A Rite Of Passage Essays - Mammal Female Reproductive System

A Rite Of Passage Essays - Mammal Female Reproductive System A Rite of Passage An Evaluation If you read the paper, peruse People magazine, or spend any time watching the tabloid TV shows, you would have the strong impression that what Lorena Bobbitt did to her husband, John Wayne Bobbitt, in the wee hours of June 23 in Manassas, Virginia, was the equivalent of the shot heard ?round the world. You might think that Lorena Bobbitt single-handedly avenged the sexual crimes that have been perpetrated against all women from the beginning of time. There is no denying the primal, gut-wrenching reaction to John Wayne Bobbitt?s wound. It is an unheard of crime, too horrible for men to contemplate, fascinating and appalling to women. It is understandably a major news story. Yet, if I happen to mention that this kind of thing happens all the time to women in certain parts of the world, would it send the same kind of shivers down your spine? The July 14, 1996, Los Angeles Times, states that more than 120 million women across a broad swath of the African continent have been subjected to the brutal genital mutilation that is often called female circumcision. Most are children between the ages of 4 and 10 when the ritual takes place. Although Westerners condemn it as torture, child abuse and a violation of human rights, it remains a revered rite of passage in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. According to the World Health Organization, circumcision dates back almost 4,000 years. No one knows exactly how the practice began, though scholars speculate its origins lay somewhere along the Nile Valley. The procedure can simply be a small but painful nick across the hood of the clitoris, but is typically more severe. The most severe type of circumcision is called infibulation. The clitoris, inner labia and most of the soft flesh of the labia majora are scraped or cut away. Often with a double edged blade, scissors or even a shard of glass, performed by a close relative, mid-wife or barber. The July 14, 1996, Los Angeles Times, states: ?The child is then bound from waist to toes, and she will remain tied for weeks until scar tissue nearly seals the vagina. She is left with just a pencil-thin hole close to the anus for urination and menstruation. It can take the child a quarter of an hour to urinate, drop by drop. She could develop a kidney or bladder infection. When her menstrual periods start, they will last 10 days and she will be incapacitated by cramps nearly half the month caused by the near impossibility of flow passing through so tiny an opening. The odor of soured blood will linger?. ?If the wound heals improperly, shiny keloid scars will crisscross the otherwise soft tissue of the vulva. Childbirth will be difficult, and the thick scars may have to be cut through to the rectum.? The trauma of a child?s pain transcends into adulthood. A normal and happy sex life is almost never enjoyed, and I am influenced to believe that the magnitude of female circumcision is not understood by the child and rarely explained. To some children it is a way to stop the painful teasing of others who believe that those who have not been cut are inferior. For most it is the only way to become a woman. The April 9, 1995, Los Angeles Times, prints a profile of a Ms. Soraya Mire; a victim of female circumcision at 13 years of age. In the article Ms. Mire is 28. An excerpt reads: One day in Russian class, Mire passed out from unbearable menstrual pain. In a hospital emergency room, an Egyptian gynecologist familiar with female circumcision examined her. Gently, he gave Mire her first lesson in basic anatomy. He explained that the Somali doctor had removed her clitoris and other genitalia as a way to reduce sexual pleasure. ?I had no idea,? she says. ?For the first time, I knew what they took, the worth of what they took.? The most frequent reason offered for female circumcision is to stifle a girl?s desire for sexual intercouse and to make penetration impossible, thereby preserving her chastity. The main reason is to protect the girl from men until she is married. Dr. Mohammed Haddi, an obstetrician and gynecologist believes that because marriage is an economic necessity in countries where circumcision is prevalent, the ritual is ?seen as an act of love, rather than one of cruelty?. The funny thing is once married the honeymoon

