Theme Of Sacrifice In The Kite Runner - 1061 Words

Sacrifice is a common theme brought to the forefront of many stories throughout history, stories both real and fictional. From beginning to ending, Khaled Hosseini perfectly establishes the theme of sacrifice in his novel The Kite Runner. Baba, the father of the protagonist, sacrificed much in his life purely out of the love in his heart. His love and sacrifice spread from his family, to strangers, and most importantly to his son Amir. Baba sacrificed his own soul in order to keep the people he loved safe. He committed the only sin that he believed in, â€Å"and that is theft† (17). He hid his affair and having a second son, not for his reputation’s sake, but to keep everyone around him safe. He stole Amir and Hassan of a true brotherhood, but†¦show more content†¦While on a truck, he defended the women. Willing to take the bullet without hesitation, he put his life on the line for the stranger, for his passion had been stronger than his fear of death. Baba acted out of bravery due to his grand stature, level head, and big heart, â€Å"when all six-foot-five of him thundered into the room, attention shifted to him like sunflowers turning to the sun† (13). Baba was well respected in Afghanistan, and he knew that his voice would be heard; therefore, he used his power as a way to defend the defenseless. He was willing to sacrifice himself even though his son disagreed with the idea. Amir thought only of himself and that he would be left as an orphan if Baba was shot; whereas Baba wanted to help the woman as long as he was only risking his own life. His heart reached out for anyone needing an extra hand. He loved and cared for so many people, he wanted to help all of them. Baba put in hard work to help the people around him, and they all looked up to him due to â€Å"the marks he had left on people’s lives† (174). Baba’s willingness to sacrifice himself for strangers shaped his reputation in Afghanistan. The love Baba had for Amir guided him to sacrifice everything he had known and created throughout his life. Baba moved to America so Amir would benefit and live a successful life. Afghanistan posed as a threat to Amir due to the cultural changes, and Baba wanted toShow MoreRelatedThe Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini977 Words   |  4 PagesFacts about the author Khaled Hosseini was born in March 4th, 1965 in Kabul, Afghanistan and he is an Afghan-American novelist. He debuted in the year 2003 and released his book called â€Å"The Kite Runner†. The book opened to widespread critical acclaim and strong commercial success worldwide. And for this kind of novel he received Alex Award, Boeke Prize, ALA Notable Book and a lot of other prestigious awards. He has then authored several other books in his career. There was no turning back for KhaledRead MoreLord of The Rings/Kite Runner Compare and Contrast Essay1556 Words   |  7 PagesKite Runner and Lord of the Flies: Compare and Contrast What objects do you associate innocence with? Marriage, virginity, a childhood toy? When we think of dominance we think of war; we think of negativity. When the phrase ‘parental influence’ comes to mind, we go to our mothers tucking us into bed and watching the game with our fathers—at least that is what us lucky ones think of. Not everyone is lucky enough to have that innocence stored forever, violent free lives, and a mother and father byRead MoreThe Kite Runner Symbolism Analysis709 Words   |  3 Pages ‘The Kite Runner’ by Khaled Hosseini is a story that is set against a chain of horrific events, from the fall of Afghanistans monarchy to the Soviet military intervention and how young adults make it through. The author uses several symbols throughout the text such as kites, pomegranate trees, and the harelip to bring out the theme of loyalty and friendship. The most important symbol Khaled uses in the novel is the Eid sacrifice which represents Hassan. In Islam, a sheep is sacrificed to showRead MoreAnalysis Of The Kite Runner 1359 Words   |  6 Pages One major theme that is evident in The Kite Runner is that scars are reminders of life’s pain and regret, and, though you can ease the regret and the scars will fade, neither will completely go away. We all have regrets and always will, but though it will be a long hard process we can lessen them through redemption. The majority of The Kite Runner is about the narrator and protagonist, Amir. Almost all of the characters in The Kite Runner have scars, whether they are physical or emotional. BabaRead MoreThe Kite Runner - Amir s Redemption1323 Words   |  6 PagesThe Kite Runner – Amir’s Redemption We all make mistakes, but it is how we make up for those mistakes that will decide the kind of person we will become. The Kite Runner novel was written by Khaled Hosseini about a boy who also grew up in Afghanistan just like the author. The novel opens during a peaceful time in Kabul and tells the story of Amir and his friend and servant, Hassan. It tells us about Amir looking for approval from his father, Baba, the ethnic tensions in Afghanistan and the eventsRead MoreEssay about Characters of The Kite Runner854 Words   |  4 PagesPublished by Riverhead Books in 2003, Khaled Hosseini wrote The Kite Runner, a powerful story of love, fear, friendship, redemption, and the reality of the cruel world we live in. In this tale, you develop a personal relationship with the characters as you feel their emotions. Khaled Hosseini brings his characters to life eloquently. The relationship between son and father, rich and poor, countryman and his country, Pashtun and Hazara, friend and brother, andRead MoreRedemption in The Kite Runner1038 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"For you, a thousand times over.† In The Kite Runner by Kahled Hosseini, there is a recurring theme of redemption that is portrayed by various literary devices. Kahled excellently juxtaposes devices such as irony, symbolism, and foreshadowing to show redemption within his first novel. As a foreword, the story of The Kite Runner focuses on a man named Amir. In his childhood, he enjoyed a high-class life in Kabul, Afghanistan, living with his father Baba. They have two servants, Ali and his son HassanRead MoreThe Story Of Amir And Hassan s Development1104 Words   |  5 Pagesillustrates the theme of decisions and which ones are better. The onion story manifests itself in their decisions by having the ‘onion’ become a second choice in any situation the characters face, but the onion being different for Amir and Hassan due to which option they are inclined to always choose. The foremost importance of the onion in the story is that it represents a choice that was not taken. The story follows a poor man who must cry into a cup to get gold, so he sacrifices his wife to cryRead MoreThe Kite Runner Analysis1201 Words   |  5 PagesReligion tends to be followed by many citizens but may be interrupted differently amongst many people in societies. The Kite Runner, written by Khaled Hosseini, illustrates how individuals may hurt other with their own personal choices and beliefs. The book portrayed how the characters were divided into two major sects in Afghanistan, Hazara’s and Pashtun’s. The culture classified the nation into two groups which elucidated the society. When distinguishing between the two major casts, being a PashtunRead MoreAchieve a Level Four Performance in an Oral Exam Through the Formal Speech/the Oral Essay1002 Words   |  5 Pagesconsist of an idea, theme, question, problem, or theory; a group of similar things from which you extract two for special attention. For example, if you plan to write a comparative-analysis essay on The Kite Runner and King Lear, your â€Å"frame of reference/umbrella† can be the study of parent and child (especially adult-child) relationship. More specifically, you may focus on the father-son relationship, comparing and contrasting the relationship between Baba and Amir (The Kite Runner) and that between

