Sociology - Symbolic interaction and gay marriage Essay

Sociology - Symbolic interaction and gay marriage - Essay Example What is most significant is the fact that the society has to approve the same and not hold the gay men accountable for what they indulge within. There is a good amount of information available at hand which suggests the proper incorporation of the gay marriages within the society’s aegis. The other side of the issue suggests that the society does not quite accept such gay relationships. They believe that it is very strange to enter into such relationships because it would bring problems for the people who are spread in different areas of the world. The straight individuals feel that the gay relationships effectively mar their own linkages that they have with the people around them, and make the same look awry and skewed (Bell, 2009). This perspective has been reached upon with the passage of time as gay relationships have come on excessively in this day and age, and within different areas of the world more than anything else. The gay marriage is such an important part of the s ociety in the current times that one cannot look beyond the same. There have been immense comprehensions that have been reached upon which suggest the notion of people being against the same as well as the ones who believe it is the right of the individuals to pick and choose their own orientation.

Dental Coverage Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dental Coverage - Article Example 23% of the total population have moderate to severe gum disease while 15% of the entire population experience toothache very often (Government of South Australia n.d p. 5). Mostly the adult population is the working people in the society. The high numbers of people affected by oral health affects their total out capacity. As the population suffers from the poor health their productivity levels are very low due to lack of concentration. Additionally, not only do they waste a lot of time while seeking medical attention, they also have low self-esteem, a factor that significantly contributes to the low output of employees. Consequences of poor performance in any job position are either facing the cask or demotion, which is a rather lighter charge. The article, â€Å"Trends in access to dental care among Australian adults 1994–2008† looks at the relationship between access to dental care and the time taken by adults in Australia over a number of years. As the trends improve among the people, so do the people’s oral health condition, which subsequently leads to the people job performance. Poor dental health is associated with poor job performance among the employed people. According to the article, with time, people have increasingly had access to dental care, as statistics reveal. ... Further in 1999, it maintained a downward trend and was reported at 36.2%. Over one in every two adults made a dental visit to the dentist in the 12 months before the study that took place between 1994 and 2008 (Harford, Ellershaw & Spencer 2011, p. 6). These statistics show deteriorating dental health coverage. A person with a dental problem does not exhibit high concentration levels when working. Statistically, the high rate of people visiting the dentist is alarming. The more people visit the dentist, the more the time they spend away from their work. Promotions based on attendance are likely to escape these individuals. The higher the numbers of hours these people spend at the dentists’ the more they lose promotional opportunities at their job places. The lack of insurance among the employed people has also negatively impacted on job retaining capacity among the employees. They also lose in their motivational packages. Oral health is a major determinant of the general heal th and hygiene of a person. The report, â€Å"Projected demand and supply for dental visits in Australia: analysis of the impact of changes in key inputs† shows the various effects and factors that are likely to take place in case the number of dentists increase in Australia. Definitely, just as the economic law of demand and supply illustrates, the increase in supply of dentistry services leads to a positive increase in the people’s job retaining capacity as well as their chances of promotion. The report indicates that the number of dentists is likely to increase by 33% from what it was in 2005 to a larger figure in 2020. Experts anticipate that the number of dentists will grow from 10,104 to 13,465. Subsequently, the total aggregate supply of dental visits is expected to

The Value of Hrm to Business Organisations Essay Example for Free

The Value of Hrm to Business Organisations Essay The value of HRM to business organisations Section 1: Literature Review The approach to the employment of people experienced a major shift from traditional personnel management towards human resource management (HRM) in 1980s, when the deflation and recession crashed into the infrastructure of employment. After that shift, the employees were more likely assumed as valuable assets and a key source of competitive advantage (Marchington and Wilkinson, 2002), and the effective management of ‘resourceful humans’ tended to be seen as a crucial approach to improve organizational performance through ‘the strategic deployment of a highly committed and capable workforce using an array of cultural, structural and personnel techniques’ (Storey, 2007, p. 7). As an integral and prominent part of HRM, the pay and reward management also has undergone many considerable changes over the past two decades driven by the shift of organizational management as mentioned above. More recently, the notion that equilibrium pay level results from Adam Smith’s â€Å"invisible hand† – market forces – can hardly explain the pay and reward system of HRM, which involves far-researching aims (Gilman, 2009). Lawler’s ‘new pay’ began to attach much importance to the understanding of the organization’s goals, values and culture and the challenges of a global economy when formulating pay strategy (Armstrong, 2002). And its model suggested that the reward strategy should consist of three key elements: the organization’s core value, structural issues and process, whose consistency would be the key factor of effectiveness of the reward system (Lawler, 1995). More frequently, the reward system is now linked to business strategy through motiving people to behave in expected ways. As Gomez-Mejia (1993, cited in Kessler, 2007) stated that the new approach to pay is more about achieving business objectives, rather than the issues of internal equity and external equity. However, the reward system as a strategic tool in practice is quite doubtful. Many studies showed the indeterminate results from such system like PRP in  terms of