The idea of Happiness

The question on what makes people happy has perennially escaped many thinkers, be they scholars, psychologists or therapists. Humanity is yet to master what exactly makes people happy as the indexes used to measure happiness have shown that even in places where people are expected to be happy, they are not as happy as they are expected.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The idea of Happiness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For instance, if wealth equates to happiness or it has a direct link to the level of happiness, then it would mean that the wealthiest nations in the world would be ranked as the happiest nations. However, this is not the case as America, despite its massive wealth compared to other nations of the world, ranks a distant twenty third in the happiness index (Breakthrough Para 14). Therefore, this shows that wealth is not the source of happiness. The concept of happiness is surrounded by a number o f fallacies, paramount being the misconception that material possession is a source of happiness. In most parts of the world, people express that they would be happier if they acquired more material wealth. For instance, people may assert that getting a better and even bigger house, live in a bigger and posh estate or drive an expensive car can be a source of happiness. However, Mathews and Izquierdo, (112), note that in most cases, this fallacies are the main sources of people’s unhappiness as they end up creating for themselves too much ambition that makes them be unable to reach the ideal happiness. Going by Mathews and Izquierdo’s argument, people should be contented with whatever they have as opposed to spending too much time on agonizing on what they don’t have. They further point out that people should focus more on what they have as opposed to what they would wish to have as this only adds pain to their aspirations. After years of working as a journalist , Weiner sets out to explore the idea of happiness by conducting interviews with people of those areas that have recorded the highest levels of happiness as well as those people who have recorded the lowest levels of happiness. This journey made him do many things in the quest to ensure that he establishes the real idea of happiness. In his book, Weiner (64) establishes that for one to be happy, the element of trust even to a government has a lot of emphasis on whether a person will be happy or unhappy. For instance, the book establishes that in Bhutan where the leadership has deliberately pursued a policy of happiness for all citizens, the people report to be happy as they trust their king. This shows that the trust that the people of Bhutan have in their leadership reduces their worries hence making them be happy. Therefore, according to Weiner (44), trust in the leadership is an excellent way of making people happy.Advertising Looking for essay on rhetoric? Let's see if we c an help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More However, critically thinking, this can be a fallacy as one cannot lay total trust on the leadership if the leadership has no capacity to meet the needs of an individual. For instance, if the government power was to be explored in relation of its influence on the capacity to influence the level of happiness, then it would be evident that Americans would be happier than many other people of the world. This is because the leadership of the United States of America remains the strongest in terms of military might as well as financial resources. Therefore, Americans can trust their government for security and provision of all basic necessities. However, do the Americans lay trust in their government? Would laying this trust to the government result to happier Americans? Perhaps, one can say that trusting in the leadership may make the residents of Bhutan happy, but this does not directly mean that all people must lay thei r trust in the leadership to be happy. Bearing in mind that the United States of America has one of the best democratic practices, people have trust in their elected leaders, but they are still the 23rd happiest people of the world. Although Weiner (68) shows that trusting the leadership is a source of happiness by contrasting Bhutan with the people of Medova, one can still argue that so long as the leadership provides the required security, be it physical or social, the concept of happiness cannot be said to be directly linked to the trust in the existing leadership. For instance, Weiner fails to acknowledge that the leadership of Bhutan has made it deliberately known that it pursues the concept of happiness to its people. Therefore, people have trust that the leadership has its plight in its day to day policy formulation and thus they feel happy that the leadership is concerned about them. However, this may necessarily not be the case as the citizens of Bhutan who ranks among the happiest people of the world may be ignoring their own predicaments in the trust that the leadership wishes are geared towards their good. Going through Weiner’s works, one can see that the concept of happiness has many misconceptions. There is the misconception that doing whatever one wants is the path to happiness. In this quest, Weiner engages in many activities that he views as sources of happiness. For instance, Weiner (64), ends up eating rotten Iceland sharks as this, he reasons, could be a source of happiness. In another instance, he insists that an insect that he found in distress must be saved as, according to him, this is a duty that can earn him happiness. This can be said to be a fallacy associated with the myth that doing whatever one wants can lead to happiness.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The idea of Happiness specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, critically thinking, does consumin g something that can even lead to sickness a source of happiness? Even after doing all this, one can deduce that Weiner never mastered the source of happiness since if he managed to establish the source, then the geography in search of bliss would have come to an end. This is an indication that people are yet to master what is the source of happiness. In another incident Weiner visits Switzerland, a country that ranks high in the happiness index. Paradoxically, Weiner (80) learns that there are many hidden virtues of boredom only that people may not express them directly. This is an indication that even people who report to be happy are not entirely happy as there are many issues that may make them unhappy. Westerners who live in better economically endowed nations were seen to seek happiness form the gurus of India an indication that although people want to be happy, they are yet to master the sources of happiness. For instance, personally speaking, I would be happier if a graduate with straight A’s in all courses, but does this guarantee me a better job than the other average student? Even after this achievement, I would need to get more aspirations which show that I will still be far from getting happiness. Another great fallacy that is evident in Weiner’s pursuit of bliss is that people who live in countries with the highest ranking of happiness are more secular as compared to residents of the less happy countries. However, despite their reporting of higher rates of self contentment, the rates of suicide in such countries are higher than for those who live in countries that record lower levels of happiness. It is expected that if people were happy, problems such as suicide would go down as opposed to going up. Thus, the book contains a major fallacy in proposing the idea that less religious countries have happier citizens as this fact is directly contradicted by the increased rates of suicide in such countries. There is the misconception that rebelling against religion is a source of happiness. If this was indeed true, less religious nations would not only post higher figures of happiness based on happiness indexes, but would also have less incidences of suicide or life frustrations. In conclusion, one can note that the whole concept of happiness can be said to be a fallacy. As posted in the blog â€Å"Breakthrough writer† abundance cannot be the source of happiness. The more people have their desires fulfilled, the more they want to experience more desires which force the brain to require further stimulation to experience happiness.Advertising Looking for essay on rhetoric? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This is what has been referred to as â€Å"hedonic treadmill† which is an indication that true happiness cannot be achieved. Wealth and other material passions are sources of more mysteries as opposed to being sources of happiness (Breakthrough writer Para 22). Throughout Weiner’s work, one learns that happiness is all about self conceptualization, the way people view themselves. The people of Switzerland view themselves happy because their land is a tourist destination; the people of Bhutan consider themselves happy because they have trust in their leadership while the people of Medova are unhappy as they compare themselves to the richer nations, not the poorer ones. Works Cited Breakthrough Writer. â€Å"All Geography of Bliss Lessons on One Page.† NP. 2011. Web. https://herculodge.typepad.com/breakthrough_writer/geography-of-bliss-lessons/ Mathews, Gordon and Izquierdo ,Carolina. Pursuits of happiness: well-being in anthropological perspective. New York: Berg hahn Books, 2009. Print. Weiner, Eric. The geography of bliss: one grump’s search for the happiest places in the world. New York: Twelve Hachette Book Group, 2008. Print. This essay on The idea of Happiness was written and submitted by user S1m0ne to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Free Essays on Team Building

