Envy at Work Article Summary Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Envy at Work Summary - Article Example Because envy is generally considered a negative emotion, individuals repress these feelings. Still, these repressed feelings of envy emerge in harmful ways. Menon and Thompson’s research suggests, however, that it is possible to avoid being consumed by these feelings and to implement them to one’s advantage. In further considering the ways that envy emerges and is impactful, Menon and Thompson examine a hypothetical instance involving Scott and Marty. While these individuals were once strong friends, this gave way. While Marty was the better performer, Scott’s personality and social network helped him advance his career at a more rapid rate. This caused significant envy; this envy subsequently started to detrimentally impact Marty’s work performance. Most notably, Marty demonstrated disparagement and distancing. One of the main recognitions was that individuals pull away from others they envy because they feel the emotion more intensely with those they are close to. This distancing then directly impacts functionality and success within the organization. One notable example was that individuals were more willing to accept a project idea if it emerged outside the organization rather than within. The main recognition in these regards was that individuals within the organization worried that by adopting a project from a colleague they would lose status. In this way the colleague would be deemed the intellectual leader. This then costs the organization more money as it is less efficient to adopt ideas from outside the organization than to implement them internally. This is recognized as occurring in a real world example through the restaurant Fresh Choice. While the restaurant appreciated the menus and dà ©cor of a rival restaurant, after acquiring this rival opinions changed. The recognition then became that this newly acquired entity was not as chic as originally determine; this then resulted in the creative professionals leaving the organization. As a

Revieww the peospects of the UK meeting these targets by 2020, and to Essay

Revieww the peospects of the UK meeting these targets by 2020, and to identify the main barriers that could cause the targets no - Essay Example The paper will throw light on how the EU will meet its target, what barriers it faces and what are the prospect ways in which it can meet its target. Sources of Energy in the UK: In UK energy sources are via both renewable an non renewable sourcues. During 2004, total electricity generated stood as following: gas – 39.93% (0.05% in 1990) coal – 33.08% (67.22% in 1990) nuclear – 19.26% (18.97% in 1990) renewables – 3.55% (0% in 1990) hydroelectric – 1.10% (2.55% in 1990) imports – 1.96% (3.85% in 1990) oil – 1.12% (6.82% in 1990) The currenct electricity consumption in UK stands a 330 TWh p.a reduced in 2009 . At the moment the statistics of it’s fuels stand as following: 1. Coal – 29% 2. Natural Gas- 45% 3. Nuclear- 17% 4. Oil – 1% 5. Hydro and Renewables – 5% 6. Wind – 3 % Coal was the primary source of energy in UK during the 1940s. 90% of the generating capacity of UK was taken care of by coal whil e the remainder was looked after by Oil. Soon UK began expanding it’s energy producing capacity and domains. In the 1950s, it acquired nuclear generating capacity through the Calder Hall that was connected to the grid on 27th August 1956. This set the set trend for various other similar civil stations in the country. At this point more than 26% of the nation’s electicirity was generated via nuclear electricity. It peak in mid 1970s. During this period the overall electricity generation from oil continued to decline. Since the inception of 1993 and all the way through to the 1990s, electricity generation via coal was scaled up to boost gas fuelled generation. Various steps were undertaken to support this endeavor. This includes the privitisation of the National Coal Board, British Gas, the introduction of new policies favoring competition within the UK market and availability of cheap gas from the North sea. The scenario change was from 1.09% to 30.25% of gas produced u sed in electricity generation between 1900 to 2005. By then coal production in power stations had also fallen by 43.6% compared to the previous 1980 levels though it was slightly higher in 1999. During the 1990s and somewhere from it’s mid, reneweable sources of energy began to crop up in UK. They also added to the overall electricity generated, there by giving rise to hydro electricity generation capacity in UK. Current Energy Consumption In the United Kingdom: According to present statistics, United Kingdom is consuming 3894 kgs of oil equivalent per capita. On the contrary the world is consuming approximately 1778.0 kilograms of oil per capital. According to a statistics under taken by worldwide total, the total energy consumed in the last 2 years has been 9.85 exajoules. This means it is an estimated 2% of the world total of 474 EJ of energy. The over all demand for electicity has averaged at 40 GW in the last 2 years and was at 60 GW at it’s peak. The demand for e lectricity has been steadily increasing in the last 5 years in UK. UK 2008-Primary Energy Consumption (Energy resources) The table depicts that in UK primary energy consumption came down by 1.8% in 2008. Table shows that UK is dependent for 75% of its energy from oil and gas. Both oil and gas consumption have increased while coal consumption has decreased by 10.7%.. Almost 40% of the primary energy consumed was utilized in electricity generation. Similarly the contribution by renewable sources of en