4 Tips for Writing a Johns Hopkins Essay That Works

4 Tips for Writing a Johns Hopkins Essay That Works SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Johns Hopkins University is considered one of the top-ten national schools in the United States.As the country’s first research university, Johns Hopkins is interested in fostering lifelong learning and research. Though their medical school is perhaps their most famous department, Johns Hopkins has many prestigious programs- and their reputation means admittance is extremely competitive, with just a 13 percent acceptance rate. If you want to join the band of Blue Jays, you’ll need to be a stellar student- and you’ll need to write a killer Johns Hopkins essay. This guide will walk you through the Johns Hopkins supplement, including best practices for answering the prompt, how to plan your essay, and analyzing essays that got other applicants in. Feature image:Matthew Petroff/Wikimedia Commons What Should You Know About the Johns Hopkins Supplement? The Johns Hopkins application is fairly straightforward. You can apply using the Coalition, Common, or Universal Application, which typically have their own essay questions to answer. In addition to whatever essay you choose for your application, Johns Hopkins also asks for an additional required essay of up to 400 words. There is just a single prompt, so no struggling to pick which one will best suit your needs. Johns Hopkins wants to hear about the times when your group work went great. What Is the Johns Hopkins Essay Prompt? Johns Hopkins has just one essay prompt. The prompt focuses on collaboration and teamwork, asking you to think about your own role in working with others. Successful students at Johns Hopkins make the biggest impact by collaborating with others, including peers, mentors, and professors. Talk about a time, in or outside the classroom, when you worked with others and what you learned from the experience. (Up to 400 words). It’s clear that Johns Hopkins values working as part of a team, especially given that it’s a research university. Here, Johns Hopkins is asking you to look at a time when you’ve worked collaboratively with others and think about what you learned from the experience, not just in terms of what you accomplished, but in terms of what collaboration added. Collaboration and being part of a community are hugely important in college and beyond. If you go in with the mindset that you’re there to learn not just from teachers, but from fellow students as well, you’re more likely to succeed. In asking you to think about a past project when you’ve collaborated with others, Johns Hopkins is also asking to see your understanding that great achievements are rarely the product of one single brilliant mind. Demonstrating that you know working together achieves great things in your essay signals to Johns Hopkins University that you’re ready to be part of a thriving, intellectual student community. Don’t fall into the trap of feeling like your experience is only worthwhile if you managed to invent something totally new or change the world. The focus here is on what you learned, not what you achieved- if your most important moment of collaboration is you and your siblings getting your house clean before an unexpected visit from your grandparents, that’s okay! Focus on what you learned from it, like dividing up tasks, taking breaks, and supporting one another. Whatever you choose to write about, it should answer the essential question of what you learned and why collaboration was important. This essay, though short, can also be another space for the school to learn more about you- if you’ve worked collaboratively in any extracurricular activities, now’s a great time to discuss it. Johns Hopkins wants to get to know you through this essay, but be wary of focusing on your own importance. Talk about the lessons you learned, the skills that you gained, or the way that others supported you, but avoid writing about how you did all the work and that that’s why you were successful. That’s not in the spirit of collaboration- and if your grades and test scores are up to snuff, you won’t need your essay to do that legwork for you. That doesn’t mean to downplay your achievements- by all means, if your work as school newspaper editor won your high school lots of awards, mention it! But unless you wrote, photographed, and edited the entire newspaper yourself, it’s not only your achievement. Consider how others contributed and factor that into what you learned to make your essay stronger. There's no wrong way to celebrate a successful essay. Johns Hopkins Essays That Worked Even with a guide, it can be hard to figure out exactly what Johns Hopkins is looking for in their essays. Thankfully, the college posts successful essays on their website- complete with admissions office comments- giving you the chance to look through Johns Hopkins essays that worked. These examples are responses to different prompts, so they do some things quite differently. But reading through them can give you valuable insight into what Johns Hopkins University values in an essay, such as a cohesive look at each applicant and a creative frame for each topic. "Time to Spin the Wheel" Add the fact that I was raised in a Bengali household and studied Spanish in high school for four years, and I was able to add other exotic words. Sinfin, zanahoria, katukutu, and churanto soon took their rightful places alongside my English favorites.And yet, during this time of vocabulary enrichment, I never thought that Honors English and Biology had much in common. Imagine my surprise one night as a freshman as I was nonchalantly flipping through a science textbook. I came upon fascinating new terms: adiabatic, axiom, cotyledon, phalanges†¦and I couldn’t help but wonder why these non-literary, seemingly random words were drawing me in. These words had sharp syllables, were challenging to enunciate, and didn’t possess any particularly abstract meaning.I was flummoxed, but curious†¦I kept reading....†¦and then it hit me. For all my interest in STEM classes, I never fully embraced the beauty of technical language, that words have the power to simultaneou sly communicate infinite ideas and sensations AND intricate relationships and complex processes.Perhaps that’s why my love of words has led me to a calling in science, an opportunity to better understand the parts that allow the world to function. At day’s end, it’s language that is perhaps the most important tool in scientific education, enabling us all to communicate new findings in a comprehensible manner, whether it be focused on minute atoms or vast galaxies. Romila’s interest in language is introduced at the very beginning, but the essay takes a surprising turn midway through. Because she focuses on language, we’d expect that she’s interested in pursuing a literature or writing degree. Instead, her interest in language helped shape her love for biology. What works particularly well in this essay is that it demonstrates Romila’s unique background as a language-loving biology major of Bengali heritage. She doesn’t need to declare her diversity; it’s demonstrated through each unique facet of her personality she brings up. As the admissions committee comments below the essay, Romila also does a wonderful job of showing her interest in interdisciplinary learning. It’s not just that she loves linguistics and biology, but that she sees a clear line from one to the other- she loves both of them and the ways that they flow together. It’s unlikely that you have the same experience as Romila, but keep these things in mind when writing your own essay. How can you use your essay to discuss your educational aspirations? Does the work you’ve done with others fall into interdisciplinary learning? That can be as unconventional as an edible presentation on nuclear physics or as simple as understanding that your soccer team was made up of people with different skills and positions, and together, you won the championship. "And on That Note" While practicing a concert D-flat scale, I messed up a fingering for a low B-flat, and my instrument produced a strange noise with two notes. My band teacher got very excited and exclaimed, â€Å"Hey, you just played a polyphonic note!† I like it when accidents lead to discovering new ideas.I like this polyphonic sound because it reminds me of myself: many things at once....Even though my last name gives them a hint, the Asian students at our school don’t believe that I’m half Japanese. Meanwhile the non-Asians are surprised that I’m also part Welsh. I feel comfortable being unique or thinking differently. As a Student Ambassador this enables me to help freshman and others who are new to our school feel welcome and accepted. I help the new students know that it’s okay to be themselves.There is added value in mixing things together. I realized this when my brother and I won an international Kavli Science Foundation contest where we explained the math behind the Pixar movie â€Å"Up†. Using stop motion animation we explored the plausibility and science behind lifting a house with helium balloons. I like offering a new view and expanding the way people see things. In many of my videos I combine art with education. I want to continue making films that not only entertain, but also make you think. Like Romila, Curtis’ essay uses an introductory framing device- his experience in playing a polyphonic note- to transition into a discussion of all the ways that he is multiple things at once. Demonstrating his multiple interests is part of why Curtis’ essay succeeds so well, but most of these examples aren’t just examples of contradictions or subverted expectations. They show other things, too, like the way that other people see him (Asian students don’t believe that he’s half Japanese, non-Asian kids only see him as Asian), his interest in different fields leads him to create unique projects, and his experience in being different allows him to be welcoming to others. Curtis’ writing is lively without getting lost in the metaphor. The framing device is clear, but it doesn’t come up so much that it feels too focused on the idea of a polyphonic note. The essay would work just fine without the metaphor, which means his points are strong and sound. According to the admissions office notes, Curtis’ essay stood out in part because of the way it shows his ability to think across disciplines. Creative thinking is a huge asset at a research university like Johns Hopkins. Like Romila’s essay, this interest in interdisciplinary learning shows that he’ll be a good fit for Johns Hopkins. You wouldn't build a house without a plan- don't write your essay without one, either! 4 Key Tips for Writing Your Johns Hopkins Essay Because the Johns Hopkins supplement has just one prompt, you’ll want to do your absolute best on it. That means getting started early and giving yourself plenty of time to polish and refine your work to its finest. As with all college essays, you’ll want to go through multiple drafts and seek feedback from others to make sure your essay is as strong as it’s possible to be. The earlier you start, the more time to you have to whip in into shape! #1: Brainstorm Remember all those exercises your high school teachers had you work on, like mind mapping and freewriting? Now’s the time to bust them out. Look at the prompt and write down as many short answers as you can think of, no matter how silly they might sound- you don’t have to use them if you don’t feel strongly about them! If you spend some time writing down all your ideas, you can choose the one that speaks most strongly to you rather than getting midway through an essay before realizing that it’s not what you really want to be writing about. #2: Be Specific Specificity is extremely important. With just 400 words, you need to make sure you’re using your space wisely. Tie your idea directly to Johns Hopkins University rather than speaking in generalities. Look through their course catalog and club offerings and try to connect some of them to your aspirations. Because the prompt asks about collaboration, try to envision yourself in those spaces, accomplishing your goals thanks to your classmates’ support. #3: Get Feedback Once you’ve gone through a draft or two, it’s time to turn your precious essay over to someone else for feedback. Find people who you trust to give you honest and helpful critique; if they’re too harsh, you’re not going to want to use their advice, and if they focus too much on praise, you might not end up with anything to change. Look to teachers or other people who have experience with writing- preferably not parents, as they’re a little too close to you to be objective- for good advice. #4: Revise Let all that feedback sit for a while before you sit down to revise. Sometimes, our initial response to feedback is to either implement all of it or reject all of it, neither of which are necessarily the best way to improve an essay. Consider the feedback you receive and find a middle ground between their recommendations and your voice and goals. It’s okay if you don’t agree with some of it, but do be sure that you always ask yourself why someone might not have understood your meaning- if clarity’s an issue, you can address that even if you don’t agree with someone’s suggestion. What's Next? A good essay is just one part of a successful Johns Hopkins application. Take some time to make sure your GPA, ACT, and SAT scores are up to par, too! Need some additional help in writing a great college essay? This guide has all the tips and tricks for turning your ideas into essays! The college application process can be long and confusing, especially when you're applying to a competitive school like Johns Hopkins. This expert guide to college applications will give you all the tips and information you need to create a truly spectacular application! Want to write the perfect college application essay? Get professional help from PrepScholar. Your dedicated PrepScholar Admissions counselor will craft your perfect college essay, from the ground up. We'll learn your background and interests, brainstorm essay topics, and walk you through the essay drafting process, step-by-step. At the end, you'll have a unique essay that you'll proudly submit to your top choice colleges. Don't leave your college application to chance. Find out more about PrepScholar Admissions now:

Critically analyze Walter Lees Perspectives of the American dream. Why Research Paper

Critically analyze Walter Lees Perspectives of the American dream. Why is Walter determined to achieve the American dream - Research Paper Example Loraine Hansberry, one of the eminent African-American writers, wrote the play ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ in the year 1959. With all the vow of equality since ages, America was not able to establish the term to its truest sense has been well depicted through the play. Experiences of the two generations of the Younger family and their struggles and challenges encountered owing to the laws pertaining to the labor and housing discriminations in America have been made very explicit in the play. The black populace in America genuinely suffered from a hollow vision of American Dream due to the discriminative policies taken by government in the areas of work and stay. The agendas are different for two generations but the oppression remains the same and the contrast of experience in the case of Big Walter Lee as evoked through Mama’s voice in the play with that of Walter Lee’s perspective of American dream as a younger generation definitely helps to build a coherent and concise panorama of American Dream in the Afro-American society of the United States. ‘A Raisin in the Sun’ tries to throw light on the racial issues and impact of those issues on the notion of American Dream covering the agony of almost two generations. This essay intends to present the conflict and contradiction of generations manifested through the comprehension of American Dream by Walter Lee. A close introspection into the plot of the play ‘ A Raisin in the Sun’ launches its readers into a plethora where they get the opportunity to comprehend the hardships and the challenges encountered and undertaken by the African–American labor class from 1920s to 1950s. One must definitely take into consideration about the fact that Loraine Hansberry has covered a great span of time in her play, ‘A Raisin in the Sun’. Walter Lee (younger) is present in the play and the readers are aware of

Dreyfus and Kelly's Take on Nihilism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Dreyfus and Kelly's Take on Nihilism - Essay Example However, this is not the case. Ultimately, what a nihilist believes and understands is the fact that no truth, reality, morality, or levels of any measurable norms can be inferred. As such, the nihilist is led to the understanding that the negation of objective meaning, purpose, or some type of value, is part and parcel of the worldview that such a philosophy espouses. In effect, the reader should come to the understanding that an individual that believed in nihilism would quickly denote that no objective reason or rational exists for any action or consequence; rather, the nihilistic approach would conclude that no moral good or objectivity can be derived from any situation – creating a litany of possible scenarios and outcomes. This can of course be denoted with regards to the means through which well-known philosophers such as Frederick Nietzsche, Soren Kierkegaard, Martin Heidegger, and a litany of others integrated with such an understanding of nihilism and the approach th at it portends. Naturally, one of the most famous of all of these philosophers that have thus far been discussed is Frederick Nietzsche. Although it was not Nietzsche that came up with the construct and philosophical approach of nihilism, is perhaps most famous for championing it in the face of considerable opposition and a climate of incredulity during his own era. The ultimate view of Dreyfus and Kelly revolves around an understanding that although Nihilism represents a unique and fascinating chapter of the philosophical development of modern mankind, it is somehow no longer applicable to the current universalism and broadly accepted mores and norms of our time. As compared to Wallace and Gilbert’s suggestions for coping with nihilist worries, the authors take a similar tact and promote an understanding that even though certain aspects of nihilist philosophy can be accepted, the more stringent aspects of it must be denied out of hand. Ultimately, it is the view of this auth or that the dismissive nature through which the authors integrate with nihilism neither does it service nor seeks to address the underlying root core for why an individual might be attracted to such a philosophical integration. In short, the reason for why the authors approach falls short is due to the fact that nihilism in and of itself seeks to address the failures of traditional philosophy and philosophical thought; something that the authors of the text fare no better at explaining. The nihilistic problem, as defined by Sean Kelly, is with regards to whether or not nihilism is in fact an emotional state of being or a philosophical framework of understanding. The differential that was not understood during the time in which nihilism was most employed, written about, and argued, is essential in seeking to define what level of integration nihilism deserves within the current era. Ultimately, Sean Kelly denotes that nihilism is in fact an emotional state of being a philosophical fra mework (Dreyfus & Kelly 250). Although this point as well argued, it is the view of this author that it is ultimately incapable of describing the complexity of the dynamics of philosophy

