The Importance of Music in Education - 1426 Words

Emma Bullock MU 203-303 2 December 2015 Final Paper The Importance of Music in Education Whether we choose to believe it or not, music is a very present thing in one’s day to day lifestyle. From turning on the radio in the morning, to listening to it while grocery shopping, putting in our headphones while we study, music is always there. Music is also extremely underrated, which is why so many public schools are constantly threatening to take away music programs all the time. But why is music education so vital in the growth of students? According to the National Association for Music Education, twenty reasons are given as to why music is helping to enrich students educational experience, not diminish it. 1. Musical training†¦show more content†¦14. Musical instruments can teach discipline: Kids who learn to play an instrument can learn a valuable lesson in discipline. They will have to set time aside to practice and rise to the challenge of learning with discipline to master playing their instrument. 15. Preparation for the creative economy: Investing in creative education can prepare students for the 21st century workforce. The new economy has created more artistic careers, and these jobs may grow faster than others in the future. 16. Development in creative thinking: Kids who study the arts can learn to think creatively. This kind of education can help them solve problems by thinking outside the box and realizing that there may be more than one right answer. 17. Music can develop spatial intelligence: St udents who study music can improve the development of spatial intelligence, which allows them to perceive the world accurately and form mental pictures. Spatial intelligence is helpful for advanced mathematics and more. 18. Kids can learn teamwork: Many musical education programs require teamwork as part of a band or orchestra. In these groups, students will learn how to work together and build camaraderie. 19. Responsible risk-taking: Performing a musical piece can bring fear and anxiety. Doing so teaches kids how to take risks and deal with fear, which will help them become successful and reach their potential. 20. BetterShow MoreRelatedThe Importance Of Music Education790 Words   |  4 PagesTime Music education is a subject in school that should be essential for all students. If students continued to expand their music education, they would have higher test scores in subjects such as math and English. Having a school system where everyone is able to benefit from a school wide requirement of music education. Music education will help improve student test scores and improve students language development. Students who take music classes have higher test scores. Music education helpsRead MoreThe Importance Of Music Education2171 Words   |  9 PagesThe Importance of Music Education Perhaps the largest distinction between humans and all other animals on earth is the ability to both create and appreciate fine art. The musical art form has existed for thousands of years, and has allowed different cultures to express themselves and connect with one another. The most primitive sounds were simply drum hits and clapping, but over time music has grown in sophistication. Now, complicated symphonies can be heard in halls all across the world, with aRead MoreThe Importance of Music Education Essay951 Words   |  4 Pagestoday’s society? Some say that music education is a waste of valuable resources, takes time away from academic subjects, is noisy and distracting, when in reality this is false. Music is a valuable resource that every human being should enjoy. Although our economy has been failing lately, we should not let ourselves believe that the only way to be productive is in a field that makes us unhappy, like computers or science. In America’s recen t economic downfall, music education is commonly one of the firstRead MoreEssay The Importance of Music Education1936 Words   |  8 Pagesinvigorating article, â€Å"Why Music Education? 2007† having so many atrocities pulling the world apart, music is a great way for bringing people together (9). Diagnosed with a severe case of autism and blindness at birth, Derek Paravacini is viewed as a music savant. He has the extraordinary ability to play a music piece after just hearing it. Derek has been engrossed by the piano since the age of two and has been performing around the world since the age of nine. From studying various music genres, at age 32Read MoreThe Importance of Music Education Essay885 Words   |  4 PagesImagine a world without music; it would be an extremely boring and quiet place to live. Music is found in every kind of culture and has been used for thousands of years as a means of expression. Music can deliver a message; it can be used as a vehicle for poetry; it can be appreciated for its aesthetic qualities, or it can serve as nothing more than entertainment. Recently, many studies have been conducted proving that music is vital to a childs education and development. However, many schoolRead MoreThe Importance and Effects of Music Education Essay examples1944 Words   |  8 Pages Music evaluated as a subjects that is many times overlooked. If a school seems to have financial trouble, then music and art programs are the first to get cut. Essentially, students do not need them to succeed and they are just hobbies. This is the mindset that many school boards have towards music education. I have had the pleasure of being involved in music from a young age. My schools did not offer music programs, but my parents saw an opportunity in music education so they decided to lookRead MoreEssay on The Importance of Music Education in the School Curriculum2336 Words   |  10 PagesMusic is all around us, yet many of us do not understand it. A simple man with an office job that you pick randomly off the street could most likely tell you the basic rules of American Football, and yet that same man could have never played football in his life before. If you asked that same guy the basics of the music he is listening to, I bet you would get a blank stare back. My argument relates directly to schools so many people can reason football is not technically taught in school, but whatRead MoreHigh School And The Neural And Scholastic Benefits Essay1626 Words   |  7 PagesGerald Ford said, â€Å"Music education opens doors that help children pass from school into the world around t hem a world of work, culture, intellectual activity, and human involvement. The future of our nation depends on providing our children with a complete education that includes music.† Music can do so much for the youth of the nation because it encourages group cooperation, independent study, and a way to relax. It has often been debated whether the benefits of music in school are significantRead MoreLiterature Review on Music Education Essay1000 Words   |  4 PagesLiterature Review This complex problem of music education has been studied for many years. Some disciplines go off of one another to conduct studies and analyze one’s results. Music educators tend to study how music education came to be. They are huge advocators for music education because of the benefits that come with the programs. Psychologists have studies done around the world to see what the affects of having knowledge in the subject of music are. With so many studies done, there are so manyRead MoreSchools Should Provide Better Funding For Such Programs1734 Words   |  7 Pagesschool years. Do you remember going to music classes? Learning how to pluck out simple songs on the piano, a xylophone, or a recorder; or learning how to sing out a catchy tune? Did you have as much fun as I remember having? This fun is about to come to an end for the coming generations. Public schools are beginning to cut music programs from their budgets altogether, so our children may never know the sweet sol ace of scratching out a simple song. Generally, music programs-- as well as fine arts as a

Personal Definition Of Morality By Benjamin Franklin And...

Think about your personal definition of morality. Is it a set of independent morals or are they applicable to the community as a whole? Virtue refers to high moral standards. In the pre-revolutionary American colonies, the idea of virtue was central to the idea of the â€Å"quintessential American†. Benjamin Franklin and John Winthrop created their own set of virtues to live by. Both of the prominent colonists drew from their past experiences, religious beliefs, and their beliefs about the foundation of human nature. Because he took an individualistic approach motivated by divine reward, Benjamin Franklin changed Boston’s idea of virtue from the Puritanical, community based morals set by John Winthrop decades previously. Examining the virtues†¦show more content†¦Conversely, Franklin seems to disregard honesty. In his virtue of silence, Franklin instructs himself to only speak when it benefits himself and others (Franklin 428). This idea of partial honesty does not directly contradict true honesty but still differs from the idea of truth that Winthrop preached. Most obviously, Franklin and Winthrop disagreed about who virtues should apply to. Franklin’s virtues are, at the time of their creation, purely for his independent self betterment. Discordantly, Winthrop’s virtues are for his entire community, aligning with the intense fellowship developed in Puritan societies. Franklin prioritizes himself above others. He views himself as a moral example for his community. In his autobiography, he reveals that he wrote down his account of his life so that his Posterity could imitate it (Franklin 381). Presumably, Franklin wants to better himself to set an example of superior morality for his community. This change in the sense of community in Boston can be attributed to the time between Winthrop and Franklin. In less than 90 years, the Massachusetts Bay Colony experienced King Philip’s War and became a royal colony. These changes caused Boston to slowly become less and less of a puritanical society. Even the first non-Puritan t own, Oxford, was established (Massachusetts History Timeline). It can be inferred that Boston lost the

