Adoption Essay -- essays research papers

Adopting a child is an experience that promises to bring great joy as it changes a couple or individual’s life forever. But what happens if the mother of that child wants to endorse their child? Those are the issues that many adopting parents and birth-right mothers are facing today. Many biological mothers want their child back. There are many concerns for adopting parents to know- that there is the possibly that the birth mother may file for the child. As a birth mother or the adopting parent one must realize consequences that could lay ahead. The legal and social transfer of all parental right, responsibilities, and roles from one parent or parents, usually biological, to a nonbiological parent or parents is the definition of adoption. In such a transfer, adoptive parents accept the same rights and responsibilities as the child’s birth parents would have had, while the child becomes a member of a family that provides the social, emotional, and physical nurturing that children needs to grow up to be healthy, functioning adults. But there are some legal issues or opinions that can lead to a halting backfire in the adoption process. But, as the biological parent(s) and adopting parent(s), they must be ready for the quickly, approaching pros and cons. Throughout the adoption journey, the gardein must be prepared and know what is best for them and their child. There are many positive feedbacks to adoption. Children are in need of adoption because some birth parents are unabl...

The Impact of Technology Upon Education Essay -- Mainstreaming Technol

The Impact of Technology Upon Education As the years go on, technology has become such a necessity to everyday life in the average person’s life. Whether you live here, there, or anywhere, technology is apparent and has become such an integral part of everyday life to the point that we cannot imagine life without it. Technology is used in both the private and the public life of every person. In private lives we have our computers, our microwaves, our palm pilots, ovens, TVs, cell phones, VCRs, DVD players and much, much more. In our public lives we have checkout scanners, security cameras, security alarms, car alarms, and so much more. What many of us do not realize is that another benefit of technology is helpful with the growing rate of inclusion. There are so many products out on the market today to help disabled people to integrate with the mainstream and have the same benefits as we do. One of the most interesting pieces of technology that I have found for disabled people is iCommunicator. This product is mainly used for the deaf and hard of hearing so that they would not always have to have a translator. It gives them more independence in the workplace or at school. It also has been used with children as young as preschoolers to determine the literacy development and as an early diagnosis for hearing loss in young children. This program converts speech to text, speech to video sign language, speech to computer-generated voice, text to computer-generated voice or video sign language. This program has a speech -to-text translation rate of a 90% greater accuracy in less time than its predecessors. [1] Its remarkable features include auto save, menus, on screen buttons, a vocabulary library that includes m... ...udents. The children whether they be blind, deaf, learning disabled etc now have ways to connect with other people and will be able to fit into the rest of society much easier and finding a job when he or she gets older will not be such a big problem. So many of the original obstacles have been overcome due to the increase of technology. Technology has become a great asset to teaching others and aiding people to do things they had never thought possible, whether it be a blind or deaf person getting an office job, or getting an ‘A’ if you were a learning disabled student. I never knew that there were so many products available on the common market to help those people to integrate with the mainstream population both in school and at the workplace. Technology has definitely become a positive tool for not only the mainstream public but for the disabled as well.

Moses, David and Elijah Essay examples -- Religion, BIble, Prophets, G

Moses, David, and Elijah were all important biblical figures during the Old Testament times. They all had unique and faithful relationships with God. Moses relationship with God was a special one. To be specific, the Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend. (Deut. 33:9-11) Though with David, he loved the Lord with all his heart. Furthermore, David’s dependence on God was everlasting as well as his praise and worship to God. (2 Sam. 22) And with Elijah, his relationship with God was his passion to do God’s will. Beside their different relationship with God, they all shared similar missions in the name of the Lord. First of all, they all were prophets chosen by the Lord God Almighty. As well as being chosen by God, the Lord appointed them to lead and guide the Nation of Israel. Most importantly, God used them all to fulfill His promise to the Israelites. For example, God would often use Moses and the other prophets to demonstrate signs of His power and to bring forth His judgment against Israel and her enemies. In fact, God provided them similar missions for His kingdom. Moses was the first Hebrew prophet to lead the children of Israel. Being humble and doubtful of his ability to lead, God still chose Moses to lead the Children of Israel of bondage. (Ex 3) Though Moses would often doubt God’s commandments, the Lord would always reassured Moses to go and carry out His commands. (Ex 6:1-12) With David and Elijah coming years after Moses, their missions for God are equally compared to Moses. Like Moses, God chose David to lead the Nation of Israel (2 Sam. 7:2-16). God told Moses to build the Tabernacle. (Ex 25:1-9) Years later, God would not allow David to build him a Temple, but He promised Davi... ...ct that Elijah demonstrated the Lord’s power and the Lord’s sovereignty at Mount Carmel. (1 Ki 18:16-42) So why did Elijah run away? He fled out of fear. Elijah doubted the God would protect him. He focused on Jezebel’s evil instead God’s power. (1 Ki 19) Above all, when God ask Elijah on top of Mount Herob, â€Å"What are you doing here?† Elijah said that he was zealous and he faulted the Israelite for rejecting the Lord’s covenant. Despite Elijah actions, he still did not confess. (1 Ki 19:9-14) As a person can see, God trusted Moses, David, and Elijah to follow his commands and to do His will. Above all, they were all faithful when the Lord called upon them to do His will. However, at pivotal periods in their lives, they all forgot their purpose of what God had prepared them to do. Importantly, they forgot to trust God and remain faithful in all situations.

