The Role of Women During World War II Research Paper

The Role of Women During World War II - Research Paper Example However, the high adulation that women have today as the equal of men did not always exist. The Suffragette era saw women fighting to have equal rights and opportunities with their male counterparts. But just like everything else in this world, time and circumstance forced a change in that point of view. When World War II rolled along, the United States government saw shortage in the workforce that has never been equaled since. The only solution to that problem at the time? Hire women to do the job of men. They were the most viable option. They were, the only option. Although the government and the business sector had qualms about hiring women in the workforce, most specially women who were mothers with little children, the existence of huge government contracts in the industrial field of automotive, aviation, and other sectors developed a shortage of workers due to the high volume of men leaving the workforce in order to join the war time efforts of the country. Coupled with the men leaving for war was the fact that the country was gripped by the Great Depression which forced some men out of jobs. With the lessened financial drawing power of the head of the household, most wives and mothers saw it fit to do their part in helping to support their family. So off to work they went. Women became such a huge and integral part of the workforce that the statistics from that era proves that they held important jobs and more than made up for the lack of men in the workforce. Doing jobs that were once reserved only for the brawn of men prior to the changes that wartime brought about (â€Å"Women in World War II†): The entry of married women into the work place caused their percentage of total female employment to grow 28% from 1929 to 1940, particularly women in the 25 to 44 age group increased 13.8%. In total, 50% of the women in the nonagricultural labour force were employed by the clerical and service sectors of the economy, they encompassed the majority of ur ban working-class women. It did not come as a surprise to many that the women who entered the workforce did so successfully during the time. The great sex divide among men and women of the era had the women forcibly relegated to the background, staying at home to tend to the needs of the family. Proir to the war, any woman who was seen as part of the workforce was frowned upon and shunned by men. However, just like all mindsets, the time was ripe for the change in the mindset of the working man when it came to the working woman. The forced expansion in the labor workforce offered the female sector of society a boost in their campaign for equal rights. The government got a boost from the entry of the female workforce who became the backbone of the American economy during the simultanuous battles against Hitler in Europe and Japan in Asia. World War II afforded the women a chance to sieze an opportunity to work in new jobs, learn new skills, and explore new opportunities (â€Å"Partn ers in Winning the War: American Women in World War II†). Although women were truly a â€Å"secret weapon† for the country during the war, the traditionalists in society could not help but worry about what repercussions their serious entry into the workforce would have on the American family dynamic. More specifically, what effect would having a working mother have on the children of the time? Their worry was based on the traditional point of view that saw the women as the beacon of light and guidance in the home without whom its younger members would fall astray. Although there was a small percentage of juvenile delinquency during the time, most of the children of the era knew that there was a battle raging overrseas and their mothers were part of

Recreation Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Recreation Evaluation Essay The therapeutic recreation process is a systematic method of planning and providing services for individuals with disabilities. The process is based on a systems theory approach. The system is designed for a guide for a well-defined, goal-oriented purpose to the activity or program being provided. It involves four phases: assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. Use of the therapeutic recreation process is not dependent on location, but on systematic and consistent use of assessing, planning, implementing and evaluating services for people with disabilities. The process is applied in settings like hospitals, long-term facilities and useful in leisure education and recreation participation settings, like park and recreation agencies and schools. Delivering therapeutic recreation services in community setting has been successful when the therapeutic recreation process is applied. It is not the setting that determines the use of the therapeutic recreation process, but the needs of the clients. Using the therapeutic recreation process allows the therapeutic recreation specialist to individualize within recreation programs designed specifically for people with disabilities and to systematically develop support plans for inclusive recreation programs. The therapists conducts an assessment that identifies the client’s abilities and limitations by asking a series of questions related to social skills and observing their interactions with their peers. Information is gathered not only for the client, but also from family, caregiver, social worker, friends, and vocational counselor to provide thorough information prior to participation so that the client needs may be addressed. The purpose is to determine the needs of the individual in relation to the independent functioning in recreation settings. Materials include questions designed to determine an individual’s needs related to independent recreation participation. Program descriptions clarify activity content, participation requirements, possible risks, and intended outcomes that aid in determining these needs. Thorough and accurate information about the individual is necessary, even when participation is self initiated and voluntary. Without accurate information the quality of an assessment is compromised. Programs and activities may be pre-planned; assessments enable the therapeutic recreation specialist to individualize interventions, accommodations, and teaching strategies within group activities. For example, the leisure education program in which the client is registered may have a group goal to improve socialization skills through participation in group activities, but the client will have a goal more specific to their needs, such as the client will use socially appropriate means to identify deficits in specific activity skill (i. e. sports), as well as general skill (i. e. social skills). In addition, assessments for an individual participating in a specialized recreation program may differ from an assessment used with someone who is interested in participating in an inclusive recreation program. Assessments applied to those participating in separate programs often ask for more detail about the person’s level of functioning that an assessment used to analyze participation in inclusive recreation would. A unique aspect of a community recreation assessment is that it can be a lifelong process. Unlike treatment settings, such as hospitals where a therapeutic recreation specialist may only work with and individual for a brief period of time, people with disabilities who participate in community recreation programs often remain involved in programs for many years. From the assessment of the client’s social skills, the therapist discovered that the client had trouble initiating and sustaining conversations. For example, the client would stand by themselves and watch their peers rather than joining in conversations. When the client’s peers would include them in conversations, the client would walk away. The therapeutic recreation specialist found that the client often feels like they do not know what to say to others. The planning phase of the therapeutic recreation process can guide a therapeutic recreation specialist in developing individualized goals and objective for the client and then select recreation activities to meet the goals and objectives. The planning component is helpful for identifying activities to meet goals and objectives that promote independent recreation functioning. Some activities have the potential for improvement of functioning (i. e. warm water aquatics) in treatment and rehabilitation settings. The therapist selects a twelve week leisure education program that includes social skills training components to meet the objectives outlined for the client. Leisure education focuses on the development and acquisition of leisure-related skills, attitudes, and knowledge so a person can express him/herself through leisure. Community recreation therapeutic recreation programs provide and ideal environment to apply leisure education goals by teaching how to access and utilize community recreation resources, as well as how to develop skills related to independent recreation functioning. The therapists forms goals, develops objectives, specifies activities (i. e. social skills) and determines a means of evaluation. According to Austin and Crawford (1996), the implementation phase of the therapeutic recreation process is the action phase and involves carrying-out the individual or group program plan. The therapeutic recreation specialist carries out the social skills and dance program, focusing on group and individual goals, For example, the group will be taught how to appropriately ask someone to dance and the client will be taught ways to initiate conversations with dance partner. The implementation phase involves coordinating and executing recreation activities proposed in the plan, as well as documenting information about the individual (i. e. his or her responses), the program (i. e. time of day, duration), and the activities (i. e. competitive vs.learning). Implementation of the individual plan in the recreation setting requires focusing to social (i. e. attitudinal), programmatic (i. e. adaptations), and environmental (i. e. accessibility) issues. For example, general recreation programs in which people with disabilities can be included may not be structured to accommodate people with a variety of disabilities. The therapists may implement numerous adaptations or accommodations according to the individual’s disability and have knowledge and skills to make these adaptations to facilitate participation. Other factors that could affect the implementation of the individual plan include inconsistent attendance of a participant with a disability, unanticipated facility/environmental issues, lack of support from family/caregivers, inconsistency of general recreation staff, and inappropriate program placement. The therapist conducts evaluations on the client’s skills at the end of the twelve week program by asking the same series of questions asked in the assessment phase and conducting an observation. The purpose of the evaluation phase is to assess the client’s response to the planned program and the plan’s effectiveness and determine whether revisions are necessary. While conduction the evaluation, the therapists can interview the participant, speak with family members or caregivers, review documentation, administer questionnaires, and observe the participant while engaged in the activity. Conducting a mid-term evaluation will aid in the clients process and help in necessary adjustments to a person’s program plan. Thorough and accurate documentation is a critical component of the evaluation process. An important concern with evaluative documentation in the settings is that the information is made available to others and is ultimately utilized. For example, at the conclusion of the leisure education program, the client may choose to enroll in a new program with different general or therapeutic recreation staff. Assessment and evaluation information should be passed on to the staff of the client’s new program to ensure continuity of goals and objectives. Applying the evaluation phase of the therapeutic recreation process in the therapeutic recreation settings can be advantageous in that information tracking can be done over a long period of time, enabling in-depth, longitudinal evaluations. However, a limitation of conducting the evaluation phase of the therapeutic recreation process I the settings is that pieces of information gathered at different points in time may become fragmented and not unified in one location. The therapist’s role is to compile the various evaluative elements into comprehensive evaluation document to be used across specialized and inclusive contests over time. RESOURCES Austin, D. R. , Crawford, M. E. (1996). Therapeutic recreation: An introduction. (2nd ed. ). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Howe-Murphy, R. , Charboneau, B. (1987). Therapeutic recreation intervention: An ecological perspective. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc. Sylvester, C. (Ed. ). (1996). Philosophy of therapeutic recreation: Issues and ideas. Volume II. Ashburn, VA: National Therapeutic Recreation Society Peterson, C. A. , Gunn, S. L (1984). Therapeutic recreation program design: Principles and procedures. (2nd ed. ). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, Inc RECREATION EVALUATION RCSM 351 12/07/2010 PEGGY PEARSON.