Rivethead Social Issues of Work Essay Example For Students

Rivethead Social Issues of Work Essay Ben Hampers book Rivethead; Tales From The Assembly Line is a gritty in your face account of a factory workers struggles against his factory, his co-workers, and the time clock. Hamper makes no apologies for any of his actions, many of which were unorthodox or illegal. Instead he justifies them in a way that makes the factory workers strife apparent to those who have never set foot on an assembly line and wouldnt have the vaguest idea how much blood, sweat and tears go into the products we take for Rivethead is an account of the entire life of Author Ben Hamper, from his long family lineage of shoprats and his catholic school upbringing to his numerous different positions on the General Motors assembly line and his equally numerous lay-offs from the GM Truck Bus Division. Unfortunately the many years of back breaking labor combined with Hampers own personal demons led him to check into an outpatient mental facility (at the time of the completion of this book) where he learns daily to cope with his many years Rivethead is a social commentary on industrial America, assembly line work , and the auto industry. This essay, however, will focus on the more specific aspects Hamper considers, such as the monotony required on a (then) modern assembly line, the relationship and hierarchy among workers and their interaction with management as well as both collective and individual responses to work and job When Henry Ford first developed the idea of the assembly line he was heralded as one of the most forward thinking men of his time, and without the assembly line we would no doubt not be as powerful a nation as we are today. The assembly line principle as it matured in industrial society however, proved to destroy workers creativity and stifle the very essence of human life. Growth and change. On an assembly line workers are degraded to automatons, performing the same tasks over and over and over. Day in day out, without ever having any knowledge or input into any of the other tasks related to completion of the project. This monotony in the workplace spills over into the daily life of many factory workers and affects how they live their life outside of the factory after the whistle blows as much as it does while theyre on the assembly line. This spillover was observed by Hamper of his Grandfather. Straight home from work, dinner, the evening news and immediately into bed at 7:00 p.m. He arose each weekday at 3:30 a.m., fixed himself some black coffee, turned on the kitchen radio, smoked a handful of Lucky Strikes and waited to leave for work at a quarter to five. This regimen never varied one iota in the forty years he worked for GM (Hamper pg. 6). It is fairly clear that the monotony of the assembly line has a way of setting personal routines for its workers that eventually work their way out of the factory and into the home. One interesting question that is raised, is whether people who like their life to be routinized eventually find their way to an assembly line or if the assembly line monotony brings the propensity to routinize out in people who previously did The relationships Hamper discusses between the workers on the assembly line are unique to say the least and sometimes comical or dangerous. After reading this book I would surmise that most factory workers build friendships with other factory workers almost exclusively. This could be due to their similarity of interests, similarity of jobs, the fact that they are in contact daily, or just by virtue of the timing of their shifts (as was Hampers case). I think one thing that helped to bind the workers together was the fact that they saw it as workers against management and by their solidarity they could turn the balance of power in their favor. .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 , .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 .postImageUrl , .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 , .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38:hover , .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38:visited , .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38:active { border:0!important; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38:active , .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38 .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ucbd98dfd4cc832628bc94a60596a3c38:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Issues Of Strategic And Change Management Essay This solidarity was visible when a new supervisor was hired who wasnt cutting the workers any slack, so the workers resorted to sabotage. We simply had no other recourse. Sometimes these power-gods had to be reminded that it was we, the workers, who kept this place runnin (Hamper pg.206). Relationships between workers were generally very good, although there was a hierarchy among the workers between the new guys and the experienced guys. Franklin. ..made a career out of intimidating rookies (Hamper pg.51) because until a worker had put in 90 days he could be fired for any reason. Not all of Hampers co-workers saw eye to eye with him when it came to his column in the Flint Voice. .

Havinhurst Developmental Theory

Questions: 1) How is your relationship with your parents? 2) From whom you got adequate learning to walk? 3) Do you understand the sex difference and sexual modesty? 4) How you have learned necessary physical skills for traditional games? 5) How did you achieve personal independence? 6) How did you achieve mature relationship with age mates of both sexes? 7) How the ideology is developed to your lifestyle? 8) Did you get enough knowledge from your parents regarding the future path of your career? 9) How did you understand the adjustment of physical strength and health? 10) Hoe did you develop satisfactory living arrangement? 11) How did you understand the personal values and self concepts? 12) Do you think the ideological concepts help in increasing the occupational commitments? 13) Does Gould theory help to understand the career evolution path? 14) Do think direct observation of a particular task provide you suitable understanding? 15) Don you think scientific discourse issues help you to make your life reliable? Answers: In this particular context, an interview is conducted with Evelyn who is 19 years old. Most of the questions are based on the havinhurst developmental task theory, Marcia identity status and Gould theory. The questionnaires are as follows. 1. Human psychology is one of the most mysterious things and reading human psyche is also one of the most difficult tasks (Bechtel Ts'erts'man, 2002). Therefore, psychology is one of the most vital studies that guide a psychologist in analyzing the psych of any person. Evelyn is a 19 years old girl, and she was interviewed for analyzing her psych, several questions was asked her for getting knowledge about her personal life her upbringing etc. on asking the question about her relationship with her parents, she answered that she has normal relationship with her parents (Crafter, 2015). Her parents as any other parents love her very much as well as they are truly concern about her, about her study, about her wellbeings. She also loves and respects her parents as usual. 2. On asking this question Evelyn said, that her walking lesson was very difficult. As she was very weak in her toddler age, she faced difficulties in walking. Her parents help her in walking. Mainly her father helps her in walking. Initially, she learnt to scroll, she had tried to get up; however, several times she was failed in this attempt (Csikszentmihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, 2006). Her father brought a walker for her and with that walker; slowly-slowly she tried to walk. Her parents helped her in her attempt, and eventually she learnt to walk. 3. According my opinion sex differences depends on all the aspects of sex effects on disease and biology. The sex has profound as the susceptibility to the disease and effects on the physiology. The function of organ and cells depends on the sex and determined by interplay among social, biological and genome environment (James, 1950). Yes, I am having the knowledge of sexual modesty it is defined as the distinguishing the individuals according to the different sex but they are not directly concerned with the reproduction. It is the differences in the appearances between the female and male species. 4. I have learned physical skills for the traditional games from the area of the movement of the skill acquisition classes. The skill of movement is the series of movements that helped me to perform with precision and accuracy (Kagitcibasi, 2002). The skills have through my hard work and efforts in including climbing and balancing in the hilly areas and learned how the skills can be used to perform in the traditional games. The motor skill that I have practised and learned is to walk with good balance, steady and agility gait. Running at a comfortable speed in the obstacles and in one direction and turning around while running. Learned to walk on and jump over the low objects such as the string, lime or balance beam. The physical development helps me to foster the progress of my future. 5. According to my personal independence, it is state of my mind where, I can portray my thinking to the existing world without any interference. The personal independence cannot be, achieved, it depend on the situation. Previously I use to live with my family in a small apartment there is no personal independence (Lerner Steinberg, 2004). The personal independence grows with maturity. After my school when I went to college, then I feel the meaning of independence. The situation helped me to think independently apart from the staying dependent for any decision to my parents. 6. When, we get mature with time the prospect of thinking changes. When I get apart from family the main aspect in my mind is hide my personal aspect. I use to stay a loop from night out and long vacation trips. Sharing less with my mates helps me to develop mature relationship. In the aspect of mature relationship, I did not judge my mates at the instant rather I think slowly (Milberg, 2002). In order to develop mature relationship I built a huge patience. Communicating effectively is a vital element in building an efficient mature relationship. 7. Evelyn stated that life ideology plays a vital role in overall lifestyle. Most importantly, in work places and professional life the reliable ideology should be taken by the individuals. However, I use to follow a stand ideology of honesty and helping people in our community that make me feel good as well as help to understanding the need of development in your community (Myers, 2004). In work places the reliable ideology of maintaining the code of conducts of the organization is properly maintained because the proper ethical consideration should be taken by the individuals and it directly influenced by the relive ideology taken by me. It will ensure the future career goals as well as the self respect is also developed. 8. Parents play a crucial role in understanding the factors and theories present in our life and in my life my parents provided enormous effort to make me eligible any filed of work. Since, my childhood my parents taught me how to deal with conflicts and make a reliable solution for a particular problem in my life. The proper understanding and leading a standard lifestyle is entirely gathered from my parents. In childhood days my parents use to teach men how to respect your teachers (Pope-Davis, 2003). On the other hand, the differences between the bad and good things are also understood after the reliable knowledge gathered from my parents. However, the future career goals and the opportunities in modern world are given by my parent and it can be stated that the enough knowledge and understanding help me in ensuring my future acre smooth. 9. Physical strength is very important for the development of the body, increase in the desired energy levels of the human beings helps to understand the adjustment of development of the physical strength in the human body. Proper development of the physical strength helps to enhance the inefficiency of the mental health of the body as per the living standards. Thus, physical exercises are, considered the most important part of the human life as it helps to develop the physical strengths well as the mental level of the human beings (Qualls Abeles, 2000). Thus, the adjustment of the physical strength is, seen in people merely at the age of 18 to 20 years of age. 10. Proper living arrangement is very crucial for maintaining proper health of the citizens of the country. Therefore there should be proper atmosphere as well as the food ate should be free from germs as well as they should be healthy. Proper food helps in the development of proper health of the human body and it also promotes the perfect growth of the body, thus there are three crucial points for maintaining the perfect living arrangement, they are food, shelter and clothing as these three things maintains the living conditions for the human beings (Roberts, 2003). 11. According to Evelyn, she would like to work to be satisfied in her day to day life. Her household works should be done perfectly. She would like to have a healthy life style. Arrangement of living is very much important according to her. She will make plans to do every day work (Scott, 2011). Satisfaction is very much important for survive happily. 12. Evelyn stated that, her upbringing thought her about the personal values. Self respect and self confidence increases her concept of self concepts. She is very much confident about herself and her career. Her family and her friends are very close to her. Respect to the elders and showing love to the young is thought by her parents. She understands the importance of maintaining professional life and personal life. She is very much focused about her career. Her way of talking displays her confidence about her own self. She is very much clear about the togetherness of family (Bechtel Ts'erts'man, 2002). Her way of talking and attitude says a lot about her. 13. Gould theory reflects the understanding of imperfect fact where the fact and theory are part of the statement. Based on the fact acquired by Evelyn and her speech and the theories made on the study of the topic, it can be said that there is influence of parent on the career evolution path Evelyn has chosen. The decision was taken by her alone but the principles that she depends on while taking the decision is all based on her parents and upbringing. Influence of parents will definitely be on the child and later when that child becomes an individual, the decision of the individual will become results of those principles the parents taught us (Crafter, 2015). 14. Definitely observation helps us showing the behaviour and working pattern of any individual. The person can be observed while performing one single task. The observation will remain on the person and his/ her activities while performing the task. Proper observation can be carried out as the person performs the task. The activities of the person will reflect three things. One, the person will perform the task with full concentration on that particular task and nothing else (Csikszentmihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, 2006). Two, the person will not perform the task with any concentration and no interest at all. Lastly three, the person will perform the task with concentration along with performing other tasks like; receiving phone, eating, listening music, etc. Observation will help understand the persons behaviour. 15. Yes the researches of the scientist helps in the evaluation of the proper health conditions that are required for the human life. Thus, the scientific researches made from the scientists points out the fact that there are many of the germs present in the water, which many of the people used for their life, as well as the cooking of the food needs to be, properly, executed. Some of the most crucial points related to the researches were regarding the maintaining the perfect level of the human life conditions that will help to evaluate the growth of 56the human body (Kagitcibasi, 2002). Therefore the scientists discourse issues reflects the desired conditions for the evaluation of the growth of the human body. References Bechtel, R., Ts'erts'man, A. (2002). Handbook of environmental psychology. New York: J. Wiley Sons. Crafter, S. (2015). Cultural psychology and deconstructing developmental psychology. Feminism Psychology. doi:10.1177/0959353515572703 Csikszentmihalyi, M., Csikszentmihalyi, I. (2006). A life worth living. Oxford: Oxford University Press. James, W. (1950). The principles of psychology. [New York]: Dover Publications. Kagitcibasi, C. (2002). Psychology and Human Competence Development. Applied Psychology, 51(1), 5-22. doi:10.1111/1464-0597.0076z Lerner, R., Steinberg, L. (2004). Handbook of adolescent psychology. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons. Milberg, W. (2002). Human Neuropsychology. Biological Psychology, 60(1), 75-77. doi:10.1016/s0301-0511(02)00013-3 Myers, D. (2004). Psychology. New York: Worth Publishers. Pope-Davis, D. (2003). Handbook of multicultural competencies in counseling psychology. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage Publications. Qualls, S., Abeles, N. (2000). Psychology and the aging revolution. Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association. Roberts, R. (2003). Emotions. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. Scott, G. (2011). The very next new thing. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger.