Kite Runner Essay Example for Free

Kite Runner Essay Bitter truths, soothing lies and carefully kept secrets are found throughout Khaled Hosseini’s novel, The Kite Runner, as many of the characters face one or the other at some point. Through their actions, Hosseini attempts to show the reader that despite the initial comfort a lie can bring, the harsh truth is often less soul destroying. This point is evident with Baba’s secret, which forces him to deceive his sons and brings awful consequences. Hassan’s noble show of loyalty to Amir in falsely admitting to the act of thievery is done with best intentions, yet no doubt the truth would have given Amir more freedom and joy in time. It is also emphasized that revealing the truth outweighs the lies as Soraya admits her shady past to Amir, and that he too can be honest with himself and admit the truth about his cowardice. Paragraph 1: By keeping a shameful secret from society, Baba does more harm than good to his beloved. Though he wishes only to preserve his dignity and honour, Baba’s choice to deceive the world means inflicting lasting consequences on his sons. From Amir, he steals his right to know he had a brother and instead Amir grows jealous and envious whenever Baba shows affection towards Hassan, and says â€Å"I wish he’d let me be the favourite†. He mocks and taunts his friend in his jealously and sees him as the â€Å"lamb he’d have to slay† to win Baba’s affection. Had he have known that Hassan was not â€Å"just a Hazara† no doubt he would have treated him with the trust and respect he deserved. Hassan meanwhile, had his identity stolen by Baba, as well as being denied Baba’s love, affection and security. Worse though, Ali was robbed of his honour from his best friend. When told the truth, Amir comes to the same conclusion initially responding in anger by yelling â€Å"my whole life is one big ****ing lie! And storming out. He wishes that Rahim Khan had let him live on in oblivion as he realises that both himself and Baba betrayed their best friends. Yet, as the sting of the truth dies down, he is filled with determination to set things right and atone for his and Baba’s sins. By keeping his secret from society Baba keeps his honour, but instead destroys the wonderful relationship he could have had with his sons. Despite the bitter truth, it has a beneficial impact on Amir as he faces his past and is fuelled by the determination to set things right. Paragraph 2: Conclusion: The Kite Runner is a novel overflowing with the mass of secrets, lies and truths. Yet, Hosseini attempts to show that a harsh truth may initially feel like a slap to the face but when the sting dies down, the person benefits, as seen with both Baba and Hassan’s life and their effect on Amir. Honesty strengthens relationships, while dishonesty destroys them, as is evident through Soraya and Amir. While a lie can be an easy way out and it can provide temporary comfort, the bitter truth does a world of good, despite the cost it may initially bring.

Role of Family in Adolescent Development Essay examples -- Sociology,

Adolescence is a significant developmental period for teenagers because of the adaptations they are forced to comply with including physical, emotional, cognitive, and social changes. Adolescents are given various developmental tasks that are often difficult to perform while they are facing stressors such as these changes. One task involves finding one’s self or identity. The adolescent’s identity is a construction of drives, abilities, beliefs, and individual history (Marcia, 1980). In addition to searching for personal identity, it is important for the adolescent to establish autonomy within his/her social context. As their peer interactions change, their family relationships do as well. However, the family context is very important in regard to adolescent development. The relationship quality between adolescents and their families greatly influence their self-esteem, ability to adjust, and relationships with others. Conversely, the relationship quality between adoles cents and their families is often influenced by the number, birth order, and age spacing of siblings within the family. It is crucial that families grasp an understanding of this developmental period to help adolescents adjust through these various changes. This poses the question: What role does family play in adolescent development? It is important to consider the environment in which an adolescent is raised. Parenting styles assist in explaining adolescent behavior. If an adolescent is raised in a safe and secure environment with parents that exhibit authoritative characteristics fostering an open and warm atmosphere, the adolescents are more psychosocially mature and competent (Yeh, 2003). These types of parents balance two very important tasks; they help to p... ... interviewees, there is potential for bias which could significantly skew the data that I collected. Lastly, it would have been more beneficial to interview a sibling of the adolescent. I could have then explored the perspectives from all three roles within the family—the parent, sibling, and adolescent. From my conducted research and interviews, I have concluded that parents act as the most influential force during adolescent development. More research is needed in the field of how siblings play a role in adolescent development. Adolescents exhibit behaviors based on the influences that emerge from the context of the home. This environment incorporates many different factors including the number, age spacing, and birth order of siblings within the family. These factors, along with parenting patterns, serve as a bidirectional relationship in adolescent development.

