Existentialism in Chinua Achebes Things Fall Apart Essay

Existentialism in Things Fall Apart Chinua Achebe presents his audience with an interesting twist to a contemporary school of thought in his work Things Fall Apart. This post-colonization narrative incorporates several traits that revolt against normative philosophic systems and tralititious theories and beliefs of the existence of man and his place in the universe. Achebes efforts are characterized by a small diverse group of writers that purge realizations of predestination, and instead define mans existence by identifying his independent choices throughout the life course. Achebes style, although peculiar in one sense, can be defined in relation to the school of philosophic thought known as existentialism.†¦show more content†¦As defined in The American Heritage College Dictionary, existentialism emphasizes the uniqueness and isolation of the individual in a hostile or indifferent universe, regards existnece as unexplainable, and stresses free choice and responsibility for ones actions. Exis tentialism is personalized from other schools of thought by its embodiment of three important criterion; 1) the emphasis of the individual as the centerpoint of his domain; 2) an accentuation of human choice and freedom; and, 3) a critique of social norm and its aim for individuals to congregate as merely part of a herd. These three standards of action are present in all works defined as existential, and are absorbed in Achebes Things Fall Apart. The focus of the individual is prominent in Things Fall Apart, a tale of an almost anti-social being in a world dominated by change. Achebes main character, Okonkwo, is the window to the dramatization of social, economic, and political change of the nation known as Nigeria. The focus of the narrative is the struggle of a strong and well respected individual to maintain his own life course, and to differentiate this outcome from the end result of his lethargic fathers life. The story embodies the ideal of embracing the individuals goals and aspirations to yield an outcome

Critical Literature Study - 1722 Words

Of the nine studies that meet the established criteria, Devine, Farrell, Hartman (2005), indicated a lack of FVC studies amid low-income families as a justification for need. FVC focused intervention studies in community education setting within this population sector have become more prevalent due to the growing evidence of a correlation between chronic disease and dietary habits. Seven of the nine investigations cite low-income adults and their families consuming below national averages of recommended daily FVC servings as the primary problem and justification for research. On the other hand, there are a plethora of studies identifying FVC barriers among low-income populations. There is also, an abundance of FVC studies in clinical and†¦show more content†¦Though two studies included value added incentives measuring potential influence on behavior, Anderson et al., (2001) utilized $20 coupons redeemed at farmers markets with positive behavioral outcomes in FVC (education and coupons 0.80). While, Ko et al., (2016) provided food baskets of ingredients to replicate class cooking demonstrations at home as an incentive. The results showed increased consumption of 0.5 in fruit and 0.8 in vegetable study outcomes though similar to study issues without incentives. Devine et al., (2006) reminds practitioners that differences between goals of the program and objectives of the participants can have a negative effect on outcomes. Additionally, they highlight the importance of utilizing formative research to align research and program objectives with participants needs to reduce the risk of influencing variables. C. Study Design All articles with the exception of Gerstein et al., (2009) had a predominant quantitative research design. As a qualitative focus group design, Gerstein et al. provide nutrition practitioners with anecdotal evidence supporting the adoption of newly gained FVC practices such as offerings more FVC at meals by presenting information in a meaningful way, eliciting lasting change. It also provides personal perceptions further supporting quantitative learner-centered approach results. While six of the nine studies are quasi-experimental design and classified asShow MoreRelatedCritical Success Factors For Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Success1740 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction This paper is a critical review of the article ‘Critical Success Factors for Enterprise Resource Planning Implementation Success’ which was published in the ‘International Journal of Advances in Engineering Technology’. 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Keywords: nursing, critical care, COPD, ICU, quality of dying Research Problem/Purpose The article by Goodridge et al., (2009) sought to address the problemRead MoreAnalysis Of Mullen Rhoadsrbtm7109-2 : Develop And Apply A Personal Toolkit1622 Words   |  7 Pagestoolkit for critiquing research article, critical thinking that imposes intellectual standards will be the fundamental strategy employed (Elder Paul, 2008; â€Å"Public Library,† 2013). Critical thinking will be employed to minimize bias from the literature review, which should provide a more solid springboard for the dissertation process. The intellectual standards that will be employed are clarity, accuracy, precision, relevance, depth, and breadth. Critical thinking should result in crucial questionsRead MoreWhat Factors Are Involved in the Increasing Prevalence of Type II Diabetes in Adolescents living in Sub-Saharan Africa?1279 Words   |  6 Pagespredispose these individuals to development of type II diabetes early in life. Type II diabetes has numerous significant effects that can affect the quality of life of an individual which could successively affect the economy of a nation. PRELIMINARY LITERATURE REVIEW The prevalence of type II diabetes is rising and was estimated globally to be 285 million by 2010. Type II diabetes is managed by prescription of drugs to individuals who have a very high level of blood glucose. Exercise, diet and lifestyleRead MoreSummary of Medieval and Renaissance Criticism1505 Words   |  7 Pagesin the Medieval Age, sometimes modified and later became a part of it. Many pagan literature were incorporated into the medieval ethos(character). The critical terms in vogue during the Classical Age were popular with the writers of the age and they even followed the prescriptions on the art of composition as laid down by the rhetoricians of the previous age. Medieval Criticism systematically classified literature under grammar, rhetoric and poetry. 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Beloved Essay Independence Example For Students

Beloved Essay Independence A TREE CAN BE A HEAVY LOAD TO CARRYThroughout our lives, we have all had our own tree carved onto us. Whether it is on our back, in our heart, in our soul, our hands or feet, we can all share the knowledge and pain our lives have borne. So there is an understanding of how and what Sethe has had to bare throughout her life, and every branch of her tree has its individual story to tell. Not only has she been affected by the choices she has had to make, but also everyone who has come in contact with her have been affected. One branch of Sethes tree tells of her killing her baby and another tells of the guilt she has felt throughout the years and the near destruction of her from the haunting of her dear Beloveds ghost. Another tells of her boys running away and another tells of the neglect that her younger daughter has had to face.Because of this guilt, she almost paid for it with her life. However, the stages that her mind her took through with coming to terms with her involvement in Be loveds murder, her redemption of that burden, and near madness were the elements that helped to guide her through the guilt. From the redemption of her guilt, Sethe has learned that when a branch of her tree has weltered a little, which means that her family bond is not as strong, the tree does not die, because it has a strong root. A root that represents all of the sorrows of her life, but she is still strong and is willing to fight to get rid of the weltering branches and sprout new ones, which represents new hope, new life and new beginning. In comparison with Sethe, many of us could probably relate to Sethe and the tragedies and devastations she has had to face. Like her, we and the people around us have had to face death, neglect, uncertainties, self-doubt or inner demons. Sethe explains that she took her babys life in order to save her from the treacherous world that she would have greeted. She did not want her baby to grow up in slavery like she had to, or starve because she did not have any milk to feed her. .and I could not let her nor any of em live under schoolteacher. That was out(163). But was that really an excuse to use for what she had done by taking her childs life? Paul D, who was her long-lost friend for eighteen years, disputes her reasoning for killing her child. He states,The prickly, mean-eyed Sweet Home girl he knew as Halles girl was obedient(like Halle), shy(like Halle) and work-crazy(like Halle). He was wrong. This here Sethe was new. The ghost in her house did not bother her for the very same rea son a room-and board witch with new shoes was welcome. This here Sethe talked about love like any other woman; talked about the baby clothes like any other woman, but what she meant could cleave the bone. This here Sethe talked about safety with a handsaw. This here new Sethe didnt know where the world stopped and she began. Suddenly he saw what Stamp Paid wanted him to see more important than what Sethe had done was what she claimed. It scared him(164). Paul D was bewildered and outraged by Sethes actions towards a child and found it unforgivable. Because she killed her child others deemed her a demon, incapable of love, and her younger daughter began believing that was true. She was deemed insane and others around her felt the devastation of her demise. Denver, who is Sethes younger daughter, lived in fear after learning the truth about the horrific actions of her mother. She wondered what would stop her mother from killing her, if killing was so easy for her. .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e , .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e .postImageUrl , .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e , .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e:hover , .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e:visited , .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e:active { border:0!important; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e { 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; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e:active , .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e .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; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ub332631d225c2231fc8c87185593906e:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Greenhouse EssayI love my mother but I know she killed one of her own daughters, and tender as she is with me, Im scared of her because of it. She missed killing my brothers and they knew it. They told me die-witch! stories to show me the way to do it, if ever I needed to.Im afraid the thing that happened that made it alright for my mother to kill my sister could happen again. I dont know what it is, I dont know who it is, but maybe there is something else terrible enough to make her do it again. I need to know what that thing might be, but I dont want to. Whatever it is, it comes from outside this house, outside the yard, and it can come right on in the yard if it wants t o(205). It must be an awful feeling to live and be in fear of ones own mother. Because of Sethes guilt for killing Beloved, she has lost her job, has isolated everyone from her including Denver, and now Beloved was working on taking Sethes health. Sethe has no money because she lost her job and consequently, had no food, but did Sethe care? No, all Sethe wanted to do is to play with Beloved. But it was Beloved who made demand. Anything she wanted she got, and when Sethe ran out of things to give her, Beloved invented desire. She wanted Sethes company for hours to watch the layer of brown leaves waving at them from the bottom creek(241). Beloved wanted to consume Sethes life as much as possible. She started dressing like Sethe, imitated Sethes persona, she even slept with Paul D and became pregnant for him. She took the best of everything first. The best chair, the biggest piece, the prettiest plate, the brightest ribbon for her hair, and the more she took, the more Sethe began to ta lk, explain, describe how much she had suffered, been through, for her children(241). Beloved drained Sethe of all her strength to the point where Sethe contemplated suicide.When I put that headstone up, I wanted to lay in there with you, putyour head on my shoulder and keep you warm, and I would have.I couldnt lay down with you then. No matter how much I wanted to. I couldnt lay down nowhere in peace, back then. Now I can. I can sleep like the drowned, have mercy(204). Paul D, who had abandoned her after learning of Sethes horrific actions, and Denver, who was abandoned by her mother, were the two people who saved her life. Sethe had to have been at her lowest point in order to contemplate suicide. After the boys held her down and stole her childs milk, she was unable to provide food for her Beloved. What is a mother if she cannot provide food for her children? She is unworthy of living and unworthy of being a mother. Paul D, after he learned of Sethes decline in health, went to vi sit her. The pitiful sight of Sethe was troubling and it was then that he had to restore her faith. Sethe .me and you, we got more yesterday than anybody. We need some kind of tomorrow,.You your best thing, Sethe. You are(273). Paul Ds reassurance was the one thing that Sethe needed to restore her faith in believing she is a good, decent person. Along with Paul D, Denver too was an aid in Sethes resurrection. Denver after being left to save herself, came to the aid of Sethes demise. In comparison to Beloved, Denver too had to take on the role of mother, unlike Beloved who wanted to destroy her mother, Denver took care of the child, Sethe. Denver received food from the neighbors and brought home the paycheck to help with the daily maintenance of the family. Another group that helped Sethe, was the community. The community rose to the aid of Sethe to help her fight her demons. .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 , .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 .postImageUrl , .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 , .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819:hover , .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819:visited , .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819:active { border:0!important; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 { 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; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819:active , .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 .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; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819 .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u06229695b78d6016a6b779218e5e2819:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Computer Fraud And Crimes EssayWhen times were bad and Sethes branches were breaking and her roots were being uprooted, the community and the people who care the most about her, combined their strength to save a woman fighting her demons. This is true for each of us, when there does not seem to be any hope and our world is caving in, we can always count on the people who care about us the most. If our friends, neighbors and families strength is not strong enough, we can always count on the Lord for His strength because He has an abundance to give.

