Organisational Effectiveness at Google and P&G Essay

Organisational Effectiveness at Google and P&G - Essay Example Employee swapping produces risks of reduced morale and poor alignment of cultures. Nonetheless, this case showed that Google and P&G can learn from one another’s cultural values and practices, so that they can both enhance their organisational effectiveness. Table of Contents Executive Summary 1 Table of Contents 2 Introduction 3 Competing Values Model 4 Overview 4 Applications 4 Employee Swapping 5 P&G and Google’s Employee Swapping 5 Conclusion 7 Reference List 8 Introduction The construct of organisational effectiveness is an important concept in organisational studies because organisations commonly aspire to improve or attain organisational effectiveness. Organisational effectiveness, however, is hard to measure because it does not possess a universally-agreed definition. As a result, several scholars criticised its significance to organisations, such as Steers (1975) and Hannan and Freeman (1977). Quinn and Rohrbaugh (1983) offer a model of effectiveness criteria i n â€Å"A Spatial Model of Effectiveness Criteria: Towards a Competing Values Approach to Organizational Analysis.† They conducted a two-part exploratory investigation on how individual theorists and researchers conceive the construct of organisational effectiveness. The first study included seven experts, while the second used 45 theorists and scholars. Findings showed that organisational effectiveness can be constructed using three axes of values: control-flexibility, internal-external, and means-ends. These values pertained to the critical issues of â€Å"competing values† in defining and measuring effectiveness, which has been embodied in the competing values framework (CVF) (Quinn and Rohrbaugh 1983, p.370). This paper applies the Competing Values Approach to Google and Procter & Gamble (P&G), as well as employee swapping. Competing Values Model Overview The Competing Values Approach is composed of three competing values, and they are control-flexibility, internal -external, and means-ends. These values offer four mid-range theories of organisational analysis: open systems model, human relations model, internal process model, and rational goal model (Quinn and Rohrbaugh 1983, p.369). The human relations model highlights on flexibility and internal focus. The open systems model concentrates on flexibility and external focus. The rational goal model prioritises control and external focus, while the internal process model emphasises stability and control (Quinn and Rohrbaugh 1983, p.371). Applications Procter & Gamble. P&G is described as having an internal process model with hierarchical and market attributes. It uses information management and communication to attain the ends of stability and control (Quinn and Rohrbaugh 1983, p.371). In terms of culture, it possesses a mixture of market and hierarchical cultures. It has a market culture because employees behave according to clear objectives and are rewarded through their achievements (Hartnel l, Ou and Kinicki 2011, p.679). The company’s main values are communication, competition, and achievement. P&G is effective in gathering customer and competitor information and developing the competitiveness of its products (Robbins, Judge and Campbell 2010, p.480). P&G is also hierarchical because of rules and regulations that clearly define roles and responsibilities. Behaviours are characterised with conformity and predictability, which it wants to change by swapping employees with Google (Robbins,

Unions and labor relations Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Unions and labor relations - Research Paper Example New business concepts such as outsourcing and offshoring helped organizations to operate in a multicultural environment. In other words, employers started to deal with a much more diverse workforce because of globalization. The strategies needed to manage a diverse workforce are entirely different form the strategies needed to manage a workforce of single culture. Different employees may have different needs, especially when they operating in a multicultural environment. For example, Muslim employees always like to have a break for prayer during the mid-noon of every Friday. Same way Christian employees always like to have off on every Sundays. If the employers prevent them from taking such luxuries, they will develop dissatisfaction and their loyalty towards the management may come down. The needs of the employees are changing rapidly because of the advancements in living standards and the new challenges coming in front of them as the time goes on. For example, living expenses are g rowing day by day and it is difficult for an employee to find his livelihood if the employer is not ready to increase his salary. Same way, workloads are increasing day by day and as a result of that employees are not getting enough time for leisure activities. Work-life balancing is an important aspect of labor relations. If the employees struggle to find enough time to spend with their relatives and friends, their mental health could be damaged. Even if the employees get higher salaries for their extra work loads, they may not be satisfied if they fail to get time to spend with their beloved ones. Physical needs as well as psychological needs of the employees are important in maintaining better labor relations by the employers. â€Å"American labor unions, taken... Unions and labor relations Trade unions are organizations to protect the interests of the working class. In other words trade unions always work for the betterment of the whole employees rather than the betterment of any individual employees. However, in some particular situations trade unions may work for the individual interests also. For example, if an employee was fired unnecessarily by the employer, trade unions may come for the rescue of that employee. â€Å"The labor relation process includes recognition of the legitimate right and responsibilities of union and management†. Better Employee-employer relations or labor relations is important for the smooth functioning of an organization In a troubled organization, employees may not deliver their bests and as a result of that the productivity and the efficiency of the organization may come down. This paper analyses the effect of changes in employee relations strategies, policies, and practices on organizational performance and the relevance of trade unions in America at present. Trade unions are organizations which argue for the rights of the workers and better labor relations from the employers. Current workplaces consist of extremely diverse workforce and the needs of the diverse employees could be different. Employers should help employees to meet their physical as well as mental needs in order to maintain better labor relations. Trade unions are losing grounds in America at present because of the better treatment American employees receive from their employers.