Explain the Centrality of the Dreaming and Its Importance for Aboriginal Spirituality

Explain the centrality of the Dreaming and its importance for Aboriginal spirituality. The Aboriginal Dreaming refers to the religious and spiritual beliefs of the aboriginal people of Australia. The dreaming is what they base their traditional lives around, the dreaming determines their values and beliefs and their relationships with the animals, plants and environment around them. The Dreaming tells the stories that explain their views and beliefs on how the world came to be and its history and the totems which represent each historical factor of the dreaming. The dreaming stories explain how the Spirit Ancestors made the trees, rocks, waterholes, and rivers, mountains and stars as well as the animals and plants, and which spirits represent each of these things along with the other living features in the land. Views on life and death: The aboriginal people believe that there is no heaven or hell after death they believe that they came from the land and once they die they return to the land. Their belief system is based on past, present and future. The past makes it possible to live in the present, and without the past or present there is no future. There are two types of dreaming: ‘the’ dreaming and ‘my’ dreaming, the dreaming is the history but my dreaming is the connection to a life form or totem eg. Crocodile or eagle which connects ‘my’ dreaming to ‘the’ dreaming because of those totems being symbols in ancient rituals. Dreaming stories: The Dreaming stories are of great importance to the aboriginal people in terms of the dreaming because they are the history books verbally, they tell the stories in detail of how the earth came to be from the ancestors and spirits who created the land who created them. The dreaming stories tell what each spirit was able to create and how it happened for example the rainbow serpent or how the moon got in the sky. These stories have been passed on for millions of generations. These stories were either told by the elders or were found in the aboriginal are of cave painting, these cave paintings had the same effect as the spoken, these traditional art forms also tell a story of how something came to be from the spirits and the ancestors. Rituals and ceremonies: The aboriginal people believe that in performing rituals such as carobories tells stories of the spirits forming into what they represent such as the emu or kangaroo. These sacred dances are performed on the coming of age ceremonies and many other significant occasions. The sites where these ceremonies are performed are sacred and can only be accessed by certain groups, women and elders and only for the purpose of initiation. Aboriginal art: The traditional aboriginal art depicts places, events and dreaming ancestors, also incorporating actual events, whereas the temporary was only for initiation ceremonies and funerals. The aboriginal art opens up ways of communicating the close relationship between the ancestral beings and the laws, views, values, ceremonies and obligations of the people. They enable understanding and knowledge within a community and also partcially the outside world. Connections with the land: The land is the centre of aboriginal spirituality, it is the core of their religion. The land is the people and the people are the land. The land is where they believe the ancestors are. To aboriginals their â€Å"god† is not one singular god up in the sky but many ancestors that are part of the earth and formed and are part of everything natural that is seen today. They believe that the ancestors came through the earth and formed mountains and ridges, rivers and lakes, the sky and the dirt, they are everything and the land is their form of communication with the people, they live in a symbiotic relationship. The land dwells from them and they dwell from the land, they work together to keep the other alive and strong. In conclusion, the centrality of the aboriginal dreaming and its importance to the people is based on the land, the rituals and cerimonies, the understanding that they have a strong relationship with the ancestors and the basis of past, present and future. These are all important because they are the basis of life for the aboriginal people and without this they would not live the traditional lifestyle with all the same customs, they would have no dreaming and no core beliefs that give them the power to respect their land. Resources: Class notes. Previous knowledge. Living religion- third edition. Jannet Movissey, Peter mudge, Adam Taylor, Greg Bailey, Paul Rule. Pearsons education Australia; 2005. Pgs. 11-19.