New Religious Movements Essay -- Analysis, Lorne Dawson

Dawson (2010) Lorne Dawson presents a unique perspective on the similarities between New Religious Movements (NRM), which are also known as cults, and radical Islamic groups. Dawson (2010) questions why no dialogue has occurred because of the similarities between the two types of movements. Dawson (2010) stated that individuals that join Islamic extremist groups have the same issues of NRM members who experience a source of deprivation or alienation from the secular world. As with both groups, Dawson (2010) alludes that the deprivation is based on personalization of an issue that could be social, psychological, and moral. Dawson (2010) cautions that deprivation is not all about economics and there is no singular profile to fit an individual and pointed reason of why an individual will feel deprivation. Dawson points out the general public may view people as down on their luck and in economic strife. However, in actuality, both groups according to Dawson (2010) come from middle class families and have obtained some education and seem unremarkable, just as asserted in the Silber and Bhatt (2007) study. With this sense of deprivation, Dawson points out seeking individuals in both NRM and radical Islamic groups may want to pursue an identity which is influenced by socialization with other people going through the same situation or who understand what an individual is going through. Dawson makes an interesting point that the social bonds that are strong and give an individual a sense of belonging which help transform a person to a NRM or radical Islamic group. Dawson refers to two key socialization tenets that are in both NRM and radical Islam and was mentioned in Silber and Bhatt (2007) study that are appli... ...to steer away from the aspect of socialization as a conduit to propel radicalization. It does mention that Larose accused of conspiring to kill Swedish artist Lars Vilks had social contacts through emails supporting her effort. The literature provides a valid point that the internet has transpired as a major component in increase of the radicalization process. This paper argues the researchers should have presented the argument that the internet is a gateway for socialization rather than a forum for self-radicalization. The paper did mention the importance of information operations to counter media promoting radicalization which has not been emphasized to the extent as it was in this literature. The Self-Awakening variable implies religion in this literature. The Social Conduit variable is obviously identified as the internet and extremist groups.

The Driving Age Should Be Rasied to 18

NZ young people are increasingly proving that they are too immature, too irresponsible to get behind the steering wheel of a car. Instead of cleaning up after young drivers who have crashed, or advertising against student drunk drivers, the Gov. t could put more money into public transport so youth wouldn't have to drive to work. 15 are far too young, and it definitely should be raised. Remember – a driving license is a privilege not a right, as some of you think it is†¦Not only should the driving age be lifted to 18, there should be more draconian restrictions in place during the licensing period. Road safety should be compulsory in schools from an early age. Bicyclists should be licensed, as party of attaining a full ‘drivers' license – having completed the bicycle module, the applicant must then spend a compulsory period on the treadle; the next step will be a basic motor scooter/motorcycle course, followed by another compulsory period riding either a scoo ter or restricted output motorbike.Having completed these modules, an applicant may then apply for permission to be considered for a ‘full' driver's license – the process of attaining such should NOT be easy; too many of us consider piloting two tonnes of death down our highways at lethal speeds to be a ‘right', when it is, in fact, a responsibility. And, time and again, we continue to prove that we are not responsible beings. 15 year old minds are not able to link cause with effect and therefore are not mature enough to hold a drivers licence. The age for driver’s licences should be raised to 18.In conjunction with this, the money spent on safe driving advertising campaigns (which are proven to be ineffective) should be spent instead on public transport systems. The young kids are too irresponsible to be driving at anything less than 18. The school leaving age should be 18 too. I think the driving age should be raised to 18 because†¦ young people stri ve to take opportunities that take advantage of something†¦ everyone knows is big. They think that they can tackle the road by the horns, knowing that their 15 years old, confidence is more powerful than common sense in such early development.Basically, the number '15' makes young teenagers react like they have the experience†¦ when they don't. Privacy and Freedom sometimes lets kids go all cocky because they want to impress a cute girl or a group of wannabe gangsters. Here is a question. How do you keep your kids at home? And here is the answer. Let the air out of their tires. Or let them wait until age 18 before being able to drive. I agree. Let's face it. Anything under 18 is still a child. Even a lot of 18 yr. olds are still kids really. However (especially in Auckland) they need a good public transport system as an option.Also another option is to restrict the ownership (and driveability) of vehicles to people under the age of say 25 to a certain horsepower. Jap impor ts are so cheap. I've seen teenage (looking anyway) people driving Subaru's that have at least a couple of hundred kilowatts-that my friends is a recipe for disaster. Earn your right to drive a performance car. A full license should only be able to be obtained at the age of 17-18. You should really be in school until this age and there is no need to being able to get to work. If you do have a part time job, jump on a bike or if too lazy for that, get a scooter.Also I have never understood the point of learner, restricted and full licenses. No one follows these rules anyway, how many learners don't we see on the roads without any supervision? The attitude towards cars and driving in NZ is all wrong and the penalties are far too soft. I totally agree with the above comment that the young kids are too irresponsible to be driving at anything less than 18. The school leaving age should be 18 too. I've been a teenager and I certainly thought I was old enough to concur the world, but looki ng back I know now how immature I was.Although it is required to have better and cheaper public transport in place. If this is obtained we may see fewer cars on the roads altogether which would benefit in so many other ways as well. It has been shown that a lot of youth are not aware of their actions and drink driving, by increasing this age, the number of car crashes should decrease. Anyone under 18 is not responsible enough to be in control of something that can kill people. I think that adulthood should be defined as 18 at which point everything that is currently prohibited based on age can become available.

American Revolution Essay

The American Revolution is said to be one of the most impacted events that shaped America into what it is today. The American Revolution was also known as the American War of Independence, which lasted for eight long dreadful years. There were many causes that caused the revolution which also lead to terrible events afterwards (although some of the outcomes were good). One of the causes was the Stamp and Sugar Acts, 1763–1766. The Stamp Act (1765) was â€Å"designed to raise revenue from the American colonist in the thirteen colonies.† (landofthebrave.com) The Sugar Act (1764) set a tax on sugar and molasses that was imported into the colonies, and also taxed other foreign trading goods. (historyrocket.com) Another cause of the American Revolution was the Boston Massacre and Boston Tea Party, 1770-1773. The Boston Massacre was a â€Å"protest against the tax collector’s, government officials and merchants,† British troops were called in to handle the crowd s, but when they got there the crowd had grew. When the crowd and troops fought, only 5 civilians were killed. The Boston Tea Party happened on December 16, 1773, which was when the crowd in Boston dressed up disguised as American Indians, then they boarded ships which contained the tea, and then proceeded to dump 342 chests of tea that belonged to the East India Company into the sea. Another cause of the war was that the American colonies had a growing demand of freedom, to get away from the British. One of the effects that came out of the American Revolution was the Declaration of Independence. The Declaration of independence was written in July of 1776, by Thomas Jefferson. It â€Å"explained why the colonies have overthrown their ruler and chosen to take their place as a separate nation in the world.† (sparknotes.com) The Declaration Independence was to express the way that the colonies were now their own, not under British rule anymore. People in the United States of America now celebrate this very special holiday every year on July 4. Another effect of the American Revolution was the Bill of Rights, December 15, 1791. The first ten amendments of the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights, and are ten of the most important amendments written in many peoples opinion. After the war, trading with other countries in the Mediterranean became even more difficult. This was because there was a lack of protection by British navy from all of the pirates out in the open sea.

Free Essays on Fay Weldon

Fay Weldon uses the setting of her story to teach a young woman a lesson in morality, and about life and love. This unnamed young woman narrates the story from the first person point of view, giving the reader a private glimpse into her inner struggle. I like how Weldon’s story is filled with irony, as the young woman seeks justification for an affair with a man who was, â€Å"supervising my thesis on varying concepts of morality and duty† (Weldon 147). As a married man, Peter is burdening her with the choice between her own morality and a struggle to be like her sister. The woman’s sister urges her to â€Å"just go for it, sister. If you can unhinge a marriage, it’s ripe for the unhinging, it would happen sooner or later, it might as well be you†. Weldon uses rain to bring Mrs. Piper into the story, though she is not present in Sarajevo. The young woman notes that every sidewalk is sheltered by â€Å"a shield of bobbing umbrellas†¦to keep the rain off the streets. Using the rain pouring down upon the main characters while the townsfolk remain sheltered, Weldon shows how exposed the two lovers are, and how Mrs. Piper, too, is affected by their actions. Peter complains that Princip’s footprints in the sidewalk are obscured by the rain, in much the same way that his lust for the young woman obscures the importance and pain of his wife. The inordinate affection that the young woman feels begins to wear off, starting a downpour, which is unstoppable until its inevitable conclusion. The rain continues to drive the storyline, forcing the woman and her lover to dine in a restaurant, under the scrutiny of the public eye. Under the watchful stare of the waiters, she finally sees herself as others do. â€Å"In a world which for once†¦was finally full of young men, unslaughtered, what was I doing with this man with thinning hair?† (150) Here the pieces fall into place, and the woman realizes that she is selfish in her pursuit of a marrie... Free Essays on Fay Weldon Free Essays on Fay Weldon Fay Weldon uses the setting of her story to teach a young woman a lesson in morality, and about life and love. This unnamed young woman narrates the story from the first person point of view, giving the reader a private glimpse into her inner struggle. I like how Weldon’s story is filled with irony, as the young woman seeks justification for an affair with a man who was, â€Å"supervising my thesis on varying concepts of morality and duty† (Weldon 147). As a married man, Peter is burdening her with the choice between her own morality and a struggle to be like her sister. The woman’s sister urges her to â€Å"just go for it, sister. If you can unhinge a marriage, it’s ripe for the unhinging, it would happen sooner or later, it might as well be you†. Weldon uses rain to bring Mrs. Piper into the story, though she is not present in Sarajevo. The young woman notes that every sidewalk is sheltered by â€Å"a shield of bobbing umbrellas†¦to keep the rain off the streets. Using the rain pouring down upon the main characters while the townsfolk remain sheltered, Weldon shows how exposed the two lovers are, and how Mrs. Piper, too, is affected by their actions. Peter complains that Princip’s footprints in the sidewalk are obscured by the rain, in much the same way that his lust for the young woman obscures the importance and pain of his wife. The inordinate affection that the young woman feels begins to wear off, starting a downpour, which is unstoppable until its inevitable conclusion. The rain continues to drive the storyline, forcing the woman and her lover to dine in a restaurant, under the scrutiny of the public eye. Under the watchful stare of the waiters, she finally sees herself as others do. â€Å"In a world which for once†¦was finally full of young men, unslaughtered, what was I doing with this man with thinning hair?† (150) Here the pieces fall into place, and the woman realizes that she is selfish in her pursuit of a marrie...