Taoism and Confucianism Research Paper Example

Taoism and Confucianism Paper The Chinese spiritual experience is a synthesis of Taoism and Confucianism. I feel it is their shared quest that humans move away from being individuals to become a part of a greater whole, whether it is Confucius society or Lao Tzus nature. However, just as they have their similarities they, like all the other religions, have their differences, theirs being the way to becoming a part of the greater whole. In their different and similar aspirations, like the Yin and the Yang, Taoism and Confucianism is a combination which balances the Chinese character. I believe the Chinese spiritual experience is when humans strive by being or doing to become a part of the greater whole. Both Taoism and Confucianism urge humankind to shed their individuality for this goal. They both contend that individualism holds the individual back as well as fragments the essence of the greater whole. When more people become a part of it, the greater whole will become stronger. As Lao Tzu asks, What happens when 10,000 people go back into the woods? I think he might have answered the woods, nature, becomes that much greater by being able to guide life in its own way. We will write a custom essay sample on Taoism and Confucianism specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Taoism and Confucianism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Taoism and Confucianism specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Just as Taoism and Confucianism maintain a similar direction, they differ in other aspects. One difference they come across is what the greater whole is whether it be the Taoists nature or the Confucianists society. Another opposition they have is what process one takes in becoming a part of the greater whole. Where Taoism says the way to do is to be, Confucianism disagrees saying the way to be is to do. The two religions also differ as to what actually makes the other great. Whereas Taoism says the Tao (the way) makes people great, Confucianism teaches that people make the Tao great. I believe the most significant variance between Taoism and Confucianism is what is the greater whole. Taoists believe the greater whole to be nature. However, Confucianists feel it is society. They are both correct if we looked at the hierarchy of the Chinese experience that is self, society, nature, cosmos, and the great beyond (infinity). The difference comes in how far they travel to find the greater whole. The Confucianists stop at society because they see it as synthesis of effort put forth by every human being to make life better. Taoists look to nature because they see it as our creator and being our creator we should realize our potential to become apart of it once again. How a person becomes a part of society or nature is also a point the two religions split ways. In Taoism, the way to do is to be or simply the way to be will guide us to unity with nature. Confucianism disagrees noting the way to be is to do or plainly the way to do will make us a part of society. Taoism is the guidance of the way. The way can be defined in three manners. Taoism is the way of the ultimate reality. It is where everything originated yet we can only experience. There are no words or pictures to describe it, and all we can know is it is within us, it is outside us, it is everywhere and nowhere. Taoism is the way of the universe. It is the driving power in everything which exists. It is natures orderer. It puts everything in its place without any spark of prejudice. Taoism is the way of human life. It is humans emulating water. It is humans doing by not doing. It is humans allowing nature to guide them. Confucianism follows the way of doing. Its model figure is the Chun Tzu who in our society could be likened to a moral leader. Humans strive to become the Chun Tzu (Superior Man) because they must serve others. To become a Chun Tzu, one must first follow the way of Jen by respecting themselves and maintaining a sensitivity towards all humanity. One must strive to be just to others and to be understanding of others emotions. One must also follow the Silver Rule of not doing those things they would not have others do to them. Another division between the two religions is their contrasting beliefs as to what force makes the other great. Taoists believe it is the way or the Tao that makes humans great. This is because it is the Tao by which humans are able to rejoin with nature. By rejoining nature, we are able to regain power in allowing nature to do things or things to do themselves. However, Confucianists believe it is humans that make the Tao great. This is because only through the efforts of humans can society become great. Humans make the Tao great by choosing to follow it, giving power to its force. There are opposite forces in all corners of life. There is no day without night and no good without evil. Like the Yin and the Yang, these opposing forces are halves of a greater whole. Just as these forces merge to create a vivid existence so too does Taoism and Confucianism combine to create a brilliance in the Chinese Character. Without one the other would be greatly flawed, but their joined beliefs and practices make the one as well as the infinite greater. It is not hard to see that our western society could learn a lesson from the teachings of Lao Tzu and Confucius. Nature which we have coldly ravaged and our own streets would be safer. Politicians would actually work for the society instead of the powerful few. Even art would be supported for its value in bringing people together. However, we could never hope to attain the dedication both require because of our deeply rooted individualistic attitudes. If we followed the practices of Confucianism and we believed that serving others is great honor, then our western world would be a safer one. There would be no illegal drug use or sells for we would know this is harmful to those we live to serve. There would be no crime for we would live by sharing all that we have with others eliminating the main cause of crime, the desire to have what we do not have. Life as we know it would be transformed into a peaceful world where we care for others regardless of who they are. If politics were conducted based on Confucianism, the government would be a vessel for society. Politicians would not be indentured to private causes driven by personal gain because they would believe that their purpose is to serve society. They would be the rightful protectors of all they govern. They would also uphold the principles of Li for they would understand that they have been given a chance to make society greater and to maintain its greatness. If we followed Taoism or Confucianism, we would fully support the arts of our days. We would provide the means for artist to flourish and places to share their works. There would be no art critics for the purpose of art is to bring society together. Critics are deconstructionists and they would be a hindrance in the natural expression of art. It is in the naturalism of art that the two religions find its power of unity. Run by the Chinese religions, our society would appreciate art not because peoples analysis finds it excellent but because art is a grounds of bringing people together. We look to the stars in search of our future when we only need look at ourselves to find it. Before we can reach the stars we must be one entity. I believe this is the overall lesson of the Chinese religions that to be great we must be unified. Imagine what we could become and where we could go if we have our opposite forces working together. Once this were to happen, nothing could ever work against us.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Biography

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas Biography Arguably the most conservative justice in recent U.S. Supreme Court history, Clarence Thomas is well-known for his conservative/libertarian leanings. He strongly supports states rights and takes a strict constructivist approach to interpreting the U.S. Constitution. He has consistently taken political conservative positions in decisions dealing with executive power, free speech, the death penalty and affirmative action. Thomas is unafraid of voicing his dissent with the majority, even when it is politically unpopular. Early Life Thomas was born June 23, 1948, in the small, impoverished town of Pin Point, Ga., the second of three children born to M.C. Thomas and Leola Williams. Thomas was abandoned by his father at the age of two and left to the care of his mother, who raised him as a Roman Catholic. When he was seven, Thomas mother remarried and sent him and his younger brother to live with his grandfather. At his grandfathers request, Thomas left his all-black high school to attend seminary school, where he was the only African American on campus. Despite experiencing extensive racism, Thomas nevertheless graduated with honors. Formative Years Thomas had considered becoming a priest, which was one reason he chose to attend St. John Vianneys Minor Seminary in Savannah, where he was one of just four Black students. Thomas was still on track to be a priest when he attended Conception Seminary College, but he left after hearing a student utter a racist comment in response to the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Thomas transferred to the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts, where he founded the Black Student Union. After graduation, Thomas failed a military medical exam, which excluded him from being drafted. He then enrolled in Yale Law School. Early Career Immediately after graduating from law school, Thomas found it difficult to obtain a job. Many employers falsely believed that he received his law degree due only to affirmative action programs. Nevertheless, Thomas landed a job as an assistant US attorney for Missouri under John Danforth. When Danforth was elected to the U.S. Senate, Thomas worked as a private attorney for an agriculture firm from 1976 to 1979. In 1979, he returned to work for Danforth as his legislative assistant. When Ronald Reagan was elected in 1981, he offered Thomas a job as Assistant Secretary of Education in the Office of Civil Rights. Thomas accepted. Political Life Not long after his appointment, the president promoted Thomas to head the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As director of the EEOC, Thomas angered civil rights groups when he shifted the focus of the agency from filing class-action discrimination lawsuits. Instead, he concentrated on reducing discrimination in the workplace, and emphasizing his philosophy of self-reliance for African Americans, chose to pursue individual discrimination suits. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush appointed Thomas to the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington DC. Supreme Court Nomination Less than a year after Thomas was appointed to the appeals court, Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall- the nations first African American Justice- announced his retirement. Bush, impressed with Thomas conservative positions, nominated him to fill the position. Facing a Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee and the wrath of civil rights groups, Thomas faced stiff opposition. Recalling how conservative Judge Robert Bork had doomed his nomination by providing detailed answers at his confirmation hearings, Thomas was hesitant to provide lengthy answers to interrogatories. Anita Hill Just before the end of his hearings, an FBI investigation was leaked to the Senate Judiciary Committee regarding sexual harassment allegations leveled at Thomas by former EEOC staff worker Anita Hill. Hill was aggressively questioned by the committee and offered shocking details of Thomas alleged sexual misconduct. Hill was the only witness to testify against Thomas, although  another staffer offered similar allegations in a written statement.   Confirmation Although Hills testimony had transfixed the nation, preempted soap operas and competed for airtime with the World Series, Thomas never lost is composure, maintaining his innocence throughout the proceedings, yet expressing his outrage at the circus the hearings had become. In the end, the judiciary committee was deadlocked at 7-7, and the confirmation was sent to the full Senate for a floor vote with no recommendation being made. Thomas was confirmed 52-48 along partisan lines in one of the narrowest margins in Supreme Court history. Service to the Court Once his nomination was secured and he took his seat on the High Court, Thomas quickly asserted himself as a conservative justice. Aligned primarily with conservative justices William Rehnquist and Antonin Scalia, Thomas is nonetheless his own man. He has offered lone dissenting opinions, and at times, has been the sole conservative voice on the Court.