Tsui Wah free essay sample

From Tsui Wah’s 2013 annual report, it has just implemented the service of â€Å"Tsui Wah Delivery†. This movement reflects that it intends to provide more variety in addition to its main stream of business. However, what can Tsui Wah still undertake in future to make more diversification? In the following parts, a SWOT analysis is prepared by reference to the PESTEL model, Porter’s Five Forces Competition Framework and Resource-based View model. Based on the analysis, several recommendations are also suggested for Tsui Wah to incorporate more variety into its business. Finally, a brief conclusion is drawn. SWOT Analysis 1. Opportunities 1. 1. Increasing Mainland Visitors Due to the introduction of â€Å"Individual Visit Scheme† in 2003, the number of Mainland visitors increases significantly year by year. According to a report released by Savills (Hong Kong) Limited on hospitality industry in Hong Kong, the number of Mainland visitors in 2012 soared by 543% compared with that in 2004. Visitors normally want to try some indigenous foods. Tsui Wah is just where they want to go because it is one of the restaurants representing Hong Kong’s traditional foods. 1. 2. Prevalent Trend of Dining Out Nowadays, working women is a prevalent phenomenon. A lot of families would choose dining out instead of cooking themselves. In a survey conducted by the Public Opinion Programme of The University of Hong Kong on Hong Kong people’s eating habits, it is revealed that on average an interviewee dines out 5. 1 times per week. This is really conducive to the catering industry as a whole. 2. Threats 2. 1. Tough Industrial Environment In the catering industry, there are a lot of substitutes such as Cafe de Coral, Fairwood and Maxims MX. People can easily switch to any restaurant. With regards to rivalry, in spite of keen competition, competitors are competing on non-price dimensions. Each restaurant is slightly different from competitors. For Tsui Wah, it differentiates itself from others by offering foods at premium quality. Regarding barriers to potential entrants, there is no legal restriction to set up a restaurant. However, a certain extent of investment is required. Apart from that, potential investors can easily enter into catering industry. For bargaining power of suppliers, a restaurant highly depends on the quality of materials supplied by suppliers because this directly affects the quality and safety of dishes that the restaurant provides. Besides, finding another quality supplier to replace the current one is so costly since relationship builds up by time. Apart from raw materials, what suppliers supply also affect significantly the operating cost as well as profitability of a restaurant such as renting a property. Therefore, the bargaining power of suppliers in catering industry is quite high. Concerning bargaining power of customers, similarly their bargaining power is also high because the dishes provided by a specific restaurant is not so important to them and there are many alternative choices. Generally speaking, catering industry is not so attractive based on Porter’s Five Force of Competition Framework. 2. 2. Rising Operating Cost Rental has been increasing continuously for the past decade. According to Rate and Valuable Department, the rental for retail properties in 2013 was about 60% of 1999’s level. This situation is further aggravated by the statutory minimum wages introduced in 2011. Moreover, since Tsui Wah’s suppliers are mainly from Mainland China, the continuous inflation of Renminbi signals the rising trend of its raw material costs. Due to the increase in rentals, staff costs and ingredient costs, Tsui Wah would be under serious pressure in respect of its operating costs in coming future. 3. Strengths 3. 1 Reputable Brand Name The reputable brand, â€Å"Tsui Wah†, has a long history and is the most prominent resource. It is extremely valuable since it represents the level of quality of products or services provided. This is why Tsui Wah can charge its foods at premium prices while numerous people are still willing to pay. According Tsui Wah’s prospectus in 2012, the average amount per patronage is HK$74 which is about twice of normal Cha Chaan Teng. Even though its brand is valuable, the brand itself is not rare. Every restaurant can have its own brand. Certainly, their values would vary considerably. However, there may be radically impossible to have two perfectly identical brands in the world. Thus, to some extent â€Å"Tsui Wah† is a unique brand. It is possible for a restaurant to imitate Tsui Wah’s brand. But, this must not be done within a short period of time because Tsui Wah had used over 40 years to develop its brand. Thus, it is costly to imitate a brand name. From the resource-based view, its brand is really an important resource as it can create sustained competitive advantage. 3. 2 Use of Central Kitchen The introduction of central kitchen does help a lot in various aspects. It enables the standardization on the quality foods among branches. This is extremely crucial for chain restaurants because different standard on foods from different branches would affect unfavorably customers’ confidence toward the restaurant as a whole and accordingly the brand. It also helps reduce the size of kitchen in the branches due to fewer ingredients stored in the branches and accordingly reduce the rentals. 4. Weaknesses 4. 1 Limited Customer Segment As aforementioned, Tsui Wah charges foods at premium prices, which is about a double of normal restaurants, and targets middle class. Hence, grassroots are normally excluded from Tsui Wah’s customer pool since they tend to choose restaurants which price foods at normal level. Besides, in economic downturn middle class may curtail consumption and Tsui Wah may suffer. It is better to diversify its business so that even in economic recession its profitability can still be maintained stably. Recommendations 1. Retailing Packaged Foods To better utilize the capacity of Tsui Wah’s central kitchen, it is suggested that it should manufacture packaged foods and sell them in its branches or supermarkets. With the aid of its reputable brand, which has penetrated deeply into Hong Kong’s society, the packaged foods sold under the brand of â€Å"Tsui Wah† would be perceived as high quality and would be welcomed by Hong Kong citizens. This concept just likes what Ikea’s cafe is doing now. The dishes that we can buy from Ikea’s cafe can also be bought in packaged form such as a Swedish meatball called KOTTBULLAR. 2. Renting Shops in Shopping Malls Due to high rental for street-level shops, it is recommended that Tsui Wah moves to shopping malls where rental is a bit cheaper. Although operating in street-level is the tradition of Cha Chaan Teng, moving into shopping malls would not affect a lot because Tsui Wah has already developed a strong prestige. No matter where its branches locate, people would still keep their preference. 3. Discounted Price for Delivery To cater the purchasing power of grassroots, it is advised that Tsui Wah should offer a slight discount for delivery orders. Through this tactics, it can include more grassroots into its customer pool. Meanwhile it can show that Tsui Wah is an enterprise which does care people in the society. Conclusion Despite more Mainland visitors and popular trend of dining out, they cannot constitute a valuable opportunity for Tsui Wah to expand aggressively due to keen competition and rising operating costs. However, its reputable brand and central kitchen make it a restaurant standing out from others. Therefore, Tsui Wah should continue take a diversification strategy to sustain growth in future. It could enter into the food retailing market to sell packaged foods under the brand of â€Å"Tsui Wah†. Moreover, it could also switch to rent shops in shopping malls in order to tackle the increasing rental.

