Everything is Illuminated-Jonathan Safran Foer

Introduction – The consequences of the grandparents' silence Many people have to bear heavy psychological burdens from the second world war without talking to anybody about their experiences. Because of the terrible war-experiences many of these people have a stubborn point of view, a total indifference towards new subjects and an incomprehensible behavior (cf. Bode 18). Moreover many â€Å"war-grandchildren† indicate huge problems with their parents and / or grandparents (cf. Bode 13). Furthermore many â€Å"war-grandchildren† tell about an uncertain awareness of life and their general lack of assurance (cf.Bode 13).The sentence â€Å"My own parents don't know who I really am† is not a rare occurrence (cf. Bode 17). Lots of these people are looking for the trails of their families' past and therefore try to research on their own behavior (cf. Bode 14). Dealing with the past and self-discovery are the main themes of the book â€Å"Everything is Illuminate d† from Jonathan Safran Foer. A following Analysis and Interpretation will show the process of coming to terms with the past and the self-discovery of the protagonists Jonathan Safran Foer, Alexander Perchow and his grandfather. The heavy searchThe following quotation from Cicero goes in line with Alex's and Jonathan's point of view. â€Å"Not to know what happened before you were born is to be a child foreverâ€Å". Jonathan, an American Jew, goes in quest of a woman, Augustine, who apparently saved his grandfather in the second world war from the Nazis. Jonathan particularly wants to find the small Jewish village Trachimbrod where the whole story of his family started. This search ends up in the Ukraine. With the help of the Russian interpreter Alex and his grandfather he wants to discover the history of his family.Pilgrimage is a centuries-old tradition and an important possibility of looking for one's roots and for one's self-discovery (cf. Và ¶kler). Jonathan takes a p hoto with him depicting his grandfather and a young woman (the woman who rescued him from the Nazis). The idea of his grandfather loving this young woman seems incredible to him, because he can't imagine that his grandfather loved other women than his grandmother. â€Å"It seems so improbable that he could have loved her. But isn't there something strange about the picture, the closeness between them, even though they're not looking at each other?The way that they aren't looking at each other. The distance† (Everything is Illuminated 61). â€Å"Part of me wants him to have loved her, and part of me hates to think it† (Everything is Illuminated 61). Jonathan notes everything in his diary he experiences during the journey. He points out that putting his thoughts down in writing releases him (cf. Và ¶kler). Alex tells that the less they see on the journey, the more he writes down (cf. Everything is Illuminated 115).This is also for coming to terms with the past and for h is self-discovery, he wants to capture every little experience of this voyage to get closer to his past and to get enough subjects for his story about his ancestors, that he writes after the journey. Ashamed Jonathan is a very dissatisfied person, he is dissatisfied with himself. This arises when Alex says that there is a darkness in Jonathan's laugh and when they both talk about their future (cf. Everything is Illuminated 69). When Alex says to Jonathan that he's a writer, he denies it at first, furthermore Jonathan doesn't want to admit that he has already published books (cf.Everything is Illuminated 69).The following dialog between Alex and Jonathan proves that Jonathan is everything else but self-satisfied. â€Å"I would love very much to read your stories. † â€Å"You probably won't like them. † â€Å"Why do you say that? † â€Å"I don't even like them. † (Everything is Illuminated 69). When Alex asks him for the reason of his writing, Jonathan answ ers that he used to think he was born to write but in the same moment he denies it again (cf. Everything is Illuminated 69-70). Jonathan feels that the sentence â€Å"I'm born to write† sounds cheap and terrible and he finds it hard to express himself (cf.Everything is Illuminated 70). He says that he wants to do something he's not ashamed of – not proud – just not ashamed (cf. Everything is Illuminated 70). The self-discovery Jonathan is a â€Å"war-grandchild† and his behavior perfectly goes in line with the statement that many â€Å"war-grandchildren† have an uncertain awareness of life and a general lack of assurance. These problems change at the end of their journey. Although they think they don't find Augustine nor get to know anything about Jonathan's grandfather, Jonathan finds himself because he discovers the trails of his family, Trachimbrod.He writes a fictive story about his ancestors that takes place in Trachimbrod, therefore he puts t he past behind and focuses up on his future. Jonathan can finally be happy. The self-confident young man Alex's development is much more discernible than Jonathan's and the process of his self-discovery is much clearer as well. Alexander Perchow lives with his parents, his brother and his grandfather in Odessa in Russia. In the beginning, the reader gets the impression of Alex as a tall, popular and self-confident young man. â€Å"I am unequivocally tall.I do not know any women who are taller than me† (Everything is Illuminated 3). â€Å"I have an aristocratic smile and like to punch people† (Everything is Illuminated 4). Alex says that he has many girls and that they all want to have sex with him, moreover he mentions that he often visits famous clubs (cf. Everything is Illuminated 2). It becomes obvious that Alex is looking for recognition by his family. For example his father asks him about his knowledge of English and he says that he speaks fluently although he doe sn't, he only wants to make his parents proud (cf.Everything is Illuminated 4). The relationship to the grandfather Alex is worried about his grandfather crying at night but this problem is hushed-up in the family. He doesn't talk a lot with his grandfather but when he does, it sounds always queer to him (cf. Everything is Illuminated 110). Alex is afraid of being alone with his grandfather because there is a distance between them and he knows that there is something wrong with this old man. His grandfather is hiding something that happened in the war.Because of this supposition Alex asks himself which terrible things he had done during the war (cf. Everything is Illuminated 74). Alex doesn't really know his grandfather, neither his real personality nor his past but his sadness frightens him a lot. When Alex's Grandfather talks for the first time about his parents he is astonished and does not know how to react. â€Å"It was the first occasion that I heard Grandfather speak of his parents, and I wanted to know very much of them† (Everything is Illuminated 111). â€Å"But I felt that it was a common decency for me to be quiet on the matter.He would speak when he needed to speak, and until that moment I would persevere silence† (Everything is Illuminated 111). This is a proof of the respect of the post-war generations towards the war-generation but also a proof for the interest in the past of Alex's grandfather. The â€Å"war-grandchildren† feel awkward about confronting the older generation with anything (cf. Bode 20). The relationship between them improves when the grandfather told Alex and Jonathan about his tragedy that happened in the war because therefore Alex can finally understand the sadness of his grandfather.At the end of the book, when Alex is at the beach and his grandfather tries to find him to ask for money it is the first time it doesn't feel weird to talk to his grandfather and the oppressive atmosphere doesn't exist anymore (cf. Everything is Illuminated 217). When his grandfather asks him not to tell anybody about his request for money, Alex feels relieved. â€Å"It had not occurred to me until he uttered it, but we have a secret. We have a thing amid us that no one else in the world knows, or could know. We have a secret together, and no longer asunder† (Everything is Illuminated 217).America, the last hope? Alexander has the dream of a better life in America and when his father asks him to travel with and translate for Jonathan, he can't wait to see an American. Alex wants to improve his life and wants to show that he also could be an American and become an accountant (cf. Everything is Illuminated 28). During the journey Alex asks Jonathan a lot about America and he tells him that Odessa is a city like Miami, although both know that Odessa isn't like Miami at all, but Alex doesn't want to make the impression that his life isn't very special.During their journey it gets clear that Alex isn't the self-confident, popular young man he pretends to be, one indication for this statement is when Alex says that he and Jonathan are like friends and therefore he feels entirely good for the first time he can remember (cf. Everything is Illuminated 72). Furthermore, at the end of the journey Alex says that he isn't a smart person and in a letter to Jonathan he admits that he mistakenly thought it might be more impressive pretending to be very tall (cf. Everything is Illuminated 24).These statements would have been impossible at the beginning and it shows a developing process. Alex doesn't deceive himself anymore (cf. Everything is Illuminated 179). In his letters to Jonathan he tells the whole truth and doesn't want to delude himself and others. He admits that he doesn't go to famous discotheques but spends many hours alone at the beach (cf. Everything is Illuminated 52), he also admits that he never became intimate with a girl (cf. Everything is Illuminated 144). Moreover Alex re alizes that he will never move to America nor visit the States (cf.Everything is Illuminated 241). The conflict The following dialog between Alex and his father at the beginning of the book proves that Alex is very dissatisfied with his life, that their point of views vary a lot and that his father doesn't know who his own son really is. â€Å"Why is it that I cannot go forth to America after I graduate? † â€Å"If you want to know why you cannot go forth to America, it is because Great-Grandfather was from Odessa, and Grandfather was from Odessa, and Father, me, was from Odessa, and your boys will be from Odessa.Also, you are going to toil at Heritage Touring when you are graduated. It is a necessary employment, premium enough for Grandfather, premium enough for me, and premium enough for you. † â€Å"But what if that is not what I desire? What if I do not want to toil at Heritage Touring, but instead toil someplace where I can do something unordinary, and make very much currency instead of just a petite amount? † (Everything is Illuminated 28-29). The relationship between Alex and his father is very bad, his father isn't important to him and he hates him because of his drinking problem (cf.Everything is Illuminated 103,145), but at the beginning of the book he has not the courage to resist. This changes the first time when Alex's father told him to come home with a girl after going to a club but Alex refuses to and just said â€Å"shut up† (cf. Everything is Illuminated 214). The second time Alex resists his father is at the end of the book, Alex asks his father to leave the family and never come back, he also flings not seeing him as a father in his teeth and gives him the money he originally saved for America (cf. Everything is Illuminated 274).This is the high point of the development of Alex's self-discovery. He frees himself of his father, doesn't lie to anyone anymore and especially not to himself. The transgenerational tran smission If parents from the war-generation didn't come to terms with their psychological injuries, according to Brisch, it could lead to a â€Å"transgenerational transmission of traumatic experiences, although the following generation itself wasn't exposed such trauma†. Therefore the consequences could be serious for children of the war-children (cf. Bode 80). This statement goes for the grandfather.He suffers from a depression because his wife died two years ago and since then he claims that he is blind (cf. Everything is Illuminated 5). The grandfather is blind in a different way, he can't stand to face the past and without his wife he doesn't have her support anymore, his life doesn't make sense anymore and he has no one to take his mind off the terrible war experiences. It gets clear that not only the death of his wife nags him, the roots of his sadness lie far deeper than that. The grandfather is the keeper of a dreadful secret that eventually destroys him and his depr ession deepens during the journey (cf.Everything is Illuminated 25). This is because â€Å"the journey becomes very painful to grandfather, because it forces him to relive terrible events and admit the things he's done† (cf. docstoc). The turn When Jonathan, Alex and the grandfather find the woman of whom they think she was Augustine, the grandfather's behavior changes in a jiffy. For the first time in the book he laughs with all his heart. â€Å"He was smiling so much, and I am not lying if I tell you that I had never seen him smile so much since grandmother was alive† (Everything is Illuminated 147-148).It becomes obvious that Alex's grandfather and Augustine become fond of each other and the impression that both know each other is given. The woman denies being Augustine but everyone feels certain about it. Alex recognizes her from the picture of Jonathan's grandfather and the grandfather says something interesting that is attributable to his own behavior. â€Å"It was her eyes that let me understand that she was, without a query, the Augustine from the picture† (Everything is Illuminated 148). â€Å"We must help her to remember. Many people try so rigidly to forget after the war that they can no longer remember† (Everything is Illuminated 151).The same is for the grandfather, he suppresses his past as well but with the return to his former home, the finding of Augustine and the questioning grandchild, he has no choice but telling the truth sooner or later. The truth When Augustine tells about two men, Herschel and Eli, who used to be best friends but Eli kills Herschel, the grandfather gets furious (cf. Everything is Illuminated 152). In this situation it gets clear that Augustine knows more about the grandfather than Alex and further that they know each other. The grandfather was called Eli prior to the second world war, but because of a tragedy he renamed himself Alexander.Eli tried to become someone else after the terrible thi ng he had done in the war. After leaving Augustine's place, grandfather admits the whole truth about his past. The Jew Herschel lived with Eli and his wife in Kolki, a village near to Trachimbrod. He used to be Eli's best friend but the Nazis put their friendship to the test. The Nazis demanded to betray the Jews otherwise everyone was shot dead. After that, Eli betrayed his best friend and pointed at Herschel because he didn't want to die (cf. Everything is Illuminated 250-251).First Alex is shocked about his grandfather and doesn't understand why he didn't tell anything. â€Å"I am not understanding. I am not understanding any of this. I do not understand that you are from Kolki, and why I never knew. I do not understand why you came on this voyage if you knew how close we would be† (Everything is Illuminated 247). This whole situation is very difficult for Alex but later he forgives his grandfather and is able to understand him. In the following quotation of Eli he talks t hings over and understands that he is the reason for his son's behavior and the bad relationship between Alex and his son.â€Å"I knew that I had to change everything to leave everything behind and I knew that I could never allow him to learn of who I was or what I did because it was for him that I did what I did it was for him that I pointed and for him that Herschel was murdered that I murdered Herschel and this is why he is how he is he is how he is because a father is always responsible for his son and I am I and I am responsible not for Herschel but for my son because I held him with so much force that he cried because I loved him so  much that I made love impossible and I am sorry for you and sorry for your brother and it is you who must forgive me† (Everything is Illuminated 251-252). It is important for the grandfather that he admits everything in the end, otherwise he could never get some peace.He comes to terms with the past and therefore kills himself so he can b e together with his wife and doesn't have to suffer anymore. Conclusion The demons of the past dog us everywhere in our lives. In the novel â€Å"Everything is Illuminated† from Jonathan Safran Foer, memories and a journey back to the past become the source of self-discovery (cf. Và ¶kler).Jonathan is very insecure about himself and can't stop the thoughts about his grandfather's former life until finally he can put the past behind because of writing down his fictive story about his ancestors. Alex doesn't really know himself because he doesn't know the past of his grandfather and therefore his relationship to his father is disturbed. At last Eli, Alex's grandfather, tells his secret from the war, so he can get some peace and therefore Alex knows the truth about him and the reason of his father's behavior. The journey to the past helps them all to open their eyes, find themselves and to put the past behind.