Answers to More Questions About Usage

Answers to More Questions About Usage Answers to More Questions About Usage Answers to More Questions About Usage By Mark Nichol Confusion about words or phrases with similar connotations or constructions is common; here are several questions from DailyWritingTips.com readers about usage, and my responses. 1. What is the difference between remuneration and emolument? The words have essentially the same meaning – â€Å"compensation or payment† though remuneration also pertains to payment by a customer or client, and emolument also refers to perquisites, or perks (privileges or offers for employees such as one’s own parking space or free use of a fitness center.) 2. I wish to know when and where to use toward or towards, and what is the difference? The words are variations with identical meanings. Towards is British English, though many Americans use it, especially in conversation. Toward is preferable in formal US English. 3. In my country, bottled, aerated drinks like Coca-Cola and Pepsi are called â€Å"cold drinks† universally. But a sizable community calls them â€Å"cool drinks.† How do I convince and let them know the difference between cool and cold? Also, many people use the term action in place of acting when it comes to describing someone’s performance in a film or a play. â€Å"Cold drink† (and â€Å"cool drink†) may be universal in your country, but there are many terms for carbonated beverages, so I think any effort to try to control usage in this case is futile. As for action used as you describe, English usage evolves, and what may seem like an aberration now will often become standard vocabulary in the future. Even if action never becomes formally acceptable as a synonym for acting, its persistence as a variant is probably inevitable. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Style category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Regarding Re:Among vs. Amongst25 Idioms with Clean

Staffing Technologies in Chern's Company Case Study

Staffing Technologies in Chern's Company - Case Study Example This paper will give recommendations on how to improve Chern’s staffing systems and later give some reflections on the entire Chern’s case study. Chern should employ additional technologies in order to ensure that human resource management personnel concentrate on the essential and critical tasks only. The organization should consider utilizing such technologies in the entire human resources management process (Philips & Gully, 2009). Chern can use an Applicant Tracking System (ATS), automated employee training system and a human resource information system. The three above will basically automated various human resource management functions and bring in efficiency and save time. The ATS is a system mainly used for recruiting purposes and it can handle the entire hiring process depending on its level of sophistication. An ATS will be used to post online vacancy advertisements, screen candidates for the required qualifications and perform online interviews with shortlisted candidates. The different scores for the different candidates can then be put on a dashboard for easier and quicker decision making (Philips & Gully, 2009). An ATS will make hiring easier and will make it possible for Chern to interview as many candidates as possible and increase chances of hiring the best and talented candidate for any position (Philips & Gully, 2009). The employee training system is application or system that is used to induct new employees into their roles as well as monitor their performance. This system is commonly referred to as learning management system can be used to develop employees’ skills and competencies by facilitating training. This system can be a great asset to Chern as it will determine the training needs of individual candidates, recommend training materials and generate a training schedule for the new staffs (Schuler &Jackson, 2008). Chern should also adopt a human resource information system that will assist  the human resource manager in performance evaluation as well as carrying out some tasks such as payroll production and determining hours worked daily. This system can be used as a decision-making tool in planning for promotions and successions.

Investigate a criminal prevention program Research Paper

Investigate a criminal prevention program - Research Paper Example There are several crime prevention strategies and programs that use specific approaches to recognize, anticipate, appraise and address crimes or factors that contribute to crime. Crime prevention could be targeted at different levels starting with the individual, family as well as the community (Briggs, 2013). At individual level, crime prevention aims at avoidance of crime and the factors constituting to crime. This means preventing an individual from ever committing a crime. The term crime prevention is used to refer to programs designed in an effort to prevent individuals from committing a subsequent crime. The crime prevention strategies focused on the community target changes in the infrastructure, culture or the physical nature to prevent or reduce crime. Community based crime prevention programs include: Comprehensive programs which encourage involvement of local and state government, the private sector as well as the community to respond to violent crimes, drug abuse and improve the standards of living in the community by incorporating multiple approaches. This is a crime prevention theory that was developed by George Kelling and James Wilson that seems to suggest that preventing minor crimes such as vandalism and public disorderliness is the gateway to preventing crimes that are considered major and life threatening (Neubauer, 2013). As such, if the police were to crack down on minor offenders involved in minor crimes, it would lead to less serious crimes on the streets. The proponents of this theory assert that if left unchecked, street corners will gradually degenerate in to crime infested areas where bullies would take over taking alcohol and drugs openly intimidating citizens and making excessive noises. The broken window is a metaphorical broken window in a building which they argue if left unattended will attract more vandalism in the building. Therefore, broken windows should be fixed as it

Contact And Exchange Between Peoples And Cultures Essay Example for Free

Contact And Exchange Between Peoples And Cultures Essay Occupation is not a victory, yet, discrimination and oppression evoke acrimony among the native people, which impedes European imperialists from conquering the native people. The Metis, a native group originally scattered across Canada as well as parts of the northern United States such as Montana, North Dakota and Northwest Minnesota. However, the Metis and other aboriginal groups suffered injustice in European colonialism, which is the main focus of this paper. The Aboriginal peoples were the original residents of Canada. It is a collective word for the diversity of the indigenous people. The word was incorporated in the Canadian Constitution Act of 1982 and concerns to the Inuit and the Metis people. The term aboriginal has provided a sense of unity among the indigenous peoples and also served the role of erasing the different historical, cultural practice, sovereignty and languages of over fifty countries that lived in Canada preceding to European colonization. It is believed that the Metis fatherly ancestry originated from different nationalities; Irish, French, English and Scottish while the mothers came from the Native Indian. So the Merits are of mixed blood. Nevertheless, the Metis were able to adopt both the European and the Indian culture through utilizing what was suitable to their necessities. However, the European colonization led to their suffering and injustice. During this time the Metis suffered prejudice, racism and injustice. The Relationship of the Metis To their Land and the Manitoba Treaty The Metis practiced the concept of communism, meaning personal ownership of land were prohibited. They resisted external pressures to abandon this concept. However, with the European colonization, the Metis was denied the freedom to live the way they wanted, thus, they were forced to abandon the communism concept. As a matter of fact, the Metis who had occupied the lands in North America for decades before the European colonization were deprived during the European colonization, which in turn is still today whereby the political and legal approached deprive Metis societies of fundamental human rights The European solidified their attitudes towards race in their experience with the Metis. The clash between England and Ireland went beyond rivalries between the two developing nations. This was a clash between the semi-nomadic pastoralist and those who were settled on the land as farmers and grew a sedentary culture. The treatment of the Metis people in Cnanda was extremely similar to the treatment of the other Aboriginal peoples. As a matter of fact, the European established a hierarchical view of the earth where the value of other communities was judged against the image of their own, whereby human beings were viewed as continuing through different regular and specific stages of growth ranging from savagery to civilization. Furthermore, it was not only a social philosophy, but a moral Christian obligation placed on the European to guide the Metis who was regarded as uncivilized beings to the pinnacle of civilization. The European presented the capital structure, which embroiled racial segregation. This was opposite to what the Metis and other Aboriginal groups practiced. As a result, this concept led legitimacy to the undertaking of the dominant power whereby the European dominated the Metis. Through racial segregation, the Europeans were able to push the Metis out of their land, and exert control over all the aboriginal groups in North America. Indeed, race became a social norm and an unquestioned reason to privilege. It was one employed with great insight against the Metis people in Canada. Thus, although most of the treaties had different positive effects in the aboriginals, most of them caused these communities a devastating effect. The treaties cost the Aboriginals a lot, including their land. Besides being forced to give up their culture, they ended up with a much smaller tract of land as a result of improper negotiations. Also, though the provision of education and health care has been cru cial in maintaining the Aboriginal cultures, other benefits such as farm implements and the right to utilize land were much smaller compared to the tracts of lands given in their exchange. Furthermore, the implications resulting in the signing of treaties caused a large number of deaths among them. According to Miller (2000), prior to 1870, the Aboriginal population decreased by about 75percent under the hands of the European settlers. The Fur Trade Canada expanded in a unique manner whereby it traded fur with other countries. Fur trade played a significant role in creating boundaries, which still exist today because borders are grounded on its dissimilar resilience in the North America. As a matter of fact, the importance of the fur trade lies in its commitment of the geographic platform. Through this trade, the development of the Metis emerged with their own language and culture. Indeed, the trade depended on the productive skill and the organizational capabilities in the Metis people. Therefore, the Metis and the Indians regulated the fur trade and only traded when it was convenient for them to do so. Moreover, the Metis were sought to travel through canoe into the interior to carry out trade with the Indian community. The fur trade helped the European to penetrate to Canada, and as a result, they started assimilating the Metis community. They disregarded their culture, beliefs and norms and waged to change their culture as w ell as their behavior. The Metis were culturally undistinguished from other Canadainas. The Land Scrip During the 18th century in Canada, the government gave out scrip certificate giving the right holder to either a certain acreage of land or an amount of money that could be used to the buy on land. These certificates were given out to individual Metis to fulfill their claim to land ownership. However, most people did not get the scrip who eventually was the original inhabitants of the land, meaning that the entire Metis communities who had stayed on the land for decades were sidelined of their rightful heritage. Moreover, it was not only the manner in which the Metis was deprived of their original land. Likewise, the Juvenile Act of Manitoba was modified to permit Metis minors to sell or dispose of their script, thus creating an opportunity for abuse. The government also opposed to a powerful Metis constituency and enterprise interests desiring to gather vast tracts of land colluded to ensure that the Metis of the West of forlorn become landless people. The Metis was not included, fr ightened, swindled or made to kill of the land consisting rudimentary way that consecutive Canadians would follow to open up Canada. As a result, the Metis were forced to live on unutilized parts of the land, which is the reason that they were referred to as the â€Å"Road Allowance People† meaning that they were bound to make their geographical area on the government land on either side of the road. Louis Riel and the Manitoba Drawing from Louis Riel who was the founder of Manitoba and a Metis leader, it is clear that the Metis were harassed unjustly. Riel was murdered by the government for treason. He had united the Metis community and led to a famous Metis government that was central in taking Manitoba into Confederation, but his aim was to preserve the Metis community from the Canadian authority. Riel also led the Metis at the Red River whereby the Canadian government had appointed McDougall as the governor whose mission was to re-stake the Metis land. The Metis opposed him through Riel so as to preserve their cultural, social and political status of the Metis in the Red River as well as the Northwest. As a matter of fact, intermarriages between the Europeans and the Metis or the aboriginals was prohibited. Riel was considered a hero because he defended the Catholic faith and the French culture in Manitoba. It is for this reason that went back to North America after being in exile for four months in the United States. The British and the Canadian government did not support the Metis beliefs and wanted to establish the Protestant beliefs. Nevertheless, the opposition from the Metis through the influence of Riel did not last long when he was captured and executed. Riel was executed without any trial with British or Canadian law for his section in the Red River resistance. The Residential Schools Just like other Aboriginal peoples, the Metis were placed in residential schools over the course of a hundred years. These schools stripped children of their languages and culture so as to eliminate the Metis problem and assimilate them into the society. The Metis in residential schools survived sexual as well as physical abuses, loss of identity as well as language. As a result, many of the Metis children as well as other Aboriginal people’s did not survive at all. Indeed, there are still unrequited questions about how some kids vanished. Nevertheless, the current dispute resolution program in North America, especially Canada does not address the fundamentals harms suffered by Aboriginal peoples as a result of the Indian Residential Schools system that was expressly introduced to remove Aboriginal languages and culture, and to murder the Indian in the child. The government’s strategy for accomplishing its policy aim concerned removing children from their families, puni shing them for speaking their aboriginal language and denying them the right to follow their spiritual teachings and traditional celebrations and failing to give them adequate education. In conclusion, from the above discussion, it is clear that the Metis as well as other Aboriginal communities in North America suffered injustices. They were killed because of their language and beliefs, disregarded because of their culture and mixed blood, they were racially segregated and denied their right to own land. As a result, they ended up in the Manitoba reserve with small parts of land and some none. Neither were their appreciated in residential schools whereby their kids were physically and sexually abused. And though all these things are known by the government, nothing much has improved in Canada for the Metis as well as other aboriginals. References Brown, D., Kingston, O. (1992). Aboriginal governments and power sharing in Canada. Kingston, Ont.: Institute of Intergovernmental Relations, Queens University. First Nations in Canada. (1997). Ottawa: Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Howe, P., Bedford, D. (2007). Electoral participation of Aboriginals in Canada.Noble, T. (2008). Western civilization: Beyond boundaries (5th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Rambaut, T. (1987). The Hudsons Bay Half-Breeds and Louis Riels Rebellions. Political Science Quarterly, 135-135. Source document