Body as a form of capital

Body as a form of capital Baudrillard writes that Beauty is such an absolute imperative because its a form of capital (1998: 132). Analyze the role of the body as a form of capital (addressing the specific practices and implications) with reference to one particular form of body work (e.g. an occupation, a consumer practice e.t.c). This essay would focus on the body form of a bodybuilder as a form of capital. Bodybuilding being a form of capital is said to add value to an individuals body. This value could be economic, social, cultural and symbolic (Bourdieu 1986). Physical capital is most usually converted into economic capital (money, goods, services), cultural [for example] education and social capital (social networks which enable reciprocal calls to be made on the goods and services of its members) (Bourdieu 1978, 1984, 1986) in Shilling 2003, p. 111. Our conception of beauty is shaped by the media. Bourdieus analysis of the body involves an examination of the multiple ways in which the body has become commodified in modern societies in Shilling 2003, p. 111. This is why Bourdieus theory of social reproduction would be used intensively to explain why Baudrillard wrote that beauty is such an absolute imperative because its a form of capital (1998: 132). This would be done in relation to Bourdieus physical capital to the body. It was stated by Bourdieu that This refers not only to the bodys implication in the buying and selling of labour power but to the methods by which the body has become a more comprehensive form of body capital; a possessor of power, status, distinctive symbolic forms. (In Shilling 2003, p. 111). So in relation to bodybuilder the practices of the bodybuilder would be taken into account, e.g drug taking to enhance the muscles and the implications of such behavior. Beauty is an absolute essential in our society; it allows for individuals to feel really confident with themselves and hopefully in their endeavors to be able achieve success, as in our current environment greater emphasis is placed on peoples physical appearances. This could make a huge difference between failure and success. This aspect can be linked to Marchands parable of the first impression, which states first impressions brought about immediate success or failureà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ the reason one man gained a promotion or one woman suffered a social snub had become less explicable grounds of long-standing favoritism or family feuds (1985, p. 217). This could be related to bodybuilding as if one is not muscular enough; they might not enter for a show or competition. This idea of presenting ones self in an acceptable manner in a bodybuilding sector of society would have made individuals feel good and helped increase their self esteem amongst their peers thus ensuring happiness; this could hence be linked to the social capital as they would gain increased connections. The implication and practices of being a bodybuilder would most probably be the idea that they are trying to make themselves feel confident in the body they are in. The ideal of feeling confident could be said to be on a personal level, on an economic level for these bodybuilders, they would be able earn money, earn a living for what they do. And on a social capital level, they would be able to earn a status amongst their peers because according to Klein image is everything (1993, p. 3) and that the goals of competitive bodybuilders are not simply to be champions but to become Mr. Olympias and Mr. Universe (Ibid, p. 3). This could also link to the symbolic capital. Contributors to the recently established sociology of the body (e.g. Nettleton and Watson 1998, Shilling 1993) reference Giddens (1991) when contextualizing a burgeoning social scientific interest in bodily matter. According to Giddens, contemporary society (what he terms high or late modernity) is a post traditional order where the self, like the broader institutional context in which it exists, has to be reflexively made (1991: 3) in Monaghan 1993, p. 4. So in relation to the body builders it could be suggested to what Monaghan calls striving to create the perfect body (1999a in Monaghan 1999, p. 708). So in the case of the bodybuilders, they practice using body enhancement medication so that they could work and reach that potential. This can be illustrated again by Monaghan bodybuilding, a project like activity (Bloor et al 1998) adopted by the denizens of the late modernity, represents one choice (among many) for sustaining a coherent narrative of self (Giddens 1991). It can be a rgued that in a post traditional world there is confusion, as science has taken over traditional authority, so it can be argued that bodybuilders take risks. It was stated by Monaghan that bodybuilders who are steroid users, are engaging in chemical, not just social constructions (Bloor et al 1998: 41); hence the beneficial possibilities of science and technology become double edged, creating new parameters for risk (1999, p. 726). Advertising is said to have given rise to why so much importance is placed on the human body. It has always proposed the idea that it can fix any imperfection of the body and that such solutions are available to anyone who is ready. This can be related to Marchands Democracy of goods. Maguire Stanway stated images of ideal bodies seem to be very important in contemporary society (2008: 1). This is why Liess et al 1997: 7 argued that advertising is one of the great vehicles of social communication and Williams [1961] 1993:321 stated that advertising is an institutionalized system of commercial information and persuasion. This may be why it was suggested by Hitzler 1988 that the individual has to recognize and acknowledge the body and self as flawed, inadequate or at least incomplete, and identifying areas for transformation and the appropriate tools, practices and experts to perform that work. The self, in other words, becomes a do-it-yourself project (in Beck and Beck-Gernsheim, 200 2: 3). Consequently, the advertizing system dictates to society what the body should look like. The implication of a bodybuilder, it is the idea of the drug taking. They do not think of the negative consequences that these drugs would have overall on their wellbeing. That is why Giddens argues that the conditions of late modernity have important implication for psychic processes as well as the body. The reflexivity of the self extends to the body, where the body is part of an action system rather than merely a passive object (Giddens 1991: 77) For him the body is reflexively mobilised, available to be worked upon by the influences of high modernity (1991: 218) in Monaghan 1993, p. 5.The advertising system needs conforming/passive individuals so as to achieve their goals. They look for the weaknesses that individuals dread on and use that to their advantage, and those who conform not would most probably not achieve their potential goals. The advertising system makes it a norm that pe oples body is meant to look a certain way, and if you dont look that way that which the system proposes, then the individual would be picked on. With advertising practices constantly being portrayed to the public and the increasing idea given to the public that they can fix whatever faults they have on their body. The more likely individuals are exposed to these ideas, the more they are to succumb to this culture of paying so much attention on their body. Consequently be looked on as being self obsessed. Laschs book called The culture of narcissism describes the major changes that occurred in the 1970s explained by Cashmore 2006: 101, It describes the apotheosis of individualism, in which self centered feeling or conduct reached its highest state of development. After the turbulent 1960s in which people all over the world challenged and subverted traditional ideals, values, and norms [] Their rebellious efforts changed hearts and minds, but not the material facts. So, they retreated to purely personal pre-occupation, according to Lasch, getting in touch with their feeling, eating health food, taking lessons in ballet or belly dancing [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]overcoming the fear of pleasure. (1980:4) Thus advertising and marketing would constantly be producing the tools for reshaping appearances (Maguire Stanway 2008: PAGE). In the context of bodybuilding, these tools could be the use of drugs/steroids to make their muscles bigger. Bloor et al. 1998 Bodybuilding, perhaps more so than others athletic pursuit, is a socio-cultural environment which normalises the instrumental use (as opposed to abuse) of steroids and accessory drugs (Monaghan 1999, p. 707). Moreover, the implication of bodybuilders would continually change their body so as to continually fit with what the bodybuilding system and advertising has in trend as a result fit in society and feel a sense of belonging. This can be further illustrated by Arnold and Price who stated that the second mode of self-making is the authoritative performance in which feeling of community, acceptance and belonging arise from shared participation or shared rituals (20 00: 155 cited in Maguire Stanway 2008, p. 9). This could be related to the related to the symbolic and the economic capital. The symbolic capital in the sense that society accepts bodybuilders using drug so, when these individuals achieve that body, they would be more likely to get jobs so, it works in a two way advantage, they get the job they want (economic capital) and the bodybuilding industry get the labour that they pay for. In contemporary society, greater emphasis has being placed on the body as well as beauty and being beautiful as its seen as part of forming ones identity. This can be illustrated by Shilling (2003) who argued that there is tendency for the body to become increasingly central to the modern persons sense of self-identity. People are starting to think more and be concerned of how others view and perceive them. This could be said that their body is for other to gaze at it, an example could be given from Pumping Iron 2: The women, the scene at 3 minutes 07 seconds where they all had to show off their body, to an admiring audience who were all applauding. This could be related to the narcissistic self as Cashmore stated the narcissist depends on others to validate his self esteem, observed Lasch. He cannot live without an admiring audience à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ for the narcissist, the world is a mirror (1980: 10 in Cashmore 2006, p. 102). This could be said to a certain extent that these bodybui lders need society to approve of their body. They want their body to be adored. The act of thinking of ones body on how people perceive them could be said to link to the other directed self. (WHICH LINKS TO PARABLE OF FIRST IMPRESSION (EWEN 1999, MARCHAND 1985) this could link to the body form of body builder in the sense that the first impression that one gets from them is that they are very strong. Woodward further stated that one only has to think of the rewards received by professional sports people across the world, to see how bodily performances can be exchanged for financial rewards. Nightclubs and discos frequently employ body-builders as bouncers, while prostitutes use their bodies to earn a living Woodward 1997: 88. It can be argued that different classes treat their bodies differently, as Shilling stated according to Bourdieu that the working class tend to develop an instrumental relation to their body as they have little time free from necessity. The body is a means to a n end à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ 2003, p. 114. It was also argued that workers who use their bodies all day in heavy manual labor tend to have little time for what they see as pretension of jogging and health and fitness centres [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] the working class are concerned to spend their efforts on weightlifting and activities directed towards strength, both field in which manual dominance can be asserted (ibid: 114). So in relation to the body form of a bodybuilder, according to Bourdieus theory, they would be classed as a working class, as they are only wanting to survive and strive through life with what their body can achieve for them financially. Whereas it can be said in relation to Bourdieus theory that the dominant class differ such gratification, the dominant class, used their body for cultural, social capital etc this can be illustrated by Shilling who stated that dominant classes have the time and resources to treat the body as a project with variants according to whether the e mphasis is placed on the intrinsic functioning of the body as an organism, which leads to the macrobiotic cult of health, or on the appearance as a perceptible configuration, the physique, i.e. the body for other (Bourdieu, 1978: 838; 1984: 212- 13). The dominant class tend not to be overly concerned with producing a large, strong body, but with a slim body better suited to the world in which economic practice is constituted more strongly by the presentation of self (Wilkes, 1990: 118) in Shilling, p. 114 The body is also said to have possessed power and freedom in our current society whereas in previous society (Traditional Society) there were restrictions and people did not have the choice to do what they wanted. The personality rather than character has come to be much more important in contemporary society which was stated by Warren 1979: 212-26 in Ewen 1999). Thus great power is placed on the individual, as a result, they are allowed to do what they want with that power, consequently, citizenship duty and work no longer seem to be important rather attractiveness, creativity and a fascinating personality is much more preferred in the society. As it was further argued by Shilling from Bourdieus angle that in traditional societies, power is exercised more directly by one embodied individual over another, whereas in contemporary society the modern body has a far more complex role in the exercise of power and the reproductions of social inequalities (2003). That power in relation to t he bodybuilder is the possession of medicine. Monaghan stated Empirical data on perceptions of the medical profession, risk, and bodybuilders various sources of ethno-scientific knowledge, suggest that medicine is simply one authority among many in the construction of the self and the body within late modernity'(1999: 707). This refers to the muscle enhancement drugs. Baudrillards point of view, he suggests that the body has today become an object of salvation (Baudrillard 1998). This further illustrates how the body is viewed in contemporary society and portrays the amount of freedom that individuals possess thus bodybuilder take pride in themselves and worship their body as they believe it is the way they would be able to achieve their goals. This can be related to the culture of narcissism based on the individuals point of view as Cashmore stated that there are two dimensions of the culture of narcissism: on one hand swatches of people abandoned their collective endeavours and co ntented themselves with individual quests for satisfaction and happiness: yet, on the other, they depend on each other for confirmation that they are looking and feeling good (2006: 102). This therefore means that, although they have this individual power, they still need other people to validate them. Baudrillard (1998), the body is no longer flesh [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] but is taken up again in its materiality as narcissistic cult object so in relation to body building, it could be seen that individuals who take part in these activities are vain and think too much about themselves. Cashmore in relation to the narcissistic self that these individuals are getting in touch with their primordial sense of self (2006) According to Shilling 1993 the idea of physical capital is easily grasped by thinking of ways in which sports men and women convert physical ability into income or the ways that models, or even prostitutes use their bodies for material gain (www.aare.edu.au.01pap/lig01450.htm). Of course the ways in which the opposing classes of our society use their body would be totally different. And it could be said they view beauty differently because of the way the body is treated, to illustrate this idea Shilling argued that bodies are also formed through the development of taste [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦] preferences, lifestyles which are rooted in material constraints (2003: 113). Bourdieu also argued that the act of labour are required to turn bodies into social entities and that these act influences, people develop and hold the physical shape of their bodies and learn how to present their bodies through styles of walk, talk and dress in Shilling 2003: 112. Thus it can be argued that both types of b odies are a source of physical capital. Consequently, the body bears the indisputable imprint of an individuals social class (Bourdieu, 1984) in Shilling 2003, p. 112. Thus, people develop preferences for what is available to them Shilling 2003, p. 113 Lasch saw no harm in any of these pursuits in themselves, but he rued the break with history, the turning away from collective activity, and the switch from trying to change society to changing oneself. Personal well-being health, and psychic security became the motivating goal for the generation that had earlier wanted to change the world (Cashmore 2006: 102) From a theoretical stance one could posit that it is only within a deregulated and essentially postmodern world, where people have the freedom to explore the self and the body in new ways (Kelleher et al. 1994: xxii) that such activity is possible. An empirical illustration of the thesis that the body is less and less an intrinsic given, that we perceive them to be more pliable and are actively seeking to alter, improve and refine them (Giddens 1991, Nettleton and Watson 1998) in Monaghan 1999, p. 708 This is because an individuals body is never fully finished. While the body is implicated in society, it is constantly affected by social, cultural and economic processes (Bourdieu, 1985) in Shilling 2003, p. 116 à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. With the resources, to treat the body as a lifelong project. 2003, p. 112 Bourdieu states bodies are involved in the creation and reproduction of social differences, more specially, they bear the imprint of social class because of three main factors: an individuals social location; their formation of their habitus; and the development of their taste in Woodward (1997). This can then be said as to why Bourdieu believe that the body is a bearer of value in contemporary society in Shilling 2003, p. 111. And that the body is in continuation of many changes this is why Bourdieu emphasized The body is an unfinished entity which develops in conjunction with various social forces and is integral to the maintenance of social inequalities à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ in Shilling 2003, p. 113 WORD COUNT 3,067