A Comparative Analysis on the Socio-Cultural Theories of Marx Essay Example for Free

A Comparative Analysis on the Socio-Cultural Theories of Marx Essay Over the years, the names Karl Marx, Emile Durkheim, Max Weber, and Friedrich Nietzsche have been very dominant in the field of sociology, psychology, economics, and politics. In discussing the concepts of communism and materialism, the theories of Karl Marx cannot be disregarded. For Marx, the major influential factor in human history is economics (Cline 2008). According to Marx, even in the past, people were not moved by ostentatious ideas but rather by material things that helped them live and survive. Marx’s studies and theories also deal with explaining the roots of the collision of classes—the wealthy and labour classes. The conflict between the wealthy and labour classes became inevitable because of the rise of capitalism. Due to capitalism, there has been a separation between these two classes. The wealthy continue to own properties and acquire labourers as modern slaves to work for them in their businesses, while the labourers continue to struggle for what little they have, and they have to work day and night just to survive. It is also because of capitalism that the scarcity of resources has increased, and this made the conflict between the classes even worse. For Marx, everything is built upon the foundations of economics. All the prominent social and economic institutions as well as other organizations can only be understood well if they will be associated with economics. Moreover, Marx expressed that oftentimes, people tend to think that their ideas actually root from truth, beauty, love and other grand concepts, but in actuality, those ideas are from class interest and class conflict (Cline 2008). On the other hand, as compared to Marx, Emile Durkheim was better known for his studies of the communication process in relation to sociological analyses. The main idea of Durkheim’s theory notes that the civilization of human beings is a result of communication (Book Rags 2008). Their psychological nature becomes cultural forces, and the material and economic life becomes the community and the society. Aside from this, Durkheim also became a prominent figure in the field of sociology. He explained the nature of the society with an evolutionary approach, regarding society as an organism that has a specific structure and function (University of Regina 2002). According to Durkheim, although a society is composed of individuals, he pinpointed that a society is not simply a sum of individuals; rather, it has an identity and existence of its own that is different from the individuals that are part of it. He further added that it is the society that is influencing the individuals through norms, social facts, sentiments, and social currents, rather than the individuals influencing the society as a whole. Durkheim’s sociological ideas also posed a concern towards social order. He tried to find out how a modern society remains intact given people’s differences, individualism, and autonomy of individuals (University of Regina 2002). Eventually, Durkheim was able to find the answer and explained it in his book, ‘The Division of Labour in Society’. In the book, Durkheim defined and explained the concepts of social solidarity, common consciousness, and systems of law which he also connected to the idea of forced division of labour. However, he claimed that such forces in the society will not always be effective in creating solidarity. Thus, there will be disruptions in solidarity and consciousness because of the social changes. This chain of ideas introduces the concept of anomie or suicide, which Durkheim considered as a naturally occurring phenomenon in every society. Durkheim also expressed his ideas about social action. In explaining this concept, he took the structuralist approach. He considered the social structures to exert a strong influence on social action (University of Regina 2002). He believed that the collective thoughts, beliefs, practices, and consciousness of individuals can indeed make a difference in a lot of ways. Max Weber shared the same position as Marx in terms of alienation in relation to former’s views about the inevitable rationalisation and bureaucratisation of the world (The Hewett School n. d. ). Both of them agreed that it was the modern methods of organisation which drastically increased the effectiveness and efficiency of production. Both of them also concurred that these modern methods paved the way for the exceptional domination of man over nature. They also shared the same opinion of the modern world with such rationalized efficiency—that it threatens to transform into a monstrous being and dehumanize its creators (The Hewett School n. d. ). However, Weber opposed Marx’s claim that alienation is only a transitional stage towards man’s true liberation. Ha also denied that inevitable characteristic of socialism. Previously, Marx noted that capitalism caused the lowering of the worker class in the mode of production. However, Weber argued that this situation cannot be avoided in a rationally coordinated system. Weber further added that men cannot participate in socially significant actions anymore unless they join a larger organization. It is through these organizations