Night World : Soulmate Chapter 12

was sixteen and her name was Ha-nahkt. She was a virgin priestess dedicated to the goddess Isis. She was wearing a fine linen shift that fell from her waist to her ankles. Above the waist, she wore nothing except a deep silver collar strung with beads of amethyst, carnelian, turquoise, and lapis lazuli. There were two silver bracelets on her upper arms and two on her wrists. Morning was her favorite time. This morning she carefully placed her offering in front of the statue of Isis. Lotus blossoms, small cakes, and beer. Then, facing south, she began the chant to wake the goddess up. â€Å"Awaken, Isis, Mother of the Stars, Great of Magic, Mistress of all the World, Sovereign of her father, Mightier than the gods, Lady of the Waters of Life, Powerful of Heart, Isis of the Ten Thousand Names †¦Ã¢â‚¬  A step sounded behind her and she broke off short, feeling startled and annoyed. â€Å"I'm sorry. Did I disturb you?† It was a woman, a beautiful woman with long black hair. â€Å"You're not allowed in here,† Ha-nahkt said sharply. â€Å"Only priests and priestesses†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Her voice trailed off as she looked at the woman more closely. Maybe she is a priestess, she thought. There's something in her face†¦. â€Å"I just want to talk to you,† the woman said. Her voice was husky and persuasive, almost mesmerizing. â€Å"It's very important.† She smiled and Ha-nahkt felt hairs stir at the back of her neck. If she's a priestess, I bet she's a priestess of Set. Set was the most evil of all the gods-and one of the most powerful. Ha-nahkt could sense power in this woman, no question about that. But evil? She wasn't sure. â€Å"My name is Maya. And what I have to tell you may save your life.† Ha-nahkt stood still. Part of her wanted to run from Maya, to go and get her best friend Khet-hetep-â€Å"es. Or, better yet, one of the senior priestesses. But another part of her was curious. â€Å"I really shouldn't stop in the middle of the chant,† she began. â€Å"It's about the stranger.† Ha-nahkt lost her breath. There was a long moment of silence, and then she said, â€Å"I don't know what you're talking about.† She could hear the shake in her own voice. â€Å"Oh, yes, you do. The stranger. Tall, blond, handsome†¦ and with such sad dark eyes. The one you've been meeting on the sly.† Ha-nahkt could feel the shaking take over her whole body. She was a priestess, sworn to the goddess. If anyone found she'd been meeting a man. †¦ â€Å"Oh, don't worry, little one,† Maya said and laughed. â€Å"I'm not here to turn you in. Just the opposite, in fact. I want to help you.† â€Å"We haven't done anything,† Ha-nahkt faltered. â€Å"Just kissed. He says he doesn't want me to leave the temple. He isn't going to stay long. He says he saw me, and he just had to speak to me.† â€Å"And no wonder,† Maya said in a cooing tone. She touched Ha-nahkt's hair lightly and Ha-nahkt moved instinctively away. â€Å"You're such a pretty girl. Such unusual coloring for this part of the world. I suppose you think you love him.† â€Å"I do love him,† Ha-nahkt blurted before she could stop herself. Then she lowered her voice. â€Å"But I know my duty. He says that in the next world we'll be together.† She didn't want to tell the rest of it, the remarkable things she'd seen with the stranger, the way she'd recognized him. The way they were destined for each other. â€Å"And you believed him? Oh, my dear child. You're so innocent. I suppose that comes from living your life in a temple.† She gazed around thoughtfully, then looked back at Hannah. Her face became grave and regretful. â€Å"I hate to have to tell you this,† she said. â€Å"But the stranger does not love you. The truth is that he's a very evil man. The truth is that he's not a man at all. He's an Ur-Demon and he wants to steal your sa.† Oh, Isis, Ha-nahkt thought. Sa was the breath of life, the magical force that allowed you to live. She'd heard of demons who wanted to steal it. But she couldn't believe it of the stranger. He seemed so gentle, so kind†¦ â€Å"It's true,† Maya said positively. She glanced at Ha-nahkt sideways. â€Å"And you know it is, if you think about it. Why else would he want to taste your blood?† Ha-nahkt started and flushed. â€Å"How do you know-?† She stopped and bit her lip. â€Å"You've been meeting him at night by the lotus pool, when everyone else is asleep,† Maya said. â€Å"And I suppose you thought it wouldn't hurt to let him drink a little of your blood. Not much. Just a bit. It was exciting. But I'm telling you the truth, now-it will hurt you. He's a demon and he wants you dead.† The husky, mesmerizing voice went on and on. It was telling all about Ur-Demons who drank blood, and men and women who could change into animals, and a place called the World of the Night, where they all lived. Ha-nahkt's head began to spin. And her heart shattered. Literally. She could feel the jagged pieces of it every time she tried to breathe. A priestess didn't cry, but tears were forcing themselves out of her closed lids. Because she couldn't deny that the stranger did act a little like an Ur-Demon. Why else would he drink blood? And the things she'd seen with him, the feeling of destiny†¦ that must have all been magic. He had tricked her with spells. Maya seemed to have finished her story. â€Å"Do you think you can remember all that?† she asked. Ha-nahkt made a miserable gesture. What did it matter if she remembered it? She only wanted to be left alone. â€Å"Look at me!