, they become a part of the big picture instead of being off in their own area focusing on their immediate tasks. Management plays an important role in team building for they become more of a consultant than a pure trainer which has them more involved with the employees. No group of people will become a team without the commitment and support of executives and managers. The result is greater satisfaction for the employees and improved performance for the company. (DeVany, 1999) There can be many issues with team building if the supervisor doesn't know what their personal team players styles are. It will be very difficult to form an effective team without the knowledge of their style to enrich their performance. It will also be important for the supervisor to know the styles of their employees. This will assist the supervisor with knowing the individuals strengths and weaknesses.(SBA, 2001)The supervisor needs to ensure that they know and understand their employees commitment to the group and also their personal capabilities. This will assist the supervisors with ensuring that they are creating team building excercises that the entire group can do. All groups or teams go through very predictable phases. Knowing and understanding these phases give supervisors the confidence to continue with their team building even when one of the phases show that the employees motivation is declining. With the understanding of other employees motivation, every individual wit hin the team has the opportunity to add to the synergy of the team.(Adams, 2003) Companies today are using a variety of different... Free Essays on Team Building Free Essays on Team Building Team Building has been recongized by many companies as an important factor in assuring quality service and remaining competitive. It is the process of enabling people to reach their goal and for improving employee motivation.(Grazier, 1999) Through team building individual employees gain a sense that they are contributing to the company. In other words, they become a part of the big picture instead of being off in their own area focusing on their immediate tasks. Management plays an important role in team building for they become more of a consultant than a pure trainer which has them more involved with the employees. No group of people will become a team without the commitment and support of executives and managers. The result is greater satisfaction for the employees and improved performance for the company. (DeVany, 1999) There can be many issues with team building if the supervisor doesn't know what their personal team players styles are. It will be very difficult to form an effective team without the knowledge of their style to enrich their performance. It will also be important for the supervisor to know the styles of their employees. This will assist the supervisor with knowing the individuals strengths and weaknesses.(SBA, 2001)The supervisor needs to ensure that they know and understand their employees commitment to the group and also their personal capabilities. This will assist the supervisors with ensuring that they are creating team building excercises that the entire group can do. All groups or teams go through very predictable phases. Knowing and understanding these phases give supervisors the confidence to continue with their team building even when one of the phases show that the employees motivation is declining. With the understanding of other employees motivation, every individual wit hin the team has the opportunity to add to the synergy of the team.(Adams, 2003) Companies today are using a variety of different...