that men get to sacrifice their own goals and desires for the sole aim and objective of the organization. Thus, people get to take off a part of them and therefore get to be alienated. Lastly, Friedrich Nietzsche was known in his arguments about the core and foundations of morality. Unlike Marx, Durkheim, and Weber, Nietzsche’s theories are more inclined to morality, and he was more into arguing for concepts that relate to religion. However, his theories posted a huge significance in the fields of sociology, economics, and politics as well. His moral philosophy is primarily critical in orientation. With his philosophy, he attacked morality both for its commitment to weak descriptive claims about human action and also for the adverse impact of its distinctive norms and values on the budding higher types of human beings—or what he calls the ‘higher men’ (uberman) (Zalta 2007). This idea of higher men explains that, above all other motivations, human behaviour is motivated by the will to power. He also became known in his arguments regarding the foundations of traditional Christianity. For Nietzsche, the creativity and realities of the world are more important than any consideration of any worlds beyond (UK Apologetics 2007). Aside from this, he also had several beliefs which proved his interest to challenge the tradition and beliefs of Christianity. Nietzsche believed that the goal of a human’s life must be to find his/her true self and not to help others. He also believed that sexuality does not really oppose virtues; rather, it is a virtue in its own right. Furthermore, he also argued that the highest virtue an individual can have is to be true to him- or herself. Thus, Nietzsche’s ideas can be observed to have a sense of selfishness. However, it can be explained that he has this kind of belief since his exposure and genre are that which believe in the power of the human will alone and not of any greater being. Upon analyzing the theories and theorists mentioned above, I observed that all their ideas contribute a lot to the developments of the society nowadays. The first three theorists dwell more on the economic side. They explained the effects of capitalism, social classes, and the harmony of relationships within a society. On the other hand, Nietzsche observed the moral part which the first three theorists seemed to have overlooked. Looking at our modern society now, everything seems affected by multimedia. If only Marx, Durkheim, Weber, and Nietzsche still exist today, they might probably look at multimedia as one of the most powerful forces that has the ability to shape a society. However, relating their theories to the modern concepts of multimedia today, Durkheim’s concepts seem to have the greatest relevance to it. This is because Durkheim regarded communication as a shaping factor of civilization. By this, he meant that communication (which includes multimedia nowadays) is one of the forces that pave the way for human organization (Book Rags 2008). Communication or multimedia in the modern perspective can also be interpreted—using Durkheim’s view—as the mould which makes or shapes a society. Thus, a society without the practice of communication cannot be considered a civilized society (Book Rags 2008). Putting this into modern context, a society without the practice of multi-media—which can be considered as one of the most powerful means of communication at present—is a society which has not yet reached development. List of References Cline, A. (2008). ‘Religion as Opium of the People’. About. com [online]. Available from http://atheism. about. com/od/philosophyofreligion/a/marx. htm? p=1 [29 October 2008] Book Rags (2008). Durkheim, Emile (1858-1917) [online]. Available from http://www. bookrags. com/research/durkheim-mile-1858-1917-eci-01/#bro_copy [29 October 2008] The Hewett School (n. d. ). Weber and Marx [online]. Available from http://www. hewett. norfolk. sch. uk/CURRIC/soc/WEBER/wm. htm [29 October 2008] University of Regina (2002). Conservative Approaches [online]. Available from http://uregina. ca/~gingrich/s16f02. htm [29 October 2008] Zalta, E. Ed. (2007). ‘Nietzsche’s Moral and Political Philosophy’. Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy [online]. Available from http://plato. stanford. edu/entries/nietzsche-moral-political/ [29 October 2008] UK Apologetics (2007). Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) [online]. Available from http://www. ukapologetics. net/truthaboutnietzsche. html [29 October 2008]

Companies In Controversial Industries Management Essay

Companies In Controversial Industries Management Essay Is it possible for companies in controversial industries to be socially responsible if their products are detrimental to human beings and the environment. Many claim it is impossible for them to be socially responsible because their CSR will always be an inherent contradiction since their business goal is at odds with the aims of public health policies. However as these companies already have a bad reputation, they have no need to be associated with doing good in order to boost sales. Hence when they engage in CSR, it could mean that they are genuine CSR practitioners. This paper examines CSR of firms in alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries and determines whether they can be socially responsible through their CSR implementation by using Porter and Kramers concept of shared value. However while assessing any motives companies may have to