† Ha-nahkt glanced up, startled. It was a mistake. Maya's eyes were strange; they seemed to turn different colors from moment to moment, and once Ha-nahkt met them, she couldn't look away. She was caught in a spell, and she felt her will slipping. â€Å"Now,† Maya said, and her eyes were deep gold and ancient as a crocodile's. â€Å"Remember all that. And remember this. Remember†¦ how he kills you.† And then the strangest thing of all happened. It suddenly seemed to Ha-nahkt that she was two people. One of them was her ordinary self. And the other was a different self, a distant self, who seemed to be looking on from the future. At this moment, Ha-nahkt and the future self were seeing different things. Ha-nahkt saw that Maya was gone and the temple was empty. And then she saw that someone else was walking in. A tall figure, with light hair and dark fathomless eyes-the stranger. He smiled at her, walked toward her with his arms held out. He grasped her with hands that were as strong as a demon's. Then he showed his teeth. The future self saw something else. She saw that Maya never left the temple. She saw Maya's face and body ripple as if they were made of water-and then change. It was as if there were two images, one on top of the other. The outward image was of the stranger, but it was Maya underneath. That's it. That's how she did it. The voice came from outside Ha-nahkt, and she didn't understand it. She didn't have time to think about it, either, because the next instant she felt the tearing pain of teeth. Oh, Isis, Goddess of Life, guide me to the other world†¦. â€Å"That's how she did it,† Hannah breathed. She was sitting up on the couch. She knew who she was, and more, she knew who she'd been. It was another of those blinding flashes of illumination. She felt as if she were standing at the end of the corridor of time and looking back at a hundred different versions of herself. They each looked slightly different, and they wore different clothes, but they were all her. Her name had been Hanje, Anora, Xiana, Nan Haiane, Honni, Ian, Annette. She had been a warrior, a priestess, a princess, a slave. And right now she felt she had the strength of all her selves. At the far end of the corridor, back where it was misty and blurry and faintly tinted pink and blue, she seemed to see Hana smiling at her. And then Hana turned and walked away, her task accomplished. Hannah took a deep breath and let it out. â€Å"She did it with illusions,† she said, hardly aware that she was talking out loud. â€Å"Maya. And she's done it before, of course. Maybe every time. What do you do with somebody who keeps killing you over and over? Never letting you live to your seventeenth birthday? Trying to destroy you, not just your life, but your heart†¦ ?† She realized that Paul was staring at her. â€Å"You want me to answer that?† Hannah shook her head even as she went on talking. â€Å"Goddess-I mean, God-she must hate me. I still don't understand why. It must be because she wants Thierry herself-or maybe just because she wants him miserable. She wants him to know that I'm terrified of him, that I hate him. And she did it. She convinced me. She convinced my subconscious enough that I started warning myself against him.† â€Å"If any of this is true-which I'm not going to admit for a second, because they would definitely take my license away-then I can tell you one thing,† Paul said. â€Å"She sounds very, very dangerous.† â€Å"She is.† â€Å"Then why are you so happy?† he asked pathetically. Hannah glanced at him and laughed. She couldn't hope to explain it. But she was more than happy, she was exalted. She was buoyant, ecstatic, over the moon. Thierry wasn't evil. She had the confirmation of a hundred selves whispering it to her. Maya was the enemy, the snake in the garden. Thierry was exactly what he'd told her he was. Someone who had made a terrible mistake and had spent millennia paying for it-and searching for her. He is gentle and kind. He does love me. And we are destined for each other. I've got to find him. The last thought came as an additional bright revelation, but one that made her sit up and go still. She had no idea how. Where had he gone? Home. Where was home? She didn't know. It could be anywhere in the world. â€Å"Hannah†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"Wait,† Hannah whispered. â€Å"Look, Hannah, I think we should maybe do some work on this. Talk about it, examine your feelings †¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"No, hush!† Hannah waved a hand at him. â€Å"She gave me a clue! She didn't mean to, but she gave me a clue! She said he had connections with witches in Vegas.† â€Å"Oh, my God,† Paul muttered. Then he jumped up. â€Å"Hannah, where are you going?† â€Å"I'm sorry.† She darted back into the office, threw her arms around him, and gave him a kiss. Then, smiling into his startled face, she said, â€Å"Thank you. Thank you for helping. You'll never know how much you've done for me.† â€Å"I need money.† Chess blinked, but went on looking at her intently. â€Å"I know it isn't fair to ask you without explaining why. But I can't tell you. It would be dangerous for you. I just have to ask you to trust me.