Acculturation, Biculturism and Marginalization Essay

Ross-Sheriff (2011) commented that international migration patterns have * changed as a consequence of broad social, political, economic, and environmental * trends and explained the causes of the driving forces were including war, * globalization, urbanization, and changing cultural norms regarding social roles and * responsibilities (Ross-Sheriff, 2011). With these complex trends of migration * patterns, Van Hear (2010) viewed migration as a process which was an integral part * of broader social transformations, but which also had its own internal dynamics with * other factors related to the migrating process, shaping social transformation in their * own way. Migration was also linked in complex ways to class, gender, generation, * ethnicity and other social factors, which were embodied in positions in home and host * communities, and in work and domestic relationships, all of which might be * transformed in the course of the migratory process (Van Hear, 2010). To understand this complex process of migration, especially under changing circumstances of one culture to another, it might be useful to build conceptual tools for understanding these transitory processes in migration studies and in social science more widely (Van hear, 2010). They also include mediating agents and transitions that need also to be accounted for, as well as intersections among class, gender, generation, ethnicity and other social ruptures as well as the main driving forces of migration (Van Hear, 2010). Of course there were other important concepts such as relations between time and space, between dynamics or processes and outcomes, and between structure and agency that needed to get attention (Van Hear, 2010). However, it is impossible to discuss all different theoretical concepts involved in different types of migration process in the current limited study. Rather, this study tried to focus on psychological impacts such as ethnic identity and self-esteem on migration through acculturation processes particularly on family- related migration because different patterns of migration produced different communities and resulted in producing different migrant identities including varying levels of psychological distress (Jones, 2008). Further, few empirical studies have focused on migrant adults populations. Most migrants identification related literatures tended to relate more for adolescents or young children because identity formation might be particularly challenging in this cohort, especially when the values and beliefs of their natal culture differed significantly from those of the host society (Sodowsky, Kwan, & Pannu, 1995; as cited in Farver, Narang, & Bhadha, 2002). Therefore, this study focused on ethnic identity and self-identification issues of adult migrants’ themselves within a family structure according to different theoretical models relevant to adaptation of new cultures, because family was the basic instrument in the society (Nesdale, Rooney, & Smith, 1997). In fact, most cultural acquisition theories developed and evolved in 1990s when international migration became a key issue in international politics at the beginning of 1990s. As Castle (2002) argued that migration, development and international relations were closely connected as migration was a major factor of transformation for both sending and receiving countries for different types of migrants (Castle, 2002). With this perspective, this study generally focused on those migration culture acquisition theories developed in 1990 rather then looking at current perspectives in the most recent literatures, which actually have evolved from these original theories in 1990s (Castle, 2002). As the findings from these research studies has had been mixed or sometimes contradictory, it was important to understand the exact nature of the relationship between migrant ethnic identification and the acculturation process both need to be specified and assessed properly with coherent measurements and theoretical assumptions (Nesdale et al. , 1997). Important theoretical concepts: ethnic identity, acculturation, biculturism, and marginalisation. According to Phinney (1990; as cited in Farver, Narang & Bhadha., 2002), ethnic identity and acculturation were related but separate constructs. Ethnic identity involves an individual’s self-identification as a group member, a sense of belonging to an ethnic group, attitudes toward ethnic group of membership, and degree of ethnic group involvement (Farver et al. , 2002). The term acculturation was defined in anthropology as those phenomena, which resulted when groups of individuals having different cultures came into continuous first-hand contact with subsequent changes in the original pattern of either or both groups (Redfield, Linton, & Herskovits, 1936; as cited in Birman, 1994). Although acculturation was a neutral term in this context (that is, change might take place in either or both groups), in practice, acculturation tended to induce more changes in one of the groups than in the other (Berry, 1990a; as cited in Berry, 1997) Berry (1997) argued that in all plural societies, cultural groups and their individual members, in both dominant and non-dominant situations, must deal with the issue of how to acculturate. According to Berry (1997), four acculturation strategies were introduced: assimilation, separation, marginalization, and integration. When individuals do not wish to maintain their cultural identity and seek daily interaction with other new cultures, the assimilation strategy is defined. In contrast, when individuals place a value on holding on to their original culture, and at the same time wish to avoid interaction with others, then the separation is defined (Berry, 1997). When there is an interest in both maintaining one’s original culture, while in daily interactions with other groups, integration is the option; here, there is some degree of cultural integrity maintained, while at the same time seeking to participate as an integral part of the larger social network (Berry, 1997). Last, when there is little possibility or interest in cultural maintenance (often for reasons of enforced cultural loss), and little interest in having relations with others (often for reasons of exclusion or discrimination) then marginalization is defined (Berry, 1997). However, this acculturation categories model has been criticized methodologically (Rudmin, 2003, 2009; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010) because all four of Berry’s categories were represented in the same way by creating the two by two matrix of acculturation categories between high and low. However, the cut off point between high and low was arbitrary and would differ across samples, making comparisons across studies difficult, resulting in the fact that all four categories existed and were equally valid (Rudmin, 2003; as cited in Schwartz et al., 2010) and suggesting that not all of Berry’s categories might exist in a given sample or population, and that some categories might have multiple subtypes (Schwartz et al. , 2010). In particular, Berry (1997) viewed the term â€Å"biculturism† as referring to acculturation that involved the individual simultaneously in the two cultures that were in contact in integrative ways, which appeared to be a consistent predictor of more positive outcomes than the three alternatives of assimilation, separation, or marginalization. Berry and his colleagues (Sam & Berry, 1995) assessed the acculturation strategies of various immigrant groups in North America and the results showed that bicultural individuals experienced less acculturative stress, anxiety and fewer psychological problems significantly, while marginalized individuals suffered the most psychological distress, including problems with self-identification and cultural alienation, which adversely affected their self-esteem (Farver et al. , 2002). However, Shiraev and Levy (2007) explained acculturative stress as a negative feeling that a marginalized person might experience as a distressing psychological reaction to any unfamiliar cultural environment based on the assumption that person and groups undergoing any social and cultural change should experience a certain amount of psychological distress. Generally, many early definitions of acculturation focused on exposure to two cultures simultaneously as a culture shock, which was a reactive state of specific pathology or deficit, rather than taking advantage of being bicultural (Berry & Annis, 1974; Shiraev et al., 2007). The validity of marginalization as an approach to acculturation by Berry (1997) was also questioned (Del Pilar & Udasco, 2004; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010). Schawartz et al. argued that the likelihood that a person would develop a cultural sense of self without drawing on either the heritage or receiving cultural contexts would be less likely to. The marginalization approach might be true only for the small segment of migrants who rejected both their heritage and receiving cultures (Berry, 2006b). Indeed, studies using empirically based clustering methods have found small or nonexistent marginalization groups and scales that attempted to measure marginalization typically had poor reliability and validity compared with scales for the other categories (Cuellar, Arnold, & Maldonado, 1995; Unger et al. , 2002; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010). As described earlier, the impact of migrant ethnic identity on psychological distress had comparatively diverse points of views if they were either negative or positive reactions, depending on different theoretical frames. For example, Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 2001) and Self-Categorization Theory (Turner, 1987) emphasized more on the importance to individuals of their identification with particular social groups. Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 2001; as cited in Yip, Gee, & Takeuchi, 2008) viewed a possible explanation for why ethnic identity might buffer the effects of discrimination. According to this theory,individuals chose from an array of possible social identity groups and, once those groups were chosen, individuals focused on the positive aspects of their in-group, which helped to boost their own esteem, suggesting that ethnic identity was more important to their overall identity (Yip et al. , 2009). In contrast, if ethnicity was a central component of one’s identity, it might actually exacerbate the effects of discrimination, resulting in a greater negative impact on mental health, according to self-categorization theory (Turner, Hogg, Oakes, Reicher, & Wetherell, 1987; as cited in Yip et al., 2008), suggesting that people should be more in tune with environmental cues that were relevant to an important aspect of their identity. That is, experiences of racial discrimination might be such a cue relevant to their ethnic identity. Indeed, research suggested that African American adults and adolescents who reported strong racial centrality were also more likely to report experiences of racial discrimination (Neblett, Shelton, & Sellers, 2004; Sellers, Caldwell, Schmeelk-Cone, & Zimmerman, 2003; Sellers & Shelton, 2003; as cited in Yip et al., 2008). However, despite this emphasis by social theorists, they tended to forget the larger literature that involved with both ethnicity and the acculturation process (Liebkind, 1993; 1996; as cited in Nesdale, Rooney & Smith, 1997). First of all, these different findings resulted from lack of inclusion of acculturation itself as a variable methodologically when acculturation was considered as a phenomenon in research designs (Sam and Berry, 2006). Without including acculturation as a variable, the explanations for human behavior similarities and differences across populations would remain incomplete (Sam et al. , 2006). Second, a further criticism of the acculturation literatures was that the same two acculturation processes, and the same four-acculturation categories, characterized all migrants equally—regardless of the type of migrant, the countries of origin and settlement, and the ethnic group in question, according to Berry’s (1980) model and other similar approaches (Sam et al., 2006). Finally, the vast majority of studies in the acculturation literature have focused on behavioral acculturation (Schwartz et al. , 2010). That is, most widely used acculturation measures included primarily (or only) items assessing language use and other cultural practices (e. g. , Cuellar, Arnold, & Maldonado, 1995; Stephenson, 2000; Szapocznik, Kurtines, & Fernandez, 1980; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010) due to accepting the fact that cultural practices might provide only a fair proxy for cultural adaptation (Schwartz et al., 2010). Theoretical frameworks for acculturation research Shiraev & Levy (2007) claimed that cross-cultural psychologists usually used three approaches to examine human activities in various cultural settings. They were the sociobiological approach, the sociological approach and eco-cultural approach (Shiraev et al. , 2007). In particular, the eco-cultural approach emphasized both the environment and the individual were seen as open and interchanging systems (Shiraev et al., 2007), introducing John Berry whom originally developed this theory further in contemporary cross-cultural psychology. Shiraev et al. (2007) also pointed out that specialists should to be able to explain how, why, and to what extent people differed from one another, when ecological, biological, cultural, and acculturation factors were identified and taken into consideration (Berry, J. W. , Poortinga, Y. H. , Segall, M. H. , & Dasen. P. R. ,1992; as cited in Shiraev et al. , 2007). In related to the concerns pointed by Shiraev et al. (2007), Berry (1997) argued earlier there were important links between cultural context and individual behavioural development, demonstrating what happened to individuals who developed in one cultural context when attempting to re-establish their lives in another one through his acculturation research framework, by confirming the fact that acculturation was one of the most complex areas of research in cross-cultural psychology because the process involved more than one culture and in two distinct senses (Berry, 1997). According to Berry (1997), the concept of acculturation was employed to refer to the cultural changes resulting from different ethnic groups encountered, while the concepts of psychological acculturation and adaptation were employed to refer to the psychological changes and eventual outcomes that occur as a result of individuals experiencing acculturation. In another words, acculturation phenomena resulted from contact between two or more cultures and research on acculturation had to be comparative in order to understand variations in psychological outcomes that were the result of cultural variations in the two groups in contact (Berry, 1997). In particular, this framework viewed the integration model of acculturation strategies the most desirable among other strategies, considering it the same as the biculturalism model (Berry, 1997). For example, Berry and his colleagues (Berry, 1980; Berry, J. W. , Kim, U. , Power, S. , Young, M, & Bujaki, M. , 1989; Berry, Kim, Minde, & Mok, 1987; Sam & Berry, 1995 as cited in Farver et al., 2002) assessed the acculturation strategies of various immigrant groups in North America and the result showed that integration was the most psychologically adaptive attitude, arguing that integrated or bicultural individuals experienced less acculturative stress and anxiety and manifested fewer psychological problems than those who were marginalized, separated, or assimilated, whereas marginalized individuals suffered the most psychological distress, including problems with self-identification and cultural alienation, which also affected their self-esteem (Farver et al. , 2002). However, Phinney, Cantu, and Kurtz (1997) found that American identity was associated with self-esteem only for non-Hispanic Whites, but not for other ethnic groups. These mixed results as explained above raised two issues in the acculturation literatures. First of all, cultural practices might offer only a substitute for cultural adpatations, as Portes and Rumbaut (2001 as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010) mentioned that many Asian American young adults in their sample were not proficient in their native languages, even though they still perceived their identification with their parents’ countries of origin and maintained many of their values (Schwarz et al. , 2010). Secondly, most researchers on biculturism did not sufficiently define an accurate operational definition of biculturism so that interpretation of those research results were problematic (Birman, 1994). Indeed, one finding in the United States, was that self-identification as American was markedly higher in non-Hispanic Whites than in ethnic minority groups (e. g. , Devos & Banaji, 2005; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010) and many White Americans did not perceived themselves as members of an ethnic group (Schildkraut, 2007; as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010). In