Us Involvement In World War Two Essay Example For Students

Us Involvement In World War Two Essay Americas involvement in World War TwoWhen war broke out , there was no way the world could possibly know the severity of this guerre. Fortunately one country saw and understood that Germany and its allies would have to be stopped. Americas Involvement in World War two not only contributed in the eventual downfall of the insane Adolph Hitler and his Third Reich, but also came at the precise time and moment. Had the united states entered the war any earlier the consequences might have been worse. Over the years it has been an often heated and debated issue on whether the united states could have entered the war sooner and thus have saved many lives. To try to understand this we must look both at the peoples and governments point of view. Just after war broke out in Europe, President Roosevelt hurriedly called his cabinet and military advisors together. There it was agreed that the United states stay neutral in these affairs. One of the reasons given was that unless America was directly threatened they had no reason to be involved. This reason was a valid one because it was the American policy to stay neutral in any affairs not having to with them unless American soil was threatened directly. Thus the provisional neutrality act passed the senate by seventy-nine votes to two in 1935. On August 31, Roosevelt signed it into law. In 1936 the law was renewed, and in 1937 a ?comprehensive and permanent? neutrality act was passed (Overy 259). The desire to avoid ?foreign entanglements? of all kinds had been an American foreign policy for more than a century. A very real ?geographical Isolation? permitted the United States to ?fill up the empty lands of North America free from the threat of foreign conflict?(Churchill 563). We will write a custom essay on Us Involvement In World War Two specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Even if Roosevelt had wanted to do more in this European crisis (which he did not), there was a factor too often ignored by critics of American policy-American military weakness. When asked to evaluate how many troops were available if and when the United States would get involved, the army could only gather a mere one hundred thousand, when the French, Russian and Japanese armies numbered in millions. Its weapons dated from the first World War and were no match compared to the new artillery that Germany and its allies had. ?American soldiers were more at home with the horse than with the tank? (Overy 273). The air force was just as bad if not worse. In September 1939 the Air Corps had only 800 combat aircrafts again compared with Germanys 3600 and Russias 10,000 . American military Aviation (AMA) in 1938 was able to produce only 1,800, 300 less than Germany, and 1,400 less than Japan. Major Eisenhower, who was later Supreme commander of the Allied forces in the second World War, com plained that America was left with ?only a shell of military establishment? (Chapman 234 ). As was evident to Roosevelt the United states military was in no way prepared to enter this European crisis. Another aspect that we have to consider is the peoples views and thoughts regarding the United States going to war. After all let us not forget that the American government is there ?for the people and by the people? and therefore the peoples view did play a major role in this declaration of Neutrality. In one of Roosevelts fireside chats he said ?We shun political commitments which might entangle us In foreign warsIf we face the choice of profits or peace-this nation must answer, the nation will answer ?we choose peace ?,in which they did. A poll taken in 1939 revealed that ninety-four per cent of the citizens did not want the united states to enter the war. The shock of World War one had still not left ,and entering a new war, they felt, would be foolish. In the early stages of the war American Ambassador to London was quoted saying ?Its the end of the world, the end of everything? ( Overy 261). As Richard Overy notes in The Road To War, this growing ?estrangement? from Europe was not mere selfishness. They were the values expressed by secretary of state, Cordel Hull: ?a primary interest in peace with justice, in economic well-being with stability, and conditions of order under the law?. These were principles here on which most Americans (ninety-four percent as of 1939) agreed on. To promote these principles the United States would have to avoid all ?foreign entanglements?, or as Overy puts it ?any kind of alliance or association outside the western hemisphere?. Instead the United States should act as an arbitre in world affairs, ?encouraging peaceful change where necessary? and most and for all discouraging aggression (Overy 263). Why risk going to war, when it is contrary to American policy which most if not all Americans were in agreement with and not mentioning the fact that the American military was in shambles. Yet another factor that led to this decision of Neutrality by President Roosevelt was the American Economy. The health of the American economy could not be jeopardized, whatever was happening elsewhere. It was Roosevelts view that the United states would fare well (economically speaking) whether Europe went to war or not. ?Gold was flowing in from Europes capitals; orders were mounting daily for equipment and supplies of all kinds; America was building a battleship for Stalin, aero-engines for France? (Overy 277). For most of the 1930s the United states traded as openly with Germany and Japan, as it did with any other country. Japan relied on fuel oil and scrap iron until 1941. Germany was one of the United States ?most important markets? during the 1930s. American investments in Germany increased by forty per cent between 1936 and 1940 ( Wilson 291). America was steadily regaining the prosperity that had diminished during World War 1. The real concern of American business was not ?the rights or wrongs of trading with fascism? but the fear that commercial rivals such as Japan and Germany w ould exclude American goods from Europe and Asia altogether (273). It is very easy to point and accuse the united states of being selfish, but one has to understand that any negative actions made would have resulted in the United States being almost if not completely out of the economic race. Would the United states have been as prosperous as it is today had they intervened any earlier? They probably would have not because at that time in history America needed a boost to return to its earlier status of being economically stable which Germany and its allies so adequately provided. Therefore President Roosevelt was not about to go to war with all axis powers thereby jeopardizing not only the safety of the American people but also the American economy which was so essential to a large and complex country that the United States was at the time. Unless American interests were directly threatened, Roosevelt hesitated to ?push the button? ( Churchill 542). .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 , .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 .postImageUrl , .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 , .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7:hover , .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7:visited , .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7:active { border:0!important; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7:active , .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7 .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u4426aa0b57727d6ddb8640a04b5480a7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Problems in Kuwait EssayOn December 6, 1941 the Japanese Airforce led a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, completely eradicating the port. Finally President Roosevelt could wait no longer. America was now involved and not going to war would only endanger the United states more than it already was. On the following day Roosevelt argued that the attack ?had given us an opportunity?. Congress approved the declaration of war with only one dissenting voice. Eleanor Roosevelt noted that the effect of the Japanese attack was ?to release my husband from months and pent-up tension and anxiety?. Andrew Wheatcroft says in his book The Road To War, ? It is tempting to see Pearl Harbor as the crisis that Roosevelt was waiting for and did nothing to prevent?. Americas most vital interest, defense of American soil, had been challenged. At last America had to go to war and eventually bring an end to the rule of nazi Germany. The Americans upon declaring its Neutrality, gave additional encouragement to Japan and Germany to in a way ?take over the world?, and to Nazify it. Hitler had convinced himself that America had declined in the 1930s because of social crisis. This misconception also led Japan to confront the United States in 1941. Had the United States entered the war any earlier or later the consequences could have been much worse (If possible). Towards the end of the war Walter Lippmann reporter for the Herald Tribune recalled his experience:When I attempt to compare the America in which I was reared with the America of today, I am struck by how unconcerned I was as a young man with the hard questions which are the subject matter of history. I did not think about the security of the republic and how to defend it(Overy 341). Franklin Delano Roosevelt did think about the security of the republic and defended it magnificently. Leading the United States every step of the way President Roosevelt did a superior job in bringing America into war when he did. Evidently America entered World war 2 at the precise time and moment to once and for all take down Adolph Hitler and the third Reich. Andy CordosIs War Justifiable? What were the causes and effects of World War I? The answer to this seemingly simple question is not elementary. There was more to the onset of the war then the event of an Austrian prince being murdered in Serbia, as is what most people consider to be the cause of World War I. Furthermore, the effects of the war were not just concentrated to a post-war era lasting for a generation of Westerners. No, the effects of the war were widespread throughout the world and can be traced to generations after the war.. It is not a rare occasion that when a person is asked what the causes of World War I were, that they answer with the simple comment of an Austrian Prince being shot in Serbia. However the assignation of the Archduke Francis Ferdinand and his wife, Sophie, in Sarajevo was not the main cause of the Great War. Rather, it was the breaking point for Austria in its dealings with Serbia. The truth of the matter is that several factors played a role in the outbreak of the catastrophic war the engulfed the nations of