School Adjustment of Children from Divorced Families

The family is the basic unit of society where human beings are brought to life. It is considered a small society where children learn basic virtues. Therefore, the relationship between parents and children is very important for their growth and development. Through this relationship, children gain the virtues of trust, autonomy and initiative. Children also learn about socio-emotional relationships, self-respect and self-control. Thus, family environment and parent behaviour are crucial for children to grow as healthy, happy, and responsible people.Yet, despite the importance of parent support, there are still many children devoid of proper care from their parents resulting from the increasing number of divorces, or separations. In spite of the negative effects caused by divorce on children, the society seems to think divorce is something that can be easily done. Since the early 1990’s, divorce rate in Korea has risen rapidly not withstanding the fact that Korean society has a negative view on the divorce as compared to those in western countries. The influence of Confucianism is still deeply imbedded in Korean culture where family and marriage are supreme for most Koreans.Hence, many children from divorced families encounter deep-seated prejudice as if they have psychological defects. Although this may not be true for every child with divorced parents, some studies have shown that because they are exposed to a series of changes and are more disadvantaged than those who grow up in intact families, their school performance may be poor and they may exhibit antisocial behaviour. For example, children living in single parent families are less likely to have as many economic resources as children living in intact families.Other problems relating to aspects like parenting, education, housework, psychological issues will, as well, rise. Further, children of divorced families have to deal with sorrows from the absence of either their father or mother and that th ey will have to adapt to the change in family system. A study shows that children from divorced parents often become a laughingstock, and develop wrath towards their mother or father. Moreover, some children may find it difficult to focus during class, hence, receive poor academic grades. Childhood experience can have large impact in determining how they might turn out in the future.Parent-child relationship can largely influence children’s personality formation or intellectual development due to the account that children learn by imitating adults. Divorced parents may find more financial responsibility when it comes to parenting thus they may suffer from depression. Kurdek and Hetherrington also mention that single parent tend to raise their children with more rules and restrictions and less attention. Unfortunately, these single parents’ mental, emotional and family disorder difficulties will influence growing children and society at large. Parents’ divorce is a crisis which stirs up the ordinary life of children.For this reason, studies on divorce and its effects on children should be taken seriously. Divorce does not appear to have consistent effects across all children and ages as observed in two children, ages 10 and 11, from divorced families. Thus, this study is limited to elementary school age. It hopes to aid in understanding the behaviour of children from divorced families in school environment by illustrating researcher’s own experience with such children in class. It is related to theories which support their behaviour and possibly suggest ways for parents and educators to contribute to children’s well-being.The structure of this essay is as follows: ? the effects of divorce on children ? the differences between the children of intact and divorced families ? gender differences in the effects of divorce ? school adjustment of children from divorced families ? personal experience with children from divorced familie s The Effects of Divorce on Children Children’s reactions towards divorce can vary. Not only can the fact that the absence of one of the parents influences children but the change of environment after divorce settlement also affects children.They can suffer from psychological, behavioural and social problems. Psychological problems Study shows that children from divorced families have difficulties in adapting to new family environment. They are also likely to develop wrath towards one parent and some of them may even blame themselves for the divorce and show constant nervousness and incompetence. These effects may only be negative for a period of time or for children who have been exposed to parental conflict for a long time and recover rapidly in consequence of the stress released by their family environment.The most influenced psychological part of children of divorced families is that of depression and nervousness. Twenty-five percent of these children suffer from depressi on and fifty percent of them experience emotional turmoil or often appeared to be in despair. Social and behavioural problems Other influences on children from divorced families are external evidence like performance disorder, lack of sense of responsibility and understanding. They develop antisocial behaviour problems, aggressiveness, antagonizing manner and attention deficit in school settings.According to Lee’s research, during two years of their parents’ divorce children show antisocial behaviour and their social ability tend to decline. Children living with mothers exhibit impulsive behaviour, more oppositional and aggressiveness after two months of parents divorce. They also have difficulties in peer relationship and become troublesome at school, and perform lower academic achievement. Some children may seem to have overcome their parents divorce however even these children may have possibility of becoming troublesome when they are confronted with a new challenge and advancement task in school.As different studies have shown, divorce can have negative influence on children’s psychological, social and behavioural problems. Comparison between Children of Divorced and Intact Families Several researchers mention in their findings that children from divorced families differ significantly from children from intact families. Amato and Keith studied 13,000 children from preschool to young adulthood to find out if there are any significant behaviour differences between children of divorce and intact families.Their research indicates that children from divorced families have more problems in school, delinquency in the community, mental health problems and negative self-concepts. Besides differences in their behaviour problems, there is also a difference in economical stature. Children from divorced families are more likely to suffer from economic difficulty. Weitzman reported that woman’s standard of living after divorce falls by 29% th an previous household. And this can lead children to be more distressed in school from constant comparison with other children and receive lower academic achievement.This is because single parents may not have enough time to spend with their children because of their work and a decrease in income can increase frequent residential mobility. Hammaond compared the behaviour of children of divorced families and intact families and he found that boys of divorced families exhibit more behavioural problems than boys from intact families whereas girls show no significant differences. Boys from divorced families seem more distracted in class and exhibit acting out behaviour than boys from intact families do.This implies that in school setting, boys respond more negatively to their parent divorce than girls. The reason could be that in many countries including Korea, children live with their mothers after their parent divorce hence boys react more to absence of their father than girls do. Thi s means losing father’s monitoring homework or playing sports with them and sometimes there are issues they would want to share with their fathers only. From observing a student in class, I notice that sudden loss of affection from a father after divorce can influence school achievement.This is because children suffer from constant distress and tension and they become emotionally unstable. Therefore in comparison with children from intact families, their school grade naturally drops. However, recent studies show that nowadays there is less difference in the behaviour of children from divorced and intact families. This is probably due to the fact that divorce rate is increasing rapidly. Even though the difference is statistically significant, differences are becoming small.In Hetherington’s findings, she found differences between children of divorce and intact families, but she also found that children from intact families exhibit behavioural problems because of constan t parent conflict. She reports that over 90% of children including both genders from intact families are supposedly experiencing average range of problems. Remaining 10% suffer from severe family problem which would require professional help. In terms of children from divorced families, there are 74% of the boys and 66% of the girls in the normal range