Navigating Early Essay

* Summary: * After his mother’s death the young Jack Baker is uprooted from his home in Kansas and is placed in a boarding school in Maine. At the boarding school he feels lost and out of place. While trying to impress the boys and find a place in his school, he can’t help but be drawn to one of the misfits, Early Auden. Early is one of the strangest of boys, who reads the number pi as a story and collects clippings about the sightings of a great black bear in the nearby mountains. When Early decides to set out to find Pi and the black bear in his brother’s boat, the legendary â€Å"Fish†, Jack decides to join him. Through the course of their journey the boys begin to realize that Early’s story for Pi is starting to become reality as they come in contact with characters like pirates searching for treasure, a Norwegian still pining for his first love, and a 100 year old women still waiting for her son to come home. The irony of the story is that all 3 boys, Jac k, Early and Pi, lost their direction in life and through their journeys they find a way to navigate their way back. Why this book is a good choice for math? * The number PI is one of the most common constants in all of mathematics. It is an irrational number, which means that its value cannot be expressed exactly as a fraction (when the numerator and denominator are integers). Nobody knows its exact value, because no matter how many digits you calculate it to, the number never ends. In math it’s obvious that we use PI in calculations for finding the circumference of a circle and finding areas of circles, cylinders, cones, and spheres. What most people don’t know is that PI is also used to calculate numbers that are used in different jobs: for example electrical engineers used pi to solve problems for electrical applications, statisticians use pi to track population dynamics and biochemists see pi when trying to understand the structure/function of DNA. * In the novel, Navigating Early, Clare Vanderpool introduces the mystery  of PI in a fun creative way that has the reader egger to find the answer of PI. In the beginning, she has a Math teacher, Mr Blane, introduce his course by explaining the number PI as the Holy Grail of mathematics, in other words it is the mysterious number that has entranced mathematicians for milenia. â€Å"Why do I mention this today? Because this year, we are going to embark on a quest of our own to expand our minds, to challenge what we think we know, and push the boundaries of mathematics. If pi, the most venerable number, can be proven to end, what else are we blindly believing that might be put to the test?† The way Mr. Blane introduces Pi in the start of his class is a great way to have students use their critical thinking skills as to what Pi really is and get them prepared to what they will encounter in the course. The book, Navigating Early is a great tool for any lesson to get the students excited to learn formulas that incorporate PI. It also teaches the students, to always keep going even when you feel like you want to give up. Inquiry Circle Design The book will be divided up into 6 sections. Section 1-3 students will use the role sheets. Each student will switch roles within each group every week. * Section 1: Pages 1-50 * Section 2:Pages 51-109 * Section 3:Pages 110-150 Section 4-6 Students will use the organizers. * Section 4:Pages 151-198 * Section 5:Pages 199-253 * Section 6:Pages 254-295 1 section per week, Meet once a week for 20 minutes. Monday| Tuesday| Wednesday| Thursday| Friday| | | | | Section 1| | | | | Section 2| | | | | Section 3| | | | | Section 4| | | | | Section 5| | | | | Section 6| What will occur in the meetings: * Go over role sheets * Discuss essential questions Materials: * Book * Role sheets Inquiry Circle Performance Task For Early, creating a story about the character Pi with the numbers of Pi helped him remember the numbers of Pi. For this assignment you are asked to create your own story to remember the first 15 digits of Pi. 1. You should first brainstorm ideas for your story. The best way to do this is to create a web of ideas. Start with your character, Pi, in the middle of your web and clockwise write ideas for your plot. Make sure you include the numbers of Pi for each idea. You can use either single digits or multiple digits. (NO MORE THAN 2 DIGITS GROUPED TOGETHER!!!) 2. Using your web you should create a rough draft using your ideas. You should double space your rough draft so you will have room for corrections. 3. After writing your draft, find a partner to correct your paper. Make sure when you are correcting your partner’s paper that you look for grammatical errors, digits of pi used correctly, and their ideas make sense. 4. Once corrections are made, type out your final draft with your name and title at the top. You final paper should be single space, sized 12 font, and in times news roman. Your paper should be AT LEAST one page! You can certainly write more pages, but again it has to be at least one page. Don’t forget to include all the digits and that your story makes sense. 5. Once you have created your story, fill out the H chart comparing and contrasting your story to Early’s story. When contrasting, think of the differences of the journeys, what did Pi encounter, and how Pi became a better man from his journey. When comparing the two journeys, think of the plot of the stories: Does Pi in Early’s story face the same problems in your story? For example: There once was a boy named Pi who had 3 older sisters, Alpha, Beta, and Omega. They all lived under 1 house and split the bills by 4’s. They were always happy living with each other until 1 day at school 5 boys we’re making fun of Pi. They bullied Pi saying because he didn’t have a father and lived with all girls he will never grow up to become a man. One boy piped up and said he killed and skinned 9 deer’s and 2 raccoons in the same night. â€Å"I’ll show you!† says Pi and leave that night to go into the woods. Pi has never hunted before but with a knife at hand he was willing to try. 6 birds overhead gave warning calls to the rest of the wildlife throughout the woods. Then behind a nearby tree 5 black bear cubs crawled to Pi. Pi laughed and played with the little cubs until suddenly 3 momma bears ran to attack Pi. Pi thought he was a goner until 5 grey adult wolves came and save Pi’s life. When Pi arrived home, he was bombarded by 9 of his friends and family asking about his journey in the woods. Pi has learned that being a man doesn’t mean going off and killing animals, It means having ethical principles and sticking by them, and protect your family. * The fifteen digits of Pi:3.1415 9265359 Organizer Word WizardThe words an author uses are important to the author’s craft. Your job is to be on the lookout for at least one word that has special meaning to the selection for today. Include the word, the page number, the definition, and the reason why you chose the word| Quotations Locate at least one quotation in the text you have read that would be beneficial for your group to discuss. You may look for quotations that are puzzling, interesting, powerful, funny, or those that contain literary devices. Include the quotation, the page, and your reason for choosing the quotation. | IllustratorGood readers make pictures in their minds as they read. This is a chance to share some of your own images and visions with the members of your group and use these images to participate in the conversation. Your picture can take a variety of forms but should represent your thinking. | Essential QuestionsEssential questions are critical to promoting deep and interesting conversations. Write at least one good, quality essential question that you can pose when talking with your group about the passage read.| Literature Circle Role Sheet Summarizer Name _____________________________ Circle _____________________________ Meeting Date _______________________ Reading Assignment ________________ Book ___________________________________________________________________ Summarizer: Your job is to prepare a brief summary of today’s reading. Your group discussion will start with your 1-2 minute statement that covers the key points, main highlights, and general idea of today’s reading assignment. Summary: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Key Points: 1.________________________________________________________________ 2.________________________________________________________________ 3.________________________________________________________________ 4.________________________________________________________________ 5.________________________________________________________________ Connections: Did today’s reading remind you of anything? Explain. ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________ ————————————————- ____________________________________________________________ Literature Circle Role Sheet Questioner/Discussion Director Name _____________________________ Circle _____________________________ Meeting Date _______________________ Reading Assignment ________________ Book ___________________________________________________________________ Questioner/Discussion Director: Your job is to develop a list of questions that your group might want to discuss about this part of the book. Don’t worry about the small details; your task is to help people talk over the big ideas in the reading and share their reactions. Usually the best discussion questions come from your own thoughts, feelings, and concerns as you read. You can list them below during or after your reading. You may also use some of the general questions below to develop topics to your group. Possible discussion questions or topics for today: 1.__________________________________________________________________ 2.__________________________________________________________________ 3.__________________________________________________________________ 4.__________________________________________________________________ 5.__________________________________________________________________ Tips: Consider †¢ A discussion of a work’s characters: are they realistic, symbolic, historically-based? †¢ What motivates the characters or leads them to make the choices they do? †¢ An in-depth discussion of the work’s events †¢ A discussion of any confusing passage or event †¢ Literature Circle Roles Connector Name _____________________________ Circle _____________________________ Meeting Date _______________________ Reading Assignment ________________ Book ___________________________________________________________________ Connector: Your job is to find connections between the book and you, and between the book and the wider world. Consider the list below when you make your connections. †¢ Your own past experiences †¢ Happenings at school or in the community †¢ Stories in the news †¢ Similar events at other times and places †¢ Other people or problems that you are reminded of †¢ Between this book and other writings on the same topic or by the same author Some connections I made between this reading and my own experiences, the wider world, and other texts or authors: Literature Circle Roles Illustrator Name _____________________________ Circle _____________________________ Meeting Date _______________________ Reading Assignment ________________ Book ___________________________________________________________________ Illustrator: Good readers make pictures in their minds as they read. This is a chance to share some of your own images and visions. Draw some kind of picture related to the reading you have just done. It can be a sketch, cartoon, diagram, flowchart, or stick-figure scene. You can draw a picture of something that happened in your book, or something that the reading reminded you of, or a picture that conveys any idea or feeling you got from the reading. Any kind of drawing or graphic is okay – you can even label things with words if that helps. Make your drawing(s) on any remaining space on this side and on the other side of this sheet. If you use a separate sheet of paper, be sure to staple it to this role sheet. Presentation Plan: Whenever it fits in the conversa tion, show your drawing to your group. You don’t have to explain it immediately. You can let people speculate what your picture means, so they can connect your drawing to their own ideas about the reading. After everyone has had a say, you can always have the last word: tell them what your picture means, refer to the parts in the text that you

Innovative Technology: the Lead Cause of Employee Redundancy? A Literature Review