determine whether they are genuinely interested in CSR, it may be presumptuous or even unjust to these companies to assume their motives based on the consequences of their actions. Also, the approach used to determine whether the companies have been socially responsible may be too narrow. Nonetheless, companies need not have the best intentions for the society to be socially responsible. Introduction At the mention of controversial industries such as alcohol and tobacco industries, some may be quick to conclude that these industries cannot be socially responsible since they are producing goods that are detrimental to human beings and the environment. Even when firms in these industries practice Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), some may still find it difficult to start regarding them as being socially responsible. The motive behind these companies for practicing CSR is also often disputed over. As these firms already have a bad reputation, they need not be associated with doing good for consumers to demand for their products, unlike inherently good companies. When these firms practice CSR, does it then mean that they genuinely have the societys welfare at heart? Or could they be doing CSR as a way of obscuring their questionable business and gaining social acceptance? Keeping these arguments in mind, we will now look at specific firms in alcohol, tobacco and gambling industries and their CSR practices in particular to evaluate the possible incentives behind their CSR initiatives as well as to determine whether they can be socially responsible through their CSR implementation. In consideration of the controversies of CSR, in particular, the view that CSR should be conducted in such as a way that it benefits both the society and the owners of the firm, rather than only one side of the parties, we will be using Porter and Kramers concept of shared value to decide whether a company is socially responsible. This requires firms to adopt CSR practices that concurrently benefit the society and the owners of the firm, by addressing societal weaknesses or harms while improving the financial performance of the firm, to be socially responsible. Alcohol Alcohol is an important risk factor for disease. It has implications in birth defects, cases of assault and family violence, alcoholism-related abuse, traffic accidents, reduced workplace productivity and lower life expectancy (Collins Lapsley, 2008; WHO, 2011). Consumption of alcohol is estimated to cost the American society a staggering $223.5 billion/year in health care, road-related accidents, reduced workplace productivity, violence and crime in 2007 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). In comparison, federal alcohol tax revenue only amounted to $9.3 billion/year in 2007 (Congressional Budget Office). Case Study Take Diageo for instance. It is the worlds largest producer of spirits and an influential producer of beer and wine. It has 59 brands including Johnnie Walker and Guinness, two of the best-known brands of alcohol, under its portfolio. It generates $25 billion in sales revenue yearly. Diageo uses public awareness campaigns as part of its CSR initiative. It creates advertisements that educate drinking responsibly, including those aimed at discouraging excessive drinking, drink driving as well as underage drinking. However, these may have been the companys subtle attempts at bypassing regulations to advertise its alcoholic beverages to consumers. In Diageos the choice is yours campaign in 2008, it has also conveyed the message that overdrinking would inevitably lead to social disapproval, such as the embarrassing consequences of being thrown out of clubs. However, the University of Bath has found that such incidents are actually perceived as fun by youths (EUCAM, 2009), putting the intended effect of the campaign into question. Furthermore, the website of the campaign highlights the logos of Diageo drinks, casting doubts on whether it may have been aimed at advertising the companys alcoholic beverages to the consumers. The company also has campaigns that are aimed at reaching out to minors in schools. By claiming that they are contributing solutions to alcohol-related problems, the company is able to reach out to a target audience that they would otherwise not be able to reach due to alcohol marketing regulations. By using CSR as marketing gimmicks to make greater profits, the company has failed to manifest itself as a genuine CSR practitioner who does not have the societys best interests at heart when carrying out CSR practices. However, Diageo is making improvements to its corporate governance and has created a multi-prong strategy to take care of the interests of all its stakeholders. This year, it has reduced 9.4% of carbon emission in spite of its increased production and has increased water efficiency by 20% in Uganda through its implementation of better water recovery systems. In addition, it has organized internal DRINKiQ workshops to educate employees on responsible drinking. It also conducts independent audits on its suppliers with issues relating to health, safety and hygiene, working hours and wages. It also provides a confidential whistleblowing service, SpeakUp, to allow anyone who has come across a breach of its Code to report it. This ensures that Diageos Code of Conduct is strictly adhered to. Looking at the various Diageos CSR initiatives and going back to Porter and Kramers concept of shared value, Diageo would be considered