brief, different operational definition problems of acculturation arose from different theoretical models of acculturation regarding to their assumptions (LaFromboise, Coleman, & Gerton, 1993). LaFromboise et al. (1993) assumed acculturation as one of substitutes among the biculturism models. Biculturism as defined in this theory was viewed as the alternation model, which implied an individual in two culture contacts could be competent in both cultures without losing one of the cultures’ competencies in distinct cultural contexts as alternation model, whereas, fusion model meant a blended cultural identity, consisting of a synthesis of aspects of both cultures (LaFromboise et al., 1993). However, Berry’s (1997) integrating approach of biculturism differed from the bicultural model (LaFromboise et al. , 1993; as cited in Birman, 1994) and it emphasized more on the relationship between the two cultural groups based on its implicit assumption that one of two cultures were higher than the other within a single social structure (LaFromboise et al. , 1993). Benet-Martinez and colleagues found that â€Å"blended† bicultural individuals tended to report higher self-esteem and lower psychological distress than a marginal population (Chen et al. , 2008 as cited in Schwartz et al. , 2010) because the consistent availability of both cultural flows within the person’s everyday life increased the ease of activating the correct cultural schema in accordance with their environmental situations (Schwartz et al. , 2010). In contrast, Tadmor, Tetlock, and Peng (2009) argued that the bicultural model considered those marginal individuals in positive ways, when there was little interest in cultural maintenance and little interest in having relations with others, suggesting positive aspects of being a marginal person might be (1) sharing his or her condition with others of the same original culture; (2) engaging in institutional practices that were shared by other marginal people; (3) experiencing no major frustration from social expectations; and (4) still perceiving himself or herself to be a member of a group (LaFromboise et al., 1993). According to Sam and Berry (2006), many studies of how migrants coped with intercultural contacts had discrepancies in the ways in which they were operationalized and measured. As no standardized or widely accepted acculturation measures existed, it was necessary to design a clear and explicit formulation of acculturation instrument in order to assess acculturation adequately (Sam et al. , 2006). Further Sam and Berry (2006) pointed out that most empirical studies widely used a self-report type of questionnaires that had been recognized limitations such as social desirability, emphasizing obtaining divergent validation by source of information other than the respondents’ reports. Therefore, it is vital to understand each theory within its specific assumptions and not to generalize across all situations regardless of their similar findings (LaFromboise et al. , 1993). As this study discovered migrants’ acculturation processes so far within specific theoretical frameworks, literature findings in different research were mixed as to whether individuals could be highly acculturated and at the same time be strongly identified with their ethnic group (Farver, Narang, & Bhadha. , 2002). These confusing problems initially evolved because of the context in which migration arrangements and their acculturation processes were fundamentally transformed and increasingly uncertain due to globalization (Landolt & Da, 2005). Shiraev & Levy (2007) suggested a new approach to cross-cultural psychology in the twenty-first century, which was linked to the concept of globalization. Globalization was defined as a proliferation of cross-border flow and transnational networks due to new technologies of communication and transport that allowed frequent and multi-directional streams of people, ideas and cultural symbols (Castle, 2010). Castle also argued that globalization leads to major changes in the character of international migration. In other words, the context for migrant incorporation has already changed radically and will continue to do so. The rise of multiculturalism itself rather than assimilation or biculturism is one sign of this, but is not the end of the story: new forms of identity and belonging go beyond multiculturalism (Castle, 2010). Even though there is limited empirical evidence for clear statements for globalization, there probably are highly cosmopolitan groups who feel at home everywhere such as global business and professional elites might correspond with this image. But most members of transnational communities fall between these extremes, and probably have contradictory and fluctuating identities (Castle, 2002). Conclusions This study explored that a special case of cultural psychology was the study of how individuals respond to situations where they were in transition between their original culture and another that differed from it in some respects in terms of acculturation, especially within a specific theoretical frame that could apply to the specific situation (Adler & Gielen, 1994). There was no single theory widely accepted by all social scientists to agree with the emergence and perpetuation of international migration patterns in the world under globalization (Van Hear, 2010),suggesting that the contemporary migrating context in which such migrating arrangements were realized fundamentally kept transforming so that it became increasingly uncertain (Landolt and Da, 2005) Although the topic of cultural contact and individual’ change has attracted considerable attention in contemporary cross-cultural psychology, the field has been characterized by a lack of theoretical coherence, definitional problems with key constructs, and single sample studies that limit the external validity of empirical cross-cultural research (Ward and Kenney, 1994). As acculturation is a process which takes place over time, and which results in changes both in the culture and in the individual culture changes, it would be ideal o compare two sets of data are compared over time using the same people. However, in practice, it is impossible in most acculturation research settings (Sam et al. , 2006). Instead, a common alternative to longitudinal research is cross-sectional research in which a time-related variable, such as length of residence or generational status can be used for the generalizability of acculturation theories (Sam et al., 2006). In general, researchers of migrating studies need to be aware that it is the selective nature of the sample that happens across all migrating research. That is, individuals who chose to migrate would be different from those who do not (Sodowsky, G. , Kwan, K. , & Pannu, R. , 1995; as cited in Farver et al. , 1997). Finally, acculturation research generally focused on immigrants assumed to be permanently settled in their new host countries. As a result, the terms â€Å"migrants† or â€Å"international migrants† referred to the same type of migrants collectively. Moreover, many countries were both sending and receiving countries for different types of migrants, or in the process of transition from one type to the other (Castel, 2002). Therefore, where applicable, it is viable to design acculturation research studies classifying different types of migrants. References Adler, L. L. , & Gielen, U. P. (Eds. ). (1994). Cross-cultural topics in psychology. Westport: Praeger Publishers. Berry, J. W. (1980). Social and cultural change. In Triandis, H. C. , & Brislin, R. (Eds. ). Handbook of cross-cultural psychology (pp. 211-279). Boston: Allyn & Bacon. Berry, J. W. , Kim, U. , Power, S. , Young, M, & Bujaki, M. (1989). Acculturation attitudes in plural societies. Applied Psychology: An International Review, 38, 185-206 Berry, (1990a). Psychology of acculturation. In Berman, J. (Eds. ). Cross-cultural perspectives: Nebraska Symposium on Motivation (pp. 201-234). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press. Berry, J. W. (1997). Immigration, acculturation, and adaption. Applied Psychology: An international review, 46(1), 5-68. Berry, J. W. , & Annis, R. (1974). Acculturation stress. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 5(4), 382-397. Berry, J. W. , Kim, U., Minde, T. , & Mok, D. (1987). Comparative studies of acculturative stress. International Migration Review, 21, 591-511. Berry, J. W. , Poortinga, Y. H. , Segall, M. H. , & Dasen. P. R. (1992). Cross-cultural Psychology: Research and application. New York: Cambridge university Press. Birman, D. (1994). Acculturation and human diversity in a multicultural society. In Trickett, E. J. , Watts, R. J. , & Birman D, (Eds. ). Perspectives on people in context (pp. 261-284). San Franscisco: Jossey-Bass Inc. Castele, S. (2002). Migration and community formation under conditions of globalization. The Center for Migration Studies of New York, 36(4), 1143- 1168. Cuellar, I. , Arnold, B. , & Maldonado, R. (1995). Acculturation Rating Scale for Mexican Americans-II: a revision of the original ARSMA scale. Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Science, 17, 275-304. doi: 10. 1177/07399863950173001 DelPilar, J. A. , & Udasco, J. O. (2004). Deculturation: Its lack of validity. Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, 10, 169-176. doi: 10. 1037/1099- 9809. 10. 2. 169 Devos, T. , & Banaji, M. R. (2005). American = White? Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88, 447-466. doi: 10. 1037/0022-3514. 88. 3. 447 Farver, J. A. , Narang, S. K. , & Bhadha, B. R. (2002). East meets west: Ethnic identity, acculturation, and conflict in Asian Indian families. Journal of Family Psychology, 16(3), 338-350. doi: 10. 1037//0893-3200. 16. 3. 338 Jones, A. (2008). 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Migrant ethnic identity and psychological distress. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 28(5), 569-588. doi: 10. 1177/0022022197285004 Phinney, J. S. (1990). When we talk about American ethic groups, what do we mean? American Psychologist, 51, 918-917. Phinney, J. S. , & Ong, A. D. (2007). Conceptualization and measurement of ethnic identity: Current status and future directions. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 54, 271-281. doi: 10. 1037/0022-0167. 54. 3. 271 Portes, A. , & Rumbaut, R. G. (2001). Legacies: The story of the immigrant second generation. Berkerly: University of California Press. Redfield, R. , Linton, R. , & Herskovits, M. J. (1936) memorandum on the study of acculturation. American Anthropologist, 38, 149-152. Ross-Sheriff, F. (2011). Global migration and gender. Journal of Women and Social Works, 26(3), 233-238a. doi: 10. 1177/0886109911417692 Rudmin, F. W. (2003). Critical history of the acculturation psychology of assimilation, separation, integration, and marginalization. Review of General Psychology, 7, 3-37. doi: 10. 1177/01461670731197 Sam, D. , & Berry, J. W. (1995). Acculturative stress among young immigrants in Norway. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 36, 10-24. Sam, D. , & Berry, J. W. (2006). The Cambridge handbook of acculturation psychology [Electronic version]. Retrieved from http://www. qut. eblib. com. au. ezp01. library. qut. edu. au/patron. Schildkraut, D. J. (2007). Defining American identity in the 21st century: How much â€Å"there† is there? Journal of Politics, 69, 597-615. doi: 10. 1111/j. 1468-2508. 2007. 00562. x Schwartz, S. J. , Unger, J. B. , Zamboanga, B. L. , & Szapocznik, J. (2010). Rethinking the concept of acculturation: Implications for the theory and research. American Psychologist, 65(4), 237-251. doi: 10. 1037/a0019330 Sellers, R. M. , Caldwell, C. H. , Schmeelk-Cone, K. H. & Zimmerman, M. A. (2003). Racial identity, racial discrimination, perceived stress, and psychological distress among African American young adults. Journal of Health and Social Behavior, 44(3), 302-317. Seller, R. M. , & Shelton, R. M. (2000). The role of racial identity in perceived racial discrimination. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(5), 1079-1092. Shiraev, E. , & Levy, D. (2007). Cross-Cultural Psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications. Boston: Pearson Education Inc. Sodowsky, G. , Kwan, K. , & Pannu, R., (1995). Ethnic identity of Asians in the United States. In J. Ponterotto (Ed. ), Handbook of multicultural counseling (pp. 110- 130). Newbury Park: Sage. Stephenson, M. (2000). Development and validation of the Stephenson Multigroup Acculturation Scale (SMAS). Psychological Assessment, 12, 77-88. doi: 10. 1037/1040-3590. 12. 1. 77 Szapocznik, J. , Kurtines, W. , & Fernandez, T. (1980). Bicultural involvement and adjustment in Hispanic-American youths. International Journal of Interculture Relations, 4, 353-365. Tadmor, C. T. , Tedlock, P. E. , & Peng, K. (2009). Acculturation strategies and integrative complexity: The congnitive implications of biculturism. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 40, 105-139. doi: 10. 1177/0022022108326279 Tajfel, H. , & Turner, J. C. (2001). An Integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In Hogg, M. , & Abrams, D. (Eds. ). The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 94-109). New York: Psychology Press. Turner, J. C. , Hogg, M. A. , Oakes, P. J. , Reicher, S. D. & Wetherell, M. S. (1987). Rediscovering the social group: A self-categorization theory. Oxford: Balckwell. Unger, J. B. , Gallagher, P. , Shakib, S. , Ritt-Olson, A. , Palmer, P. H. , & Johnson, C. A. (2002). The AHIMSA acculturation scale: A new measure of acculturation for adolescents in a multicultural society. Journal of Early Adolescence, 22, 225-251. doi: 10. 1177/02731602022003001 Van Hear, N. (2010). 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Habeus Corpus Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Habeus Corpus - Research Paper Example Due to this reason, the Great Writ, often referred to as the writ of Habeas Corpus, constitute an important means for the protection of prisoners from unlawful governmental action and imprisnoment. (Sharpe, 1976). To ensure that the executive departments of the government are accountable to the judiciary is, by far, the overriding purpose of habeas corpus. The Latin phrase habeas corpus ad subjiciendum, is the phrase from which the term habeas corpus has been derived. The phrase literally means to â€Å"have the body to submit to the authority of the court†. The roots of the writ of habeas corpus can be traced to the Habeas Corpus Act of 1679 enacted by the British Parliament. The writ of Habeas Corpus later on became a part of the Constitution of the United States of America. According to Article 1, Section 9, the Habeas Corpus shall not be suspended because it is essential for the protection of personal freedom except in the Cases of Rebellion. (Schultz, 2009). Keeping in vi ew the fact that the US Constitution states about the suspension of writ of habeas corpus in Invasion of Public Safety cases, thus, in context to the war on terror, the prisoners cannot enjoy the privileges of writ of teh habeas corpus. History The writ of habeas corpus originated in the Common Law and initially it was only viewed as a legal procedure through which the federal judiciary evaluated the legality of the authority of the federal government. In simple words, the habeas corpus was a legal proceeding through which the court determined the legitimacy of a prisoner’s detention. In such cases, the legality of the prisoner’s detention is justified by the government official in court by presenting legal documents such as a warrant or a judgment of conviction or documents which prove that the official was ordered to imprison the individual. (Schultz, 2009). The availability of the Great Writ and the nature of the claims that can be considered have been significantly expanded over the past few decades. The Great Writ was extended to include the consideration of whether the state prisoner’s detention violated any rights protected by the US Constitution, was enacted by the US Congress under the title of Habeas Corpus Statute in 1867. Later, the types of the claims which could be asserted against the state officials as constitutional violations grew substantially following the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment. Later, by the 1970s, Habeas Corpus had evolved into a means intended to be utilized for the assertion of provisions of the national constitution in an effort to challenge the legality of the detention of a prisoner. The challenges included are challenges to incarceration following a criminal conviction, detention immediately following an arrest. Moreover, the commitment to a mental institution and challenges to the nature of the detention were also became a part of the habeas corpus in the late 1970s. Most frequently, the habe as corpus is utilized by the state inmates to review their criminal convictions. The inclusion of allegations of constitutional violations occurring during trials paved way for the prisoners to request a comprehensive review of their state court criminal trials. Most importantly, through the writ of habeas corpus, the state inmates received a forum which could be utilized by the court to determine if the prisoners