A marketing Research on mobile banking

A marketing Research on mobile banking Research plan The study plans to bridge the gap of knowledge in the acceptance and adoption of mobile banking among the consumers. The research will be an exploratory research. The reason for the choice of this methodology is due to its innovation of novel ideas that is required in the mobile banking market. Through exploratory study will provide new and clear concepts explaining the dynamics of mobile banking consumption.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A marketing Research on mobile banking specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Research problem The realization that the technology plays a critical role in the development of banking have adverse effects on the performance of the banking institutions and has led to reorganizations of the operation process and as well as the way banking processes are conducted. The most affected process is the customer services. Technological developments have caused banks to move from the traditional queuing services to the modern day where customers can reach banks at any place and at any time. In fact technological development has revolutionized the banking industry. One of the areas that have been affected is the communication. Technology is utilized by banks to enhance connectivity and communication as well as in other business processes including customer services. Mobile technology is one of the technological developments used by banks to increase the customer services. Currently, banks utilize mobile technology to allow their clients pay bills, receive updates in, plan payments as well as other aspects of consumer services while in their private life. The major issue is whether the consumers have adopted the technological developments in banking. Banks have not established whether the consumers have adopted the new electronic payment services as in mobile banking. In addition, it has not been established what factors affect the mobile adoption. These are the p roblems and relations that will be examined in this research study. Research objective The research study has the following objectives To investigate the adoption of mobile banking by the consumers To establish specific factors affecting the mobile banking adoption by the consumers. To formulate appropriate recommendations to the banking institutions and the industry regarding strategies that may enhance the adoption of mobile banking. Research hypothesis This study will test the following hypothesisAdvertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More H1: mobile banking is effectively adopted by the consumers and not influenced by many factors Ho: mobile banking is not effectively adopted by the consumers and influenced by many factors Research plan For this research to meet its obligations, it will be an exploratory research. The reason for the choice of this methodology is due t o its innovation of novel ideas that is required in the mobile banking market. Through exploratory, the research will come up with new and clear concepts explaining the dynamics of mobile banking consumption, set up main concerns, build up on operational explanations and improve on the final research design. The study is both qualitative and quantitative. The qualitative part will be based on the literature review while the quantitative will be based on data collected through a survey. The survey will consist of a questionnaire that will be administered to the sampled population of both mobile banking users and non-users. Data collection As a field survey, the information concerning mobile adoption and the factors afecting the adoption will be collected through administering properly designed research questionnaires, observation alongside conducting well-structured in-depth interviews to the unbiased selected users and non-users of mobile banking. The well-designed research question naire will be administered to 60 users and 40 non-users. Each part of the questionnaire will constitute key items that suitably attend to the research questions. For instance, part one will constitute whether the consumer have embraced the mobile technology in banking services while part two will elicit factors that may have contributed their adoption or not of the mobile banking. Other parts will generate insights amidst offering recommendations to the organization to adopt or abandon the employees training strategy to augment success. Some items in the questionnaire will throw light on the mobile banking services and its impact on the consumers along with the consumer knowledge of existence of such services. The questionnaire will thus be made of both open and closed ended research questions and this is believed to be of great significance to the researcher since it will assist in performing data analysis. Minor research tools namely direct observations, personal in-depth intervie ws and occasional conversation will be used to collect primary data. Conversely, secondary research data will be acquired from the banking institutions, industry records, and other documents, which contain mobile banking information as well as its successes. For this particular case, the researcher intends to trace the mobile banking history and its adoption successes over the past years from the research secondary sources. Different scales will however be applied in the survey questionnaire during data collection to ensure the scales reliability and validity of some research questions.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on A marketing Research on mobile banking specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, ordinary scale will be applicable in various research questions given that most questions will measure knowledge, feelings and experience. In contrast, the scale reliability will be made certain via applying the repeat ability and internal consistency concepts. This implies that, the questionnaire will comprise of different questions asking about the same thing yet in a very different way. Finally, split half technique will be applied to attain internal consistency. Data analysis In order to ensure logical completeness as well as response consistency, the acquired data will be edited by the researcher each day to be able to identify the ensuing data gaps or any mistakes that needs instant rectification. When data editing is completed, the collected research information will definitely be analyzed qualitatively and quantitatively. For example, any data that will have been collected through in-depth interviews and secondary sources such as the mobile banking files and the banking organizations documents will be analyze by means of content analysis along with the logical analysis techniques. Furthermore, from the acquired independent variables values such the number of customers using the mobile bank ing services and the institutional success measured in terms of total output or general productivity, regression analysis will be applied to establish the correlation that exist between mobile banking services and the success of those institutions. To obtain the best correlation approximation values, the study quantitative data analysis will be carried out by utilizing the integrated approach. Further quantitative data analysis techniques including percentages, frequency distribution and deviations will be used to determine the research respondents’ proportions that chose various responses. The method will be applied for each group of items available in the questionnaire that ideally corresponds to the formulated research question and objectives. Line graphs, tables as well as statistical bar charts will be used to maker sure quantitative data analysis is simply comprehensible. The findings indicate mobile bank services, in delivering the services to the clients, try to elimi nate the impediments that the customers face from the conventional banking delivering of the services. The obstacles were identified to be from a diverse combination of items that are replicated from the obstacles in supply part of services. In addition, the hurdles are reflected from the obstacles associated with the purpose of cell phones as a means of conveying information from the part of the client in the delivery of services.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The study also indicated that mobile banking has achieved tremendous acceptance among consumers compared to other ways of banking such as internet banking that is still at its developing phase. Consequently, consumers have perceived mobile banking as the best way of carrying out banking transactions. According to the institutional studies, 80% agree that the mobile banking sector has made major strides in the delivery of services due to the rapid acceptance by majority of consumers. However, the approval pace of mobile banking among consumers is not equivalent to the rate at which technology advances. Therefore, many factors were found to have a strong influence on the way consumers perceive and adopt mobile banking. The impact of the increased technological advancement has compromised the proficiency of service superiority because services are initiated in the premature phases due competitiveness as well as outlay constraints. Consequently, the clients’ responses to the cons umption of services are low because they think their needs are not considered. For instance, the customers feel that the adaptability of sustaining item services is inadequate. Moreover, emphasis on expertise has an impact of overlooking basic requirements for approval in the provision of services. Technology has enabled mediums of creating new supply channels as well as communicating attributes of technology. Conversely, delivery involving technical knowledge comes with its own shortcomings. For example, there is lack of composition of service delivery and worth creation. In addition, customers have to know how to use technology-based electronics to achieve optimal usage. An additional drawback in mobile banking is the functionality of cell phones in transacting banking services. Customers feel that the mobile phones are not effective in banking because for example, the cell phones have small keyboards leading to errors while accessing the services. Further, studies show that consu mers are dissatisfied by the confusing nature of the mobile phones while transacting banking services. Moreover, increasing concerns by consumers about transacting banking through wireless ways due to safety as well as significance of the services has had negative impacts acceptance of the service. Conclusion and Recommendations Results show that service providers must recognize the importance of client requirements when devising innovative services and products. Additionally, execution of information from familiarity of wireless banking should not be directed to the clients. As a result, banks have been able to make well-versed judgments in distributing assets as well as reduction of expenses. It is evident that cell phones bear a huge ability of enabling success in accomplishing monetary operations and has led to the attainment of expansion in the financial sector with ease and less expenses. Therefore, it is essential for banks to expand their banking services to enable accessibi lity of their services. As a result, government, supervisory bodies, service providers and all the stakeholders have easy access to the banking services from all regions. Further, implementing mobile banking services will bring on board non-bankers in the financial system. In addition, through creation of the understanding of mobile banking services among the people, they are able to embrace its use for personal gains.

Outer Circle - Definition and Examples - World English

Outer Circle s - World English The outer circle is made up of post-colonial countries in which English, though not the mother tongue, has for a significant period of time played an important role in education, governance, and popular culture. Countries in the outer circle include India, Nigeria, Pakistan, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, and more than 50 other nations. Low Ee  Ling  and Adam Brown describe the outer circle as those countries in the earlier phases of the spread of English in non-native settings[,] . . . where English has become institutionalized or has become part of the countrys chief institutions (English in Singapore, 2005).   The outer circle is one of the three concentric circles of World English described by linguist Braj Kachru in Standards, Codification and Sociolinguistic Realism: The English Language in the Outer Circle (1985).   The labels inner, outer, and expanding  circles represent the type of spread, the patterns of acquisition, and the functional allocation of the English language in diverse cultural contexts.  As discussed below, these labels remain controversial. Explanations of Outer Circle English In the Inner Circle, English spread largely because of a migration of English speakers. In time each settlement developed its own national variety. On the other hand, the spread of English in the Outer Circle has occurred largely as a result of colonization by English-speaking nations. Here, two major types of linguistic development occurred. In some countries like Nigeria and India, where under colonial powers it developed as an elite second language, only a minority of the society acquired English. However, in other countries like Barbados and Jamaica, the slave trade had a significant impact on the variety of English spoken, resulting in the development of English-based pidgins and creoles.(Sandra Lee McKay, Teaching English as an International Language: Rethinking Goals and Approaches. Oxford University Press, 2002)The Outer Circle may be thought of as country contexts where English was first introduced as a colonial language for administrative purposes. . . . English is used in these countries for intra-country purposes. In addition to Outer Circle, terms frequently used to describe the manner in which English has evolved in these settings include institutionalized and nativized. In these countries, a variety of English has evolved which possesses the common core characteristics of Inner Circle varieties of English, but in addition can be distinguished from them by particular lexical, phonological, pragmatic, and morphosyntactic innovations.(Kimberly Brown, World Englishes:  To Teach or Not to Teach. World Englishes, ed. by   Kingsley Bolton and Braj B. Kachru. Routledge, 2006) Problems With the World Englishes Model Considering the history of the emancipation of various Englishes around the globe, it is obvious that the groundbreaking work emanated from and has been essentially focused on the Outer Circle. But it has been an uphill struggle. Even today, what is often termed international by Inner Circle scholars, publishers, etc. is often simply interpreted as the international spread of native-speaker Standard English (a minority variety in itself) rather than the way English has changed to meet international needs.(Barbara Seidlhofer, World Englishes and English as a Lingua Franca: Two Frameworks or One? World EnglishesProblems, Properties and Prospects, ed. by Thomas Hoffmann and Lucia Siebers. John Benjamins, 2009)As a large number speakers from the Outer-Circle and Expanding-Circle countries now live in the Inner-Circle countries, even native speakers of English are increasingly exposed to World Englishes. This means revising the notion of proficiency even for the English of native speakers . Canagarajah (2006: 233) maintains that, in a context where we have to constantly shuffle between different varieties [of English] and communities, proficiency becomes complex . . . one needs the capacity to negotiate diverse varieties to facilitate communication.(Farzad Sharifian, English as an International Language: An Overview. English as an International Language: Perspectives and Pedagogical Issues, ed. by F. Sharifian. Multilingual Matters, 2009) Also Known As: extended circle