and remaining boys and girls are considered to have severe behavioural problems.Forty percent of adolescent boys and girls from divorced families have less behavioural problems than those from intact families. More recent studies show that the behaviour of children from divorced families are not much different from children of intact families. Based on experience, children still seem to experience considerable distress about the breakup of their parents and these feelings remain and affect them in some ways. Most of illustrated studies are carried in the West but Korea’s situation is also taken at hand to see if there are any b ehavioural differences in this area. Although H.Kim suggests that divorce is still viewed negatively in Korea, nevertheless her findings in the behaviour of children of divorce in school ages 8 to 13 shows similar effects of divorce on children’s school behaviour, which appear to be similar to that experienced by Western children studied in Amato & Keith’s research in 1991. Korean children from divorced families also exhibit aggressiveness, seek more attention and disobey in school. Gender Differences in the Effects of Divorce Besides behaviour differences among children of divorced and intact families, there are also gender differences to consider.Hyatt suggests that boys and girls react differently to parental divorce. Boys tend to create more behavioural problems in school than girls do. Boys’ self-esteem tends to decline as a result of divorce and they seek constant attention from the teacher and disturb class with irrelevant talks. Their effort in school wo rk also decline. Hyatt mentions that boys are more prone to difficulty of losing contact to their father hence regular communication with the father can help these adjustment problems.Girls’ behaviour in school after parental divorce is not as noticeable as boys because they do not manifest their difficulties by acting out in class. Rather, they tend to become more anxious or unhappy or showing over controlled good behaviour. Another findings concerning gender difference in the effects of divorce is that girls do accept help from their teachers unlike boys. This is because girls see their school as a place where they can be supported during divorce while boys conduct socially unacceptable behaviour.School Behaviour of Children of Divorced Families Human beings grow by constantly adapting to new environment therefore adapting to an environment is part of life cycle. Children’s educational place can be divided into home, school and the society. The child and environment continuously interact and the school takes over large part of a child’s life. Therefore as well as having a settled family life, school period is also important in determining how children might turn out in the future.School is a place where children enjoy, and gain sense of satisfaction by experiencing various activities and maintain harmonized relationships with the teachers and other students. Similarly, school adjustment is defines as taking interest in school environment and feel comfortable being in school with other children. This adjustment reflects on their school achievement and development. For instance, children who enjoy being in school and participate in school activities are likely to gain more educational experiences than those who have adjustment disorder.Liebman defines school adjustment disorder as excessive reaction where individuals are unable to harmonize with the school environment and other students which will prohibit individual development. Children of divorced families are likely to have more difficulties in school adjustment than those of children from intact families. Berbe suggests that children with adjustment disorder tend to attract teacher’s attention by inappropriate questions in class, distract other children and find it hard to pay attention in class. They also refuse teacher’s request and are often disobedient.And if they continue to show irresponsible academic behaviour, it leads to serious adjustment disorder. Heck’s idea is also similar to Berbe’s suggestion that children with adjustment disorder problems are frequently absent and tend to be oppositional in class. However, it is difficult to judge the cause of maladjustment solely on divorce. How children respond to above stress can vary from a child to child. It can differ according to their age, gender or disposition and the environment includes economic stature of parents, social approval rating of parents and family conflict.Variab les are categorized as they may affect children’s school adjustment into demographic differences and family variables. Demographic differences include race, gender, and parental socioeconomic status and family variables include relationships, organisation, control, social support, mother rejection and father rejection. Behaviour of children of divorced in school As mentioned earlier, children from divorced families appear to have difficulty in academic achievement and relationship with other children at school than children from intact families.The cause of this should not be looked at solely on the primary factor which is divorce. Secondary factors are to be considered as well, such as the change in socioeconomic structure and resources after divorce. For example, as mentioned earlier, economic loss, poor parental adjustment, lack of parental competence and parental loss can cause behavioural problems. As mentioned in the section of ‘Comparison between children of divo rce and intact families’, women’s standard of living is reduced by 29 % after divorce and absence of father can have negative influence on children more on boys than girls.Regarding studies on children’s maladjustment behaviour, Liner categorizes disorder behaviour as: ? action-out behaviour like hitting someone and being aggressive ? withdrawing behaviour: very quiet, sucking fingers, restricted behaviour ? defensive behaviour: lying, ignoring ? disorganised behaviour: escaping from reality Similarly, Wickman describes behaviour of children with adjustment disorder as: ? immoral, dishonest, in resistance to authority, stealer, cheater, disobedient, rude and rebellious ? often violates regulation of class, careless, loses interest in study, negligent and trustless? exaggerated and offensive personality ? unsociable, overly sensitive, and liar Based on experience, as a teacher of young children, those from divorced families have lower academic achievement, are so cially isolated, overly sensitive, either humiliate themselves or boast and show negative behaviour in class. Specifically, their academic grade is poorer than it used to be and they do not try to socialize with others in class. Further, they often seem absent-minded and tend to change their mood easily.If they are scolded for not doing their homework or asked to answer something they do not know, they use violent language in response. They also suffer from headache and easily get tired. This behaviour of children can also be explained by Rotter’s theory of locus of control. Locus of control refers to how individuals attribute the cause of their behaviour to internal or external forces. In applying to children of divorced families, children who have internal locus of control believe that if their parents are divorced, it is their fate.Therefore these children are able to handle any difficulties and feel less psychological distress. In contrast, children who have external locu s of control believe that if they do not perform well in school, they tend to blame external factors such as parental divorce rather than blame themselves. Hence, these children are likely to suffer from severe distress than those who have internal locus of control. When elementary school children experience parents’ divorce, they can become aggressive and develop sense fear and sorrow.Some children also imagine reunion of their parents. And they also explain that children’s school behaviour depend on how they are treated at home. As per experience, the relationship between custodial parent and the child seem to have a large impact. Prior research says that the relationship between the behaviour of custodial parents and children’s school adjustment illustrate that the attitude of custodial parents has large influence on children’s school achievement. Mothers’ affection can influence enormously on developing children’s social skills.From moth er-child relationship, children learn responsibility, self-control and social skills, hence, hostile attitude towards children can act as hindrance in developing social skills. Therefore one can learn that the attitude of custodial parent becomes important factor which influence children’s school adjustment. Personal Experience with Children from Divorced Families Case study 1 Two years ago, I was teaching young Korean children ages 8 to 11. Before I started teaching, I was briefly explained about the behaviour of several children by their tutors.A couple of them were from divorced families. I had a difficulty in handling one particular child called J, who was 11 years old at that time. According to his tutor, his parents were divorced recently and as a result, he enrolled in this school. I did not know the reason of his