Choosing the Best Anti-Fouling Paint

Choosing the Best Anti-Fouling Paint The earliest anti-fouling systems consisted of two elements. The first was a metal scraper and the second was the lowest ranking sailor on the vessel. But seriously, the buildup of biological matter on the submerged hull is a huge problem for the material and for the efficiency of the vessel. The task of manually scraping bottoms was made much easier when sheet copper was fastened to the bottom of wooden hulled ships. Eventually the technology advanced to produce paint that held copper compounds and slowly released them into the environment. The next major breakthrough was tributyltin which worked very well but it was so toxic to the environment that it was banned three decades later. Improved copper based paints and non-copper alternatives are now available. In fact there are so many specialized paints it’s difficult to leave the copper behind to try something else. Why change? Well in some areas we are already seeing the signs that point to widespread bans. Northern Europe and the West Coast of the U.S. are phasing in bans in some areas and more will follow. Types of Anti-Fouling Paints Ablative Anti-Fouling Anti-fouling paints take different strategies to meet the goal of eliminating plant, animal, and algae growth on the wet parts of the hull. There are three common types of anti-foul available. The most common is ablative paint which wears away like a bar of soap. This soap analogy is very old but really works well for this type of paint. If you use your vessel regularly there should be no problem wearing away the growth. Seasonal boats that have long periods of disuse will not benefit as much of the cleaning takes place while underway. This paint works well since animals like the zebra mussel have difficulty finding a firm hold. They are generally pulled off as the vessel moves through the water. A moderate amount of maintenance is required for this coating since it must be applied to last until the next haul out. Large vessels that cannot be hauled should use a more durable paint. Copolymer Anti-Fouling Copolymers are much tougher than ablatives and don’t have some of the disadvantages of hard paints. They can be exposed to air during maintenance and not lose potency. There is also little chance of paint build up since copolymers are designed to ablate at a much slower rate than a true ablative paint. Unless you have a specific need for an ablative or hard paint this is often the best choice. It is also the safe option if a location has unknown conditions. Some people refer to these as slow polishing paints. Hard Anti-Fouling When a vessel gets to a certain size you no longer want the expense of dry dock or haul out. This is where hard coatings shine. The most common base for these paints is epoxy or some other tough polymer. It releases biocide constantly by allowing the poison to migrate to the surface of the paint and leaches fewer toxins away in the process. This is durable stuff and it does not come off in harsh conditions. In fact it must be removed mechanically by blasting or sanding. Because of the pollution potential of the runoff or dust from these processes produce toxic wastes that have significant costs of disposal. The cost of these paints is generally higher due to specialized application processes. For a smooth finish these paints should be sprayed while the others can be applied by roller and brush. Since this is a low maintenance solution most large commercial vessels use this type of paint. The Biocides Biocides are the toxic element in the paint which deters life from attaching to the hull. There are several types and sometimes combinations in the same product. Cuprous Oxide – This is the most common biocide by far. It is also the target of environmental regulators because it is building up in harbors. This is not necessarily because the bottom paint is leaching too much copper. The problem is thought to be caused by the power washing, scrubbing and sanding done on thousands of recreational vessels.Almost all of this runoff has a short trip from the bottom of the boat to the water it was almost never collected in the past. New regulations are now requiring marinas to collect this waste and dispose of it properly. This will increase the overall cost of maintenance and some services may no longer be available. Cuprous Thiocyanate – Similar in behavior to cuprous oxide but stronger biocides make it useful for high foul areas or low use vessels. Composite Copper – This is still copper but in a better package. The copper is encapsulated in another material that makes it less likely to leach beyond the needed rate. Silica is currently being used as a matrix but this is a rapidly advancing technology. Pyrithione Zinc – One of the best copper alternatives. Alternatives to copper are increasing as bans become inevitable. This biocide is not generally recommended for high fouling areas like the tropics. Non-Metalic Biocides – These are fairly new to the market and are composed of organic molecules most likely modeled from compounds found on a living creature. Anti-Foulings of the Future The future is super slippery and we have been promised something that is more of a thin film than paint. The first of these products have come to market and are best for low-fouling areas. They hold a lot of promise since they have no biocide and may last for the life of the vessel when fully developed. Imagine the days when a coating goes on at the shipyard and never needs replacement and at the same time improves efficiency. Until then somebody go get the scraper. Nanoparticles also hold some promise for the future of low friction coatings of all types.

Formal analysis of one artwork Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Formal analysis of one artwork - Essay Example Kress, He collected one of the most significant artworks of Europe and Italian renaissance and always had a vision of preserving historic artworks. This foundation supports the work of art in order to sustain history and artwork all around the world. They collect historic artworks from different places and preserve them in different museums in America. The presence of this artistic piece of artwork in this museum is also because of the foundation. The sculpture is of a virgin lady, holding a child in her hand. It is called the virgin lady with surety because she is wearing a long gown with a long belt and her head is covered with the long piece of cloth. It is said that it was compulsory for unmarried women at that period of time to wear long gowns and belts as compared to married women so that they could be judged that they are virgin and unmarried. It is the ‘cult’ of virgin –a figure of a religious personality. The sculpture comes from Troyes, a town in the province of Champagne where the examples of finest Gothic sculptures are found. The display plate also says that it is one of the finest examples of French sculptural traditions. The material used in the sculpture is limestone, the material which was famously and traditionally used in the construction of sculptures and churches all over France. Many landmarks today are made up of limestone. Usage of limestone in making of this sculpture at that point of time makes it more valuable and precious. The sculpture is an attached sculpture of two bodies. One is sculpture of a virgin girl and the other is her son which she is holding in her hand. In her other hand she is holding a flower. The child is lending his one hand towards the flower which the virgin girl is holding and the child’s other hand is broken. On the head of the virgin lady also seems that she is wearing a crown which suggests that she comes from a royal background of a religious cult. The child is also wearing a royal piece of

Human Resources Management and Organisational Dynamics Essay

Human Resources Management and Organisational Dynamics - Essay Example n on existence for 23 years; now, it is acknowledged as the largest independent business process outsourcing (BPO) player in Asia, employing no less than 2,000 Filipinos. Its expanse of BPO services diversely cover medical transcription, data conversion / encoding and software support services, mainly delivered for Fortune 500 blue chip companies. One of the strategies of SPI is to find and select employees who have the right orientation towards work and productivity right at the onset. SPI advocates the idea of a right hire resulting to a quick start. Based on strategic objectives and plans, competency requirements are laid down on a per position - per level basis. These competencies then become the basis of all HR systems, linking these systems clearly and logically. These same competency requirements then become the basis for targeted selection, against which potential employees are behaviorally assessed. This implies that right at the start – at the first step – of hiring, that SPI employees blend well into the organization’s culture and business strategy. Competencies are general descriptions of the abilities necessary to perform a role in the organization. These are usually described in measurable terms. They differ from job descriptions – while job descriptions typically list the tasks or functions and responsibilities for a role, competencies list the abilities needed to conduct those tasks or functions (McNamara, 2005). Assessing an individual’s specific strengths and development needs as they relate to the success profiles across levels of supervisors, managers and executive is a key component to selection, development, and promotion decisions.  Information and data used to drive these decisions must be accurate and objective. Targeted Selection is a system designed to meet the needs of a diversified workforce, offers a solution to common selection problems. Targeted Selection takes a systems approach to selection decisions: All aspects