a socially responsible company. Through its public awareness campaigns that concurrently discourage excessive drinking and advertise its brand of alcoholic beverages, the company is able to reduce the societal harm of its products and improve the profitability of the firm at the same time, although the effectiveness and the intended effect of the campaigns may be questionable. The implementation of better water recovery systems could also help the company save cost. These show that Diageo is a socially responsible company. Tobacco The health effects of tobacco have long been known. Smoking in particular is a major risk factor for heart attacks, strokes, chronic obstructive pulmonary heart disease, hypertension, peripheral vascular disease and cancer. Each year, 6 million deaths are caused by the inhalation of tobacco smoke. The irony becomes salient when tobacco becomes the single greatest cause of preventable death globally. With products deemed universally harmful allowed for sale, can tobacco companies be socially responsible? Case Study Altria Group Inc. is one of the largest tobacco companies in the world. It is a pioneer of the tobacco corporate responsibility movement in the late 1990s. Recently, it has come out tops in social responsibility rankings, placing 15th on CR Magazines 100 best corporate citizens list and 4th in Fortune magazine. Altria has implemented a comprehensive corporate responsibility program targeting nine specific issues: tobacco product management, marketing practices, combating illegal trade, environmental management, sustainable agriculture, supply chain responsibility, employees, investing in companies and governance and compliance. Despite the multi-faceted approach, its CSR practices have been a subject of constant criticism, with critics questioning their motivations behind the acts of responsibility. Most argument centers on tobacco product management and marketing practices. Over the years, Altria has sought to manage its tobacco product issues and marketing practices as ethically as possible. They voluntarily communicate health effects with transparency, including health warnings on all its packages and websites. They undertake research and development in developing products with lower risks and also actively partner and collaborate with governments in support of cessation. In marketing practices, they voluntarily limit their reach of marketing to unintended audiences. Based on their actions, we can see the moral duty that Altria has undertaken as a company. Critics however argue against the motivation of their CSR, likening it to the washing of blood money. Some even argue that it is used as a sword and shield against product issues (Friedman, 2009). Yet it can also be seen as an atonement of sin. The term blood money seems to convey a form of coercion or illegal means to gain, yet from how Altria practices its CSR, we can clearly see their admittance to liability, transparency and the absence of coercion. Ironically, Altria has been embarking on initiatives to discourage people from smoking, which is counterintuitive of a profit-oriented business model. This seems to highlight the effort Altria has undertaken as a moral duty to doing right what it has done wrong, clearly fulfilling Kantian and even virtue ethics, and is a display of an ethical practice of social responsibility. Critics also argue that CSR allows tobacco companies to improve their image, leveraging CSR to add value to the otherwise evil company, thereby concluding that such a motivation may be of a selfish cause. However, unlike other corporations with the freedom of liberal marketing practices, tobacco companies including Altria undergo some of the strictest regulations on advertising and marketing. In fact, the company is creating advertisements that devalue its products, essentially decreasing the companys value further. There seems to be no tangible benefit for their bottom line with the implementation of CSR; instead, a greater amount of losses are being incurred. This thus further support the ethical motivation behind their CSR practices, as not much value can be leveraged off CSR for the benefit of the companys overall bottom-line. It is evident that a tobacco companys CSR does fulfill Porter and Kramers concept of shared value for both the company and society. However, it is more of a transactional value rather than a transformational one (Palazzo Richter, 2005), after all if tobacco companies really want to change society, the greatest impact will come from its voluntary demise. Therefore, it is justified for tobacco companies to do CSR, but it will never be able to transform or make good itself. Casino Casinos, like tobacco and alcohol, have contributed to a range of social and economic harms to the society (Hancock, Schellinck Schrans, 2008), with the most apparent social impact being the increase in problem gambling. It has been estimated that 1.2% of U.S. adults are pathological gamblers and another 1.5% are problem gamblers at some point of their lives, with the likelihood doubling for people living within 50 miles of a casino (Community Research Partners, 2010). Problem gambling impacts peoples lives in many negative and consequential ways; this includes unemployment, poor physical and mental health, risked social relationships as well as increased crimes (Community Research Partners, 2010). Large sums of social costs, including those spent on bankruptcies, imprisonments and divorces; have to be spent every year as a result of these impacts. Case Study Caesars Entertainment Corporation is the largest gaming company in the world with $8.83 billion in revenue in 2011. The company has carried out CSR extensively. It launched its comprehensive sustainability program, the CodeGreen, in 2004 and has displayed a strong commitment to achieving a broad set of sustainability goals for carbon emissions reduction, energy conservation, water consumption as well as waste recycling. Harrahs Lake Tahoe Casino and Harveys Lake Tahoe Casino, two of the companys casinos, have received the prestigious Gold Certification from Travelife, a certification body that recognizes companies within the tourism industry that adopt sustainable practices. Only four U.S.