Linguistics in Educational Programs

Introduction The discovery of some oil reserve in the state of California gives the chance to confront a hot-button issue in California. The demand by the California Indian Council to have the Bilingual Education Programs brought back in exchange for access to the oil reserves located in the Indian reservations land is in order and quite timely indeed.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Linguistics in Educational Programs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As I will review later in this paper, the Indian culture has continuously been eroded, and it is almost becoming extinct. Language is a very significant means of ensuring that culture stream down to the next generation. The native Indians, therefore, have all the rights to demand for the preservation of their culture by trying to ensure that their language is preserved. In this paper, I purpose to show why there is a need for every person to rally behind the Califor nia Indian Council in fighting for the return of bilingual education programs. The Bilingual Education Program It is worth noting that since the oil reserve is in the Indian Reservations Lands thus a private property, the council has all the rights to make such demands. The state on its part cannot force its way into the land as that will be going against the constitution. The oil reserve volume in the private land has not been confirmed, but it is highly suspected that the amount available is enough to commission exploitation. Exploration of this huge oil reserve will be a huge relief to the U.S. in general as this will go a long way to alleviate the energy shortage that is often felt in the U.S. The offering of the Bilingual Education Programs in exchange for the exploration of oil reserves is a good idea and meant for the common good for all the Americans. In adopting this approach, I am likely to confront a number of legal issues, which will definitely be brought by this approac h. The first reaction will likely come from the other minority groups that might feel secluded and discriminated against by this action. The other minority groups will likely view the Bilingual Education Programs as a preference treatment of some section of the public and to rectify that, they may in turn demand to be offered similar services.Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In anticipation of such a move from the other minority groups, I will consider the reinstitution of the Bilingual Education Programs. I believe that all people should be treated equally, and therefore, I will put in more effort to ensure that all the minority groups enjoy the Bilingual Education Programs. The inclusion of all the minority tribes in the Bilingual Education Programs will be necessary to avoid sending a skewed image of policy making whereby policies are made to favor some minority groups. Therefore , the reinstitution of such a policy will not only cover the Native American Indians but all the minority groups. Setting the Bilingual Education policy to cover only the Native American Indians, as noted above, will appear skewed and will actually be a ground for the propagations of discrimination as there are other minority groups, which will likely benefit from the policy. To avoid such damning condemnation of propagating discrimination through skewed policies, all the minority groups will have to be included in the policy. This will raise the question of funding of the bilingual education programs. I believe that the proceedings which will be realized from the oil exploitation should be used to fund the Bilingual Educations Programs. It will not make much sense to let a culture get lost just because there is an issue with funding. The native Indians are citizens and as such the government has a responsibility to enhance their survival as well as their culture. Going by census ca rried out, it can be proven that the America Indians need to be assisted in sustain their culture. As at 2010, the American Indians made up only 1 percent of the total population of the U.S. The native languages have been eroded with time. The state of California has the highest populace of American Indians, and therefore, it should be on the forefront to stand by the American Indians. There are enough statistics showing that the native languages are dying out. A research carried out on America Indians, and Alaska Natives showed that:Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Linguistics in Educational Programs specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Dozens of Indian languages are in danger of being forgotten and dying, unless more is done to make them a tool for everyday communication. Of the roughly 300 documented Indian languages, only 175 are still spoken today, and 70-percent of those are spoken only by a handful of Indians in their 70s, which increases the likelihood they will die. (NEA 2) According to the National Education Association (NEA) which gave the above statistics in 2006, the situation, in regard to the American Indian native language, is not very promising. The National Education Association (NEA) reported that there were concerted efforts by Native educators to ensure that the native languages are preserved and revived (NEA 3). It is therefore, in line that California should join hands with these people and help in the revitalization and preservation of the native Indian languages. The National Education Association (NEA) has claimed that the Bilingual Education Programs have not negative influence on the kids but instead the work positively towards developing children: Students at The Navajo Language School between the Meadows appear to be more comfortable in dealing with education in larger mainstream schools when they leave. Because they are comfortable with their own culture and know who they are, they’re capable of higher achievement levels. And their knowledge of the Navajo language seems to be a major contributing factor. (NEA 3) It is also worth noting that the reinstitution may not be an easy task to be carried out. Stiff opposition will be expected as it was just in 1998 that proposition 227 was passed (California 1) and overturning it may lead to some pertinent questions being raised as to whether the California education is meant for experimentation. The motive behind reinstitution of the bilingual education policy will raise eyebrows from the general public. However, it is worth noting that the proposition 277 has not done much good. As noted above, there are student who are well off with the Bilingual Education Programs. According to Barker, Noels and Hecth, the English only policy is creating linguistic complication among some students.Advertising Looking for essay on linguistics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This of course only applies to the minority language speakers. It has been argued that the English only movement has a negative effect on the people who do not speak English as their first language (Barker, Noels and Hecth 1). It should, however, be noted that the proposition 277 does not have to be completely overturned because in its status quo, it has some loopholes, which can be used to propagate the Bilingual Programs. The proposal allows for the waiver of its restrictions in some circumstances. As a matter of fact, the parent only needs to request for waivers, and their children will be enrolled in the Bilingual Education Programs. As a matter of fact, a number of schools in Orange County, California has been exercising the power of waivers; the most common of such schools is Santa Ana (Sacchetti 1). Therefore, it would be very hard for the American Indians to have their way into the Bilingual Education Programs without raising much alarm. The parents only need to request for waivers for their children after they have met some conditions. The experience of the Oakland Ebonics proposal is likely to resurface in such a scenario. To counter this, I will only need to show that the Oakland proposal was set in a situation which was completely different from the current situation in hand and hence its precedence cannot be used in the current situation. For instance, Ebonics unlike the American Indian language has many grammar similarities with the standards English. Actually, Ebonics is a modification of the American English. The Ebonics proposal failed in Oakland because the people for whom it was meant to help rejected it. This is in contrast to our current case because those whom the native language is meant to help have actually demanded for it (Rickford 1). Since some of the oil reserve extends to Arizona, this will present a hard nut to crack taking into consideration that proposal 203 of the state of Arizona does not have many loopholes as proposal 207. The two governors should sit down and discuss the way forward on this. Conclusion Bilingual Education Programs are good and can play a big role in helping students to excel in academics. The request by the California Indians Council should be allowed. The American Indians parents should be guarded on the loopholes available to make use of the Bilingual Education Programs. This will go a long way to preserve the culture of the Native American Indians. Works Cited Barker, Giles, Noels Duck, and Hecht Clement. â€Å"The English-only movement: a communication analysis of changing perceptions of language vitality.† Journal of Communication 51.1(2001): 3-37. Print. California. â€Å"Proposal 227.† English Language in Public Schools, n.d. Web. NEA. â€Å"American Indians/Alaska Natives.† Focus On, 2006. Web. Rickford, John. â€Å"What is Ebonics (African American vernacular English).† Linguistic Society of America, 2011. Web. Sacchetti, Maria. â€Å"Bilingual c lasses may get review.† AZ Bilingualed, 2003. Web. This essay on Linguistics in Educational Programs was written and submitted by user Alexis I. 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.