The role of using first language (L1) and translation in young Essay

The role of using first language (L1) and translation in young learners classes - Essay Example Majority of teachers, counting up to 72% of them opined that bilingual education should be started at the elementary school level. One of the opinions in relation with this research question reads â€Å"I think young learners are able to learn more than one language at the same time faster than adults, therefore teaching English should be started in the elementary school and even before†. On contrary, 27% of the respondents were of the opinion that Bilingual education should begin at the middle-school level rather than the elementary-school level. A statement in support of this opinion as made by one of the participant teacher reads â€Å"If the learners of the second language started learning it in very early age they will forget their first language (Arabic)†. The response from 81 % of the respondents suggested they were in support of English as the only language to be should be spoken in the class. One of the citable arguments made by one of the teachers in favor of this argument states; â€Å"Only English should be used in EFL classes for the sake of the students, nowadays English is becoming a very important language in all aspects of our lives like to find a good job, to communicate with others and even in the schools and universities everything is going to be in English†. 18% of the teachers were in opposition to the lone usage of English in classes. They pointed out several drawbacks on only using English in the classes. One of the teachers opines â€Å"â€Å"We don’t need to learn or speak English; we speak Arabic all the time (home, school, with friends and family) so learning English should not be our main concern†. As far as the opinion on the need of translation was concerned, 72% of the total sample population were not in favor of students being encouraged to translate back and forth from the TL to Native Language, and vice versa. One of the respondents in favor of this argument states â€Å"Translation