Current performance of Islamic bank around the world Dissertation

Current performance of Islamic bank around the world - Dissertation Example However, some countries such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia and Jordan are offering the services of Islamic banking through traditional banking services. In some countries like Pakistan, there are banks that are operating in accordance with the Islamic laws and at the same time there are some banks that are practicing conventional banking and at the same time some of their branches are offering Islamic banking services. Not only there has been an increasing trend of Muslim majority countries practicing Islamic banking products but certain Western countries including United Kingdom, United States and Australia have been also observing an increasing trend in regard to the Islamic banking. Although the industry of Islamic banking is still growing and an emerging industry, but in different parts of the world this industry has been achieving very high profits unlike United Kingdom. However in countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bahrain this industry has been growing. In Pakistan, Islamic banks have reported a profit of 5.7 PKR which is approximately 59% of the total market share in the year 2011 (The News, 2012).). In Bahrain, Islamic banking industry is also one of the fasted growing industries of the countries and still there are several opportunities in the countries (Laxman, 2011). In addition to this, Islamic banking industry is showing good progress and is giving tough time to traditional banks in several other western countries. Financial performance of Islamic financial institutions in UK United Kingdom and particularly London has been considered as an important market place by investors and in this part of the world; both Islamic and non-Islamic banks have inve sted. Initially Islamic banks started their services in London by offering simple products like house financing however with the passage of time the quality of products as well as the complexities involved increased (Ainley, Mashayekhi, Hicks, Rahman, and Ravalia, 2007). after analysing different opportunities for profits and growth, number of Islamic banks invested in United Kingdom and tried to capitalise on these opportunities. Some of the most prominent names of Islamic banks in UK are: Islamic Bank of Britain HSBC Amanah Lloyds TSB The products and services offered by Islamic banks are not only for Muslims but for non-Muslims as well and this is one of the reasons why it has become highly famous in UK despite of the challenges it faces. However recently the performance of the Islamic bank has not been satisfactory and the opportunities that every one identified had not been capitalised by these Islamic banks. This is one of the reasons why one of the leading Islamic banks, Isla mic bank of Britain had to be bailed out in the year 2010 by Qatar after several successive years of losses. After the financial crisis, the Islamic banks in United Kingdom have suffered a lot. Lloyds Islamic bank also removed its investment from United Kingdom as they did not see bright future in the country (Goodway, 2010). Islamic Bank of Britain which has been able to make a name in the United kingdom is also losing its customers. in 2009, the Islamic bank had lost almost 50,000 customers as the total loss of the bank increased to ?9.5 million from ?5.9 million. Considering the situation of the bank, IBB had to raise additional capital of 2009. Then

Sustainable Management Future Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Sustainable Management Future - Dissertation Example In addition, according to teleological theory, an action is good if the outcome is desirable. For example, by companies building more schools for children in such developing countries, they will help the children to improve their later lives and be more resourceful people to the companies and the society in future, which is a desirable outcome. Consequently, some companies with FDIs in developing countries have undertaken to support local education by building local schools for their workers’ children (Dagdemir and Acaroglu, 2010) Scenario 3 Integrity may be defined as the fit between course and calling. It is as a result of consistent and continuous relationship between the mission, vision, and values of an organisation and the values of an individual. Integrity is defined by individuals themselves. Integrity goes beyond ethics in that it is the characteristics that define an individual that are considerate, transparent, honest, ethical, and compassionate. Trust is critical i n defining integrity; a person who does not attract trust and confidence is not regarded as trustworthy, implying their value is destroyed (Quigley, 2007). On the other hand, loyalty results from mutual relationship based on trust, fairness, and integrity, all values that define the success of a company. Loyalty refers to doing the job that one is obligated to do, and doing it to the best of one’s ability, with both elements of integrity and honesty. Therefore, Integrity complements loyalty, without which the value of loyalty loses its meaning. Sometimes, it is good to lie in business, though such lies must be ethical. Boylon (2000) explains utilitarianism theory by stating that an action can only be considered morally right when the act results in more good for... In postmodern view of values, a dilemma or fragmentation is accepted as part of human condition. However, in this case, there are no established truths or values (Holtzhausen & Voto, 2002). What is thought to be true is as a product of discourse emerging from both power and knowledge. The manager has to portray organizational activism in their decision making process, portraying a need to change from traditions. For example, a manager in an ethical problem will try to change from acting normally by upholding the dignity of the people involved as employees and championing for the rights of such employees. The manager will thus look beyond profits for the organization to consider the concern of all those involved, and try to resist the dominant power that may work against such involved parties. For example, if a company is making a loss, the manager will not hasten to cut wages or sack employees, but will fight to resist this by trying different methods that will ensure all parties eme rge from the crisis more empowered. In pragmatic consideration of values, the inability to ground any values in overarching theories such as Marxism, Christianity, Islam, or capitalism does not prevent people from making sensible decisions for ensuring a civil and well-mannered life .

Setting of Farewell of Arms Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Setting of Farewell of Arms - Research Paper Example The setting of weather in A Farewell to Arms has been manipulated by Hemingway through the symbols of dryness and cold, frost and rain. Different war conditions have been described through these meaningful metaphors. Weather and War At the start of the novel, the writer describes the situation as cool and calm as â€Å"there was not the feeling of storm coming† (3). But with the arrival of the rain, the country has become â€Å"wet and brown and dead with autumn† (4). This happens as the fight grows. Hence the change in the weather has also changed the situation of war. The impending dangers of death and annihilation have been emphasized through the deadness of the autumn. Now from the very beginning of the novel, the reader gets the impression that weather and war will go side by side. The calamities of war will be further aggravated through weather condition of rain and wetness. With rain came cholera which has claimed seven thousand lives. It is obvious from the desc ription that the weather has proved more deadly than war, and its capacity of taking lives is even greater than the war itself. The agents of the weather like rain have been shown as the entities which are not in human control and their presence during war is â€Å"permanent†. Rain as an Omen of death Rain traditionally is used in a positive sense, and it symbolizes growth and fertility. But Hemingway has inverted the connotative meaning of this traditional symbol. In A Farewell to Arms the rain has been constantly portrayed as a symbol of death. It portends Catherine’s death. Catherine is afraid of rain, and she asks Henry to come out of the rain. Hence, the use of rain in war setting is ironic. It forebodes death and destruction. â€Å"The treatment of bad weather as a portentous mood-setter is a good indication of Gothic literature† (Shoomp Editorial Team 60). Hemingway also has manipulated this technique. The weather has been related to the war and human moo ds. Catherine Berkley is so afraid of rain that she thinks that the rain would part them from each other. She gets assurance from Henry that rain would not mitigate his love for him. She asks, "And the rain won't make any difference?" "No." When Henry reassures her that the rain would have no effect on their love, she says, "That's good. Because I'm afraid of the rain" (134). When asked by Henry why she is afraid of rain, she is not able to explain the cause of her fears. She tells Henry, "I don't know, darling. I've always been afraid of the rain." But at the insistence of Henry she blurts out: "All right. I'm afraid of the rain because sometimes. I see me dead in it." "No." "And sometimes I see you dead in it." (135). Rama (2007) observes the following in this connection: There appears some association in Hemingway’s mind between â€Å"Cat in the rain† and Catherine of A Farewell to Arms (called Cat by Henry). Cathrine sometimes sees herself and Henry dead in the rai n. Hemingway uses rain as an important symbol first time in â€Å"Cat in the Rain† and, later, as a major symbol in A Farewell to Arms (59). Hemingway has also used the symbol and setting of snow and frost in his story. The same metaphor has been used differently in various situations. Hemingway again has betrayed the traditional symbolical connotations of this metaphor. At first, the snow is the symbol of inertia. No development is made during snow time. Henry remarks, â€Å"looking out of the window of the bawdy house, the house of officers, where I sat with a friend and two