Strategic Issues Facing the Firm

Peterson Fan is majorly dealing with an employee attitude problem. Employee attitude problems have a very negative impact on an organization and especially on the bottom line performance. Most often, employee attitude is attributed to poor work conditions, employee inadequacy and a lack of employee appreciation programs.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Issues Facing the Firm specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this regard, employees at Peterson Fan are not coordinated and often show up to work late. These are clear signs of an attitude problem among employees. This is the main problem Peterson Fan faces and drastic measures need to be taken to ensure the organization doesn’t further slow down in performance and experience low profits. Firm’s Strategic Options The first option management has is to get commitment from the employees through a consultative approach. Management therefore has th e duty to explain its concerns to the employees so they may understand why it needs to change the status quo. The ideal situation in this kind of strategy would be that employees are supposed to exert some form of self-control and improve performance in the long run. This approach is better than blindly carrying out an order which the employees wouldn’t understand why its been employed. However, this strategy requires mature employees in order for it to work. In a more ideal situation, the employees should see themselves as part of the managerial hierarchy and also be positively motivated for the strategy to work. Though all these factors are not present at Peterson’s Fan, management should use this strategy because it is better than the autocratic approach of giving orders to fire all poorly behaving employees. The implication of this approach is improved employee performance in the long run. This approach is supported by social studies done by Douglas McGregor which emphasize that controls or punishment are not viable methods of solving employee problems. The second approach the management could have undertaken was motivating employees into good work performance. Motivation should however be done through many structures such as improving the work environment, increasing the pay among other methods. Management can also review its company policies to ensure they are flexible enough for the employees to feel motivated enough to work. They also need to equally review supervisory practices and hygienic conditions in addition to improving employee appreciation programs and increasing their willingness to promote them. In this manner, employees will feel there is room for growth.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The implications of this strategy may involve an internal restructuring of the company; especially if management is willing to conside r employees as part of its management hierarchical structure. The strategy may also force the company to introduce new programs aimed at improving the motivational level of employees. Additionally, this may involve a change in leadership styles and management attitude. This strategy is also supported by the two factor theory that identifies hygiene and the need to motivate employees as some of the most important elements in improving employee attitudes. Company’s Strategy The company’s management took an authoritarian strategy of firing all poorly behaved employees without any consultations at an employee level. Theory X developed by Douglas McGregor explains this approach but it has been proved counterproductive in most modern practices. This theory is normally based on a fallacy that employees will avoid work at all costs because of their laziness and that typically, employees dislike work. The assumptions to this theory are largely false. Instead, management should have discussed the poor employee performance with the employees before taking any drastic measure. The confrontational approach the company took was uncalled for because they should have first probed why the employees were behaving the way they were, so as to improve their level of satisfaction in the long run. In this manner, management would have known the root of the problem. Management should therefore have made it clear to the employees what actions were wrong and which ones were acceptable. The consequences of a continuation of unacceptable behaviors should also have been openly communicated to the employees. In other words, even if management had decided to consider firing poorly performing employees, the least they could have done was to warn the employees and notify them of the consequences of a continuity of their behavior. Management should also have been straightforward with the employees and refrained from exhibiting any threatening signs. However, before coming up with such solutions and consequences, they should have been willing to discuss their decision with all employees. This strategy is still supported by Theory Y, developed by Douglas McGregor. Conclusion The management of Peterson fan took a wrong approach. They should have adopted a consultative approach to dealing with disgruntled employees. This strategy has been proved to have better chances of success than the authoritative approach it took.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Strategic Issues Facing the Firm specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Management’s approach is therefore not expected to yield much result in the long run because the strategy they adopted is based on false presumptions that employees are lazy and dislike work. They should have therefore discussed the problem with the employees and come up with an amicable solution. This essay on Strategic Issues Facing the Firm was written and submitted by user G10vann1 to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

buy custom Children and Technology essay