Molecular basis of circadian rhythms Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Molecular basis of circadian rhythms - Article Example In a fast growing world where travelling is essential to many individuals, jet lag is a common denominator among those individuals. Scientifically speaking, this was mainly because of the disruption of the circadian clock. According to the study of Glossop, Lyons & Hardin, the circadian clock worked in an interlocked feedback loops that is further divided into two: a per-tim loop which is activated by dCLK-CYC and repressed by PER-TIM and a dClk loop which is repressed by dCLK-CYC and depressed by PER-TIM (766). Through these loops, it has been identified that there are five genes necessary for effective circadian rhythm, among of which include the period (per), timeless (tim), Drosophilia Clock (dClk), Cycle (Cyc), and double-time (dbt) (Glossop, Lyons & Hardin, 766). However, nothing can be observed without going through the gene level and oscillating the anatomical structures for sleep and wakefulness. Clock-controlled genes consist of input pathways, oscillator or pacemaker, and output pathways (Cermakian & Corsi, 59). As stated earlier, initiating circadian rhythm requires oscillation and this can be done only through a pacemaker or oscillator. Oscillation occurs automatically as this is a temporal program. A well-oscillated circadian clock has self-sustained rhythm during its long period, compensated with respect to the abrupt changes in the environment, predominantly exposed to cycles of light, temperature, food availability and predator, and has various difference in the assembly of cellular clocks (Merrow, Spoelstra & Till, 931). Without this pathways and oscillation, the rhythm of the circadian clock will definitely be disrupted. The study of circadian clock will not only help humans in adaptation but the agriculture and animal industry as well. Experts would be able to condition the organism to environmental changes. Farmers can manipulate the pthosynthetic activity of the plants to match the appropriate

Art & beauty Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Art & beauty - Essay Example By 1920s people started to take sunbath for leisure and a healthy and beautiful look. Beauty is an idea which changes with the matter of time. Historically, people had a standard that well-fed bodies are beautiful and with the changing time slim bodies have become a sign of beauty. It is a common saying in this world that beauty hails from art. Sensible art and media is the creation of selections arranged by an artist or media maker. Whereas these metaphors can provide us a fine idea of what people consider or think is beautiful, the metaphors do not essentially provide us a good plan of what people actually seem to be like. For instance, newspapers and television nowadays do not truly symbolize a precise sample of people in the actual world. In the olden times art was predicted as a base of beauty; quite a few even avowed that natural beauty is subsidiary to artistic beauty. Plato, conversely, divided art and beauty into two self-determining thoughts: genuine beauty reflects reality , whereas art is a misleading simulation of nature. Aristotle, by difference, held that good art is beautiful and that, consequently, the two are indivisible: a great work of art is an attractive work. The Aristotelian aesthetic belief succeeded for centuries, but it was the eighteenth century that provided growth to the concept that forming beauty is the necessary point of art (Freeland, pg 31-40). Kant holds that great art is beautiful, though it fluctuates appreciably from natural beauty: a good work of art is a beautiful image. An image can be beautiful even if its topic is not beautiful (Freeland, pg 10-15) Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel (1770-1831) squabbles that beauty is the necessary trait of art, and natural beauty is a likeness of artistic beauty (Harold, 1972). In this view, beauty reflects deliberate creation, not minor results of sightless, natural forces. Aesthetic refers to someone's personal idea of what is beautiful. It can also be said as an individuals own taste and judgment of things. It is the theoretical idea of what beauty really is. Similarly in the case of arts one also uses his own personal idea to judge how beautiful one piece of art is. There has been a debate since the beginning of this world on the subject of aesthetics. Kant famously related aesthetics with the subject of arts. In his view a good view about aesthetics depends upon the originality and the beauty of the art works. While on the other hand David Hume gave his own perception about Aesthetics (Freeland pg 8-10). It stated that the view about the artworks depends upon an individuals own taste and culture. Aesthetics is directly related to arts when it comes to the appreciation of a work. Aesthetics may help one to realize the beauty of a piece of art. Q. What is art Why we value art so much. Freeland supports the "cognitive" concept of art--which, in her observation, holds that art is parallel to language as it "communicates complex thoughts." This is a doubtful suggestion, because it entails that art first and foremost occupies a straight transfer of information or awareness. At any rate, it is primarily fiction and drama between the arts that can pass on "complex thoughts," however infrequently as unambiguously as expository prose (Freeland, pg 148-155). The expression concept, according to Freeland, holds that art talks "something in the realm of feelings and emotions"--a vision she discovers too restraining. Art, she indicates,

Foster Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foster Care - Essay Example The next foremost part of interdisciplinary is focused on the importance of institutions, as it should be considered that the most essential environmental situation supporting interdisciplinary is the structure of an institutional policy for teamwork such as infrastructure of organized research groups, academic records, financing committees and unofficial networks of researchers that dynamically promote interdisciplinary research. (Stehr & Weingart 2000). In foster care (child welfare system), part of its interdisciplinary measures are: 1) the administration for foster care should provide and implement progressive policies that should strictly be followed by its private contract social services agencies; 2) parents and families at danger of child safety participation should have access to high standard and preventive legal services and be represented properly: 3) enhanced teamwork and communication is necessary between the foster care and education schemes; 4) improved employment and maintenance is essential to make certain that people of cultural diversity are in the main decision making roles in the foster care scheme; 5) foster care workers must have the proper training regarding cultural capability; and 6) continuous academic research, in alliance with practitioners is necessary in diverse areas applying different approaches of research which are recognized by the society influence and response to the racial chara

Critical Issue Paper Two Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Critical Issue Paper Two - Essay Example ted States homefront had a controlled economy wherein all aspects of the industrial and agricultural sector are managed for the interest of the national security. Production of houses, new automobiles and new appliances were stopped creating a shortage within the consumer market. Housing shortages, especially in the munitions center (industrial sections) of the country forced married couples to live with parents or any makeshift facilities. And since little housing was done during the Great Depression years prior to World War II, the home shortage problem grew worse till 1948. Incidentally, the â€Å"wartime efforts were focused on aircraft engines, army trucks and tanks.† Mass production for aircrafts, where the requirement was to build a thousand planes a day needed new methods and a larger less skilled workforce (composed of women workers), were implemented. Basic goods and commodities like meat, sugar, butter, coffee, gasoline, tires, shoes and clothing were rationed. Purchase of any desired item requires three (3) things, which are: 1) the store keeper must have the items; 2) the purchaser must have cash, and 3) the purchaser must have ration coupons. In general, the rationing activity was supported by the civilians, although black marketing activities existed. Black marketeers were usually hunted down and prosecuted for engaging in such activities that was considered illegal at that time. Rationing was necessary during the World War II at the United States homefront, because the needs of men and women who are serving abroad must be met and considered. Conservation of the aforementioned commodities and other basic items were significant factors for the overall success of the war efforts, since shipping capabilities were limited due to the conversion of public cargo ships to military use in order to aid the war efforts. Good paying jobs were available for anyone who liked to work, although salaries and wages were also controlled. Women joined the

Corn production Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Corn production - Essay Example (ibid.)† The five criteria for case selection according to Smelser (1976: 4) is as follows: â€Å"(1) appropriate to the kind of theoretical posed by the investigator†¦ (2) relevant to the phenomenon being studied†¦ (3) empirically invariant with respect to their classificatory criterion†¦ (4) reflect the degree of availability of data referring to this unit†¦ and (5) decisions to select and classify units of analysis should be based on standardised and repeatable procedures. The social issue that I have chosen is the issue of bio-ethanol production and agro-fuels – a contentious issue debated upon in an age of energy vulnerability and land shortages. The proponents of agro-fuels laud initiatives by the US government to embark on massive corn ethanol production, chiefly to decrease reliance on fossil fuels. On the other hand, its opponents argue that there are risks to small-farmers in rural places of production and can deepen inequality. The researc h that I have chosen was written by Gillon (2010). In the said paper, Gillon (2010, p. 723) looked at corn ethanol production in the state of Iowa, United States and looked at the dynamics and relationships between big business – i.e., the ethanol corporations – and the small farmers. He also examined the policies and politics that surround ethanol production. He began by looking at the related literature from a more global perspective, arguing that â€Å"each agrofuels controversy implies a renegotiation of social and ecological relations, whether the issue is food crises, land use change, market relationships, or struggles over industry participation and ownership. (page 726).† His premise is that the ethanol frenzy is emblematic of the tendency of capitalism to rely on â€Å"environmental fixes† (ibid.) – whereby bioethanol is promoted to supposedly reduce greenhouse gases, but â€Å"consumption levels and accumulation based on extracting cheap corn from the Midwestern landscape. (page 727)†. One of the cental conclusions that Gillon derives from his research is that contrary to the assertions of the proponents of bio-ethanol, small farmers do not stand to gain from the bioethanol boom. This is because, in his words, â€Å"despite simplistic assertions that rural benefits will arrive on the heels of an ethanol industry, the risks, costs, and opportunities associated with biofuels industry development fall unevenly. (page 733)† Interviews with the Iowa farmers demonstrated that the rising input prices and land rents made any profits that came their way from corn production negligible. Another conclusion that the research makes is that the depressed rural economies from which the ethanol are sourced are the ones paying the price for the desires of consumers in urban communities. Whilst the urban consumers benefit from the reduced costs of fuel and the so-called environmental friendliness of renewable energy, th e rural areas are paying environmental costs that are invisible in the bio-ethanol discourse. The author gave the example of Cargill, a biodiesel plant in Iowa Falls, Iowa that disposed 135,000 gallons of liquid oil and grease into a stream, thus compromising water quality in the area. Another point is that the increase of corn production on the land to feed into the ethanol project puts tremendous pressures on the land and on the environment – more than any other crop, corn production emits the highest levels of green house gases (page 739.) It is also prejudicial to the Conservation Reserve