Introduction Technological developments have led to an increase in adoption of different innovative technological solutions in organisations. Several positive consequences have emanated from this, including the increase in efficiency of operations (Thompson, 2011). There have also been negative consequences, one of these being the fact that services of some employees are rendered unnecessary, leading to their possible dismissal (Klehe et al., 2011). This section intends to carry out an in-depth and critical review of literature on the adoption of innovation technology and employee redundancy. Workplace Innovation and Innovative Technologies In order to understand the need for innovative technologies, it is vital to develop an understanding of innovation at the workplace. Innovation is defined by Mumford (2012) as the process by which new ideas, methods or devices are introduced so as to provide better solutions for issues being faced by an organisation. The constant changes in the business environment, coupled with an increasing competition across all business industries have made innovation an inevitable option for almost all companies (Thompson, 2011). According to Sung and Choi (2014), workplace innovation is at the intersection of three organisational elements, which are technology, skills, and human resource management. The coexistence of these elements lies in the fact that when the adoption of technology is driven by the strategic human resource management policies, there is a likelihood of HR managers to improve organisational processes through investing in employee training programs to improve their skills. Con versely, static human resource management presents a barrier to the adoption of technology and thus, less workplace innovation (Tushman & O’Reilly, 2013). This perspective of workplace innovation clearly indicates that technology adoption plays a key role. Technological innovation is the development or extensive adoption of new and better technologies by organisations (Nordhaus, 2007). Brynjolfsson and McAfee (2011) argue that there has been an increasing pace of technological innovations, which is expected to further increase in future. There are a variety of innovative technologies, which is based on the differences in services and products that are offered by different companies. Whereas development of innovative technologies has been in place for a long time, it was accelerated by the onset of information and computer technologies in the 1960s (Teece, 2010). Often referred to as the computer revolution, it began with the initial use of computers commercially and went on t hrough the introduction of the internet and later, e-commerce (Nordhaus, 2007). Even though they may be expensive to acquire and maintain, there are several advantages that are associated with these innovative technologies (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2011). For businesses, one of the advantages is the reduction of costs. This is because it reduces the overdependence on employees and as a result, eliminates expenses that could be incurred in form of salaries, benefits and training costs. It also eliminates the losses associated with employee turnover and reduces wastages in operations (Davenport, 2013). For manufacturing companies, it makes it easier for them to streamline their processes and implement lean manufacturing strategies (Leiponen & Helfat, 2010). Innovative technologies also increase productivity and reduce downtime. Campbell-Kelly (2009) argues that algorithms used in computerisation of tasks in workplaces eliminate biases that are typical to humans. Whilst human have to ful fil other tasks that are unrelated to their occupations like eating, sleeping and grooming that often disrupt their work routines, algorithms are programmed to accomplish the range of tasks that it is allocated without these interruptions. As a result, it enables companies to meet demands from customers, expand their operations and increase their returns (Campbell-Kelly, 2009). Trends in Innovative Technologies In explaining workplace innovative technologies of the 21st century, Autor et al. (2003) categorise tasks into four. These are routine, non-routine, manual and cognitive tasks. Routine tasks are those that are accomplished by following explicit steps, and can be easily executed by machines. Non-routine tasks, on the other hand, are more complex, and have not been adequately understood by programmers to develop a specified computer mode for their operations (Autor et al., 2003). Both routine and non-routine tasks can then be classified into cognitive or manual tasks. Whereas manual tasks relate to physical duties, cognitive tasks relate to manual work. Historically, automation or computerisation was limited to routine manual and cognitive tasks, which are known to involve explicit activities that are rule-based. However, with the technological developments that have taken place over the years, even tasks that are non-routine are also being automated (David & Dorn, 2013). Examples of i nnovative technologies being used in present-day organisations are mobile robotics. These are widely used in the health and manufacturing sectors to accomplish tasks that were initially handled by manual labour (Gomes, 2011; Dudek & Jenkin, 2010). Other tasks, as illustrated by Autor et al. (2003), include navigation of automobiles, deciphering handwritings, fraud detections and healthcare diagnostics. In healthcare, for instance, oncologists in leading medical centres are the Watson computer from IBM to offer chronic care and diagnostics for cancer treatment (Cohn, 2013). The computer utilises data from 600,000 medical reports, 2 million pages of from medical journal articles and 1.5 million criminal trials and patient records to benchmark and recognize patterns. This enables the computer to make a near accurate comparison of a person’s genetics, symptoms and history of his/her family medications so as to come up with the most appropriate plan for treatment (Cohn, 2013). Nor mally, it could take many employees to analyse all this data in order to provide a near-accurate diagnosis and treatment prescription. The fact that all these can be executed by a single machine renders many hospital employees jobless (Walker, 2014). This is one of the examples that denote the milestones that have been reached in regard to technological innovation. Societal Impacts of Innovative Technologies There are several societal impacts that have been associated with the adoption of innovative technologies in organisations. Of interest in this study, however, are their impacts on the jobs of employees in different organisations. This concern has been raised by several researchers, including Brynjolfsson and McAfee (2011), who argue that automated or computer controlled equipment have widely contributed to the recent increase in the levels of unemployment across the world. They also state that automation is no longer limited to routine tasks in manufacturing industries (Autor et al., 2003). It is increasingly being applied on other autonomous tasks, which increases the possibility of a reduction on the demand for manual tasks. An example is the recent development of an autonomous driverless car by Google (Rathod, 2013). In another study by Beaudry et al. (2013), they also established that within the past 10 years, there has been a huge decline in the demand of manual skill as a resu lt of increased automation and dependency on computer and information technology. This is even with the increase in the number of people who enrol in and graduate from higher education institutions. This research, however, fails to put into consideration the jobs that have been created as a result of technological developments and the computer revolution. Among the industries that have prospered because of information technology and, as a result, absorbed many employees include the telecommunications sector (Leiponen & Helfat, 2010). According to Acemoglu (2011), this has resulted into a situation where skilled employees have move down the occupational ladder to take up roles that were originally handles by semi-skilled or unskilled employees. This pushes the low-skilled labourers further down the ladder, forcing some of them to move out of employment. These findings concur with David and Dorn’s (2013), who established that there are increasing proportions of skilled workers in organisations. This does not, however, mean that there is an ongoing creation of jobs for skilled employees. It means that automation has taken up most of the jobs that were originally handled by skilled and semi-skilled employees. Several questions have been raised in regard to technological innovations and employee job security (David & Dorn, 2013). One of these is the extent of unemployment that will be brought about by innovative technologies. With the on-going trends of automating tasks that were originally considered as un-automatable, even skilled employees face the risk of losing their jobs. By losing jobs, these people also lose a source of income, making the impacts to spill over to their families and dependants (Acemoglu, 2011). Even with the widely available evidence on ‘technological unemployment’ resulting from these technological innovations, there are economists who still insist that it cannot happen (Campa, 2014). They argue that even though automati on leads to the displacement of workers, it reduces operational prices in several companies, leading to reduced prices. These reduced prices trigger increased consumer demands, which require more products and services to be satisfied. As a result, more industries will have to be created, which provide a basis for hiring more workers. This argument is often referred to as the Luddite fallacy (Walker, 2014). Even though this has been more or less true for the past two centuries, it is yet to be proved whether it will still hold true with the acceleration in technological innovations that has been facilitated by the computer revolution. Governmental approaches to employee redundancy The effect of automation on employment in the United Kingdom and across the globe has raised concerns among different stakeholders (Acemoglu, 2011). As organisations continue to take advantage of technological advancements to increase their competitive positions in their various industries of operation, more employees face the risk of losing their jobs. In response to this, there are several policies that have been put in place by the government to reduce redundancy (Gov.uk, 2014). However, these policies are general and do not focus on the redundancy that may be brought about by technological innovations in the workplace. Some of the reasons that are cited for redundancy, alongside adoption of technological innovations, include changing the location of business premises, acquisition of one company by another or reduction of staff members with the aim of cutting costs in the organisation (Griffith & Macartney, 2014). In case an employee is selected to be made redundant, employers are required to provide a clear explanation for the decision. Some of the reasons that can be included as explanations for this are skills and qualifications of the employee, their attendance and disciplinary records, success/lack of success at the workplace and their overall workplace performance (Gov.uk, 2014). Reasons for redundancy ought not to be related to prejudice or discrimination. There also has to be an appeal procedure that provides employees with a platform to question his/her selection for redundancy in case they feel that the selection is unfair in any way. On dismissal, companies are also required to pay their employees a statutory redundancy pay (Gov.uk, 2014). Whereas these policies offer a slight reprieve to employees in regard to losing their jobs to technology, there has been no quantifiable argument to pinpoint their effectiveness (Griffith & Macartney, 2014). Even with the extensive research that has been carried out on innovative technologies and their effects o n employment, there is still a shortage of literature that explains the approaches that companies can use to retain employees while adopting these innovative technologies. How to find a balance between innovative technologies and employment Referring to the literature that has been reviewed on innovative technologies and the ‘technological unemployment’, it is clear that the most likely trend will be an increased adoption of innovative technologies at the workplace, with a consequent increase in technological unemployment (Huizingh, 2011; Campa, 2014). However, there are different approaches that have been suggested by researchers that will help in reducing the adverse impacts of technological innovations on employment and employee living conditions. For instance, Piovarciova (2014) suggests that governments need to introduce an unconditional basic income for the growing number of unemployed people. This will result in the continuation of the market economy as the cycle of consumer spending will be propped up. Yet, this suggestion has been downplayed by many, with some arguing that providing everyone with a guaranteed basic income will mean that the working populations will have to part with more money in form of taxes (Gajewska, 2014). Another approach was offered by Brynjolfsson and McAfee (2012) who suggested that, in order to avoid being overtaken by machines in workplaces, people need to work towards advancing their capabilities faster than the pace with which technological advancements are taking place. In addition to this, super-intelligent minds ought to develop new desires that will trigger the creation of new industries (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2012). However, all these suggestions may be impractical because the acceleration in development of innovative technologies that has been facilitated by computer and information technology could be challenging to catch up with. Moreover, some of the human capabilities that will have to be advanced include skills in designing and developing new and more advanced innovative technologies, which are being fought against in the first place. Mitigating employee redundancy caused by technological advancement As earlier established, there are several reasons why companies lay off employees, one of these being automation of tasks. Automation reduces costs of operation, standardises quality of repetitive processes and increases the pace at which work is done. However, not all layoffs are necessary (Bartels et al., 2012). There are several measures through which employee redundancy can be mitigated. This section intends to address some of them. Effective strategic planning All successful organisations have managers who are strategic planners and future oriented. The ability to take chances and make future projections determines if the company will survive the tough times that are the norm of a globalised and competitive world. In line with this proposition, Autor et al. (2003) state that a clear, elaborate, well-planned and structured strategic plan ensures that the organisation is prepared for any eventualities. As such, organisations need to prepare for technological advancements and make the necessary adjustments in their workforce. One of the adjustments that can be made is distributing employees who could be redundant to other departments to reinforce their operations (Gall, 2011). Hiring highly skilled employees and offering employee training Based on analysis conducted by Waters (2007), technological advancement ordinarily automates most of the functionality of an organisation that does not require highly skilled and/or specialised labour. As su ch, companies whose larger population of employees is not highly skilled are susceptible to employee redundancy in case of technological innovations in the organisation (Walker, 2014). To mitigate this while still allowing the company to grow and advance, organisations should have a highly skilled, effectively trained and tested labour force, which will still be effective after acquisition of new technological innovations. Gall (2011), who concurs with this opinion, states that organisations are expected to invest heavily in training staff that can facilitate growth and stability of the organisation. The limitation of this strategy is that not all tasks in the organisation require a high level of skills to be accomplished (Bartels et al., 2012). In addition, if skilled employees are assigned tasks that they consider not to match with their skill set, they are likely to seek employees