† Chess kept looking at her. The slanted green eyes searched Hannah's face. Then, without a word, she got up. Hannah sat on Chess's crisp white-on-white coverlet and waited. After a few minutes Chess came back into the room and settled her own petite self on the bed. â€Å"Here,† she said, and plunked down a credit card. â€Å"Mom said I could use it to get some things for graduation. I figure she'll understand-maybe.† Hannah threw her arms around her. â€Å"Thank you,† she whispered. â€Å"I'll pay it back as soon as I can.† Then she burst out, â€Å"How can you be so nice? I'd be yelling to know what was going on.† â€Å"I am going to yell,† Chess said, squeezing her back. â€Å"But more than that. I'm going with you.† Hannah drew back. How could she explain? She knew that by going to Las Vegas she would be putting her own life in danger. From Maya, certainly. From the Night World, probably. Even from the witches Thierry had connections with, possibly. And she couldn't drag Chess into that. â€Å"I've got something I want you to hang on to,† she said. She reached into her canvas bag and pulled out an envelope. â€Å"This is for you and for my mom- just in case. If you don't hear from me by my birthday, then I want you to open it.† â€Å"Didn't you hear me? I'm going with you. I don't know what's been going on with you, but I'm not going to let you run off on your own.† â€Å"And I can't take you.† She caught the glowing cat-eyes and held them. â€Å"Please understand, Chess. It's something I have to do alone. Besides, I need you here to cover for me, to tell my mom I'm at your house so she doesn't worry. Okay?† She reached out and gave Chess a tiny shake. â€Å"Okay?† Chess shut her eyes, then nodded. Then she sniffled, her chin trembling. Hannah hugged her again. â€Å"Thank you,† she whispered. â€Å"Let's be best friends forever.† Monday morning, instead of going to school, Hannah started for Billings airport. She was driving the Ford-her mom had fixed it over the weekend. Her mom thought she was spending the next couple of days with Chess to study for finals. It was frightening but exhilarating to fly on a plane by herself, going to a city she'd never been to before. All the time she was in the air, she was thinking, Closer, closer, closer-and looking at the black rose ring on her finger. She'd fished it out of her bedroom wastebasket. Now she turned her hand this way and that to see the black gems catch the light. Her chest tightened. What if I can't find him? she thought. The other fear she didn't want to admit, even to herself. What if she did find him, and he didn't want her anymore? After all, she'd only told him that she hated him a few dozen times and ordered him to stay away from her forever. I won't think about that. There's no point. First I have to track him down, and after that what happens, happens. The airport in Las Vegas was surprisingly small. There were slot machines all over. Hannah collected her one duffel bag at the luggage carousel and then walked outside. She stood in the warm desert air, trying to figure out what to do next. How do you find witches? She didn't know. She didn't think they were likely to be listed in the phone book. So she just trusted to luck and headed where everybody else was heading-the Strip. It was a mistake from the beginning, and that afternoon and night were among the worst times in. her life. It didn't start off so bad. The Strip was gaudy and glittery, especially as darkness fell. The hotels were so bizarre and so dazzling that it took Hannah's breath away. One of them, the Luxor, was shaped like a giant black pyramid with a Sphinx in front of it. Hannah stood and watched colored lasers dart from the Sphinx's eyes and laughed. What would Ha-nahkt have thought of that? But there was something almost sickening about all the lights and the hustling after a while. Something . . . unwholesome. The crowds were so thick, both inside the hotels and out on the street, that Hannah could hardly move. Everyone seemed to be in a rush-except the people nailed in front of slot machines. It feels†¦ greedy, Hannah decided finally, searching in her mind for the right word. All these people want to win free money. All these hotels want to take their money. And of course, the hotels are the winners in the end. They've built a sort of Venus' flytrap to lure people here. And some of these people don't look as if they can afford to lose. Her heart felt physically heavy and her lungs felt constricted. She wanted Montana and a horizon so far away that it pried your mind open. She wanted clean air. She wanted space. But even worse than the atmosphere of greed and commercialism was the fact that she wasn't finding any witches. She struck up conversations a few times with desk clerks and waitresses. But when she casually asked if there were any odd people in town who practiced witchcraft, they looked at her as if she were crazy. By nine o'clock that night she was dizzy, exhausted, and sick with defeat. I'm never going to find them. Which means I'm never going to find him. She collapsed on a bench outside the Stardust Hotel, wondering what to do next. Her legs hurt and her head was pounding. She didn't want to spend Chess's mom's money on a hotel-but she'd noticed police officers making people move on if they tried to sleep on the street. Why did I come here? I should have put an ad in the paper: â€Å"Desperately Seeking Thierry.