parents’ divorce but his mother was diagnosed with cancer. The tutor was the custodial parent of J. My first impression on J in class was that he was very loud and also it became a routine for him not to do his homework and turn up late in class.He became aggressive and tried to embarrass me by making ridiculous comments when scolded about his behaviour. On one occasion, J had a fight with another boy in class. J actually stabbed this boy with a pencil during break time. Although it was a minor injury, parents of both boys had to be called in and J’s tutor tried to make both boys talk about why it happened. But they did not say a word. Since J’s mother was sick, his grandmother came instead, apologizing for her grandson’s action. Nonetheless, explanation of J’s grandmother helped me to understand his behaviour.J became difficult to control since his parents’ divorce. He was furious with the fact that his father left his sick mother for another woman. His grade from previous school was average but with the change of family environment, he was achieving lower grade. However, considering he was fai rly new to the school, he seemed to socialize with other boys easily and seemed to lead them as well. I have also noticed that when he was not being loud or seeking attention in my class, he would sit absent-minded and continuously shake his leg. Besides being aggressive he was probably feeling insecure as well.In the period immediately following the divorce, J’s mother’s ability to be a good parent probably declined and became more inconsistent in disciplining her son due to her illness. J’s reaction towards his parent’s divorce is all mentioned in past studies by Anthony (1974), Hoyt et al. (1990), Kurdekrikberg (1987), Liner (1976), Wickman (1987) where action-out behaviour was most apparent in his behaviour when he had stabbed a boy with a pencil and his reaction also showed that he was very aggressive, as Lee (1993) suggested that children of divorce can become aggressive.J’s behaviour of making comments in class also shares Hyatt (1999)â€⠄¢s findings of making irrelevant comments in class. J had also developed anger towards his father because he had left his mother when she was sick and Kurdekriberg (1987) mentioned that some children may develop wrath towards one parent after divorce. As illustrated in Lee (1993), Kurdekriberg (1987) and Weitzman (1985)’s study, J’s academic grade declined and exhibited withdrawing behaviour (1976) such as shaking his leg in class.He was also spotted lost in thoughts in class sitting completely absent-minded and this can refer to what Liner (1976) called disorganized behaviour that J probably wanted to escape from this painful reality of his. Case study 2 Another child called B, age 10, in my class, also experienced parents divorce. I got to know B’s background through a homework I assigned in class. Unlike J, her parents were divorced when B had just turned 5 and at that time, none of her parents were willing to look after her. Therefore she was left under the care of her grandparents in her mother’s side for a few years.And then, she joined her mother at the age of 9 who was by then re-married and had children of their own. Being with her mother’s also meant moving to another school, hence everything was new to her. Despite the change of the environment, she seemed to have adjusted herself well in school life. She had her own circle of friends and she was also active and lively during class and there was not much change in her school grade. I also noticed her suck fingers during class. One day, I assigned the whole class to write about their parents because it was soon to be Parents’ Day in Korea.Surprisingly, B did not do her home. To be exact, she actually refused to do it because she said there was nothing to talk about and as she was saying this, she was almost in tears. Then she explained her family background and she was ashamed of it. She mentioned that her mother and stepfather hardly gave her any affection and treated her as a burden, hence in order to avoid them, B spent most of her time in her room when she was home. For B, the school was some kind of a safe zone and because of her positive attitude in class, I never thought that she was unhappy at home.In my opinion, B was putting all her energy into school life to forget about troubles at home. It was obvious that B had the most difficulty in adapting to step-parenting and remarriage and what made it worse was that she hardly knew her mother either. So confronting her mother and step father was a great distress for B. Unlike J, B’s behaviour was not very noticeable in school. It seems that in B’s case, her difficult situation acted as a driving force to concentrate in her school life.This is because she had hardly any affection from her mother that she probably had with her teachers and friends, whom she can trust and rely on as it is mentioned in Goldman, Rosenzweig & Lutter (1980) that girls from divorced families tend to see school as a supporting place. Both J and B suffered from painful memories and feelings of helplessness but how they reacted to the situation differed extremely although they both showed what Liner (1976) called sign of withdrawing behaviour: shaking leg and sucking fingers.There could be many factors which caused these differences. For example, J and B’s age difference, their gender and economic stature of their parents. Since J’s mother had an illness, they probably suffered severely from economic loss in comparison with B’s situation. And the fact that B’s parents were divorced years before J’s parents, could be another reason which caused adjustment difference in school. Last but not the least, attitude of custodial parent could be another reason.Although J’s behaviour problem seemed more serious than B’s, J probably had more attention from his mother where as in B’s case, she was not suffering from the fact that her parents were divorced but suffered from trying to adapt herself to step-parenting and remarriage. From J’s and B’s cases, it is evident that their behaviours were strongly influenced by family variables. Although J received much affection from his mother, he probably felt rejected from his father and B felt rejected from his mother. Although they were both influenced by family variables, J’s reaction was much more noticeable than B.Boys create more behavioural problems than girls, hence the influence of gender differences is also apparent in this study which is known as a demographic difference. It is clear that both J and B need support from educators. Although B is able to cope with this new challenge of living with a mother who she does not know well and adapting to step-parenting by herself, without professional help, it may trigger problems in her adolescence. It is the same for J’s case. If he does not receive appropriate help form educators, h e is likely to continue with delinquent behaviour or associate with antisocial friends in the future.Therefore it is vital that they are supported with affection so that they grow into a reasonably competent person. Conclusions This paper studies the behaviour of children from divorced families by studying the prospective relationship demonstrated and certain family experiences and school adjustment of two children I taught in Korea. Although past studies show that children from divorced families are in danger for developing negative behaviour and experience academic decline, due to increasing rate of divorce, the differences in the behaviour of children of divorced and children from intact families are getting smaller.It may be that children from divorced families are having difficulties, these are not as important as the factors that cause these differences. What I learn from these two children is that being a party to their parents’ divorce is a very difficult transition f or their age. There are many factors which may cause children’s school adjustment disorder and student J and B responded differently, owing to gender differences and new family situations. Therefore, children from divorced families, including J & B, should receive appropriate support both from parents and educators until they adjust to their new living arrangements.This will help them develop intellectually and socially in the same way as their peers from intact families do. Not only the support of parents is needed but teachers need to become more aware of children’s feelings in class. I, for one, am being considerate to children from divorced families in assigning homework such as writing letter to parents. Discussing different family situations, including single parenting and remarriage, will help children of intact families develop more awareness and respect towards children of divorced.Teachers can also spend more time with children from divorced families to under stand their feelings and perhaps suggest advice if necessary. This personal attention can help children to reduce any negative behaviour which children may exhibit as a result of parent divorce. In summary, on the basis of the findings of this study, it is suggested that educators should consider any factor that may influence children’s behaviour and conduct appropriate program in order to help them.