Intertextual examination of two texts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intertextual examination of two texts - Essay Example Based on Bricklayer’s Boy, it is clear that the pressure put on the youths by their parents and the older generations damages the relationship between these two groups, often resulting in conflicts. In the Bricklayer’s Boy, one aspect brought out is that many young people, especially men, are required to do what their parents want them to do. This is often against the wish of the young people, and ends up straining their relationship with their parents and older generations. In this literally text, the narrator says that his father, a bricklayer, did not like his idea of becoming a newspaper reporter. According to his father, newspaper reporting paid â€Å"just a little more than construction does† (Lubrano, 5). He wanted to his son to pursue a more lucrative job like being a lawyer. This was the sole reason why his father worked so hard to educate him in college. This predicament, which most young people face, is also brought out in the article by Bruno Bettelheim (1968). In his article, Bettelheim notes that there is a conflict of generations because of â€Å"the parent who sees his child’s main task in life as the duty to execute his will or justify his existence† (Bettelheim, 74). When the child fails to honor or follow the parent’s wishes, as the narrator in Bricklayer’s Boy did, then the relationship between the parents and children is damaged. Bricklayer’s Boy story also points to the belief held by most parents: their children have to succeed where they failed. Throughout the story, the narrator’s father wanted his son to become a better person because he had failed to live up to his dreams. In the story, it is noted that the â€Å"father wanted to be a singer and actor when he was young...† (Lubrano, 20). However, he had to do what was available in order to support his parents at the time. In the end, he expected his son to do something that could earn him bigger money just as singing and acting would have earned him money. As the

Managing Performance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Managing Performance - Assignment Example on what awaits in the achievements list as a strategy of organizing and empowering the human resources to meet important organizational goals and objectives. Managing performance underlines and therefore is inexorably related to every tasks of the human resources of a company (Cardy and Leonard 169). This includes its organizational culture, the approach to completing tasks and communications strategy. The extent and importance of the performance management plan is based on the structural context and can differ across organizations. Moynihan specified that managing performance involves applying strategy by aligning the job designations of the staffs along broad organizational issues and long-term objectives (189). In addition, it should be integrated, in the sense that it links different organizational aspects, human resources management, aspirations of individual staffs and working teams. As such, performance management ought to incorporate: a) ways to improve performance of the staffs across all units of the organization including individual respect among the workforces; b) teamwork; c) a clear development plan since this is the only way to ensure continuous productivity and development of individual workforces and teams to enhance their performance, and d) managing behavior by ensuring that the staffs are motivated to adopt a working culture that permits and encourages sound working relationships (Cardy and Leonard 170). Effective communications between staffs and across departments and proper tools to measure and make vital improvements it is one of the ways in which employee performance management can be achieved. Managing performance ensures the workplace is safe and enjoyable for every employee to work in (Cardy and Leonard 171). It improves interpersonal relations, psychological and physical health by eliminating risk factors associated with them such as harassment. As such, it improves productivity, efficiency at work, and career development. In

Intertextual examination of two texts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intertextual examination of two texts - Essay Example Based on Bricklayer’s Boy, it is clear that the pressure put on the youths by their parents and the older generations damages the relationship between these two groups, often resulting in conflicts. In the Bricklayer’s Boy, one aspect brought out is that many young people, especially men, are required to do what their parents want them to do. This is often against the wish of the young people, and ends up straining their relationship with their parents and older generations. In this literally text, the narrator says that his father, a bricklayer, did not like his idea of becoming a newspaper reporter. According to his father, newspaper reporting paid â€Å"just a little more than construction does† (Lubrano, 5). He wanted to his son to pursue a more lucrative job like being a lawyer. This was the sole reason why his father worked so hard to educate him in college. This predicament, which most young people face, is also brought out in the article by Bruno Bettelheim (1968). In his article, Bettelheim notes that there is a conflict of generations because of â€Å"the parent who sees his child’s main task in life as the duty to execute his will or justify his existence† (Bettelheim, 74). When the child fails to honor or follow the parent’s wishes, as the narrator in Bricklayer’s Boy did, then the relationship between the parents and children is damaged. Bricklayer’s Boy story also points to the belief held by most parents: their children have to succeed where they failed. Throughout the story, the narrator’s father wanted his son to become a better person because he had failed to live up to his dreams. In the story, it is noted that the â€Å"father wanted to be a singer and actor when he was young...† (Lubrano, 20). However, he had to do what was available in order to support his parents at the time. In the end, he expected his son to do something that could earn him bigger money just as singing and acting would have earned him money. As the

Case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Case - Assignment Example As there were many unions in the area and some of them were also affiliated to political parties; it was essential that the fund collection unit performed to its optimal capacity as the political unit could not function without money. The major players involved in this description are the employees of the fund collection unit.2 new supervisors who have been recently hired. These supervisors are important as they have been responsible for affecting the behaviour of the employees with their attitude towards the fund collection. I have been involved as an observer who tries to analyse the problem and solve it. The political unit is also involved in the setting where team meetings are concerned. However the political unit is an extraneous factor not immediately involved in the problem described below. In the recent past we have witnessed that fund collection for the youth union has decreased considerably. Many reasons have been cited for the lack of fund collection and the department responsible for fund collection has usually declared that very few people have come up with donations due to the recent global recession. However being the unit HR for the fund collection unit I have done my own research regarding the matter. This research was done in the form of questionnaires and informal decision with the various employees. I also applied the naturalistic observation model to observe the different employees and their behaviour. I have come to the conclusion that the problem of low fund collection is more of a behavioural issue where the employees are not willing to give their 100% to the job and are shirking responsibility. I tried to diagnose the problem and find out the root cause of the problem. This diagnosis has been explained below. Lack of Motivation – Due to the recent crunch of funds the union has reduced the amount of commission handed out from 10 % to 5% for every

Planning for Research Essay Example for Free

Planning for Research Essay Define action research. Action research in education, is a firing-line or on job type of problem-solving or research used by teachers, supervisors, and administrators to improve the quality of their decisions and actions.   It seeks more dependable and appropriate means of promoting and evaluating student growth in line with specific and general objectives and attempts to improve educational practices without reference to whether findings would be applicable beyond the group studied (Good, 1993). Explain its intended outcomes The intended outcome of action research is to improve the lives of children through education and for teacher researcher to learn more about the craft of teaching. All action researchers are committed to looking critically at what we do in our classrooms and the effects our actions have on the children in our care. Hence, the main intended outcome of action research is for educational change that enhances the lives of children. Another intended outcome is to enhance the lives of professionals.   It is largely about developing the â€Å"professional disposition† of teachers, that is, encouraging teachers to be continuous learners—in their classrooms and in their practice. This intended outcome of action research for teachers to be professional problem solvers who are committed to improving both their own practice and student outcomes provides a powerful reason to practice action research (Osterman and Kottkamp, 1993). Give examples of action research projects that researchers in your organization or field of study might engage in. Investigate the effectiveness of current math curriculum on students’ process skills and attitudes. Investigate the impact of an intervention and to monitor if it makes a difference and learn more about how best to teach math to children and to implement some of cooperative learning strategies. Monitor the impact of a new mathematics problem-solving curriculum on student performance on open-ended problem-solving questions and students’ attitudes toward mathematics in general. Investigate the perceptions of colleagues, children, and parents toward absenteeism to more fully understand why the existing policy is not having the desired outcome. References Hammersley, M. (1993). On the teacher as researcher.   Educational Action Research,    1(3), 425–441. Kottkamp, C. (1993).   The effects of action research on a teacher education community. Paper presented at the American Educational Research Association Conference, New York, NY.