buy custom Children and Technology essay Technology entails the submission of information to the realistic aspirations of human existence that targets alter and manipulate the human atmosphere. It employs the utilization of tools, materials, techniques and power sources to facilitate easy living and enhance efficiency in performing duties. Technology has been in existence since time in memory and it began influencing the human world as soon as the utilization of tools was embraced. Technological advance was at per with the industrial insurgency and the changeover of machines for human work force and animals. The impacts of technology range from positive to detrimental effects to the society such as water and air pollution and other unwanted impacts. Traditionally, technology catered for the construction of structures, machines and apparatus on a comparatively enormous scale. The enlargement of materials for constructing skyscrapers exemplifies the use of technology during that time. As much as advancements in the construction world may involve chemistry and nuclear physics fields, the main objective of technology is to boost the human circumstance by exploring the best ways to tackle the matters of the world. The improvement of technological activity to be at per with the current lifestyle has employed the necessary changes so as to meet the human lifestyle standards. The relevance of technology also incorporates the novel techniques of thinking or new-fangled insights into the broad-spectrum comprehension base. Some of the applications of technology include: - computers, televisions, radios and the internet. As a form of technology, computers have the ability to undertake duties such as fundamental thinking procedures that are much quicker in order to facilitate commerce and business efficiently. The form of technology developed may be categorized into a variety of factions, which is determined by the branch of science from which the technology is gotten from. Some of the examples that pertain technology are nuclear, medical and computer technologies. Blends of assortment of fields lead to a wider range of technology, with nuclear imaging serving as an example of such blending. The use of technology cuts across all the generational ages and currently, even children have embraced the utilization of technology (Angela Costabile and Barbara Spears 56). Human life has been influenced in various ways. Technology is an essential thing to all individuals in life. In spite that important thing, technology has some detrimental effects particularly for children and may include: - the annihilation of the tender apprentices from learning the fundamentals of life. Impact of technology Technology has advanced at an enormously fast tempo and continues to evolve swiftly. The modern- day children are exposed to technology at a tender age; they practically do not comprehend a universe that is not connected electronically or does not have digital apparatus. While technology has presented the society with numerous advantages in improving the living standards of humans, it has also impacted negatively the human population, especially children. The kids have been largely impacted since it is almost impossible for them to operate and carry out their daily chores without having gadgets such as iPods, cell phones, Cable tv, internet, iPad or any other upto-date technology. As portable gadgets are continued to be produced, the societys potential shape is enhanced and consequently, the impact of technology on children advances to another new level (Jane Healy 89). The positive ways in which innovativeness has influenced the lives of children can be felt all over the universe. Technology entails the provision of empowering effect to those who utilize it. In the case of children, innovativeness has prompted them to develop novel and better technologies that enhance good living. A lot of current technological advancements have generated excitement among the children and this has presented them with the opportunity to be empowered with upto-date information concerning the entire universe. Consequently, their relationship with the environment surrounding them has been boosted as they explicitly comprehend the environment better, thanks to technological advancements. In modern society, computers have been employed as teaching tools for children. Furthermore, most products, both software and hardware, have been modified to provide learning and fun, which develops dynamism and excitement among the children to learn. This has been precious since it has augmented developmental gain knowledge (Sally Blake 302). The children are presented with the necessary tools to resolve problems ad acquire information, hence empowering them to learn autonomously. The utilization of technology at home has enabled parents to spend more quality time with their children and this ahs boosted the relationship between the children and their parents. The parents are able to assist their children in performing school work and activity program. In addition, children who engage in video game playing tend to develop an elevated visual reasoning proficiency. The game allows children to process what they have viewed and form a solution. As a result of the technical image information, children adjust to multitask making them to be more efficient than their ancestors. The employment of technology has also eased the acquisition of information. The internet contains a lot of information that can easily be accessed rather than going to the library to read volumes of books. Learning spots in the internet are precious resources to students, teachers as well as parents. Technology has advanced the social network and communication in the universe. Children are able to make friendship with other people from different parts of the world through the internet (Diana Kimpton 86). Contact between the children and their parents is privatized and this permits increased positive communication. The use of text messages exemplifies the improved communication between the parents and their children. As much as technology has boosted the lives of children, it has also effected detrimental impact to the same children. Children are exposed to negative influence emanating from technological advancements such as the internet and television as they easily accessible and are available always. The media has embarked on generating fear in the society and whenever children are exposed to such instances, they develop a generally negative perception with regard to the society. This makes the children to develop traits that they decipher to be essential in coping up with the negative society when in the real sense, they end up creating unsocietal behavior. The society is currently engaged in tackling issues such as childhood obsession to the internet, obesity, and the means of preventing the children from predators who are mostly associated with the internet. In some instances, it is believed that technology has greatly contributed to the moral decadence in the society, especially with regard to children. As much as parents fear letting their children to go out and play, the substitution technological devices is proving to be more detrimental (Madeline Levine 166). The internet has made the accessibility of lewd material to be easy and when not checked, children utilizing the internet are exposed to such material and even go to the extend of downloading them. Habitually, parents taught their off springs on the bad behavior but with the advancement in technology, children no longer comprehend that downloading movies and music from the internet is illegal. Technology has encouraged laziness among children who, for the larger portion of their life, have been utilizing the computer to perform all of their duties including education. Another profound effect of technology is loss of the real touch of life as most children live in the fantasies encountered in the technological universe. Television, another technological device, has also contributed to negative impact on children. Programs that seem childlike and educational are also causing problems. The television contain inappropriate material as programs meant for kid also portray girls of tender age in a provocative manner in terms of their dressing code and show teenagers involved in dating relationships. The behaviors showed in television such as violence, selfishness, lying, mouthing off and parental disobedience influence the overall behavior of the children as they imitate these behaviors (David Atkin and Lin Carolyn 234). Most of the children who, for a large part of their time, e ngage in watching violent programs in the television, tent to become