Reading and Writing Essay Example for Free

Reading and Writing Essay Learning how to read back in 1970 is quite different from learning how to read in the world we live in today. Learning to read was somewhat difficult for me as a child. We didnt have the fancy reading tools back in the day, such as: Hooked on Phonics or Phonemic Awareness. Looking back over my life, I can remember when I was in the first grade, about six or seven years old and I brought home my first report card. On my report card my teacher pointed out an area of weakness in reading. I can still hear my father saying â€Å"Susie are you having trouble reading? † I would respond as any typical six year old child would do by shrugging my shoulders and saying â€Å"I dont know. † My father was a concerned parent and wanted to help his child. He didnt want to see me struggle in school nor did he want to see me fall behind. My father was determined he was going to help me improve my reading skills and by doing so my reading grade would improve also. So therefore, my father set up a strategy plan. Every evening after school my father and I would sit down at the dinner table and work on improving my reading skills. His first step was to see if I could sound out all the letters of the alphabet. Once he realized I was able to sound out all letters in the alphabet, his next step was to determine if I could sound out all the vowels: long, short and house top vowels too. The third step was to begin sounding out small words such as: the, cat, red, run, ran, like etc. Once I began to get comfortable reading on my own while my father prepared dinner for my two brothers and I, he would have me to sit at the dinner table and read aloud to him fifteen minutes each day. Eventually with with all the hard work and dedication my reading skills gradually improved. After all, they say practice makes perfect. As I grew older I started enjoying reading much more than I ever realized. I had to find out what type of books and magazines I enjoyed reading. In other words, I had to find my reading niche. I enjoy reading books like Mama, How Stella got her Grove Back, The Autobiography of Malcolm X, A Day Late and a Dollar Short by Terry McMillan. Reading can be very enjoyable, relaxing and mind stimulating as well. Reading exercises our brain. One can self improve while gaining experience from other people by reading. Reading is knowledge and power. Reading teaches children about the world around them. Reading develops a child’s imagination. Now that I have returned to college, reading and writing is a common part of everyday life. Every semester I have had several different assignments that required reading and writing skills. I have had to do an essay, public speaking presentations which involved reading and writing. Reading is very important because one can explore themselves to new things. One can also self improve while gaining experience from other people. Reading can be used for connecting your brain and it can also boost ones imagination and creativity. Reading exercises ones brain. Many factors play a vital role in a child’s growth and development. Reading develops a child’s imagination. Children who read do better at school. Reading relaxes the body and calms the mind. Reading is a great source of entertainment. This is an important point because these days we seem to have forgotten how to relax and especially how to be silent. In almost everything we do reading and writing is a vital part of our everyday lives.

nature of ligic and perception Essay -- essays research papers

Logic and perception 1 One of the amazing yet perplexing things about thinking logically and critically is that all of us perceive issues differently and all of us have a unique thinking pattern. The things that we experience also play an important role in how we perceive issues and also our thinking patterns.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One believes the nature of logic is how we each deal with a situation and how we decide what the right thing to do is and how we come to certain conclusions about a situation. We all have had experiences in our life that contribute to what we feel is logical or not logical.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  My perpetual process has a lot to do with the experiences that I have gone through. For example, if I experience something negative from that point on I will continue to think that and the same goes for a positive experiences. Some blocks that I have is that I, unfortunately was raised to always think of the worst before the best. This is something that I work on and have come far, but in the situation I am about to tell you about had happened you will be able to see this trait in me.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At my current workplace we were just starting to do all of our work and correspondence to our client’s via-email, since all of our clients were requesting this. So we decided to use it among each other in the office as well. My boss informed me that there was an email that had been sent to me and it was cruci...

Employment Laws Chart Essay

Prevents discrimination of the hiring, compensation, conditions, and privileges of employment by basing them on on race, religion, color, sex, or nationality Heart of Atlanta Motel INC., v. United States  ensures every person is equal chance of getting hired based on their qualifications regardless of, sex race, color, religion, or national origin employers are required to post signs with the Title VII contents in company break-rooms Equal Employment Opportunity Act Prevents employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of age, race, sex, creed, religion, color, or national origin McDonnell Douglas Corp. v. Green Ensures that the Civil Rights Act is being followed and gives power to the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission Companies adopted practices that prevented discrimination in compliance with Equal Opportunity Employment Act. Equal Pay Act  mandates that men and women working in the same role within a company be given equal pay for equal work Schultz v. Wheaton Glass Co. 1970 Mandates that everyone is paid the equal wages for identical jobs regardless of their sex Merit based, knowledge based, and experience are criteria for pay rate rather than gender Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 Protects employees ages 40 to 65 from discrimination Gomez v. Potter The importance of the ADEA is that it protects the older employees from discrimination. Wal-Mart for example hires older people specifically for the use as door greeters Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 Prohibits discrimination against an essentially qualified individual, and requires companies to accommodate individuals reasonably Tennessee v. Lane in 2004 The importance of this act is that it requires companies to make reasonable accommodations for disabled employees so they will be able to perform their job Companies accommodate employees with disabilities by using TTD, speaking technology, and elevators Civil Rights Act of 1991 The updated version of this act nullified select supreme Court decisions and reinstates burden of proof by employer and allows for punitive and compensatory damages through jury trials Wards Cove Packing Co. v. Atonio Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) of 1993 Permits employees in organizations of 50 or more workers to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for circumstances outlined in the act The importance of this act is that it makes it easier to balance family, work and other obligations without fearing losing their jobs If you have a child, adopt a child, or if you yourself become sick or have a sick parent, child, or spouse you may be eligible to take unpaid time off to be with them without the job loss. Privacy Act of 1974 protects certain federal government records pertaining to individuals. In particular, the Act covers systems of records that an agency maintains and retrieves by an individual’s name or other personal identifier Individuals have the right to look at their employee file to make sure that information is accurate Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988 This act requires some federal contractors and all federal grantees agree that they will provide drug free workplaces as a precondition of receiving a contract or grant from the Federal Government Enacted by Congress as part of an anti-drug legislation in 1988 The importance of this act is that it ensures the safety of all employees by ensuring that no one will be working while under the influence of drugs Drug testing as part of an application process and if an employee is hurt on the job most companies require a drug test when they go to the hospital Polygraph Protection Act of 1988 Prohibits employers to use polygraph tests in a job application process On June 27, 1988, Congress enacted the Employee Polygraph Protection Act 1 to regulate the use of lie detector devices in the workplace The importance of this act is that it protects employees from violating privacy issues by  asking non job related It is unreasonable for employers to give potential employees polygraph test Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) of 1988 Makes sure that employers give notification to employees about plant closings or lay-offs This became law without President Ronald Reagan’s signature through the use of veto-proof Democratic majority in Congress The importance of this law is to protect employees because of a shut down or layoff, requiring employees be given a 60-day notice ease the burden of losing their jobs, some companies give severance packages based on the employees years of service with the company