A Analysis Of Family Structure And Dynamics Social Work Essay Essay Example

A Analysis Of Family Structure And Dynamics Social Work Essay Essay Example A Analysis Of Family Structure And Dynamics Social Work Essay Essay A Analysis Of Family Structure And Dynamics Social Work Essay Essay The construct of household individuality can be defined as a household s subjective apprehension of world based on shared beliefs and experiences that determine how single members interact and associate to each other and the universe outside the household ( Bennett, Wolin, McAvity, 1988 ) . Throughout my childhood my household had two individualities: a public individuality that was shaped by social outlooks and norms, and a private individuality that was governed by the alone demands and issues that plagued our household life. From a public position we were a traditional in-between category household complete with a married twosome, three kids, and two Canis familiariss. We lived in a modest but nice place in a suburban community, my sisters and I attended private schools, and we were financially unafraid. However, few people were cognizant of the struggle, pandemonium, and maltreatment that occurred behind closed doors within our place. Our private individuality, characterized by d ysfunctional behaviours and interactions that occurred between assorted members of the household, told a really different narrative. The construction or organisation of my household based on forms of interactions, subsystems, and boundaries is of import in understanding the kineticss within my household of beginning ( Minuchin, 1974 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . The genogram, or household diagram, provided in the appendix illustrates a multigenerational position of construction and relationships within my drawn-out household ( Bowen, 1978 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . However, for the intent of this paper I will concentrate on the construction of my household of beginning. My household consists of my male parent, Gerald, my female parent, Alma, and three kids: Michelle, the eldest, Jennifer, the in-between kid, and myself the youngest kid. Our household construction was governed by familial functions, regulations, and outlooks ( Nichols, 2011 ) . My male parent held the function of fiscal supplier within the household. His duty was to guarantee that the household had fiscal security. My female parent maintained the function of health professional and leader. She was the materfamilias of the household and was charged with the undertaking of keeping every facet of the place and household. My oldest sister was the whipping boy and defender within the household. Family issues were frequently projected onto her coercing her to take duty and incrimination for household disfunction ( Shulman, 2006 ) . She besides held the function of defender within the sibling subsystem, and often shielded my in-between sister and I from danger and injury within and outside the place. My in-between sister was the quiet member and theoretical account kid of the household. She is inactive and seldom expressed sentiments sing household issues, and ever made an effort to fulfill familial outlooks and demands ( Shulman, 2006 ) . As the youngest kid, I played the function of gatekeeper within the household. My end as the gatekeeper was to utilize my humor and wit to assist the household return to a province of homeostasis by easing tensene ss and reconstructing composure and peace within the household ( Shulman, 2006 ) . My household was besides governed by a set of explicit and implicit regulations and outlooks ( Nichols, 2011 ) . Explicit regulations and outlooks consisted of good behaviour, high academic accomplishment, and the completion of assorted jobs and responsibilities within the family. Implicit regulations helped strengthen household secrets and included maintaining household issues private, and prohibiting household members to discourse or admit the disfunction within the household. Additionally, my household operated as a closed system with stiff boundaries restricting input from outside beginnings ( Minuchin, 1974 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . We were non unfastened or welcoming to outside influences and support ; instead, we internalized familial issues and jobs. My female parent s mental unwellness complicated household kineticss and contributed to the pathology within the place. My female parent has Borderline Personality Disorder which made her a polarising presence within our place due to her frequent tantrums of fury and unstable mental wellness ( Nichols, 2011 ) . Therefore, the household s attending and energy was chiefly focused on my female parent and her demands ( Nichols, 2011 ) . My female parent would often displace her choler and fury onto my sisters and I in the signifier of physical and emotional maltreatment. Her behaviour affected relationships, boundaries, and fond regard forms within the household as illustrated in the household genogram. My female parent exhibited an anxious-ambivalent fond regard to my male parent due to her at hand fright of forsaking ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . She urgently desired my male parent s love and attending, but would act in ways that created struggle and pandemonium within the matrimo nial subsystem ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . As a consequence, my male parent developed an anxious-avoidant fond regard to my female parent, which resulted in him making a stiff boundary within the matrimonial subsystem in order to protect and distance himself from my female parent s choler and attendant feelings of helpless and defeat ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Minuchin, 1974 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . My parents were involved in a cyclical pursuer-distancer form of interaction that resulted in my male parent s detachment within the matrimonial subsystem ( Minuchin, 1974 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . The kineticss, boundaries, and fond regards between the parental and kid subsystems were every bit complicated. The relationship between my female parent and my oldest sister was filled with struggle and tenseness. My female parent was exceptionally opprobrious to my oldest sister which resulted in the constitution of disorganised fond regard ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . My oldest sister perceived my female parent as terrorization ; yet, she urgently desired nurturance from my female parent and fluctuated between distancing herself from my female parent and urgently seeking comfort and security ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . My oldest sister and my female parent were psychologically and emotionally entwined or fused with one another despite old ages of maltreatment ( Bowen, 1978 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . My in-between sister established an anxious-avoidant fond regard with my female parent ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . As a kid, my in-between sister seldom sought aid, counse l, or comfort from my female parent as a consequence of the maltreatment she endured and my female parent s inability to adequately turn to her demands for safety and comfort ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . I established an anxious-ambivalent fond regard to my female parent in which I urgently depended on her for emotional support and encouragement despite her maltreatment, but seldom received equal comfort and nurturance ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . My sisters and I have an anxious-avoidant fond regard with my male parent as a consequence of his inability to systematically supply us with comfort and safety in response to my female parent s maltreatment ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . The household kineticss, nevertheless, strengthened the sibling subsystem. My sisters and I have a secure fond regard and are able to trust on each other for support, comfort, and nurturance in the face of hardship ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . Culture and ethnicity besides played an built-in function in my household individuality and kineticss. My parents are first coevals Mexicanos and were raised in households that emphasized traditional Mexican cultural values and beliefs including a strong committedness to household, regard, trust, and faith ( Rothman, Gant, Hnat, 1985 ) . However, my parents raised my sisters and I in a bi-cultural environment that incorporated assorted facets of American and Mexican civilization and traditions. My parents emphasized trust, regard, and committedness within the household, but they besides introduced American linguistic communication, nutrient, jubilations, and values including a focal point on individualism, privateness, and accomplishment ( Rothman et al. , 1985 ; Beane, 2011 ) . Additionally, contrary to traditional Mexican civilization, there was a stronger accent on immediate instead than extended household ( Rothman et al. , 1985 ) . Religion was besides an of import cultural face t of our lives. My household is Catholic and placed a strong accent on spiritual beliefs and rites such as praying before repasts and go toing church together every Sunday. Family Crisis/Transition In June of 1992 my household, as we knew it, changed everlastingly. My male parent left our place without any anterior notice or treatment and filed for divorce from my female parent. His abrupt and unforeseen going from our place left every household member fighting with feelings of daze, confusion, contempt, choler, and anxiousness. The initial stage of the divorce procedure is identified as the most nerve-racking clip for a household due to the alterations in household construction as a consequence of the absence of a parent, and subsequent force per unit areas and demands for household members to take on new functions and duties ( Cooper, McLanahan, Meadows, Brooks-Gunn, 2009 ; Kelly A ; Emery, 2003 ) . Additionally, households frequently experience important alterations in socioeconomic, societal, and wellness resources as the consequence of a divorce that frequently increases the degree of emphasis within a household and complicates the header and version procedure ( Cooper et al. , 2009, p. 559 ; Kelly A ; Emery, 2003 ) . Harmonizing to the ABC-X Model of Family Crisis, a household s ability to set and get by with passages and crises is based on the interaction of the undermentioned variables: A-the state of affairs or stressor event, B-available resources, C-the household s perceptual experience of the event, and X-the grade of emphasis or crisis experienced by a household ( McKenry A ; Price, 1994 ) . Let us now apply the ABC-X Model of Family Crisis to analyse my household s initial response to the nerve-racking passage of my parents divorce. The stressor confronting my household was the separation, and subsequent divorce, of my parents which left the household in a province of hurt and significantly altered our household individuality, construction, kineticss, and operation. My male parent s absence resulted in important fiscal adversity for the household, which forced my female parent to come in the work force and take on the new and unfamiliar function of fiscal supplier. The duty and demands of this new function affected my female parent s ability to keep her health professional function within the household. As a consequence, my sisters and I had to take on many of her duties within the place. Initially, my oldest sister took on the function of health professional in my female parent s absence. However, my oldest sister left for college shortly after my male parent s going which resulted in important alterations to the sibling subsystem and farther complicated our household s ability to accommodate and get by. My in- between sister was forced to abandon her usual function as the quiet member, and presume the function of defender and health professional. This new function placed a great trade of force per unit area on my in-between sister and changed the moral force within the new sibling couple by increasing tenseness. Additionally, I was no longer able to successfully ease household tenseness and pandemonium as the gatekeeper, and assumed the new function of assisting my in-between sister maintain the family. The divorce besides affected household fond regard demands, boundaries, and relationships. After the divorce, my male parent was physically and emotionally cut-off from my female parent and the remainder of the household ( Bowen, 1978 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . My sisters and I had no contact with my male parent for a twelvemonth following the divorce, which created a stiff boundary between him and the kid subsystem and contributed to our inability to accommodate our heartache and heal ( Minuchin, 1974 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . Additionally, boundaries between the parental and kid subsystems, and within the sibling subsystem, became more diffuse as a consequence of the new functions and duties of each household member ( Minuchin, 1974 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . The alterations in household construction forced my in-between sister to take on more of a parental function within the sibling subsystem. Additionally, my female parent was unable to pass as much clip within the place due to the demands of her n ew function as fiscal supplier, which created a distance and detachment between the parent and kid subsystems ( Minuchin, 1974 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . My female parent s relationship with my oldest sister was every bit affected as a consequence of the passage. After she left place, my oldest sister was able to emotionally divide or cut-off my female parent and the pandemonium within the place ( Bowen, 1978 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . However, my oldest sister continued to supply emotional support within the sibling subsystem. My female parent s mental unwellness complicated her ability to get by with the passage and adequately turn to the attachment demands of my sisters and I ( Minuchin, 1974 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . Despite the complicated and helter-skelter relationship we each had with my female parent we urgently needed and wanted her comfort, counsel, and nurturance in response to the hurting, confusion, and anguish we were experiencing. However, my female parent s ain emotional instability rendered her unable to adequately turn to our demands for fond regard. My female parent was preoccupied with her ain demands for emotional comfort and responded in a cold and rejecting mode to our demand for comfort and security. Rather, my in-between sister and I were forced to supply comfort and consolation to my female parent and set our ain demands aside. This function reversal further complicated the interactions and boundaries between the parent and kid subsystems. Culture besides influenced my household s perceptual experience of the divorce and ability to get by with the passage. The disintegration of a matrimony and household is non good accepted within the Mexican civilization due to the strong accent on household connexion and committedness. In fact, households that experience divorce are frequently shamed and ostracized by drawn-out household as was the instance in our household system. My maternal grandparents expressed contempt and letdown in my female parent s inability to salve her matrimony and household, which created more tenseness within our household. Additionally, divorce was uncommon within our suburban community. We were the first household in our community to see a divorce and this contributed to my household s feelings of embarrassment and shame. The divorce besides altered our household s public individuality of the ideal in-between category household, and revealed some of the struggle and pandemonium within our place. Our household individuality now reflected matrimonial strife and a broken place. Our spiritual beliefs besides complicated our ability to accommodate after the divorce. Divorce is non supported or condoned within Catholicism which increased our feelings of embarrassment and shame in the Catholic community. My household had limited entree to resources following the divorce. As antecedently mentioned, our household operated as a closed system which complicated our ability to achieve equal fiscal, societal, and emotional support and aid from external systems ( Minuchin, 1974 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . Our socioeconomic position, fiscal resources, and criterion of life were significantly minimized. We transitioned from being a financially unafraid in-between category household to populating below the poorness line in a affair of months. Our entree to societal support was besides limited as a consequence of the stiff boundaries dividing my household from external systems of support such as household friends and mental wellness professionals ( Minuchin, 1974 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . Rather, each member of the household sought single resources within and outside the household to assist relieve emotional hurt and achieve support. For illustration, my sisters and I sought support from external systems incl uding friends and instructors ( Nichols, 2011 ) . We besides relied on the unafraid fond regard we had with each other for emotional support and counsel ( Bowlby, 1988 ; Nichols, 2011 ) . My female parent sought emotional support from extended household, the kid subsystem, and her new colleagues. My parents divorce was an unexpected event that significantly increased the degree of emphasis within my household and contributed to alterations in household individuality, construction, functions, relationships, and resources. My household s opposition to seek and accept external resources and back up farther complicated our ability as a system to retrieve from our loss and adaptively header with the passage. Cultural influences besides contributed to a negative assessment of the state of affairs. My household s negative perceptual experience of the divorce resulted in feelings of hopelessness and desperation instead than an accent on problem-solving and growing ( McKenry A ; Price, 1994 ) . This negative perceptual experience significantly inhibited our ability to adaptively get by with the passage and associated stressors. My household was able to readapt construction and functions, but lacked coherence and stableness. The apogee of the event, the deficiency of sufficient resou rces, and the negative perceptual experience of the passage resulted in my household s assessment of the event as a crisis that disrupted equilibrium, increased force per unit area and emphasis within the household system, and negatively affected household operation ( McKenry A ; Price, 1994 ) . meotite sed the degree of emphasis within my household and contributed to the