performance (Gilman, 2009). And Lewis (2006) also pointed out the limitations of assumptions in Lawler’s model. What’s more, the pay design is fraught with difficulties in changing people’s behavior for organizational goals. For example, the business objectives may contradict on each other in pay policy (Marchington and Wilkinson, 1998). Additionally, it was argued that the business strategy should not be primacy over internal and external equity. As Kessler (2007) suggested that the employees are more likely to feel good and act in ways to progress business objectives if they are paid fairly. And he also pointed out that business strategy and equity may be well related, rather than being alternatives. In the light of these statements, various types of payment scheme are developed such as Payment by Results, Performance Related Pay, Total Reward and Skills-based Pay. And each of them involves a range of principles like internal and external equity, working time, outcome, skills and competencies, effectiveness, experience. The combinations of different principles vary from organizational objectives, cultures and features. Thus there is unlikely to be an all-fit system for every organization. This paper will then focus on the Performance Related Pay (PRP) and the organizations with PRP system. Performance-related Pay (PRP) appears in organizations during 1980s as a result of motivating people to improve their work performance and developing a culture which performance plays a determinant role. First-generation system implemented in the 1980s did not acquire desirable results. Some organizations are carrying out second-generation system to avoid previous mistakes. Others are trying the pay relevant to competence or contribution (Armstrong, 2002). Nowadays, PRP is introduced continuously in two-thirds of organizations (Marchington and Wilkinson, 2002). ‘Performance-related Pay (PRP) provides individuals with financial rewards in the form of increases to basic pay or cash bonuses which are linked to an assessment of performance, usually in relation to agreed objectives’ (Armstrong, 2002, p. 286). According to Armstrong (2002), Performance-related Pay provides the following  potential advantages: Firstly, it incents individuals and thereby enhances personal and organizational performance. Secondly, it can be used as a lever for change. Thirdly, it conveys an idea that performance plays a significant role in general or specific fields. Also, it connects incentive programmes with the fulfillment of certain results which contribute to realize organizational goals. Additionally, it is beneficial for organization to recruit and retain people with monetary incentives. Finally, it satisfies a fundamental human need to acquire rewards for fulfillment. However, there are some problems about PRP. If employees agree about the principle and practice of PRP, then they will do better jobs and organization will acquire beneficial outcomes. Inversely, if they do not agree about either the principle or practice of PRP, they will not be motivated effectively for better work performance and organization will get bad outcomes (Lewis, 1998, cited in Marchington and Wilkinson, 2002). According to a research made by Marsden and Richardson (1994, cited in Marchington and Wilkinson, 2002), PRP may cause jealousy among employees. Unfairness exists in distribution of performance payments which is the major reason for the non-efficiency of motivation. The amount of money is also a significant element for successful introducing PRP. If it is not large enough, then it is hard to trigger a change in work performance. As Lawler (1990, cited in Marchington and Wilkinson, 2002, p. 501) suggested that variable pay less than 10 per cent of base salary would be not attractive in PRP scheme. An organization introduces and develops a PRP programme generally involving these main stages: setting objectives for rewarding employees according to their performance; analyzing the circumstances of organization, including its culture and the type of employees; determining who should be participated in line managers, team leaders, employees and trade unions; considering methods of performance appraisal; carrying out the plan and assessing its effects. PRP should be schemed and conducted with great care and organizations have to be flexible to adjust the plan timely for constantly changing environment and the feedback from staff (Armstrong,  2002). The following part will describe two organizations conducting PRP scheme. Section 2: Case Study Description In this section, two pieces of empirical researches are introduced for the further analysis in next section. The first case of Finbank is regarded as an unsuccessful case of PRP system. And the second case of NHS has been chosen for two reasons: Firstly, though NHS is not exactly a business organization, the PRP of NHS was set by commercial-oriented objectives (Bach, 1994, cited in Dowling and Richardson). Therefore NHS still bears mush resemblance of business organizations in respect of PRP. Secondly, few empirical researches showed the positive result of PRP in the four journals. Thus the case of PRP in NHS is introduced here for its commercial-oriented objectives and relatively successful results. 2.1 The case of Finbank’s reward strategy for managers  (Summarized from Lewis, P. (2000) Exploring Lawler’s new pay theory through the case of Finbank’s reward strategy for managers. Personnel Review, 29(1), pp. 10-32.) The article explains consequences and effectiveness of introducing PRP in Finbank, by using Lawler’s model, where Lawler argues that three principal elements of reward system – core vale, process and structure – need to be consistent for the effectiveness of the system. The interviews of managers and personnel staff were conducted to explore their views on the reasons why the bank adopted PRP, and the extent to which it was successful. Finbank introduced the new reward system with the business objectives of ‘driving up income and driving down costs’, where the incremental system never worked and any increase in salary depended on performance. This shift was expected to create a â€Å"performance culture†, while the process of implementation was more likely to result in a reduction of trust between Finbank and its managers. Consequently, PRP in Finbank was regarded as the main measure of cost control, not incentive mechanism for better performance. The research showed that the low level of communication was the one of main features in Finbank’s PRP and reduced the effectiveness of the whole system. A lack of participation and involvement in objectives setting and performance appraisal resulted in low acceptance of the new system, and low levels of openness in performance feedback and reward