Impacts of Anti-social Working Hours on Nursing Staff

Impacts of Anti-social Working Hours on Nursing Staff Abstract The aim of this research proposal is to outline a research study that is designed to determine the effects, and impacts, of anti-social working hours on nursing staff, with a view to assessing the validity of three main hypotheses: H1: The greater the number of anti-social hours worked, the more serious will be the negative effects on the professional and personal lives of nursing staff; H2: Nursing staff who have high levels of workplace support are less likely to be affected by anti-social working hours; and H3: Nursing staff who receive adequate monetary compensation for the anti-social hours they work are less likely to be adversely affected, in terms of their professional lives, by these anti-social hours. It is proposed that these hypotheses be tested through sampling twenty nursing staff, gathering both qualitative and quantitative data through the use of the Work Ability Index, a questionnaire and a logbook containing various questions the participants will be asked to comple te each working day for one month. Introduction A previous review of the relevant literature showed that there are many facets to the effects of anti-social working hours on nursing staff that are not understood. The critical literature review revealed that there were many and various effects of anti-social hours on the professional lives of nursing staff, including negative effects on performance at work, an increase in the number of mistakes made, a decrease in the patience nursing staff had towards patients, a decrease in the levels of holistic care provided and that anti-social working hours could lead to strains being placed on the relationships nursing staff have with their colleagues, their patients and the families of their patients. In addition, it was shown that anti-social working hours had negative effects on the personal lives of nursing staff, including on their home life, their personal safety and their overall health and stress levels. Research questions and objectives As a result of the findings of this critical literature review, this research proposal suggests a dual quantitative and qualitative approach to assessing the actual effects of anti-social working hours and their impacts on nursing staff, with three main hypotheses to be explored: H1: The greater the number of anti-social hours worked, the more serious will be the negative effects on the professional and personal lives of nursing staff H2: Nursing staff who have high levels of workplace support are less likely to be affected by anti-social working hours H3: Nursing staff who receive adequate monetary compensation for the anti-social hours they work are less likely to be adversely affected, in terms of their professional lives, by these anti-social hours Perspective and methodology The methodology to be utilised is both qualitative and quantitative, incorporating two quantitative methods (the Work Ability Index and a logbook) and a qualitative method (a questionnaire). In order to test the effects of anti-social hours on nursing staff, it will be necessary to sample a number of nursing staff each of whom work different types/number of hours. Twenty nursing staff will be sampled in total, five who work only during the day, five who work only during the night, five who work shifts without committing to night shifts and five who work shifts and who do commit to working night shifts. Sampling such a diverse set of nursing staff, in terms of the number/type of hours worked will allow the effects of anti-social hours on different types of nursing staff to be assessed, It is proposed that the Work Ability Index (Ilmarinen, 2007) be used to assess how anti-social hours are impacting nursing staff, in terms of their ability to do their jobs, and their own health. The Work Ability Index (Ilmarinen, 2007) is basically a series of questions which take in to account the demands of the work, the workers health status and the resources available for work, and is a summary of the responses to seven items, including: 1) Current work ability compared with the lifetime best; 2) Work ability in relation to the demands of the job; 3) Number of current diseases diagnosed by a physician; 4) Estimated work impairment due to these diseases; 5) Sick leave during the past twelve months; 6) Own prognosis of work ability two years from now; and 7) Mental resources. In addition to the Work Ability Index, several supplementary questions will be asked of the sample of nursing staff, in the form of a questionnaire, in order to gauge their attitudes to work and their overall satisfaction with their work and pay, their motivation and their opinions regarding the support that is available in their workplace. In addition to the Work Ability Index, and the supplementary questionnaire, which will be used to assess how the sampled nursing staff are being impacted, in terms of the anti-social hours, the sampled nursing staff will be asked to keep a logbook of their activities over one month of work, in which they will be asked to record: their scheduled working hours; their actual working hours; how many of their overtime hours were paid; the amount of sleep they have; a rating of the quality of this sleep; whether they use any sleep aids, and what these are; a rating of their sleepiness levels; a rating of the fatigue they feel each day; a rating of their stress levels each day; a note of any errors they made whilst at work; a note of the type of error made; a note of any potential errors they would have made had another member of staff not intercepted them; and a note of any errors observed in other colleagues. Methods Sampling The target for this research is nursing staff, in the hospital in which the researcher is employed. Due to time restrictions with the research project, which needs to be completed in two semesters, the number of participants in this study will need to be kept low, so that their responses to the Work Ability Index, the questionnaire and their records in their logbooks will be manageable, in terms of the amount of data that will result. It is therefore suggested that twenty participants are selected for the study, divided in to nursing staff covering a variety of shifts and working hours: five who work full-time, only day shifts; five who work full-time, only night shifts; five who work shifts, with no night shifts, only day shifts; and five who work shifts but who can work night shifts. Sampling the nursing staff in this way will allow an assessment of the effects of the type of extra working hours has on nursing staff, for example whether working anti-social hours at night has a grea ter negative effect on nursing staff than working anti-social (i..e, longer) hours during the day, for example. Data collection As has been discussed, the objectives of this research, and the associated hypotheses, will be tested through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. The Work Ability Index will be utilised in order to gain an overall picture of the effect the work is having on the participants and the views the participants hold regarding their ability to do their jobs, and their own health (Ilmarinen, 2007). The Work Ability Index, as it requires participants to provide a numerical assessment of their responses to the various questions, will provide a quantitative assessment of the participants attitudes towards their work, their ability to do their work and their own health, as a function of the work they are required to do. The questionnaire that will be handed out to the participants aims to provide a snapshot of the participants’ attitudes to work and their overall satisfaction with their work and pay, their motivation and their opinions regarding the support that is available in their workplace. The responses to this questionnaire are intended to be open-ended and, as such, will constitute a qualitative approach to data gathering, with participants being free to respond, at will, to the questions asked. This qualitative approach will allow the participants to outline any concerns they have and to expand upon their feelings with regards to the impact of their working hours on their ability to do their work, on their professional lives, on their personal lives and on their health, amongst other factors. The logbook will, through the various questions it contains, allow both a qualitative and a quantitative approach to data gathering. Some of the questions will ask the participants to rate various things, with the responses being quantitative in nature, such as the quality of their sleep, the number of hours (scheduled and non-scheduled) that they worked, or their stress levels, for example. Other questions will allow for more open-ended responses, qualitative in nature, such as whether they use any sleep aids, and what these are, or whether any errors were made, with the opportunity to describe these errors. Analytical processes As the data that will be collected is both quantitative and qualitative in nature, various analyses will be necessary. For the quantitative data gathered, for example the responses to the Work Ability Index and the quantitative questions in the logbook, the data will be analysed with regards to determining any correlations between the responses, for example, whether longer hours, as recorded in the log book, correlates with lower satisfaction with their work, as recorded by the Work Ability Index. Such correlations can be performed using various statistical tests, via a statistical analysis software package, and will provide firm conclusions as to the relationships between the various variables being measured. The qualitative data that is collected will be voluminous in nature with a great deal of responses to view and analyse (Polit et al., 2007). As Thorne (2000) suggests, the analysis of qualitative data relies on some form of deductive reasoning in order to interpret and structure the meanings that can be derived from the data collected, within the framework of the objectives of the research and the hypotheses that are being tested. It is suggested that the data be analysed using content analysis (Pope et al., 2000; Miles and Huberman, 1984). Content analysis will allow the data to be analysed and to find emergent meanings from this data in order to find inferences from what has been said by the participants and to relate these inferences to the quantitative data that will be collected (Neuendorf, 2002). Analytical induction will be used to test and re-test the intuitive ideas the researcher has regarding the content of the responses, with regard to the objectives of the research and h ypotheses being addressed (Pope et al, 2000; Holloway, 1997). It is expected that the correlations found within the quantitative data will be supported by the qualitative data collected, and that the qualitative data will provide more of an in-depth understanding of the actual effects and impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff. This combination of quantitative and qualitative data is therefore expected to be a powerful tool in terms of gaining a full understanding of the impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff, in terms of the effects on both their professional and private lives, with regards to fulfilling the objectives of the research and determining the validity of the hypotheses being tested. Strategies to promote methodological rigour There is a risk, in this study, that the nature of the study, and implied pressure from managers and colleagues, may lead to bias in the results gained, in that nursing staff may not feel able to reveal their true feelings about these issues for fear of retribution. In order to minimise the chances of this happening, as has been seen, anonymity will be ensured at all times, minimising the chances of bias entering in to the data and maintaining methodological rigour. Access and Ethical issues In order to recruit twenty nursing staff, and to allow the research to be conducted, the Manager of the nursing staff will contacted and permission will be requested to contact the nursing staff to be able to recruit participants. As this research topic touches on a delicate subject, in that managers might be wary of addressing this subject with their staff, and because making recordings in the logbook will take time out of the working day of the nursing staff, the Manager will need to be approached with care. Appendix 1 provides a copy of the suggested letter, that will be sent to the Manager of the nursing staff, in order to recruit possible subjects for the research. All nursing staff on one floor of the hospital will be sent an introductory letter, given in Appendix 2, which will explain the purpose of the study, outline the aims and objectives of the study and outline what will be expected of participants, and which asks for any interested parties to come forward to volunteer themselves for the study. Participants will be selected on the basis of them being independent (i.e., not known to the researcher or any supervisors of the researcher) and will be contacted, within a few days of volunteering themselves and being selected, in order to sign a Consent Form (given in Appendix 3). Following the signing of the consent form, the study will be explained in more detail to the selected participants, with the letter in Appendix 2 being sent out to selected participants, with the various components, and how they will be presented to the participants, being explained within this letter. Following this, the questionnaire will be given to the participants and they will be asked to fill this in and to return it to the researcher within a week of it being sent to them. The Work Ability Index will also be passed to the participants, at the same time as the questionnaire, and the participants will be asked to complete this, within a week, and return the completed questionnaire with the completed Work Ability Index. At the same time, the logbook will be explained in detail, and passed out to each participant, for them to start recording their responses to the questions within this, every working day for one month. The actual Work Ability Index, questionnaire and logbook that will be sent out to participants are given in Appendix 4, 5 and 6, respectively. It is fundamental, at every stage of this process, that the responses of the participants are kept confidential, with only the researcher knowing which responses come from which person. This will be handled by allocating each participant a number and with the questionnaires, Work Ability Index and logbook being passed out, completed and returned, with only this number, not any names. This will ensure that only the researcher knows which participant provided which responses, ensuring that all responses will remain anonymous. Anonymity is fundamentally important in this study, given its delicate nature, dealing as it is with topics that are inflammatory within the workplace of nursing staff, and which could cause problems between nursing staff and their managers. In addition to the numbering system that will be used to protect the anonymity of participants, no personal data will be collected, other than the responses to the three tools, and the storage of all of the responses collected will be carried out in compliance with relevant data storage regulations, such as the Data Protection Act 1998. The data collected will be collected on the basis of anonymity being maintained, but, due to the nature of the study, in that the results are expected to be disseminated as widely as possible, although anonymity will be maintained, confidentiality of responses cannot be guaranteed, as it is these responses that will form the basis of the results, and conclusions of this research, which will be disseminated. The researcher could be affected by the conducting of this study, because, as has been stated, the research topic touches on sensitive matters that are often the cause of conflict within the workplace between managers and nursing staff. The very fact of conducting this study within the workplace may put the researcher at risk of reprisals of some sort, although it should be noted that the study will be introduced to the Head of Department and to managers as a research study, and that, as such, the researcher should be respected, without facing reprisals, and the research allowed to continue without problems. Timetable It is suggested that the work be conducted over the course of four months, January to April 2009. The nursing staff will be contacted, initially, and once the twenty nursing staff have been selected, the Work Ability Index and the questionnaire will be completed. Following this, the logbook will be handed out and the nursing staff will record their responses to the questions within that each working day for one month. Once the logbooks have been completed, all of the primary data will be collated and analysed, with the expectation that this process will require a further month. Once the results and conclusions have been gathered from the data, two further months will be required to write up this data in the form of the dissertation. The work would be more vigorous if a larger sample of nursing staff could be included, but this is not possible, unfortunately, given the time constraints, Budget and likely funding sources The researcher intends to apply for scholarships in order to cover the costs of the research materials needed, but, as the methodology is utilising reasonably priced materials, if a scholarship is not won, it is expected that the materials could be paid for out of the pocket of the researcher. The expected costs are as follows: Twenty notebooks (for the logbooks): 20 x  £1.50 = 30 Paper/pens/printer ink etc. for the questionnaire/Work Ability Index = 20 x  £1.00 =  £20 Small gift for each participant: 20 x  £2.00 =  £40 Binding of dissertation: 4 x  £10 =  £40 Total cost =  £130 Dissemination of results Given the intense interest in this subject in the nursing literature, it is intended that this study be written up for publication in a peer-reviewed nursing journal. In addition, the results of the study will be presented as nursing seminars and the abstract of the work will be sent out to various conferences, with a view to the work being presented at various nursing conferences. In addition, as with all dissertations completed at academic establishments, a copy of the dissertation will be deposited in the university library, so that the work is available for reference by other interested parties. References Holloway, I. (1997). Basic concepts for qualitative research. Blackwell Science. Ilmarinen, J. (2007). The Work Ability Index. Occupational Medicine 57(2), pp. 160. Miles, M. and Huberman, A. (1984). Qualitative data analysis. Sage. Neuendorf, K.A. (2002). The content analysis guidebook. Available from http://academic.csuohio.edu/kneuendorf/content/ [Accessed 27th November 2008]. Polit, D.F. et al. (2007). Nursing research: generating and assessing evidence for nursing practice. Wolters Kluwer Health. Pope, C. et al. (2000). Qualitative research in health care. BMJ 320, pp. 114-116. Thorne, S. (2000). Data analysis in qualitative research. Evidence-Based Nursing 3, pp. 68-70. Appendix 1: Access letter Address Date Dear XXXXX, Re: Msc dissertation An exploration of the impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff I am writing to ask permission for this research to be conducted within your section. As part of this request, I am asking for permission to be granted to make contact with staff under your management, and for these staff to be asked if they will participate in my research project. I hope to be able to select a total of twenty nursing staff to be able to participate in this research project. The research project consists of three separate sections: a survey of the participants using a Work Ability Index, a questionnaire of the participants and a logbook, which the participants will need to complete each working day for one month. I would like the opportunity to present the research project to all of the nursing staff under your management and to select twenty participants from the staff who volunteered their participation. The research project will require the participants to volunteer their own time and any and all research costs will be covered by myself. By the time of the study, the necessary ethical approval for the study will have been given by the relevant committee. I do hope you can consider my request for access to your staff and look forward to hearing from you. Yours sincerely, XXXXXX Appendix 2: Participant information sheet Address Date Dear XXXXX, Re: Msc dissertation An exploration of the impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff I am writing to you now to request your participation in a research study I am conducting, looking at the effects and impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff. A literature review I previously worked on showed that there are many facets to the effects of anti-social working hours on nursing staff that are not well understood and that, as anti-social working hours have many negative effects on nursing staff, in terms of their professional and personal lives, I am interested in looking in to this issue in further detail. The main aims of the research are to test three hypotheses: H1: The greater the number of anti-social hours worked, the more serious will be the negative effects on the professional and personal lives of nursing staff H2: Nursing staff who have high levels of workplace support are less likely to be affected by anti-social working hours H3: Nursing staff who receive adequate monetary compensation for the anti-social hours they work are less likely to be adversely affected, in terms of their professional lives, by these anti-social hours The research project will consist of three main tools, a Work Ability Index, a questionnaire and a logbook, to be filled in by participants every working day for one month. It is expected that the initial assessment, via the Work Ability Index and the questionnaire, would take around one hour of your time to complete, with the logbook taking around twenty minutes to complete each day. If you have any questions or concerns about your participation, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will address these. If you decide you would like to be part of this research project, I would be grateful if you could sign and return the attached consent form and return it to me in the attached stamped addressed envelope. Yours sincerely, XXXXX Appendix 3: Consent form Research title: An exploration of the impacts of anti-social working hours on nursing staff Name of researcher: XXXXXX Please tick the boxes I can confirm that I have read the participant information sheet and that I understand the aims and objectives of the proposed research _____ I have been given the opportunity to ask questions and to have these questions answered by the researcher ______ I understand that my participation in this research is voluntary and I have fully understood the amount of time my participation in this research will require ____ I understand that I will be able to withdraw from the research at any stage without any retribution  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­_____ I consent to my responses being used in the dissemination of the results of this research, under the proviso that my responses will remain anonymous at all times _____ I agree to keep the research study confidential in that I should not discuss this with my colleagues or managers ____ I agree to take part in the above study ____ Name of participant: Signature: Date: Name of Researcher: Signature: Date: Appendix 4: Work Ability Index The Work Ability Index (Ilmarinen, 2007) will be used to assess how anti-social hours are impacting nursing staff, in terms of their ability to do their jobs, and their own health. The Work Ability Index for each participant will be calculated as a summary of the responses to seven items, scored over a variety of ranges, giving a total possible maximum score of 49: Current work ability compared with the lifetime best (scored from 0-10) Work ability in relation to the demands of the job (scored from 2-10) Number of current diseases diagnosed by a physician (scored from 1-7) Estimated work impairment due to these diseases (scored from 1-6) Sick leave during the past twelve months (scored from 1-5) Own prognosis of work ability two years from now (scored from 1-7) Mental resources (scored from 1-4) As has been seen, in addition to the Work Ability Index, which will give a possible score out of 49, according to the status of the participants regarding their ability to work, several supplementary questions will be asked of the sample of nursing staff, in the form of a questionnaire, in order to gauge their attitudes to work and their overall satisfaction with their work and pay, their motivation and their opinions regarding the support that is available in their workplace. The actual questionnaire is given below: 1. What are your overall feelings towards your job? 2. What is your attitude towards your work? 3. How do you feel about your pay? 4. Do you work anti-social hours? 5. Are you compensated adequately for these anti-social hours? 6. Do you feel you are forced to work anti-social hours? 7. Do you feel motivated to do your work? 8. If not, please specify the reasons behind you lack of motivation 9. Do you feel you receive enough support in your workplace? 10. If not, what could be done to improve the support available to nursing staff in your workplace? 11. How satisfied are you, overall, with your work? 12. Have you ever considered giving up the nursing profession? 13. If yes, please expand upon your reasons behind this. 14. What do you feel could be done to make your job easier? 15. What do you think managers ought to be doing to minimise the impacts of anti-social hours on you and your colleagues? Appendix 6: Logbook The logbook is intended to be completed every working day for one month, and consists of the following questions, repeated every day: Date: Please note your scheduled working hours for today Please note your actual working hours for today Please note how many of your overtime hours will be paid Please note the amount of sleep you had last night Please provide a rating of the quality of the sleep you had last night (from 1 to 10, with 1 being the poorest quality) Please note whether you used any sleep aids If you used an aid to get to sleep, please note what the nature of this sleep aid Please provide a rating of their sleepiness levels (from 1 to 10 with 1 being very sleepy) Please provide a rating of the fatigue you feel today (from 1 to 10 with 1 being very fatigued) Please provide a rating of your stress levels today (from 1 to 10, with 1 being very stressed) Please make a note of any errors you made whilst at work Please make a note of the type of error made Please make a note of any potential errors you would have made had another member of staff not intercepted this error Please make a note of any errors observed in other colleagues Please make any other comments you would like to record here Appendix 7: Ethics form (NEEDS TO BE INCLUDED)