The Ultimate Fulfillment in Mans Fate by Andre Malraux Essay -- Mans

The Ultimate Fulfillment in Man's Fate  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Man's Fate, Andre Malraux examines the compelling forces that lead individuals to join a greater cause. Forced into a life of contempt, Ch'en portrays the man of action in the early phases of the Chinese Revolution.   He dedicates himself to the communist cause.   It is something greater than himself, a phenomenal concept that he has fused into.   It is something for which he will give his life.   How did this devotion come about?   A combination of his personality, his interior life, as well as society's influence, molded him into a terrorist. Ch'en is self-destructive; he is controlled by his religion of terrorism and his fascination with death.   He is representative of the dedicated soldier who begins as a "sacrificial priest" (4) and ends as a martyr.   After all, the ideologies of communism and terrorism were practically a religion to those involved in the revolution.    An examination of Ch'en's past gives us an idea of how he formed his beliefs, and fell into a state of isolation.   At an early age, his parents were murdered in the pillage of Kalagan.   In addition, at age twenty-four, his uncle was taken hostage and killed because he couldn't afford the ransom, and with no wife or children he was severed from any attachment to a family. He was practically brought up by pastor Smithson, representative of the thousands of Christians that were present in Shanghai, who gave him his Christian education.   However, "[a]s he was devoid of charity, a religious calling could lead him only to contemplation or the inner life; but he hated contemplation and would only have dreamt of an apostleship, for which precisely his absence of charity disqualified him" (64).  Ã‚   Thus, he was u... ...reams which take possession of us because we give them force, but which we can just as easily deny" (180).   This is further reinforced by Ch'en's idea that   "In the last hour I have felt nothing of what used to weigh on me" (192).   Ch'en is the terrorist for the insurrection. His faith had isolated himself from the world instead of submitting to it.   We have a personal need for connection, Ch'en is isolated until the end, when all differences are subsumed. Communism gives a sense of escaping isolation.   For under this ideology there is a personal connection and a feeling of equality.   It is the ultimate fulfillment to live his idea, and more importantly to die for his cause - a cause that is much greater than the individual.   In the end Ch'en becomes the bomb. Bibliography   Malraux, Andre.   Man's Fate:   La Condition Humaine. New York: Vintage Books.   1990

Gender Boundaries in Pleasantville and 1984

Gender boundaries are established in 1984 through sexual repression, which is shown through costume. The restrictions placed on the party members in 1984 include every party member (both male and female) have to wear ‘ugly’ overalls. This plays its part in undefined gender roles. This boundary is broken in a number of ways. First of which is when Winston has sex with the prole prostitute, another is when Winston and Julia use Mr Clarington’s shop as a place for having sex, (this is broken even more as it is in the prole district). It is also broken when Julia puts on make-up which is seen as a luxury. Pleasantville explores gender boundaries are established through single beds, no colour, no sex, and lack of knowledge. Make up also plays an important role in breaking boundaries in Pleasantville as it did in 1984, when Betty puts on make up to cover the fact that she has turned into a ‘coloured’ person. Bud and Mary-Sue are agents for change in Pleasantville ad bud educated Mr Johnson and the rest of the Pleasantville population by filling in the books, putting out the fire, showing them colour. Mary-sue educated betty by teaching her what sex is. Repeated scenes in Pleasantville ensure that there is no change in their world, such as George walking home every afternoon, putting his briefcase down, and saying ‘honey, I’m home’. This is broken when he gets no reply from his wife, as Betty is out with Mr Johnson.

Do Children Learn Better in Boys-Only and Girls-Only Schools? Essay

The City of Tagaytay (Filipino: Lungsod ng Tagaytay) is a third class city in the province of Cavite, Philippines. Only 55 km (34 mi) away from Manila via Aguinaldo Highway, it is one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations. Tagaytay City provides a good view of the Taal Volcano. The city is a popular summer tourist destination because of its cool climate due to its high altitude. Legend has it that the word â€Å"Tagaytay† came from â€Å"TAGA† meaning â€Å"to cut† and â€Å"ITAY† which means â€Å"Father†. A father and son were said to be on a wild boar hunt when the animal they were chasing turned and attacked them. As the boar charged towards the old man, the son cried â€Å"TAGA- ITAY†. The boy’s repeated shouts reverberated in the valleys of the ridge. Heard by the residents, hunters and wood gatherers, the cries became the subject of conversation for several days among the people in the countryside. In time, the place where the shouts came from became known as TAGAYTAY. During the Philippine Revolution of 1896, the ridges and forests of Tagaytay became the sanctuary for revolutionaries including of those from nearby provinces. The passage to and from towns via Tagaytay added the word â€Å"Mananagaytay† to the native’s vocabulary. It means â€Å"to traverse ridges†. At the outbreak of the Second World War, the 11th Airborne Division of Lieutenant General William Krueger’s 8th Army airdropped military supplies and personnel on the Tagaytay Ridge prior to the Liberation of Manila from the Japanese. A marker was installed in 1951 at the junction of the Manila-Canlubang-Nasugbu roads by the city officials in coordination with the Philippine Historical Institute. Tagaytay became a chartered City on June 21, 1938 when President Manuel L. Quezon signed Commonwealth Act No. 338, a bill authored by Representative Justiniano S. Montano of Cavite. The City of Tagaytay is geographically located at the Southeastern part and highest point of Cavite at 120 º56’ latitude and 14 º16’ longitude. It overlooks Manila Bay on the North, Taal Volcano and Taal Lake on the South and Laguna de Bay on the East. The total land area of the city is 6,500 hectares (65 square kilometers. Tagaytay City is composed of 34 barangays, 10 of which are urban and the rest are rural. Vision ————————————————- We envision the City of Tagaytay to be a Resort, Retirement Haven and Character City with a government geared towards excellence and supported by disciplined, honest, God-centered, healthy and united community ————————————————- Mission We shall expand and improve our infrastructure thereby securing a dynamic, safe, peaceful and healthy environment conducive for retirement, learning, sports and religious tourism. We shall strive for service excellence through continuous learning on service improvement with emphasis on positive character qualities to serve our people better and leave a legacy that our family and community will be proud of. We shall encourage the participation of our stakeholders in crafting and implementing plans, programs and activities to better address the needs or our people. We shall be dedicated to the prevention and further enrichment of our environment. We shall strive for excellence in all that we do, driven strenght and good character and seek to be competitive with the best in the world. Core Values

A Single Man (1964) by Christopher Isherwood

A Single Man (1964) by Christopher Isherwood Christopher Isherwood’s A Single Man (1962) is not Isherwood’s most popular or most lauded work, even after the recent Hollywood movie, starring Colin Firth Julianne Moore.  That this novel is one of the â€Å"lesser read† of Isherwood’s novels speaks volumes for his other works, because this novel is absolutely beautiful.  Edmund White, one of gay literature’s most respected and prominent authors, called A Single Man â€Å"one of the first and best models of the Gay Liberation movement† and it’s impossible to disagree. Isherwood himself said that this was the favorite of his nine novels, and any reader might imagine that it would be quite difficult to top this work in terms of emotional connectivity and social relevance.   George, the main character, is an English-born gay man, living and working as a literature professor in Southern California.  George is struggling to readjust to â€Å"single life† after the death of his long-time partner, Jim.  George is brilliant but self-conscious. He is determined to see the best in his pupils, yet knows few, if any, of his students will amount to anything.  His friends look to him as a revolutionary and a philosopher, but George feels he’s simply an above-par teacher, a physically healthy but noticeably aging man with little prospects for love, though he seems to find it when determined not to look for it. The language flows beautifully, even poetically, without seeming self-indulgent. The structure – like short bursts of thought – is easy to keep pace with and seems to function almost in tune with George’s day-to-day musings.  What’s for breakfast?  What’s happening on the way to work?   What am I saying to my students, but what do I hope they’re hearing?   This is not to say that the book is an â€Å"easy read.†Ã‚   In fact, it is emotionally and psychologically haunting.  George’s love for his deceased partner, his loyalty to a broken friend, and his struggle to control lustful emotions for a student are effortlessly expressed by Isherwood, and the tension is brilliantly constructed.  There is a twist ending which, had it not been built with such ingenuity and genius, could read as something quite clichà ©.  Fortunately, Isherwood gets his point across without having to sacrifice his (or the reader’s) imme rsion into the plot line.  This was a balancing act pulled off immaculately – truly impressive. One of the more disappointing elements of the book may be the result of the novel’s length.   George’s simple, sad life is so ordinary but has so much promise; our understanding of this is largely due to George’s internal monologue – his analysis of every action and emotion (typically literary-inspired).  It is easy to imagine that many readers would enjoy getting more of the back story between George and Jim and more of the relationship (little as it existed) between George and his student, Kenny.  Some might be disappointed by George’s kindness to Dorothy; indeed, readers have consistently expressed that they would not have been able, personally, to forgive such a transgression and betrayal. This is the only inconsistency in an otherwise wholly believable plot line, though, and will likely be subject to reader-response, so we can hardly call it an outright fault. The novel takes place in the course of one day, so the characterization is about as well-developed as it can be; the emotion of the novel, the desperation and sadness, are genuine and personal. The reader at times might feel exposed and even violated; sometimes frustrated and, at other times, quite hopeful.  Isherwood has an uncanny ability to direct the reader’s empathy so that she might see herself in George and thereby find herself to be disappointed in herself at times, proud of herself at other times. Ultimately, we all are left with the sense of knowing who George is and of accepting things as they are, and Isherwood’s point seems to be that this awareness is the only way to live a truly satisfied, if not happy, life.