in other companies, increasing employee turnover. Continuous evaluation of employees Even with the automations of tasks in organisations, companies will still find it difficult to dismiss employees they regard as being valuable to the organisation. There is thus a need for standards to be set to gauge the performance such as performance appraisals (Waters, 2007). Rewards can be put in place for employees who positively contribute towards the organisation’s prosperity and punitive measures for those who do not. With such measures, employees will continuously upgrade their skills and increase their value to the organization (Palaiologos et al., 2011). This will increase their chance of retention in case of an automation of tasks. Even with such measures in place, there will still be employees who will be not as effective as others. Employee cross-training Cross-training refers to the provision of training for employees to enable them improve their levels of proficiency in roles other than those of their functional areas or departments (Ramanigopal et al., 2012). An example is when an employee in the production team of an organisation is provided with training on roles in the human resource department. Whereas this is commonly done with the aim of replacing employees who might have moved to other organisations, dismissed or on leave, it can also be used to mitigate employee redundancy occurring as a result of automation. Employees whose jobs will be taken over by machines can be distributed to other functional areas, where they will effectively fit (Abernathy, 2011). Cross-training, however, has the limitation of being costly to the organisation. Planned and progressive acquisition of innovative technology Most organisations tend to apply technological advancement as a reactive measures rather than an active measure (Gall, 2011). As a reactive measure, organisations apply technological advancement for purposes such as warding off competition, subscribing to the new standards set by the government or other regulatory bodies, meeting the unexpected high demand from the clients or any other reason which was not planned but rather as a result of unavoidable circumstances. In such cases, employee redundancy is normally high and there is need to take action against it (Campa, 2014). However, this can be mitigated through planned and progressive implementation of technological advancement. When technological advancement is planned, the organization will be ready for the change and the employees will be adequately skilled to tag along with the change and still be relevant (Teece, 2010). Progressive implementation will allow for critical analysis of the impact if the technological advancement a nd thus laying down better strategies or corrective measures to mitigate the negative impacts of the technology while at the same time reduce employee redundancy (Gall, 2011). All the suggested approaches towards mitigation of employee redundancy as a result of technological innovation only provide a slight solution. This is because of the fact that whilst the current employees in the organisations will be retained, there will be a shortage of employment positions to accommodate new workers (Walker, 2014). Thus, this will only provide a shot-term solution to technological unemployment. The relationship between technological advancement and unemployment Employee redundancy that is majorly caused by technological advancement is also regarded as one of the primary contributors to the high levels of unemployment in the society (Autor et al., 2003). In order to fully understand the concepts behind the relationship between technological advancement and unemployment, one has to understand the genesis of formal employment and technological advancement. From the onset of capitalism in the society, there was need for specialised labour to ensure that the high demand for goods and services was met. The surplus production of food led to larger populations and thus higher demand for goods and services. The industrial revolution helped to set the platform on which technology was used in industries to enhance productivity and maximise on the resources available (Huizingh, 2011). The use of technology helped to automate repetitive tasks and standardise the quality of goods. The more beneficial technology was to the organisations, the more it was harnessed to ensure that capitalism prevailed and the needs of the people were met. However, the unskilled labourers lost their jobs when machines were able to do the work that they did faster and at lower costs (Antonelli, 2014). This situation led to the term commonly referred to as technological unemployment where people lost their jobs to machines. The use of machinery led to the employment of only skilled labour (Brynjolfsson & McAfee, 2011). The invention of computers was revolutionary to the way humans lived, communicated with each other and also the way they worked (Gajewska, 2014). There was more automation of functions in organisations and the skills that people possessed then were rendered obsolete. According to Ayres (2009), many organisations, such as Google, have specific departments that are focused on research and development of new technologies to make work cheaper, easier and faster. Each and every day, there is a new invention aimed at making life for humans better but the inventions could also lead to massive unemployment (Campa, 2014). The development of robotics is one of the forms of technological advancement that has led to unemployment. Robots are being used to perform the tasks that were initially being performed by people (Ayres & Warr, 2009). For example, as earlier stated, Google has recently launched a driverless car which is not prone to accidents (Rathod, 2013). These technologies require highly skilled labour to operate. However, since most of the world’s population is unskilled thus technology is leaving them jobless thus increasing the levels of unemployment (Campa, 2014). The acceleration if the digital revolution is conditioned by the basic human desire to be better. Tasks that were considered to be complex and had to be done by highly skilled professionals are also being overtaken by technology (Nordhaus, 2007). Careers, such as banking, are being taken over by automated teller machines and online banking leading to unemployment of skilled labour. The use of 3D printers and the integration of artificial intelligence in the technological advancement concepts are leading to obsolesce of skills that were considered impressive, such as surgery (Cohn, 2013). As much as technological advancement is criticised for causing massive unemployment in variou s industries for both skilled and unskilled labour, there are many jobs which may be related to the technological advancements which have been created as a result (Mumford, 2012). For instance, although the librarians and libraries are becoming less significant with the invention of computers and the internet, jobs for people who are manufacturing the computing devices have been created. In addition, other computer and information technology related industries, like telecommunications, have expanded and created more jobs (Leiponen & Helfat, 2010). Technological advancement can thus be regarded as constructive destruction where it causes unemployment in some sectors while creating employment in others. The future of technological advancement Technology has been regarded as a solution for several problems within and outside organisations. This mentality has deterred people from considering the adverse impacts that it has on society. One of the many drawbacks of technological advancement is employee redundancy, which is the subject of this study. In this regard, researchers like Brynjolfsson and McAfee (2012) are for the opinion that technology is but an improved means to unimproved ends and cannot equal social and moral progress. According to Walker (2014), as technological advancements progress, there are resulting limitations in people’s learning abilities and their flexibility in adopting new ideas. This will in turn limit their innovation and as such, the rate of technological advancement will decline. However, Gomes (2011) presents a conflicting argument, stating that technological advancement is limitless and will continue to advance as long as humanity survives. This is because of the tendency of human beings to design easier approaches to day-to-day tasks. Human beings strive on a daily basis to make their lives better and are not satisfied with the level of progress made. Even though several strides have been made, there still is need for improvement (Huizingh, 2011). This is evidenced by the recent technological innovations that have been made, included the development of smartphones and driverless cars. In addition, for all innovations, there are often flaws or discoveries of better ways tha t they can deliver their intended tasks. Thus, there is a persistent need for further improvements of previous designs (Acemoglu, 2011). One of the factors that could limit the adoption of innovative technologies in workplaces is the increasing concern of their greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption (Wheeler, 2013). However, this concern is being addressed by a further development of technological innovations that are more environmental friendly, and use sustainable energy sources like solar and wind power (Hansmann et al., 2012). Based on these findings, unless raw materials needed to facilitate technological advancements are depleted, technological advancements are expected to endless. Summary This section has reviewed a wider range of literature on innovative technologies at the workplace and its impacts on employee redundancy. A wide range of literature suggests a positive relationship between the adoption of innovative technology and technological unemployment. However, the Luddite fallacy developed by some economists states that that there is no positive relationship between the two. Other issues that have been addressed in this section include the trends in innovative technologies, the affects that they have on social life and how the resulting employee redundancy can be mitigated. In regard to whether there will be an end to technological advancements, most of the literature that has been reviewed suggests that technological innovation will progress. This argument is supported by the trends in technology innovations in the 21st century, where tasks that are non-routine and were considered as being non-automatable, are now being automated. One of the gaps that have be en identified in literature is on the measures being taken by organisations to limit employee redundancy as a result of technological innovation. References Abernathy, W.B. (2011). An analysis of the effects of selected management practices on organizational productivity and performance. Performance Improvement, 50(6), pp.39-47. Acemoglu, D. (2011). Skills, tasks and technologies: Implications for employment and earnings. Handbook of Labor Economics, 4, pp.1043-171. Antonelli, C. (2014). The economics of innovation, new technologies and structural change. New Jersey: Routledge. Autor, D., Levy, F. & Murnane, R. (2003). The skill content of recent technological change: An empirical exploration. The Quarterly Journal of Economics, 118(4), p.1279–1333. Ayres, R.U. & Warr, B. (2009). The Economic Growth Engine: How Energy and Work Drive Material Prosperity. Massachusetts: Edward Elgar Publishing. Bartels, B., Ermel, U., Sandborn, P. & Pecht, M.G. (2012). Strategies to the Prediction, Mitigation and Management of Product Obsolescence. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons. Beaudry, P., Green, D.A. & Sand, B.M. (2013). The great reversal in the demand for skill and cognitive tasks. NBER Working Paper. Cambridge: National Bureau of Economic Research. Brynjolfsson, E. & McAfee, A. (2011). Race against the machine: How the digital revolution is accelerating innovation, driving productivity, and irreversibly transforming employment and the economy. Lexington: Digital Frontier Press. Brynjolfsson, E. & McAfee, A. (2012). Thriving in the automated economy. Futurist, 46(2), pp.27-31. Campa, R. (2014). Technological Growth and Unemployment: A Global Scenario Analysis. Journal of Evolution & Technology, 24(1), pp.86-103. Campbell-Kelly, M. (2009). Origin of computing. Scienti?c American Magazine, 301(3), p.62–69. Cohn, J. (2013). The robot will see you now. The Atlantic, 20 February. Davenport, T.H. (2013). Process innovation: reengineering work through information technology. Chicago: Harvard Business Press. David, H. & Dorn, D. (2013). The growth of low-skill service jobs and the polarization of the US labor market. The American Economic Review, 103(5), pp.1553-97. Dudek, G. & Jenkin, M. (2010). Computational principles of mobile robotics. Cambridge: Cambridge university press. Gajewska, K. (2014). Technological Unemployment but Still a Lot of Work: Towards Prosumerist Services of General Interest. Journal of Evolution & Technology, 24(1), pp.104-12. Gall, G. (2011). Collective worker responses to redundancy and restructuring. Bingley: Emerald. Gomes, P. (2011). Surgical robotics: Reviewing the past, analysing the present, imagining the future. Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, 27(2), pp.261-66. Gov.uk. (2014). Redundancies, dismissals and disciplinaries. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/browse/working/redundancies-dismissals [Accessed 16 July 2014]. Gov.uk. (2014). Redundancy: your rights. [Online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/redundant-your-rights/overview [Accessed 16 July 2014]. Griffith, R. & Macartney, G. (2014). Employment Protection Legislation, Multinational Firms, and Innovation. Review of Economics and Statistics, 96(1), pp.135-50. Hansmann, R., Mieg, H.A. & Frischknecht, P. (2012). Principal sustainability components: empirical analysis of synergies between the three pillars of sustainability. International Journal of Sustainable Development & World Ecology, 19(5), pp.451-59. Huizingh, E.K. (2011). Open innovation: State of the art and future perspectives. Technovation, 31(1), pp.2-9. Klehe, U.C., Zikic, J., Van Vianen, A.E. & De Pater, I.E. (2011). Career adaptability, turnover and loyalty during organizational downsizing. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 79(1), pp.217-29. Leiponen, A. & Helfat, C.E. (2010). Innovation objectives, knowledge sources, and the benefits of breadth. Strategic Management Journal, 31(2), pp.224-36. Mumford, M.D. (2012). Handbook of Organizational Creativity. London: Elsevier. Nordhaus, W. (2007). Two centuries of productivity growth in computing. The Journal of Economic History, 67(1), p.128. Palaiologos, A., Papazekos, P. & Panayotopoulou, L. (2011). Organizational justice and employee satisfaction in performance appraisal. Journal of European Industrial Training, 35(8), pp.826-40. Piovarciova, V. (2014). Development of Economic Systems–Impulses and Alternatives. European Scientific Journal, 9(10), pp.280-4. Ramanigopal, C.S., Joy, P.A., Palaniappan, G. & Hemalatha, N. (2012). Knowledge Management Strategies and their roles. International Journal of Engineering and Social Science, 2(2), pp.51-72. Rathod, S.D. (2013). An autonomous driverless car: an idea to overcome the urban road challenges. Journal of Information Engineering and Applications, 3(13), pp.34-38. Sung, S.Y. & Choi, J.N. (2014). Do organizations spend wisely on employeesEffects of training and development investments on learning and innovation in organizations. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 35(3), pp.393-412. Teece, D.J. (2010). Business models, business strategy and innovation. Long range planning, 43(2), pp.172-94. Thompson, J.D. (2011). Organizations in action: Social science bases of administrative theory. London: Transaction Publishers. Tushman, M.L. & O’Reilly, C.A. (2013). Winning through innovation: A practical guide to leading organizational change and renewal. Cambridge: Harvard Business Press. Walker, M. (2014). BIG and Technological Unemployment: Chicken Little Versus the Economists. Journal of Evolution & Technology, 24(1), pp.5-25. Waters, L. (2007). Experiential differences between voluntary and involuntary job redundancy on depression, job-search activity, affective employee outcomes and re-employment quality. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 80(2), pp.279-99. Wheeler, S.M. (2013). Planning for Sustainability: Creating Livable, Equitable and Ecological Communities. New York: Routledge.