Free Internet Essays: We Must Not Permit Internet Censorship :: Argumentative Persuasive Topics

We Must Not Permit Internet Censorship    The internet is the largest and most diverse source of information our planet has ever known. The internet is integrating our daily life transactions. This is possible because newspapers, television programs, movies, phone calls, computer data, commercial services such as banking and shopping, and a host of other sources of information and communication are all being reduced to the same digital format, and are all be sent along fiber optic cable (Harvard Law Review, 1994).    The libraries of the world, once on line will combine to form a larger base of information than anyone ever imagined. This vast library of information will be accessible in an instant, with the click of a mouse, where internet technology is available. We can compare the internet to another technological advance, which also changed the world. The knowledge potential created by the diverse information accessible on the web is similar to the energy potential realized when we discovered nuclear energy. Like nuclear energy, knowledge is very powerful, and can be used to for both good and evil deeds. Knowledge can indeed have the same converse negative side to it like nuclear energy does. Nuclear energy can be used to power entire cities, or it can be used to erase them. There is an important distinction to be made here. Knowledge is what we use to search for the truth in life, and this fact makes knowledge indispensable. Once we know the truth we can be free from manipulation. Because the internet is so unique in the way it allows access to information, we must protect the internet as a very precious resource. Censoring the internet, a cause, leads to a chain of related effects. The first of which is the upset of the natural balance of information on the internet. This happens when information is removed, thus narrowing the spectrum of available information. From this spectrum of information we derive bits of knowledge. So the second effect of censoring the internet is reduced knowledge. If we allow censorship to weaken the material our searching tool, knowledge, is made of, then we might even lose the truth. The loss of the truth is the third effect of censoring the internet. The final effect of censoring the internet is manipulation made easy. Before we follow this causal chain through its effects, I think it is important to explain what I mean by the truth.