Narwhal Animal Facts - Unicorn of the Sea

Narwhal Animal Facts - Unicorn of the Sea The narwhal or narwhale (Monodon monocerus) is a medium-sized toothed whale or odontocete, best known for its long spiral tusk that many people associate with the unicorn myth. The tusk is not a horn, but a protruding canine tooth. The narwhal and the only other living member of the Monodontidae family, the beluga whale, live in the worlds arctic waters. Carl Linnaeus described the narwhal in his 1758 catalog Systema Naturae. The name narwhal comes from the Norse word nar, which means corpse, combined with whal, for whale. This common name refers to the mottled gray-over-white color of the whale, which causes it to somewhat resemble a drowned corpse. The scientific name Monodon monocerus comes from the Greek phrase meaning one tooth one horn. Fast Facts: Narwhal Scientific Name: Monodon moncerusOther Names: Narwhal, narwhale, unicorn of the seaDistinguishing Features: Medium-sized what with a single large protruding tuskDiet: CarnivorousLifespan: Up to 50 yearsHabitat: Arctic circleConservation Status: Near ThreatenedKingdom: AnimaliaPhylum: ChordataClass: MammaliaOrder: ArtiodactylaInfraorder: CetaceaFamily: MonodontidaeFun Fact: The narwhals tusk is on its left side. Males have the horn, but only 15% of females have one. The Unicorn Horn A male narwhal has a single long tusk. The tusk is a hollow left-handed spiral helix that grows from the left side of the upper jaw and through the whales lip. The tusk grows throughout the whales life, reaching a length from 1.5 to 3.1 m (4.9 to 10.2 ft) and weight of approximately 10 kg (22 lb). About 1 in 500 males has two tusks, with the other tusk formed from the right canine tooth. Around 15% of females have a tusk. Female tusks are smaller than those of males and not as spiralized. There is one recorded case of a female having two tusks. Initially, scientists speculated the male tusk might be involved in male sparring behavior, but the current hypothesis is that tusks are rubbed together to communicate information about the ocean environment. The tusk is rich with patent nerve endings, allowing the whale to perceive information about the seawater. The whales other teeth are vestigial, making the whale essentially toothless. It is considered a toothed whale because it does not have baleen plates. Description The narwhal and beluga are the white whales. Both are medium-size, with a length from 3.9 to 5.5 m (13 to 18 ft), not counting the males tusk. Males are typically slightly larger than females. Body weight ranges from 800 to 1600 kg (1760 to 3530 lb). Females become sexually mature between 5 and 8 years of age, while males mature at around 11 to 13 years of age. The whale has mottled gray or brown-black pigmentation over white. Whales are dark when born, becoming lighter with age. Old adult males may be almost entirely white. Narwhals lack a dorsal fin, possibly to aid in swimming under ice. Unlike most whales, the neck vertebrae of narwhals are jointed like those of terrestrial mammals. Female narwhals have swept-back tail fluke edges. The tail flukes of males are not swept back, possibly to compensate for the drag of the tusk. Behavior Narwhals are found in pods of five to ten whales. The groups may consist of mixed ages and sexes, only adult males (bulls), only females and young, or only juveniles. In the summer, large groups form with 500 to 1000 whales. The whales are found in the Arctic ocean. Narwhals migrate seasonally. In the summer, they frequent coastal waters, while in the winter, they move to deeper water under pack ice. They can dive to extreme depths up to 1500 m (4920 ft) and stay under water about 25 minutes. Adult narwhals mate in April or May offshore. Calves are born in June or August of the following year (14 months gestation). A female bears a single calf, which is about 1.6 m (5.2) feet in length. Calves start out life with a thin blubber layer that thickens during lactation of the mothers fat-rich milk. Calves nurse for about 20 months, during which time they remain very close to their mothers. Narwhals are predators that eat cuttlefish, cod, Greenland halibut, shrimp, and armhook squid. Occasionally, other fish are eaten, as are rocks. It is believed rocks are ingested by accident when whales feed near the bottom of the ocean. Narwhals and most other toothed whales navigate and hunt using clicks, knocks, and whistles. Click trains are used for echo location. The whales sometimes trumpet or make squeaking sounds. Lifespan and Conservation Status Narwhals can live up to 50 years. They may die from hunting, starvation, or suffocation under frozen sea ice. While most predation is by humans, narwhals are also hunted by polar bears, walruses, killer whales, and Greenland sharks. Narwhals hide under ice or stay submerged for long periods of time to escape predators, rather than flee. At present, about 75,000 narwhals exist worldwide. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies them as Near Threatened. Legal subsistence hunting continues in Greenland and by the Inuit people in Canada. References Linnaeus, C (1758). Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. Holmiae. (Laurentii Salvii). p. 824. Nweeia, Martin T.; Eichmiller, Frederick C.; Hauschka, Peter V.; Tyler, Ethan; Mead, James G.; Potter, Charles W.; Angnatsiak, David P.; Richard, Pierre R.; et al. (2012). Vestigial tooth anatomy and tusk nomenclature for Monodon monoceros. The Anatomical Record. 295 (6): 1006–16. Nweeia MT, et al. (2014). Sensory ability in the narwhal tooth organ system. The Anatomical Record. 297 (4): 599–617.

ESL Curriculum Planning for Teaching English

ESL Curriculum Planning for Teaching English This curriculum plan for non-trained teachers of ESL/EFL focuses on building a program for your class or private students. The first part focuses on the basics of ESL. There are a few important aspects to always keep in mind while developing any curriculum, be it only a few lessons or a full course: Language skills need to be recycled many times before they are actively acquired.All language skills (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) should be involved in the learning process.Understanding grammar rules does not necessarily mean that a student can use that grammar, as students need to actively practice skills they are learning. Language Recycling An acquired language needs to be repeated in a various number of guises before it can be actively used by the student. Studies have shown that new linguistic functions need to be repeated at least six times before most learners can consider the new piece of language theirs. After six repetitions, the newly-acquired language skills are usually still only passively activated. The learner will require more repetitions before he or she will be able to use the skills actively in everyday conversation. Here is an example of language recycling using the present simple: Work on the present simple rules.Read an article about the daily routines of someone.Listen to someone who describes his or her daily tasks.Have a discussion asking him or her to describe what he or she does on a daily basis. Use All Four Skills Employing all four linguistic skills (reading, writing, listening, and speaking) when working through a lesson will help you recycle language during the lesson. Learning rules are important, but, in my opinion, practicing the language is even more important. Bringing all these aspects into a lesson will add variety to the lesson and help the learner pragmatically practice the language. Ive met many learners who can knock off a grammar sheet without a mistake and then  when asked, Could you describe your sister? they have problems. This is generally due to the emphasis in many school systems for learning grammar. Putting It All Together So, now you understand the basic tenets of teaching English effectively. You might be asking yourself the question what do I teach? When planning a course, most coursebooks build their curriculum around certain themes that help glue everything together. While this can be rather complicated, I would like to provide a simple example that develops the present simple and past simple. Use this type of outline to build your lesson and remember to provide a number of elements, including listening, reading, writing, and speaking. You will find that your lessons have a  purpose and specific objectives which are clearly definable, like helping you and your learners recognize the progress you are making. Who are you? What do you do? (Daily routines)A present simple example: What do you do? I work at Smiths. I get up at seven, etc.To be present example: Im married. Shes thirty-four.Descriptive adjectives example: I am tall. He is short.Tell me about your past. Where did you go on your last holiday?A past simple example: Where did you go on holiday when you were a child?To be past example: The weather was fantastic.Irregular verbs example: Go - went; Shine - shone Finally, the lesson generally will be divided into three principal sections. Introduction:  Introducing or reviewing grammar or function.Development: Taking that grammar and working on it in reading, listening, and other forms. This section should make up the bulk of your lesson and include a number of different activities, if possible.​Review: Review the principle concepts covered during the lesson. This can be very straightforward and either student or teacher-led, depending on the level of your learners.