criteria also declined the credibility of PRP process. In conclusion, a fundamental inconsistency between the process and the values in Lawler’s model was argued for the deficiencies of PRP system. While, more limitations of a simple top-down process assumption, an assumption of causal link between reward strategy and employees’ behavior, deterministic assumption in Lawler’s model were tested by the Finbank case. 2.2 The case of PRP system for managers in the NHS  (Summarized from Dowling, B. and Richardson, R. (1997) Evaluating performance-related pay for managers in the National Health Service. The International Journal of Human Resource Management, 8(3), pp. 348-366.) This paper assesses the use of PRP (performance-related pay) for NHS (National Health Service) managers and explains the limited success drawbacks in the scheme’s design and administration. In addition, some refinements and implications of the scheme are also concluded. In the first section, the author gives a brief introduction of NHS scheme. The three key elements of the scheme include the setting of objectives, the appraisal of the degree that these objectives being achieved and the increased payment linked to the assessment. As for the evaluation criterion of the scheme, the author took various factors into consideration, such as its impact on manager’s motivation. However, evaluating a single policy innovation can be rather difficult as long as the circumstances maintain uncertain. To make subjective judgments of the extent the scheme succeeds, some explanatory theoretical framework based on scheme’s three key elements is also launched, including structured interviews and questionnaires for gathering data from managers. According to the respondents, the scheme exerts limited positive effects on managers’ motivation and colleagues’ co-operation, and no evident corresponding negative consequences are indicated. The difference in the results may be explained in the following two reasons: the better implement and the mature design. The author tries to figure out why the scheme motivates only a certain group of people by examining the raw data and using formal multivariate analysis on further study of the scheme’s three elements. Considering both the qualitative and quantitative material involved, the initial examination of the raw data suggests that the three elements of the scheme have different degrees of success. Respondents were most satisfied with many of the objective-setting process elements which may result from improved motivation levels; however, respondents expressed more insistent reservations on the of the performance-judging process elements; in terms of the rewarding element, even few respondents believed the scheme’s financial provisions themselves act as an incentive. So this could be another problem of implementation which hinders the success that the scheme supposed to have. Section 3: Analysis and Conclusions 3.1 Analysis of the case of Finbank As mentioned in the section 2, the research of Finbank’s reward strategy followed the analytical structure of Lawer’s model, where the effectiveness of the reward strategy depended on the consistencies between three crucial elements: the organization’s core values, process of implementation and the structure of pay. In this section, the element of process will be focused and used as analytical framework. 3.1.1 Setting objectives In the major background of recession and deflation of the 1980s, it seems reasonable to set the business objectives as ‘driving up income and driving down costs’ in the condition where PRP was introduced to Finbank with the closure of branches and the consequent loss of jobs. According to author’s research, most managers interviewed regarded cost reduction as a major motive for the introduction of PRP, which led to reduction of trust between  the Finbank and its managers. This negative effect of PRP results from the fact that the business objectives may be contradictive on each other in pay policy (Marchington and Wilkinson, 1998). For ‘driving up income’, the bank want to create the managers behaviors and attitudes meeting with customers’ needs. Whereas for ‘driving down cost’, salary cost the major cost in the financial industry would be cut producing negative attitudes. For sure, the motivational effects of PRP were seriously restricted by the objective of cost reduction. 3.1.2 Measuring performance As Beer and Walton (1984) suggested, the acceptance could be improved by the involvement and participation in decision making and administration of reward system, but such participation was rare for the time-consuming. The research also showed the low acceptance and credibility of performance appraisal with the lack of such participation in Finbank. And the author argued that the criteria of appraisal encouraged managers to focus on â€Å"hard† financial and short-term targets rather than â€Å"soft† and long-term ones like developmental relationships with staff and customers, which managers thought were more important. It sounds reasonable, but more cautious consideration should be taken in this issue. For the â€Å"soft† performance cannot be reliably tested and easier for managers to argue. And such is human nature, that the â€Å"hard† criteria of PRP can hardly meet pleasantness of â€Å"risk-averse† employees, who were used to enjoy the securi ty and predictability of the automatic annual increase in the incremental system. 3.1.3 Performance feedback and translating performance into reward The research showed that there was little feedback on performance received by managers. Furthermore, there were no clear criteria about how to translate a certain performance into reward. These two processes have key functions in changing employees’ behaviors, where Finbank seemed to be a failure. Furthermore, a lack of openness in performance feedback process and reward criteria led to the low trust and credibility in the whole PRP process, which seriously had negative impact on the effectiveness of the system. Personally, the lack of money available to drive the PRP and the cost-control objective appeared to be the main reasons for these results. 