Susan Douglas’ Media Paradox Essay Example

Susan Douglas’ Media Paradox Essay Example Susan Douglas’ Media Paradox Essay Susan Douglas’ Media Paradox Essay Susan Douglas offers a parent’s point of view on the media in general and children’s television in particular in her article, â€Å"Remote Control: How to Raise a Medic Skeptic†. She comments on two important aspects of children’s programming – perpetually clueless parents and the lies broadcast in commercials. This article is an amusing take on a classic media debate, that of whether or not children should be exposed to television, and how to override the influence of persuasive commercials and silly children’s shows. Douglas’ article was brilliant in its sheer honesty. She admits that she uses television as a babysitter in order to perform her parental duties without having a child underfoot constantly. She states in the fifth paragraph: â€Å"Moments like this prompt me to wonder whether I’m a weak-kneed, lazy slug or, dare I say it, a hypocrite. † This is the same battle that other parents fight on a daily basis. Having done my fair share of babysitting, I wholeheartedly agree with her that television is a useful tool in taking care of children. I also agree that children’s shows tend to portray children as brilliant and crafty while their parents are always, to use Douglas’ term, dopey. They remain clueless about the exploits of their children while allowing them to talk back and ridicule them. Children often mimic what they see on television, from reproducing dangerous stunts to treating their parents like the dim-witted parents on television. Gender-biased commercials have always irked me, which is why I have to agree with Douglas’ assessment of commercial inaccuracies. She points out that girl and boys are always portrayed in commercials participating in gender-specific activities. Boys play with war toys while girls enjoy makeup and dolls. Commercials don’t often show girls playing sports while the boys push a stroller in anticipation of one day becoming a father – in spite of the fact that as a father, they will most likely undertake many parenting duties, such as changing diapers, giving a baby a bottle, and choosing outfits. Douglas specifically mentions Kool-Aid commercials, which show the mother proudly presenting her child with a glass of Kool-Aid, which she has painstakingly prepared. Mothers are always shown cooking dinner for the family or having the wherewithal to order a hearty dinner for her family from Kentucky Fried Chicken, while taking the family’s individual tastes into account. Rarely is the father portrayed as the homemaker, and when he does perform domestic tasks, it is always with an air of trepidation, as if he is not capable of cooking a meal, changing a diaper, or vacuuming the living room. I have one bone to pick with Susan Douglas, and that is the suggestion that television is an important tool for children to be connected with the world and to make friends in school. I had plenty of friends who didn’t watch television (there was a large Mormon population in my town and they were opposed to all television programming) and it never kept us from having common ground. If Douglas is so convinced that television is a toxic waste dump, she could simply find other ways for her daughter to remain connected with the world. Newspapers can provide information on world and local events as well as entertainment news, while other information can be accessed online. Television isn’t truly a â€Å"must-have†. Douglas is honest about the fact that she, too, doesn’t want to give up television, and that is most likely the real reason that there is still television in her home. It is possible that Douglas has bought in to the idea that children have the last word in the home, as they often do on television. My last criticism of Douglas’ method of introducing television in the home is using the word â€Å"stupid† to describe what she sees in certain programs. Rather than emphasizing the negative, she should reinforce positive ideas, such as explaining to her daughter that Lassie isn’t really smarter than the parents, but they are portrayed that way because the show is about Lassie. If the show was about the parents, then the parents would be the smart characters. If I were to write an article that was similar to Douglas’, I would first comment on how certain groups are stereotyped on television. Female teachers are often â€Å"cougars†, seducing their young male students, while teachers in general are accused of being uncaring and unqualified, even though No Child Left Behind made certain that there would be no more unqualified teachers in classrooms. Police officers are always shown as corrupt individuals who steal drug money and beat up suspects. Every time a postal worker turns violently against his co-workers, the news media will do an entire series on the phenomena of postal rage, as if every postal worker has the capacity for violence. These portrayals are disturbing, as those three occupations are often inhabited by low-paid, earnest adults. In conclusion, Susan Douglas presents a humorous, witty account of what it is like to be a parent in a society that is consumed by different media influences. I agree that it is important to teach children how to watch television, and to present them with the fallacies that are inherently pervasive in children’s programming. My final suggestion is that Douglas ask older people how they kept their own children occupied before the invention of television.