-based hotels out of 400 worldwide are Gold Certified in 2013 and three of them are Caesars properties (Stevens, 2013). Besides their commitment to responsible stewardship of the environment, the company also has codes of commitment to treat all their employees with respect and to provide them with good career opportunities, to promote responsible gaming as well as to help make all their communities healthy and vibrant places to live and work. To foster responsible gaming, the company only allows adults to visit their casinos, trains their employees on how to offer help to customers who may need it and provides toll-free helpline numbers for problem gambling. They have also adopted a policy to donate part of the company profits to community and charitable causes (Caesars Entertainment). As casinos fundamentally offer products that have adverse social and economic consequences, it may be unnecessary or even irrelevant for the company to conduct CSR to appear altruistic to the public. This may therefore imply that any CSR efforts from such companies could only be genuine. However, companies nowadays are increasingly expected to embrace wider responsibilities and roles and adhere to greater ethical, legal and responsible standards. Companies that fail to do so are found to receive weakened public support and less positive views from the media (Yani-de-Soriano, Javed Yousafzai, 2012). Therefore, it remains unclear as to whether Caesars Entertainment Corporation is a genuine CSR practitioner, or that they have conducted CSR to gain social acceptance. Caesars Entertainments CodeGreen sustainability program is a great example of creating a shared value through CSR. Through committing to responsible stewardship of the environment, the company strives to conserve energy, save water and recycle waste. These are environmental-friendly practices that also bring about cost-savings for the company. While not all the companys CSR initiatives, such as those targeted at promoting responsible gaming, directly bring about economic benefits to the stockholders of the company, they can help to gain social acceptance of the public, increasing sales and thereby giving rise to indirect economic benefits. Since Caesars Entertainments CSR practices create shared value for both the society and the owners of the firm according to the Porter and Kramers model, it is a socially responsible company. Limitations In evaluating the respective companies on whether they are genuine practitioners of CSR given that there do not seem to be a need for them to appear socially responsible, we have looked at how conducting CSR could benefit them to assess the motives that they might have in executing their CSR initiatives. However, it may be presumptuous or even unjust to these companies to assume their motives based on the consequences of their actions. The companies may indeed have been genuine practitioners of CSR, even if their CSR initiatives turn out to benefit the company as well. The approach that has been used to establish whether the specific companies have been socially responsible may also have been too narrow. In applying Porter and Kramers concept of shared value, our criteria for determining whether the companies are socially responsible only lies on whether the companys CSR initiatives benefit both the stockholders and the other stakeholders of the firm; however, we did not apply the model to take into account the inherent nature of the company that their products are detrimental to the society in determining whether they are socially responsible. As a result, all the three firms examined can easily be classified as being socially responsible. On the other hand, to take into consideration the inherent nature of the company, which could only create value for the owners of the firms at best, would mean that these companies could never be socially responsible so long as they continue to operate, according to Porter and Kramers model of shared value. Conclusion Corporate social responsibility is a complex and contentious subject that many businesses have to address and commit their resources to implement. When companies whose products are detrimental to the society practice CSR, their motives are often questioned and their ability to be socially responsible may still be contested. However, as have been discussed and elaborated on above, companies do not need to have the best intentions for the society to be socially responsible. In fact, companies who are not genuine practitioners of CSR, but have both the firm and the society at heart when practicing CSR are the ones who are the most socially responsible. Finally, we conclude that companies whose products are detrimental to the society can be socially responsible companies.