3.1.4 Major value of PRP in Finbank PRP was a powerful symbol of â€Å"performance culture† at Finbank, which emphasized individual performance rather than the length of the service. This major shift of culture would definitely change employees’ attitudes and behaviors. Though it seems that the change was not positive and the motivational effects of PRP was a failure in this case, the PRP was still an integral and crucial part of business strategy of Finbank, which drove Finbank from poor commercial performance in 1980s to a recovery in profits in 1900s. On the credit side, PRP of Finbank indeed achieved one of the most importance objectives driving down the cost, which practically is the obvious and vital value of PRP in Finbank, though it is theoretically not the major function of PRP. 3.2 Analysis of the case of NHS The analysis from the research suggests the PRP scheme in NHS is comparatively successful. Although Marsden and Richardson (1994, cited by Dowling and Richardson, 1997) state PRP not only has positive influence, it also has many serious drawbacks; Thompson(1993, cited by Dowling and Richardson, 1997) argues PRP may demotivate employees rather than incenting them; Cannell and Wood(1992, cited by Dowling and Richardson, 1997) question the role of monetary incentives in motivation, because they believe people who work for Health Service are not for money; according to the questionnaire, 29 per cent managers motivated by the scheme and the majority of them thought they work harder than before. From this point, in my opinion, the PRP in NHS is working, but with limited effectiveness. The PRP scheme in NHS has three elements: setting objectives, judging performance and the according rewards. Goal setting plays an essential role in PRP scheme. The best objectives are challenging but reasonable with agreed deadlines, otherwise, it may challenge managers instead of motivating them. Besides, making objectives clearly and acquiring feedback and support from immediate superior also exert an impact on the effectiveness of objectiveness. While the process of goal-setting in NHS is relatively success, because the majority of mangers thought objectives fit above characteristics and enhance their motivation and work behavior. For judging performance, to a certain extent, it reduces the effectiveness of PRP in NHS. As mentioned in the material, 67 per cent managers thought it is subjective to evaluate work performance to determine the awards. It is hard to keep fairness in judgment which is from the ideas of assessors. To conduct PRP scheme, it is necessary to remain objectives in performance appraisal with agreed criteria. As mentioned in section 1, the amount of money is also an important element for successful introducing PRP. If it is not large enough, then it is hard to trigger a change in work performance. NHS managers appear to do not pay attention to this point. From the research, it can be found the monetary incentives were thought to be sardonic which was too little to act as a motivator. Probably, the limited cash environment may be a reason for it. The feeling of not reflecting personal fulfillments and subjective judgments make the rewards highly critical. After analyzing main elements of the scheme, some aspects of it should be improved by policy makers. Firstly, people challenged by their objectives may be motivated to work harder. Therefore, objectives set should make people feel reasonable. This demands managers acquire appropriate feedback and support from their immediate superiors timely. Additionally, the process of performance appraisal should be operated with fairness. Otherwise, it may destroy the sense of challenge and cut down PRP’s effectiveness of motivation. Secondly, the scheme’s financial aspects are the other important part. The scheme should make the clarity to managers of the relation between effort and rewards, which is beneficial for strengthening the reliability and predictability of PRP scheme. Thereby, it heightens the motivational and behavioral effects of PRP scheme. (2922)

Analysis Of Tom Sawyers Maturity English Literature Essay

Analysis Of Tom Sawyers Maturity English Literature Essay It will have the effect of making boys think that an unscrupulous scapegrace is sure to turn out a noble man; it might therefore have given more emphasis to truth and straightforwardness. But it is irresistible; fully up to the mark of the Innocents Abroad  [3]   Maturation of the protagonist character namely Thomas Sawyer or favourably known as Tom Sawyer was being emphasized by the author and has become one the themes of the novel.  [4]  Tom Sawyer was being portrayed as a childish character at the commencement. Apart from that, his childish acts were found mostly at the beginning of the story before he indulged himself in the adventures that changed him to be more mature. As the story proceeds, he became a more mature adolescent as claimed by the author himself in the conclusion; It being strictly a history of a boy, it must stop here; the story could not go much farther without becoming a history of a man  [5]   The goodness in Tom arose when he became more mature. 3 major aspects that showed maturation in Tom Sawyer include the adventures that he had with Huckleberry Finn, his relationship with Becky Thatcher and his daily experiences. Nonetheless, does Tom really become a mature adolescent after the adventures that he had with Huckleberry Finn, his relationship with Becky Thatcher and his daily experiences? Although there were a few critics mentioned that after the protagonist character had experienced certain turning points in his life which made him more mature, but the incidents in the story showed that he was merely a boy. In the reviews of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Becky Laney which stated that; Hes trouble, its true, but beneath the surface he is a good boy  [6]  . Although the protagonist character experienced many incidents that portrayed maturity, he was still a young boy at heart. Another criticism by Robert Keith Miller stated that Tom actually did not mature aftermath the turning points in his life. He was still portraying immaturity acts throughout the story. If Tom is hampered as well as harassed, it is because he is incapable of learning from experience. He may be successful at the end of his adventures-in terms of fortune and social status. But he is not a whit the wiser. Although some critics held that The Adventures of Tom Sawyer chronicles Toms progress from childhood to maturity, the evidence suggests otherwise.  [7]   I wanted to find out whether Tom really become a mature adolescent or he was still having childish behaviour throughout the story as being claimed by Robert Keith Miller. Thus, I came up with the research question To what extend Tom was depicted as a mature person in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer? in order to investigate did Tom really portray maturity. DEFINATION OF MATURATION Maturity is a psychological term used to indicate that a person responds to the circumstances or environment in an appropriate and adaptive manner. This response is generally learned rather than instinctual, and is not determined by ones age. Maturity also encompasses being aware of the correct time and place to behave and knowing when to act with appropriate emotion for the situation.  [8]   ADVENTURES WITH HUCKLEBERYY FINN The adventures that Tom Sawyer had with Huck include many incidents that showed maturity. One of the maturations that Tom had portrayed included an incident where he realised the importance of justice when he testified at Muff Potters trial. Tom and Huck witnessed Injun Joe murdered Dr. Robinson and ran away. After the incident, Tom and Huck promised each other not to tell anybody but they were shocked when innocent Muff Potter who was drunk that night was being blamed of murdering the young doctor. Tom and Huck visited Muff Potter while he was in jail and from that moment, there was a change in Toms behaviour. Aftermath, he decided to testify during the trial and named Injun Joe as the murderer of Dr. Robinson. Injun Joe was nowhere to be found after that. This incident showed maturity in Tom Sawyer because he started to realise that an innocent person was being accused for something that the person did not do and this was definitely wrong and preposterous. He knew what was right and what was wrong. He wished that Injun Joe was struck by lightning when he was lying. In my opinion, deciding to testify was a brave decision and reflected grace and maturity in him. Since Muff Potter was being such a nice friend to them and he expressed his gratitude to the boys because they came and paid him a visit, guilt overwhelmed them. This chapter was one of the turning points in his life because Tom realised the importance of justice and because of friendship, he had the guts to testify in the trial. Besides, he showed a sense of responsibility when he testified during the trial. Only Tom and Huck witnessed the crime and they were the only hope to reveal the truth in order to save Muff Potter from this mess. However, Tom portrayed immaturity when he had the desire to hunt for treasures, as being mentioned in the book; There comes a time in every rightly constructed boys life when he has raging desire to go somewhere and dig for hidden treasure. This desire suddenly came upon Tom one day.  [9]   Testifying at Muff Potters trial should be the turning point where he became a mature adolescent. But, the desire to hunt for treasures really provokes me to think twice whether the protagonist character portrays maturity. While he was hunting for adventures, he was using a bogus name to represent pirates; the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main. So did his comrades; The Red-handed and the Terror of the seas. Tom Sawyer, the Black Avenger of the Spanish Main. Name your names. Huck Finn the Red-handed and Joe Harper the Terror of the seas. Tom had furnished these titles from his favourite literature.  [10]   Pretending to be someone else especially by pretending to become a pirate does not indicate maturity as pirates could bring bad connotation to ones mind. Pirates steal other peoples belongings, On the other hand, when Tom and Huck stayed close to Injun Joe in order to catch him was also one of the incidents where he showed maturity. He was able to plan how to find Injun Joes hiding place with his best friend, Huck. He was responding to the circumstances and environment in an appropriate and adaptive manner. After Tom named Injun Joe as the murderer, he ran away from the town. While Tom and Huck were hunting for hidden treasures at the old haunted house on Still-House Branch, they accidently met Injun Joe and his companion. He was disguising as a deaf old Spanish man. He wanted to bury a bag filled with over six hundred dollars in silver. Tom and Huck who were hiding in the upper part of the house were delighted to know that their dreams of getting treasures would come true. Things got more interesting when Injun Joe found a box of gold coins before he buried his money. Unfortunately, Injun Joe noticed the pick that he was using had fresh soil; he changed his plan and took t he money and the new found box to his hiding place which he called Number Two. From that moment, Tom and Huck vowed to stay close to Injun Joe, find his hiding place and catch him. Tom and Huck planned how they were going to find Injun Joes hiding place. They went to the tavern and waited at the alley for Injun Joe. While Tom was lost in the cave with Becky Thatcher and was trying to find their way out, he saw Injun Joe in the cave. After Tom found his way out, he told Judge Thatcher that Injun Joe was still inside the dark and gloomy cave. Description of the instances from the book should not be too lengthy. Dont use first person pronoun I find this incident shows maturity in Tom because he is able to plan how to find Injun Joes hiding place with his best friend, Huck. At first, when Tom and Huck knew about the hiding place, they did not seek any help from adults and this was considered very dangerous. They were just young adolescents and did not care about the danger that awaited him. The way they put themselves in those kind of fatal situation did not indicate maturity in Tom and Huck. They felt that they were strong and capable enough of catching Injun Joe on their own. On the other hand, after Tom saw Injun Joe in the cave, he told Judge Thatcher about it. He finally got the adults help in order to catch the culprit. Getting the authoritys help in order to catch a dangerous man was a mature act because this would help to prevent unwanted incident from occurring. Unfortunately, he was still having the desires to hunt for hidden treasures. Tom seemed to resort back to his immature ways, similar to his relapse of chapter twenty-two, where he testified at Muff Potters trial. Even after Judge Thatcher had ordered that nobody was allowed to enter the cave and even after Toms own near-death experience, he returned to McDougals cave with Huck to gather the stash of hidden treasure. Again, I feel both discussions are insufficient. theres something lacking.You probably want to discuss why going back to hunt for treasure is an act of immaturity. Besides staying close to Injun Joe, the incident where Tom ran away to Jacksons Island with his comrades was also one of the incidents which illustrated maturity. Although running away from his problems did not show maturity you shouldnt contradict yourself here. This paragraph should only discuss about his maturity but as he was on that island, he was being able to think properly and some of his actions showed maturity. He realised his mistakes and promised not to repeat the same mistake again; portrayed maturity too. There is a summary analysis dont mention this(there is a summary analysis), you can insert it in your analysis subletywhich stated that by running away to Jacksons Island, Tom had made an attempt to run away from reality  [11]  . But I no i think otherwise. This was because, while he was on that island, he learnt to be independent and listen to his conscience. He cooked his own