Think about what it would be like to be a pioneer moving to the West Essay

Think about what it would be like to be a pioneer moving to the West during the 1800s - Essay Example Missionaries, explorers, and traders of the 1830s discovered that the west had fertile land for farming and good hunting opportunities. In the 1840s, miners discovered minerals in the west such as gold, silver, lead, nickel, and iron, factors that provided increased chances for pioneers to get a job in these mines. The forests of the west provided timber for construction and sale to the people in the eastern states. The west also provided good sceneries’ for exploration and adventure and these would inform my decision (Josephson 15). Once I decided to move to the west, I would have prepared for the difficulties I would encounter on my way there. Pioneers packed supplies to last them the length of the journey lest they starved and failed to make it to their destination. Pioneers had to endure cold and snow on their way to the west. Some of their wagons broke down and delayed their arrival. I would confirm my baggage to ensure a successful journey to the land that had great prospects (Josephson

Literacy as foundation for lifelong learning Essay Example for Free

Literacy as foundation for lifelong learning Essay Literacy is a fundamental human right and the foundation for lifelong learning. The innovation of writing is one of mankind’s useful creations, it is more than the ability to read and write it’s also the ability to understand what you’re reading and what makes sense in what you’re writing. A person who cannot read and understand sentences, which cannot interpret and cannot write, is called an illiterate person. Illiteracy is the inability to read and write. Literacy makes a person more confident, ambitious and successful in life. Persons with a good education tend to be more confident and ambitious than those who are illiterate. Literacy is thought to have first emerged with the development of numeracy and computational devices. It increases job opportunities and access to higher education; it helps in the economic growth and development of a country. Increases Vocabulary Reading increases your vocabulary, it help persons to learn new words and improves their spelling, the more you read, the more words you gain exposure to and they will inevitably make their way into your everyday vocabulary. Reading also helps in your talking skills. It helps you understand different ways of life and expands your imagination. Stress Reduction A well-written novel, play or newspaper will distract you and keep you in the present moment, letting tensions drain away and allowing you to relax. Reading is a wonderful source of pleasure for many people, and can provide a healthy escape from routine. Mental Stimulation Reading helps to keep the brain active, us like every other muscles in the body, and the brain requires exercise to keep it strong and healthy. Reading prevents the brain from Alzheimer’s and Dementia. Better writing skills This goes hand-in-hand with the expansion of your vocabulary: exposure to published, well-written work has a noted effect on one’s own writing, as observing the cadence, fluidity, and writing styles of other authors will invariably influence your own work. Tranquility In addition to the relaxation that accompanies reading a good book, it’s possible that the subject you read about can bring about immense inner peace and tranquility. Reading spiritual texts can lower blood pressure and bring about an immense sense of calm, while reading self-help books has been shown to help people suffering from certain mood disorders and mild mental illnesses.

Tuition reimbursement Essay Example for Free

Tuition reimbursement Essay Introduction According to (Hall, 2000. 30-31), tuition reimbursement refers to a study program for adult learners which involve provision of financial help to meet the cost of education of the adult learners. The organizations for which the adult learners work for are required to meet the educational costs as part of employees’ benefits and growth and development strategy. According to (Hall, 2000. 30-31) tuition reimbursement has several benefits to an organization. First of all, tuition reimbursement increases productivity of the organization in that, with the acquisition of new skills, employees are empowered to perform more complex tasks faster and more efficiently than it is the case whereby employees lack important skills and training.    The second direct advantage of the tuition reimbursement program is the fact that, employees given the opportunity to study become more loyal to the organization and feel more close to the organization and therefore are less likely to quit their jobs. In this way, tuition reimbursement greatly puts employee turnover very low to the advantage of the organization’s growth.   Therefore tuition reimbursement leads to improved employee retention and clearly minimizes the costs associated with the staffing process. This increases profits for the organization. For the organization, tuition reimbursement qualifies the given organization to tax benefits in accordance to the revenues act of 1978 (Rocchi, 1997.87-90). This is beneficial to both the organization and the employees in that, the organization saves a lot in terms of taxes payable to the government, the tuition reimbursement is crucial to the employees in that, they stand to gain promotions easily than their counterparts who may not poses such skills and knowledge.   Tuition reimbursement are important to an organization in that, employees become more skilled and as a result, the organization ends up with a more united work force which is not only effective but also efficient since there is a general feeling of security for the employees and a feeling of being appreciated. Tuition reimbursement is very important to organizations in that it gives a chance to those who missed the opportunity while young but have the willingness and the desire to achieve high academic standards.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Human resources form the engine of an organization. An organization, which wants to achieve its goals and objectives, should invest in knowledge management as it is the heart of empowering employees as well as mentoring their talents. Any organization, which does not take into consideration, the learning needs of employees is bound to fail in its objectives. The greatest challenge facing organizations as far as career growth and development of employee are concerned is increased costs associated with funding employee adult learning courses.   It is approximated that, organizations spent about $1800 to train a single employee annually something which is quite tasking on part of the organization (Spooner, 1999.12-43). Such a huge amount of money evidently causes financial constraints and if managers do not appreciate the importance of career development, it is hard for organizations to sponsor adult learning programs on basis of the huge associated costs. Adult learning has very many advantages in that it determines job performance and the success of a given organization. The fact that learners have had a considerable exposure to job aspects, challenges and real issues implies that, given an opportunity to study, the adult learners stands a great chance of taking theories and concepts to real life issues (Schwartz, 1992.56-98). Adult learners can easily link concepts to issues at work something which implies that, given an opportunity to learn, adult learners can even outperform fresh graduates in terms of connecting class lesson to practicals work situations and are therefore likely to overcome barriers in the work place. While fresh recruits find it hard to link class theories to work situations and challenges, and learners easily associate into work situations what they study in school. When adult when adult learners go into college, they go there with a vision. Perhaps, having seen challenging tasks, which need some knowledge they lacked, they proceed to college with a dream, with some expectations and a clear focus of what to gain in the studies. Usually it is very tough for adult learners to go back to class considering that, they have financial burdens such as families to fend for and many other financial commitments. This implies that, by the time an adult makes the decision to go back to class, the motivation is very high, the expectations are realistic and the drive is genuine. While young learners may end up in schools for a number of different reasons, different sources of motivation, it is rare to get the same case being true for the adults. This is the reason why human resources managers should come up with tuition reimbursement programs for adult learners willing to go back to studies. The company has a moral obligation to nurture the talent in the employees not withstanding the employers’ gains achieved after they have invested in the studies of their employees. Usually employees who are sponsored to schools would rarely quit a job soon after the training something which implies that, the new skills and knowledge learnt in school is likely to benefit the company considering the wealth of evidence linking training to increased job performance. If employees are given the necessary support in terms of sponsorship to attain their academic goals, this is to the employees; a form of empowerment is likely to boost their morale making them to improve their job performance.   Employees who decide to go back for studies after a while and after having a contact with the job environment are more likely to appreciate what education means to their lives and they are also more likely to have the right attitude towards studies (Andrieu, St. John, 1993.44-79). The above implies that the outcome of tuition reimbursement is that; the organization will have focused and knowledgeable human resources. For the organization, it also implies that, they can promote such employees to managerial positions instead of recruiting from outside the organization whenever they need to fill senior job vacancies.   This to the organization is beneficial in that, employees who have been with the organization for longer periods understand the organizations’ environment, external and internal processes in a better way. This are an advantage to the organization in that, the organization will not have to incur the expenses associated with debriefing new employees who carry on organizational cultures from their previous organization to their new organization. Normally, no organization operates in similar manner like any other given organization and therefore employees who are recruited on the strength of their past experience usually face challenges in adjusting to the new organization’s culture. These difficulties in adjusting to new environment may some time take long periods of time and therefore negatively affect job performance in the organization. Tuition reimbursements are the best solution to the prevention of inconveniences and uncertainties of having to recruit certain skills outside the organization. Conclusion Tuition reimbursement programs if well utilized can be beneficial to an organization. The program is however faced with great challenges considering that it can be open to abuse by employers who may use the program as a bait to woo employees in to remaining with the organization against their wishes. However, if well utilized, the program greatly improves productivity, employee motivation and saves the company a lot in terms of tax benefits such organizations enjoy from the government. There is a need for all organization to implement the program so that, any willing employee can enjoy the benefits associated with tuition reimbursement schemes. References Andrieu, S. St. John. E. (1993.44-79). The Influence of Prices on Graduate Student Persistence. Research in Higher Education, Vol. 34, No. 4, pp. 399-425. Hall, K. (2000. 30-31). Distance Education: An Insider’s View. AALL Spectrum. Rocchi, B. (1997.87-90). Nine Reasons Why You Should Go To Professional Conferences. NetNexus. 3. Schwartz, A. (1992.56-98) How to Handle Conflict Between Employees. Supervisory Management (37) Spooner, F. (1999.12-43) Student Rating of Instruction in Distance Learning and On-Campus Classes. Journal of Educational Research. (92)