Bretagne France Essay

Bretagne is found along France’s northern shore. Bretagne is also called Brittany and sometimes referred to as little Britain. It is a land of enchantment and wonders. It features rugged coastlines with some of the world’s most breathtaking views. It features more than 4,000 castles and medieval homes. It’s an ideal destination for water sports enthusiasts, lovers of fine cuisine and seafood, and anyone fascinated by legends and history. The attractions, weather and scenery, and the festivals are what attract people the most. This region is full of numerous world-class museums and historic attractions. One of the best places to visit while in Brittany is Oceanopolis. It features 50 aquariums from tropical and polar species. The cathedral of St. Pierre and St. Paul is one of the last Gothic French cathedrals. The chateau de Combourg is a beautiful castle surrounded by greenery and water. The Grand Phare or Great Lighthouse is also a great place to visit, being 300 feet high. And finally the musee de la Faience is devoted to the famous pottery. Other fun things to do are outdoor water sports, including sailing, kayaking, surfing and scuba diving. Spa seawater treatments are also available for relaxing purposes. Being close to the ocean, the weather is fairly nice and warm year round. Rain occurs regularly which keeps the countryside green and wooded. Although it rains often, cloudless days are common and sunny in Brittany. In Brittany a common expression and response to people complaining about the rain is â€Å"En Bretagne, il ne pleut que sur les cons†, which literally translates as â€Å"In Brittany, it only rains on the idiots. â€Å"This means that if you don’t like Brittany, you should leave. Brittany has many festivals and events. They reflect Brittany’s culture and energetic music and dance. Some cultural festivals include the festival de Cornouaille, which is a festival that displays Brittany’s cultural diversity. Les Filets Bleus celebrates fishing traditions and the Festival du Film Britanniqu previews British films in France. Music festivals are also popular in France. Astropolis is a techno music themed festival celebrated in July. La Route du Rock plays pop and rock music. Les Transmusicales is known for showing brand new acts for undiscovered bands. They also have a festival all about activities dealing with the sea. The Fetes Maritimes de Brest is a sailing event that takes place every four years. The next race happens in July of 2012. La Route du Rhum is a transatlantic yacht race which also takes place every four years. The next race will be in November of 2014. Bretagne is a beautiful, fascinating mix of spectacular coastlines, ancient towns, magical islands and inland woods. With so many attractions and activities you will never get bored. The scenery and weather is unforgettably amazing. The festivals attract many tourists and French people to the area.