Information Systems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Information Systems - Research Paper Example Despite the efficiency and effectiveness of the communication system at the company, Hierarchical Network Design incorporation offers more benefits (White & Donohue, 2014). To meet the fundamental network design goals, a network should be developed on an architecture that permits both flexibilities as well as growth. The hierarchical design is effectively used to group devices into various networks. Such a network design involves subdividing the network into various discrete layers. Every layer provides precise functions that outline its role within the network in totality (Oppenheimer, 2005). Through separating the functions that are on a network, the network design becomes very proper for use for this business for it becomes modular, facilitating scalability as well as performance. Such are the urgent concern for a modern day bicycle manufacturing business. The usual hierarchical design is broken up into distinctly three layers, core, access and access, distribution. The core layer, for instance, will connect distribution layer devices. Access layer, on the other hand, has the main purpose providing a direct connection to network devices and controlli ng the devices allowed to communicate with it. Finally, distribution layer has the role of interconnecting the smaller local networks. As a conclusion, by examining the communication network within Mosaic Cycle; the overall efficiency and effectiveness of this system are evident. Nonetheless, as evident in the paper hierarchical network possess advantages over this network designs thus recommended.

Lousis Daguerre Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Lousis Daguerre - Essay Example Daguerre used immaculately polished and silver plated sheets of cooper, which were sensitized with iodine vapors to catch photographic images (Carlisle 255). These sheets were exposed in big box cameras and were later developed in mercury fumes (Carlisle 255). Later on they were fixed or stabilized in sodium thiosulphate or hypo (Carlisle 255). Daguerreotype photography required little exposure time and allowed for the capturing of photographic images that were impressively detailed and vivid (Carlisle 255). Daguerre promoted the daguerreotype photography invented by him both as a medium of artistic expression and as a potent scientific tool. Most of the earlier experimental works made by Daguerre were destroyed in fire that burned his laboratory. Yet, today still survive a few of his daguerreotype portraits, urban views and still lives, which speak much for the ingenuity and aesthetic appeal of Daguerre’s

Enterprise Technologies and the Value Chain Research Paper

Enterprise Technologies and the Value Chain - Research Paper Example As the paper stresses mobile business refers to electronic business transactions enabled, in part, by mobile technology targeting both consumers and businesses. Mobile business includes mobile commerce activities that represent mobile technology enabled transactions. Mobile technologies that support mobile businesses are grouped as networks and devices. Mobile devices can range from GPS and RFID chips to tablets and barcode scanners. Mobile networks include RFID, Bluetooth, GPS and mobile telecommunication networks. These are utilized, by organizations, to offer customization and flexibility. Unlike e-commerce, M-business offers value via enabling users to be reachable anytime and be mobile. According to the discussion findings value creation can occur via support to mobile users (employees) or mobile activities such as tracking supplies and raw materials. An industry trend that is growing is Fixed Mobile Convergence where centralized infrastructure and management support a mobile workforce that provides access to business applications from all locations and network connections. The greater the mobile workforce size in an organization, the higher the value proposition for mobile business in the organization. Three components are vital in the value proposition of mobile business for an organization; relevant actors, mobile technology’s unique attributes, and activities supported.