† I should have known this wouldn't work. Even as she was thinking it, something about a boy in the crowd caught her eye. He wasn't Thierry. He wasn't anything like Thierry. Except for the way he moved. It was that same rippling grace she'd seen in both Thierry and Maya, an easy control of motion that reminded her of a jungle cat. And his face †¦ he was almost eerily good-looking in a ragamuffin way. When he glanced up toward the Stardust's tall neon sign, she thought she could see light reflect from his eyes. He's one of them. I know it. He's one of the Night People. Without stopping to think, she jumped up, slung her bag over her shoulder, and followed him. It wasn't easy. He walked fast and she had to keep dodging tourists. He was headed off the Strip, to one of the quiet dimly-lit streets that ran parallel to it. It was a whole different world here, just one block away from the glitter and bustle. The hotels were, small and in poor repair. The businesses seemed to be mostly pawnshops. Everything had a dingy depressed feeling. Hannah felt a prickling down her spine. She was now following the only figure on a deserted street. Any minute now, he'd realize she was tailing him-but what could she do? She didn't dare lose sight of him. The boy seemed to be leading her into worse and worse areas-sleazy was the word for them, Hannah thought. The streetlights were far apart here with areas of darkness in between. All at once he took a sharp left turn, seeming to disappear behind a building with a sign that read, Dan's Bail Bonds. Hannah jogged to catch up to him and found herself staring down a narrow alley. It was extremely dark. She hesitated a moment, then grimly took a few steps forward. On the third step, the boy appeared from behind a Dumpster. He was facing her, and once again Hannah caught the flash of eyeshine. She stood very still as he walked slowly toward her. â€Å"You following me or something?† he asked. He seemed amused. He had a sharp face with an almost pointed chin and dark hair that looked uncombed. He was no taller than Hannah, but his body seemed tough and wiry. It's the Artful Dodger, Hannah thought. As he reached her, he looked her up and down. His expression was a combination of lechery and hunger. Gooseflesh blossomed on Hannah's skin. â€Å"I'm sorry,† she said, trying to make her voice quiet and direct. â€Å"I was following you. I wanted to ask you something-I'm looking for someone.† â€Å"You found him, baby,† the boy said. He darted a quick glance around as if to make sure that there was nobody in the alley with them. And then, before Hannah could say another word, he knocked her into the wall and pinned her there.

Despite Criticisms Essay

1. Despite criticisms, the classical approach to business management is still relevant today. Discuss one example to support this statement. (25%) Classical approach on management can be in terms of three major perspective: scientific management, Bureaucracy and administrative principles, which are emphasis on purpose and formal structure, for instance, planing of work, technical requirements of organisation, principles of management, etc. Although this idea was emerged at 19th century, it does influence the management style today and some of it’s ideas are still relevant. UPS, a well-known shipping, freight and logistics company globally, which is a very good example of using classical approach to their management in nowadays business, especially in the bureaucracy aspect. UPS is not only follow the idea of Max Weber (1864 – 1920), the advocate of the idea of bureaucracy and also a sociologist, that the separation of management and ownership like many companies today, but also focus on the impersonal and rational management. UPS set out a huge amount of rules, procedures and regulations on every departments, for example, They teach their drivers 340 steps for how to deliver a package correctly, such as how to load the truck, fasten their seat belt, walk, carry their keys, etc. Strict dress code is a must: clean uniform, black or brown polished shoes with nonslip soles, no beard, no hair below the collar, no tattoo visible during deliveries, and so on. They also has well division of labour: specialized drivers, loaders, clerks, washers, sorters and maintenance personnel. All of them have to do formal record keeping, like, drivers have daily worksheets that specify performance goals and work output. When UPS want to hiring or promote employees, technical qualification is the main criterion. UPS use those impersonal management style to avoid irrationality in order to be more efficient and adaptable to change, because continuity is related to formal structure and positions rather then particular person who may leave or even die. Also, those rules and procedures provide a standard way of dealing with employees. Hence, everyone gets equal treatment, and everyone knows what the rules are, this has enabled them to become efficient as well. Although, classical approach contribute a lot in today’s management, it ignore the humanistic factory and psychological need. It may cause other problems, for instance, over relying on technical qualification ignore the human aspect, since working ability cannot only be measured by technical qualification. Moreover, If organisations lose the balance, employees may be frustrated by endless rules and red tape which may eventually lower the effectiveness. And it makes work become boring and repetitive, employees become a cog of a big machines, that would lead to high levels of absenteeism and labour turnover. That the reason why classical approach is not the mainstream of today’s management, although it’s still relevant.