Europe for over four years. World War I truly was the result of building aggressions among the countries of Europe, which was backed by the rise of nationalism. To add to the disastrous pot, there was also imperial competition along with the fear of war prompting military alliances and an arms race. All of these increased the escalating tensions that lead to the outbreak of a world war. Two opposing alliances developed by the Bismarckian diplomacy after the Franco- Prussian War w as one of the major causes of the war. In order to diplomatically isolate France, Bismarck formed the Three Emperors League in 1872, which was an alliance between Germany, Russia, and Austria-Hungary. Then in 1882, Bismarck took advantage of Italian resentment toward France and formed the Triple Alliance between Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungry. In 1890 Bismarck was dismissed from his office and France took the opportunity to gain an ally, therefore, in 1891 the Franco- Russian Entente was formed. Then in 1904 Britain and France put aside their conflicts and formed the Entente Cordiale. As a result, the Triple Entente, a coalition between Great Britain, France, and Russia, countered the Triple Alliance. Now Europe was divided up into two-armed camps. Nationalism also played a major role in developing tensions in Europe; for it had been causing dissatisfaction since the Congress of Vienna in 1815. In that settlement the preservment of peace was chosen over nationalism, therefore, Ge rmany and Italy were left as divided states, though they did unify in the future. The Franco- Prussian War in 1871 resulted in the Frances loss of the province of Alasce- Lorraine to Germany, and the French looked forward to regaining their lands. Then there was Austria- Hungary, which controlled many lands that their neighbors felt belonged to them. Serbia wanted Bosnia and Herzegovina, Italy wanted the Trentino and Trieste regions, and the Czechs and Slovaks wanted independence from Austria- Hungry. There was also Russia which had problems within its own boundaries; for Russia contained many different nationalities and many were also seeking independence in the name of nationalism. Another major conflict that caused the outbreak of the Great War was what is known as the arms race. With the hostile divisions of the nations of Europe there came the expansion of armies and navies. Furthermore, the great powers came to copy Germanys military organization and efficiency, which called f or universal registration for military duty, large reserves and detailed planning. Efforts were made for universal disarmament, but the international rivalry caused the arms race to continue to feed on itself. Imperial competition also played a major rule in the act of increasing the ever growing tensions among the divided countries of Europe. In Africa there were two crises in Morocco. The first time, in 1905, Germany full heartedly supported Moroccos call for independence from France, and with the British defending the French war was only avoided because of an international conference, which made Morocco a French protectorate. The second crisis occurred in 1911, and it was in protest to French supremacy in Morocco. The Germans finally gave the French a free hand in Morocco, but with a price. They demanded in exchange a portion if of the French Congo. Around this same era there was also a Bosnian crisis, which began with Austria- Hungarys takeover of the province of Bosnia in 1908. For this Serbia threatened war on Austria- Hungary with the pledged backing of Russia. As they began to mobilize, Austria- Hungary, with the alliance of Germany, threaten war on Russia. When Russia backed down, the soon to be war was postponed, but left was a greatly strained relationship between Serbia and Austria Hungary. On June 28, 1914 the battle lines were drawn with the assassinations in Sarajevo. It was believed that the crime was committed by a Serbian nationalist, and immediately following it Germany, with its full support pledged, pressed Austria- Hungary into declaring war on Serbia. At this same time, France was strengthening its backing of Russia. War might have been avoided if Serbia had accepted Austria- Hungarys harsh ultimatum, however they faithfully refused. Almost at once the war fell into place. Austria declared war on July 28, 1914. The next day Russia mobilized against Austria- Hungary, on August 1st Germany declared war on Russia, and two days later on Fran ce. When Germany disregarded Belgiums neutrality, Britain declared war on Germany. Finally war had begun, and unlike the predictions that had been made the resulting war was long, indecisive, and reeked havoc on the nations of Europe. The Great War officially ended in January of 1919 with a peace conference in Paris, which represented twenty- seven triumphant nations. However almost immediately the great powers, United States, Great Britain, and France, were at odds with each other. President Wilson, the representative of the United States, was insisting on first and foremost dealing with the creation of the League of Nations; while France and Britain on punishing Germany. In the long run France gave up on having a buffer zone between itself and Germany for a defensive alliance with the United States and Britain, and Wilson got the formation of the League of Nations. These developments were not the key items at the conference, rather it was the Treaty of Versailles. This treaty was made between the Allies and Germany, and it began to re-establish order. In the treaty, all of Germanys colonieswere divided among the nations, thought it sustained minor losses of territory within Europe. Its standing army was reduced to 100,00 men, and they could not have forts in the Rhineland. The clause that angered most people was the one that made Germany claim responsibility for the war, and imposed reparations. Thought Germanys new republican government found the treaty to be harsh, they signed it and their discontent set the stage for the Second World War. Germany was not the only country to suffer because of the war; the world had been wiped clean of millions of people, and there was also extensive damage throughout Europe. However, these were not the only sufferings for the generation of the post- war era. The era followed with a great many economic difficulties throughout the world. The many industries that had been based on the war effort were no longer needed, thereby unemployment was on the rise, and the government had secured many debts to succeed in the war. With these aspects, and poor economic policies in many nations present it seemed that an economic crisis would occur sooner or later; which it did. In 1929 the American stock market came to a crashing halt, leaving many investors wiped out and the wealthy and confident without money. In the aftermath, banks began to fall because many loans feel through. With the financial crisis also came a decrease of production, and naturally this lead to widespread unemployment. This in turn lead to the fall of peoples spirits, and homes and ways of life were disrupted in millions of personal tragedies. The era of the Great Depression was also the era of the rise of political dictatorship throughout Europe. These dictatorships involved a new form of tyranny and were most evident in Stalin Soviet Union and Nazi Germany. With hardships rising, people became more willing to put up with leaders like Stalin and Hitler. It is believed by many that Hitler would never have came to power if it had not been for the German peoples feelings of nationalism, and their discontent with the economy and the restrictions from the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler played on the peoples emotions, and he officially won the game when he legally took over as the dictator of Germany. The rise of Hitler is a very important effect of World War I because it lead to the Second World War. The leaders first tried to please Hitler by giving him what he asked in order to avoid war, however Hitler did not stop he kept on pushing for more. When Germany invaded Poland, war became inevitable. Britain and France declared war on Germany. The United States joined in on the war effort against Germany, Italy, and Japan after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. World War II was the last major effect of the First World War. The war solved no problem. Its effects, both immediate and indirect, were either negative or disastrous. Morally subversive, economically destructive, socially degrading. Confused in its causes, devious in its course, futile in its result, it is the outstanding example of European history of meaningless conflict. World War I had many complex causes, rather than one simple, which is what is believed by many people. Furthermore, the effects were widespread throughout generations all over the world.. English Essays

Naval Commander Donald DuBrul

At 7:50 a.m., Naval Commander Donald DuBrul was about to complete his 4 a.m. to 8 a.m. watch on board the USS Argon. The ship was stationed in the Navy Yard towards the entrance to Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. He began wondering if the next man would show up for his shift. In the distance, a band onboard the USS Nevada could be heard playing the Star-spangled Banner for the flag-raising ceremony that was about to commence. The singleman paced waiting for his chance to have his watch end when he turned east to look out over the harbor. Directly east, Ford Island could be seen with its battleship yard full and past that, the ammo dump and tank farm. Over the music being played on the Nevada, a plains whine could be heard. Commander DuBrul looked up just in time to see an explosion on Ford Island. His immediate thought was that some American pilot was about to be court marshaled; until another plane flew in and unloaded its cargo. The first wave of Japanese torpedo planes ! came into full view as they passed through the clouds aiming for the battleship yard. The time was 7:53 a.m. The seaman stood in astonishment as flames lept from the ships. He was awakened by a voice over the loud speaker yelling, Air Raid Pearl Harbor! This is no drill! The air was filled with the whine of dive bombers and the sounds of antiaircraft guns beginning to start their counterattacks. One of the more prized battleships, the Arizona, took a torpedo right down its exhaust stack where it blew up. Seamen dove off ships trying to swim to safety, only to be burned by waves of fire in the harbor that contained burning oil. Onboard the Nevada, the band kept playing as the ship prepared to escape the harbor. In fear of blocking the exit, it turned and beached itself. At about 9 a.m., after two waves of Japanese dive bombers took their toll on the once great US Navy, the chaos had finally ended (DuBrul). A date which will ...