Impact Of Vastu Shastra On Architecture

Impact Of Vastu Shastra On Architecture Shelter is one of the basic needs for Human beings. People spend much of their time in their homes. Therefore comfort and environmental conditions are important aspects of a house. However in contemporary India this ancient practice is being termed as myth or occult by the majority .Still this practise proves to be extremely popular with contemporary clients, who insist on their house being built and designed as per vastu shastra. This thesis deals with the relevance of Vastu Shastras fundamental rules of architecture which are based on now proven scientific facts to todays architectural and interior design practices. The aim is to prove that Vastu Shastra has a scientific background with a practical application and is not just a superstition .The purpose is to clear the fears in the mind of the people about the misconception of Vastu Shastra and its tenets, the fear created by consultants by threats of destruction, death, disease and miserable life Therefore, knowing and applying the rules of Vastu Shastra would be extremely beneficial for any modern day Architect and/or Interior Designer in India. The thesis contains four chapters. The first chapter introduces Vastu Shastra and its rules governed by the various elements of nature .This chapter discusses the history and the present of Vastu shastra in India. The second chapter discusses the occult aspect of Vastu .It is an attempt to reason out why people have an impression of Vastu as a superstition and to enlighten and encourage the reader to study Vastu Sastra with an open mind and demystify its occult garb. The third chapter puts forward various issues dealing with environmental relevance of Vastu Shastras rules and their scientific backgrounds. It reveals two important aspects of the relevance of solar energy and geomagnetic energy with Vastu .The first part displays the vector analysis of the varying directional solar energy field as implored on stationary geomagnetic flux. The second part explains the correlation between the movement of the sub atomic paticles and the electromagnetic flux. The fourth chapter discusses an ideal Vastu layout and also presents a case study of a contemporary project with the application of vastu rules and brief statements of the inmates confirming their wellness in a Vastu based residence. Chapter 1.Vastu Shastra in India Vastu Shastra is an ancient building science that governed the Indian architecture in the vedic times. Vastu means building and Shastra means the science so in essence it is the building science. It explains the basis of creating spaces in respect to its surrounding. Vastu Shastra originated around 3000 BC. It was first mentioned in the ancient Hindu scriptures like Rig Veda, Mahabharata etc. In primitive India, education, medication, horoscopy, astrophysics, occultism, metaphysics and religiousness lived in complaisant proximity, their borders superimposing and one enhancing the other. The rules of Vaastu Shastra and environmental reflections in residential buildings were established considering the cosmic influence of the Sun, wind direction, magnetic field of the earth and the impact of cosmos on the Earth. House building design, including its internal and external environment, has customarily been the duty of the architects. Vastu Shastra scriptures were scribed in the olden days when architecture was essentially for the rulers, the nobles and for the divine structures. The fundamental architectural Rules namely climate, orientations, functions, planning, etc are now being overlooked by the architects and designers. Especially in India, the very fact of buying and owning a house is considered as a sign of high class belonging to community and status in the society. Considering environmental factors in buildings is as old as the architecture, the Vaastu and the Vedic Era . With the guidelines of Vastu Shastra the architects can design buildings in such a way that it will bring good health, wealth and peace to the inmates. Man builds the city so that the city shall build its dwellers. () The upcoming occupation of architecture has outcast the Vaastu Vidya or the customary Indian wisdom of architecture. Vaastu Shastra is as aged as knowledge itself, but the practise of the Vaastu Consultants is a fairly new and modified, it addresses only a part of this science. It is time Vaastu Shastra is made free of its mysterious guise and exhibited as a rational and judicious branch of knowledge. Vaastu Shastra is futhermore distinguished by the Vaastu Pundits'(experts) and is termed as The Edifice Science (implication of the rules of this science while designing a building will assuredly bring peace and prosperity to its occupiers) Vastu Shastra has been acknowledged as a science derived from the study of nature and the supernatural by the prehistoric Aryan sages. Vastu Shastra takes into account the influences of the sun, ts light and heat.It considers the impacts of earths electromagnetic field, bio-chemical effects in a human body, in order to lead a healthy and prosperous life. Advanced study in neuro-science has proved that the Sun, the Moon, Planets which are the Cosmic counter-parts, have a one-to-one relevance to the various fragments of the human brain . Hence, the Vedic formula for the orientation of the dwelling towards the east to achieve the benefits of the morning sun and a perfect house ,a square with a cental open space to avoid the scorching afternoon sun. Various ailments like insomnia,cerebral palsy,hypertension,etc experienced healing in th past 15 years with the help of Environmental energy much before it was acclaimed by the scholars of today through the study of Matsya, Mansaraand many more epics and were recognised and acknowledged as science for example the military science Dhanur-Vidya The profession of the designer or the architect is absolutely mistaken with the role of the astrologer. Traditionally the Indian Architecture was acknowledged as unique and was not subject to be analysed by the western examples. The fundamental rules of Vastu Shastra are based on two important aspects 1.The five natural elements sky, air, fire, water and earth and 2. The eight cardinal directions North, South, East ,West, North East ,North West, South East, South West. Fundamental concepts of Vastu Shastra The whole universe is made up of the five basic elements sky, air, fire, water and earth. According to Vastu Shastra a perfect balance of these elements can enhance the living conditions. 1.The Five elements of the Nature The science of Vastu Shastra considers the world to be comprised of five basic elements termed as Panch Mahabhoota Vastu Pundits (experts) believed Presence of Life on earth is a result of the balance of these five elements which are present on Earth.which is now proven by the modern world scientists.( BBC,OPEN SCIENCE.,2010 Final Frontier[online].The open university.Available from:http://www.open2.net/science/finalfrontier/life/why.ht[Accessed 01 August 2010) Following are the five basic elements of the nature. BHUMI (EARTH)- The position of Earth ,is third in order from the sun. Presence of electromagnetism makes it a large magnet in the space with the North Pole and the South Pole as centers of attraction.Every living and Non living organism on Earth is influenced by its magnetic field and Gravitational pull. JALA (Water)-Water is in a liquid form and is represented by rain,ocean,sea, and river.It forms a portion of every flora and fauna.Haemoglobin in combination with oxygen forms blood which runs in our bodies. VAYU (Air)- Air is considered as the foundation of life and is a supreme source of life. The comfort value of human beings is directly dependant on the balanced humidity, temperature, pressure, flow and the composition of the air and its contents. AGNI (Fire) -Fire is symbolised by light and heat which forms an indispensable part of day and night ,climatic conditions,radioactivity,avidity,energy and vigor AKASHA (Space) The space or the sky shelters all the elements of nature.It is the primary conductor of all the sources of energy for example light, sound,social energies namely emotional and psychological and cognitive energies namely intuition and intellect. There is an unseen relationship amongst all the above five elements. Thus various human conditions can be improved by considering the effectiveness of these five basic natural forces while designing the buildings.The role of Vastu Shastra is to combine these elements of nature and balance them with the man and the matter. Taking advantage of the gifts bestowed by the nature to make a pleasant living and working conditions thereby promoting spiritual well-being and enhancing healthand wealth leading to prosperity and happy living The eight cardinal directions Vastu takes into consideration the eight possible directions after analysing and studying the four coordinal and angular directions. coordinal directions- North, South, East and West angular directions North East, NorthWest, SouthEast, SouthWest In Vastu studies these directions are established with the help of a tool called the Vastu compass which is a magnetic compass. The building site is first analysed with this tool and later inscribed on the layout to start the process of designing taking in consideration the Vastu principles. Vastu affirms that it helps one to tune with nature and derive its free benefits by honouring the five basic elements and the eight cardinal directions. Chapter 2: The Occult aspect of Vastu There are three important factors that influence the misconception of Vastu Shastra. 1.Personal Motives of the consultants Human mind has always been intrigued by the Occult and the supernatural. In a lot of cases the beliefs and faiths of common people have been wrongly used and abused. It is therefore important to understand when and where should one draw the line .This fear of being a victim to such immoral practices by some Vastu consultants who do not understand the subject but scare people for their advantage has created an unbelief of Vastu Shastra in India. The purpose of this chapter is to clear the fears in the mind of the people about the misconception of Vastushastra and its tenets, the fear created by consultants by threats of destruction, death, disease and miserable life. The truth is that the original Vastu script is lost and all modern available text are only compilation, this has made Vastu a victim of unscrupulous interpretation. 2.Mythological Stories Moreover the terminology used by the ancient scholars while explaining the scientific laws of Vastu Shastra also gaves rise to the superstitious aspect of its understanding. In the ancient times, the Vedas ,or the knowledge, was limited to a particular cast of people, which is why it was difficult for a common person to understand the principles of this science, if explained in a scientific way. The wise ones used the terminology which was easy for the common man to understand so for example ,when the scholars had to say that by constructing a window in a particular direction, one can make the most of the early morning sun rays, they would rather say that by placing the window in a particular direction the deity of that direction will bless them with good health and prosperity. Consequently Vastu in India is treated as a religious duty more than an art of construction, which leads to the misunderstanding of its concepts. The problem starts when Vastu Shastra is mixed up with religious rituals.The wisemen of yesteryears infused religion in Vastu so that people will implement it and practise it in the fear of the supernatural but today it has been been misjudged and wrongly accused in the name of religion and occultism. Indian mythology tells stories of the deity of Foundation Vastu Purusha. The stories in the Vedas also have a important role to play in the misconception of Vastu Shastra.There is an Fascinating story about the Vastu Purushain the Matsya Purana. According to the Vedas , Vaastu Purusha is omnipresent in all the plot irrelevant to its size. It lays on the plot with its head down and his body folded in a peculiar fashion in order to cover the length and the width of the plot. During his battle with the demons,Lord shiva got tired and started sweating too much and out of his drops of sweat a cruel looking hungry man was born who began to make penance to appease the deity.Lord shiva finally was pleased with him and granted him his wish to be the strongest and largest being on Earth.He then stood between the Earth and the heavens.Terrified by this devotee the deities and the demons together pinned him down to the earth. Pitying his state Lord Shiva blessed him and made him the God of Vastu and called him the Vastu Purusha. Since then it is believed that the being is present in every plot with the deities and the demons acquiring and ruling different positions on his body . People listen and believe in such stories and overlook the science of Vastu .They do not probe into the details of Vastu science and term it as a myth. Moreover since the knowledge of Vastu was passed down from generation to generation, it has been modified and more and more stories are weaved around it to make it sound more mythological. However ancient Indian scholars were great mathematicians and also had the knowledge of geology this is shown in the next chapter , which explains the rational and practical aspect of Vastu. 