vulnerable to violent messages and images. The concept of education has been altered since the programs showed entail children participating in activities such as wild animal saving and other forms of good-Samaritan activities. At first, all these activities seem fine until that time when the children become so obsessed with such activities, thereby absconding education. Moreover, excessive television watching may impede the improvement of language proficiency. This is because; language skill is best grown through connections and reading with fellow children, together with teachers, in play and dialogue (Geoffrey Caine and Renate Caine 207). Children get to comprehend and grasp language whenever other children aand adults interact with them as the children get an opportunity to express themselves and respond to the questions posed to them. In addition, television and computers does not engage the children into true dialogue hence causing the impediment. The health of the children is another affected area. Television can impede school routine and learning when it impinges into the time children utilize for crucial activities that enhance healthy physical and mental development. These activities, which include: - reading, playing, exploring nature and participating in sports ensures healthy living and thus, the engagement of children in watching too much television interferes with this essential part of their formative tender age. Television viewing has become a noteworthy factor in childhood obesity development as it is a sedentary activity (Shalom Fisch 156). Whenever an individual views television, an instant feeling of relaxation is experienced but after watching, this feeling disappears. Contrary to this, children feel more energized after engaging in activities such as: - sports and hobbies. The irony of this reality is that a lot of children spend their free time watching television, despite the fact that prolonged watching is none rewarding as compared to the effects of participating in activities such as: - playing and exercising ones hobbies. Additionally, television viewing encourages and contributes to the enhancement of weight gaining among the children through its aggressive advertisement of junk foodstuffs to the young generation, hence the development of obesity. Most of the food advertisements seen in televisions, including children programs, are fast foodstuffs, pre-sugared cereals and candy. However, Commercials involving healthy foods constitute a very minor percentage and this has contributed to children adopting what they view in the television since they tend to believe it is the right thing (Don Tapscott 140). Most of these commercials involve large budgets directed towards manipulating consumer behavior, which mostly affect the children who spend a good percentage of their time watching television. Taking a lot of junk food and not participating in physical activities is the main cause of obesity The modern media; -television, music, magazines, movies, advertisements and the internet, have barraged the children with sexual images and messages. As much as television can be a very essential tool in advising the children on the hazards of sexual activities, such information is rarely dealt with or mentioned in a consequential way in the series containing such. Children, on the other hand, will imitate such activities and try to apply what they viewed as a result of curiosity. The end result is the advancement of sexual immorality at a very tender age. The societys general moral standards are depleted since the expected custodians meant to pass the right morals to the upcoming generation, are immoral. Another behavior mostly enhanced by the advertisements is alcoholism (Andrew Solway 43). Alcohol drinking has been given more priority as compared to healthy eating; therefore, children are given the notion that alcoholism is a cool thing. Conclusion Technology has a profound effect on those who utilize it, especially the children. It being an extension of children and adults community and provided that a lot of children spend most of their time taken on operating and utilizing the technological devices such as television, the effect it imparts on children is enormous. The modern society has subverted children in living rooms and also, incarcerated them from physical and educational activities due to technology. To some extend, technological devices, especially television and the internet, have been assumed to take over the role of parenting of children. The society has ignored the impacts of such technological devices on children and this has exposed children to very negative influences. Bearing in mind the content of the preponderance of technological devices such as television programs and the internet, together with the obsession of utilizing these devices, children are the most affected of al the population. Therefore, the employment of technology, to a larger extent, has resulted into moral decadence in the society, especially among the children. Parents are expected to carry out their responsibilities diligently in order to curb the negative effect of technology and to ensure the proper up bringing of children. Furthermore, to attain success in the education of children, the teachers too are expected to limit the time and the type of technological forms the children are exposed to. Buy custom Children and Technology essay

Leadership paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Leadership paper 2 - Essay Example The personal life, challenges and opportunities also affect the professional life, vision and career development. The personal challenges that I face involve lack of time for the family members and inappropriate time to socialize and active participation in physical and mental activities. These challenges that I face, due to tight schedule of my job and my undue precedence to the professional career, are disrupting my personal life. Unstable personal life affects the professional career badly and hence, before going any further in the development of my professional life I would need to resolve the personal life issues keeping the professional values and visions under consideration. My Values: Basing the discussion on the LPI feedback, the most important trait according to my leadership skills is to treat others with dignity and respect. Employees working under my control, hence, are encouraged to put forward their ideas without any fear of embarrassment or humiliating behavior from t he management side including me. My values involve firm commitment and fulfillment of my promises which act as a modeling behavior for the employees. Employees spend more time observing the leaders’ behavior on how he/she acts in certain circumstances and respond to the commitments. A responsive, more responsible and committed leader inspires the visions and actions of the taskforce. I also believe in developing a cooperative environment where workers are encouraged to ponder over different issues, share their thoughts and implement the change. The fact that their ideas and views are respected and implemented if they are appropriate, integrate them more in the organization and they feel more relaxed and satisfied with the working environment. This leadership trait also enables the workers to trust the leader, act upon his decisions and understand the underlying factors of the decision which are beneficial for the firm and/or the performance of the group. My leadership values include the communication about group aspirations often in the daily working environment. This enables the employees keep their focus on achieving the group goals rather than achieving individual targets which collides with the group targets. Hence, proper communication of the targets and motivation to achieve them as a group helps achieving those targets by inspiring the group members’ vision and point of views about the work delegated to them. The LPI also suggests that seeking challenging opportunities to test and polish skills is also one of the traits that I adopt as a leader. Challenges and adverse situations enable the person think critically, evaluate, assess and implement. The challenging tasks and situations help making the group more integrated and devoted. The whole group is equally involved in tackling the difficult situation, hence creating a more firm and goal oriented taskforce. This further helps in realizing the true potentials of the group members and their involvement and interest in achieving the group goals. In addition to this, my values involve proper assessment of the group progress and communicate the results with the group to encourage them on improvement and discourage the traits which may hinder the success of the