Management and leadership Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Management and leadership - Research Paper Example Another difference between management and leadership is related to their approach and perspectives. At Boeing, managers always think incrementally and they do everything in accordance with the company’s policy, whereas leaders think radically and they follow their own initiations in the benefit of the company. The Boeing Company hires managers based on their managerial as well as leadership skills. The company believes that a good manager is one who can motivate and lead the employees effectively by setting his/her own example. Leadership is one of the main elements of Boeing’s culture. It has its roots in every department as all managers lead the employees towards increased performance and productivity. Rampur (2010) states, â€Å"In the corporate world, leadership is undoubtedly the most important action that has to be considered if you want to get the work done collectively†. Every department of Boeing works in partnership with the Boeing Leadership Center that works towards ensuring on-the-job successes by providing leadership development opportunities to the managers of all departments. Managers working at Boeing not only manage and control their employees according to the company’s employee management policy but also help them achieve their tasks in an appropriate manner. Boeing’s senior management support matrix structure and provide clear direction to the employees. They possess all qualities of good leaders, such as, assertiveness, visionary outlook, and skills to influence others. The core essence of a true leader is to improve organizational processes by motivating and influencing the employees. Every department of the Boeing Company strives to improve at all levels and that is not possible if the managers do not possess leadership skills. Therefore, we can say that although the concepts of management and leadership have some differences but every manager working at Boeing possesses both managerial and leadership skills to ensure

Fund management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Fund management - Assignment Example My discussion will dwell on wealth management and private banking. I will use Switzerland as my model country (Barber 97). Wealth Management Wealth management is part of a business enterprise’s financial aspect. It denotes the careful utilization of resources of a company for the purpose of maximizing output and generating profits continuously. It constitutes financial advice and tax services at one fee. Estate planning can be a component of wealth management. These services can only be offered by financial institutions such as banks and brokerage firms. Trust companies also specialize in wealth management. Based on an individual’s financial goals and objectives, wealth management is a way of investing assets and planning of one’s estate (Anastasios 17). Private banking is used interchangeably with wealth management because wealth management can be viewed as a form of private banking. Private banking means that the financial services offered are not determined by public rules and regulations. It is the owners who formulate and regulate the rules that concern their financial services. Some institutions are now offer wealth management lessons because it has become a key aspect of modern day banking. This aspect is the future for modern day banking. We are noticing the creation of microfinance corporations around the world. This is an indication of the importance it is playing in many economies around the world (David 28). Wealth Management and Private Banking Switzerland For a long time, Switzerland has become the world’s number one destination for investors from all walks of life. This has made the country amass a lot of wealth in the services rendered. The country is one of the most stable economic nations of Europe. To add to its increasing tourist attraction sites, Switzerland’s fortunes are really in a meteoric rise. The major factor that has contributed to this is the country’s policy of neutrality and the fact that many languages are spoken in the country. This has attracted many investors. The degree of neutrality means that the Swiss banks have a policy of not investigating funds deposited regardless of the source of the funds. Unlike other European banks whereby any money deposited has to be vetted to determine the source, this is not the case with Switzerland (Douglas 15). It is no doubt, therefore, that even corrupt leaders from third world countries all run to deposit the money in Swiss banks knowing that none of their dirty will be investigated to determine the source. Since historical times, private banking has been a success in Switzerland. Formerly, investors with a high net wealth worth
million were allowed to invest in the banks. However, a change has now occurred which has allowed even the common man to invest in the Swiss banks. Even though this continues to take place, the Swiss private banking sector keeps targeting high ranking investors around the world. These investors in turn prefer to keep their wealth in this country. Wealth management and private banking in Switzerland is a sector that has undergone enormous growth in the 5 years that have passed or so. This is due to initiatives that have been undertaken by the Swiss banking sector. Today the sector stands as one of the best in Europe (Hans 142). There has been a change in the legislative laws of Switzerland that have done away with the traditional system of health management and private banking. This change started occurring about ten years ago. It was a brilliant

Economics is said to be concerned with the central problem of scarcity Essay

Economics is said to be concerned with the central problem of scarcity and infinite wants - Essay Example The three basic factors of economics are scarce in nature and thus they initiate the necessity of taking up a research approach on the factors that influence the problem in the economies. Along with the discussion on the factors that create the problem, the role that market mechanism plays in sorting the problem will be reviewed in this research paper as well (Case & Fair, 2004). 2.0 Explanation of the Research Statement The explanation of the research statement that considers economics to be concerned with the central problem of scarcity and infinite wants will be presented in this section of the research paper. 2.1 Problem of Scarcity The problem concerned with scarcity is considered to be the most essential in the arena of economic. The problem is derived on the basis of the assumption that goods or resources are finite whereas, desires of the human beings are infinite. The concept of economics is concerned with the alternatives and their outcomes and concentrates on means through which societies and individuals make allocation of their finite resources for trying to satisfy the infinite wants relatively (Lipsey & Chrystal, 2007). Scarcity takes place because the relatively infinite wants of the individuals cannot be completely set-off from the utilisation of limited resources that are available. A good becomes scarce if individuals and society cannot access them freely and thus the good directs a positive price. The problem of scarcity influences all the decision makers to resolve three basic questions of the economics: What will be manufactured? How the process of manufacturing will take place? Who will be using the goods that will be manufactured? Source: Mankiw & Taylor, 2006. Goods are the answers to the first question. Production is the answer to the second question that occurs when technology and knowledge are used for application of the energy to objects for making them more valuable. The alternatives’ opportunity cost provides answer to the t hird question which is measured by the qualitative value of the best alternative that is sacrificed (The University of North Carolina, 2011). 2.2 Model of the Economic Problem of Scarcity The model of the problem of scarcity largely depends on the factor of efficiency. The workers, individuals, business houses, governments or the countries are normally faced with the problem of scarce economic resources. The level of efficiency is important for finding solution to the particular economic problem in concern and is measured by the factors as to how well the dwellers produce goods or services. Efficiency is also determined by the factors through which goods or services are produced at a lower cost or less resource are utilised for manufacturing a product or rendering service along with satisfying the wants of the consumers at the same time (SG Zilina, 2010). Source: (SG Zilina, 2010). The above model is a comprehensive depiction of the economic problem of scarcity that has shown the ev olution of the economic problems of scarcity and has even laid the way towards the resolution of the problem. The entire model is centrally located to the choices that the dwellers of the economy make for enhancing their level of efficienc