Political commentator Essay

Inspector Goole is an ingenious character; manipulated by Priestley to display many functions within the play, as he is used as a political commentator, universal inquisitor and truth seeker. -Many people view Inspector Goole as a representative for political and moral value, but overall, he is just a mere dramatic device, used for the purpose of delivering Priestley’s opinion across to the audience, in the context of a domestic backdrop. The audience becomes first aquatinted with the character of Inspector Goole, when he enters the play at the beginning of Act One. -During this arrival, the Inspector interrupts Mr. Birling in midst of his pro-capitalist speech, thus disrupting the pretentious calm of middle-class luxury displayed before. -Mr. Birling, who represents the Capitalist opinion in full, speaks extremely arrogantly, as he believes that all knowledge and experience is held within his grasp:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I’ve learnt in a good hard school of experience – that a man has to mind his own business and look after himself and his own – and – †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Mr Birling, act one). -Through this, Mr Birling shows that he is a Capitalist, and is one who feels that he has to take many risks to keep hold of his aesthetic power in status and money. He uses the speech to reveal all of his secrets and predictions around living life to the full, and in mid-flight of this, is rudely interrupted by the doorbell ringing. This doorbell acts as a dramatic device and medium for Inspector Goole’s entrance. – It’s shrewd disturbance, possibly acting as a symbol for his disagreement in ethics, but also, the lack of respect for Mr Birling’s Capitalist beliefs. Mr Birling is immediately phased by this impertinence, as just the Inspector’s presence stops him from carrying on. The audience knows at this point that Birling isn’t the great ‘power figure’ that he made himself out to be and in fact, someone far greater has taken his dominating role for good. – The Inspector is now ‘number one’. At first, the other characters are completely unaware of the Inspector’s purpose within the play, as though they don’t realise there is something to hide from. However, this arrogance and disregard for others is soon transformed, as they become conscious of the brutal truth of what they have done. Sheila and Eric become vividly changed, whereas the somewhat stubborn Mr and Mrs Birling remain seemingly callous within their original Capitalist views: – but even with their supposed ‘unchanged opinions’, the effect of Inspector Goole steel haunts them, as all the characters will never be the same. The overall impression that surrounds Inspector Goole throughout the whole play is that of mystery and superior presence. This notion is partly created by the Inspector’s manner but also his name, ‘Goole’, which is obviously an inference to mythical creatures of the medieval times, by the name of ‘Ghouls’. This similarity could just be a mere coincidence, but I think it is a metaphor, used to describe the Inspector’s mystical character in short. Ghouls by legend are mysterious, magical creatures that are associated with death; and through this comparison, (plus the Inspector’s style of just appearing with immediate authority), the same can be said about him. – Priestley ultimately wanted to create a presence of â€Å"massiveness, solidity and purposefulness† (directional notes, Act one) and through the Inspector’s deliberate name, manner and timing, he has created just that.  Paragraph 4 – The Inspector’s function as a Protagonist – 1st Re-Draft  The most influential role of the Inspector and perhaps the most crucial in setting up his political authority within the play, is his imminent function as a ‘Protagonist’. In this role, Priestley has allowed the Inspector’s character to immediately hold power and influence over the plot, thus giving him enough status to later deliver a political opinion to the audience. The first indication of the great power Inspector Goole has within the play, is only given upon his entrance into the plot, as it is then and only then, that the main proceedings are allowed to unfold. The audience is instantly left in suspense as they await the Inspector’s motive for coming to the Birling household on such a joyous occasion. – Although he immediately reveals his intentions: â€Å"I’d like some information, if you don’t mind†(The Inspector, Act one), they know he wants more. This mere ‘information’ is all too trivial for Priestley to make such an atmosphere around the Inspector and thus, it is not viewed upon as just a light-hearted inquiry, but far more. The audience realises that the Inspector has immense power – even enough to disrupt people of higher class; therefore they know he is here to reveal something life changing – something important, and they won’t stop watching until they find out exactly what. Throughout the play, Inspector Goole is the dominating character, as he leads the proceedings through immense interrogation. Every action he takes part in changes the reactions of the other characters, as he continually delivers Priestley’s socialist opinion across to the audience. Before the Inspector enters though, Mr. Birling fulfils this role, as he roams through the dominion of a middle-class celebration, in flare of his true Capitalist mind. However, Birling’s power is only temperamental, as it is immediately transferred to the Inspector as soon as he arrives into the plot. This switching of power and purpose between Inspector Goole and Mr Birling upsets the overall equilibrium of the play. The contrast of reign is thus shown vividly, as the pretentious calm of Capitalist wealth is rapidly morphed into the blunt truth of socialism. Priestley emphasises this change in mood specifically in his directional notes at the beginning of Act One:  Ã¢â‚¬Å"The Lighting should be pink and intimate until the Inspector arrives, and then it should be brighter and harder† (Directional notes). This change in light signifies the transferral of power between characters, but also the transformation of the plot’s tone. It shows that during Inspector Goole’s entrance, the barrier of higher-class wealth does not matter, as he holds the power where no one can hide. ‘Light’ in religious terms is a symbol for truth, and I think that this ‘brighter’ light in the directional notes is a sign of the honesty in Inspector Goole, as Priestley shows the Inspector’s beliefs to be pure and genuine.  Later on in the plot, after the Inspector has left, the other characters are close to restoring the equilibrium to how it previously was. They try to gain power back and delude themselves into thinking that the Inspector’s existence was merely a hoax: â€Å"There isn’t any such Inspector. We’ve been had.† (Gerald, Act three).  The characters are purely interested in just their own statuses and therefore, try to make up excuses of why Inspector Goole’s testament is not valid, so that in the end they can go about their lives, un-affected. However, the Inspector’s power was so great and commanding, that Sheila and Eric are transformed and therefore, can not let the Inspector’s morals go on forgotten. In the end, they stand up for what they believe, and in agreement with the Inspector they allow his reign to have justice until the very end – the equilibrium of which, does not return.

Documentary Expression and Thirties America Essay - 1

Documentary Expression and Thirties America - Essay Example The distinction between art and photography and whether or not documentary expression owed its genesis from fiction or non-fiction was also explored. Finally the matter of ethics in the treatment and presentation of documentary imagery was discussed. William Stott in his book Documentary Expression and Thirties America covers an enormous range of topics and much of it is in a highly discursive and rambling style. However, it is possible to subdivide it into four principal themes: Documentary, The Documentary Motive and the Thirties, The Documentary Nonfiction of the Thirties, and Let Us Now Praise Famous Men. First of all it is necessary to understand what he means by the documentary style. In its simplest form there are two possibilities: â€Å"an honest and reasonably objective report, or a case for the prosecution† (Stott, 1986). The second may be discarded, and we are left with two further forms: a factual, objective account which is left largely unedited, and therefore acquires the effect of being regarded as â€Å"official†, and secondly an account which is not necessarily objective but deals with human issues. An example of the latter is Sargeant’s account of his struggle with mental illness. Another branch of documentary expression is to be found in social documentary, which may be said to increase the knowledge of public facts while â€Å"sharpening it with feeling (Stott, 1986) and keeping in touch with human feelings and emotion. It was also held that such a documentary style did not rely upon information so much as â€Å"the power to move.† Stott suggests that while the purpose is to encourage social improvement – public education at its most altruistic – reality is more cynical in that its real purpose is to shape attitudes towards certain public facts. An example of this type of â€Å"exposà © journalism’ is to use a public figure or authority’s quotation to mean something else. For example,