Personal Media Diary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Personal Media Diary - Essay Example Over a period of four days, I recorded the time spent on the different form of media. After which I recorded the findings in a table below. Prior to this exercise, I had never contemplated on the amount of time I spent on different forms of media. I often listen to the radio as I drive but I had never assumed that I spent such an amount of time on the radio. I realized that I often use social particularly Facebook to keep in touch with my friend. This s mainly because I have quite a tight schedule and rarely get time to meet each of them individually. On the other hand, I realized that most of the calls I make are to my family members. The results for the four days were as displayed in figure 1 below Figure 2 is a chart representing the time spent on the different media. The vertical axis shows the time spent in minutes while the horizontal axis shows the use of different media types for the different days. Media production is the measure of the time spent on different media to produce or develop something. In the contemporary society, social media has become one of the commonest means of communication that many people including the journalist are increasingly adopting (medialiteracyproject.org Web). Many media houses often release their updates through social networks such as Facebook and twitter. As demonstrated on the chart labeled figure 2, Facebook, phone, TV, and radio are my most preferred media types. Although TV and Radio are amongst the oldest types of media, they are still commonly used for informative as well as entertainment purposes. I tend to watch TV a lot. This is because I usually relax and watch TV after school in addition to the time spent with the family as we watch the news. Additionally, I tend to watch a lot of movies different television Networks. I rarely rent movies but I often find myself

The effect of domestic law in international courts and tribunals Essay

The effect of domestic law in international courts and tribunals - Essay Example The paper tells that the international court is to apply â€Å"judicial decisions and teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations, as subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law†. The development of law with regards to the consultation with domestic law is ambiguous and an extent cannot be declared as such. However various pleadings brought before the ICJ are replete with myriad references to legal literature and case laws. In this regards it is noteworthy that the proceedings of international courts and tribunals are often replete with judicial decisions as well as juristic writings. These are discussed below in greater detail as per their influence on the proceedings of international courts and tribunals. During the proceedings of international courts and tribunals, the decisions of international courts and municipal courts as well as publications of academics can be referred to. These references are not as sources of law but rather as means to recognise various laws established through other sources. The actual practice of the ICJ is not to refer to domestic decisions but even then the ICJ does invoke its own previous case laws. International law does not recognise the rule of stare decisis. The decision of any international court or tribunal has no binding force of any kind except that recognised by the contesting parties. Such recognition is only valid for the particular case under consideration as per Article 59 of the statute of the ICJ. ... teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations† serve as beacons for â€Å"subsidiary means for the determination of the rules of law†. Although the works of various prominent jurists are not considered as source of international law but they are considered indispensable to developing rules that are sourced from custom, treaties as well as general principles of law even those derived from the decisions of domestic courts. Such principles are accepted practice for the interpretation of international law in various cases. One such case that was utilised by an international court was the decision by the United States Supreme Court in the Paquete Habana case (175 US (1900) 677 at 700-1). 2. Conclusion Conclusively it can be said that the decisions of domestic courts are considered by international courts and tribunals but this practice is limited when compared to other sources of international law. The varying legal principles in use by different na tions restrict the use of decisions made by domestic courts in international law. â€Å"Does the Court need to consider in order for a rule to be established as customary, if there must be absolute conformity and practice with the rule or is it enough that there is a general consistency†. Do you agree with this statement? 1. Introduction When international law is considered it must be kept in mind that rules can be established as customary even if there is only general consistency with the rule and not absolute conformity. It must also be noted that absolute conformity is not possible when considering international law because states hold their interests supreme. Moreover nations cannot be forced to accept decisions taken under international law and instead international law is practiced through wilful

Critically evaluate the role and effectiveness of the Environment Essay

Critically evaluate the role and effectiveness of the Environment Agency (UK) in improving air quality in the United Kingdom - Essay Example The organisation plays a regulative role in reducing the emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere from huge industrial processes and thereby improving the air quality in the country. Recently, the agency has planned to extent its operational area to large scale agricultural activities too while giving exception to some agricultural activities that cause release of air pollutants. This paper will critically evaluate the role and effectiveness of UK’s Environmental Agency in promoting air quality in the country. Air pollution in UK Air pollution is a drastically growing issue in the United Kingdom at both local and national levels. Although the air pollution in UK has been better improved over the last decade, it still struggles with air quality issues. Official data indicate that CO2 emissions significantly contribute to the UK’s pollution issue. The UK Air Quality Strategy gives specific focus on emission of air pollutants including benzene, 1,3-butadiene, lead, o zone, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen oxides (DEFRA, 2012). Road transport, fuel combustion, and industrial emissions are some of the major sources of air pollution in UK. Historically, the UK has been greatly suffering from sulphur dioxide and smoke emissions. Nowadays, traffic emissions are growing to be a potential impediment to the UK’s air pollution control efforts. Combustion of fossil fuels has an increasing impact on the UK’s urban air quality. As we mentioned above, air pollution has a range of negative effects on both health and environment. Even though moderate levels of air pollution are not likely to have any serious effect on a normal individual, continuous and long term exposure to air pollution may result in threatening health conditions including inflammatory and respiratory system failures. Air pollution more severely affects the long term sustainability of the environment. Emission of air pollutants like CO2 causes depletion of ozone layer and allows i nfrared and other harmful rays to enter the earth’s atmosphere. Such rays are dangerous to a number of ecosystems and therefore cause to destroy the balance of ecology. Researchers argue that air pollution can have devastating impacts on biodiversity and crop yields. In UK, several studies are being conducted to accurately explore the effects of air pollution on vegetation. Primarily, the UK has started its response to air pollution by the middle of the 20th century when issues like urban smog, black smoke, and sulphur dioxide had begun to threaten the country’s environmental safety. The United Kingdom started to monitor its air pollution issues on a national scale in 1961 (UK Air Pollution, 2003). In the strength of such initiatives, the country could notably reduce coal burning emissions to a great extent. When the country focused more on the reduction of combustion related emissions, transport sector grew to be the most potential source of air pollution in most regi ons of the UK. In order to effectively address this historic change, the UK government’s focus has progressively turned to traffic pollutants including ozone, fine particular matter, and nitrogen dioxide. Some data indicate that UK’s air monitoring networks have noticeably developed over the last two decades; but, this growth did not much contribute to air quality level improvement. Increasing awareness of environmental sustainability, UK’

Reagan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Reagan - Essay Example Ronald Reagan’s major focus during his first term was reviving the economy his administration inherited, which was plagued by a new phenomenon known as stagflation (a stagnant economy combined with high inflation). His administration fought double-digit inflation by supporting Federal Reserve Board Chairman Paul Volcker’s decision to tighten the money supply by dramatically hiking interest rates. Economist Milton Friedman said, â€Å"Reagan understood that there was no way of ending inflation without monetary restraint and a temporary recession†. Friedman feels there were three key elements inherent in Reagan’s fiscal policy. Which was primarily designed to curb social spending and increase defense spending. Reagan according to Friedman, accomplished this in three ways:(1) by slashing tax rates and so cutting Congress’s allowance. (2) by being willing to take a severe recession to end inflation. In the opinion of Friedman, no other post-war president would have been willing to back the Volcker Fed in its tough stance in 1981-82. I can testify from personal knowledge that Reagan knew what he was doing. He understood that there was no way of ending inflation without monetary restraint and a temporary recession. As in every area, he stuck to his guns and looked to the long term.(3)and in some ways the least recognized, by attacking government regulations. The federal Register records the thousands of detailed rules and regulations that federal agencies churn out in the course of a year.... and his detractors did not have such a regal assessment of his policies; "Reagan's theory was really 'trickle down' economics borrowed from the Republican 1920's (Harding- Coolidge-Hoover) and renamed 'supply side'. Cut tax rates for the wealthy; every one else will benefit. The supply side rhetoric 'was always a Trojan horse to bring down the top rate'. Many middle-class and poor citizens figured it out, even if the reporters did not". (Greider) Two years into Reagan's presidency, the United States experienced its worst recession since the Great Depression, with unemployment peaking at 10.8 per cent. Rather than take responsibility, Reagan attempted to blame the 1982 recession on his predecessor, Jimmy Carter. -Ronald Reagan, nationally televised campaign speech, October 24, 1980-(federal deficits totaled #252 billion under Carter. By the end of the Reagan presidency, federal deficits would total $1.4 trillion. Early in his presidency, Reagan chose as his economic advisors a group that espoused a radical economic theory called "supply-side". The supply siders told Reagan that if he gave tax cuts to the top brackets (the wealthiest individuals) the positive effects would "trickle down" to everyone else. Tax cuts they argued, would produce so much growth in the economy that America could just outgrow its deficits. Reagan bought into the supply side theory, which is why in 1981 he predicted that there would be a "drastic

