent should create a great sense of urgency in that particular change, for example, whether it is government requirement or market driven (Ford et al. 2008). Without explaining the need and urgency of change, the change recipients In fact, the change are unable to relate the change with the objective reality. proposed by the director is driven by the government food safety policy which will be put into practice next year, the highly competitive market and the increase in customers’ demand of high quality food and services.Therefore, there is an urgent need for the company to continuously improve an d meet the demand of the customers in order to maintain profits and market share. It is fairly easy for the change agent to scapegoat the change recipients for the failure of change because of the uncooperative and hostile attitude of the change recipients. However, the change agent should understand that change is a situation that interrupts the normal patterns of organization and calls for participants to enact new patterns. This process involves the interplay of deliberate and emergent processes that can be highly ambiguous (Mintzberg and Waters, 1985).Change is an interruption of normal operation and implies an increase in workload, at least during the period of 7 change implementation. It is not difficult to imagine that the change recipients are reluctant to accept change right at the beginning, especially when they cannot foresee any immediate or long-term benefits. Therefore, the process of change should be carefully planned and well-communicated in order to get the particip ation and support of the change recipients. On the other hand, participations of the change recipients should be valued respectfully.Participation is a feeling on the part of people to be involved in a process but not just being called in to take part in discussions. People are more likely to respond to the way they are customarily treated and whose opinions are respected rather than being asked some carefully calculated questions about their opinions (Lawrence, 1969). The wrong way to elicit participation by overselling the positive and underselling the negative that the change will bring about will be perceived by the change recipients as intentional misrepresentation, injustice and violation of trust between the recipients and the agent (Mintzberg and Waters, 1985).Consequently, the change recipients will be more defensive to change and may even intentionally deliver bad performance in order to prove that the change is a failure. In fact, resistance is a resource that can be full y utilized when it is acknowledged and understood. Change agents have to be aware of the problems caused by change because these problems are constructed from novel, discrepant, or problematic situations that are puzzling, troubling, or uncertain to the participants of change (Weick, 1995).The emergence of problems demonstrates the potential obstacles that These problems, when will be encountered on the way to a successful change. managed carefully, can become advantages that greatly assist the process of change. Resistance is a form of conflict that strengthens and improves not only the quality of 8 decisions, but also the participants’ commitment to the implementation of those decisions (Amason, 1996). Hence, the F&B director should realize that he has to e-introduce the change as the benefits to the department and the company as a whole, and try to regain the trust of the F&B teams by inducing their participation with respect, taking more responsibilities in the occurrence of resistance and empowering the teams in the process of change. As a result, the process of change will be smoother and will ultimately succeed with the emergence of resistance. 9 Bibliography AMASON, A. C. (1996) Distinguishing the effects of functional and dysfunctional conflict on strategic decision making: resolving a paradox for top management teams. Academy of Management Journal, 39, pp. 23-148. BUCHANAN, D. A. and HUCZYNSKI, A. A. (2010) Organizational Behaviour. 7th ed. England: Pearson Education Limited. DENT, E. B. and GOLDBERG, S. G. (1999) Challenging â€Å"resistance to change†. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 35, pp. 25-41. FORD, J. D. et al. (2008) Resistance to change: the rest of the story. Academy of Management Review, 33 (2), pp. 362-377. HULTMAN, K. (1979) The Path of Least Resistance. TX, Denton: Learning Concepts. LAWRENCE, P. R. (1969) How to deal with resistance to change. Harvard Business Review, 1, pp. 49-57. MALTZ, M and BASLER, F. (1997) P ortable Conference on Change Management.Hiam: HRD Press. MINTZBERG, H. and WATERS, J. (1985) Of strategies, deliberate and emergent. Strategic Management Journal, 6, pp. 257-272. PARDO DEL VAL, M. et al. (2003) Resistance to change: a literature review and empirical study. Management Decision, 41 (2), pp. 148-170. SHAPIRO, D. L. , and KIRKMAN, B. L. (1999) Employees’ reaction to the change to work teams: the influence of â€Å"anticipatory† injustice. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 12(1), pp. 51-66. SPREITZER, G. M. and QUINN, R. E. (1996) Empowering middle managers to be transformational leaders. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 32, pp. 37-261. 10 TORMALA, Z. L. , and PETTY, R. E. (2004) Resisting persuasion and attitude certainty: a meta-cognitive analysis. In KNOWLES, E. S. and LINN, J. A. , (eds. ) Resistance and Persuasion. Mahwah , NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 65-82. TRADER-LEIGH, K. E. (2002) Case study: identifying resistance in mana ging change. Journal of Organization Change Management, 15(2), pp. 138-155. WADDELL, D. and AMRIK, S. S. (1998) Resistance: a constructive tool for change management. Management Decision, 36 (8), pp. 543-548. WEICK, K. (1995) Sensemaking in Organizations. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage.