Leveraging Diversity Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Leveraging Diversity - Essay Example Organizations need diversity in ideas and therefore they need leaders who can encourage and manage under diverse situations (Kirton, 2007). But sometimes it is not the employee but the corporation that wins. The quality of any work or any team is improved when it is diverse. Leaders who understand that diverse companies have different needs from their leaders will do well. This diversity will improve the companies product line (Carter, 2007). At least this is the theory. Some are successful in implementing and some are not. Harley Davidson is the manufacturer of a high end motorcycle company. They were in bankruptcy not to long ago. Harley Davidson instituted a diversity management program and tools to help make the job easier. Their goal was to improve market share by increasing the innovation in the team. This meant that their management, including their senior management had to be trained in diversity and how to leverage that for the company's improvement. Harley Davidson has seen steady increases in market share since instituting this change (Harley Davidson, 2007). The company's employees have voted it as one of the best companies to work for so in this case diversity is a win-win situation. However, there is also Wal-Mart. The Wal-Mart story s quite different. According to Kirton (2007), Wal-Mart has won many awards for their diversity management. They proclaim that they have hired many minority people and that their management staff includes many minorities. It is clear that Wal-Mart has profited from these claims. However, there have been many complaints from Wal-Mart employees. Women employed at Wal-Mart say that they are promoted less than men and the company has been accused of taking advantage of undocumented aliens. This is an example of a company that has leveraged diversity for the good of the company alone Cox (2001), accurately describes the reasons so many organizations are struggling with a rapidly changing environment. It is clear that the advent of diversity management has forced business leaders to radically look at the way they do business. Organizational leaders recognize the importance of leveraging diversity on the bottom line but often they struggle with how to make that happen strategically. In a computerized, web-driven world companies have had to become a part of globalization essentially overnight. According to Global Lead (1998), diversity is a key business strategy and the expectation is that it contributes to an organization both in business growth and successful results. Global lead is a management company that has developed a strategic initiative that incorporates the use of what is called the five key drivers of business (Global Lead, 1998). The business drivers according to Global Lead (1998) are focus on the market, talent, innovation, values, and goodwill. Leadership will determine how well or how poorly diversity does in any given work setting. To assure that this is true, leadership must be well trained in diversity and the need for a diverse workforce. They must understand that a diverse workforce can create a work force that improves the bottom line (Clark, 2007). "Diversity is about empowering people and promoting the human spirit."(Clark, 2007). Diversity is about

Team Performance report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Team Performance report - Essay Example There are different root causes that have led to this poor performance in the team. First and foremost, it can be seen that the team members lack knowledge to undertake the new performance tasks set as a result of the changes implemented by the top management to alter the design of widgets in order to cut operational costs. Knowledge is essential among the team members so that they can meaningfully contribute to the overall performance of the organization as a whole. If the team members lack knowledge about their work, this is likely to result in poor performance. Secondly, it can be seen that the other root cause of this poor performance is that the team members lack mutual understanding among themselves. This means that there is a conflict of interests where the team members are comfortable with the traditional way of doing things in the organization while the management is anticipating something different. This causes misunderstanding among them and this can contribute to poor per formance. When there is lack of understanding among the team members, they are likely to be distracted from their work and this is counterproductive. The other root cause of poor performance in the case of ABC is that the team members lack motivation. ... They do not see any reason for putting more effort in their work since they are just treated as ordinary workers. In order to solve the problems identified above, it is imperative for the organization to promote learning among the team members so that they can exchange ideas which lead to knowledge creation. Learning is a change of relatively permanent kind which may result in new behaviours and actions or new understanding and knowledge gained from a formal or incidental life experiences (Mullins, 2010). The other strategy that can be taken into account by the management of ABC is related to human resources development. This is concerned with developing the team members so that they can keep pace with the changes that can take place in the organization. In terms of lack of understanding among the team members, the management of the ABC group ought to put measures in place that will improve communication among them. Poor communication in the organization is detrimental to its perform ance since the members will not understand each other. Open channels of communication should be put in place so that team members can exchange information when they want. It is also important for the management to put measures in place that are meant to provide feedback to team members so that they know if they are doing the correct thing in their operations. This will also help them to gain knowledge about their work and mutual understanding is likely to be promoted in the organization. In order to solve the problem of lack of motivation, the management at ABC should treat the employees as valuable assets to the organization. This can be done through involving them in the decision making process in the organization. This will help them to develop a sense of belonging to the company. If

Report 2 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Report 2 - Research Paper Example The gross national income of France has been shown in Fig: 1 Fig: 1 Gross National Income (Constant LCU) of France from 2001 - 2008 Year Gross National Income (USD) 2001 1488158021381.53 2002 1501245372339.87 2003 1521878054445.64 2004 1559210096827.65 2005 1582130189782.76 2006 1619190188756.39 2007 1661405860136.66 2008 1656522089015.02 Source:(Trading Economics, â€Å"Gross national income (constant LCU) in France†) France has maintained immense growth in current years and its national income has increased since 2001. Therefore, majority of people in France has the ability to buy the product ‘French Mousse’ for their meal as the cost is affordable. Age In the year 2010, the population of France was 65,102,719, with a growth rate of 0.549%. In the year 2010, the proportion of 0–14 years, 15-64 years and 65 years and above was 18.6%, 65% and16.4% respectively (Stanley St Labs, â€Å"France Economy†). ... Though this product can be enjoyed by every age group, children normally prefer mousse product for meal. From the above chart it is clear that the number of persons below age 20 has increased from 2001 to 2008. Therefore, there will be ample opportunity to sale French Mousse product successfully in France. Gender France focuses mainly on family rather than individuality. The strong religious roots of France contribute to gender inequality in family dynamics of the country. Like many other countries the priority of male is work and role of female is to stay at home and take care of family and children. The following table shows the demographic gender distribution of France in 2010.   Year 2010 Total Men Women Total Population 65,026,885 31,484,794 33,542,091 Under 20 15,984,060 8,175,810 7,808,250 20 – 64 years 38,146,128 18,794,075 19,352,053 65 and above 10,896,697 4,514,909 6,381,788 Source: (INED, â€Å"Total Population†). There is no specific gender segments that enjoy French Mousse, this product can be enjoyed by all. The French Mousse is delicious and can be made at home as well. Geography France is a beautiful land of Europe which is covered by rivers, mountains and forests. Metropolitan France covers almost 200,000 square miles of Europe. It is the biggest European country in west which covers almost 5% of the‘European continent’. The capital of France is Paris. There are 4.5 million foreigners in France. People from various nations come to France. Food plays an important role in the lifestyle of France. The national pride of France is Wine and Cheese which differentiate France from other countries. People of France prefer three main meals, i.e. breakfast,

Touchpoint Mapping by Mounir Ariss and Not All Interactions Qualify as Assignment