Equality and Socialist Ideology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Equality and Socialist Ideology - Essay Example Further, a great deal of historical context also needs to be considered with regards to determining how ideological and egalitarian concepts are born, gain notoriety, and work to incorporate themselves into a type of collectivized worldview that is ultimately translated back into the culture via the form of representative government. Although analyzing all of this necessarily lends itself to seeking to answer the age old riddle of what came first the chicken or the egg, the analysis itself will show that the process is symbiotic rather than mutually exclusive. Furthermore, by seeking to know and understand the levels to which these factors interlace and help to define the context of the culture and form of governance that pervades the current system, the reader can hope to gain valuable insights and key understandings with reference to seeking to better understand the world in which we live. As the two are so interlinked and bear such a high level of relation to one another, the firs t which will be discussed is equality with the second being ideology. Next a discussion of how these two forces interact and have an impact on culture and vice versa will be discussed followed by a final section on the impacts that both have on governance, self identity, and culture. The first determinant which will be discussed is that of ideology. As was noted in the introduction, the two terms which will be analyzed within the course of this essay are somewhat nebulous and do tend to feed back into one another at various junctures; however, for purposes of clarity, ideology should be tackled first. The reason for tackling the definition and means by which ideology influences upon equality first is due to the fact that in nearly every emergent movement, ideology or culture is the level of equality that the components seem to have concerning their members. This can be understood as a type of baseline for without it the level to which identity formation can begin to congeal is minim al (Angeloff et al 2012, p. 21). This has of course been noted time and time again throughout history as groups self actualize, form an identity, gain an ideology and only then consider the level to which the component parts will share in equality among the rest (McConnell 2010, p. 140). The ideological formation is extraordinarily important due to the fact that the components that are built within this phase directly impact upon the level of equality which is possible once the ideology itself has been formulated. Although the process that has herein been described appears to be something of rigid concept, the fact of the matter is that it is most fluid and open to the interpretation of the individuals that seek to form the ideology in the first place. This level of fluid change allows for the process to evolve in any number of ways; thereby making a firm and solid definition of the term even more difficult for the researcher. While on the topic of ideology, it is important to note that the process that has herein been described does not of course have to come as a function of forming a new system entirely; rather, it can come from redefining necessary components of a working system, worldview, or personal take on a given issue. As a function of this, the level to which these terms interrelate and coalesce becomes even more complex when one takes the issue outside of the bounds of systemic change and incorporates them into the realm of individual and worldview modulations (Whitely 1978, p. 211). This complicates the definition somewhat due to the fact that this level of incorporation necessarily bends and redirects the original ideology and identity that helped to form the

The Effects Of Divorce On Children

The Effects Of Divorce On Children The term divorce is defined by Merriam Webster Langenscheidts Pocket Dictionary as an act or instance of legally dissolving a marriage. It is usually between a man and a woman. However recent evolution and other social constructs have tended to see divorce as a legal dissolution between partners, for example, a marriage between gay or lesbian partners. The latter statement goes to explain the fact that some jurisdiction recognizes marriages between the same sexes. Therefore the definition of marriage cannot be restricted to the traditional description of what marriage is. It must also be noted that various cultures have a way of dealing with divorce. To Margulies, Sam (2004), the decision to divorce is the beginning of two streams of events. Firstly, filing for divorce triggers legal, emotional and financial process in which the house hold must be split into two. The second stream of event is the building of new lives, households, who has custody of children of the union and new protocols being negotiated. Again, one of the things that makes divorce such a unique and often troubled experience is that it involves a complex interaction between two different processes. Firstly, divorce is a difficult emotional process. It causes intense feeling of sadness humiliation, abandonment, disappointment, rejection and rage. Most of all, divorce engenders fear, particularly fear of loss. People fear lost of identity as spouse and parents, loss of economic and security, loss of control over their lives and loss of dignity. So the emotional process of divorce is one in which people have to manage all their feelings at the same time. As with any other transition, there are stages that most people pass, beginning with initial turmoil, followed by struggle with change, and eventually with adaptation and adjustment. Children of the marriage to be honest are not speared the pain of these processes. Margulies, Sam (2004). For the purposes of this academic discourse, a child is somebody who is primarily under the age of eighteen or someone who is not yet twenty three but still in a training program. For instance, it concerns a person who is studying in a training institution like Sheridan College. The word consequences as would be used in this research represent the various experiences, children whose parents are going through divorce face. This paper will therefore establish and make clear a hypothesis to be analyzed. Various arguments would be adduced to support and prove the said hypothesis. On the other hand a counter argument will be made to refute the hypothesis. A balance discussion on the research will also be delved into. Finally a presentation on the outcome of the research will be done. HYPOTHESIS The hypothesis is there are lifelong consequences for children whose parents go through divorce. Almost 50 percent of children whose parents divorce show signs of psychological damage during the first year after the event. According to a 1994 policy statement from the American Academy of Paediatrics, such boys become aggressive whiles adolescent girls get depressed. To prove further the devastating nature of divorce on children whose parents go through divorce are more likely to develop drug and alcohol problems. Pemberton K.C.