English Persuasive Essay -Marijuana Essay

This essay will attempt to persuade its readers that the use of marijuana is in actual fact more dangerous than is generally thought. Marijuana is a mixture of dried, shredded leaves, stems, seeds, and flowers of the hemp plant. Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol is the active hallucinogenic in marijuana. Marijuana is smoked, chewed and eaten in various methods and forms. This has adverse psychological, physical and behavioural effects on to those who consume it. Immediately after consuming the narcotic one may experience harmful effects from marijuana use such as hallucinations, paranoia, psychotic episodes, impaired coordination, impaired motor ability and extreme mood swings The anxiety can range anywhere from mild anxiety to complete panic. The THC in marijuana is believed to change a psychoactive compound in the liver, which may be the cause of the psychological and subjective effects. The psychological effects of marijuana are most often seen in altered perceptions of distance and time, impaired memory and physical coordination, and a heightened sensitivity of the visual and auditory senses. Marijuana has often been touted as one of the safest recreational substances available. This is perhaps true; many reputable scientific institutions, such as the National Medical Board support the conclusion that cocaine, heroine, alcohol, and even cigarettes are more dangerous to the user’s health than marijuana. Smoking marijuana regularly damages the cells in the bronchial passages, which protect the body against inhaled micro-organisms and decrease the ability of the problems with memory and learning; distorted perception, trouble with thinking and decision making, loss of motor coordination; and increased heart rate. Long Term effects of marijuana may include: the loss of brain cells, lung cancer, chronic bronchitis, energy  loss, slow confused thinking, apathy, and blood vessel blockage. According to the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse, 44% of people who had an extensive history of smoking Marijuana developed forms of psychosis and schizophrenia. Although there are celebrated pharmacological properties of cannabis have led some states in Australia to permit its use as a therapeutic drug for, among others, those suffering from AIDS; various painful, incurable and debilitating illnesses; the harmful side effects of cancer chemotherapy, and glaucoma However, it would be fallacious to conclude that because the chemicals in marijuana have been found to present fewer dangers than some very harmful substances. In a recreational context, marijuana has been shown to affect health, brain function, and memory. Marijuana contains five times the amount of tar and more carcinogenic than a normal cigarette. The consumption of marijuana has been proven to have unpleasant effects on the users behaviour. All forms of marijuana are mind-altering. One is subjected to extreme mood swings and neurotic behaviour when experiencing withdrawal symptoms. Marijuana can be a gateway drug, which means it can lead to the use of many other harmful drugs. According to the study by the Queensland State Resources and Services Related to Alcohol and Other Drug Problems 1995, Children ages 12-17 are 85 times more likely to use cocaine after using marijuana. One may say that marijuana is harmless, that it does not cause one to convulse or dehydrate as other harder drugs such as ecstasy or heroin would; that there are no dangers with overdosing. However this is not the case. Marijuana affects memory, judgment and perception. Prolonged use of marijuana can have detrimental effects on one’s life and peers. This may generate a loss of interest in appearance, schoolwork/work and life. There are also subjective effects refer to those effects that are going to change from person to person. Euphoria, lowered inhibitions, drowsiness, contentment, and relaxation are generally the desired effects of people who use marijuana. As the video illustrated marijuana has serious effects on ones ability to safely, marijuana use can make it difficult to judge distances and react to signals and sounds on the road. A majority of people,  who smoke marijuana, may habitually consume alcohol in conjunction with marijuana. This would increase one’s chances of involvement in a car accident. Thus concluding, that with the combination of the adverse psychological, physical and behavioural effects smoking marijuana has it on the human body, it is far more dangerous than is generally thought.

Transpiration Lab essays

Transpiration Lab essays Water is essential to plants in many ways. It first provides the major substance for living, to keep cells from shriveling up and dying. The second major function is to keep the plants rigidity. As plant cells become turgid, full of water, the cells expand, filling the extent of their cell walls, which are kept taught with turgor pressure. If the cells lose water, two problems occur. First, the cells dehydrate, causing the organism to die. Second, turgor pressure is lost as cells become flaccid, limp and unfilled, causing a loss of support for the plants structure which makes it appear wilted. As aquatic plants evolved into large complex land plants, an adaptation occurred in the center of plants to allow full growth without the problem of water loss. A system of vascular bundles extending from the tips of the furthest leaves to the deepest roots of each plant developed, carrying water in xylem sap and sugar in phloem. While phloem can transport sugar in any direction within the plant, xylem can only move water up, from root to leaf. Once in the leaf, the water evaporates through stomata-tiny gaps in the lower epidermis of each leaf, which are regulated by guard cells-a process called transpiration The movement of water into and out of the xylem involves water pressure factors in different sections of the plant. As water slips into the roots through osmosis, a positive water pressure gently pushes the water into the plants roots and supplies a jumpstart for the waters journey up the vascular bundle. However, it is not this pressure that supplies a great force towards the upward movement of water; it is the evaporation of water from the stomata that pulls water upward and out. When the stomata are open to take in carbon dioxide for carbohydrate production, water begins to evaporate and seep out of the tiny holes in each leaf. With a constant pull of water outward, other water molecules are pulled up to repla...