Hospitality Management: A Literature Review

Hospitality Management: A Literature Review Hospitality industry with regard to restaurant businesses in any country has become one of the biggest employers in every country. It has attained a higher status in all over the world and demands high standards of works from its employees. Employment opportunities are many in this industry, but require potential for personal qualities in each field. One of the many important things that an employer looks for among the many would be the keen attitude, friendly disposition, neat appearance, willingness to work, confidence, cleanliness, personal hygiene, efficiency, and honesty. Like in the Philippines, tourists act one major role in our hospitality industry as tourists serves as the main market for restaurant services. They make sure in a restaurant that a guest is attended and dealt with their needs or wants. Filipinos are very polite and courteous in making sure those tourists/guests who dine and stay are well entertained. As we speak, competition is huge in this industry that is why raising quality standards and improving service have always been their job to provide a better service. **Reference: An In-depth study on hotel and restaurant industry in the Philippines by Dr. Divina Edralin** (1.2) Restaurants have primary function on food and beverage. They are to provide food and drinks to the customers. Whether it is a small- or large-sized restaurant, there is a great diversity in the types of activities performed by a food and beverage department, requiring significant variety of skills on the part of its workers. Most full-service restaurants do a considerable convention and catering business. The typical convention uses small function rooms for meetings and larger rooms for general sessions, trade shows, exhibits or banquets. It is only through continuous cooperation and coordination that a restaurants food service function can be carried out effectively. Marketing and sales department on the other hand play a very important role in a restaurant business, in which their primary responsibility is to sell and attract customers on how good their products are. The division of work among the sales managers is based on the type of customers a restaurant is attempting to attract. The human resources department serves no customers, yet it plays a vital role in a restaurants efficient operation. They are the brains on employees recruitment, benefits, administration and training. They are expected to recruit, interview and screen prospective employees. In many restaurants, accounting department combines staff functions and line functions or those functions responsible for servicing guests. Their role is to record financial transactions, prepare and interpret financial statements, and provide the managers of other departments with timely reports of operating results. The most assets of an organizational design are efficiency, teamwork and coordination of activities within individual units. Success of every business not only by a restaurant is measured on its overall performance and not by the performance of one department alone, which I believe it demands strong leadership, initiative, cooperation, and coordination to achieve every goal and become successful. Reference: Pre-Feasibility Study for Restaurant Making by Wrexgler Mongaya/Pre-Feasibility Study on a Fast-Food Restaurant (SMEDA). (1.1) When asked about the business climate in the Philippines, entrepreneurs agreed that it is relatively easier to start a business here compared to other countries. They say it was less restrictive here in Manila. The lack of self-esteem is one, among others that hinders a lot of Pinoys to even start a business. For very small capital, anyone could easily try to make it on his own. Historically, restaurant referred only to places that provided tables where one sat down to eat the meal wherein the restaurant prepares and serves food, drink, and dessert to customers that were typically served by a waiter. They vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of cuisines and service models. There are various types of restaurant, be it a fast-food chain where one orders food at a counter while fine dine-in or sit-down restaurants are often further categorized as family-style. Restaurant industry has different approach with diversity on their products/services, food, drinks, accommodation any many others. When putting up a restaurant, the owner has on his/her mind what to present to the customers, that is why the diversity of each products and services depends on what restaurant business you have put up. Food is one of our basic needs. One of the most exotic food there is available is the Asian cuisine. Asian food, in all its hues and tastes, is becoming largely popular and well-liked by many Westerners. When compared to food in American and European continent, foods in Asia tend tends to stand out because of its diversity. Vast number of countries in Asia offer endless varieties of food, far from each other. Indian food, for example, has a wide array of cuisines to try out and it would take several lifetimes for even a food lover to taste and savor it all. Another one is the Far East. It is where the best example of Asian food is located like the Japanese and Korean cuisine and Asian cuisine is supposed to be predominantly rice-oriented but if we observe Chinese dishes use noodles in their dishes, instead of rice. In reality, each country in the region of Asia like the Philippines has its own unique cuisine, vastly different even from the cuisine of surrounding regions. Competition is part of this business. Reference: Pre-Feasibility Study for Restaurant Making by Wrexgler Mongaya /Pre-Feasibility Study on a Fast-Food Restaurant (SMEDA) 2 As of last year, there are more than 50,000 restaurant establishments in the  domestic economy and about 80% of them belong to the fast food sub-sector. Food franchising is extremely popular. There are over 1,500+ franchised quick serve restaurants, 24 casual dining and theme restaurants, and 600 coffee shops, bakeries, and confectioneries. And the numbers are still growing! U.S. based firms also have a very strong presence in the Philippine food franchising industry. To name a few, we have McDonalds, Shakeys, A&W; Burger King; Dominos; Kenny Rogers Roasters; KFC; Pizza Hut; Sbarro; Subways; Wendys; California Pizza Kitchen; Hard Rock Cafe; Outback; TGIF; Italiannis; Dairy Queen; Dunkin Donuts ; Haagen-Daz; Mrs. Fields; Orange Julius; Starbucks. Low barriers to entry characterize the industry. Capital investments  particularly for franchises can range from PHP5,000,000 to PHP10,000. Training,  marketing and distribution channels are arranged by the franchisor. Likewise, as  the franchisor provides the new entrant fully developed management and  production systems, prior knowledge and experience are not required of  franchisees. These characteristics of franchising, particularly of food  establishments, make the business very attractive for new entrepreneurs. The proliferation of one-stop shopping malls that offer various recreational  facilities and amenities, likewise, eases the entry of potential restaurant and fast  food players. These malls spare the restaurant industry from spending extensive  business development studies for their outlets; mall magnates Henry Sy and  John Gokongwei Jr. have established formidable track records in building malls. The industry in which the restaurant and fast food firms operate has  increasing consumer demand for every improving product. The growth is proven  by the rapid expansion of food outlets in key areas in Metro Manila and the  provinces. The popularity of fast food establishments came in the 1980s, and  over the last years, the industry has consistently posted double-digit growth  rates. Competition is fierce in the restaurant industry, particularly the fast food  sub-sector. The market is large but consumers are price conscious and exhibit  brand loyalty. With a wide range of restaurants and fast food establishments to  choose from, pricing schemes and marketing strategies determine market  shares. Market strategies of industry players, therefore, aim to achieve two  primary objectives: 1) hammer in value-for-money concepts; and 2) create  brand consciousness and loyalty. Market shares in the restaurants are won or lost in pricing. Industry  players regularly offer price cuts and discounts to lure in new customers. Moreover, major players invest heavily in advertising to create brand  consciousness and loyalty. Marketing strategies include raffle draws, free gift  items and specially prized meal combinations, discounted toys and school items  for every certain minimum food purchase. Celebrity endorsements are used in  the hopes that the market will identify with the endorser. 3 Likewise, intense competition urges players to come up with new products  to capture bigger market shares. Restauranteurs have to be keen at finding the  latest food and wine concoctions here and abroad and adapting them to local  taste. Targeting the Filipinos tastebuds, several fastfood chains that usually  serve only western food have introduced items that appeal to the local markets  palate. Raising quality standards and improving service have also been focal  points of competition, particularly in the fast food sub-sector. Players give  incentives and compensations to motivate employees to be efficient on their jobs  and thus help maintain the fast food outlets high standards of quality service and  cleanliness. Also, a major importance in a fast food and restaurant is courteous  and friendly personnel. Not surprisingly, speedy service is among the more  salient attributes people would highly expect from a fast food restaurant. Finally, to keep their share of the market, food chains find it necessary to  extend their service coverage by setting up other branches. Industry players who  have outlets that are visible in Metro Manila and in other key urban cities are  ones who are most likely to take in more profits. Malls, university areas, and  other places where there is heavy pedestrian traffic are the usual places where  fast food and restaurants are highly patronized. Restaurant and fast food industry players balance their marketing  concerns with the rising operation costs particularly that of imported food  ingredients. Profit margin erosion is usually remedied by either increasing prices  of final product/service or cut corners in production or the delivery of service.   Either solution may result in a shrinking customer base. Reference: Feasibility Study for Restaurant Making by Wrexgler Mongaya (1.3) People First Size and Scope of the Sector The sector covers 14 industries from hotels and restaurants through to events, gambling and travel services. There are approximately 146,000 individual hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism  business enterprises in Great Britain, of which 43 percent are pubs, bars and  nightclubs and an additional 34 percent are restaurants. The sector is dominated by small and medium sized enterprises (71 percent). However, they account for only 53 percent of the workforce. Businesses with over 250 staff account for less than one percent of businesses  but employ 43 percent of the workforce.   Productivity The sector has the lowest labour productivity of any sector in the UK economy,  with a similar service sector (retail) having double the labour productivity of the  sector. It lags behind its international competitors. Labour productivity is nearly a third  higher in the United States and nearly double in France compared to the rates  found in the UK sector. Workforce The sector employs close to two million people. The restaurant is the largest industry in terms of employment, employing over  half a million people (32 percent of the workforce), followed by pubs, bars and  nightclubs (18 percent) and hotels (14 percent). The sector has an important presence across the UK. However, England has  the greatest share of the sectors workforce (83 percent). The sector employs a young workforce with 15 percent of staff aged 16-19 and a  further 31 percent aged 20-29. 14 percent of the workforce are from ethnic minorities, higher than average  across the whole economy. 55 percent of the workforce are full-time staff. One in five (20 percent) of the sectors workforce are from overseas. This rises  to 62 percent in London. Core Occupation The sector employs both a large number of core occupations (specific to the sector) and  additional occupations (found in most sectors). The following provides employment  numbers for the sectors core occupations: Kitchen and catering assistants (394,600) Chefs and cooks (255,100) Bar staff (197,800) Restaurant and catering managers (148,200) Hotel and accommodation managers (57,700) Publicans and managers of licensed premises (46,900) Travel consultants (47,500) Leisure and theme park attendants (17,900) Travel and tour guides (15,900) Conference and exhibition managers (23,700) Hotel porters (11,300) Travel agency managers (9,000) Hard to fill vacancies and skill shortages 17 percent of sector establishments report having vacancies, 32 percent of which  are hard-to-fill   66 percent of these vacancies are hard-to-fill because applicants lack the  required skills. In terms of skills that employers find difficult to obtain from applicants, 50 percent  of employers report that applicants lack customer handling skills, 47 percent say  team working skills are lacking, 43 percent oral communication skills and 39  percent believe applicants lack problem solving skills. Labour turnover Labour turnover for the whole sector stands at around 31 percent (although large  employers sometimes report double or even treble this figure). Based on an average recruitment and initial training cost of  £673, this costs the  sector  £414m per year. However, only 17 percent of employers feel that their labour turnover is too high. Skills gaps 11 percent of the workforce do not hold any qualifications. 12 percent of hotel and accommodation managers, seven percent of restaurants  and six percent of publicans and managers of licensed premises have no  qualifications at all. At the skilled trade level, ten percent of chefs have no qualifications. 26 percent of businesses in the sector report they have staff who are not fully  proficient to meet the needs of their business compared to 19 percent across all  businesses. Training and development The proportion of employers offering training rose from 61 percent in 2005 to 66  percent in 2007 and stood at 68 percent in 2009. As regards training methods, employers most commonly offer informal training to  their staff with introductory/induction training also frequently available. Large operators are much more likely to provide training. Employers are most likely to provide training to supervisors followed by bar and  waiting staff. Housekeepers, room attendants and cleaning staff are least likely  to receive training. Industries covered Events, Food and service management, Gambling, Holiday parks, Hospitality services, Hostels, Hotels. Membership clubs Pubs, bars and nightclubs, Restaurants, Self catering accommodation, Tourist services, Travel services, Visitor attractions. (1.3) Reference: www.people1st.co.uk/research/ Last Updated: September 2010 British Hospitality Association The BHA is the leading representative organisation in the hospitality industry, representing hotels, restaurants and food service providers.   