Electronic Human Resource Management

Electronic Human Resource Management Chapter one: Introduction 1.1. Background: Since the mid 1990s, organizations increasingly introduce electronic Human Resource Management (HRM). It has different names, for example e-HRM, digital HRM and web-based HRM. The rapid development of the Internet during the last decade has also boosted the implementation and application of electronic Human Resource Management (e-HRM). Surveys of HR consultants suggest that both the number of organizations adopting e-HRM and the depth of applications within the organizations are continually increasing (e.g. CedarCrestone, 2005) in world wide. In addition, an escalating number of practitioner reports provide anecdotal evidence that e-HRM is becoming increasingly common and may lead to remarkable changes (e.g. Anonymous, 2001). Consequently, academic interest in e-HRM has increased, as several special issues of HR-related journals demonstrate (Stanton Coovert, 2004; Townsend Bennett, 2003; Viswesvaran, 2003). In the interim, there is an initial body of empirical research in e-HRM. Ho wever, since this research stems from several disciplines and is scattered throughout numerous journals and since initial reviews are not encompassing (Anderson, 2003; Lievens Harris 2003; Welsh, Wanberg, Brown, Simmering, 2003), the results of these studies remain unclear at present. Furthermore, changes in the role that HR fulfills in the organization and the implementation of e-HRM are related to each other, and should not be considered separately (Gardner et al., 2003; Fletcher, 2005). The implementation of e-HRM should fit well with strategic organizational needs regarding personnel in general and HR redesign in specific. Little is known about this fit, however. In relation to this point, the possible perception of e-HRM as an attempt by the strategic level within the organization to offload operational HR work onto employees respectively managers should be taken into account when analyzing acceptance of e-HRM systems. In the last decade the Internet has radically changed our social and economic lives, and has had a profound effect on the way organizations are managed. For example, it has altered human resource (HR) practices and changed strategies for attracting and retaining employees. The same strategies have become particularly important because organizations increasingly depend on workers knowledge, skills, abilities, and other attributes (KSAOs) to compete in todays economy (Ulrich, 2001) in Oman. In addition, the Internet has enabled organizations to become more collaborative, connected, and responsive to the changing needs of the workforce. For instance, new electronic human resource (e-HR) systems allow individuals to apply for jobs, change their job-related benefits, and enhance their knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs) through web-based training systems. The type of information technology adopted by HRM has been phrased, as it has evolved, differently over the years, for example: Hum an Resource Information System (HRIS), Human Resources Management System (HRMS), Human Resource Development And Information Technology (HRDIS), and the most current and popular electronic HR (e-HR). The use of IT by HRM is growing especially critical to the business nowadays when discontinuities (mergers, acquisitions, restructuring and downsizing) are altering the industry landscape in a drastic way. HRM executives, the key figures in organizations responsible for fine-tuning a capable workforce, must have the right and real-time information to measure, manage, and predict how workforce should be allocated and reconfigured effectively. With the analyzed information produced by the IT, HR professionals, more than ever, are able to align their management goals and the goals of individual employees with corporate strategy to deliver strategic plans with quantifiable results, and, ultimately, be able to deal with changes proactively. With the help from the information technology, HRM p rofessionals are also able to demonstrate the HRMs benefit to the bottom line by effectively managing knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) that create winning companies. Human resource management (HRM) departments using information and communication technologies (ICTs) is becoming an increasingly important phenomenon commonly referred to as e-HRM. Automating HR tasks and practices is transforming the traditional paper-and-pencil, labor-intensive HR tasks, into efficient, fast-response activities that enable companies to anticipate and profit from environmental shifts to create a much needed competitive advantage (Marler, 2006; Watson Wyatt, 2002). Even though the e-HRM concept is widely used today, there are hardly any explicit definitions. The few detectable definitions (Lengnick-Hall Moritz, 2003; RuÃÆ' «l, Bondarouk, Looise, 2004) are rather general and emphasize the Internet-supported way of performing HR policies and/or activities. Leaning on these intensions, the following definition of e-HRM can be specified: e-HRM is the (planning, implementation and) application of information technology for both networking and supporting at least two individual or collective actors in their shared performing of HR activities. This concept highlights several crucial aspects of e-HRM. At the outset, e-HRM utilizes information technology in a twofold manner: First, technology is necessary to connect usually spatially segregated actors and enable interactions between them irrespective of their working in the same room or on different continents, i.e. technology serves as a medium with the aim of connection and integration. Second, t echnology supports actors by partially and sometimes even completely substituting for them in executing HR activities. Hence, information technology serves additionally as a tool for task fulfillment. The planning aspect accentuates the systematic and anticipated way of applying information technology. The shared performing of tasks through at least two actors points out that the sharing of HR activities is an additional feature and underlines the aspect of interaction and networking. The consideration of individual and collective actors takes into account that e-HRM is a multilevel phenomenon; besides individual actors, there are collective actors like groups, organizational units and even whole organizations that interact in order to perform HR activities. Beside e-HR(M), there are some further concepts which obviously refer to the same phenomenon. Widely accepted are such terms as virtual HR(M) (e.g., Lepak Snell, 1998), web-based HR(M) (e.g., RuÃÆ' «l et al., 2004), or bus iness-to-employee (à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“B2Eà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ) (e.g., Huang, Jin, Yang, 2004). à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Virtual HRMà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  refers to technological mediated networks of different internal and external actors providing the firm with the HR services needed without the further existence of a conventional HR department which therefore becomes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“virtualà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . E-HRM is additionally open to less developed varieties of technology application, e.g. the shared performing of an application process by a conventional HR department and an applicant via the Internet. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“Web-based HRMà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  couples the concept to Internet technologies. E-HRM, as well, is particularly web-orientated, but also comprises additional technologies like networked ERP-Systems. Finally, à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“business-to-employeeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  reduces the concept to the internal actor categories of à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“businessà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (presumably line managers and HR profess ionals) and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ . In contrast, e-HRM is open to further relevant actor categories like applicants or consultants. To sum up, these further terms undoubtedly direct attention to main characteristics of the same phenomenon but are of somewhat narrower intensions. Thus, in order to comprehensively embrace relevant aspects, the e-HRM term is used. Fundamental definition of HRM offered by numerous scholars remains to be the managing of people who work in an organization (Gomez -Mejia, Balkin Cardy, 2001). Another popular definition of HRM specified the top management of the corporation as the only employer of the HRM staff (Renckly, 1997). Based on this thinking, HRM is to essentially establish, develop, maintain, and communicate personnel policies to the entire company, and thus, to represent, help, advise, and consult with the employees of the organizations. It is apparent that HRM was defined from an employer perspective, and was expected to serve and represent first, last and always the best interests of their only employer: top management. Beer and Spector (1985), representing another group of researchers and HRM practitioners, defined HRM from the relationship perspective as the management of this relationship between employees and the organization which, more specifically, involves all management decisions which affect the nature of the relationship between the organization and employeesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬  its human resources. Nadler (1990), on the other hand, defines HRM from an organizational learning point of view as: the organized learning experience in a definite time period to increase the possibility of improving job performance and growth. As human resource (HR) management departments continue to move to internet or web-based technology (The Hunter Group, 2001), more research evaluating the use of web-based HR, or electronic human resource management (e-HRM) is needed. The fastest growing trend in the delivery of HR information is employee self-service (ESS) (Gueutal, 2003). These applications give employees the ability to access and maintain their personal HR information via the web. Another growing trend is the adoption of managerial self-service (MSS) which provides managers access to a variety of HR tools and information via the web (Gueutal, 2003). Most manager HR-related tasks can be completed via MSS applications including pay administration/compensation, performance management, staffing, and employee development (Gueutal, 2003). Another term used to describe these tools utilized within a given organization is human resource information systems (HRIS), which Kavanagh and Thite (2008) define as à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“th e system used to acquire, store, manipulate, analyse, retrieve, and distribute information regarding an organizations human resources.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Lepak and Snell (1998) refer to the four à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‹Å"pressures of virtual HRM. First of all, HRM departments are asked to focus on strategic questions. Secondly, these departments need to be flexible in terms of policymaking and practices. Thirdly, HRM departments should work efficiently and be aware of costs. Fourthly, HRM departments should be service-oriented towards management and employees. In short, HRM departments must be strategy-focused, flexible, efficient, and client oriented; and all at the same time (Lepak and Snell, 1998). RuÃÆ' «l et al. (2004) highlighted an aspect that is fairly well covered by the above but that is nevertheless interesting to spell out, namely the changing nature of the employment relationship. With the supply shortage in the labor market (during the economic upturn of the 1990s), the individualization of society, and the increased educational level of citizens (and thus of employees), the power balance in the employment relationship has shift ed in the direction of the employees: they want to steer their own career paths. In the view of RuÃÆ' «l et al. (2004), a move towards e-HRM can provide the tools to support this development. This aspect fits into earlier-mentioned drivers such as improving service towards internal clients, but has an external societal drive. Yet another goal of e-HRM was stressed as the outcome of the case study research conducted by RuÃÆ' «l et al (2004): it is necessary to recognize that to improve a companys global orientation can become a strong drive to start with e-HRM. Theoretical debates suggest three goals of e-HRM are cost reduction, improving of HR services, and improving strategic orientation (Brockbank, 1997; Lepak and Snell, 1998; Stanton and Coovert, 2004). Few empirical findings supplement these goals with globalisation as a driving e-HRM force in international large organisations, but also show that those goals are not clearly defined in practice, and that e-HRM mostly direct ed at cost reductions and efficiency of HR services, and least at strategic orientation of HRM (Gardner et al, 2003; RuÃÆ' «l et al, 2004; Ruta, 2005). HRM effectiveness is often mentioned as HRM contribution to firm performance (see, for ex., Kane et al, 1999; Ostroff and Bowen, 2000; Wright et al, 2001). Especially during the past decade the HRM literature made attempts to show that progressive HR practices result in higher firm performance (Wright et al, 2005; Hope Hailey, 2005). Huselids (1995) pioneering study has shown that a set of HR practices labelled High Performance Work Systems were related to turnover, accounting profits, and firm market value. Since then, a growing number of studies have attempted to empirically test the relationships between HR practices and firm performance (see elaborated overviews by Delery and Doty, 1996; Ostroff and Bowen, 2000; Boselie et al, 2001; Tsui and Wang, 2002; Wright et al, 2005). For example, MacDuffie (1995) has found that bundles of HR practices were related to productivity and quality in his sample of auto assembly plants. Delery and Doty (1996) found significant relationships betwe en HR practices and accounting profits among a sample of banks. Youndt et al (1996) discovered that certain combinations of HR practices in their sample of manufacturing firms were related to operational performance indicators. More recently, the study of Batt (2002) examined the relationship between HR practices, employee quit rates, and organizational performance in the service sector, and revealed that quit rates were lower and sales growth was higher in call centers that emphasized high skills, employee participation, and human resource incentives like high employment security. 1.2. Problem Statement One of the principal and most integral objectives of Omans Vision 2020 is the development of Human Resources. The importance of Human Resource Development (HRD) has been given top priority throughout the Sultanate of Omans successive Five-Year Development Plan. In Omans vision 2020; economic conference held in Muscat in June, 1995, His Majestys address to the nation clearly emphasized the need for the private sector to undertake an active role in the development of the economic process and in the achievement of the national goals. Nonetheless, this was not considered in isolation from the development of the national human resources, but rather in conjunction as proclaimed by His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said: Development is not a goal in itself rather; it exists for building man, who is its means and producer. Therefore, development must not stop at the achievement of a diversified economy. it must go beyond that and contribute to the formation of the citizen who is capable of taking part in the process of progress and comprehensive development. (Vision 2020 Conference, June, 1995). In Oman, now as never before, the training and development of national (Omani) human resources to a high level of efficiency competency is a must. This is due to a number of reasons including less dependence on oil resources, less dependence on foreign (expatriate) workers, Omanization, implementation of a successful privatization program, diversification, industrialization, technological innovation and an increasingly competitive global market. To meet the goal of Vision 2020, electronic human resource management is the one of the essential part for the development of the human capital. In this sense it is quite difficult for effective e-HRM in firms in Oman. Technologically it will be new to the firms in Oman. Henson (2005) identifies workforce and technology as the heartbeat and the toolset of the HR business today. HRM is no doubt the business unit most directly responsible for the managing and the developing of the workforce, therefore, factors and trends that trigger the workforce changes need to be addressed with care. Researchers in 21st century have come to the realization of the greatest workforce crisis: the aging of the industrialized world (Dychtwald, Erickson Morison, 2006), resulting in an unprecedented shift in the age distribution of the general population and, specifically, the labor force. 