food; said his own prayers and many more. Before leaving St. Petersburg, Tom stole cold ham as his source of food for that particular day . At night, after saying his prayers, his conscience approached him. Guilt surrounded him. He started to think about his wrong doings which were running away and stealing food. From that moment, Tom swore not to steal in their piracy anymore. Insufficient discussion Nevertheless, he was still running away from reality at the first place. He had problems with Becky why do you mention becky when this is about him and finn? and would like to escape from the problems. Toms mind was made up now. He was gloomy and desperate. He was a forsaken, friendless boy, he said; nobody loved him; when they found out what they had driven him to, perhaps they would be sorry Running away from the troubles that one was facing will not fix anything at all. It will make things worse than ever. A mature person will face the challenges that come upon him bravely and will think properly the consequences of the actions taken did he do this?. Tom caused Aunt Polly to worry and cry over his absence without leaving any note. Nonetheless, he did camecome back to leave a note to Aunt Polly after he realised his mistakes.how did he realise his mistakes? Despite that, taking the responsibility to inform the people who care about you and your whereabouts shows responsibility in that person. When he acted this way, I no I feel that he is turning into a young man from a childish person trying to be responsible towards what he had done. When Tom returned home, he saw Aunt Polly and Mrs. Harper were crying and weeping for the lost boys. The boys were thought to be dead after they got drown in the river. A funeral was being planned for them although their bodies were nowhere to be found. Tom felt very guilty and touched when he saw Aunt Polly was crying. He left a note to Aunt Polly while she was sleeping and kissed her. From the dialogue that Aunt Polly had with Mrs. Harper, it was depicted that Tom Sawyer realised how much Aunt Polly loved and cared about him. He returned to the island and informed his comrades about the incident and planned to attend their own funeral. Is this maturity?Whats the discussion/analysis? Apart from that, the way Tom showed his friendship was by being concerned towards Huck and shared the love that he and Joe received. Consequently, these actions portrayed maturity in him. When they attended their own funeral, everyone was shocked. Tom and Joe Harper were greeted with kisses and hugs from their beloved ones but Huck just stood there without knowing what to do. Abased and feeling uncomfortable, Huck did not know what to do or where to hide from the unwelcoming eyes. He had no one. Tom seized him and said, Aunt Polly, it aint fair. Somebodys got to be glad to see Huck.  [12]   Realising that his best friend was lonely, not showered with love from anyone and felt left behind, he came to the rescue. He wanted Huck to feel and share the love that he and Joe Harper were receiving from their loved ones. The friendship that he shared with Huck triggered him to be concerned about how Huck felt towards something. Friendship is one of the greatest gifts from God and in my opinion the way Tom showed his friendship was through being concerned towards Huck and shared the love that he and Joe received illustrates maturity in him.Insufficient.I sont see the strength of this point. HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH BECKY THATCHER Toms relationship with Becky Thatcher had also made him more mature in certain ways. Before this, he was not very serious in his relationship with Amy Lawrence. But when he started having a relationship with Becky, he changed his attitude. After returning/coming back from Jacksons Island, Tom apologized to Becky and asked for her forgiveness. In my opinion, Toms act of pleading for forgiveness was a mature act because he wanted to save his relationship with Becky. He appreciated having Becky as his companion. From the conflicts that he had with Becky, it caused him to realise the importance to appreciate the one that he loved. Before this, Becky was ill and after she recovered, she ignored Tom and this caused Tom to run away from St. Petersburg. After he came back, in his glory, he decided that he could continue his life without Becky and he started to talk with Amy Lawrence, his ex-girlfriend. This caused Becky to be very furious and Tom being such a considerable person asked for Be ckys forgiveness and wanted to patch things up. Although Becky did not accept Toms apology but at least Tom tried to save his relationship with Becky. Apart from that, he realised that making Becky jealous by talking to Amy was not the right way to fix their relationship. He knew that what he did was wrong. Realising his wrong moves, he quickly apologised. It takes a mature person to realise and admit their mistakes .develop this. However, I x I felt that the incident when Becky Thatcher got sick depicted immaturity in Tom Sawyer because he was being very worried towards the one whom he loved but did nothing to help her. He was being very pessimistic about Beckys ailment and thought about death. Although Toms behaviour changed when Becky got ill and stopped attending school, Toms habits changed almost immediately when Becky recovered. Before this, he was far from getting trouble. But, after she recovered, his attitude changed immediately. He was trying to get Beckys attention by showing off. The next instant, he was out and going on like an Indian; yelling, laughing, chasing boys, jumping over the fence at risk of life and limb, throwing handsprings, standing on his head-doing all the heroic things he could conceive of and keeping a furtive eye out, all the while to see if Becky Thatcher was noticing.  [13]   The way the protagonist character demanded for attention from his beloved one was very childish. Discuss more He was running and yelling all over the place. Immaturity was being depicted by Tom when he did that. On the other hand (may not be appropriate), Tom saved Becky from the punishment that she should receive and this definitely illustrated maturity in Tom. After the incident where Tom pleaded for Beckys forgiveness and she refused to forgive Tom, Becky went to the empty school house. She saw Mr. Dobbins had left a key at the drawer lock of his desk. Every day, Mr. Dobbins would take out a mysterious book out of his desk and read it when he did not have any class. Becky, who was feeling very curious, opened the drawer and took out the book. The title of the book was Professor Somebody Anatomy. At that moment, Tom stepped into the classroom startling at Becky. Becky accidentally tore the book down the middle. Realising that she was going to be punished, Becky yelled angrily at Tom. When Mr. Dobbins found out that his book was being torn, he asked each and every child at school. When he asked Becky, she was succumbing and was looking very nervous. Tom who realised that she was going to sa y something suddenly sprang out shouted I did it.  [14]  He admitted that he tore the book although he did not do it. For the sake of saving Becky from the punishment, he rather took the blame. This incident showed maturity in Tom because the way he responded to the situation was very noble. Becky admitted herself that his act was very altruism by saying How could you be so noble?  [15]   In my opinion, he did that that out of love. He was madly in love with Becky to the extent that he was willing to do anything for her. He was willing to take the whippings from Mr. Dobbins in order to save Becky. In spite of that, he knew that Becky would forever owe him. To me, he was being responsible in his own way. He thought by doing that, he would save their relationship. Heroic navigation while Tom and Becky were lost in the cave was also one of the incidents that portrayed maturity in him. Becky and her family returned to town and Beckys mother had invitations out for a picnic for her and her classmates. An event Tom waited for a long time. Her mother was afraid that they would return late that night so she asked Becky to stay at Susy Harpers house who lived near the ferry landing. Tom persuaded Becky to go with him to Widow Douglass place to have some ice-cream instead of going to Susy Harpers. After persuading Becky quite a few times, she finally agreed to go there. He asked Becky to disobey her mothers instructions for his own good. He was being quite selfish when he did that. For the sake of this own good, he asked somebody else to disobey the order that was been given. Thus, this illustrates immaturity in Tom. After wandering in the cave for quite a long time, they realised that they were lost and Tom took charge in order to find their way back . This para is on maturity or otherwise?This can create confusion. I find this incident shows maturity in the main character because he seemed to know what to do and which precautionary steps to be taken in order to get them out of the cave safely. Tom knew their ways, and the danger of this sort of conduct. He seized Beckys hand and hurried her into the first corridor.  [16]   He asked Becky to blow her candle and used his candle to conserve the wick and they shared a piece of cake bit by bit that Tom had in his pocket to avoid starvation. When Becky was tired, Tom asked her to rest and held the kite strings while he went to find a way out. This was to avoid Tom and Becky got separated while Tom was walking. In my opinion, Tom felt that this was his responsibility to cope with the situation and took charge. From a troublemaker and an irresponsible person, Tom turned out to be a responsible young man when he was facing this situation. Worst situation that one is having can bring out the good side of that person. He did not take his punishment correctly and asked somebody else to finish off his job. But now, he became a different young man. While he was searching his way back, he found Injun Joe in the cave. He ran back to Becky using the kite strings that he was holding in order to protect Becky. In my opinion, protecting the one that you love from any kind of danger is a caring and a noble act that a mature person possesses. To me, he also learnt to overcome his fear of Injun Joe while he was in the cave. Starvation was a bigger issue to him rather than Injun Joe. How does starvation come into the picture here? Tom was given credit for his heroic navigation by the critics. Nevertheless, they were lost in the cave at the first place because of Tom. He should be held responsible for their activities in the cave. Since Tom Sawyer was so familiar with the cave, he should not let them lost and always be aware of where they were heading to in the cave. At first, I feel that this incident portrays immaturity in Tom, but after they managed to get themselves out of the cave, I feel that Tom was becoming a more mature person. Please try to organize your ideas and points DAILY EXPERIENCES The act of persuading Huck to continue staying with Widow Douglas was a mature act. This was because, Tom knew that Huck had nobody to take good care of him and he had no rules in life. Staying with Widow Douglas to him was the best choice for his best friend. The connection that Huck and Widow Douglas had dragged him into the society. Huck saved Widow Douglass life from Injun Joe and as a return the widow offered Huck to stay with her. Huck accepted her offer. While staying with her, he needed to wear clean clothes, use proper utensils while eating and go to school just like other boys in town. Huck found that he was not comfortable and convenient in that kind of life and he ran away after three weeks of staying there. He did not have the freedom that he used to have anymore. I find Tom was mature in this situation because he started realising what is the best choice in life and the reasons for it. He was able to distinguish between the good and the bad. The way he persuaded Huck wa s also very unique. He knew about Hucks interests, strengths and weaknesses. The friendship that they shared caused Tom to know more about Huck. In order for Huck to be in Tom Sawyers Gang, Huck needed to be respected. If not, he could not join the gang anymore. That was the condition that Tom set so that Huck would stay with the widow. He wanted to be in the gang so he was willing to stay with the widow as long as he was in the group. Furthermore, the incident where Tom witnessed the murder of Dr. Robinson also showed that Tom really cared for his Aunt Pollys feelings. He was being caring towards the person that he loved. He went out late that night where he witnessed the murder and this caused Aunt Polly to worry about him. Despite all the troubles that he got himself into, he did not have any intention to hurt the old lady. This was worse than a thousand whippings thought Tom as Aunt Polly cried over him  [17]  . He cried and pleaded for forgiveness. There was no doubt of his honesty of asking for forgiveness. Although he loved to indulge himself in troubles he was still good at heart and in my opinion this portrays maturity in him. For all discussions/analysis please make sure that they are not just done briefly. Please expand the points/ideas so that they wont just superficial or on the surface only. The synopsis of the instances in the book shouldnt be too lengthy. CONCLUSION The main character portrays maturity in his act as the story proceeds. He becomes mature in three aspects which include his adventures with Huckleberry Finn, his courtship with Becky and also his daily experiences. There are many incidents in the novel that shows Tom is transforming from a whimsical troublemaker into a mature young man. The experiences that Tom has are developing his character into a much more mature person. However, some of his acts throughout the story still portray immaturity. His maturation is not totally coherent. Yet, he is still transforming into responsible a young man. The conclusion is too short.Synthesise the whole analysis