Aim to deliver real returns for the members, positively championing the industrys priorities through partnerships with government and with other associations and organizations. This organization identified five keys areas on which they will impart the role to lead the industry action and drive change namely: First the Economy- to champion a supportive fiscal environment for the industry to prosper in the context of global competition. Second, Employment- to bridge the gap between education and industry and to build a skilled workforce for hospitality. Third, Intelligent regulation- advising government to reduce the burden of costly regulation at national and local levels. Fourth, is the Sustainability- facilitating an industry-led effort to develop economic, social and environmental success in the short and longer term. Lastly, Health- proac tively shaping industry and public sector policy to enhance the wellness of our consumers. In brief, BHA aim is that, through combined efforts, the association can bring tangible, long-lasting, positive benefits to every members business. Reference: www.bha.or.uk/ hospitality industry (2.1) Restaurant Staffing and Structures The restaurant business is hierarchical. Like the army, everyone has a title and a role to play. Busboys and dishwashers are at the bottom, while managers and Executive Chefs are at the top. The staffing structure will depend on the concept of the restaurant. A coffee shop will not have an Executive Chef nor a Sommelier (wine manager) To run a successful restaurant they should be a staff for both the kitchen and the dining area. If its a large establishment it will require more staff in both areas. The kitchen requires a head chef to organize and oversee food production. A sous chef to take care of the kitchen when the head chef is off shift. Line cooks to do the cooking and plating. Prep cooks to make sure the kitchen is fully prepared for whatever situations may come up. A dishwasher to do the dishes and work on pealing vegetables. The dining area requires bus people to clear and set tables. Waitresses to take orders from the customers to the kitchen and deliver the prepared food. A front end manager to help deal with any problems and do the immediate supervising of the waitresses and bus staff. (2.2) All staff are responsible for the health and safety of the customers. Host/Hostess: responsible for greeting customers at the door, monitoring how many people are seated where and balancing the workload of the wait staff, tracking reservations and people waiting in line, and seeing customers to their seats 7 making sure they have menus. Oversees wait staff. Wait staff: responsible for ensuring the table is clean and set with clean utensils in the proper configuration, greeting the customer at their table in a timely fashion, ensuring the customers have drinks and time to decide on their order, taking that order accurately and conveying it to the kitchen. Responsible for monitoring their tables and ensuring their customers always have drinks and are generally happy; responsible for getting food from kitchen when its prepared and getting it to the customers, and presenting it without spilling it or touching customers unless necessary. Responsible for ensuring all meals are satisfactory to the customer, then getting out of their way while they eat. Responsible for coming back to clear the table when customers are done eating and asking if the customers want anything else; wash, rinse repeat until customer asks for bill. At that time wait staff are responsible for ensuring that the ill is accurate before presenting it to the customer. Cook: Inspects the kitchen prior to beginning cooking to ensure its up to standard regarding food safety guidelines, inspects all food items before use for any sign of cross contamination or spoilage, prepares food in accordance with food safety preparation guidelines to include cooking temperatures and times and presents food on the plate in a generally pleasing fashion. Oversees dishwashers. Dishwashers: responsible for making sure every piece of cutlery and flatware and cooking equipment is cleaned with the right amount of cleanser at the right temperature for the right length of time to maintain hygiene and prevent transmission of disease. Janitorial staff: responsible for overall hygiene of restaurant much more important than most people give them credit for, a good set of janitorial staff can keep a restaurant up to health code and prevent serious lawsuits by maintaining the restaurants standards of cleanliness. Most restaurants do not have this as a separate position, and include these duties in those of the wait staff without providing extra training. Manager: ensures all personnel are doing their job, counsels personnel on areas in which they are excelling and areas in which they need to improve, hires and fires as necessary, monitors customer satisfaction and handles all paperwork to include ensuring building is up to all safety codes and standards. Responsible for staff morale and overall restaurant productivity; may be responsible for advertising placement. Reference: restaurant.about.com (3.1) The biggest operational issue in foodservice over the next few years is how to lead and develop a multicultural and multigenerational workforce. According to J. Sullivan, as he tackled the industry issues, 40 percent of all restaurant employees are less than 25 years of age, and 28 percent of them do not speak English at home. And all of these will depend in terms of hiring, recruiting, performance and training. Todays food service and restaurant industry is a highly specialized world with unique legal needs. To survive in todays economic climate, savvy restaurant and business operators seek counsel from experienced lawyers before issue arise. Like, restaurant entity management training and related legal issues specific to the restaurant industry, manage food and beverage licensing and distribution agreements, franchise agreements and supplier contracts also assist those owners with the purchase and sale of existing restaurants, lease negotiations, and risk management, then assist with a variety of employment issues ranging from management training to employment disputes. The Restaurant Standard Operation Procedures (SOP) is commonly used to help most restaurant owners and managers to manage and guide the overall restaurant team and staff to increase the service performance and the overall objectives and goals of the business. If a restaurant does not have a proper training manual or SOP for the staffs, it is quite hard to deliver the highest service standards of what the customer needs and what they do expect to the restaurant. A good and well-managed restaurant should provide a routine training session to all of the staffs covering each restaurant operations technique, it can be weekly or bi-weekly training programs. By conducting several training programs, I am definitely sure it can be much easier for a restaurant business to maintain the effectiveness and efficiency of restaurant service operation. Once again, to make it simple and easy to understand As a new legislation in restaurant franchising, many people stating that seeing nutritional information in print next to the menu items will help them opt for healthier choices. However, others admit that it will make no difference to their menu choices .But for the consumers, they mostly appear to be in favor of the new legislation. In the UK, the government has announced that it will trial calorie counts for food sold in takeaways, restaurant franchises and canteens. It is seeking volunteer companies to display calorie content listings and believes that the rest of the industry will quickly follow suit once a standardized guide is agreed. (3.2) To sum up, there are few numbers of women managers in UKs hospitality industry especially in the restaurant business due to some factors involve in the process historical, traditional, societal, and even personal in nature. Regardless of other factors, the theoretical frameworks underlying the subject are dependent on the responsibility of every woman employee. Their efforts to reach the position that they deserve must be acknowledge by employers. They indeed possess a significant position in the corporate ladder. With this, men and women workers will definitely be equal. 9 Its not uncommon to change the image of an existing restaurant completely. This may be because of new owners, or perhaps the current owner simply wishes to change things up. If the restaurant hasnt been doing well, it might be time for a makeover. Start with a plan. Take time to work out all the details and everything will go smoothly like from paint colors to seating designs. Once you have a plan, you can simply work from the list. Do a market research, before making a decision for change, make sure to do a survey or other means of investigation to figure out just what people like and whether or not they will want the change. It can cost a lot of money to do research, but it will still cost less than changing everything to find there is no market for it. Research is very essential to any business and restaurants are particularly in need of it. Also, let your clients know. Changing image can cause people to feel insecure and uncomfortable if they dont know its happening. So, make sure it should be included in the marketing strategy. Advertise the restaurant is going to be new and improved and let people know why it will be better and what they can expect. This is particularly true if drastic changes will happen not only to the image, but also to the menu. Furthermore, changing the entire image of the restaurant can really affect the business, so take the time to think it through first. Market research to make sure that what is actually been doing is to be a better idea. Reference: restaurant-hospitality.com TASK 4 Food is very much a part of popular culture, and the beliefs, practices, and trends in a culture affect its eating practices. Popular culture includes the ideas and objects generated by a society, including commercial, political, media, and other systems, as well as the impact of these ideas and objects on society. Current Eating Trends Consumerism , a trend that is reflected in more people eating away from home; the use of dietary and herbal supplements; foods for specific groups (e.g., dieters, women, athletes, older adults); the use of convenience and functional foods; and ethnic diversity in diets. Mainstream populations in developed countries want low-calorie, low-fat foods, as well as simple, natural, and fresh ingredients. Internationally, there has been an Americanization of diets through the growth and use of fast-food restaurants and convenience foods . In developing countries there is still a need for some basic foods, and governments and the food industry are working to develop products that can reduce international food shortages and nutrient deficiency problems. Eating Away from Home Internationally, the proportion of money spent on food eaten away from home, as well as the number of restaurants, has been steadily increasing since the second half of the twentieth century. People may dine at formal, sit-down restaurants, at fast-food eateries, at cafes, or they may purchase food from street vendors. Fast-food restaurants have become very common, and are visited by all types of people. The growth and popularity of fast food has come to be known as the McDonaldization of America. Eating in these restaurants has decreased slightly among heavy users in the 18-34 age group, but has increased among other groups. Their popularity has also increased internationally. This simple meal demonstrates the complicated relationship between a culture and its food. In the twentieth century, there has been a preference for quick, portable meals popularized the fast-food burger. Over time the popularity of fast foods contributed to an epidemic of obesity. Many eateries now offer the option of larger serving (portion) sizes for a nominal additional fee (a super size). Eating away from home, and the shift to a more sedentary lifestyle , has been linked to the increasing rates of obesity. Dieting In an effort to lose weight people purchase weight loss pills; special herbal supplements; and formulated weight loss drinks, foods, and diet bars. People also join health clubs or spas, or buy special weight loss and exercise equipment, in an effort to lose weight and improve their health. Among the common types of diets people follow are food-focused, celebrity, exchange, and supplement-based diets. Food-focused plans, such as the grapefruit diet, the banana diet, or a wine drinkers diet, emphasize consumption of only one, or a few, foods. Celebrity plans generally have the backing of a celebrity, and exchange plans lump together into food groups items with similar calories, carbohydrates , proteins, and fats. Some diets incorporate a commercial meal, snack bar, food, or beverage that must be purchased. Supplements Pills, liquids, or powders that contain nutrients and other ingredients are now readily available in stores. Supplements that contain herbs (or some herbal components) are growing in popularity. However, supplement production and use is not always well regulated, so consumers must be careful about what they purchase and consume. Convenience Foods To satisfy individuals who want to eat well at home but are short on time or do not want to prepare elaborate meals, many eateries also offer take-out meals or items. Fully or partially prepared TOTE (take-out-to-eat) foods, including home-delivered meals, are generally referred to as convenience foods. As more women (the traditional preparers of family meals) enter the labor force, peoples desire to save time increases along with the use of convenience foods. Ethnic Foods People now eat foods with origins in cultures other than their own. Since the late twentieth century, however, there has been an increased incorporation of ethnic cuisines into diet, including foods from Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America. This trend is part of a larger movement toward diversity in all aspects of life. Functional Foods The term functional food is often used in reference to foods that have nutrients (or non-nutrients) that might protect against disease. The term is used when referring to foods that have been fortified , have specific phytochemicals or active microorganisms added, or have been developed using genetic engineering techniques. However, all foods can support health in some way, and there is no legal definition of functional food. In addition, the actual benefit of these foods, if any, can vary and is open to interpretation. For example, both a candy bar and orange juice may have additional calcium added, and can therefore be called functional foods. The consumer must determine the benefit of such items. 12 Reference: www.fags.org/nutrition/ome-pop/popular E-recruitment means using information technology (IT) to speed up or enhance parts of the recruitment process. It can enhance the applicant experience, communicate the employers image and culture better, make the recruitment process faster, more accountable and standardised, increase the diversity of applicants, provide better management information on applicants and find the right E candidate for the job. E-recruitment is efficient and can produce cashable savings, such as reduced advertising spend or postage costs and non-cashable productivity gains as HR staff are freed up to carry out higher value tasks.