1.3. Research Question: 1. Does an e-HRM tool affect e-HRM function? 2. Is there any relationship between e-HRM tools and HRM function? 3. Is there any relationship between HRM function and firm performance in e-HRM practice? 1.4. Research Objective: Main objective of this study is to investigate the e-HRM effectiveness in oil industry in Oman. * To investigate whether the e-HRM tools and HRM function are related * To investigate whether e-HRM tools affect the HRM functions * To investigate whether e-HRM has an effect on firm performance 1.5. Significant of the Study This study will provide the human resource professional to more effective way to implement the human resource functions implementation in oil industry in Oman. This study also identified e-HRM features that deserve HRM practitioners attention and organizational resources. This in-depth examining of the set of e-HRM features can also serve as potential tools for the management to decide on the future adjustments of their e-HR system, and the implementation of the new systems. From a practical perspective, result like performances, either yielded by certain business division like HRM or by organizations, reflects an organizations capabilities in implementing competitive strategies and tools, and aligning its resources and goals. Therefore, by establishing and learning the relationships among the use of e-HRM system, the perceived importance of e-HRM features, HRMs functional performances organizational performances, and the perceived importance of the dimensions of the organizational performances, HRM practitioners shall be able to manage IT-related issues more effectively, and benefit better from the use of e-HRM. Although this study will be based on the oil industry in Oman; but the finding can helps the other organization also such as education, manufacturer etc. to practice human resource function through online more effectively. 1.6. Scope of the study We only use the technology factors and the HRM function implementation through online for HRM effectiveness in this study. There are some other opportunities for researcher to conduct the research on e-HRM effectiveness in Oman. They can add the strategic part of organization with these variables in future. Strategic variable such as the organization goal, objectives and so on can be considered for further study. . Beside this the technology factors such as system implementation also can be included. 1.7. Limitation of the Study In this study one of the major problems is about the sample. This study can take larger sample than it will be taken. An also the time is another limitation for conducting this research. Shortage of time make researcher to consider the sample for this dissertation in few firms only. Beside that money allocation is another problem for this research. Researcher is using his own money to conduct this study. So that he cannot cover the wide area of or many more firm for analyze. 1.8. Organisation of the study: Chapter two: Literature Review 2.1. Theoretical perspectives Given different interpretations and assessments of theory, there is an ambiguity concerning theories, frameworks and other phenomenological conceptualizations. Even acknowledging a broad intension of theory, only one-fifth of the studies rest on theoretical bases. Corresponding to the diverse disciplines and topics, the theories employed are also quite diverse. Often, several perspectives are employed in an eclectic manner. Predominantly, micro-level theories of psychological and behavioral provenance are adopted. Attribution theory and correspondence inference theory (ElginClapham, 2004), the attraction-selection-attrition and the similarity-attraction paradigm (Dineen, Ash, Noe, 2002), change management theories (Ruta, 2005), organizational citizenship behavior (Huang, Jin, et al., 2004), privacy theories (Harris, van Hoye,Lievens, 2003), procedural justice theory (Dineen,Noe, Wang, 2004), signaling theory (Cober,Brown Levy,Cober 2003), as well as social cognitive theory (Williams on, Lepak, King, 2003) are adopted in order to explain individual perceptions and reactions arising from e-HRM. Additionally, a learning theory is adopted to compare instructor-led and web-based learning (Coppola Myre, 2002). In addition, some theories stemming from information systems research are used. The technology acceptance model (Huang, Yang, Jin, Chiu, 2004), the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology (Ruta, 2005), and the theory of usability (Williamson, Lipak, King, 2003) are used to frame again problems of individual reactions and usage. Also, a conceptual IT-framework is used to structure e-HRM impacts on HR-professionals (Gardner, Lepak, Bartol, 2003). One single study pursues a microeconomic approach to explain e-employment markets (Nissen Gates, 2004). In brief, current empirical research in e-HRM is mainly non theoretical. The theories applied are micro-level oriented, diverse in nature and often eclectic in application. Interestingly, recognized ma cro-level theories of HRM (Wright McMahan, 1992) were not considered. 2.2. HRM Effectiveness To know the effectiveness of e-HRM, HRM functions are relatively come to the picture. The American Society for Personnel Administration (ASPA), the predecessor to SHRM, first defined HRM functions in 1975 as the technical competencies in the following areas (HRCI, 2006): * Employment, placement and personnel planning. * Training and development. * Compensation and benefits. * Health, safety and security. * Employee and labor relations. * Personnel research. Smith and Mazin (2004) reports the scope of the HRM functions covers the following areas of functionality: * Employee selection * HR policies, performance management * Performance Management * Training and development * Employee relations and retention * Compensation * Benefits * Regulatory Issues * Workforce violence and investigation * Termination and discharge Researchers also observed other dimensions to HRM as well, for instance, Huselid, Jackson and Schuler (1997) reports that HRM effectiveness has two essential dimensions. The first, the technical HRM, includes the delivery of HRM basics such as recruiting, compensation, separation etc. The second, strategic HRM, involves delivering those services in a way that directly supports the implementation of the firms strategy. Other academia and HRM professionals are also inclined to analyze HRM functions from various perspectives, for example: from the areas of activity (Nadler,1990), and from the areas of service rendered. Nadler (1990) first groups the HRM functions into three specific areas of activity: (1) training, which implies learning related to present job, (2) education, which implies learning to prepare the individual for a different but identified job, (3) development, which implies learning for growth of the individual, but not related to a specific present or future job. This f urther reinforces the thinking of HRM being learning-driven. 2.3. Implementation e-HR Kehoe, Dickter, Russell and Sacco (2005) points out that the organizations overall culture and HRM strategy determine the manner in which organizations will implement their e-enablement systems. The e-enabled programs can either be implemented as part of a broad e-enablement of HR processes and systems, or implemented independent of other HR processes and systems. It is even possible that specific e-enabled assessment applications may be implemented independent of each other. No matter what, organizations need to develop guiding principles regarding the following issues on the management of an e-enabled HR environment: * Risk management relating to employment discrimination * Buy versus build and the roles of internal HR IT and third party providers * HR expertise versus automaticity in the e-enabled assessment process * Whose functions the system will be designed to support * Ownership * The integration of e-enabled assessment with other HR systems and process * Free market versus regulated processes E-recruitment In terms of the organizations objectives, the primary goal of the recruitment process is to attract potential applicants (prospects) who have the KSAOs needed to meet the requirements of organizational roles. Thus, organizations are increasingly using the Internet to advertise job openings and attract qualified prospects. The web-based advertisements often provide prospects with information about (a) job vacancies, (b) job descriptions, (b) the organizations culture and its à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“brand identity,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  and (d) the inducements (e.g., pay, fringe benefits, learning opportunities, promotion prospects) offered its employees. Interestingly, some estimates indicate that 100%of large firms currently use the Internet to announce job openings, and 82% of large firms use intranet systems to post openings or identify qualified employees within the organization (Cedar, 2002). For example, organizations have developed sophisticated web-based recruiting systems to convey informat ion about job opportunities and give applicants the ability to complete applications online (Stone, Johnson, Navas, Stone- Romero, 2005; Stone, Lukaszewski, Isenhour, 2005). In addition, organizational intranet systems are often used to search employment records to determine if the KSAOs of current employees are consistent with the requirements of vacant or soon-to-be vacant roles. Such systemsmay automatically provide managers with lists of qualified employees, and notify individuals about new job opportunities. In addition, the same systems may send messages to employees that ask about their interests in job openings. Overall, e-HR-based recruiting systems are thought to reach a much wider set of prospects than traditional recruiting systems (Gueutal Stone, 2005; Stone, Lukaszewski et al., 2005). Internet-based e-HR systems are also used to provide job applicants (applicants) with virtual previews of organizations. For instance, some organizations use à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“real timeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  cameras to give prospects a preview of what it is like to work in the organization on a daily basis. Other organizations (e.g., Cisco Systems) use such systems to give job applicants the opportunity to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“make friends in the organization.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Through the resulting contacts, prospects can gather considerable information about the benefits and challenges of working for the organization. As a result of the availability of information about role requirements and inducements, applicants can determine if their (a) needs can be satisfied by offered inducements, and (b) KSAOs are likely to enable them to meet role requirements. Though a great deal of organizations believe e-recruiting systems permit firms to cast a wide net across a broad labor market, and is more likely than traditional recruitment sources to uncover individuals with unique talents and skills, researches show that e-recruiting only attracts greater numbers of candidates than other sources, but not necessarily attracts higher quality applicants or candidates who are most suitable for the companies than traditional sources (Chapman Webster, 2003; Galanaki, 2002). McManus and Ferguson (2003) discovers: given that some types of candidates may be more likely to use e-recruiting than the others (for instance, job hoppers or savvy internet navigators), the use of the e-recruiting systems may actually affect the characteristics of new hires in organizations, and influence the overall composition of the workforce. McManus and Ferguson (2003), Galanki (2002), Zusman and Landis (2002) further argue that there are age, gender, and ethnic differences in reactions to and usage of online recruitment sources, therefore, organizations should not use online recruiting as the sole recruitment sources. E-Selection There are three purposes for all the HR e-enablement (Kehoe, Dickter, Russell Sacco, 2005): (1) to minimize cost, (2) to maximize the utilization of the organizations human capital, (3) to enable sustainability which refers to the organizations willingness and ability not only to maintain the e-enabled system, but to progressively evolve the system to satisfy changing requirements, and capitalize on improvements in technology and the science of selection. The purposes for e-enabling selection are no any different from the above. While conducting the maximizing the utilization of the organizations human capital, organizations are required to design two measures into the e-enabled selection system: (1) the capital represented by each person who goes through the process (including the set of text scores, interview ratings, resum6 quality indices, background check results, drug test results, and any other quantifiable evaluation of the skills, experiences, abilities.. ..etc.), and (2) t he extent to which the process results in decisions that maximize the utilization of that capital (for example, ratio or difference between average test scores for selected candidates to average test scores for all candidates, percentage of candidates who satisfy minimum requirements such as for drug tests or background checks, retention rates, post-hire, new hire performance management results.. ..etc.). Organizations also need to enable sustainability by emphasizing on: clear ownership, funding strategy, business contribution, user satisfaction, and professional support. As for the implementation, Kehoe, Dickter, Russell and Sacco reports that more and more organizations nowadays prefer to acquire a vendors e-selection system because of the appealing features of specialized and flexible system solution products available on the market. E-Performance Management Researchers have previously compared online administrations and traditional paper-and-pencil (PP) administrations of organizational surveys (Thompson et al., 2003), measurement of psychological constructs (Cole et al., 2006), upward feedback ratings (Smither et al., 2004), and item responses to a 3608 assessment (Penny, 2003). Whereas researchers have contrasted online versus PP groups reactions to selection tools (Richman-Hirsch et al., 2000), no research has compared online versus PP administrations in the context of performance appraisal (PA). Although frequently defined as a measurement instrument or tool, PA is the social and communication process in which a supervisor evaluates an employees behavior in the workplace and communicates those ratings and feedback back to the employee (Murphy and Cleveland, 1995). The purpose of this study is to address this gap in the applied research literature and examine the extent to which an online PA system influences employees reactions to t heir PA. We believe this is an important applied research question that HR managers need to know the answer to before implementing e-HRM/HRIS PA tools. Though Cardy and Miller (2005) argues that the level of performance made possible by technological advancement has changed the standard for acceptable performance, appraisal satisfaction remains a relevant concern for organizations even when technology is either a primary mechanism for the feedback process, or already become the appraisal process, because high-quality performance feedback is a critical factor that helps organizations retain, motivate, and develop their employees, and, these outcomes are more likely to occur if employees are satisfied with