Satire :: essays research papers

Country vs. Court There are many different ways to reveal one's perception of society. In art for instance, the reflection may be revealed in the form of a sculpture, a song or a picture. Satire is one the ways that the reaction or perception of life is expressed. People look at life from different stand points, as matter of fact, they naturally perceive it in numerous ways. As a result of the variety in perception, the way of revealing the effects or reflections of these perceptions also shows variety. In the satiric work of Jonathan Swift’s â€Å"Gulliver’s Travels† and George Orwell’s â€Å"Animal Farm† both authors make a distinction between country vs. court or in Orwell’s case, country (people) vs. government. Gulliver's first adventure takes place in Lilliput. Gulliver gets shipwrecked and finds himself tied down by a considerable number of little people called Lilliputians. The Lilliputians stood only six inches high. During this time Swift recognized that England was also small in stature but was dominant force and had a great influence in Europe. England, despite its small size, had the potential to defeat any nation that might try to conquer them. Swift relates this situation with the Lilliputians. They only stood six inches tall but had the power to take on the, "Man-Mountain", Gulliver. The ability of the Lilliputians to capture someone ten times their size can be seen as reinforcing their strength as a small nation, such as England. Thus becoming and remaining a great and powerful country. Swift further illustrates satire of the country vs. court distinction by comparing English government to Lilliput. In the early eighteenth century, the English government was under the Whig's political party. Swift represented himself as Gulliver as being a Tory, and the Lilliputians as being power-hungry Whigs. Their heels of their shoes identified these parties. In Lilliput the High-Heels represented the Tories and the Low-Heels represented the Whigs. George I favored the Whigs, so the Lilliputian emperor favored the Low-Heals. But the Prince of Whales favored both parties, and thus the Lilliputian heir to the throne wore one High-Heel and one Low. When Gulliver started learning about the Lilliputians government he noticed that their government officials were chosen by rope dancing. To Gulliver and the reader these practices seem ridiculous and idiotic, but to the Lilliputians they see these practices as normal. Swift uses this scene to satire the British government at this time.

“Girl” Jamaica Kincaid Essay

The short story of â€Å"Girl† by Jamaica Kincaid is about a mother and her relationship with her daughter. It is a harsh one sided conversation between the narrator and her mother, with the mother doing all the talking. The story gives a rich description of what her mother expects from her in all aspects of her life, from chores, to how she plays, to what she sings in church. From each line you see the viewpoint of how her mother sees the world, what is proper in her eyes and her expectations for her daughter. Throughout the story the symbolism gives deeper meaner to every verse and shows deeper insight to their realsonship. One of the first symbols is in the first line is the color white. The use of the color white is foreshadowing the tone for the whole short story. White represents pure, virgin, and clean. The mother is reprimanding her child for the way she walks â€Å"on Sundays try to walk like a lady and not like the slut you so bent on becoming† (380). The narrator’s mother already has concerns of her daughter becoming sexually promiscuous and tarnishing her reputation. The mother’s tone is harsh throughout the whole short story. She is demanding her daughter does these things as she dictates. This is not a sweet moment between a mother and her daughter. The conversation is laced with insults and fears. The mother also warns her daughter about eating on the street â€Å"don’t eat fruit on the street-flies will follow you† (380). Flies are seen as bottom feeders, dirty and irritating and when flies are surrounding an animal it is seen as filthy. She is telling he r daughter that she will be seen as dirty if her fruits are out for everyone to see. This has to do with being covered and not letting everyone stare at you. This supports her idea that her daughter will become promiscuous and not respectable. Another symbol example is the importance on clothing. The mother cautions â€Å"when buying cotton to make yourself a nice blouse, be sure that it doesn’t have gum on it, because that way it won’t hold up after a wash† (380). The mother’s emphasis on clothing highlights her view of how  you dress is a reflection of you as a person. Its gives insight to your character and personality that you take pride in how you look. Clothing is used cover your body, when you are covered you are seen as respectable in her community. In the conversation â€Å"this is how to hem a dress when you see the hem coming and so to prevent yourself from looking like the slut I know you are so bent on becoming† (380) This is the second time that her mother accuses her of turning in a slut. The hemming of the dress is no longer a lesson in how to sew, but the act itself has tuned into being seen as respectable and that reinforces her mother’s view. In addition, â€Å"Benna† is also a symbol in the text. The word benna is one of the cultural symbols she uses. It gives insight to where the story is taking place. It also gives the reader the first response to her mother who has been talking the whole time. â€Å"I don’t sing benna on Sundays at all and never in Sunday School† (Kincaid 380). Why did the narrator feel compelled to finally speak up for herself in this moment? What did her mother mean by accusing her of this that the narrator feel she had to defend herself? From this short sentence the reader can assume that something that has changed culturally. If the daughter is implying that singing Calypso music is frowned upon and considered taboo that means singing it i n Sunday school would be a grave disrespect. The other aspect of the sentence is the use of Sunday school, the introduction of Christianity has added to the mother’s fears of her daughter being respectable. The mother is also going through changes culturally and that has influence her concerns for her daughter. Another example of cultural symbolism is the â€Å"this how you set a table for tea† (381). This line in the story shows a reference to Britain through tea. The reader can accept that what has been going on culturally is in reference to Britain. There are foreigners in her country who could be judging the country as they interact with the natives. Her constant fear of her daughter becoming a slut is stemming from what the mother now views as proper behavior. They are many symbols that come from food. The use of food in this short story has a small number of layers. There is the superficial layer that acts as a cultural symbol in her use of her native dishes in the text. It also adds depth to the short story and shows the reader where the narrator and her mother are living â€Å"this is how to make bread pudding, this is how to make doukona, this is how to make pepper potà ¢â‚¬  (381). The reader  has only seen the mother in the fierce, menacing tone. Upon further analysis of the symbolism, it shows that her mother doesn’t want her to forget her cultural heritage among all the changes going on currently in her life with Sunday school and the British being in her country. She wants her daughter to learn how to cook these native dishes as a way of passing down her legacy. Another layer is the mother finds cooking to being part of being a respectable women. Cooking is something the mother puts value on. She believes that a woman who can cook is valuable to their society. Over the course of the text she come back to instructing on how to cook. The reader is also able to see it in the beginning, middle and end of the short story. It is not just being able to make these dishes, but the whole act itself â€Å"cook pumpkin fritters in very hot sweet oil† (380). The mother believes that cooking strengths the bond her daughter will have with her family and with the community. The last symbol in food is the when the mother tell her how to she is to squeeze the bread â€Å"always squeeze bread to make sure it’s fresh; but what if the baker won’t let me feel the bread?; you mean to say that after all you are really going to be the kind of woman who the baker won’t let near the bread† (381) This goes back to the overall theme of the entire story. Her mother wants her be the kind of lady that the baker lets squeeze the bread. The word squeeze is suggestive in a way that the mother doesn’t want her daughter to allow anyone to â€Å"squeeze† her. It also reinforces that her daughter should not become a slut or she will be not be a functioning member of society. Sluts and wharf-rat boys are not part of their society; her mother warns â€Å"you mustn’t speak to wharf-rat boys† (380). They are outcast, if she becomes a slut the baker will not allow her to touch the bread and she will be an outcast like the wharf-rat boys. The final symbol is housework; the importance of it is seen throughout the short story. The narrator’s mother makes many references toward housework, â€Å"Wash the white clothes on Monday and put them on the stone heap; wash the color clothes on Tuesday and put them on the clothesline to dry† (380). She sees housework as a way of keeping busy so her daughter doesn’t become promiscuous. It also establishes her role as women taking care of her house. In their culture this seen a respectable and earns them respect from their community. This short story looks like a simple stern lecture from a mother to daughter. When you look at each sentence in-depth, you see mother has  fears that are based not in anger but in reality due to all the changes going on in their culture. These fears are expressed sometimes harshly by calling daughter a slut, and her tone throughout the story. At the end it is just a mother being concerned with her daughter and wanting the best life possible for. The symbolism gives more insight than what the reader can read just on the surface. It shows a whole different character for the mother and sheds light as to why the mother has these expectations and fears. What people fear shapes them and their relationships Works Cited Kincaid, Jamica. Literature A Portable Anthology. 3rd ed. Boston, MA: Bedford St Martins, 2013.