(1998) in reviewing Psychologist Judith Wallersteins twenty- five (25) year study on the impact of divorce on children, found out that although the divorcing man and woman might be able to overcome the trauma and challenges associated with divorce, the circumstances of the children are different. Children of such unions can carry the ill effects of divorce into their own adult years. Such adults tend to have fear of commitment, unstable father-child relationshi ps and bitter memories of the legal system. In explaining this position further, Pemberton K.C. (1998), asserts I do not argue that children have no chance of healthy or happiness after their parents had divorced but the challenges children must meet after their parents divorce are severe and devastating. As much as scholars like Pemberton K.C. (1998) and Emery (2004) have painted a horrible picture of the situation, the same scholars have conceded to the fact that some children who experience this phenomenon grow to live a healthy and a successful life. For example there are enhancing programs in our schools that go a long way to support and prepare such children for future healthy living. ARGUMENT TO PROVE HYPOTHESIS As it has been noted, there are various arguments that go to support the premise that, children whose parents go through divorce suffer lifelong consequences. Some of the issues are best explained when put under emotional, physical and social consequences. To most children, divorce will constitute the first major crisis of their lives. Children turn to exhibit many emotional and psychological traumas. For instance in a conversation I had with a child and youth worker at Apple wood Height secondary school as part of my preparation towards gathering information for this project, enumerated that, children whose parents had gone and are going through divorce turn to be withdrawn in class. This behaviour tends to manifest itself in their academic performance. This Psychological effect makes them act aggressive towards their peers and seems to struggle with normal processes of growing up. In much the same way, Emery, E. R.(2004), supported this hypothesis by stating that There are those who contend that divorce inevitable and invariable devastates children and set the stage for a lifetime of emotional problems, period. To prove this point further, he attempted to compare the behaviour and attitudes of children who are perceived to be normal because they are under the guidance of their two parents and those children whose parents are going or had gone through divorce. He found out that, the very process of divorce between parents causes the children to struggle through the pain and upheaval of their parents divorce. Secondly, through sensationalistic media or our own hysteria, we lay the burden of carrying a ticking time bomb on kids by inaccurately trumpeting the tug of war between the parents. Even if parents seem to be doing well by handling the divorce crisis, children are inevitable doomed or damaged because of divorce. After the divorce process, it introduces huge changes into the lives of most children. This encompasses direct involvement in parental conflict, economic hardship, changes in residence and school. To him, divorce also increases the risk for psychological, social and academic problems among children. This increased risk is a legitimate concern for children, parents and the community. Finally, he stipulated that, despite parents fervent desire to protect children of divorce, the mere divorce process is a burden to children. To prove further the long term consequences divorce has on children whose parent are going and had gone through divorce, Emery, E. R. (2004), made available some statistic to throw light on his thoughts. These are; such children are twice as likely to see a mental health professional, up to twice of such children are likely to have problems managing their behaviour. He also said, perhaps 1.25 to 1.5 times are more likely to have problems with depressed moods. Again, twice of such children are likely to drop out of school before graduation. What is more interesting and sad enough to support the Hypothesis is the realization that, 1.25 to 1.5 times of children at one point or the other experienced the challenges of their parents divorced. Similarly, the same children are likely to get divorced themselves. Is this not scary enough to prove the hypothesis? Besides, Price E. (2000), in her book Divorce and Teens has not described the situation in any positive way. She explained that, the issue of parents fighting each other, why are my parents divorcing, why must one parent move out, must I tell my friends and what should be my level of loyalty to each parent, all go a long way to frustrate such children. Eventually, anger takes over and this manifest itself in aggressive behaviour towards life issues. Another practical perspective to the situation at hand is cleverly summarised by his lordship, Mr. Justice Harvey Brownstone as follows; After more than fourteen years of presiding in family court, one question has never seized to amaze me: how can two parents who love their children allow a total stranger to make crucial decisions about their leaving arrangements, health, education, extracurricular activities, vacation time and degree of contact with each parent? This question becomes even more mind-boggling when one considers that the stranger making the decision is a judge, whose formal training is in the law, not in family relations, child development, social work, or a psychology. Now add the fact that, because of heavy case loads and crowded dockets, most judges have to make numerous child custody, access, matrimonial property and support decisions every day on the basis of incomplete, subjective and highly emotional written evidence (called affidavits), with virtually no time to get to know the parents and no opportunities to meet the child whose life is being so profoundly affected. What person in their right mind would advocate for this method resolving parental conflict flowing from family breakdown? This are some of the questions that family called judges agonize over. Some say the answer are complicated and have much to do with social conditioning, economic class, level of education, sophistication, familiarity with community resources and even culture. I say the answers are simple. The institution of marriage has not been a great success in North of America Brownstone, J.H. (2009). P.1. COUNTER ARGUMENT TO THE HYPOTHESIS In spite of the scary picture painted by the various authors supporting the hypothesis that, there are lifelong consequences for children whose parents go through divorce, the same topic and ongoing controversies have resulted in the change of authors views. For instance, Emery (2004) has stated that The Risk of Divorce Are Real but Not the Whole Story. By this, he has discounted some of the arguments he had put forward to support the hypothesis. He acknowledges that divorce increases