Fluency in a Foreign Language Essay

Thesis: Fluency in a foreign language should be required for all students before graduation from high school. Introduction: In a world of advancing technology and higher education, it is imperative that students take the time to develop unique talents and skills in order to gain a competitive edge over the average individual. I. Fluency in a foreign language builds character. A. The time and commitment required from students to learn an entire new alphabet and vocabulary builds diligence. B. The achievement realized by students as they begin to understand and converse in a second language produces confidence. II. Fluency in a foreign language builds life skills. A. The ability to converse fluently in another language with an entirely new realm of people builds communication skills. B. The readiness to alternate between languages with family and friends builds flexibility skills. III. Fluency in a foreign language creates unique opportunities. A. Fluency in a foreign language gives unique traveling opportunities. B. Fluency in a foreign language creates unique job opportunities Fluency in A Foreign Language Should Be Required For All Students Before Graduation From High School In a world of advancing technology and higher education, it is crucial that students take time to develop unique talents and skills which will give them a competitive edge over the average individual. Though many doubt the ability of fluency in a foreign language to advance students in society, businesses, educational systems, governmental offices, and health care departments are all eager to hire students with skills in foreign languages. As globalization becomes more prevalent, foreign language skills are quickly becoming a vital factor in preparation for the future. Fluency in a foreign language should be required for all students before graduation from high school. First of all, fluency in a foreign language builds character. The time and commitment required from students to learn an entire new alphabet and vocabulary builds diligence. According to Walter Pauk, a prominent professor of education at Cornell University, developing an open mind to new phrases and grammar structures along with finding the time required to practice them are two difficulties commonly encountered when studying a foreign language (Pauk 2). Young mindsets are impressionable, and habits are installed early on as students begin to discover and incorporate grammatical structures particular to their mother tongues. In order to break these habits, students in foreign language study must constantly open their minds to accept new rules that are introduced. While relearning and sounding out basic vowels, students must also adjust to sentence patterns that have been completely inverted. Students learn to work efficiently with limited time allowances available between their busy schedules of daily life, striving to move beyond formerly learned language habits. Distractions are pushed aside as students repeat new sentence patterns, rewrite new alphabets, and reread literature that seems to make no sense. The Department of Education from the University of Pennsylvania reports, â€Å"The nature of language immersion teaches students how to stick to difficult tasks. This diligence translates to better performance on exams, because students will be more likely to persist on challenging problems† (in White 2). Regardless of how difficult a task appears to be, students who have mastered another language view the situation simply as one giant project to be conquered bit by bit. Constant and sincere effort spent learning a foreign language produces a firm determination in students to persevere and achieve their set goals. While the important character trait of diligence is being formed through foreign language study, the achievement realized by students as they begin to understand and converse in a second language is also producing a separate character trait of confidence. Introductory lessons in a foreign language start out as seemingly impossible to master, yet in due time begin to make sense. Excitement escalates as the brain starts functioning in another language and continues beyond the first few lessons alone. Dincay, a professor at Istanbul Arel University, notes, â€Å"the feeling of accomplishment that comes with [students’] first steps toward a second language can spur them on to a deeper and broader passion for learning in general† (Dincay 1). Students who reach an expertise level in foreign language carry that same capability acquired first through language studies over into other realms of life, producing competent results beyond areas concerning language alone. In her article, â€Å"Benefits of Being Bilingual,† Marcos writes, â€Å"Studies suggest that persons with full proficiency in more than one language (bilinguals) outperform similar monolingual persons on both verbal and nonverbal tests of intelligence† (Marcos 1). Proficiency in a foreign language develops a needed sense of accomplishment in students, enabling them to move on and conquer other tasks and responsibilities with rare poise and fortitude. They realize that unlike monolinguals, their lives are not confined to one culture alone, but can easily extend to impact an incredible realm of people throughout their lives. Fluency in a foreign language builds character traits such as diligence and confidence, both needed in daily life yet hard to produce. Secondly, fluency in a foreign language builds life skills. The ability to converse fluently in another language with an entirely new realm of people builds communication skills. Students unfamiliar with another country’s language will find it more difficult to understand and accept the specific guidelines associated with the language; however, as Ting-Toomey, professor of Human Communication studies at California State University, writes in her book, â€Å"To the native speakers, the rules of their language make perfect sense and are naturally more logical than those of any other languages† (Ting-Toomey 86). Fluency in a foreign language carries students far past the simple phrases of â€Å"Hello,† â€Å"How are you,† and â€Å"I love you,† and allows them, like the natives, to converse comfortably through a completely foreign vocabulary and grammatical set-up. Once students comprehend and begin to intelligently utilize a foreign language, they are able to understand and relate to the society and culture in a way that many never will. Ted Ward, Dean of International Studies and Missions for a time at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, writes in his book that â€Å"a highly competent level of [foreign] language skill allows [students] to conceive ideas and communicate them in a way that is synchronous with those of the people of the host culture† (Ward 154). Whereas monolinguals are often confined to the society of others who speak their language, students fluent in a foreign tongue are free to get involved in a second world. Benefits produced from the time and effort spent in mastering another language include filling out visa forms, reading public newspapers, and ordering from local restaurant menus with ease. Teaching, debating, and participating in discussions with words and phrases making the most sense to native speakers are yet