Impact of political ideologies on education policy Essay

Introduction Political parties with widely divergent views have a serious impact on government policies. If the government changes from extreme right to extreme left policies with every election, it would be impossible to make long lasting policies. A left-wing government may like to keep major resources in public hands while the right wing government may have a policy of promoting privatization. Fortunately, while this often is the case in emerging democracies, the countries of developed world have managed to establish certain common policies accepted by all major parties and a change of government does not mean political upheaval any more. In United Kingdom, policies of two main parties, the Labour and the Conservatives had considerable differences in their perception of how the country should be governed. Conservative party believes in market economy while the Labour party was considered a left of center party with socialist leaning. Both of these parties have elements, which have; extreme right views in the case of Conservative Party and extreme left wing view in the case of Labour party. Over the years these difference have narrowed considerably and the present Blair’s government policies of ‘New Labour’ are a far cry from the leftwing policies of the past. United Kingdom is a social welfare state and the public policy dealing with the social issues and programs plays an important role in the administration of government functions. The important elements of UK social policy are Social Security, Health, Housing, Education and Personal Social Services (welfare and children) [Alcock, 1996]. Both major political parties have their own views on the direction social policy should take and while maintaining the basic structure, both parties try to implement their own political ideology in reforming/modifying the social policies. As an example, when Margaret Thatcher’s Conservative government was in power, it favoured private ownership of housing and privately rented housing, while the Labour government before her promoted public sector housing under the local councils. The social policy in the education sector has also been affected by the political ideologies of the ruling parties, For example, grant maintained schools set up by Conservatives Government under the 1988 Education Act were abolished by the 1997 Labour Government. Government policies have an immense effect on education involving huge resources. This essay reviews the impact of political ideologies of the ruling party on education policies since 1945. Butler’s Act Implementation Begins after 1945 The 1944 Education Act also known as Butler Act laid the foundation of the present system of education policy. The Act basically replaced all previous legislation and became the basis of post World War Education Policy. The implementation of the policy began with the first post World War Elections in 1946, when Clement Attlee’s government came into power. Attlee’s cabinet had Ellen Wilkinson as the Minister of Education as the Act had abolished the previous control by the Boards of Education and introduced a Ministry of Education. The new policy introduced compulsory education from the age of 5-15 with support services, such as milk, transport and medical support for children in the age group. Religious education was made compulsory but parents were given the right to withdraw their children from religious education. Local Education Authorities were to govern the system on a local level and managed by a Chief Education Officer appointed by the LEAs. The secondary education from 1946 onwards was said to be based on a ‘tripartite system’, Grammar Schools for the most able students selected based on a placement test at age 11, Secondary Modern Schools for the rest. The third category of Secondary Technical Schools was specified in the new Education Policy but very few schools of this type were actually opened. Until the end of World War 2, a national unity government (Coalition government headed by Conservative Winston Churchill) ruled the country and education was considered a non-partisan issue. However the differences in the education for ordinary people in congested, large class rooms in old buildings on one hand and high class English private education for the privileged elite was producing two very different category of citizens. This kind of education could not be a part of Labour politics. In the first election after the Second World War, the Labour party won a landslide victory and had the task of implementing the 1944 Education Act. Governments 1946 – To date In order to study the impact of political ideologies on education we need to compare the education policy with the government in power to monitor the effect of party politics on education policy. This information is presented below [Gillard, 2004a]: Period Prime Minister Political Party/Parties July 45- Oct 51 Clement Attlee Labour Oct 51 – Apr 55 Winston Churchill Conservative Apr 55- Jan 57 Anthony Eden Conservative Jan 57- Oct 63 Harold McMillan Conservative Oct 63 – Oct 64 Alex Hume Conservative Oct 64 – June 70 Harold Wilson Labour. June 70 – Mar 74 Edward Heath Conservative Mar 74 – Apr 76 Harold Wilson Labour Apr 76 – May 79 James Callaghan Labour May 79 – Nov 90 Margaret Thatcher Conservative Nov 90 – May 97 John Major Conservative May 97- To date Tony Blair Labour As we see from the above Table, during the last 60 years the two main parties in power have been Conservative party who believe in far-right to right of center politics [The Right Approach, 1976], and the Labour party which believes in socialist, left-of- center politics. The present Labour government can be considered as a Centrist party with its slogan of ‘New Labour’. The third major political party is the Liberal Democrats, which has a major influence in the country but has not been in power during the last 60 years. The nearest taste of power the Liberals had was in the Callaghan Government when the Labour party needed to form an alliance with them. Political Ideology & Education Policy Playing Politics with Education The governments in power have always used education to promote their political objectives. It is said that the reason behind the mass education plan of 1880 was not a concern to promote equality and education among the masses but due to a fear of civil disorder. When the unemployment became high in 1960s, the government fearing further unemployment as new 15 years old coming out of school will flood the market decided to raise the school leaving age to 16. The proposal of raising the school leaving age was originally made in the 1944 Butler Act but not acted upon by any government since 1946 [Chitty, 2004]. In the Education Act 1993, schools were made more accountable for the levels of performance of their pupils When the problem children in schools started impacting the school results, the idea of segregating â€Å"pupils with problems† was introduced to remove this source of embarrassment from the schools [Department of Education,1994]. The political ideologies and diverting the impact of political consequences of other factors have thus affected the education policy. Intelligence Tests Debate The placement examination in educational institutions consider the IQ at least a part of the assessment process. The assumption that IQ is a true measure of a person has been often questioned as children with social disadvantage often have a lower IQ compared to the children of wealthy, educated and socially established families. The IQ test gives an undue advantage to children who receive attention from early childhood while children living in poor, uneducated families appear to be at a disadvantage in these tests. The IQ tests have often been disputed, as they appear to have a class and racial bias. The selection at 11 years for Grammar schools was seen as biased as research in 1960s had questioned the theory of inherited intelligence. The Labour party, being a party of trade unions and the poor questioned the validity of IQ tests while Conservatives advocated the validity of IQ tests as based on precise science. Neutralizing Local Education Authority The post 1945 Education policy empowered Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to administer education at the local level. The local authorities of some regions are traditionally not pro Conservative Party and often were a source of embarrassment for the Central Government. The 1988 Education Act brought by the Conservative party attempted to take away the powers of LEAs. The Conservative government of Margaret Thatcher and John Major passed 1988 and 1993 Education Acts to have central control while neutralizing the LEAs. [Garner, 1998] pointing to the lack of discussions and building of consensus in drafting the education policy states, â€Å"The 1988 Education Act contained 238 clauses and took more than 360 hours of parliamentary time to debate. Its enactment gave the Secretary of State 415 new powers across the spectrum of educational provision. None of these were without controversy, resistance being most notable at local levels. â€Å"[Garner, 1998]. The Education Act 1986 reduced the powers of local government in administering education. The representation of local authorities on school boards was reduced and political indoctrination in local education was forbidden. The powers of local authorities were further reduced by creating city technology colleges and by giving Manpower Services Commission more powers in educational activities. Through these changes, the Conservative government succeeded in â€Å"stripping power from LEAs, thereby largely ridding itself of what had become, during the post-war period, a major source of dissent and criticism of central government action. † [Garner, 1998]. However, LEAs continued to have many of the old responsibilities such as education for children excluded from schools due to behavioural problems but the 1988 Act stripped their powers and resources to meet their responsibilities. â€Å" Opponents of the legislation have argued that, in bringing the ruthlessness of the marketplace into education, the first groups of children to feel the effects have been the disadvantaged and those children who have learning difficulties† [Garner, 1998]. The Conservative political ideology had a major impact on the education policy during the Thatcher and John Major rule. Comprehensive Schools When Labour Government (1964-70) decided to reorganize secondary education by introducing comprehensive education, many local Conservative Councils opposed the move. The proposed measure could not be implemented during this government and remained shelved until 1974 during the Conservative rule of 1970-74. When Labour came to power in 1974 the comprehensive school plan was revived and despite many disputes with the local Conservative Councils (Tameside dispute) was made compulsory in 1976. Introduction of Comprehensive schools improved the quality of normal school at the expense of Grammar schools and affected the quality of education. Grant Maintained School The market based education policy of the Conservative party had a major impact on education policy. The grant-maintained school created under the Education Reform Act 1988 allowed schools to opt-out of the LEA system to gain control over their finances and admission policy. Provisions of 1988 and 1993 Act were further modified in Education Act 1996 [Grant maintained Schools, 2007]. The number of these schools was small in comparison to LEA maintained schools, 1196 schools (5% of total) of all types (primary, secondary, special) opted for Grant maintained school while 21912 stayed under LEAs. The Labour party was opposed to the grant-maintained schools, as it would have created different standard of education while being maintained by the government grants. Labour Government abolished the grant-maintained school in 1998 under the School Standard and Framework Act 1998 and returned the control to LEA. The New Labour ‘Education Policies’ Labour party remained out of power for almost 18 years (May 79-May 97). The New Labour had to modify its policies of left of center to become acceptable to the electorate. This policy has worked and the Labour Party with its modified centrist policy has remained in power since May 97. The effect of the centrist policies on education has been more or less a continuation of the Conservative policies and it appears that finally a change of government will mean only minor policy changes in education. The comprehensive school and uniform education for all so vigorously advocated by Labour politics of the past is not under favour now. The new Labour policy now is ‘standards not structures’ meant continuing with selection policies of Grammar, secondary modern and comprehensive were continued by new Labour [Benn & Chitty, 1996]. Comprehensive schools, a symbol of uniform education are gradually being dismantled as the Government has announced conversion of many of these schools to specialist colleges; schools could win special status by wining business sponsorship. Under the new Labour policies, schools will be allowed to 10% of their pupils through competitive selection, grants based on performance and ‘name and shame practice of under performing schools were all the policies of the past Conservative governments. It appears that the two main parties have now found a common ground in social policy for education and finally the changes in education policies expected with change of government due to political ideologies will become history. Discussions & Conclusions The political ideologies of the left and right have had a major influence on the education policy during the last 50-60 years. The Labour party policy on education advocated a uniform standard of education for all to allow all sections of society an equal chance to develop their abilities. The Conservative policy advocated selective education for the more intelligent, market based reform of education system and parents to educating their children in private schools. The political ideologies of the political parties in power since 1946 had a major impact on the education system of the country. Changes such as comprehensive schools, selection of people for schooling of differing standards, grant based education system, empowering LEAs by one government and removing most powers of LEA by the next government have not been in the interest of education. The Labour party now in power has recognized that their voters are not prepared for the left of center government policies and it now appears that both parties will be following similar policies in education and the changes of the past will become less common. Bibliography 1. Alcock, P. , (1996), Social Policy in Britain : Themes and Issues, Macmillan 2. An introduction to Social Policy, [Online] retrieved from Internet on February 1, 2007, http://www2. rgu. ac. uk/publicpolicy/introduction/uk. htm 3. Benn C and Chitty C (1996) Thirty Years On – is comprehensive education alive and well or struggling to survive? London: David Fulton Publishers 4. Chitty C (2004) Education Policy in Britain Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan 5. Department for Education, (1994), Pupils with problems: Circulars 8/94 – 13/94, London: DfE 6. Garner, P. , (1998), Vision or Revision? Conflicting Ideologies in the English Education System, [Online] retrieved from. Internet on February 1, 2007, http://policy. uark.edu/ritter/edfd5323-GarnerUKpart2. html 7. Gillard D. , (2004) Education in England: a brief history, [Online] retrieved from Internet on February 1, 2007, http://www. dg. dial. pipex. com/history/index. shtml 8. Gillard D. , (2004a). Education in England: a Timeline, [Online] retrieved from Internet on February 1, 2007, http://www. dg. dial. pipex. com/history/timeline. shtml 9. Grant Maintained School, (2007), [Online] retrieved from Internet on February 1, 2007, http://www. ndad. nationalarchives. gov. uk/CRDA/36/detail. html 10. The Right Approach-A Statement of Conservative Aim, (1976), Conservative Central Office, London, October 1976.