Touchpoint Mapping by Mounir Ariss and Not All Interactions Qualify as Dialogue - Assignment Example 3. Logical: The logical dimension as suggested by the author incorporates the business processes, the information flows and the technology components within the organization. It is important for the organization and the employees to understand their business processes to foster good relationships with the customer. A touch map is an illustration that depicts all kinds of interactions that take place between the company and its customers. Its foundation is laid on the basis of various customer segments and is a reflection of the customer’s perspective. It aims at enabling the organization to maximize customer value by catering to customers differently. The touch map addresses the Logical experience dimension. 1. Use a flexible opt-in policy: through this policy the customer is prompted if he wants any communication from the firm or now. The customer should be given the opportunity to decide if he wants the firm to communicate to the extent of how much communication does he want from the firms end. 3. Tread cautiously with targeted Web ads: It is important to be cautious while targeting web ads. Be aware of customer’s informed consent on this matter if you want behavioral targeting to succeed. 5. Create a culture based on customer trust: Cultivate a culture of customer trust within the organization. If the employees know that customer’s privacy is to be protected, it will become second nature to them and they would be very cautious about dealing with customer information. 6. Remember: you are responsible for your partner too: Make sure that suppliers, vendors and distributors associated with you also respect your customer’s personal information if you are sharing it with

Partnerships Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Partnerships - Essay Example opriate information may indicate that it is better for the organization to adapt ways that would eliminate any existing limitations instead of remaining independent. This brings the idea of partnership. In addition, an organization can empower its employees through sharing information with them. This would help the employees in making the most appropriate decisions concerning partnerships since they have adequate information beforehand. Moreover, empowerment through creation of clear goals as well as objectives would aid in empowering the employees to make goal-oriented decisions. For instance, the employees might suggest establishment of partnerships as the main way of realizing specific goals as they are well informed on the goals of the organization. Furthermore, creating an environment that encourages making mistakes through taking risks would also be helpful in establishment of partnerships. This would encourage the employees to try new things with the customers and encourage ot hers to do the same. However, berating an individual for trying something would keep others from doing the same and hamper creativity and development in the organization. From an experience perspective, my employer does not punish or even yell at us, the employees, for having introduced a customer to a new idea and asking them to try it. Instead, my employer encourages us to continue trying new things and rewards those successful in developing new ideas. This has extended to the point that risk taking is a competitive advantage that our organization uses to compete in the

In Defense of Gun Control Laws Essay Example for Free

In Defense of Gun Control Laws Essay Guns have always been associated with crimes. The use of guns may either work in the positive or the negative way. On the positive side, it could help in deterring the proliferation of crimes. The mere use or presence of it is sufficient for other criminals to stop their criminal intents. However, this is just one way of looking at gun use and ownership. If guns could be used for combating crimes and criminals, it could also be used to the proliferation of criminal acts. Many evil minded people would utilize firearms in order to compel people to do as they desire—including unlawful acts. The mere presence of a gun is sufficient to threaten an individual and to put one’s life in danger. Any wrong move in using a loaded gun might be the end for another’s life. It is due to this reason that the ownership, possession and use thereof are strictly regulated by the state. For anti-gun control advocates, they feel the need for less strict regulations on gun control and ownership. They are advocating that the laws be relaxed and for the law makers that gun ownership is essential in fighting criminals and crimes. It serves as the ordinary man’s protection against abusive individuals. In this day and age, there so many crimes that are being committed and a great number of criminals causing chaos to society, thus, the need for greater protection against them. Such advocates also invoke that it is their constitutional to own guns. However, in a case decided last June 2008 by the United States Supreme Court, it was upheld that reasonable efforts under of controlling the proliferation of firearms on the hands of private individuals is allowed. The law enforcers and makers however should be guided that there should be no outright ban on handguns (Newsbatch, 2008). This ruling of the Supreme Court would indicate that ownership of guns is not only limited to the military but it also extends to ordinary individuals so long as there is proper regulation. Indeed there is nothing wrong in the ownership and possession of guns as long as there is proper regulation thereof of the enactment and recognition of gun control laws. Blackstone, a former US District Court Judge also shares the view that the public should not be prohibited of their right to bear arms. They should be accorded this right especially in a country where there is a vast militia power. The bearing of firearms is the security of the people against abuse and their mode of defending themselves. However, this should be done in moderation and should be properly regulated (Guncite, 2007). In opposition to the claim that the ownership and possession of guns help deter criminality in the country, this cannot hold to be always true. As previously indicates, the use of guns may work positively or negatively. Instead of stopping crimes, it could even be the means of committing thereof. According to the article of Deborah White (n. d. ), the United States has the highest number of private people owning guns. There are about 80 million Americans of 50 percent of the total homes which own 223 million of guns. Attached with this figure is the fact that more than 30, 000 men and women in the United States die each year due to gun shoot wounds, this is the highest homicide rate from guns around the world. Moreover, it should be noted that among the 30, 000 deaths indicated above, only 1, 500 of which are caused by accidental killings. This is a very alarming figure since it would imply that the high percentage gun ownership and gun shot related incidents have a positive relation. The more guns there are in the streets, the greater is the number of people dying with a bullet on their bodies. Policy Almanac (n. d. ) also reported that there has been a 173 percent increase from 1985 to 1993 and 126 percent from 1993 to 1999 in the number of homicides which are annually committed with the use of a firearm by persons who are between the ages 14 to 24. The figures should serve as a wake up call for law enforcers and remind them the need to properly regulate the ownership of guns and the use thereof. There should be more restrictive laws to be imposed by the state. Stricter measures could lead to lesser crime rate as well as crime related incidents. In order the address the issue on gun control, several laws were enacted federally and locally or by state. On the federal level, the first major mandate was enacted in 1934. Based on this initiative, the sale of machine guns and other fully automatic firearms will be regulated. Four years after such legislation, another law was passed requiring gun sellers to have a license. In addition, the law also prohibits the sale of guns to those who have been convicted of violent crimes. The next law which addressed the issue on gun ownership was passed in 1968. This law is the Gun Control Act of 1968. Based on the said law, imported guns are to be regulated and gun-licensing requirements will be increased. The list of people who should not own and should not be sold with firearms was extended to individuals who have been convicted with any form of non-business related crime, those who are incompetent mentally d those who have been using illegal drugs. After the said legislation, another federal law was again passed in 1986. Such mandate indicated mandatory penalties on the use of a gun to commit federal felonies. Included in the said law is the prohibition on the use of bullets which have the capacity to penetrate bulletproof apparel. Manufacture and importation of semi-automatic assault weapons were also banned in 1990 (Newsbatch, 2008). After the said law was promulgated by the Congress, another federal gun regulation was passed in 1994, the Brady Bill. The said bill is considered as the most comprehensive federal effort on gun control. Through this law, a five day waiting period is necessary before purchasers can have their guns. Such period would give the law enforcement agencies to investigate the background of the purchaser. However, this law did not last as it was declared by the Supreme Court to be an infringement on state’s rights. The law was re-drafted and provided that the conducting of background investigation will be accomplished through a national computer system. The provision on the five day waiting period was also removed. In terms of the state or local laws, there has been variance in the enactment of the laws. However, the common provisions include Child Access Prevention law or the prohibition on leaving a loaded weapon which could be easily accessed by a minor. Another is the concealed weapon law or the need to obtain a license which would allow one to carry a concealed weapon. Others include the following: regulation of private sale to minors, regulating all secondary market sales, ban on assault weapons and the one hand gun a month laws, among others. Despite these seemingly comprehensive laws, there is a need to impose stricter measures in order to regulate the ownership, use and possession of guns. Although it is recognized that there is a need for guns in the society, the continued sale thereof to private individuals and the growing number of people who own such should be carefully studied. Guns are very dangerous. It carries with it an authority which no other object could possess. The mere presence thereof is already a cause for alarm. People who have such may use it to protect themselves or to threaten other people. Given the extraordinary authority accorded to firearms, people who are not properly oriented with the use thereof may abuse such authority. Thus, there is a need to regulate the use, possession and ownership thereof to have proper guidance and to eliminate the bad effects thereof to the society. The authority that comes with any firearm carries with it the responsibility to utilize it only to purposes to which it was intended and not to create abuse. Despite the high funding that come from anti-gun control laws, politicians should comply with their basic responsibility to uphold the common good in the society. They should not be easily swayed by the sources of their funds during the last elections.