Volkswagen AG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Volkswagen AG - Essay Example Our company was founded in 1904 (History 2011), and since that time we have gone through a great number of changes and developed a series of strategies to help us be a socially responsible company that employs around 370,000 people globally (Human Resources 2011). Therefore, on the basis of our vast experience operating internationally we would like to provide the local network with a number of recommendations on how other companies can become as socially responsible, for the benefit of both the companies and the global society. In particular, we would like to address the following two principles of the Global Compact: Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.  (UN Global Compact 2011). Lessons Learnt Our company takes active part in initiatives aimed at human rights protection. We respect and support peo ple’s right to collective bargaining. In particular, the freedom of association and our employees’ right to collective bargaining have had a significantly positive impact on the company’s operations in the 1990s. Due to financial constraints, at that time Volkswagen was about to fire a great number of company’s employees. ... On contrast, failure to follow collective agreements and cooperate with unions and associations may lead to disastrous results for a company. In particular, one of our competitors, General Motors Corporation (GM), had to undergo through a series of court trials as a result of denial to support human rights. In 2005, as the Delphi Corporation, a former part of General Motors Corporation, filed bankruptcy and refused to fulfil its defined benefit plans. The plans, including retirement plans for former Delphi employees, were terminated and GM cancelled and terminated all the obligations under the old collective bargaining agreements. In 2009 GM, finally, did sign a settlement agreement. However, it â€Å"did not provide top-ups to the splinter unions or to any other noncovered employees† (Bovbjerg and Clowers 2011). We, at Volkswagen AG, believe such behaviour of the company to be unacceptable in terms of the recognition of the right to collective bargaining. Furthermore, such ac tions lead to negative consequences for both the company and the society: the company’s image is damaged, and people are left without any benefits provided by collective bargaining agreements. As for the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, Volkswagen AG can proudly claim that it is taking numerous measures to follow this Global Compact principle. In particular, among our CSR initiatives is advancing women and promoting diversity in the workplace. More than 30% of our employees are women, and we are actively working towards increasing this number. In addition, we are striving to increase the number of women in management positions (Advancing women

How does diversity of employment affect the welfare(income per person) Dissertation - 2

How does diversity of employment affect the welfare(income per person) in cities of America - Dissertation Example More emphasize should be placed on authenticity of variable like population, age and income of people to attain a reliable result from the research. The sample quantity also should be enhanced to enable a full fledged assessment of the coastal and non- coastal cities as to their contribution to per capital income. Additional independent variable also should be included to get accuracy and efficiency in the statistical models. Also, efforts should be made to cover more population among the cities so as to deliver a believable outcome .It is observed that people in both cities with higher educational level influenced in increasing the average income of the cities.. Finally it can be estimated that more than economic diversity, the educational level and age of individuals have more effect in increasing the per capital income and wealth of a city. Work Cited Khan, M.Y. (2008).Financial services. New Delhi: Tata McGraw Hill.

Volkswagen AG Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Volkswagen AG - Essay Example Our company was founded in 1904 (History 2011), and since that time we have gone through a great number of changes and developed a series of strategies to help us be a socially responsible company that employs around 370,000 people globally (Human Resources 2011). Therefore, on the basis of our vast experience operating internationally we would like to provide the local network with a number of recommendations on how other companies can become as socially responsible, for the benefit of both the companies and the global society. In particular, we would like to address the following two principles of the Global Compact: Principle 3: Businesses should uphold the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; Principle 6: the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation.  (UN Global Compact 2011). Lessons Learnt Our company takes active part in initiatives aimed at human rights protection. We respect and support peo ple’s right to collective bargaining. In particular, the freedom of association and our employees’ right to collective bargaining have had a significantly positive impact on the company’s operations in the 1990s. Due to financial constraints, at that time Volkswagen was about to fire a great number of company’s employees. ... On contrast, failure to follow collective agreements and cooperate with unions and associations may lead to disastrous results for a company. In particular, one of our competitors, General Motors Corporation (GM), had to undergo through a series of court trials as a result of denial to support human rights. In 2005, as the Delphi Corporation, a former part of General Motors Corporation, filed bankruptcy and refused to fulfil its defined benefit plans. The plans, including retirement plans for former Delphi employees, were terminated and GM cancelled and terminated all the obligations under the old collective bargaining agreements. In 2009 GM, finally, did sign a settlement agreement. However, it â€Å"did not provide top-ups to the splinter unions or to any other noncovered employees† (Bovbjerg and Clowers 2011). We, at Volkswagen AG, believe such behaviour of the company to be unacceptable in terms of the recognition of the right to collective bargaining. Furthermore, such ac tions lead to negative consequences for both the company and the society: the company’s image is damaged, and people are left without any benefits provided by collective bargaining agreements. As for the elimination of discrimination in respect of employment and occupation, Volkswagen AG can proudly claim that it is taking numerous measures to follow this Global Compact principle. In particular, among our CSR initiatives is advancing women and promoting diversity in the workplace. More than 30% of our employees are women, and we are actively working towards increasing this number. In addition, we are striving to increase the number of women in management positions (Advancing women

View of the World Essay Example for Free

View of the World Essay The fact that more and more people have been holding a cynical view of today’s world can be explained by their deep disillusion with the existing social order, conventions, and values. To some extent, by embracing cynicism those people try to psychologically protect themselves against injustices and unpleasantness of this world. Contemporary cynics refuse to believe in the noble values promoted by modern society as they have plenty of bitter evidence attesting that those values are usually empty words and beliefs while most people do things only for their own advantage. Instead of concentrating on what today’s world should be, cynics accept it as it is now and try to adapt themselves to its realities. Cynics justify their position by the fact that they do not want to be victims of self-deception and disappointment as it often happens, for example, to idealists or optimists. If the latter believe in this world’s good virtues and ideals and have positive expectations from it, cynics know that such expectations often turn into disappointment, dissatisfaction, and sufferings. Today’s world is far from being perfect, cynics emphasize, and it is wrong and even harmful to expect something good from it. What disillusion is for others, it is reality for cynics, and in this philosophy they simply seek self-protection (Bayan). Apart from moral and psychological protection against today’s imperfect world, cynics also see certain important practical advantages resulting from their doctrine. Idealists and optimists expect success from whatever they do while cynics do not exclude failure and, therefore, work harder in order to reduce the possible negative effects of their failure. This approach motivates them to be more careful and attentive, and calculate everything they do to the last detail. And, unlike idealists and optimists, cynics are prepared to deal with their failure when it occurs, since they anticipated it from the very beginning. However, it often happens that their anticipation of failure and hard work unexpectedly turn out to be success, or at least their failure is far from being as serious as they expected it to be. And for cynics, this is another proof that their doctrine does not only insulate them against today’s world’s imperfection, but also occasionally contributes to their success (Nussbaum, 2009). References Bayan, R. Positive Cynicism. Retrieved February 20, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://www. i-cynic. com/positive. asp Nussbaum, N. (2009, February 10). Glass Half Empty. The Cornwell Daily Sun on the web. Retrieved February 20, 2009 from the World Wide Web: http://cornellsun. com/node/34901