Organization Development vs. Organization Change Essays

Organization Development vs. Organization Change Essays Organization Development vs. Organization Change Essay Organization Development vs. Organization Change Essay According to the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, â€Å"There is nothing permanent but change. † By that he meant that everything is always in flux, including in an organization. In a social unit of people, systematically arranged and managed to meet a need or to pursue collective goals on a continuing basis. All organizations have a management structure that determines relationships between functions and positions, and subdivides and delegates roles, responsibilities, and authority to carry out defined tasks. Organizations are open systems in that they affect and are affected by the environment beyond their boundaries. Any organization, being a living organism, is in the process of continuous change. Nobody can stop this process. No specific action is needed for changes to happen. Organization Development is a response to change, a complex educational strategy intended to change the beliefs, attitudes, values, and structure of organizations so that they can better adapt to new technologies, markets, and challenges, and the dizzying rate of change itself (Bennis, 1969). It is a system-wide and values-based collaborative process of applying behavioral science knowledge to the adaptive development, improvement and reinforcement of such organizational features as the strategies, structures, processes, people, and cultures that lead to organization effectiveness. Furthermore, Organization Development focuses on assuring healthy inter- and intra-unit relationships and helping groups initiate and manage change. Organization Development’s primary emphasis is on relationships and processes between and among individuals and groups. Its primary intervention is influence on the relationship of individuals and groups to affect an impact on the organization as a system. Unlike Organization Development, Organization Change is much broader. It is about the significant change in the organization, such as adding or removal of a product or service, reorganization of a certain department, or implementation of a new process of services. Organizational Change is more broadly focused and can apply to any kind of change, although, these changes may or may not be directed at making the organization more developed in the sense implied by Organizational Development. In Organization Development, everyone in an organization who is affected by change should have an opportunity to contribute to- and accept responsibility for- the continuous improvement process or the transformation. Organizational effectiveness and humanistic values meet as employee ownership increases in change processes and outcomes.

What Santa Claus can teach you about your careerÂÂ

What Santa Claus can teach you about your career   Many of us look towards role models when figuring out how we want to live our lives, and having a professional role model is no exception. When choosing a person to help us shape our own career paths, we often look to mentors or successful individuals in our chosen fields, celebrities, or even famous athletes. But since it’s the holiday season, why not turn to someone iconic and accomplished in his field- have you ever thought about looking at Santa Claus? It’s not a joke- Santa may be a fictional character who rarely gets discussed until wintertime rolls around each year, but perhaps thinking about how he handles his job can teach us all a valuable lesson about how we can best handle our own.We’re not alone here- others agree that we can learn a lot from the work ethic of Santa Claus: â€Å"The Santa Claus work ethic has also conquered time. He, the reindeer and them elves are going at 10X levels all year long in preparation for one single night.   If you can duplicate the work ethic of Santa Claus you too can create a success that will go down in history.†Let’s take a closer look at some of the best-known work habits of jolly old St. Nick and what they can teach you about your career and professional journey.Santa is a great manager.Think about it, every year Santa is able to motivate and inspire the loyal elves, reindeer, and all the other employees at the North Pole to rally together and do the impossible- deliver gifts to all the good children in the entire world in just one night. If you thought your job was stressful and driven by intense deadlines, think of the beehive of activity that occurs in Santa’s workshop each year! Yet despite it all, Santa is able to get his team to get the job done. If you find yourself in a position of leadership, overseeing a team on a challenging project and a tough deadline, just ask yourself â€Å"What would Santa do?† in order to get through it successfully.Santa is task -focused.Santa never wavers or strays from his important role on Christmas Eve, year after year. He doesn’t even let the pressure of being a celebrity deter him from his critical responsibilities. He stays focused, goal-oriented, and on task- and so should you with every project that you are a part of in your career journey.Santa puts others first.Do we ever hear a bad word about Santa losing his cool, or griping about his job, or having an insane list of demands that must be met before he gets to work each year? Nope, and perhaps that’s part of what makes him so successful. Santa puts the needs of all the good children of the world before his own. That’s both an inspiring attribute to have at work and a good way to not get derailed from your professional responsibilities- regardless of what field you’re in.Santa has a great attitude at work.Despite long hours, brutal weather, and a seemingly impossible schedule, Santa always manages to stay jolly- and wh o among us wouldn’t like the idea of working alongside him? His great attitude helps keep his staff motivated and the proof is in the pudding- do you ever hear about high levels of staff turnover amongst the elves and reindeers on Santa’s payroll? No, they stick around year after year for a good reason. Try being the person with the great attitude at work- no matter how tough or stressful or exhausting things are- and you may be surprised at how far it can take you.Santa has unparalleled dedication.Do you ever hear about Santa showing up late, or being a few days behind on his appointed rounds, or taking a year off? You don’t, and chances are you never will because his dedication to his job is second to none. The truth is, people who remain dedicated to their jobs often find career success and best position themselves to achieve their professional goals.Santa does his homework.Think about all the research and preparation Santa has to do each year to determine wh o was naughty and who was nice among all of the children in the entire world, figure out which child wants which gift, and then make sure his inventory and delivery strategy will keep him on schedule. After thinking about what’s on Santa’s work plate, maybe your job doesn’t seem as harrowing as it did before. Whenever you’re working on a project, approach it like Santa would: do your homework, research carefully, and plan diligently. Santa’s secret for project success can work for anyone.There you have it- some of the reasons why Santa is a great boss who’s happy and successful at his job year after year. Consider adopting some of his best work habits and you’ll be setting yourself up for success in whatever career path you set your sights on.

Job Safety Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Job Safety Response - Essay Example Jerry must understand that the field notes belong to the federal agency provided there is an advance knowledge that that data belongs to the agency. First, Jerry acquired a job from the federal agency implying that the area of research is not his own doing and will be considered as unethical to use it for his personal work. Second, the participants in the interviews and observations during the survey would not have presented themselves to him without identifying that he is working with the Federal Agency which they could identify with because of its projects or proposed projects amongst them. His presentation to participants as working on behalf of the agency makes the information gathered from the interview the agency’s property unconditionally. Being a representative of the agency means that no participant provided any information to belong to him but to the agency hence eliminating any breach of information security and confidentiality. Although it is unethical for the agen cy to manipulate survey findings to suit its expectations, it is ethical to request the opinion of a different consultant for comparison. Vaughn should be expected to turn over all the interview materials, notes, and photographs despite their sensitive information on with any binding terms on data ownership. Since there was no binding stipulation concerning data ownership, and by arguing that his work was conducted in good faith makes him eligible for full salary without any threats or turning over the materials, notes, and photos to the agency.

GED 132 - US Govt-unit 1 question #3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

GED 132 - US Govt-unit 1 question #3 - Essay Example The greatest contribution of this era in changing the role of the government vis-Ã  -vis the people of America was the New Deal. This was introduced by the then president of the United States of America, Franklin Roosevelt. The New Deal led to a lot of new legislations that helped get the people back on their feet after the stock market crash of 1929 that had spiraled into the Great Depression. This included, during the first hundred days of the year 1933, the Federal Emergency Relief Administration, a program that was supposed to enable unemployed people to receive a certain amount of money that would help them through the lean period that the Great Depression gave rise to. The period following this was one of great productivity as the government set people to work on many projects of infrastructure improvement that led to the creation of more jobs in a chain reaction that further boosted the process of recovery (Government by the People). The providing of jobs to people who were u nemployed also helped dispel the myth that poverty was an essential result of idleness and laziness. As a result of the New Deal, poverty came to be recognized as an effect of governmental policies and greater macroeconomic pressures. Another important contribution of the Great Depression was the creation of a social security net that would cover sections of the populations that had been marginalized and had been undergoing great hardships during the Great Depression. This covered the unemployed, the aging and the disabled. Through the years, this program has been expanded to include the survivors of the beneficiaries who were dependants but has essentially catered to the needs of the helpless (Government by the People). The era following the Great Depression helped create a framework whereby the people who occupied the margins of the society owing to their cultural and economic deprivations had opportunities to

What my reason is for wanting to become a nurse Essay

What my reason is for wanting to become a nurse - Essay Example I was a child who attracted stray dogs, a small turtle who wouldn’t eat for a week, a butterfly with a bent wing, and a runaway lizard I tried to comfort while it was re-growing a lost tail. While other children licked cotton candy, I focused on whether zoo animals had enough food and water, so they would be healthy and happy during their confinement. I gave backrubs to anyone in need. I visited a family friend in the hospital and eagerly breathed in the smell and sounds of this place where they fix people. When my mother became pregnant, I participated in preparing the nursery and shopping for our upcoming addition. I made lists of things I would teach the new baby, people we should tell about the baby, and my suggestions for names. Everyone was happy. When he arrived, my baby brother looked different from other babies. I learned he had Down Syndrome. He would be mentally retarded and would not be able to do all the things on my list. He would require help to have a good life. I appointed myself to take charge. I collected information, and I thought maybe I could fix what was wrong, As my baby brother grew into toddlerhood, he seemed tired. He had a congenital heart defect. My family was sad and afraid. We adored him and wanted everything good for him, and now there was a new challenge. I prayed. I gave up things I liked, hoping it would be a trade for things my brother needed. But at 14 months of age, we lost him. I tried to understand how my excellent mind, my love, and enthusiastic efforts were not enough. Eventually I came to understand that helping a person may not always mean fixing them. With my parents’ help, I came to see that my support, love and caring had been just what he needed during his precious, short life. I feel that I was given a gift to make a difference in the lives of people who are ill. I cannot heal every life I come into contact with, but I want to