Endangered Species Essay -- science

Endangered Species Endangered species are living things whose population is so reduced that they are threatened with extinction. Thousands of species are included in this category. The International Union for the Conservation of nature and Natural Resources publishes a list of threatened mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and (many people donÕt consider them) plants. CAUSES OF EXTINCTION Millions of years before humans, extinction of living things was linked to geological and climate, the effects of which were translated into major alternation of the environment. Environmental change is still the primary cause of the extinction of animals, but now the changes are greatly accelerated by humans activity. Clearing land for farms and towns, lumbering, mining, building dams, and draining wetlands all alter the environments so extensively that ecosystems may be completely destroyed. With a burgeoning human population requiring food, shelter, and clothing and constantly demanding more energy-using devices, the temperation to exploit land for human use without regard for consequences is great. Frequently, several forms of environmental change are responsible for the disappearance of species. For example, as tropical forests are cut down, primates have progressively smaller feeding and living spaces. They also become more accessible to hunters, who kill monkeys for food and trap many primates for sale as pets, research animals, and zoo specimens. Some animal species ...

European Society During The Time of The Communist Manifesto :: History Historical Essays Communism

European Society During The Time of The Communist Manifesto At the time the Communist Manifesto was written, European life had become far more urbanized than the previous years. During this period, society in Europe was undergoing great change. This great change arose from many influential factors. Among these factors, modern education, social structure of the bourgeoisie and laborers, and Marxism had immense effects on the everyday life of European citizens. During the 1800’s, an integral step towards building a more modern society in Europe was the change in education. Formal learning and obligatory attendance began to take place in schools. The demand for children to attend school kept them out of the work place that they had inhabited for so many years. Another important aspect of schooling was the enforcement of teaching both sexes. The education of boys had been increasing for years, but at this point girls now had the opportunity to learn. As this change in education became more popular, literacy increased among young students. The ability to read and write became commonplace. The change in the way education was formatted increased the number of students willing to learn. The increase in the number of students caused even more change in the structure of education in Europe. Older schools were forced to offer new curriculum to keep up with the times. New schools had to keep bringing in new classes for students to choose from. It became hard for old universities to adapt to this societal change. As the schools began to change, they eventually became more expensive and necessary. Those who attended or worked for a university became more respected and honored in society. Professors were among those of the elite class and were thought of as extremely well educated. Their place in society was far ahead of that of pre-university teachers. They had a high salary, educational assistants, and good vacation time. Before this change in education, some teachers were not much farther ahead of their students and did not have the allowances of the professors in the late 19th century. The educational system change in Europe in the 19th century greatly improved the life of children. There were more agencies to help families and widows with children. The middle class became more considerate of their children and these children began to populate a large portion of the world.

Reaction Paper on Acculturation and Alcohol Treatment in Ethnic Minority Populations: Assessment Issues and Implications

In the article Acculturation and Alcohol Treatment in Ethnic Minority Populations: Assessment Issues and Implications, the authors research the impact of acculturation on the drinking behavior of minorities, specifically older Latino veterans versus older White veterans. In the article, acculturation is defined as â€Å" the exchange of cultural features from the continuous firsthand contact of one group to another. † The authors conducted a study that looked at the relationship between the level of acculturation and the level of alcohol use among older White and Latino male veterans. The subjects were 55yrs of age or older there were 18 White male veterans and 24 Latino male veterans. The authors hypothesized that the higher the levels of acculturation among Latino veterans would correlate to higher levels of drinking behavior. The hypothesis was backed up with the results; drinking behavior was correlated with acculturation levels. In Latino veterans higher past drinking behavior was associated with lower social affiliation with their own group. The concept of acculturation is something that is new to me. I can imagine though that it could have a profound impact on the lives of minority individuals. In reading the article, it was linked to higher levels of substance abuse in minorities as well as stress and psychological disorders; which in many minorities go undetected and/or untreated. This is a concept that I feel should be studied more. This article deals with older subjects, but I think the impact of acculturation needs to be studied in younger minorities, males and females. I hope to have the opportunity to look into the concept, theories, and potential impacts of acculturation more thoroughly as I continue my tenure here at USC. This article stresses, just as much of the material I have read in this class and my other classes, that as mental health workers and social workers we must mind our clients cultures and the impact of their culture on their behavior. With the idea of acculturation now added, as a social worker I need be mindful of the potential set backs minority clients may be experiencing by trying to fit in to the mainstream culture.