Never Leave Your Past Behind Essay -- Essays Papers

Never Leave Your Past Behind I grew up in a low-income, single-parent family on the far south-side of Chicago. My sister and her family also lived with us. They needed a place to stay while they looked for a more affordable house. One thing my family doesn't do is turn our backs on each other. Sociologists who claim to be experts on non-white families have their own words for this type of situation. They derogatorily label this as a poverty-stricken, Black matriarchal extended family who lives in the ghetto. Yet all in all, we were happy because we helped each other. We were not the type of family who wondered what the next meal would be. We always knew we would have food on the table, but the type of food was a different story. Plain and simple, our goal was to survive. Survival to us was to get a job and hopefully wake up the next morning. I didn't think about college. Why should I? I didn't even like high school. But, somehow, somewhere an idea was instilled in me. "To be 'somebody,' I must go to college; if I didn't go, I would be a nobody." Because I believed this, I became more distant from my family and friends. I felt ashamed of my family because no one went to college right out of high school except for me. I felt my friends were not worthy of my time because I was in college and they were not. My biggest mistake in life was when I tried to leave my past behind me. It took me nineteen long, painful years to believe and learn never to be ashamed of who I am or where I came from. Since I lived in an area where there were only Blacks, I wanted to get away from them. I didn't want to witness another murder in front of my house. I couldn't tolerate another ten-to-twenty year old drug seller stopping me and asking, "... ... love myself and to love my family. After I knew my family supported me in whatever I did or said, my life began. Mentally, I grew stronger. I no longer felt ashamed of my family or friends. Most of all, I no longer was ashamed of being Black. In fact, I love myself because I am Black. I feel empowered because of what I have seen and experienced. I am proud because I am the first one in my family to attend college. I am happy because the people I love have helped me the best way they knew how. The only thing I needed to do was to love myself for who I am and where I came from. In order to do that, as my favorite high school teacher said, "You have to know where you came from before you know where you're going. And, you can't do that by acting like someone else." After all these years, I am proud to announce that I am a Black woman who knows where she's going.

Animals Should Be Used in Scientific Research Essay

Over 100 million animals are used every year in the United States as models in biological and medical research to study human disease, injury, development, psychology, and anatomy and physiology. Research involving animals has played a vital role in virtually every major medical advance of the last century. Even today, there is no complete alternative to biomedical research with animals. The vast majority of research animals are mice and rats bred for this purpose. Dogs, cats, and non-human primates together account for less than one-half of one percent of the total, and this number has declined for more than 25 years. Since 1979, the number of dogs and cats needed in animal research has declined by more than 50%. The number of non-human primates needed represents less than .2% (.18% in 2004) and has remained relatively constant—in the 50,000 per year range—for the past decade. History The history behind animals being used in scientific research is that is started In Europe and in the US by the early 1900’s and especially during and following World War I the benefits of animal research continued to be recognized. Following the Nuremberg Trials for atrocities by the Nazi’s during World War II, society spoke loudly demanding no research on humans until animal research had made such research a reasonable risk. Today, the majority of people in our society do agree with the idea of the humane and responsible use of animals in research. There is safeguard standards for scientific studies on animals * The USDA has set forth federal regulations governing the care and use of animals in biomedical research that are considered even more extensive than those covering human research subjects. * The Animal Welfare Act sets standards of care for research animals with regard to their housing, feeding, cleanliness, ventilation, and medical needs and requires the use of anesthesia or analgesic drugs for potentially painful procedures and during post-operative care. * The US Public Health Service Act requires that all institutions receiving research funds from NIH, FDA, or CDC adhere to the standards set out in the â€Å"Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals†. * Institutions must follow detailed animal care recommendations and establish an IACUC to ensure that all animals are treated responsibly and humanely Some people think that all animals that are in scientific research are in pain or distress while undergoing the research that is not necessarily true. The 2004 USDA Annual Report reveals that 57% of all research procedures with animals involved no more than slight or momentary pain or distress (i.e., an injection). In 34% of research procedures anesthesia and postoperative painkillers were used. In 9% of the procedures, neither anesthesia nor pain medication could be used, as they would have interfered with research results. Scientific Perspectives Here are 4 reasons why animals are used in research: 1. The principles of anatomy and physiology are true for humans and animals, especially mammals. Once scientists learned that animals were similar to humans, in physiology and anatomy, it became preferable to use animals rather than humans for preliminary research. 2. Certain strains or breeds of animals get the same diseases or conditions as humans. â€Å"Animal Models† are frequently critical to understanding a disease and developing appropriate treatments. 3. Research meant introducing one variable and observing the results of that one item. With animals we can control their environment (temperature, humidity, etc.), and shield them from diseases or conditions not related to the research (control their health). Although human and animals get the disease that may be the subject of a research investigation, the different life styles or living conditions make them poor subjects until preliminary research under controlled conditions has been done. 4. We can use scientifically-v alid numbers of animals. Data from one animal or human is not research; it is a case study. To scientifically test a hypothesis, an adequate number of subjects must be used to statistically test the results of the research. Some individuals claim that we should use human or animals that have a disease to study that disease. Certainly, epidemiological studies (tracking the occurrence of a disease or condition) have provided many important insights into the cause of a disease or a condition, especially when an environmental aspect is responsible. However, epidemiological studies are successful in only a limited number of situations. Only if the study of a disease is severely hindered or not possible when the research subjects have been/are exposed to a variety of environmental factors. According to the American Medical Association, humans are the most frequently used animal in research. However, research studies conducted on humans follow preliminary studies conducted in animals. These animal studies make human studies a reasonable risk. The animal studies are not a guarantee of success, but they do tell us that the human research has a reasonable probability of success.