Christian G. Appys Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam :: American History

The Vietnam War, which lasted for two decades (1955-1975), was probably the most problematic of all American wars. US involvement in Vietnam occurred within the larger context of the Cold War between the US and the USSR. It was, and remains, morally ambiguous and controversial. The Vietnam War was slated as both a war against Communism and a war aimed at suppressing dangerous nationalist self-determination. Christian G. Appy's book, Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam, is a graphic and perceptive portrayal of soldiers' experiences and the lasting effects the Vietnam War has had on the American culture and people. Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam, is an analytical work that has three major purposes: 1. to show that those who fought in Vietnam were predominantly from the working class 2. to convey the experiences of the soldiers who served in Vietnam and 3. to offer his own scathing commentary of American actions in Vietnam. After World War II ended, Cold War alignments emerged. In 1946, Winston Churchill spoke against the USSR in his "Iron Curtain" speech. George Kennan's "Long Telegram" introduced the concept of containment, arguing that the US could keep communism from spreading by deterring Soviet expansion at critical points. Critical occurrences in1949 brought American communist fears to an extreme level. The Berlin Blockade and the Berlin Airlift, followed by Mao Zedong's triumph over Chiang Kai-Shek's Chinese Nationalist forces, and the successful atomic bomb tests of the USSR all contributed to the hysteria. America was gripped by paranoia, embodied by Wisconsin Senator Joseph McCarthy Communist witch hunts. The escalation period of the Vietnam War, which lasted for a decade (1955-1965) reflected the Cold War conflict in which the US and USSR avoided direct combat and thus avoided the possibility of nuclear war. Instead, the two superpowers battled though puppet forces. While the US backed South Vietnamese government was weak and corrupt, the USSR backed North Vietnamese government was a proud and group of nationalists willing to fight fiercely for Vietnamese unification and against foreign influence. The US faced an enemy that believed deeply in its nationalist as well as communist cause and hated US, and for that matter any foreign intervention. In Working-Class War: American Combat Soldiers and Vietnam, Appy estimates that approximately eighty percent of the soldiers who experienced combat in Vietnam were the sons of blue-collar workers. He presents his definition of

Proposed Computerized Examination

Computerized Examination is an application that establishes a connection between the university and the users specifically the teachers and students. This application covers only two features of course management system mainly the examination and course monitoring. Teachers use the application to prepare and deploy the examinations. The students, on the other hand, can take the test at their most convenient time and know their results instantly. Course Monitoring System is defined as an application for the administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of courses or training programs. This application covers the courses that the students take when they take an entrance test.This system will help the teachers determine the number of students taking the course they want. The system can also monitor the student applicants’ courses, population and other pertinent information concerning their examinations. Details such as the total number of test takers, the total number of students applying for a particular course and also the number of students who passed and failed are included in the proposed system. The organization of the Guidance and Counseling Services of Filamer Christian College in June, 1973 was prompted by two administrative concerns: 1) arising conflicts in some of the academic units, and; 2) in order to prepare for accreditation in 1980.The advent of the professionalization of the guidance and counseling known as â€Å"Guidance and Counseling Act of 2004† (RA 9258) strengthened the programs and services through upgrading the qualification and proficiency of the guidance workers. The Guidance and Counseling Center is trying to make unnecessary improvements and innovations every now and then to respond to the guidance needs of the university. Their vision is to have a professionalized guidance services for the development and enrichment of individual and group lives; Mission is to provide a proactive, functional guidance se rvices for the development of holistic, well-functioning individuals, and; Goals is to provide stable, proactive function programs in the basic areas of Guidance Services. Guidance and Counseling offers the following services like: individual inventory services, testing service, individual and group counseling, information service, research and evaluation, placement and  follow up, and orientation.The Career Guidance and School Promotion activities bring the school closer to the elementary high school graduates of the province within reach. Seminar-workshops are conducted annually to help the graduating students learn the basics of jobs hunting and facilitate an understanding of career development. An information center is established and maintained for educational, social and occupational information to guide clients in decision making. Scholarships, job opening and job requirements are posted for public notice. Provide educational, social and occupational counseling to guide ind ividual’s choice and decisions through homeroom guidance, classroom