Report- Dimensions of Diversity Essay

Dimension of Diversity Race and/or gender are not the definition of diversity. Diversity is all of us and how we are so different. To better understand diversity it can be broken down into four different dimensions and classifications. These points will help you begin to pick apart the complex topic of diversity. Dimensions 1. Dimension may be hidden/ visible a. Race, gender and possible age or wealth index may be a visible dimension that / would classify people into one group. b. Intelligent, non-religious, and vegetarian are term that would identify a person to one group that would be hidden, until of course the person shared the information. b.i. Example- Sarah is a Caucasian, female in 40’s that is athletically built, truthful and caring. The first 4 descriptive words are physical traits that people can see. The last two characteristics are something that are not seen, but after time spent with Sarah it would be known. 2. Dimensions of diversity are found within groups as well as individuals a. Each person is different, so even when there is a group of like people there are going to be difference within the group. a.i. Example- In a small diversity class of students there are 20 or so students that are all working towards passing the class taught by Madison. All thought the group of people all are working towards the same goal; they are all very different in their approach to passing the class. They are all students, but they are graduating at different times, they have different working styles, communication styles and are different ages. 3. Dimensions of diversity are in a constant state of flux a. Individuals are constantly changing as well as the environment around them a.i. Example- When Danielle B. is at school she sees herself and acts as a student, but when she is at home or with family she sees herself and acts like a mother. 4. Dimensions of diversity are not always clear cut or easily defined a. Diversity is not the same to everyone a.i. Some people believe that diversity is simple race and/ or gender. Diversity is multidimensional and has various classifications from different scholars. Breaking down diversity helps us to become more aware of differences among individuals. Classifications of diversity 1. Personal Characteristic (hidden/visible) a. Appearance, health, educational background, family/marital status, faith, religion and recreation 2. Location Characteristics a. Housing, neighborhood, city, state, country 3. Work Characteristics a. Income, seniority, department, company, work status, field of work, paid/ unpaid employee, location 4. Population Characteristics a. Ability, age, sexual orientation, gender, ethnic orgin How you perceive the listed characteristics also can classify a person because it makes them different from the next person. Diversity is an extremely complex and broad topic that many people just ignore. Gaining an understanding, and indulging in others that are different than you will build awareness in your knowledge box. Diversity Skills Now that there is a better way of wrapping our minds around diversity; skills can be addressed. Diversity skills are really just people skills. They are techniques that we use to better understand and work with people who are different than us. The key phrase to understand is â€Å"different than us†. Communication Communication is one of the most important skills that encompass the way people process and share information. It requires: 1. Active Listening a. Really understanding and hearing what the person is saying and finding interest in their topic. 2. Various ways/ styles to communicate effectively with people a. Aggressive, passive aggressive, and passive b. Communicate differently among groups c. Body language d. Add some humor or light to the context d.3.a.a. â€Å"results suggest that relational factors, such as one’s humor, may be important to the enactment of organizational citizenship behaviors among subordinates† 3. Tools of communications a. Emails, phones, text, visual aids, letters, blogs, social media network sites, virtual network sites People are all different. Take the time to listen to them and understand what they are trying to convey and then respond in a way that they will understand. Body language, electronic tools, and spoken language are all modes of communication that can be used to communicate more effectively. An amazing leader knows that communication is a skill that is built upon and continually developing. Conflict Management Conflict is defined as â€Å"one party perceives it’s interest are being opposed or set back by another party† (Kreitner and Kinicki). Conflict can be classified as functional or dysfunctional. 1. Functional a. More of a positive conflict that applies to â€Å"constructive or cooperative† conflict. (Kreitner and Kinicki) 2. Dysfunctional a. â€Å"Threaten the organizational interest† (Kreitner and Kinicki) â€Å"Dealing effectively with conflict requires fundamental skills in interpersonal relationships.