The Subclass Pterygota and Its Subdivisions

The Subclass Pterygota and Its Subdivisions The subclass Pterygota includes most of the world’s insect species. The name comes from the Greek pteryx, which  means â€Å"wings.† Insects in the subclass Pterygota have wings, or had wings once in their evolutionary history. Insects in this subclass are called pterygotes. The main identifying feature of pterygotes is the presence of veined wings on the mesothoracic (second) and metathoracic (third) segments. These insects also undergo metamorphosis, either simple or complete. Scientists believe insects evolved the ability to fly during the Carboniferous period, over 300 million years ago. Insects beat vertebrates to the skies by some 230 million years (pterosaurs evolved the ability to fly about 70 million years ago). Some insect groups that were once winged have since lost this ability to fly. Fleas, for example, are closely related to flies, and are believed to descend from winged ancestors. Although such insects no longer bear functional wings (or any wings at all, in some cases), they are still grouped in the subclass Pterygota due to their evolutionary history. The subclass Pterygota is further divided into two superorders – the Exopterygota and the Endopterygota. These are described below. Characteristics of the Superorder Exopterygota: Insects in this group undergo a simple or incomplete metamorphosis. The life cycle includes just three stages – egg, nymph, and adult. During the nymph stage, gradual change occurs until the nymph resembles the adult. Only the adult stage has functional wings. Major Orders in the Superorder Exopterygota: A large number of familiar insects fall within the superorder Exopterygota. Most insect orders are classified within this subdivision, including: Order Ephemeroptera - mayfliesOrder Odonata - dragonflies and damselfliesOrder Orthoptera - crickets, grasshoppers and locustsOrder Phasmida - stick and leaf insectsOrder Grylloblattodea - rock crawlersOrder Mantophasmatodea - gladiatorsOrder Dermaptera - earwigsOrder Plecoptera - stonefliesOrder Embiidina - webspinnersOrder Zoraptera - angel insectsOrder Isoptera - termitesOrder Mantodea - mantidsOrder Blattodea - cockroachesOrder Hemiptera - true bugsOrder Thysanoptera - thripsOrder Psocoptera - barklice and booklice  Order Phthiraptera - biting and sucking lice Characteristics of the Superorder Endopterygota: These insects undergo a complete metamorphosis with four stages – egg, larva, pupa, and adult. The pupal stage is inactive (a rest period). When the adult emerges from the pupal stage, it has functional wings. Orders in the Superorder Endopterygota: The majority of the worlds insects undergo complete metamorphosis, and are included in the superorder Endopterygota. The largest of these nine insect orders are: Order Coleoptera - beetlesOrder Neuroptera - nerve-winged insectsOrder  Hymenoptera  - ants, bees, and waspsOrder Trichoptera - caddisfliesOrder  Lepidoptera  - butterflies and mothsOrder Siphonoptera - fleasOrder Mecoptera - scorpion flies and hangingfliesOrder Strepsiptera - twistedwing parasitesOrder Diptera - true flies    Sources: Pterygota. Winged insects.   Tree of Life Web Project. 2002. Version 01 January 2002 David R. Madden.  Accessed online September 8, 2015.Pterygota, pterygote. Bugguide.net. Accessed online September 8, 2015.A Dictionary of Entomology,  edited by Gordon Gordh, David Headric.Borror and DeLongs Introduction to the Study of Insects, 7th edition, by Charles A. Triplehorn and Norman F. Johnson.Subclass pterygota, by John R. Meyer, Department of Entomology, North Carolina State University. Accessed online September 8, 2015.

Under the economic globalization, who should take the responsibility Essay

Under the economic globalization, who should take the responsibility to make the music education actually valuable for Chinese p - Essay Example Music in Confucianism was regarded as one of the means of governance, as well as a significant factor in educating people and in achieving social harmony. But the situation has changed since 1912, when music education moved into the category of compulsory subjects. Under the economic behavior, also all the parents want their children have a bright future; therefore lots of music teachers became ‘money makers’ because of this policy. The music as a creative art should give more space to students. Nowadays National Entrance Exam forced some of Chinese students study music no longer as an creative arts, they are practicing it for pass the exam with high mark, and they are passing it because of the music skill can give them more 20 credits compare with the others who can’t study music or know music skills as good as they are. Students suffer in the classroom, because music education is not enjoyable anymore. Nowadays students are seeking for material well-being; they do not actually care about arts and music, in particular. Even in an era of globalization such widespread phrase as â€Å"Europe is not America, America - not Asia† is relevant. Especially it seems strange that under the comprehensive globalization, China preserves its national identity. Suffice it to mention the peculiarities of the Chinese mentality, Chinese economy, developing rapidly after the Communist, unique educational system; but the Chinese musical art deserves paying special attention. Besides, the purposes of music education, according to the Ministry of Education in China, are directly connected with the fact that Chinese society still can not reject the idea of communism building. So, the tendency â€Å"Art for Art sake† is obvious. ... It also absorbed elements of the music of people that were part of the Chinese empire (the Uighurs, Tibetans, Mongols, Manchu, etc.), and, in turn, greatly influenced the music of Korea, Japan and some nations of Southeast Asia and the Pacific. Chinese music has evolved since ancient times under the influence of religious, philosophical and ideological doctrines (Reimer, 1989). In Confucian treatises the concept of cosmological nature of music was developed, its social and political role was highlighted. Music in Confucianism was regarded as one of the means of governance, as well as a significant factor in educating people and in achieving social harmony. According to the ideas of Taoism, the music was to facilitate the natural expression of psycho-emotional reactions of man, its fusion with nature. 2. The Consequences of the New Education Policy The school music education, which was developed during one of the most complex, saturated with global cataclysms, period in the history of the country, gradually became a public system, marked by both significant achievements and serious shortcomings. Nowadays the assessments of achievements of challenges facing China’s school education are prerequisites for successful reform. Music became a compulsory subject in secondary schools of China in 1912. In accordance with the suggestions for the educational course of the country, made by Education Minister Tsai Yuanpey (1912), the role of artistic education plays the significant role in shaping the personality, thus, particular attention should be paid to music teaching in secondary schools. This document determined a new status of the given

Social class and inequality within the education system in the UK Essay

Social class and inequality within the education system in the UK - Essay Example In this case study I will be looking at social class and whether social class faces inequality within the English education system. I will be looking at the education system in the United Kingdom and I will be discussing the differences between middle class and working class in education. The reason for this case study is to discuss the education system in the UK in order to find evidence on how social class faces inequality and I will be doing this by using different theoretical approaches and sociological ways to discuss the relationships. There is a social class gap in the UK for educational achievement. In the UK students attainment is based on parents qualifications, income and occupation (Francis and Perry, 2010) In the UK the working class are eligible for free school meals, free school meals helps us to identify the students class and free school meal students come from a socio-economic background (Perry and Francis et al, 2010). I will be discussing the exam results of both the working and middle class. Children’s social class has a major impact on their performance and their results. The working class tend to not achieve in comparison to the middle class, the education system is biased and is produced to meet the needs of the middle class students and not the working class students (Bryant, n.d.). Children’s class has a major impact on their performance. In addition there is a gap between the middle and the working class and this could be seen through their GSCE results (Shepherd, 2010). According to Shepherd, Sedghi and Evans (2012) statistics show that there is around 27.4% attainment gap between students that are eligible for free school meals and students achieving A*-C in English and Mathematics GCSE. There... According to the paper the critical theory depicts how people within the society receive different treatment. In respect to the present study, the middle class has power, control and fits well in the society. In contrary, the working class are found to suffer from frustration, rejection, isolation and are powerless. These challenges have further implication within the education sector as depicted by affordability of quality education. The middle class has the capacity of enrolling their children in academies that are known to offer quality education as opposed to working class who cannot afford to enrol their children in academies (Muller, Ringer and Simon, 2003). This brings out a gap in social class as evidenced by lack of affordability of quality education by working class as opposed to their wealthy middle class who controls the society and has the resources to afford quality education for their children. The report gives all answers to the questions which are connected with the Education in United Kingdom. Ideally, in the light of modern world, people continue to be segregated in terms of social groups which are facilitated by differences in cultural and economic capabilities. As noted from the present study, those people who are economically advantages exert power within the society. This fact is well supported by social cultural theories such as Critical theory still pushes the UK government to level education for both poor and rich, it is apparent that the middle class who has sufficient resources continues to get quality education relative to the working class. This nature is attributable to the UK form of economy which is more inclined to capitalism. It can therefore deliberate that the UK education system is modelled to be exclusive where the richer ones can afford quality education as opposed to the less rich.