3.Contemporary Phase of Vastu in India Today new flats and apartments in newly constructed buildings are rejected if they are not built according to the Vastu concepts. Infact if your building is designed with the help of a Vastu Consultant then it becomes a USP to sell the Flats in certain parts of India! Amusingly some buyers come with a Vastu Consultant to check if it suits their personal needs before making the decision of buying the house of their dreams. This forces the builders to employ Vastu consultants without checking the depth of your knowledge and use them as an added tag to sell their Flats who inturn mislead the customers into buying the flats. Chapter 3 Environmental relevance and scientific approach to Vastu. In this chapter I will try to delineate the traditional narrations in terms of basic laws, logic and approach of particle physics, biochemistry and energy dynamics. For correlating the significance of directions and forces in Vastu the following topics are very significant: flow charachteristics of solar energy, geomagnetic, flux, thermal variations. Part 1.Solar radiation and its effects Whenever a structure is created it is exposed to the effects of the suns radiations. In tropical countries the south side suffers harsh heat while the north side remains in the shadow area this results in the formation of thermocouple in the space and around the house. In the tropical countries South, South East and Southwest suffer scorching heat while the North .North east and Northwest remain in the cool shadow section. It can be summarised that disturbance is created due to the high imbalance in the natural order of the geometric flux lines, (flux is defined as the amount of electromagnetic energy that flows through a unit area per unit time) forming nodes at the intersection of the flux lines.These nodes are points of distorted energy potential.Such dislocations trap the sub atomic particles travelling along the flux lines.These particles start resonating under specific conditions and off hazardous micro level radiation. These emissions have a tendency of working against the exi stence of life forms. Vastu-purush-mandal represents this phenomenon as Yama'(Lord of Death). The thermal imbalance is the main cause in creating obstacles in smooth energy flow through and around the building. The comprehensive remedial measures available in vastu shastra try to equalise the thermal difference and provide harmonious and blissful conditions for the dweller. The wise men of the past understood this and tried to derive a solution to offset the disturbance in the south direction by the following measures. 1. Thick heavy wall on the south side 2. Blocking of the openings in the south side 3. Avoiding any slopes towards the south 4.Orienting the house in such a manner that more open spaces are available in the North and East directions 5. By Planting some trees in the South for availing of humid atmosphere. 7.Raising of plinth and compound height in the south direction. If adhered to these rules one can try to create equalise the thermal differentials and create harmonious and balanced living conditions within the structure. Part 2.Directions and Deities The four main directions namely North, South, East and West represent streams of positive and negative energies .These directions act as either the source or the sink for energies. Hence the orientation and alignment of these forces are prearranged in their zones of impact. Whereas the sub directions vis-a-vis North East, South East, North West and South West represent zones of confluence of two different (positive and negative)energy streams which are at right angles to each other. Any disturbance in the flow of these energies triggers turbulence in the flow of the energy which is aligned to the primary direction. The Vastu Pundits combined the positive north and east directions with the negative south and West to determine the effects of the sub . These directions were then associated with positions of the deities depending on the results of the effects of the energies. North East + + residence of God North west + desirable direction SouthEast + Not desirable direction South West residence of Demon Part 3.Scientific Approach to Vastu. Below we will examine several examples which strongly stand for the fact that Vastu Shastra is based on solid scientific evidence and can be beneficial to the human race. The following Vastu Shastra rules can be easily misunderstood without a rational explanation. Rule 1.Each direction has a Presiding deity .Since Wealth God rules the North and the Sun God Aditya rules East direction, the window openings of the house and also the placement of the water tank should be in the North East direction to welcome the lord, who will then be pleased and will bless you with the healthy and prosperous life The scientific explanation to the above statement is as follows. The sun rises in the East and hence the suns rays emit more light and less heat .Sun rays in the morning are a rich source of vitaminD, which are A vital component in formation of healthy bone . Water is disinfected by UV rays, as the genetic material is altered in bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, which destroys the harmful microorganisms example E. Coli.(Hwaa irfan,2001). If UV exposure is dozed carefully, it has protective effects against cancer (Severn,2001 p.1). Various diseases are cured using the UV radiations, for example rickets, psoriasis, eczema and jaundice. So when one has openings in their house towards the East direction, it allows the early morning sun rays to enter the house and these are the ultra violet rays which when penetrate in the house and bestow their benefits keeping the inmates healthy and fit. A healthy and fit person can think and work more efficiently leading to a higher earning and a prosperous life. Now if the openings are created in the opposite direction, then it could be detrimental to the health, as the afternoon rays are the infra red rays, which are strong and harmful. Rule 2.The beds should be placed in such a way so as the head of the person should be in the south direction. As the deity of death resides in the south, so one should not face this direction while sleeping, as it invites death. The explanation to the above statement can be found in the earth magnetism. The earths magnetic field runs from South Pole to north pole ,so if you sleep in the same fashion then you are aligned with the magnetic flow .Now studies show that Human head and north are both positive poles (Ritu 1999)due to which they repel each other hence it is favourable to sleep with the head in the south for a sound sleep. Sleep disorder leads to a lot of health problems. This clearly proves that by adhering to the Vastu principles, one can make the most out of the natures gifts to human kind. Chapter 4.Contemporary Indian Architecture and Design Part 1.Ideal Vastu House In India a home is not just a shelter for human beings,it is called as Manushyalayawhich means human temple.As per Vastu both house and temple are sacred spaces so a house should be designed with the same concept as the temple. A house design with an open courtyard system was a national pattern of India before the introduction of the western concepts. The arrangement of the built spaces is the basis of creating a spiritual environment needed for the well being and prosperity. Figure shows an ideal layout of a perfectly square building with a superimposed modular Vastu grid of 9 x 9 forming 81 squares meant for a family. The centre space Brahmasthan is supposed to be the nuclear energy field which should be unbuilt and kept open to the sky to connect with the outer space Akasha. The central courtyard is not for the living purpose it can be used for cultural and religious rituals. The next row of squares adjacent to the centre space are to be used for a walkway and the corner squares are to used for the specific rooms. Following are the directions with the deity that presides them and the specific rooms to be built respectively. Direction Deity presiding the direction Suggested rooms North East Dharma(God of righteousness) Prayer room North Kubera (God of wealth) Living room North West Vayu (God of wind) Guest Bedroom,Toilet East Indra (God of Gods) Bathroom West Varuna (God of water) Childrens bedroom South Yama (God of Death) Store room South East Agni (God of Fire) Kitchen and dining room South West Niruthi (Goddess of demons) Master bedroom Part 2.Case study of a contemporary Vastu House Vastu House By Khosla Associates in Bangalore, India 24 July 2010, 09:18:05 | [emailprotected] (Aji Avarachan) The space planning in this house was designed in harmony with the Vastu orientation and placement concept called Vastu Purusha Mandala .To design within a dictated predetermined rigid locations specified as per Vastu yet to arrive at a visually stunning and aesthetic architecture was the biggest challenge of this project. Rising lazily from the North East which was the lowest point to South East which was the highest point of the house,it was built on soft split levels. The trees in the open courtyard are beautifully weaved in its linear horizontal and cantilevered roof .The massive stretch of glass blur the spatial boundaries between enclosed space of the house and the open space of the garden As one strolls down the open living spaces one can experience a sense of infinity, These spaces are divided with sliding bifold doors and certain spaces do not have any barrier at all. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjizb4YxEwhoOAdW7nlHSOZlthtpeJFUtvxBVBFpB5BZdhPbBmz1bSbPaRi8EAP5gQPYqXSrWlIVBaWES1ykT1grNifyMKPhUnkZ61YYnlTaMLV7lY-fMb1dHC0lCUGHs1CET3kdwkeDw8/s400/Vastu-House-Exterior-Garden.jpg https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf819qNfQQd7oF30-It_dURQ-gFlRjYuupfB9QkYTLrugXKuXA20caXSaPy5KyjW_3dC-LvgD_q8baSqnnEONbGiRTeB86ZPgTeO7Vs-N4fsLmcCXP6D3deWdypJlHC1Zw20JjfK3Km2A/s400/Vastu-House-Exterior-Lighting.jpg All the main areas were positioned as per Vastu Shastra. The Master bedroom is located in the Earth Zone(SW),the location of the kitchen is in the fire zone(SE)and in the zone of water and air(N and NE) was placed the swimming pool.The main door was in the North East and the Childrens bedroom was in the West.Even the the position the staircase, the orientation of the bed, study table and wardrobe and position in the bathroom lavatories were designed in accordance of Vastu principles and the flow of the energy. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT2MQSrq2LsrxO_u2HqO7h-DZypWShrfHrjOYw0RaILKheguZaMc9S5UIDLTmHokpxC_rLHR5u9ROk66rgtf_VNfd06U5re6NPsTiYXVN88m92VcqgkADY-BwBRw1tecfC6jZzhkMEoXk/s400/Vastu-House-Exterior-Porch.jpg https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2u7o6sVwYpImapskhLpRXm3ZZujSfsRxspQPr5QFNYllzTckLZqGcW7cYYz8QZY7eahSMI3mTx60NaWBAAy56-YZd9O0lnm0D4XVVPkDJd3l0xnC9IWyZwIGek0AEyJ_fBZrk2lg8dC0/s400/Vastu-House-Exterior-Swimming-Pool.jpg The location of this house is strategically placed near a busy street,a small inhouse office for the Master of the house is positioned near the main road.The entrance to the office is covered by the canopy of some old trees one makes a way paving through them. These trees act as a visual barrier to the rushing traffic on the main road. https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-fmQhCMA_Yzvm0wfonbxQ6VGYEf78s_v0qDTm0aUWtO_t2IGyJHPV6PKpSr7JhZaluZ2GkavlaKMkYCU3Zq9x6uXN9EsmeFGMz6Y_XPL7OzCKCHS5iwv7UbsK7WfdkOYLeQR1S-5q8SM/s400/Vastu-House-Interior-Bathroom.jpg https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdevZbGAyOCpRexObc98bMGWZQzmP-8KfOKWriLeZmKJy9IiyErMex9Qb0ZgBjDRU2Iv5g6eNRQs69gaiaw0b6B9vzblJz0k98F5iuRT5YhouJtECxW_u9lLryv4VlLzsxSpSY8xxHTUg/s400/Vastu-House-Interior-Dining-Table.jpg The black steps which are carved from a local granite leads one from the spacious living room into the courtyard which is open to sky ,perched in the centre are some ornamental trees .The roof is cladded with local manglore tiles. The support for the roof are hand carved stone columns which are innovative and functional and carry the load of the roof through the diagonal steel struts. Taking advantage of the beautiful climate the dining table is placed in a semi-outdoor space https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixljw4vmBgGByyg77W-i64XP07U5Zxb3OYXYbLz2sy8oSQAhdMcrEU6ma-aZ45ZDPWYiawAj6r42qSPb9g4IEFW2xRcAFCvgj2x5m5Yb6UVjfmCx035BEFLmGGGQprsw4l65ikHGzRp_E/s400/Vastu-House-Interior-Livingroom.jpg The first floor which is accessed through a wooden staircase has a large siiting area with a fitness center. The bathroom has huge glass windows with lots of natural light leading to a massive walk in closet. There is an interesting amalgamation of luxury and Vastu exposed concrete ceiling with rough stone steps and court gravel with polished concrete floors contrast well with fine teak furniture, itlaian marble and silk and satin furnishings. The park looks interesting with the lap pool on side and on the other side a large rough cut log forming an outdoor dining table to dine under the shades of the giant banyan tree! This is a classic example to show that a house built with Vastu rules does not restrict the creativity of a designer instead presents a challenge to achieve the a spiritual atmosphere within a concrete beauty! Conclusion To sum up the argument of this dissertation, Vastushastra has fascinated some and irritated others but it has intrigued everybodyArchitect Bharat Gandhi. The first chapter explains the the laws of Indian architecture and clarifies its fundamental concepts.The second chapter explains the misconception of terming Vastu an occult by rational and scientific method.The third chapter throws light on the metaphysical aspect of Vastu Shastra The fourth chapter explains an ideal Vastu layout with the help of a case study. The building science has its presence all over the world in different forms and they all have their own principles.From Vitruvius theory to feng shui to Vastu shastra all the sciences from different part of the world but have the same message.The main purpose of building science is to lay down some guidelines for the architects to design building in harmony with the nature and taking advantage of the prevailing natural gifts of sunlight ,wind, cosmic energy to make a habitat which is beneficial to the inmates and make their life happy and prosperous.