Myanmar Ministry of Social Welfare

Myanmar Ministry of Social Welfare Uniqueness of Myanmar Social Welfare Model Chapter 1 Introduction Myanmar Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement was establish in the year 1953 and the government take the responsibilities of many social welfare activities and also keep expanding, in close collaboration with may United Nations agencies and international Non-governmental organization. Nowadays, United Nations agencies, Government Organizations and both local and international NGOs are carrying out the social welfare services in Myanmar in addition to the government social welfare departments. The department was formed 5 years during the parliamentary democratic government era soon after the country independent from the British colonial. After that as the Myanmar undergoes for many changing of the governments, such as democratic government, socialist government and military junta so the social welfare model of Myanmar is also changing from one government to another. It is of great interest for social work field to study what is the social welfare model that Myanmar is practicing. In this paper, I will try to discuss whether the Myanmar social welfare model can be explained by either Richard Titmuss models or Esping-Anderson models or combination or different from both. In chapter 2, I would like to do the literature review upon different definitions and models of social welfare in this chapter. In chapter 3, I would like to explain some information about the Social Welfare in Myanmar and try to identify which social welfare model can explain the practice. Chapter 4 will comprise the important of understanding Myanmar social welfare model and possible applicability of different models which might be best suited to country situation and culture so that the welfare services can provide the more efficiency towards the community. Chapter 2 Literature Review 2.1. Definitions of Social Welfare Social welfare includes those nonprofit functions of society, public or voluntary, which are clearly aimed at alleviating distress and poverty or at ameliorating the conditions of the casualties of society(R Dolgoff Feldstein, (2007). The another definition is all social interventions intended to enhance or maintain the social functioning of human beings(R. Dolgoff, Feldstein, Skolnik, 1997). The National Association of Social Work (NASW) defined Social Welfare as the full range of organized activities of voluntary and governmental agencies that seek to prevent, alleviate, or contribute to the solution of recognized social problems, or to improve the well-being of individuals, groups, or communities.(NASW, 1971) United Nations defined Social welfare as an organized function is regarded as a body of activities designed to enable individuals, families, groups and communities to cope with the social problems of changing conditions. In addition to and extending beyond the range of its responsibilities for specific services, social welfare has a further function within the broad area of a countrys social development. Social welfare should play a major role in contributing to the effective mobilization and deployment of human and material resources of the country to deal successfully with the social requirements of change, thereby participating in nation-building. (United Nations 1967) 2.2. Different models of social welfare Richard Titmuss (1970) introduced 3 models of social welfare which includes residual model, industrial-achievement model and institutional model. In residual model, it is charity and providing assistance in nature and the provision of social service is based upon selective either by mean testing or eligibility criteria. So, people can be socially stigmatized for the people who are receiving the social welfare services. The ideology of the residual model is based on the individual is responsible for trying to meet with the market economy and the welfare state is something to be avoided. In industrial achievement model, it mainly focuses on the individualist upon meritocratic and the provision is upon the individual merit. Hence, the nature of social welfare service is like workfare. In a meritocracy, society rewards (via wealth, position, and social status) those who show talent and competence as demonstrated by past actions or by competition. There is no social stigma and the welfare is upon the persons self-responsibility. In institutional model, Social welfare is seen as a normal and legitimate function of modern society (R. Dolgoff, et al., 1997). There is no stigma in this approach as it is regarded as a right of citizenship and most of the programs are universal and no more selective. Again, on the other hand, Esping-Anderson (1990) proposed that there is another three types of model namely conservative model, liberal model and social democratic model which are in fact equivalent to the Richard Titmuss (1970) 3 models of residual model, industrial-achievement model and institutional model respectively. The residual and industrial achievement models are similar in objecting excessive welfare. Table 1: Explanation of different models from different perspectives and the countries that are currently practices Richard Titmuss Model Residual Industrial Achievement Institutional Esping-Anderson Model Conservative Liberal Social Democratic Practising Country France, Germany, Austria UK, USA, Australia Sweden, Denmark, Norway Nature Charity, assistance Workfare Citizen right Basis of provision Selective (e.g. means test, eligibility) Individual merit Universal entitlement Social stigma May carry stigma Self-responsibility No stigma Ideology Free market, individual responsibility Individualist, Meritocratic Collectivist, State responsibility Government Role Non-intervention Non-intervention Intervention Chapter 3 Myanmar Social Welfare at a glance 3.1. Background of Myanmar Ministry of Social Welfare(YCDC, 2003) In Myanmar, the social welfare services are provided either from the government department, the department of social welfare or directly from UN, INGO and NGO services towards the community and vulnerable people. But still, as the government is military junta, every service either from the government or from the agencies need the government official approval in prior to any activities/services. When looking at the Ministry level, it has instituted three departments, the social welfare department, fire services department and relief and resettlement department. In addition to the three departments, the government has designated the Ministry of Social welfare, Relief and Resettlement as three national focal points Myanmar national Committee for womens affairs, National Committee on the Rights of the Childs Myanmar and National Committee on Social Development. Social Welfare in Myanmar claimed that they aim at helping towards a mutual adjustment of vulnerable and their social environment. The ministry has the following objectives of social welfare: 1. To assist the vulnerable groups so as to reintegrate into the society through social work methods. 2. To resettle and rehabilitate victims of disasters. 3. To make our country free from fire hazard. 4. To encourage the non-governmental organizations to participate in national movement for social development. 5. To train and form the fire service personnel and voluntary fire-men to become the reserve force to safeguard peace and stability of the state. In addition to the above objectives, the followings are the adopted policy of the Ministry. 1. Equalization of opportunities fore vulnerable group in Myanmar society. 2. The government attaches a high priority to the welfare of children, youth, women, national races residing in the disabled, the aged, socially handicapped and disadvantaged groups. 3. Responsible for rendering relief and resettlement services to victims of natural disasters such as earthquakes, storms, floods and fire disasters. The Union of Myanmar has also promulgated laws to ensure the rights and to protect the Citizen. Among the laws three are some basis laws which are directly concerned with Department of Social Welfare (DSW) to implement Social welfare programmes and for the protection of the socially handicapped citizens. These laws and regulation are Prostitution Suppression Act, 1949, Disabled Persons Employment Act, 1958 and The Child Law, 1993 under basic law. There are also 3 other related law present which are Registration of Kittima Adoption Ad, 1941. , Myanmar Maternal and Child Welfare Association Law (MMCWA), 1991 and Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substance law, 1993. The DSW implements social welfare services in eight different areas of social needs by both direct and indirect means. The different types of social welfare services includes child welfare service, youth welfare service, women welfare service, care of the aged, rehabilitation of disabled, rehabilitation of ex-drug addicts, rehabilitation and socialization of Vagrants and grant-in-aid to voluntary Organization. According to local needs and situations, the contribution of social services has been made by the Non-governmental organization (NGOs) with the collaboration of community. At present, with the encouragement of the government there has been abundance of NGOs in Myanmar national as well as international NGOs. Myanmar National Committee for Womens Affairs (MNCWA) was formed on 3 July 1996, to implement activities for the advancement of women systematically. Subsequently, the Myanmar National Working Committee for Womens Affair (MNWCWA) was formed on 7 October 1996, to facilitate the activities. The government also designated the Ministry of Social welfare, Relief and Resettlement as the National Focal Point for Womens Affairs. Myanmar has acceded to the convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991 and the Child Law was enacted in 1993. The National Committee on the Rights of the Child (NCRC) was formed in October 1993, headed by the Minister of Social Welfare. The Department is implementing social development programmes in collaboration with the Asia and Pacific as well as ASEAN member countries. In addition to the above services provided by Ministry of Social Welfare, the department is also involved in conducting the Post Graduate Diploma in Social Work which was recently started in 2006. Previously there is no social work training in the country even though the objective number 1 of Ministry which includes providing the services with social work methods. This course is funded by UNICEF, joint with Department of Social Welfare and Department of Psychology (Yangon University). 3.2. Analysis of the Myanmar Social Welfare Model Even thought the ministry set up the objectives, we can found out that they did not have clear objective upon how to help and provide services towards the vulnerable and oppressed people. And also the policy and the objectives are only at the policy level and never reach to the implementation level. The staffs from the department of social welfare are civil servants and they are not motivated at all due to their low pay salary and no learning opportunities for their services. The nature of the Myanmar Social Welfare is mixed in nature as the government did not provide the direct services to the people. The services are coming mostly from the UN/INGO/NGO and some community based organizations with in terms of charity and humanitarian assistance. Even though the Government claimed that the services are universal to all but still far away from the actual coverage as there is no citizen rights at all in the country. The basis of provision of social welfare either universal or selective is also depend upon in the project agreement with the donor agencies and their funding policy. Compulsary education of up to 5th grade is funded by Unicef so it is universal to all the children of the country. Universal immunization programme (UCI) and expanded programme for immunization (EPI) are funded by Unicef, JICA, Japan Vaccines, AusAid so all the children under 5 years of age received the all the vaccinations under the health programme free. But on the other hand, in public housing, it is not provided to general public. The government provided only to the government civil servants but even not all the civil servants received the housing. Only the higher level officials received the public housing. But all the military servants receive the public housing. So, we can term it as highly selective with bias and might not term it as social welfare service. Social security is also received only the civil servants especially towards the military servants and the government did not take into account of the general public or community. The government health care is cost sharing in nature and all the patients need to provide the cost of the medicines and diagnostic and laboratory charges. The other charges such as doctors fees, nurses fees, room fees are free when they are admitted to the government hospitals. There is a department called Medical Social Work department in most of the big hospital but they are no more functioning at all now. They just present as a one of the required structure for the hospital. The staffs are also not trained by proper social work techniques but if the patient is too poor to buy the required medicines or something, they can contact to this medical social worker. If there is any money, donated by anybody, is present in this medical social work department, they provided to this poor patient. If not, they cannot provide any support and it is some form of charity based assistance. Family, children and youth services are based upon the residential care approach as the department of social welfare has many training schools for youth, children and even for women. In fact, these training schools are the same as the detention centre or care centre and not all the youth and children staying there are allowed to go out of this so called training school. There is no proper service setting providing towards family violence and child abuse even though there are high rate of such cases inside the country. As the government accede the UNCRC, and they formed National CRC, state and divisional CRC and even township CRC all over the country but all these are not functioning at all. There are some government owned NGO (GONGO) such as Myanmar maternal and child welfare association (MMCWA) and Myanmar Women Affairs Federation (MWAF) but they are also only the political figures and helping towards some cases of family violence, gender based violence (GBV) and child abuse but as they are also not trained social workers in their organization, the services that they provided are also like material supports based upon the charity and humanitarian assistance approach. There is no systematically helping towards the vulnerable. One of the important components of the social welfare services, the elderly services are also provided by INGO/NGO mainly. The government provide very small amount of money and official registration to these home for aged. The department of social welfare did not have any residential care facilities towards the aged. Social services provided towards disability peoples and rehabilitation service is also one of the weak areas in Myanmar. The rehabilitation is mainly towards the disable from the military servants who has lost their legs due to mine in the frontiers. INGO/NGO are now trying to work towards the community based rehabilitation programme with the permission of the government. Many of the community development are organized and implemented by the UN/INGO/NGO and government Ministry of Progress of Border Areas and National Races and Development Affairs. But this government ministry is mainly focused upon the material development such as road, bridges etc and not emphasize on the human and social capital development. There are no specialised services or agencies working for the ex-prisoner or offender. The government has correctional department under the ministry of Home Affairs which is also known as department of prisons. After the offender release from the prison, there is no follow up or social welfare services towards them. And also there is no agencies working upon these peoples. There is only one training school for the whole country where all the juvenile delinquent are detained and provided the correctional training. Still the staffs assigned in this training school are not trained social workers. There is no social stigma upon receiving the social welfare services and even the people are proud of receiving the social welfare service assistance because very few peoples received these services. Government ideology upon social welfare is to make the social control upon the community. The government did not implementing services or even not they implemented, they are not efficiently implemented. They did excess intervention towards policy upon the providing the services by the agencies. Chapter 4 Conclusion According to the situational analysis of the social welfare services present in the country Myanmar, the current model that the government implementing is not either residual or industrial achievement or institutional model. And also there is no specific model because the department does the services at ad hoc basic depending upon the project proposed by the UN/INGO/NGO. Due to the ruling by the military junta, the department of social welfare did not have budget for their welfare services and so the department stands only as a focal point/liaison between the agencies and the government. And most of the agencies need to provide the services under the name of the department of social welfare. On conclusion, it is difficult to identify what is the social welfare model of Myanmar currently. But the country is in the transition stage from military junta to the multi-party election in the year 2010. And the general constitution is already drawn but still specific policies and rules will set up in the next newly elected government. So, we all hope that there will be a proper model for Myanmar social welfare in the hand of new government. Dolgoff, R., Feldstein, D. ((2007). Understanding Social Welfare: A Search for Justice (7th ed.). Boston: Allyn Bacon. Dolgoff, R., Feldstein, D., Skolnik, L. (1997). Examining a social welfare program: Structural components, alternative program characteristics, and evaluation (4th ed.). New York: Longman. NASW. (1971). Encyclopedia of Social Work (Vol. II). YCDC. (2003). Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief and Resettlement.