†(Diversity Counciouceness, 169) According to an executive assistant that has had years of experience in social management dealing with conflict. She and her colleague believe there are nine skills that help manage conflict (Hagman and Stroope). 1. problem solving a. being able to work through a problem 2. asking for help a. If you don’t know how to do something, ask for help so that a bigger problem is prevented. 3. engaging people to talk and work together a. Get everyone input and work together 4. communicating with sources of opposition in order to reach a compromise a. Talk to the person that does not agree, and compromise. 5. practicing avoidance techniques a. Spotting signals of frustration and letting the person calm down before you try to diffuse the situation 6. letting chance decide the outcome in moments of disagreement a. Let time solve the issue 7. accepting responsibility a. Take responsibility of your actions in the issue 8. apologizing when appropriate a. Remember to say you’re sorry when appropriate 9. using humor to alleviate awkward situations. a. Never hurts to add light to a dark situation Although many people will try to avoid conflict, it still does occur because people are different. Conflict is not always necessarily negative either. It can be functional or dysfunctional. Conflict will be a constant challenge in the workplace and there are steps to take to resolve the issue. A strong leader will not let conflict destroy the ultimate goal, but will find ways to turn the conflict into a positive outcome. Empathy â€Å"Empathy is the capacity to recognize or understand another’s state of mind or emotion. It is often characterized as the ability to â€Å"put oneself into another’s shoes†, or to in some way experience the outlook or emotions of another being within oneself† There are so many fascinating explanations of empathy on the internet. What it really comes down to is putting â€Å"yourself in another their shoes† and viewing the world in the way that they would. Six habits according to, Dr. Roman Krznaric, that some empathetic people have are: 1. Curiosity about different people a. â€Å"Curiosity expands our empathy when we talk to people outside our usual social circle, encountering lives and worldviews very different from our own.† 2. Challenging prejudices and seeing the commonalities a. We all of prejudices but if we could see beyond the them, there would be some common interest or characteristics that we shared with the other person. 3. Try another person’s life a. Experiment in different lifestyles, social groups, ethnic groups, activities, etcetera. 4. Listen hard and open up a. Falls under diversity skill of communication 5. Inspire mass action and social change a. Begin with our youngest population and educate and influence them to be empathetic 6. Develop an ambitious imagination a. Don’t just empathize with those that you believe are suffering. Empathize with all whose thoughts are different. These habits will help one to attain strong diversity skills and interpersonal skills for life. A stand-out leader will want to develop their sense of empathy to better understand desires of their team members. Self-Evaluation Self-evaluation is being able to look back at how you handled a situation and assess and improve yourself. Steps to self-evaluation are: 1. Think about the situation you were just in or the task that you just completed 2. Ask yourself questions a. How did I handle it? b. How were my emotions? c. Was I comfortable? d. What could I do better? e. How did I handle the conflict? 3. Assess yourself and compare the improvement or lack of improvement 4. Know your short-comings and strengths and build on them 5. Learn from mistake and always improve yourself Self-evaluation is self awareness of one’s self. A mindful leader will know their strengths and weakness and be eager to improve. Leadership â€Å"Leadership refers to the ability to influence group members and enable them to work together and achieve their goals† (Diversity Consciousness, 170) There are some traits that make a great leader. The most important are in no specific order: Honesty Communication Positive Attitude Creativity Intuition, gut feeling Ability to Inspire Ability to delegate the job to the right person Ability to make a group a team Creativity Confident Leadership can involve many other traits or qualities but what it really comes down to is inspiring individuals. There are many different styles or approaches of leaderships that can be use to motivate people. A great leader will have strong people skills and exude confidence. Bibliography Hagemann, Bonnie, Stroope, Saundra. â€Å"CONFLICT MANAGMENT.† T+D 66, no. 7 (July 2012): 58. MasterFILE Premier, EBSCOhost (accessed July 20, 2013). Kreitner, Rober and Kinicki Angelo. Organizational Behavior 10th Edition. McGraw Hill, 2012. Textbook. Krznaric, Roman. â€Å"Six Habits of Highly Empathic People.† 27 November 2012. Greater Good the Science of a Meaningful Life. 20 July 2013. Martin, Diane M. and Craig O Rich and Barbra Mae Gayle. â€Å"Humor Works: Communication Styles and Humor Functions in Manager/Subordinate Relationships.† Southern Commnicationm Journal 69 (n.d.): 206-222. Reference.com. 20 July 2013.