guidance, and guidance hours during departmental convocations.To enhance program, the Guidance and Counseling Center organized the Peer Counseling Program which actively involves volunteer students trained for the work. Their system is capable to produce result but they need more in improving for the better and faster release for the entrance examination and for the monitoring of course. In five years, Filamer Christian University will have efficient and faster method of obtaining a computerized examinations and in monitoring the courses.Problem StatementTraditional examination method spans thousands of years in our country, and frequent exams today brings a lot of problems as well.1. The Guidance Office is using complicated forms.2. The test checkers are having a hard time checking the papers and separating the courses that the students take. 3. The current manual system is inefficient.Problem Objectives Gen eral Objective To analyze and develop an online entrance examination and course monitoring system for the Guidance office of Filamer Christian University.Specific Objectives 1. To design the proposed system that features user friendly electronic tests and accessible online. 2. To design the proposed system that automatically checks test papers and monitors the specific courses chosen by student applicants. 3. To design the proposed system that can prevent the common  errors experienced through manual test checking thus achieving accuracy in automatic test checking results.Scope of the ProjectThe guidance counseling department is directly involved in the development and implementation of the proposed system since the department is directly in charge of giving examinations to student applicants in the institution. It includes the examinations, monitoring of courses in every department of the freshmen students in the university and scholarships that the Guidance and Counseling Office offers.Computerized Examination and Course Monitoring System handles all the operations and generates reports as soon as the test is completed which saves the precious time of faculties spent on reviewing answer sheets. The proposed system includes course monitoring. It excludes the services of the Guidance Office like the Individual Inventory Services, Individual Group and Counseling, Information Service, Research and Evaluation, Placement and Follow Up and Orientation. The institution that will be directly involved and integrate the proposed system is in Filamer Christian University.Significance of the ProjectThe University will benefit from it because the proposed system can be a featured innovation in relation with student services specifically in introducing online entrance examination and course monitoring.The Guidance counseling department will benefit from it because the proposed system introduces an efficient alternative to manual examination. Faster turnout of the examina tion results will help the different colleges in the processing of the student applicants’ which will also yield in higher enrollment. The student applicants can instantly get their test results through computerized examination which will help them to conserve their time and effort in waiting for the results.Definition of TermsTerms here are conceptually and operationally defined for better understanding of the readers.

Passion History

What is my passion? I feel as though I have many things I am passionate about in life. I'm also sure I will learn new things I am passionate about as I become more educated and grow older and wiser. To name a few I am passionate about animals, reading legal case studies, raising my daughter to be a strong and independent lady, education and lifelong learning. My passion that I will be talking about Includes hard work, dedication, motivation, and education. My passion Is to provide my daughter with everything that I feel wasn't offered to me. To make sure she takes hold of every read opportunity in front of her.To make sure nothing passes her by, I have a passion to teach her everything I have learned and to help her and be there whenever she needs me. My passion is to have the relationship with my daughter that I always wanted with my mother. â€Å"And mothers are their daughters' role model, their biological and emotional road map, the arbiter of all their relationships† by V ictoria Seconds. (Quote Garden, 2011) This quote ties in perfectly to my passion for my mother-daughter relationship. What Is a role model? A role model is someone others look up to. They create a want in others to better themselves.Anyone can be a role model. Nowadays, I'm working on being a good role model for my daughter and she seems to be my role model in that process. What a great little person she Is! Little girls Imitate their mothers and look up to them for emotional support. This quote Is basically saying that everything I do ultimately effects what my daughter will do. It's like follow the leader; to instill leadership in a person one must be a good leader. â€Å"A daughter needs a mom to make sure she keeps true to her heart, to comfort her wrought her tears, to challenge her to strive for what is just beyond her reach. (Lang, 2004) These are Just some of things needed from a mother to a daughter. The mother daughter bond is necessary in the development of raising a lit tle girl to be everything she wants to be and more. I must teach my daughter to never stop at her potential but to exceed It. My Job Is to be everything I want my daughter to be and more. To provide her with the proper education, home life, support, and love that she needs. To be there for her In any way she needs. Nothing Is Impossible and everything Is possible when you set your mind and on It.