Emplyment interviews Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Emplyment interviews - Essay Example The main disadvantages are high cost and lack of anonymity. Still, this type of interviews is crucial for effective recruitment because it allows certain standardization of description. To effect the standardization and control for which procedures are designed, they are presented in a specific format conveying information for a particular action to be taken (Sammar et al 2009). The second type is a structured interview. During this interview, the action may be only one step in a series of steps or the entire series. Once formalized in this manner, procedures need to be followed explicitly to achieve their objectives. Hence the rigidity of bureaucracy. Sometimes exceptions may be made to a formalized procedure, but in that case the manner of making an exception is also formalized. In a systems context, a procedure is like a hard-wired circuit. It ensures predictability. The main advantages are high reliability and level of control. The main disadvantage is a law level of personal involvement of an interviewer. The third type is behavioral interviews. Much of the workers' knowledge is conscious, obtained in schools, training, and / or on the job. But much of it is also subconscious, a distillation of experience in which personal solutions to problems encountered in the course of the workday may or may not have worked. The main advantages are the possibility to measure attitudes and accurate reflection. The main disadvantage is subjectivity (influenced by age, income level, race, etc.). The forth type is situation interview. The environment created within the focus group is one in which the conscious knowledge of the participants comes together, and insights are expressed that may be new or may have only existed under the surface. As he or she leads the workshop, an emerging pride is evidenced by the participants in the interview analysis they use to do their jobs to the standards required for quality performance. The advantages of this type are low variation in answers, a possibility to find a right candidate at the short period of time, and it is easy to come up with questions about specific situations. The main disadvantages are that it does not ensure further development of skills and knowledge of a candidate. Also, it is easy for a person to predict and find the right answer for all questions asked during the interview. The panel interview reflects an increasingly common phenomenon, management willingness to go beyond descriptions to achieve greater efficiency and higher productivity. The main advantage is effective tool for measuring communication skills and ability to socialize. The main disadvantage is that the interview can be confusing and a candidate can be taken aback. The computer interview will help companies to save time and analyze data with the help of computer programs. The main disadvantage is lack of personal interaction and communication. The video interview proposes great opportunities to save time and resources of the organization, thus it can be stressful and very subjective. The notion that every little thing that needs doing in order to get work done must appear in a job description is, of course, quite impractical and ultimately can destroy initiative (Sammar et al 2009). The best type

How Philosophy is Important for Undergraduate Student Essay

How Philosophy is Important for Undergraduate Student - Essay Example I use the term ‘science’ broadly here as rational and empirical investigation,† (Pigliucci n.d.). Reason is important and philosophy cannot provide concrete answers. Objection 2: Philosophy does not matter that much today as Stephen Hawking said, â€Å"Philosophy is dead. Philosophers have not kept up with modern developments in science. Particularly physics† (Warman 2011). Nowadays technological advancement prove to assist the advancement in the realm of physical science overtaking the development of philosophy as the latter cannot prove the exact answers to questions. On the contrary, Philosophy is stated, â€Å"Defining and explaining philosophy is no easy task — the very nature of the subject seems to defy description. The problem is that philosophy, in one way or another, ends up touching upon nearly every aspect of human life. Philosophy has something to say when it comes to science, art, religion, politics, medicine, and a host of other topics ,† (About.com n.d.). In all aspects, philosophy is the very core or basic step. I answer that, Philosophy is important due to the following reasons: All people align their everyday lives to the concept of reality that their beliefs tend to explain as they make use of metaphysical theory, ethical theory and moral theory. They need both metaphysical and moral concepts since they have the freewill and not instincts. They have the capacity to make decisions. They can also prove that throughout history human behavior and the ideas tend to explain their experiences have certain flaws. The correction is done through enough understanding of people about themselves and their surroundings by inquiring and garnering answers for philosophical and scientific questions. Curiosity is part of being a human as he tends to explore and learn about himself and the things around him. Philosophy also includes the rejection on the subjects of philosophy itself and science as they are all philosophic al in nature. They are better than doing nothing about the pursuit for knowledge. Philosophy also encompasses the ideas made by people that are subjected to conflicts toward creation of art or science (Maartensz n.d.). Reply to Objection 1: Science cannot explain the following: the existential truth like a person is not just a container of a brain and is being controlled. The moral truth also cannot be proven by science such as rape being right or wrong. Even the so-called logical truth science may have some problems to prove it like the quote Science is the only way to really know truth. No scientific test can prove the validity of such claim as it requires logic itself. Another thing is historical truth such as the winning of Barack Obama in the 2008 elections as scientific test must be repeatable and historical truth cannot be duplicated. Lastly, experiential truth cannot be verified by science such as the love of a spouse (Hewer n.d.). Reply to Objection 2: Philosophy is not dea d because science still exists. Science cannot exist without philosophy. Science has always been part of philosophy as both of them seek evidences, causations, theory creation, and hypothesis-testing as all of them are done to verify the ideas. Scientists must not ignore the philosophers as the former may fall on to fallacies (Norris 2011). How is it different from other subject areas? Objection 1: