Eastern Religions Analysis Essay Example for Free

Eastern Religions Analysis Essay Modern western medicine is based on knowledge and technological innovations appeared in 19th and 20th centuries. In contrast to eastern traditions, modern western medicine rejects the role of mind and soul in treatment trying to explain everything form Rationalist point of view. Recent years, eastern religious traditions penetrate into modern medicine brining new understanding of diseases and their causes. Alternative medicine is a ‘branch’ of modern medicine which applied eastern religious traditions into professional medical practice. The main advantage of eastern religious traditions (Daoism, Hinduism, etc. ) is interpretation of mind-body interaction which sees human mind and body as a part of the world order, nature and cosmic environment. Following eastern religious traditions, modern medicine uses meditation techniques and relaxation as the main tools to treat many incurable diseases. They program mind towards positive thinking and health. Eastern teaching includes unconscious ideas that shape everyday behavior, namely the right decision, the right attitude and truth. â€Å"By going to a practitioner skilled in one of these arts [eastern practices], patients feel that they are getting a complete doctor someone to treat their medical condition and to give them wise advice about life as well† (Dworkin 2001, 3). As the most important, eastern religious traditions use herbal substances and other natural ingredients as an alternative to surgical treatment methods. Today, more and more drugs consist of herbs and vitamins as the most effective and safe measures of treatment. Eastern religious traditions prove that chemical substances are ineffective if a person (patient) cannot change his attitude towards life and his diseases. Dworkin explains: â€Å"Alternative medicine stands between medical science and organized religion, and therefore stands between what is known and what is unknown† (Dworkin 2001, 3). In spite of great knowledge, the role of eastern religious traditions and their practical application is still limited by rational knowledge of western society. Modern India is influenced by globalization and westernization processes which changed social ideals and beliefs of modern generations. The remarkable feature of modern society is that it does not reject and ignore old beliefs and values applying new traditions and innovation to its cultural heritage. Following Frawley, it is possible to interpret Hinduism as: â€Å"the Dharmic soul of India, [which helps] to rise up from deep sleep and realize its true heritage† (Frawley 2002, 113). Popular culture of social and intellectual elite is primarily viewed by strong traditions of people, as well as religious dogmas, and Hinduism is the source that influences popular culture. After the period of colonialism and Communism, this change in national consciousness and mind is a result of the collapse of a stable world-view created during 20th century, which led to panic and moral decay. In modern India, social norms play greater role than Hinduism and are seen as a priority. Some critics admit that some Hindus are distance themselves from religious traditions â€Å"avoiding being seen going to temples, Yet may go to churches and mosques as a demonstration in their universality of religion. (Frawley, 16 cited Thaiyar 2002, 113). This tendency shows that modern generations are free to practice a high degree of ethical pluralism in their personal life choosing personal religion and way of life. Changing ideologies required changes of common people who are the base of popular culture. Still, Hinduism has a tremendous impact on cultural and social life of Hindus as a part of historical development and national identity. In general modern society is suppressed by social changes which influence world perception and culture, but, at the same time and again are associated with the reformed religion, which demands strict code of ethics and beliefs. Today, most Hindus subconsciously follow Hinduism traditions and philosophy, way of life and food patterns as a part of national culture they cannot change. Hinduism penetrates all spheres of social life and cultural norms reshaping modern nation and its values formed during the 1950s. References Dworkin, R.W. (2001). Science, Faith and Alternative Medicine. Policy Review, p. 3. Thaiyar, S. (2002). Arise Arjuna: Hinduism and the Modern World. International Journal of Humanities and Peace, 18, p. 113.

Impact of Globalisation on British Television

Impact of Globalisation on British Television Since its birth, British television has been constantly growing, evolving to suit the needs and, more recently, tastes of its viewers. What started off as a few public service channels broadcasting only at certain times during the day became a 24 hour service with hundreds of programs from which to choose from. Many factors have contributed to this gradual growth, but in this essay I will be looking at the influence globalisation has had on this thriving industry, viewing Britain as both an importer and exporter of formats on the global market. To start with, the term â€Å"globalisation†, as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary, means â€Å"the process by which businesses or other organizations develop international influence or start operating on an international scale, widely considered to be at the expense of national identity.† In television terms, this means that a broadcaster decides to sell, on the international market, the format of already popular shows in order for them to be recreated in other countries. This way, a show originally produced in Britain, for example, can be adapted in any other part of the world by following the format guide sold by the creators. In his book Copycat TV; Globalisation, Program formats and Cultural identity (1998), Albert Moran explains that â€Å"like a cooking recipe, the guide identifies both the ingredients and the sequence and manner of their combination that will produce an adaptation†. On one hand, Britain has always been a major importer of foreign shows. Even now, if we turn on our television, chances are we will eventually stumble across a rerun of a popular American sitcom such as Friends, How I met your mother or The Big Bang Theory, to list a few. There are two major reasons for this, the first being that the broadcasters need programs to fill out the time slots. Since the 1980s, the pace of change in the television industry has accelerated. The introduction of 24-hour broadcasting brought the need for new programs, a demand that was best met by inexpensive imports or local variations of internationally formatted broadcasts. These would be aired at either off-peak hours of the day or between two long running, popular shows, maximizing the number of viewers. The other reason for purchasing overseas shows is the costs. More often than not, investing in an already successful show would be cheaper that producing a show domestically, though Moran suggests that thi s strategy does not necessarily guarantee good ratings or add revenues. Soap operas, or simply soaps, could be considered the go-to time fillers for television not only in the UK, but all over the world. The first soaps were cheap to produce, resulting in barely mediocre content. They were sponsored by American manufacturers of household cleaning products, such as Procter and Gamble, and owed the term â€Å"opera† in their title to the excessively emotional and dramatic nature of their content. What truly transformed the genre, as implied by Renà ©e Dickason’s article The Popular on British Television: Global Perspectives, National Priorities, Local Preferences, was the launch of Coronation Street on British television in 1960, which took a more serious approach by aiming at high standards of acting and scriptwriting. The show appealed to large audiences and attracted an incredible amount of viewers, inspiring American companies to invest more time and money in their own content, thus leading indirectly to the global success of Peyton Place and Dallas. Despite the fact that importing and airing entire shows is the easiest way to provide the viewers with entertainment around the clock, many countries, including the UK, prefer producing their own versions of foreign programs, adapting them to their nation’s culture and preferences. â€Å"A locally-produced version of Wheel (referring to the American game show Wheel of Fortune) will be more expensive than the imported version but, with local contestants, hosts, questions and references, prizes and so on, it is likely to have more national appeal and is therefore likely to achieve better ratings. Certainly (†¦) that seems to be borne out by some long term studies of the process of import-substitution of television programs†, demonstrates Albert Moran in his before mentioned book. One of the earliest examples of international formatting is the case of the famous panel quiz game What’s My Line which first aired July 16th 1951 on BBC. Due to all its apparently do mestic elements, such as having a popular Irish presenter, lady panelists in evening dress and their male counterparts in dinner jackets, few if any viewers suspected that it wasn’t an original British program, but an adaptation of an American radio show for which the BBC paid its creators the princely sum of 25 guineas per episode (Brunt, 1985, p 28). Despite this, R. Brunt still considers that the show has a â€Å"naturalized Britishness† to it, clarifying that â€Å"the choice of contestants appeals to a Britishness which ‘all of us’ are assumed to share: an enjoyment of eccentricity and an ability to laugh at ourselves – as transmitted and endorsed by one of Britain’s favorite Irishmen.† (Brunt, 1985, ‘What’s my Line?’). Global television formats are designed to be easily adapted in other countries or regions and therefore have no nationally-specific characteristics, making it understandable why most people do n ot mind them being imported. A more recent example is ITV1s Take Me Out, a dating show inspired by London Weekend Television’s Blind Date. At a first glance it doesn’t seem to be anything other than a quintessentially British show, but in reality it was developed in France by Fremantle Media. First it was aired in Australia, where it did not benefit from massive success, afterwards being sold to Japan, the Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Indonesia, Spain and Sweden and ITV1, as an article on The Guardian’s website states. On the other hand, Britain is also a leading exporter of programs, not only to the English speaking nations, but worldwide, thanks to appealing cultural elements and to technical expertise in particular fields like detective stories, situation comedies and costume drama. Series such as the 1960 The Avengers, which had strong elements reminding the viewers of the James Bond franchise, were the only British shows aired regularly on American television before the introduction of Who wants to be a Millionaire, â€Å"England’s most successful cultural export in the last 30 years†, according to the New York Times, 1999. The popular quiz show has become a global format broadcasted in more than 100 countries, the franchise now being owned by Sony. Another, more recent British show format that was aired in more than 20 countries is the dinner party contest Come Dine With Me which won a Royal Television Society Award back in 2010. Generating approximately 4000 episodes around the world, it’s global sales have earned ITV Studios more than  £57m and helped it’s international production revenue increase by 41% that year. In an interview to The Guardian, Tobi de Graaff, ITV Studioss director of global TV distribution, said: It is a little like McDonalds or Starbucks. Take whats successful about the show but dont ignore that you are dealing with different cultures and make the right twists to make it feel extremely home-grown and natural. Weakest Link, the television  game show  which first appeared in the United Kingdom on  BBC Two  on 14 August 2000 and ended on 31 March 2012, is another great example of British show formats, being adapted in 46 countries and still airing the original British version around the world on  BBC Entertainment. Even though the formats vary slightly, the main elements which define the show are reproduced in each adaptation. This usually includes selecting a host which resembles Anne Robinson, the original a nd iconic presenter of the UK version. Strictly Come Dancing or Dancing with the stars, as it is known in the over 40 countries the format has been exported to, is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. Due to its widespread nature, the series became the worlds most popular television program among all genres in 2006 and 2007, reaching the Top 10 in 17 countries, according to the magazineTelevision Business International. In conclusion, globalization had an immense role in molding the British television industry along the years. Not only did it shape it and its viewers with the aid of imported shows and local adaptations, but also other nations around the globe by exporting formats and authentic British programs. By acquainting the public with foreign shows, television has the power to provide a sense of wonder and educate its viewers about the different cultures and people inhabiting our world and, at the same time, cater for their need for entertainment. Globalisation in the TV industry has brought about a new era for Britain, as it has extended its influence to every television set in the UK and around the world.

How Celebrity Culture Affects Society Cultural Studies Essay

How Celebrity Culture Affects Society Cultural Studies Essay As we can see that today, the news about celebrities is full on all kind of media. They appear on all kind of communication media from printed media: newspapers, magazines, to television and online media like internet. It can be said that we are living in the century of media innovation together with the development of celebrity culture. For many years ago, if some child was asked about his dream, it would be teacher, pilot, or lawyerà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ however, today, most of the answers will be to be famous. It is just only one of many impact of celebrity culture on us or even our generation. The significant development of celebrity industry also contributes on those effects. As people see how easy to be or to do something, they will consider it a target to achieve. This is absolutely right with the many ones dream to become celebrities. Furthermore, when the celebrity content becomes daily, it also effects on all of us, especially the young. Their life styles, their behaviorsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are often imitated. They are the reasons why I choose this topic: celebrity culture. Of course it a very wide topic to do research, so I decide to narrow it and concentrate on the reason and how does celebrity culture affect our behaviors. I determined my three objectives: 1. To examine the rising tide celebrity culture on newspapers, magazines, TV and the Internet. 2. To explain why many people want to be celebrities. 3. To research the effects of celebrity culture on our behaviour Section B: Analysis of Findings Objective 1: To examine the rising tide celebrity culture in newspapers, magazines, TV and the Internet Together with the media explosion, celebrity culture has become a rising tide on all field of communication industry. Moreover, celebrity content has been foundation to the news of media in the recent century. From the nightly television programmes to mass market magazines to the online edition of newspapers, celebrity news has proved its efficiency to attract attention and to impulse consumption (G.Turner, 2010). In the past, celebrity news might have been limited to a specific range of television outlets and print, it is now a sort of content that can be found right across the media series. The development of new media has leading new ways of introducing, producing and consuming celebrity while online magazines and news which are especially grown as an additional form of the tendency print media has also had an expansive effect (G.Turner 2010). According to Robert van Krieken (2010) said in his article, celebrity which is usually seen as a frothy and unreal topic is also a measure of how superficial contemporary culture has become. However, the celebrity production industry has never ever significantly developed like it today. Also, there is no signal that the limits of the spread of celebrity culture have been reached (G.Turner, 2010). The continuously operating apparatus of celebrity industry along with the growth of digital media has made them the perfect partners who contribute in the expansion of each other. The production of reality TV shows, the rise of Idol, Master Chef, Australias got Talent and others take us to a point that all television formats are produced depending on exploiting people interest in the chance to become a celebrity (G.Turner 2010). It is the celebrity industry which first creates celebrity through the process called celebritisation (G.Turner 2010). For example, the reality TV shows like Idol that many contestants try to express themselves to be recognised through the performance process. This is one among many TV shows which offer people the opportunity to prove themselves to become famous. That is a very first step of the process of transformation (G.Turner 2010). Then, the expansion of digital media the producers and distributors of content through printed and electronic forms magazines, newspapers, television, and now with the development of the various kinds of on-line media would help the celebrities to hold their fame (G.Turner 2010). Those all contribute in the fact that news of celebrities is now full of magazines, newspaper, internet and other kinds of media. William Shakespeare wrote All the worlds a stage, and all the men and women merely players. It is true for movie stars and TV hosts and other celebrities who are famous for being famous (W.Shakespeare, As You Like It, 1600). Objective 2: To explain why many people want to be celebrities It is obvious that the development and efficiency of the media machine help to create a celebrity easier. That means many peoples dreams now easier to be real. Especially, the growth of the reality TV shows make people have more opportunity to appear on TV. Therefore, there are a lot of celebrities who are production of this type of celebrity production industry. A phenomenon called Susan Boyle is an example. A 47-year-old single woman has been the worldwide star just after only one appearance on TV. She had sung the song I dreamed a dream in the TV show Britains got talent (C.Cadwalladr 2010). Then it was like her dream come true when the video of her performance got more than 100 millions views on YouTube. After that, her first album I Dreamed a Dream sold more copies than any others. The story named Susan Boyle like a fairy tale has spread over the world about a talent woman and how easy to become a celebrity (C.Cadwalladr 2010). Furthermore, if someone is the winner in a show, wi th the support of many kinds of media, he could become a celebrity without doubt. What seems to come next to fame? It is wealthy. Statistics show that actors can be paid nearly $US20 million for making a single film (S.Bunbury 2009). But it is not the only source of their income. They are also paid to appear on advertising or to represent a brand. For many years, Australian celebrities efforts are trying to sell us things like hair replacement, air-conditioning, alcoholic drinks, house-and-land packages and fast food. Sarah Murdoch hustles for undies; Gwyneth Paltrow endorses cosmetics; Celine Dion used to represent a car company, Bruce Willis hawks vodka (C.Middendorp 2010). Hence, they can earn millions of dollar from these advertised campaigns (C.Middendorp 2010). Another example is Kylie Minogue who is a famous singer in Australia. She is also known as actress, childrens book author, underwear designer and perfumer. As a result, her net wealth in 2006 is approximately $55 million, according to James Thomson-the editor of BRWs Entertainer Rich List (D.Ziffer, L .Dubecki 2006). However, the obvious prices that most of them have to pay for the fame are their own privacy. The fact is that the celebrities always use media for their self-promotion. So, some people argue that it is unfair for them when the media reports some thing which they want to keep secret. Nevertheless, other said that celebrities take advantage from media to create the ideal figures of them no matter how inaccurate they are, so it has right to tell the truth (B. Haywood 2004). Therefore, some famous celebrities are always followed by the paparazzi and their privacy is exposed on magazines, newspapers. Objective 3: To research the effects of celebrity culture on our behaviour It is obvious that in a society that is obsessed by media and celebrity culture, celebrities have a great impact on everyone. From fashion trends to life style or political views, peoples behaviours, interests and beliefs are strongly affected by celebrities. Furthermore, these celebrity-culture-obsessions usually begin at an early age, therefore, other than adults, teenagers and children are most impressed. They often think of famous people as role model and try to become those figures (C. Shaffer, 2010). For example, there was a research done by the UK research organisation YouGov in 2005 which surveyed a group 800 of 16-19-year-age young people (Cassidy 2006). It showed that 10% of teenagers would leave school to appear on TV if they had opportunity. Sixteen in 100 of them believed they could find success through celebrity industry. Meanwhile, 9% think being famous is the best way to achieve wealthy without qualifications. The positive affects of celebrities are social and environmental effects. Many environmental topics and issues such as global warming, wildlife animal protectionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ could approach the publicity thanks to the celebrities. Tom Hanks, Al Gore, and Leonardo DiCaprio strongly believe in living green lifestyle (C. Shaffer, 2010). These advocacy-celebrities can positively influence people as they would live more eco-friendly and do good thing for environment protection. Furthermore, many celebrities campaigns concerning social issues like charity, helping poor people, HIVà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ also have good impacts on people recognition. One example is that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie had adopted 3 orphans from different countries (Ethiopia, Cambodia and Vietnam). However, the bad effects also be accompanied by the good effects. The public, with so much exposure to celebrities, could strongly be influenced by their behaviour or even misbehaviour. The fact is that people are imitated by the behaviour associating with success and fame. So, that is the reason why they can have impacts on people, especially the young. Meanwhile, young celebrities can easily affect young people. However, two thirds of 1,007 people in a weekend USA Today Poll believe Hollywood stars are no more likely to get into trouble than other young people (K. Thomas, 2007). Paris Hilton and Linsay Lohan are example. Both of them had to go to jail because of using drugs and driving when they got drunk. Other scandals of the young celebrities concerning with sex, drugs, drunk, clubs, partiesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. are exposed daily on many kinds of media. Hence, the downgrading lifestyles of celebrities are seriously affects on young people in general and the next generation in particu lar. No parents want those bad figures to become their childrens role but they could find no way to get rid of their effects. Section C: Self-evaluation Research skills/Procedure Actually, at first, I choose the topic concerning with technology because it seems to be hot and there are plenty of articles and books writing about it. However, I decided the topic celebrity culture because I found I am interesting in it. It is just because of my habit to go online and read news everyday. I was not sure there are any research or articles concerning with this topic, but I had finally chosen what I am interesting in not others are. After the hardest work- choosing topic, I have to determine how I could approach it. I focused on how does celebrity culture affect our behavior, with three objectives: to examine the rising tide celebrity culture on newspapers, magazines, TV and the Internet; to evaluate the cost to be a celebrity; to research the effects of celebrity culture on our behaviour. However, on the process I did the research, I had to change my second objective to to explain why many people want to be celebrities, which seems to be more suitable to my way of approaching the topic. Unfortunately, I could not find any printed resource in Taylors library which could help my research. So, I had to find everything on the Internet. I used google.com and others scholar website on Study Smart to find most of my references and articles. Oral communication skills In the oral presentation, I have chosen to talk about my two first objectives. I think I did well in the oral presentation. I had done this many times before so I did not feel nervous any more when standing in front of crowed. Furthermore, I also control my body language well. I used the outline on cue cards and the power point for my presentation. I did not learn it by heart because I wanted to make it as naturally as I could. Hence, I received good comments from the teacher about those skills. He also commented well about my tied-up-point. Actually, I came to my mind when I was on tram to school. However, I need to improve my pronunciation and concentrate more on plural endings. Also, because I did not practice my presentation enough time, so I was overtime- 8 minutes. So, I have to practice more to improve my English in general and my pronunciation in particular. I also have to learn to handle the time allowed in next time I do presentation. Organisational skills At first, I found it not too hard to meet the deadlines. Because most of my resources for the research project are from Internet, so it was easy for me to collect everything. Then, the hardest and most time-consuming step is to read all of them and classify which articles; journalsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ are suitable for which objective. Unfortunately, I was sick and absent 3 days from school, so, I could not hand in the second objective on time. Therefore, I did really hard to catch up with other friends and the deadlines also. From this part, I have learnt a lot about time management: to arrange work, to do the schedule, to catch upà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. I think this very important for my future study in university. Also, this is the first time I write the reference list, so I found it is quite difficult. I had to do it many times and asked the teacher to make sure that I was on the right way. Thanks to him, I could finally finish it. Now I feel more confidence to write the reference list next time. To sum up, I have learnt many new things when doing this research project. They are not only academic, but also social and communicational skills: to do the oral presentation, to manage time, to arrange work, to write a report, to do a bibliography, to overcome unexpected problemsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Those skills are always important in both my study and my life in future. Section D: Reference List Elliott, T. 2010, Celebrity is a growth industry, The Age, 29 May, viewed 01 August 2010, . Bunbury, S. 2009, Like a prayer: Celebrities and religion, The Age, 07 April, viewed 01 August 2010, . Shaffer, C. 2010, How do celebrities influence people?, eHow Contributor, 28 June, viewed 01 August 2010, Cadwalladr, C. 2010, Celebrity: The sadness of Susan Boyle, The Advertiser, 26 June. Funnel, N. 2010, Responsibility goes with the celebrity, The Age, 21 June. Haywood, B. 2004, The Price of Fame, The Age, 08 November. McDonald, B., Loughlan, K. 2010, Fame is like the real thing, Sydney Morning Herald, 06 May. Middendorp, C. 2010, Celebrity may earn millions in ads, but look decidedly cheap, The Age, 14 January, p.15. Thomas, K. 2007, Young Hollywood: What has gotten into them?, USA Today, 06 June. Ziffer, D., Dubecki, L. 2006, What next for Kylie?, The Age, 09 December. Turner, G. 2010, Approaching celebrity studies in Celebrity Studies, Volume 1, p.11 20.

Flash! :: essays research papers

FLASH!   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On august 6, 1945 an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima. Thousands of people died instantly from the initial blast. Others died later because of flash burns and radiation sickness. Those who lived had to move away from their homes and toward the parade grounds and parks. Any doctors that were uninjured had to work nonstop all day and night mending wounds. Some people mysteriously die and others are unrecognizable because of the flash burns covering their bodies. The few people that had survived the blast had to try to put their lives back to normal. Homes had been destroyed and family members killed. Now new people had started moving into Hiroshima once news spread that is was safe.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book Hiroshima was an enlightening view of what went on during the atomic blast and the days after. The part that sticks most in my mind was when Mr. Tanimoto was trying to help burn victims on the shore of the river. When he grabbed the one woman’s arm to pull her out to the boat he was using to transport injured people chunks of her skin slid right off. I could visualize the skin coming off because of a similar but not nearly as extreme of an experience. I had burned my arm on an oven rack and when I was wiping off my arm the skin peeled right off. As I read the section I could imagine a large piece of skin peeling off of a human hand and I thought that I would lose my dinner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another thing that remained in my memory throughout the novel was that people put their beliefs before their injuries. Mr. Tanimoto mention that he was ashamed that he could walk when he saw all of the injured people lying about unable to move. Dr. Sasaki didn’t sleep for the first three days because he knew it would be wrong to. Amazingly though, the injured had no shame they walked naked with burns from head to toe and thought nothing of it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The bomb fell silently and as in struck the ground a bright flash lit the whole city. The residents who lived through couldn’t seem to realize what kind of bomb it was. Some thought it was a cluster of many bombs. Rumors spread that a plane that had flown over had sprayed gasoline all across the city. Another said that magnesium powder had been dropped and reacted to the power lines.

The Maturation of Tom Sawyer :: Adventures Tom Sawyer Essays

The Maturation of Tom Sawyer Tom Sawyer, a mischievous, brave, and daring boy that goes through adventures in love, murder, and treasure. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain is about a boy maturing from a whimsical troublemaker into a caring young man. In the "conclusion" Mark Twain writes, "It being strictly a history of a boy, it must stop here; the story could not go much farther without becoming a history of a man" Tom is now maturing throughout a span of adventures in love, treasure, and everyday life that make him more of an adult, then a boy. Tom's acts in love are childish and immature. At first, Tom's love for Becky Thatcher is just a crush. He tells Becky about his "marriage" to Amy and it starts a fight. After that, they both play a game of "hard to get". After this, Tom is too proud to apologize. Also, Tom makes good decisions. First, when Becky accidentally rips Mr. Dobbins' book a, Tom takes the blame, and this ends their feud. Another mature event takes place in McDougal's cave. When Tom and Becky are in the cave, they become lost. Then Tom takes responsibility for himself and Becky's life. These events are part of becoming a young man. At the beginning of the treasure hunt, it was fun, now it takes maturity. One mature act is when Tom and Huck stay close with Injun Joe to catch him. Also Huck is maturing when he decides that he must go for help because he over heard Injun Joe's plans for Window Douglas. On the immature side, when Tom and Huck realize that Injun Joe, the murderer, has the treasure, they aren't mature enough to get adult help. They feel that they're strong enough to handle it. The treasure hunt is a controversial adventure that Tom endures. Tom can now start to show his maturity everywhere, including at home. In the beginning, Tom is running from Aunt Polly's punishments, hurries through chores, and plays hooky from school. When he convinces kids to do his job of whitewash the fence for him, it shows immaturity. Also when he runs away from home to the island, he doesn't leave a note.

Hiring and Firing Essay

This essay will identify and discuss the different recruitment and selection practices of organizations in the UK and these practices will be compared to the counterparts in the rest of European Countries. The essay will also comment on the pitfalls in the UK organizations which have led to tied hands of the managers in these corporations. The terminating practices in the organizations of UK will also be discussed and the pitfalls will be compared to the companies based in the European Countries. This is the reason why fewer students are choosing IT related fields in their graduate degrees as there are no jobs available for the locals in these companies. This is a pitfall that has been dug by these IT companies themselves as they will not receive any talent from the local market if there is a restriction of off-shoring in the future (MarketWatch 2006). Poor Recruitment Practice in UK A people assessment company, Talent Q that helps employers in managing and recruiting talent, has found many companies and managers to be taking poor decisions routinely when hiring employees. There are many bad consequences of this poor hiring practice as the fall in productivity is equal to GBP 2,400 per annum for each worker who finds himself misplaced in a job which he does not want to do or is not capable of performing. Effectively, the aggregate amount goes up to GBP 5million per annum for the economy of UK (M2PressWIRE 2007). According to an official survey of Talent Q, 24 percent of the employees who were recruited were not asked to give an aptitude test and another 44 percent of the personnel who were hired were not short-listed using any personality test. Based on 25 years of academic research across many companies of large scale, these findings were processed through a model which is universally accepted. This model demonstrates the cast iron effectiveness of the assessment. The true extent of the issues for the employers became clear when these results were combined with salary data from Office for National Statistics. The CEO of Talent Q commented that the organizations often fail to employ people on the basis of aptitude test and personality test. However, employing people on the basis of gut feeling is by far the worst employment technique known, whereas many studies have shown that when employers use assessment techniques to find out the personaliy and aptitude of a person, they get much better results (M2PressWIRE 2007). Word of Mouth Recruiting The applicants who apply through word-of-mouth are found to be more suitable than the recruits obtained by advertising and are more likely to stay longer in the job. However, it is not always the case that the best candidate for a job is selected through word-of-mouth applications. This practice for recruitment is being practiced in the UK at higher rates among the senior levels and is known as headhunting. The objective of these seniors is to fill the higher paying jobs with the people whom they know or are there relatives (HRM Guide Network 2007). Promise of Bonuses The promise of bonuses while recruiting the employees has been the worst pitfall of the recruitment practices in the UK. Mercer Consulting has found through research that the overall pay of CEOs in the UK from bonuses has grown from 13 percent to 19 percent in 2004 (Mercer Human Resource Consulting 2004). There has been a major effect on the earnings growth rates in the UK because of the large number of bonuses that were paid in the recent years (Freeman 2002). This practice of attracting talent through offering bonuses does not guarantee a motivated employee. This ensures only that decisions are made by the employees that get him the bonuses and these decisions may harm the company in the long-run. The companies in the UK are also using bonuses as a tool for employee retention and this practice is becoming quite common in the UK economy. However, the new plan to attract new talent and to lay off the existing employees is not in the hands of the managers at middle or lower level. The senior management is most of the companies makes such decisions (Nisar 2007). Off-shoring in the UK Many companies in the UK, especially those related to IT and innovation, are hiring skilled but relatively cheap labor from overseas. This hiring has been allowed by the government because of which work permits and visas have also been allotted to thousands of workers from abroad. Although these cost effective options cannot be ignored by the managers but they find their hands tied when they find cheap labor which can help the company reduce cost (MarketWatch 2006). The Responsibility of the Managers The managers and personal secretaries are getting increasingly responsible for the recruitment of unfilled vacancies. However, these managers cannot be so sure about hiring the right person or deciding a testing system for the vacancy. Where these managers are asked to cut costs, they are also asked to hire the best person. However, tests such as aptitude test, personality test, skill test or psychometric tests can be very expensive. This is in contradiction to cheap hiring and many managers find themselves in a position of hiring a person not fit for job because of fixed or limited budget allocated for hiring (Renshaw 2003). According to the head of a psychometric company, most of the employees are hired within the first five minutes of an interview which is done with the help of instincts. Although in these five minutes, the conversation does not go beyond smiles and introductions but many think that this is the best practice. Hiring through taking tests has been proved to be the best technique which many managers in the UK do not follow. Those employees who are hired without these tests, they are more likely to immerse the company in losses (Renshaw 