other privileges opened up to students with foreign language skills. Along with better communication, the readiness to alternate between languages with family and friends builds flexibility skills. Bhattacharjee, author of the article â€Å"Why Bilinguals Are Smarter,† states, â€Å"In a bilingual’s brain both language systems are active even when he is using only one language, thus creating situations in which one system obstructs the other† (Bhattacharjee 1). Students must constantly determine which language their listeners will understand and recall the correct words and grammatical format to use with that particular language. Though it might seem terribly overwhelming at first, Bhattacharjee concludes that â€Å"this interference . . . isn’t so much a handicap as a blessing in disguise [,] . . . [forcing] the brain to resolve internal conflict, giving the mind a workout that strengthens its cognitive muscles† (Bhattacharjee 1-2). Students fluent in a foreign language respond immediately to one picture, sentence, or idea with two answers from two different languages. Sometimes one particular language carries a better explanation or definition than another, and for the student fluent in a second language, the opportunity is open to decide which language better suits certain situations. Definitions go beyond one explanation alone, and society life is extended to two worlds rather than one. Students can be taught, or teach others from two vastly different spheres of humanity and not be overwhelmed. Third and finally, fluency in a foreign language creates unique opportunities. Fluency in a foreign language gives unique traveling opportunities. While discussing various advantages given to foreign language students, Dincay shares that although thousands of people gain from their travels across the globe each and every year, it is the bilingual students, particularly, which receive the much broader traveling experience. While everyday tourists remain simply outsiders peering through a glass into another country’s unique culture, those familiar with and fluent in the native tongue are able to step beyond that glass barrier and enjoy their visits with full easy and liberty (Dincay 2). Whether visiting historical landmarks, using public transportation systems, or shopping in local markets, students fluent in the foreign language of the country are not restricted to taking pictures, relying on others’ directions, or following suggested prices. They may raise questions over history, follow posted transportation signs, and bargain for better values. Fluency in a foreign tongue gives traveling students an opportunity to stand out with something special that most tourists cannot claim. In his book Why Johnny Should Learn Foreign Languages, Huebener states, â€Å"The American businessman who can speak the foreign tongue fluently and who can make intelligent comments on the art and literature of the country will gain not only the business but also the respect of the person he is dealing with† (Huebener 46). Tremendous time and energy are required to reach fluency in a language, and communicate incredible care and consideration to the country’s citizens as the student is seeking to enter their world and communicate with them on a much more intimate level than sign language alone. Many societies take great pride in their native language and culture and when another individual has developed a firm knowledge and unders tanding of it, the natives, in turn, form a strong appreciation and respect for these students that many outsiders have not taken the time to earn. Fluency in a foreign language does not only create unique traveling opportunities, but also gives unique job opportunities. As the world advances in higher education and technology, men across the globe are seeking to make resources available to all. As one director in the Center for Applied Linguistics shares, â€Å"The need for individuals who can speak and understand languages other than English is acute . . . from business and social services to national security and diplomacy† (Malone et al. 1). A stronger focus on internationalism is emerging, making interaction with people from different linguistic backgrounds inevitable. Washington State University advertises a brochure that considers careers such as â€Å"government, business, law, medicine and health care, teaching, technology, the military, communications, industry, social service, and marketing† to be promising fields for students fluent in a second language, namely because â€Å"an employer [sees them] as a bridge to new clients or customers† (â€Å"Knowing Other Languages Brings Opportunities† 2). Students fluent in a foreign language can easily connect businesses with customers from a wide array of linguistic backgrounds and handle international business without hiring outsiders to translate. Proficiency in a second language is a skill envied and sought after by several employers as they seek to hire a staff to serve and elevate their organization to its maximal potential. Fluency in a foreign language should be required for all students before graduation from high school. The advantages produced from foreign language fluency are incredible and the opportunities limitless. Students are set up for successful futures in modern society as they leave high school and transition into the career world as young adults, able to communicate freely and work confidently in global communities around the world. The foundation laid is vital for young people going out to begin their adult lives in today’s world. Bibliography Bhattacharjee, Yudhijit. â€Å"Why Bilinguals Are Smarter.† The New York Times. The New York Times, 17 Mar. 2012. Web. 15 Oct. 2012. Budig, Gene A. â€Å"Foreign Language Study Vital to U.S. Students.† Lawrence Journal World (8 May 2010): SR12. LJWorld.com. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. Dincay, Turgay. â€Å"Advantages of Learning a Foreign Language at an Early Age.† Today’s Zaman. Today’s Zaman, 25 Nov. 2011. Web. 9 Oct. 2012. Hawkins, Eric W. â€Å"Foreign Language Study and Language Awareness.† 1999: 124-42. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. Huebener, Theodore. Why Johnny Should Learn Foreign Languages. Philadelphia: Chilton Company, 1961. Print. â€Å"Knowing Other Languages Brings Opportunities.† New York: Washington State University, n.d. Foreign Languages and Cultures. Washington States University. Web. 4 Nov. 2012. Malone, Margaret E., et al. â€Å"Attaining High Levels of Proficiency: Challenges for Foreign Language Education in the United States.† CAL.org. Center For Applied Linguistics, 2005. Web. 2 Oct. 2012. Marcos, Kathleen M. â€Å"Benefits of Being Bilingual.† CAL.org. Center For Applied Linguistics, n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2012. Pauk, Walter. â€Å"Studying Foreign Languages .† UWEC.edu. University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, 13 Jan. 2012. Web. 7 Oct. 2012. Ting-Toomey, Stella. Communicating Across Cultures. New York: Guilford, 1999. Questia. Questia. Web. 2 Nov. 2012. Ward, Ted W. Living Overseas: A Book of Preparations. New York: Free Press, 1984. Print. White, Mercedes. â€Å"Language Immersion Classrooms: Programs Are Popular, Diligence Translates to Performance.† Deseret News. Deseret News.com, 29 Jan. 2012. Web. 1 Nov. 2012.