childrens psychological problems but also sought to emphasize the need to put it into its right perspectives. To him, the large majority of children from divorced families do not suffer from psychological problems. His argument is centred on the theory of correlation and causality. He went further to explain that divorce is correlated with more psychological problems among children but this does not mean that it is the cause of all the problems. Scientific evidence has at least proven that divorce canno t be the cause of all the affected childrens emotional problems. Another important factor, Emery (2004), considered is that what happens after divorce can go a long way to eliminate risk and promoting resilience. Besides, he used the half full and half empty analogy to refute the premise that all the children who experience their parents going and had gone through divorce face, Emery (2004). He duelled heavily on a major national study conducted by Nick Zill, Donna Morrison and Mary Jo Cairo. The study looked at children between the ages of twelve and twenty-one. The study revealed that 21% of children whose parents have had divorce received psychological assistance. In comparison, 11% percent from married families also received similar help. It is a fact that, there is a 100% increase between the two groups. Once again, this situation looks scary but the truth of the matter is that, if 11% of children from the normal situation seek psychiatrist assistance, then it presupposes 89% do not. On the other hand, if only 21% of the said troubled children seek for psychiatrist assistance, then the whole phenomenon is not a case of the glass being half empty and half full but rather the statistics sh ould be looked at in both ways. When this happens, it can be adduced that the glass is only 20% empty and 80% full. There are no doubt that divorce disrupts the lives of almost every child who goes through those challenges. However, great majority of these children are able to sort through these difficulties and succeed. We must not also lose sight of the need to applaud and build on the strengths (strength based approach) of such children. Besides, evaluating it from both scientific and statistical point of view, shows that psychological problems of children whose parents had gone through divorce starts before the actual divorce issues begin to manifest. Emery (2004). To back up his finding, a substantial figure of 50% was found. A BALANCE DISCUSSION ON THE RESEARCH At this point, it is important for one to have a balanced analysis of the overall views of the topics of divorce. That is, the ideas which support the hypothesis and the ones that refutes it. On a personal reflection however, I still stand by the hypothesis that, there are lifelong consequences for children whose parents go through divorce. The opponents of this hypothesis have sought to argue that divorce, in itself, does not impose any lifelong consequences. Realistically, most children from divorced families are resilient. There are instances where such children have gone through those challenges and still succeeded in their life endeavours. Most have good careers and are happily married. This disproves the stance portraying children whose parents have gone through divorce as a serious and unimaginable consequence. To me, what those children go through emotionally are equally experienced by children who stay and grow with their parents. Some have even tended to suggested that, it is a normal process of growing up. As noted above, only 20% of such kids experience the phenomenon. Looking at my social location, I was from a divorced family. However, I had the benefits of some social and traditional structures to support me and my sibling. For instance, my grandmother took up the fathering responsibility so we never felt the absence of our father. Similarly, when we migrated to Canada, the school system has counselling facilities that helped to sustain us to go through the normal processes of growing up. I am proud to say my brother and I are now in college and are determined to succeed in our choosing endeavours. These achievements would probably have not been possible in a case of somebody living with parents. This example goes to support Emery (2004), assertion that even after a separation, what you do is the most important determinant of whether your children are at risk or resilient. In-spite of the argument put up by the opponent of the hypothesis, proponents still argue that children whose parents go through divorce experience lifelong consequences. It has been proven above that such children suffer emotional and psychological consequences. It is estimated that over 21% of such children have mental health issues and are likely to fail in their marriages. To substantiate this point further, I would like to draw once again on the conversation I had with the Child and Youth Worker at Apple Wood Height Secondary School. She explained the following points from her practical perspective. She said children who have experience the consequence of divorce lack trust. They are unable to give back love because psychologically it has been registered within their sub conscious mind that if their parents who claim to love them are fighting and doing things regardless of the interest of such children, then whom are they to trust. Isolation of such children from peers and some school activities affects their ability to develop properly into adulthood. In most cases, they are seen to be withdrawn from extracurricular activities because of the shame, having to explain to friends that their parents are divorced. This is more prevalent in religious based schools like the Catholic schools. The issue of step-parents does not help matters either. In the unlikely event that the step-parents do not get along with such children, it raises tension within the household and puts the child under constant psychological trauma. I am of the opinion that it is some of these problems that makes these children have mental health issues. Finally, what is more dangerous to society is the fact that such children are unable to establish and maintain positive relationships. Some traditional views, though not fully supported by me, have suggested to the belief that it is some of these societal problems that have led to the emergence of the sub-culture like gay and lesbian communities. Research Outcome From the above discussion, it has been established that different communities and different scholars have divergent views on the impact of divorce on children. One perspective view is that such a situation is not serious. However, those who support the hypothesis of which I support still believe that there are lifelong consequences for children whose parents go through divorce. This new found knowledge will form as the basis for new theories to be developed. It will also give the opportunity for other research to be carried out in this area. Practically, it will enable single parents form alliances to advocate for policy change in schools and child centres to strengthen child and youth counselling within such facilities. This research will also assist people within the helping profession such as Psychologists, Child and Youth workers and Social workers to come to the realization that this phenomenon is very prevalent within our schools and that serious efforts should be made to assist children with such challenges to overcome them. As an anti oppressive Child and Youth Worker, it is necessary to pay special attention to the situation even if a child suffers as a result of our inaction to deal with the situation.