Suicide :: essays research papers

Suicide... I once had a boyfriend, who was severly depressed, and became suicidal. The act of his trying to commit suicide broke my heart, and his families. I decided to write my paper about how to help someone who is sucidal and how to spot the signs, if there are any. In the last 45 years suicide rates have increased by 60% worldwide. Suicide is now among the three leading causes of death among those aged 15-44 (both sexes). Suicide attempts are up to 20 times more frequent than completed suicides.1 Everyone feels sad at some point — it's only natural. But what doctors call clinical depression is very different from just being "down in the dumps." The main difference is that the sad or empty mood doesn't go away after a couple of weeks, and everyday activities like sleeping, socializing or working can be affected. Suicide is a general term encompassing all types of suicidal behavior, including thoughts about suicide, suicidal "chatter" or threats, deliberate self-harm , and suicide itself. Suicide is an intentional taking of one's own life. It combines a wish to be dead with the action that carries out that wish. A checklist used to determine whether a death is suicide include: (1) They initiate their death (2)the desire to be self-destructive (3) the loss of will to live (4) the motivation to be dead or to die There are some certain signs to watch for,as well, if you think that someone might be considering Suicide. They are as follow:  · Deepening Depression. A depressed person, who withdrawls from friends and family, and doesnt seem to be getting any "happier"  · Final Arrangements  · Risk Taking or Self-Destructive Behaviors  · Pre-Suicidal Statements. Direct or indirect statements about suicide, hopelessness or death, even when said in a joking or off hand manner.

Higher Education and Society :: Learning School Teaching Essays

Higher Education and Society Attending public schools as a child, I remember learning the basic skills on how to add and subtract, read, and write. These basic skills are necessary in order to function in our society and work force in the United States. As we all know each child learns differently, some learn faster than others and some slower than others. Our public schools have become overcrowded and we do not have enough teachers to fit the needs of each student. Some students get left behind and are not learning the skills needed to move on to the next level. What these students are not learning they can learn in higher education such as a college or university. In this report, I would like to express the importance of a higher education. I will use the works of John Henry Newman, Jon Spayde and Mike Rose, all three writers believe in having an educated society. Our students’ needs are changing, there are a growing number of immigrants with children coming to the United States from all over the world. They bring with them the language and culture of their country. The age in which they arrive to the United States determines how well they learn English and what skills they will need to acquire to become productive in our society. The task of teaching our children the basic skills is becoming harder and harder each day, making it harder for our education system to achieve their goals. There are a high number of students graduating from high school who does not have the skills needed to meet the needs of the work force in our society. A higher level of learning is needed to make our society literate. The relationship between college and university are influential in our society. To have an educated society in the United States brings a safe and peaceful environment to live in. Society is defined as "a group of people with a common culture or a way of life. A group of people who unite to share a common interest" (Holt, Rinehart and Winston 678). An educated society also avoids social problems such as poverty, gangs, drugs and health related sickness. Most of all, having an educated society helps our country’s economy. For example, a citizen that acquires a college degree earns respect and can get a good job that pays well. Higher Education and Society :: Learning School Teaching Essays Higher Education and Society Attending public schools as a child, I remember learning the basic skills on how to add and subtract, read, and write. These basic skills are necessary in order to function in our society and work force in the United States. As we all know each child learns differently, some learn faster than others and some slower than others. Our public schools have become overcrowded and we do not have enough teachers to fit the needs of each student. Some students get left behind and are not learning the skills needed to move on to the next level. What these students are not learning they can learn in higher education such as a college or university. In this report, I would like to express the importance of a higher education. I will use the works of John Henry Newman, Jon Spayde and Mike Rose, all three writers believe in having an educated society. Our students’ needs are changing, there are a growing number of immigrants with children coming to the United States from all over the world. They bring with them the language and culture of their country. The age in which they arrive to the United States determines how well they learn English and what skills they will need to acquire to become productive in our society. The task of teaching our children the basic skills is becoming harder and harder each day, making it harder for our education system to achieve their goals. There are a high number of students graduating from high school who does not have the skills needed to meet the needs of the work force in our society. A higher level of learning is needed to make our society literate. The relationship between college and university are influential in our society. To have an educated society in the United States brings a safe and peaceful environment to live in. Society is defined as "a group of people with a common culture or a way of life. A group of people who unite to share a common interest" (Holt, Rinehart and Winston 678). An educated society also avoids social problems such as poverty, gangs, drugs and health related sickness. Most of all, having an educated society helps our country’s economy. For example, a citizen that acquires a college degree earns respect and can get a good job that pays well.

Religion and Society Essay

Society is bound by codes of behavior and tacit agreements to live together in harmony. Religion plays an integral part in this code that society has created for itself. Every aspect of life, such as birth, death, marriage, and relationships, often have religious significance. Even though not all peoples in a society prescribe to the same religion, or any religion at all; religion is still deeply rooted in society and plays a part in everyday life. Religion gives people a moral code to live by; it gives life meaning and purpose, and it is prominent in the American government. Religion provides society with a moral compass for its citizens to live by. God provided Christians with the Ten Commandments and countless parables to help guide Christians to the path of righteousness; Buddhists adhere to the five percepts so that they may not stray away from the path to Nirvana, and Islamists follow a moral code outlined for them in the Quran that closely resembles the Christian Ten Commandme nts. These are all vastly different religions with different codes of ethics, but they are similar in the sense that they provide society with a moral code to live by. Although not everyone within society prescribes to a religion, religious influence is still present. Also, even though one may not follow the doctrine of a certain religion, that does not mean one cannot follow the moral code. All of society’s major religions have the same basic code; be a good person, don’t commit murder, obey the laws of society, etc. These guidelines are common sense, and anyone who knows right from wrong has a moral compass and a sense of ethics. With this in mind, although society has a basic understanding of right and wrong, religion takes it a step farther by demanding of its followers something more than just being a good person. Most major religions expect its followers to be moral leaders in society by helping those in need, and going out of their way to do good deeds for others. Thi s thirst to please some higher being or reach a different plane of existence gives mankind the incentive to keep to their moral code. This does not mean that people who do not have or believe in religion have looser morals or are any less than people who are religious; it just means that people of religious faith have extra incentive to live ethical lives. Religion gives life a transcendental purpose and meaning, and often a goal to aspire to at the end of one’s life. Christianity’s goal for its followers  is ultimately for them to live a life pleasing to God so that they may one day preside in Heaven, as well as to spread the word of God to all the people of the world. The goal of Buddhists is to end the cycle of rebirth by reaching nirvana. Goals such as these give the people of a society a purpose in life. Even those who do not prescribe to a religion can find meaning in their life by studying religion, or even by trying to disprove a religion one can find purpose; even though their purpose is antireligious, it is still influenced by religion. A purposeful life is essential; without a purpose or meaning in one’s life there is no reason to go on living. Religion provides people with a meaningful life, a goal to strive toward, and by doing such it allows society to find pleasure in reaching their goals on a spiritual and human level. Although the United States government has no religious affiliation, it is explicitly stated that t here is to be a separation of church and state in the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, the United States was and still is based upon religious principles. While not all of the fifty-five founding fathers were Christians, most did have some sort of religion or belief system; for example Thomas Paine was a deist. The Declaration of Independence includes references to a â€Å"Creator,† and although it makes no reference to Christianity or any other religion, it is still has some religious affiliation. Presently only two percent of the United States Congress either does not prescribe to a religion or does not specify their religious affiliation. With ninety-eight percent of Congress prescribing openly to some form of religion, it is ignorant to believe that religion and the moral codes they believe in play no part in the making and passing of laws. This is not to say that all people of religious faith should be barred from being government officials, it is just an observation that church and state can never be fully separated. Religion still influences the lives of millions of people every day, whether religious or not, because the people who have been voted into these positions of power are the people who make and pass laws which affects everyone in American society. Religion is an ever present part of society. No matter if one is religious or not; religion abounds in everyday life. This is not necessarily a bad thing though. Religion provides society with a moral code to live by, and goals to strive for. Even those without religion are affected by these things, and can even  find their own goals and morals through religion without prescribing to a certain one. Religion is even present in the United States government. Although it is unequivocally stated in the First Amendment of the Constitution that there is to be a separation between religion and government, it is difficult to completely separate the two considering the majority of the government’s elected leaders are part of some religious affiliation. Religion is a perpetual part of society; whether one affiliates with religion or not, it affects society as a whole. On my honor, I pledge that I have neither given, received, nor witnessed any unauthorized help on this.