Leaders Are Made

The question was asked in our class discussion this week, â€Å"Are leaders born or made? † This is one of the most often asked questions about leadership. People have varying opinions on this subject. My opinion is that leaders are made. To lead people effectively is a very complex undertaking. No one is born with the necessary tools to be a good leader. I choose to believe that leaders are made, not born, because I want to believe that I can develop into a good leader even though I was not Ron with certain traits.Our lecture last night focused on some traits normally associated with good leaders: energy, stress management, self-confidence, tenaciousness, social intelligence, and integrity. Some of these traits can be used to describe me but there are a few in which I need further development. Leaders are successful for many different reasons, but most importantly is an ability to connect with people. Great connections are energetic. It is important for a leader to exude posi tive energy because the leader sets the tone for the entire organization.Employees have to feel committed to the vision for future success. They have to feel motivated, energize. I know that I have the ability to be energetic in the workplace as a potential leader. Vive been energy- deficient in my current position, probably because my supervisor has not connected with me nor does he exude any positive energy. I am grateful for this experience because it has taught me first-hand how damaging a leader with no energy can be to an employee's morale. The ability to manage stress and self-confidence go hand-in-hand in my opinion.There may be days where the future of your company is worrisome and things aren't going according to plan. It is important, as a leader, not to panic. Part of your Job is to put out fires and maintain team morale. As a leader, staying calm and confident will help keep the team feeling the same. The team will take its cues from the leader. I have never lacked self -confidence. Stress management, however, is a trait in which I need further development. A leader should be tenacious.There is a tendency sometimes for an employee to ant to â€Å"give up† when the going gets tough. Not a leader! The leader should know the special abilities each team member brings to the table. He has to be able to harness those abilities and bring them to the fore-front so that each team member can reach his full potential. Tenacious leaders grab hold of an idea and refuse to let it go until they reach their goal. It is important to model this behavior to set the proper example. Social intelligence is another necessary ingredient to good leadership.It is critical o be able to understand others so that you can know how to influence them. Being empathetic, tactful, diplomatic, and persuasive are important aspects of social intelligence. I want to be able to empower others by being a strong motivator and a good listener. These are traits that I possess but ther e is definitely room for improvement and refinement. There are people who are respected and worth listening to. This respect is earned by being a person of integrity. Employees seek to follow leaders who are honest and who honor their commitments.I will strive to be fair, honest, candid, and to treat everyone how I would want to be treated. If I am able to exemplify these behaviors I will earn the respect of my employees and colleagues. The encouraging thing is that I feel like I possess or could potentially possess all of these traits. Becoming a good leader is a learning process. I'm encouraged by the notion that leaders are made. This is a great training ground to learn the behaviors off good leader. I am committed to learning how to apply these concepts to my everyday thinking.

Ethnic Unbonding in South Africa Essay

Manuel Castells notion of ‘ethnic unbonding’ refers to: the gradual withdrawal certain African-Americans are undergoing, so that they no longer are a member of their initial ethnic group. ‘Ethnic unbonding’ is a process where individuals remove themselves from their ethnic groups, because they are either ashamed or humiliated to be associated as part of a stigmatized ethnic identity. â€Å"So, race matters a lot. But, at the same time, the class divide among blacks has created such fundamentally different living conditions that there is growing hostility among the poor against those former brothers that left them out. Most middle-class blacks strive to get ahead not only from the reality of the ghetto, but from the stigma that echoes from the dying ghetto project on them through their skin. They do so particularly, by insulating their children from the poor black communities (moving to suburbs, integrating them into white-dominated private schools), while, at the same time, reinventing an African-American identity that revives the themes of the past, African or American, while keeping silent on the plight of the present† Castell, M p.57. Manuel Castell raises cognizance to the fact that black South Africans are gradually disassociating themselves from their original ethnic identities. (‘Black South Africans’ refers to the non-white individuals of South Africa, those who were disadvantaged and traduced in the homelands during the Apartheid regime). These ethnic unbonding patterns were first noticed among African-Americans and now South Africans too are gradually adopting them. Citizens split from their ethnic groups to mainly better their lives, since being a part of a stigmatized ethnic group cannot ensure a successful and pleasant lifestyle. Parents want a better life for the children and they find that to live a better quality lifestyle one needs to firstly get an education. So they get a good education and become a success in life only to put their stigmatized ethnic background behind them, to avoid risking the loss of their achievements. Ethnic performances are rarely practised and individuals lose sight of where they come from. â€Å"In the last two decades, geographers have become extremely interested in the issue of ethnicity. Ethnic groups are found in essentially all societies. Ethnic groups are populations that feel a common bond and have a sense of common origin that distinguishes them from other groups. Religion, language, national origin, and skin colour are all used to various degrees by ethnic groups to distinguish themselves from others. It is estimated that the 200 or so independent countries recognized by the United Nations are made up of about 5000 ethnic groups. Increased migration of people in the last 200 years has produced a complex pattern of ethnic groups. Essentially, ethnicity is a spatial concept. Ethnic groups are associated with clearly recognized territories, either some large homeland district or some smaller urban or rural enclaves in which they are the primary or exclusive occupant. In addition, they have somehow marked these places with certain distinguished cultural signs. † (http://teacherweb. ftl. pinecrest. edu/snyderd/APHG/Unit%203/culturenotes. htm). Ethnicity is socially important. It gives certain individuals a feeling of belonging and prevents one from feeling isolated and alone. It contributes immensely to one’s core identity, focusing mostly on the construction of one’s personal identity, and in turn having an effect on the type of person an individual turns out to be in the future. It forms the basis of an individual’s structure and agency. Ethnicity also promotes national strength which can be built from the diverse cultural resources present in South Africa. It brings together a national identity. ‘Afrikaners historically considered themselves the only true South Africans and, while granting full citizenship to all residents of European descent, denied that status to people of colour until the democratic transition of 1994. British South Africans retain a sense of cultural and social connection to Great Britain without weakening their identity as South Africans. A similar concept of primary local and secondary ancestral identity is prevalent among people of Indian descent. The Bantu-speaking black peoples have long regarded themselves as South African despite the attempts of the white authorities to classify them as less than full citizens or as citizens of ethnic homelands (â€Å"Bantustans†) between 1959 and 1991. Strong cultural loyalties to African languages and local political structures such as the kingdom and the chieftaincy remain an important component of identity. National identity comes first for all black people, but belonging to an ethnic, linguistic, and regional grouping and even to an ancestral clan has an important secondary status. (http://www. everyculture. com/Sa-Th/South-Africa. html). As a result of years of racial separation and discrimination, the majority of South African citizens of which are black, have been severely ill-treated based on the colour of their skin. â€Å"A race is a population that shares visible physical characteristics from inbreeding and that thinks of itself or is thought of by outsiders as distinct. It has been used by societies to justify poor treatment of minority groups† ( http://www. sociologyguide. com/questions/ethnicity. php). For decades black people have been slandered and stereotyped by the white superior citizens, to be uncultured individuals. White people were entirely prejudiced against the black people. ‘Prejudice is a judgment based on group membership or social status. Prejudice may be formed through both individual and group influences including socialization, rationalizing through stereotypes, the scapegoating process, reinforcement of a self-fulfilling prophecy ramification of an authoritarian personality and degree of contact with minority groups.’ http://www. sociologyguide. com/questions/ethnicity. php. How black ethnic groups emerged? Being ethnic is relating to or a characteristic of a sizable group of people sharing a common and distinctive racial, national, religious, linguistic or cultural heritage. (http://www. thefreedictionary. com. ) Just like the trends in America, black citizens of South Africa formed groups based on commonalities. These people shared hardships and sufferings, as a result of being excluded from having any opportunities and privileges, by the white superiorities. The white citizens undermined the black citizens for centuries and thus blacks were forced to form close relationships with one another based on the fact that they had common deprivations. ‘Bantustans’ were formed in South Africa and these areas were wastelands of hardship. Residents of these areas were forced to deal with struggle and poverty thus leading to an increase in crime rate. People did what they could to survive. Stealing, drug dealing etc. all the forms of violence and corruption exploded from these areas. Put a group of homeless and poor people together and what do you get? Chaos. White people were aware of the disorder in the homelands and ever since then stereotypes were given to black people. What provoked ethnic unbonding? Ethnic unbonding is when individuals from an ethnic group break away from their core cultural identity and instead pursue an identity of their own. Individuals mainly do this to improve their standards of living. The stigmas attached to certain ethnic groups are undesirable and individuals are afraid of being part of these unpleasant stereotypes. Certain groups especially ethnic groups have harsh associations linked to them and for these people to improve their quality of life they need to detach themselves from their ethnic groups. The negativity one receives from being part of a stigmatized ethnic group for some is too much to handle. People want to be freed from the harmful judgements of the past, and thus completely detaching themselves from their core ethnic identity is the best way out. ‘’Race and ethnicity are central – to America, as to other societies’ dynamics – their manifestations seem to be deeply altered by current social trends. ’’ (Castells, 1997: 53). Globalisation affects people’s choices on being or not being part of an ethnic group. Westernization transforms certain cultures and moulds them into a more modernized culture, with less practices and more simplicity. Cultural identity is a victim of globalization. Culture is being altered so much by globalization and media effects that soon the culture will transform into something completely different. According to Tomlinson, J. p. 23 states that â€Å"it is fair to say that the impact of globalization in the cultural sphere has, most generally, been viewed in a pessimistic light. Typically, it has been associated with the destruction of cultural identities, victims of the accelerating encroachment of a homogenized, westernized, consumer culture. † Conclusion Ethnic unbonding is inevitable. Every single individual wants a decent lifestyle and a decent life is one with no racial, gender or ethnic inequalities. Ethnic unbonding will continue to take place in South Africa as well as the rest of the world, because the desire for one to have an improved standard of living exceeds the desire to want to belong to an ethnic area. Castells concept of ethnic unbonding is a notion unknowingly practiced amongst the people of South Africa. Castell believes that individuals belonging to certain ethnic groups are developing boundaries within themselves. However, I think that people can still live a better life and yet maintain a part of their ethnicity. Lifestyles can be adjusted so that some form of their religion and culture is integrated into their everyday life and not forgotten. Future generations might be at risk of never knowing exactly where they come from, and being clueless about their ethnic and cultural heritage. 1. Castells, Manuel. 1997. The power of identity. Cambridge, MA. Blackwell, 52-59 2. Tomlinson, John. Globalization and cultural identity http://www. polity. co. uk/global/pdf/gtreader2etomlinson. pdf(12September 2011) 3. Definitions of race, prejudice and discrimination: http://www. sociologyguide. com/questions/ethnicity. php (12September 2011) 4. Countries and their Culture – South Africa http://www. everyculture. com/Sa-Th/South-Africa. html (12September 2011) 5. THE GLOBALIZATION OF CULTURE, AND THE GEOGRAPHY OF INEQUALITY: RACE, ETHNICITY & GENDER http://teacherweb. ftl. pinecrest. edu/snyderd/APHG/Unit%203/culturenotes. htm (12September 2011) 6. Definition of Ethnic: http://www. thefreedictionary. com (12September 2011).