Achieving Goals in The Corrections by Johnathan Franzen Essay -- essay

Jonathan Franzen is the author of many books such as The Twenty-Seventh City and Strong Motion. He is probably best known for his book, The Corrections. This book mainly explores a variety of themes such as adversity and resilience, family unity and coming of age. The main characters are members of the Lambert family, who live in the Mid-West. Although each character is at a different stage of their lives, all of them are going through hardship. Gary, the eldest son, is the only child with a family of his own. By taking on most of the responsibilities, Gary is having trouble running his own family while experiencing clinical depression. Chip, the middle child, lost his job as a university professor and is working for a criminal warlord in order to make a living. Furthermore, the parents of these children are facing difficult time trying to reunite the family. Enid, the mother, suffers from harassment and distress in an attempt to bring all her children home for one last Christmas. Al though the situation seems abnormal, it can actually be seen to be that of a typical family in America. In his novel The Corrections, Jonathan Franzen uses point of view to reveal that everyone can achieve their goals despite of their difficulties. Although Gary appears to have a clear vision of his life, it is through the use of his and other characters’ point of view that Gary’s ability to achieve his goal in spite of his difficulties is shown. One of Gary’s main problems is his clinical depression. For instance, when Gary’s wife says to him: â€Å"I’m tired of living with a depressed old man,† (Franzen, 184) Gary knows that he is going to have trouble bringing his family back to St. Jude. With disapproval from two of his sons and wife, Gary feels that... ...her goal regardless of other people’s criticism. Once again, through the use of point of view, the author reveals that goals can be achieved despite difficulties. As it can be seen, Jonathan Franzen’s use of characters’ perspectives reveals that everyone’s objectives can be met in spite of their obstacles. Point of view is one of the best ways to express a character’s difficulties as readers can gain insight to his/her thoughts and feelings. At the same time, it is also possible to show a barrier that one faces through another person’s point of view. Whether it is a mother who has little control over her family, a son that takes advantage of his father’s paten, or a man who has lack of vision about life, everyone has common aims. There are many barriers that distance people from their dreams, but difficulties will always be part of the journey to reach one’s goal