Empirical Analysis of Firing Disputes

Empirical Analysis of Firing Disputes Are Common Perceptions on Termination Cases in Mexico Supported by Empirical Data Abstract Using a random sample of cases from the Federal Labor Court in Mexico, this research analyzes firing disputes in Mexico from an empirical perspective. In particular, it focuses on presenting evidence in regard to the following three common perceptions on termination cases: (i) that they are often terminated by an adjudicated decision; (ii) that they are extremely delayed; and (iii) that the final payments obtained by the workers are extremely high. The statistical evidence suggests that an emphasis in the literature and media on a particular subsample of cases with extreme characteristics (e.g. adjudicated or appealed processes) produces these conceptions. The study concludes with a brief comment regarding the importance of empirical studies as a way of better understanding legal phenomena in Mexico. Table of contents I. Federal labor tribunals in Mexico II. Methodology and Data III. Results and Discussion A. Termination payments are extremely high B. Termination cases are extremely delayed C. Termination cases normally go to trial IV. Conclusion Although the analysis of the law in Mexico has changed slightly in the last years, Pounds vision effectively reflects the atmosphere of pure law of the Mexican mainstream. The analysis of labor law in Mexico—the general topic of this research—reflects this analytical path. In fact, the overwhelming majority of the literature related to labor justice has been doctrinal and normative. These studies often ignore factual evidence of how the legal framework affects the legal reality; and if some evidence is presented, it is merely indicative or anecdotal. This doctrinal research figures prominently in public policy debates. This study departs completely from the Mexican mainstream insofar as it is an empirical study based on case file analysis. The research results are based on a random sample of 3,203 files selected from the Junta Federal de Conciliacià ³n y Arbitraje (JFCA) archive. These files correspond to termination cases presented before the Tribunal 15 of the JFCA (Tribunal 15), a labor tribunal (Junta Especial) whose jurisdiction includes the pharmaceutical, chemical, automotive, and paper industries; and the Tribunal 6 and 8 of the JFCA (Tribunal 6 8), the labor tribunals whose jurisdiction includes the textile industry. The period studied extends from 1991 to 1998. Note that case file analysis has been used extensively in other countries with fruitful results. The objective of this research is to characterize empirically the termination disputes in Mexico in the context of the tribunals analyzed. In particular, it focuses on presenting evidence in regard to the following three common perceptions on termination cases: (i) that they are often terminated by an adjudicated decision; (ii) that they are extremely delayed; and (iii) that the final payments obtained by the workers are extremely high. This article is divided into three sections. The first section explains the operation of the federal labor tribunal in Mexico. The second section describes the data and the methodology. The third section examines the above mentioned perceptions on termination cases. I. Federal labor tribunals in Mexico The JFCA is an administrative court that belongs to the executive branch. Because of this dependency, Mexican legal authors have questioned its degree of judicial independence. The JFCA consists of 61 labor tribunals, called Juntas Especiales. Sixteen tribunals are located in Mexico City, and the remainders are dispersed throughout Mexico. Labor tribunals have the legal power to conciliate and adjudicate. In fact, the LFT mandates at least one conciliation hearing before trial. Among the labor tribunals, jurisdiction is determined by industry. Although the labor law openly promotes settlement of disputes, it does not permit the settlement terms to remain confidential. The relevant tribunal must ratify the settlement for it to become binding. An employee cannot credibly forfeit the right to sue his employer unless and until the court approves his settlement. Employers and workers very often submit a settlement jointly to the labor court simply to obtain ratification, which then makes the agreement binding. The approval of settlements primarily serves as a mechanism for confirming that the worker has not renounced some legal benefit and for making the agreement binding at law. Tribunals must record details about the settlement, such as the date of the settlement and the amount paid. Once a lawsuit is filed, the tribunal with jurisdiction over the dispute must schedule at least one conciliatory hearing. At the conclusion of that hearing, the tribunal schedules subsequent hearings for the presentation of evidence and for trial. At any point during the process, however, the suit can be terminated by a settlement. The tribunal must approve this settlement. In fact, the parties can agree to defer hearings if they think they need more time to negotiate the terms of the agreement. If no agreement is reached, a tripartite commission composed of an employer representative, an employee representative, and a government representative may issue an award deciding the dispute. Note that the employee may also drop the complaint at any point during the lawsuit. As noted in the tables below, dropped lawsuits are not uncommon. An appeal mechanism, the juicio de amparo, is available to challenge the resolutions of the tribunal. Note that the parties cannot only challenge the final decision issued by the tribunal, but also other decisions that could potentially affect the outcome of the case, for instance, the fact that the tribunal notified the employer about the workers complaint in an incorrect manner. It is fair to state that the scope of review of the juicio de amparo in labor cases is limited to protect the due process rights of the parties. II. Methodology and Data Clermont Eisenberg divide legal studies based on statistical research into three groups depending on the way in which the data is assembled. Studies of published judicial decisions, studies based on data produced by experimental work or by archival research, and studies involving analyses of publicly available, and usually governmental, databases. The present study fits into the second category, legal research based on archival data. The logic behind analyzing archival cases is simple: random samples of large dockets can provide us with useful information to analyze the patterns of litigation in a particular tribunal. This is particularly relevant when there is no information available—or only very incomplete information—on how certain type of legal dispute is resolved. In particular, information regarding labor disputes is extremely general and imprecise. The data used for this research was obtained through a public information request under the Ley Federal de Transparencia y Acceso a la Informacion Publica Gubernamental, the law that regulates the access to public governmental information. While some of the variables used in this study are considered public information under this law, other variables are not public information, and have been obtained under a confidentiality agreement. The confidentiality agreement was negotiated with the authorities of the JFCA, who only authorized to review those cases that complied with the following characteristics: (1) closed cases that cannot be reopened by the parties anymore, (2) and cases that had been initiated in 1998 at most. Given these constraints, I was able to assemble a random sample of cases initiated between 1991 and 1998 in Tribunal 15 and Tribunal 6 8. Note that these years refer to the dates in which the cases were presented before the labor tribunals, and not to the dates in wh ich the cases were actually solved. There are two main types of cases observed in the sample: filed settlements and litigated cases. In filed settlements, the employer and employee file a jointly agreement, which is merely ratified by the tribunal. In litigated cases, the parties usually present and produce several documents, such as the employees initial petition, the employers response (if any), the terms of agreement reached if the case is settled, the final award issued by the tribunal if the case is not settled, and the appeals carried out by the parties. Note that litigated cases have three possible outcomes: dropped suits, settlements, and trials leading to a final decision issued by a tripartite commission. As mentioned before, the final decision is known as an award (laudo). Using the information from the documents mentioned in this paragraph, I calculated the duration and the final payment of the cases handled by Tribunal 15 and Tribunal 6 8. These calculations will be presented in further tables. A comment should be made on the validity and usefulness of the results coming from the data analyzed. First, the LFT has not been substantially modified since its enactment in 1970. Second, and based on five interviews with representatives of the government from five federal labor courts that handle similar disputes, it is reasonable to state that the solving pattern of the termination disputes here portrayed is accurate and reflects the current situation. III. Results and Discussion A. Termination payments are extremely high Some Mexican authors have analyzed the LFT from an economic perspective. Basically, their argument is that the LFT should be modified to eliminate all those provisions that create restrictions on hiring, mobility, and termination of employees. These legal restrictions, originally designed to protect the worker, generate a higher social cost than benefit. In particular, these authors claim that the LFT raises termination costs, diminishing the quantity of labor that an employer hires below the socially efficient level. This argument assumes that most of the termination payments are paid according to the LFT and are thus extremely high. No empirical evidence concerning this assumption has been produced. Before presenting the empirical evidence, the rules regarding termination payments should be explained. These rules, provided in the LFT, mainly refer to the provision of fringe benefits, overtime, and the mechanics of termination. Fringe benefits are mainly composed of vacation pay and year end bonuses. Each employee is entitled to a certain number of days of paid vacation depending on his or her tenure at the firm. Also, every employee has the right to receive an end of the year bonus equal to at least 15 days wages. A normal workweek cannot exceed 48 hours. If an employee works more than 48 hours in a single week, he is entitled to overtime pay. The law mandates double pay for up to 9 hours of overtime, and triple pay for any hours above 57 per week. Terminations are classified under the law as justified or unjustified. Justified termination is limited to wrongdoing on the part of the worker, such as three continuous unjustified absences. Termination for any other reason, such as low employee productivity, is considered unjustified and it often implies higher termination cost. For either type of termination, the firm must cover all payments owed to the worker up to the termination date, including overtime and the prorated proportion of fringe benefits until the termination date. Additionally, the worker is entitled to severance pay equivalent to 12 days wages for each year worked, with the wage rate capped at twice the minimum wage. At the time of termination the firm must issue the worker a written document explaining the exact cause of termination as defined by the LFT. Workers have the right to challenge the grounds for termination. According to the LFT, the firm carries the burden of proving that it fired the worker for just cause. Workers terminated in an unjust manner have the right to receive two additional payments. Back pay from the termination date through the date when judgment is issued (including not only the salary, but also the fringe benefits), plus three months salary with benefits. Also, those workers who are denied reinstatement are enti tled to 20 days wages plus benefits for each year worked, without any cap on the wage rate. Note that a worker who proves he was fired without justification can request to be reinstated in his job. The firm may refuse reinstatement for certain categories of workers, such as temporary workers, those with less than one years tenure, and those considered to be at will employees. A firm may also avoid having to reinstate workers it fires in the case of justified layoffs. Table 1 presents the average final payments obtained by workers depending on the form in which the cases concluded. Both absolute and relative amounts are shown. Relative amounts correspond to the amount that workers win as a percentage of the amount they claimed. The data demonstrate that fired workers who initiated a lawsuit usually claimed considerable amounts of money that seldom obtained. Also, note that workers who resolved the case through a filed settlement or a settlement reached during the lawsuit had better final payments. Interestingly, in cases solved by an award, the decision of the parties to appeal increased the amount received by the worker. As the tables portray, most of the termination cases do not receive an extremely high final payment, which contradicts the widely held assumption of the Mexican media and Mexican academic literature. Although this section only presents a descriptive analysis of the data, these results deserve much more attention and analysis in future research. B. Termination cases are extremely delayed This section presents empirical evidence that supports the idea that the duration of termination cases is not necessarily extremely delayed, but it actually depends on characteristics of the dispute like the termination mode, the decision of the parties to challenge the tribunal decisions, or to defer the case. Many Mexican legal scholars have criticized the fact that labor procedures are extremely formal and complicated. According to this view, procedure is the main source of delay in labor disputes. Proposals for diminishing delays in labor disputes include: improving the conciliation system , hiring more legal clerks , replacing the old technology in the JFCA (i.e. principally computers) , and, of course, changing the law to eliminate procedural complexities. The LFT procedures do not limit the time period for case resolution; rather they establish a term in which each action in the process should be completed. The goal of establishing such terms is to create a fast labor procedure (article 685). The labor statute requires different types of procedures depending on the case at issue. The procedure by which termination cases are solved is known as ordinary procedure (article 871). The ordinary procedure starts