The Maya Used Glyphs for Writing

The Maya Used Glyphs for Writing The Maya, a mighty civilization that peaked around 600-900 A.D. and was centered in present-day southern Mexico, Yucatan, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras, had an advanced, complex writing system. Their â€Å"alphabet† consisted of several hundred characters, most of which indicated a syllable or a single word. The Maya had books, but most of them were destroyed: only four Maya books, or â€Å"codices,† remain. There are also Maya glyphs on stone carvings, temples, pottery, and some other ancient artifacts. Great strides have been made in the last fifty years in terms of deciphering and understanding this lost language. A Lost Language By the time the Spanish conquered the Maya in the sixteenth century, Maya civilization had been in decline for some time. The conquest-era Maya were literate and had kept thousands of books, but zealous priests burned the books, destroyed temples, and stone carvings where they found them and did all they could to repress Maya culture and language. A few books remained, and many glyphs on temples and pottery lost deep in the rainforests survived. For centuries, there was little interest in ancient Maya culture, and any ability to translate the hieroglyphs was lost. By the time historical ethnographers became interested in the Maya civilization in the nineteenth century, the Maya hieroglyphs were meaningless, forcing these historians to start from scratch. Maya Glyphs Mayan glyphs are a combination of logograms (symbols that represent a word) and syllabograms (symbols that represent a phonetic sound or syllable). Any given word can be expressed by a lone logogram or a combination of syllabograms. Sentences were composed of both of these types of glyphs. A Mayan text was read from top to bottom, left to right. The glyphs are generally in pairs: in other words, you start at the top left, read two glyphs, then go down to the next pair. Often the glyphs were accompanied by a larger image, such as kings, priests or gods. The glyphs would elaborate on what the person in the image was doing. History of Deciphering of the Maya Glyphs The glyphs were once thought of as an alphabet, with different glyphs corresponding to letters: this is because Bishop Diego de Landa, a sixteenth century priest with extensive experience with Maya texts (he burned thousands of them) said so and it took centuries for researchers to learn that Landa’s observations were close but not exactly right. Great steps were taken when the Maya and modern calendars were correlated (Joseph Goodman, Juan Martà ­Ãƒ ±ez Hernandez and J Eric S. Thompson, 1927) and when glyphs were identified as syllables, (Yuri Knozorov, 1958) and when â€Å"Emblem Glyphs,† or glyphs that represent a single city, were identified. Today, most of the known Maya glyphs have been deciphered, thanks to countless hours of diligent work by many researchers. The Maya Codices Pedro de Alvarado was sent by Hernn Cortà ©s in 1523 to conquer the Maya region: at the time, there were thousands of Maya books or codices which were still used and read by the descendants of the mighty civilization. Its one of the great cultural tragedies of history that nearly all of these books were burned by zealous priests during the colonial era. Today, only four badly battered Maya books remain (and the authenticity of one is sometimes questioned). The four remaining Maya codices are, of course, written in a hieroglyphic language and mostly deal with astronomy, the movements of Venus, religion, rituals, calendars and other information kept by the Maya priest class. Glyphs on Temples and Stelae The Maya were accomplished stonemasons and frequently carved glyphs onto their temples and buildings. They also erected â€Å"stelae,† large, stylized statues of their kings and rulers. Along the temples and on the stelae are found many glyphs which explain the significance of the kings, rulers or deeds depicted. The glyphs usually contain a date and a brief description, such as â€Å"penance of the king.† Names are often included, and particularly skilled artists (or workshops) would also add their stone â€Å"signature.† Understanding Maya Glyphs and Language For centuries, the meaning of the Maya writings, be the in stone on temples, painted onto pottery or drawn into one of the Maya codices, was lost to humanity. Diligent researchers, however, have deciphered nearly all of these writings and today understand pretty much every book or stone carving that is associated with the Maya. With the ability to read the glyphs has come a much greater understanding of Maya culture. For example, the first Mayanists believed the Maya to be a peaceful culture, dedicated to farming, astronomy, and religion. This image of the Maya as a peaceful people was destroyed when the stone carvings on temples and stelae were translated: it turns out the Maya were quite warlike, often raiding neighboring city-states for pillage, slaves, and victims to sacrifice to their Gods. Other translations helped shed light on different aspects of Maya culture. The Dresden Codex offers much information about Maya religion, rituals, calendars, and cosmology. The Madrid Codex has information prophecy as well as daily activities such as agriculture, hunting, weaving, etc. Translations of the glyphs on stelae reveal much about the Maya Kings and their lives and accomplishments. It seems every text translated sheds some new light on the mysteries of the ancient Maya civilization. Sources Arqueologà ­a Mexicana Edicià ³n Especial: Cà ³dices prehispnicas y coloniales tempranos. August, 2009. Gardner, Joseph L. (editor). Mysteries of the Ancient Americas. Readers Digest Association, 1986. McKillop, Heather. The Ancient Maya: New Perspectives. Reprint edition, W. W. Norton Company, July 17, 2006. Recinos, Adrian (translator). Popol Vuh: the Sacred Text of the Ancient Quichà © Maya. Norman: the University of Oklahoma Press, 1950.