Psychology and Motivation

This essay examines the topic on ‘psychology and motivation’, where money has long been considered the most effective motivator of staff. Therefore, three specific management theories would be used in this paper to evaluate the use of monetary incentives in employee motivation. Motivation is purely a simple active process of leadership behavior. It creates conditions which drives an individual to do things right. Motivation is a built-in response in an individual and it appears within an individual instead of establishing from the outside (Baldoni, 2005). Motivation is the key to performance improvement. Unfortunately, in today’s working society, the traditional approach of monetary incentives tempts individuals only to a certain extent. Though monetary incentives are able to fulfill the basic needs (hunger, thirst and daily necessities) of an individual, it cannot ‘buy happiness’ like work satisfaction or help people attain power. Money makes people feel self-sufficient. Human beings are thus more likely to put forth effort to attain personal goals (Buchanan, 2009). Instead of using the traditional approach, employers can consider adopting another method of motivating their staff – Maslow’s theory of motivation – Hierarchy of needs. Maslow’s motivation theory shows that individuals are being motivated by unfulfilled needs (Clifford & Thorpe, 2007). According to Maslow, there are five types of needs. These needs are illustrated in the figure below. Maslow Theory of Motivation – Hierarchy of Needs (tutor2u) Maslow identified these five needs which are considered the â€Å"deficiency needs. † When one is motivated to satisfy these needs, one will work hard to achieve it. Therefore, these needs must be satisfied in order for work productivity to be improved. When these needs are satisfied, naturally, employees would want to remain in the company. Thus, employers can motivate individuals by satisfying these five types of needs mentioned by Maslow differently. For physiological motivation, employers can provide sufficient meal breaks for employees. This is done in the hope that employees can not only have sufficient time to eat a proper meal, but also time for them to rest and to be re-energized. This time can also be used for the employees to run their errands, since most shops are often closed for the day when these employees knock off. To meet the employees’ safety needs, employers can provide a safe working environment that is generally free of threats to the employees. In this way, employees would feel at ease during work as their safety is being well taken care off. If the employees have job security, it also enhances their satisfaction. For social needs, employers have to ensure that employees do feel a sense of belonging with the company. In order to do so, employers can maintain traditions and working characteristics to create a sense of belonging and of shared values and objectives. By using all means of communications, employers can create a relaxed and collaborative mood between all workers, and also to encourage a team game and a sense of responsibility in the employees. However, this would also mean transferring some of the control from the employers to the employees. For esteem motivators, employers can recognize employees’ achievements by appreciating their work in forms of incentive pay systems. Other than monetary forms, employers can also recognize their efforts in the company’s annual dinners by showing their appreciation with medals or trophies that enhance the rewarded employee’s status, allowing them to feel valued and appreciated for their hard work. Lastly, for self-actualization, employers can offer more challenging and meaningful work assignments which would require employees to be creative and innovate, so that they can progress with accordance to their long-term goals. However, not every individual is motivated by the exact same needs. Employers have to recognize such needs that each employee is pursuing and try to fulfill these needs with reasonable solutions that would benefit both parties. Thus, with employers trying their best to satisfy these five needs as mentioned by Maslow constantly, employees would be more motivated to continue working with the company as they feel valued and appreciated by employers. Thus, this shows that not only monetary incentives are able to motivate employees, the basic needs of an individual are equally essential for employees to fulfill as well. According to Frederick Herzberg’s two factory motivation theory, individuals are affected by two factors; motivation factors which include personal satisfaction and psychological growth and hygiene factors like dissatisfaction. Some typical hygiene factors that Herzberg discovered during his investigation in the U. S. A. would be working conditions, feelings of security, job, interpersonal relation and status (Management. net, 2009). Therefore, if these hygiene factors are not sufficient to the employees, they can be turned into the sources of dissatisfaction with work. For employees’ personal growth, motivation factors like recognition for achievement, responsibility of tasks and advancement to higher level tasks are needed as they are able to create job satisfaction. These factors can help to motivate an individual to perform and achieve above-average performance and effort. However, all hygiene factors must be met first in order for motivation factors to be fulfilling. The different combination of hygiene factors and motivation factors results in four scenarios. A high hygiene but low motivation factor results in an environment where employees have few complaints but are not highly motivated because they merely work for a living. If employees are motivated and yet still have complaints, this shows that the job is full of excitement and challenging, but the wages and working conditions does not meet the minimal individual requirements. The worst situation is the combination of low hygiene and low motivation where unmotivated employees have lots of complaints. Of course, the perfect situation is the combination of high hygiene and high motivation where employees are highly motivated and have fewer complaints (Tutor2u. net, 2010). Herzberg suggested that employers should focus on the people-oriented approach which emphasizes on job satisfaction through job rotation, an arrangement where employees are able to engage in a variety of jobs in the same organization to increase interest and motivation, and also to discover which is the most suitable job for them. In addition, job enrichment is yet another method where employers can enhance individual jobs, allocating more responsibilities to individuals with the aim of rewarding and inspiring the staff. A combination of the previous two methods is likely to result in the best result (Fisher, Schoenfeldt, & Shaw, 2003). In today’s work and other contexts, motivation does not necessary mean using the traditional approach of monetary incentives. Other incentives, for instance, free travel packages, movie tickets or other impromptu recognition rewards are also able to motivate employees to high performance work levels, often without the usage of large monetary incentives (Tan CH, D Torrington, 2004). In â€Å"The Human Side of Enterprise†, Douglas McGregor examined theories of individual behaviors at work, thus formulating two theories which can be categorized as Theory X and Theory Y (Accel-Team, 2010). According to McGregor, Theory X assumes workers work mainly for money and security, and dislike work and would avoid it if possible. Thus, in order for Theory X workers to achieve organizational objectives, various kinds of rewards offered by employees would be the most popular and appropriate motivator to such employees. However, on the other hand, Theory Y assumes there are workers who enjoy challenges in their work and would want more from their jobs than just mere monetary incentives. Therefore, for Theory Y workers, employers have to create a creative working environment or culture in order for employees to show and develop their creativity (Tutor2u. net, 2010). Under Theory X, employers must be careful to maintain a delicate balance between the two extremes – hard and soft approach towards employees. The hard approach refers to management using coercion, micromanagement, and reining a tight control over the employees, while a soft approach relies on taking a permissive and harmonious approach towards them, in the hope that they will cooperate when required. However, McGregor asserts that using such approaches are not the most efficient because it might result in hostility from employees if the former approach is used, or cause repeated requests for various benefits when a soft approach is used to entice the employees. On the other hand, under the Theory Y, employees’ personal goals can be aligned with organizational goals by using the employee’s own quest for fulfillment as the motivator (NetMBA. com, 2007). McGregor stressed that the soft management approach does not apply to Theory Y management and it is also recognized that some individuals may not be able to reached the level of maturity assumed by Theory Y and therefore, tighter controls can be gradually reduced as employees develops their independence. The discussion thus far leads to the conclusion that people with more money tend to be happier than those with less – but only up to a certain extent. Money’s impact on happiness suffers from diminishing returns: once an individual have sufficient food and shelter, more cash does not bring much extra joy (Buchanan, 2009). Researchers believe that extra capital leave people less worried about their financial health, and are thus less stressed. However, ‘experimental experiences’ such as trips to the theatre or travel trips sponsored by employers brings more happiness and joy to employees rather than just monetary incentives. Though monetary incentive seems more appealing, a good experience is still able to wield its power to bring pleasure to employees.