when the employee files a claim before the JFCA (article 871). After this claim is admitted, the parties are scheduled for a hearing (article 873). The hearing has three stages: the conciliation stage; the claims and exceptions state; and finally, the stage of submission and admission of the evidence (article 875). Each one of these stages has particular time and form characteristics according to which it operates. Article 876 governs the conciliation stage. The goal is for the parties to reach a conciliation agreement through the intermediation of the tribunal. If the parties reach an agreement, the disputed is terminated and the tribunal endorses the corresponding agreement. This agreement, like an award, is enforceable. If the parties do not reach a conciliation agreement, the hearing proceeds to the claims and exceptions stage. Article 878 also governs this stage. The worker presents his claim, and the employer answer him. After this stage, the submission and admission of the evidence stage occurs, which article 880 governs. Next, the evidence is presented before the tribunal in another hearing governed by Article 884. When all these stages have been completed, a legal clerk creates a draft of the final ruling. This draft has to be approved by members of the tripartite panel (the representative of the employees, the employers, and the government). This process follows the rules established in articles 887, 888, and 889. After approval, and if no corrections are proposed, the draft is turned into the award. According to the terms established in the statute for each one of these proceedings, an ordinary procedure should be resolved in 75 effective court days. As table 2 portrays, the average duration of an ordinary procedure (i.e. case solved by an award without being appealed or being deferred) in Tribunal 15 is 440.76 effective court days, and in Tribunal 6 8 is 419.89 effective court days. Several things should be clarified with regard to the description of the ordinary procedure. First, although the labor statute speaks of one hearing divided into different stages; in fact, there are different hearings in which all these stages are completed. Therefore, if the parties cannot reach an agreement after a conciliation hearing, the conciliation continues in the next hearing, and the subsequent stage is postponed and so on. Second, the statute permits the parties to defer the hearings if both sides agree. In other words, if the parties are in the process of negotiating a conciliation agreement, they can ask the labor tribunal for more time. According to table 2, this is not unusual. Third, although the statute specifies that the conciliation stage should be performed at the beginning of the case, the parties can reach a conciliation agreement at any time during the ordinary procedure, even after the conciliation stage has passed. Fourth, the description portrayed for the or dinary procedure does not account for whether the parties (either the employee or the employer) decide to appeal the award or not. If the parties decide to appeal the award issued by the judge, the procedure should be extended by no more than 45 days until the appeal sentence is rendered. Table 2 portrays that the duration of the case increases considerably when the parties decided to appeal the rulings of the labor tribunal. While cases concluding through an award that was not appealed took 450.45 effective court days to be solved in Tribunal 15 and 442.69 effective court days in Tribunal 6 8, cases concluding through an award that was appeal took longer: 904.79 effective court days to be solved in Tribunal 15 and 790.28 effective court days in Tribunal 6 8. The ordinary procedure requirements suggest the excessive formality of the process for resolving termination cases. The real question is how many cases actually pass through all these complicated stages. Table 2 shows the average duration of cases in court effective days depending on certain decisions of the parties, particularly, their decision to appeal the tribunals rulings and to defer the case. Note that 56.97% of the total cases from Tribunal 15 and 23.48% of the total cases from Tribunal 6 8 were filed settlements. These cases were resolved without passing through any of the above mentioned stages of an ordinary procedure and went to the court as a mere formality. The situation is different for litigated cases. Litigation cases are divided between those cases in which the parties deferred the case at least once and those in which the parties never deferred the case. As noted in the tables, the average duration is regularly higher when the parties decided to defer the case tha n when they chose not to defer it. Observe that the difference in duration of a lawsuit also depends on the parties decision to settle, drop, or go to trial seeking an adjudicated award. Finally, the duration of the case depends on whether the parties chose to appeal the rulings of the tribunal or not (including the award). Therefore, it is clear that when an award is issued to resolve a labor dispute or when the parties challenged the tribunals decision, the case was more delayed. However, the real question is how frequently this situation actually occurred. According to the evidence presented here, termination cases were rarely solved through an award (6.09% in Tribunal 15 and 9.76% in Tribunal 6 8), and even more rarely through an award issued after an appeal (1.88% in Tribunal 15 and 2.55% in Tribunal 6 8). Adjudicated awards and appeals appear to be more the exception than the rule. Short settled cases (i.e. filed settlements and settled lawsuits without appeal) instead of long disputes seem to be the typical termination case. Finally, and given the results presented in table 2, it is reasonable to believe that the substantial length of the adjudication process could be itself a contributing factor to the settlement of most cases. Although a profound analysis of such idea goes beyond the scope of this work, it should definitely be considered in further empirical studies. C. Termination cases normally go to trial The media and legal scholars in Mexico have portrayed Mexican labor justice as complicated, corrupted, delayed, and costly. This vision has deeply shaped the perception of the labor justice system. Cases reflecting the view of delayed justice and low final payments appear in the random sample of cases analyzed in this study. Although these cases exist in the data set, they do not at all reflect the typical case. First, case 1/1991 , which began in 1991. In this case, a 26 year old man filed a claim of unjustified termination. He worked in the state of Oaxaca, in a paper factory. He had worked for almost five years receiving a daily wage of $78 pesos and claimed $191,900 pesos. A public defender represented him. In 1995, after four years, an award issued by the judge determined that the termination had been lawful. Thus, the claim was dismissed without any payment to the worker. Second, case 2/1994, which began in 1994. In this lawsuit, a 32 year old man also claimed an unjustified termination. He worked in the state of Chihuahua for a pharmaceutical firm. He had worked for six years and received a daily wage of $307 pesos. A private lawyer represented him, and the amount at stake was $922,429 pesos. The lawyer appealed the first award, which had favored the employer. The final decision, rendered near the end of 1997, favored the worker, but only granted him $7,894 pesos. The case took slightly more than three years of effective court time; and interestingly, the parties decided to defer the case once during the process. At the end of the day, the worker waited three years and received only a small fraction of his original claim (less than 10%). Although the cases portrayed above match the descriptions provided in the news for termination cases that reach the trial stage, it is not clear that these cases are representative of the typical termination case with which the tribunal commonly deals. Other cases in the sample reflect a completely different result. In other words, high payments and little court time. For example, case 3/1994 began in 1994 when a 50 year old man from Mexico City claimed an unjustified dismissal after more than thirteen years of work at a well known pharmaceutical company. The case did not reach judicial evaluation of the merits, and was settled only three months after filing. Interestingly, the parties decided to defer the hearings twice, and a private lawyer represented the employee. The employee, who claimed $267,115 pesos, received $214,959, 80% of his original claim. In another termination case, 4/1997, a 57 year old man filed a lawsuit against a pharmaceutical company asking for $1,364,927 pesos. The employee had a 22 year tenure and a daily wage of $2,472 pesos daily salary. The case was settled after ten months, and the employee obtained $1,001,167 pesos, 73% of his original petition. Again, a private lawyer took the case, and the parties deferred the hearings twice. Note two relevant commonalities in the two cases presented: both settled before reaching the trial stage, and the parties decided to defer the hearings at some point in the process. This study finds that settled cases more accurately reflect the resolution of Mexican labor disputes than the cases highlighted in the media, which typically cover cases that go to trial and terminate with an adjudicated award. In other words, the media emphasize cases that usually take a long time to resolve; and in particular, cases in which workers obtain outlying results (very low or high payments). Although these cases eventually come up in labor tribunals, they are rare. A bias for highlighting cases that go to trial has been identified several times in the literature. Laurence Ross and Alfred Conrad showed, in 1970 and 1964 respectively, that only a very small fraction of disputes go to trial and an even smaller fraction are appealed. Consequently, an analysis based only on those cases that go to trial is not representative of the influence of legal rules on social affairs. The conclusions of doctrinal studies based on trials or appealed cases disclose very little about how legal rules affect the behavior of those subject to them or affect the generation of legal disputes themselves. Mexican literature concerning labor law in general, and particularly termination cases, has followed this pattern. The methodological problem in studying only final decisions, like appeals or awards, is that the: simple extrapolation from a sample of litigated cases to the population of all cases is valid only if the sample is random. If cases are not randomly selected for litigation, then a researcher who uses litigated cases is necessarily studying both the selection mechanism and the underlying population of cases simultaneously. The particular set of data gathered for this research avoids this problem to a great extent. First, as explained earlier, the labor statute requires parties to ratify terminations before the labor tribunal for the termination to become legally binding. If an employer fires an employee and wants to have a legal document verifying that the employee was fired without any violation of the provisions of the law, he needs to ratify his dismissal agreement before the labor tribunal. Therefore, termination cases (the underlying dispute) should pass by the court, at least for ratification. Second, cases sampled not only include filed settlements, but also cases that starte d as lawsuits and were later settled, dropped, or decided by an adjudicated award. In short, the random sample of cases studied accurately represents the solving pattern of termination cases because the cases analyzed are a random sample of the underlying disputes, not a random sample from a particular biased sub sample. Table 1 and 2 portray the solving pattern of termination cases in Mexico. Statistics from these tables suggest that the typical termination case is settled in some fashion, and that awards are issued occasionally. A brief survey of the Mexican literature shows that one of the main concerns for labor reformers in Mexico is the long delay in solving disputes. Table 1 and 2 show that this perspective is imprecise. Most of the disputes went to court merely seeking a ratification of the parties agreement and were solved the same day they were presented. On the other hand, if the dispute was not a mere ratification but litigation, duration varied greatly according to the way of solving the dispute and to the parties decision to appeal the tribunals decision (particularly the award). Therefore, it appears that when studies and news refer to delay in labor justice, they actually refer to a sub sample of cases with certain characteristics, in particular, to those cases that finish with an adj udicated award, are appealed, or both. Many analyses of Mexican labor justice in general, and of termination cases in particular, have not seen the whole picture, but only a small fraction of cases with extreme characteristics. These works, though somewhat useful, tend to be biased in their conclusions, and they definitely do not appear to be the best guide for implementing public policy measures or legislative changes. Interestingly, according to the tables, a final judgment (i.e. award) was issued only in 6.09% of the total cases sampled in Tribunal 15 and in 9.76% of the total cases sampled in Tribunal 6 8. Alexander reports that fewer than 5% of litigated cases are tried to judgment in the U.S. Trubek et al. state that approximately 8% of civil suits filed in state or federal court went to trial. Also, Resnik notes that 85% to 90% of all federal civil suits end up settling. Note that 86.14% of the sampled cases were settled in some manner in Tribunal 15 and 77.80% in Tribunal 6 8. Therefore, the results of the present study are consistent in supporting the conclusion that cases that go to trial provide only a distorted window into peoples behavior in response to legal rules. IV. Conclusions This article seeks to analyze termination using empirical evidence. Using a random sample of cases from three Mexican labor tribunals, this work has analyzed three widely held perceptions on termination cases, which are commonly supported by the Mexican media and some Mexican legal scholars. The conclusion is straightforward: the perception of termination cases in private industry has been biased by a sub sample of cases with extreme characteristics, cases that go to a final judgment or are appealed. Interestingly, this biased has not been detected by research on labor law produced by Mexican scholars who study the law from a doctrinal perspective, proving that limiting the study of the legal system to doctrinal analyses of legal norms could lead to erroneous conclusions. Approaching research questions from an empirical perspective is necessary, and it will eventually reveal new features of the Mexican legal system.