Legal System of Ireland

Legal System of Ireland According to Business Dictionary (2017), the legal system refers to a regime in the legal framework of a country. It consists of following five entities: An oral or/and written constitution. Primary legislation endorsed by lawmaking body which is established by the Constitution. Supplementary legislation prepared by organization or person who is authorized by primary legislation. Applications of customs by courts on the groundwork of traditional practices. Principles and application of Roman, common, civil or any other code of law. Dainow (1966) explains that every legal system, in its respective society, has the similar function, as any other legal system, of balancing and regulating its human movement and it is the same system which not only forms the cultural norms, civilization and history but also the life of people living in it. Nevertheless, there are many distinctions and similarities between different legal systems of territories and countries because of various events of various kinds in history (ibid). Generally, there are two main legal systems establishments in the world, which are basically often a central part of comparative law studies. These two systems are known as civil and common law legal systems. The practice of common law appeared and was acted upon from the middle era age and was subsequently spread and validated across British colonies all over the world (University of California n.d.). The civil law was developed in the main continent of Europe, during the same era of common law development as well, by European monarchs such as Spain and Portugal and was spread out to their colonies. Later on, during the 1800s and 1900s, countries with unique legal customs also embraced civil law as well in order to get economical and political power and be competitive to Western European nations and examples of such countries are Japan and Russia (ibid). This piece of writing will be discussing the legal system of Ireland and Spain. Furthermore, three aspects of law and their implication for international hospitality and tourism will be thoroughly explored and discussed. The Irish legal system belongs to, a family of legal systems, common law. Common law legal system gives significant importance to decisions made by courts on previous legal cases and decisions (Byrne McCutcheon 2001). This results in lawyers working in the jurisdiction of common law to have an extensive knowledge and work closely with case-law. Additionally, Irish courts are obliged to abide by the principal of stare-decisis, which means the previous court decisions (The bar of Ireland n.d.). As per (Nicell), there are four sources, in Ireland, which influence Irish Law: Constitution: The Constitution of Ireland was endorsed in the year 1937 which is actually an essential legal document, through a string of 50 articles, outlining how the country should be administered. In Ireland, the Constitution is titled as Bunreacht na hEireann (Citizen Information 2015). It is the Constitution, which sets out the branches of the government in Ireland and also narrates the basic rights of citizens of the country. Bunreacht na hEireann not only establishes the courts but also makes sure how these establishments should operate. An important article of Irish Constitution affirms that national parliament, Oireachtas, will not be able to endorse any law which is abhorrent to Constitution and that such law will be invalid. However, according to article 46, if the change or amendment in Constitution is necessary, the proposal for modification should be commenced by Irish National Assembly, Dà ¡il Éireann (The All-Party Oireachtas Committee On The Constitution 2005). Then, if the bill is passed by the Oireachtas, Constitution bestows the general public a veto through a referendum to approve or disapprove by majority to change the Constitution. The Irish President, if approved by majority of people, then signs the bill and it becomes the part of Constitution (ibid). Legislation: As per Byrne McCutcheon (2009), the wellspring of law known as Legislation comprises of measures which are sanctioned by an authoritative organ in a way which is endorsed by a Constitutional equation To be asked to summarize or to be discussed with teacher References Byrne, R. McCutcheon, J.P., 2009. The Irish Legal System 5th ed., Dublin: Bloomsbury Professional (Ireland). Byrne, R. McCutcheon, J.P., 2001. The Irish legal system 4th ed., Dublin: Butterworths (Ireland). Citizen Information, 2015. Constitution. www.citizensinformation.ie. Available at: http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/government_in_ireland/irish_constitution_1/constitution_introduction.html [Accessed March 19, 2017]. Dainow, J., 1966. The Civil Law and Common Lawà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¯: Some Points of Comparison. The American Journal of Comparative Law, 15(3), p.419. University of California, n.d. The Common Law and Civil Law Traditions. www.law.berkeley.edu. Available at: https://www.law.berkeley.edu/library/robbins/CommonLawCivilLawTraditions.html [Accessed March 16, 2017]. The All-Party Oireachtas Committee On The Constitution, 2005. Amending The Constitution. Available at: http://archive.constitution.ie/amending-the-constitution/default.asp?UserLang=EN [Accessed March 20, 2017]. The bar of Ireland, n.d. The Courts System. www.lawlibrary.ie. Available at: https://www.lawlibrary.ie/Legal-Services/The-Courts-System.aspx [Accessed March 16, 2017].