The eNotes Blog Raise a Glass of Dandelion Wine to RayBradbury

Raise a Glass of Dandelion Wine to RayBradbury Stuff your eyes with wonder. Live as if youd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. Its more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. Ask no guarantees, ask for no security, there never was such an animal. And if there were, it would be related to the great sloth which hangs upside down in a tree all day every day, sleeping its life away. To hell with that . Shake the tree and knock the great sloth down on his ass. ~ from Fahrenheit 451 It appears that Ray Bradbury has truly lived by his own advice.   The inimitable writer of dystopian science fiction classics, including The Martian Chronicles, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and Dandelion Wine turns 91 today. Bradbury grew up in a working class family in Illinois. His education was his own creation. He argues, I dont believe in colleges and universities. I believe in libraries because most students dont have any money. When I graduated from high school, it was during the Depression and we had no money. I couldnt go to college, so I went to the library three days a week for 10 years. When Ray was 13, his family moved from Waukegan, Illinois to Los Angeles, California. There, even though he did not attend UCLA, he did make frequent visits to the Powell Library. It was at that library, on rented typewriters, that Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451. When he was just 18, Bradburys first science fiction short stories were published in fanzines. By the time he was 22, in 1942, he was being paid. A chance meeting with   Christopher Isherwood got his manuscript for The Martian Chronicles into the proper hands. The adaptations of Ray Bradburys work are almost endless. His short stories and novels have been transformed into comic books, into television scripts (notably   I Sing the Body Electric for The Twilight Zone) and into major motion pictures. All in all, Bradburys work has been transformed into thirty-five films and shorts. In 2000,   Bradbury sat down with Terry Gross on NPRs Fresh Air and talked about his extensive body of work and some of his quirks (for example, he never obtained a drivers license and is afraid to fly). In 2007, the Pulitzer board commended the author with a special citation  for his distinguished, prolific, and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy. Bradbury continues to write and lecture.   So think about that when you want to whine that something is too hard or you are too old. Happy birthday, rocket man.

Free Essays on Desdemonas Character Relationships

Desdemona’s Character Relationships The character of Desdemona represents a woman of the 17th century who surpassed the norms of sexual morality set for Venetian women of that time. When Desdemona left her father’s house to marry the Moor, Othello, it was the first step in redefining her role as a woman. Instead of asking her father’s permission, Desdemona decided on her own to marry Othello. By making such a momentous decision on her own, she revealed that was breaking away from the strictness imposed by her father. She recalled the way her mother made the same decision, â€Å"I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband and so much duty as my mother showed to you, preferring you before her father, so much I challenge that I may assert due to the Moor my lord,† (1.3, 409). Desdemona denied her father any right in choosing or granting allowance for Othello to marry her. Instead she chose the man who she wanted to marry and felt it unnecessary that her father intervene in their relationship. This act of independence by Desdemona tore away the gender barriers of the Venetian patriarchal society as well as posed a threat to male authority. The other aspect of Desdemona’s rebellion was the miscegenation in her and Othello’s marriage. By choosing her own husband who happened to be black, Desdemona further deviated from the role in which Venetian society cast upon her as well as all other women in such a patriarchal period. The traditions of the Venetian society are discovered when Iago speaks to Brabanzio and plants both the ideas of miscegenation and loss of power into Brabanzio’s mind. Iago warns Brabanzio when he says, â€Å"your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul; Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise!† (1.1, 400). These lines highlight the fact that in Elizabethan society, Brabanzio, like other fathers, considered Desdemona’s body to be his possess... Free Essays on Desdemona's Character Relationships Free Essays on Desdemona's Character Relationships Desdemona’s Character Relationships The character of Desdemona represents a woman of the 17th century who surpassed the norms of sexual morality set for Venetian women of that time. When Desdemona left her father’s house to marry the Moor, Othello, it was the first step in redefining her role as a woman. Instead of asking her father’s permission, Desdemona decided on her own to marry Othello. By making such a momentous decision on her own, she revealed that was breaking away from the strictness imposed by her father. She recalled the way her mother made the same decision, â€Å"I am hitherto your daughter. But here’s my husband and so much duty as my mother showed to you, preferring you before her father, so much I challenge that I may assert due to the Moor my lord,† (1.3, 409). Desdemona denied her father any right in choosing or granting allowance for Othello to marry her. Instead she chose the man who she wanted to marry and felt it unnecessary that her father intervene in their relationship. This act of independence by Desdemona tore away the gender barriers of the Venetian patriarchal society as well as posed a threat to male authority. The other aspect of Desdemona’s rebellion was the miscegenation in her and Othello’s marriage. By choosing her own husband who happened to be black, Desdemona further deviated from the role in which Venetian society cast upon her as well as all other women in such a patriarchal period. The traditions of the Venetian society are discovered when Iago speaks to Brabanzio and plants both the ideas of miscegenation and loss of power into Brabanzio’s mind. Iago warns Brabanzio when he says, â€Å"your heart is burst, you have lost half your soul; Even now, now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Arise, arise!† (1.1, 400). These lines highlight the fact that in Elizabethan society, Brabanzio, like other fathers, considered Desdemona’s body to be his possess...

GROUP DESIGN PAPER Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

GROUP DESIGN PAPER - Essay Example Although motivational interviewing is commonly associated with substance abuse problems, it has also found varied applicability in clinical problems such as psychosis and other severe mental disorders. Clinical practitioners have reported that â€Å"the principles of motivational interviewing have broad applicability for addressing problematic behaviors (including substance abuse and non-adherence to treatment recommendations) that interfere with clients with dual disorders in achieving their personal goals† (Mueser, Noordsy & Drake, 2003, p. 108). It is in light of the issues presented above that I have chosen individuals who have dual disorders – substance abuse and mental disorders – as the treatment population for designing a motivational interviewing group therapy. Many chronic drug abusers, or commonly referred to as addicts, often simultaneously suffer from serious mental disorders. Substance abuse treatment and medical professionals call this condition co-occurring disorder or having dual diagnosis. While doing internship at 26th in California, a court and jail facility, most of the clients have been mandated to attend treatment for substances abuse. While helping clients with substance abuse problems, the court system has no provisions for assistance of co-occurring mental disorders. According to the American Psychiatric Association (DSM-IV), most individuals who have substance abuse problems also have mental disorders as well. Neglecting these mental disorders is not only detrimental to the patient but will further feed the cycle of violence and crime. I believe that treatment of both the substance abuse and mental problems is the most effective way of decreasing crime rate which is the ultimate goal of our judicial system. The succeeding sections of the paper will discuss the treatment population and the group therapy design for motivational interviewing. As previously discussed, the target population for

Business Communications Trends Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business Communications Trends Paper - Essay Example Visual-aid is just but a form of business communication by a company to the stakeholders. It only presents a type of the numerous approaches to business communication applied recently. This study is going to have a comprehensive look at this issue of trends in business communication. As technology takes steps forward, the business communication factor follows suit. The olden days were signified by people writing letters. Meetings were usually one on one and were mostly concluded with a handshake. Business communication has undergone a series of changes, though. A major illustration of this fact’s support is the electronic tools’ innovation for utilization in the communication of business issues. There are brand new devices and software programs entering the market as days go by. Despite the fact that the changes in business communication may sound a simple occurrence, the implementation of the new systems and also helping employees in their taking up of the new functions is no walk in the park. It involves complexities and huge investments of capital. The devices coming up may include PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants), wikis, as well as teleconference. These are set to upgrade the levels of productivity and communication to clients alike. E-mails have been taken up as one of the major approaches to business communication to clients and workers as well. As many as 84 million of business e-mails are sent per day according to the 2008 estimate by IDC- a consultancy firm for research. Information overload is a major setback brought about by this type of communication, however. Most of the players in the corporate world are continuously assimilating information with regards to clients by sending them to make use of company websites. These websites usually contain the company’s information in one common place. Telecommunicating is also another type of business communication which though