Affirmative action at the work place Essay Example for Free

Affirmative action at the work place Essay ? Affirmative action is a concept used as a justice seeking tool comprising of policies to address intimidating aspects of a non dominant or minor group. Such groups include women, minority men and physically disabled people. Affirmative action increases these groups access to facilities such as employment and education. The motivation for affirmative action comes in times when a perception or actual negative aspect towards a certain group is experienced, but illegal according to legislative bodies. It is also applied in learning and service delivery institutions such as police forces, hospitals or universities to motivate them to act more responsibly to the people they represent. According to Bulman (2006), affirmative action at the work place is a concept that should be applied in all departments. This is because many working places are characterized by cultural, social and political diversity (p.45). This is to say that people come from different communities, races, religions, political backgrounds, gender, national origins, and age, physical and mental health capabilities. This calls for affirmative action to fight for the weak mass within the working place, as these upgrades the workforce diversity. Racial and gender based discrimination in a working environment comes in the areas of granting jobs, in promotional programs and admission to institutions causing unfairness and inhumanity aspects in the working environment. Affirmative action in an employment environment illustrates both the prescriptive indicators and double edge quality in working together. Strong form of affirmative action should be the abolishment of race and sex consciousness in the times of hiring, promotion and in layoff preferences. Â  The need and essentiality of constructing integrated society in the workplace is to develop a forward looking and pragmatic staff. The diversity bestowed on company employees signifies diversity in its location and therefore employers need a law to govern them for maintenance of the diversity. The ideology of preferences among equally qualified applicants has a negative perception at this time when diversity is so widely acknowledged. The support extended to workplace diversity leaves open both questions of means and ends. Enhancement of affirmative action can literally be done through encouraging application from disadvantaged groups during recruitment programs. As a result, some preferences may be extended to the groups perceived to be underrepresented. Affirmative action should be mostly adopted by government organizations for they are highly affected by discrimination along ethnicity and gender lines (Loury, 2003, p.13). Adoption of this will make state parties to diminish or eliminate situations which help in perpetuating discrimination. For the government to assist implementation of this, each company should be given some legal minimum requirements to comply, in the area of representation by the disadvantaged groups in their various departments of work. The matters of concern that should be addressed are equity ownership, representation within management, employee level up to board of directors level, procurement of businesses and other several social investment programs. Affirmative action prevents discrimination in lines with hiring bias, promotion, job assignment, compensation, retaliation and all sorts of harassments. Work place is a unique and important site for development of corporative and social ties of different groups. It has of late become the centre for corporation, socialization, and solidarity, which emerge as primary features of human psychology. This has also been tightened by affirmative action move, which has promoted equity in opportunity and demographic heterogeneity and the imposition of rudimentary virtues of freedom of association and communication (Mellot, 2006, p.7). The conventionality in the diversity argument hardly spins the value of demographic based on heterogeneity and is mostly made to ensure work place integration. The process of affirmative action thus starts with pooling different people of different identities and backgrounds together. Different experiences and attitudes thought to correspond to demographic variations in the work place are eroded easily, thus emphasizing on common ground and connectedness across the difference lines. In places where many people live and work together elements like friction in decision making, turnover and dissatisfaction are eminent. The challenge is devising the ways and means to ameliorate the emerging tensions. In the employment context, workers should be protected equally and completely rule out employment abuses such as unequal treatment of treating employees, job applicants and former employees due to differences in a group membership. Employers have to take care of pregnant mothers or related medical conditions. It is against affirmative action move to discriminate workers in lines of discharging, hiring, compensating, terms provision, conditions and employment related privileges (Mellot, 2006, p. 9). From societal point of it, the employees form a part of society. They have to take that as their own community, live in it and a system of governance should exist within. Application of many cooperative interracial interactions in the workplace ensures the living together and governance. Because of the diversity brought in by the globalization process, interactions that lead to reasonable and controllable frictions should be allowed to pave way to brainstorming and creativity. From the societal calculus, the side of the employer is less considered. Affirmative action at the work place. (2018, Nov 09).

Criminal Justice Research Methodology Term Paper

Criminal Justice Research Methodology - Term Paper Example It is also practical in the sense that it covers a long process over determining what a research needs in particular as it can be modified and take the form of interviews, questionnaires, or a combination of both. In a survey-interview, for example, it allows a researcher to observe the subject and modify questions if the subject seems confused by them. Survey is a good method to consider specially if there is a long range of respondents involved and the researcher needs to collate more uniformed answers in a given period of time (example, respondent-reactions due to the changes brought about by a recent ordinance created). Unlike plain interview that answers brought about by open-ended or close ended questions may vary and sometimes complex in their meaning, survey-questionnaires can eliminate the possibility that the researcher can influence the subject by is or her facial expressions, e.g., unconsciously frowning at an answer making unnecessary body language. Of course, there is a lways a danger that subjects may give misleading answers in order to make themselves â€Å"look good† but the researcher can always modify the questions in several different ways to detect this as well. Surveys are also ideal to use when concerns for safety is involved. It has been tested and experience through time that when safety is concerned, it is highly difficult to get willing respondents that will be open for research. There are two ways to ham ­per successful data gathering through face-to-face interviews. First, potential re ­spondents may refuse to be interviewed because they fear the stranger-interviewer specially if the subject for the research is a sensitive one. Second, the interviewers themselves may be in danger given that in some studies to be conducted, a need to expose researchers in a dangerous situation is inevitable (Maxfield, and Babbie, 2008). Social desirability is known to be one of the common problems that plague self-report crime questions in