2003). Lowering Hiring Requirements The companies with vacancies in the Europe mostly respond with lowering the hiring requirements so as to lower the cost associated with hiring. These chances although increase the chances of filling the vacancy but it also results in a match that resists or terminates when he is hit by a requirement that he cannot address to because of lower level of skills or experience. When searching costs are high, the European employers are more likely to hire under qualified employees for temporary positions. One of the consequences of hiring an under qualified person is high firing costs if the employee is able to get a permanent contract (Brencic 2009). Temporary Employment Practices in the Europe Many countries in Europe ban or restrict the use of temporary workers. However, there has been a growing acceptance for the temporary employment in the region. Many companies which do not want to rush in hiring and then make a wrong choice are hiring temporary employees. The UK, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Denmark are the countries among those which have temporary labor markets, but the countries like Greece, Italy, Spain, France, Belgium, Germany and Portugal still have stringent policies over temporary hiring (Messmer 1994). Firing Practices in Europe The economies of Europe have been awfully trailing US and other developed countries because of forests of red tape, vast welfare, overregulation and restrictive hiring and firing practices. Firing Limitations in UK Due to the implementation of several equal employment opportunity acts and laws in the United Kingdom, the employers are restricted to fire or layoff employees. This literally throws a manager at his seat with his hands tied as he cannot fire any employee who is not performing. According to the laws, based on the personal status of the worker, an employer may not establish hiring or recruiting criteria. Employers are not allowed to retaliate against, lay-off or fire their employees citing reasons based on the personal status outlined in the federal legislation of anti-discrimination. The labor is protected with the act of penalties and recourse which says that if an employee is discriminated in the areas of firing and hiring, he may collect all the monetary damages that are done by the employer (Pearson 2010). Firing Practices in Germany In December 2000, the Vauxhall Motors Luton announced the closure of a facility with firing of approximately 2000 people. No details were announced publicly about the firing of employees and what benefits would they get. The employees being affected were not told about the decision that the management was about to take about the closure of a facility. The employees were not even told why the facility was closed or why were they being fired (Butler, Sweeney and Crundwell 2009). This shows that the firing practices in Germany are very different as compared to UK, where a company has very limited power to fire permanent employees. In Germany, however, the companies have power to lay-off the employees whenever they want without presenting any reason. Similarities of Firing Practices in UK and other European Countries In this time of economic downturn, when many large corporations are engaging in downsizing practices, the countries like UK, Italy, France and Germany are targeting the older employees for lay-offs. The reason behind is quite logical as the employees grow older, they become less productive and the company find more talented young people to replace them (Cattaneo et al.  2010). The organizations in most of the economies of Europe view older employees as more disposable and give little value to them (Barth et al. , 1993; Eastman, 1993; Loretto and White, 2006). Conclusion There are certain similarities in the UK and Europe companies when it comes to laying-off or recruitment of the employees. However, the differences are more as the UK companies are bound by laws and strict regulations for firing employees which literally ties the hands of the managers when it comes to firing and hiring of the employees.

Of Mice and Men †Curley’s Wife Essay

Curley’s wife is the only women in the ranch, as we learned from the previous chapters, and is not given a name as she is seen as Curley’s property. First destined to be an actress as she recounts to Lennie, Candy and Crooks, her chances were taken away by her mother who thought she was too young and she so ended up at the ranch by marrying Curley, concerned in getting away from her opportunity-breaker mother as soon as possible. From this we can already observe her high self-esteem, thinking it was only because of her mother that she didn’t end up in acting, not because of her possible lack of great talent. But marrying Curley wasn’t maybe finally the best choice. Confined almost all day in a ‘two-by-four’ house, she has to listen to her men-hater husband’s only conversation about what he is going to do to the fellows he doesn’t like, or to support his non-care about her. She doesn’t like him, says he is too selfish and proud of himself (we can notice that these are also two of her self-characteristics). These facts lead her to become lonely and hostile to men, regarding them as responsible for her bad situation. The only benefit she uses from her marriage is her superiority against the other men, being the wife of the boss’s son and so having the power of having them fired, power from which she abuses, for example by forcing Lennie, Crooks and Candy to speak to her. This shows her manipulative and intelligent character but also her tremendous loneliness. She is mean, bitter and prejudiced against them (she calls them the weak ones, hobos, and discriminates them by treating them respectively of dum-dum, nigger and lousy old sheep), but she has an irrepressible need to talk to them.