Objectivist Epistemology and Ayn Rand Essay Example for Free

Objectivist Epistemology and Ayn Rand Essay The starting point of Objectivist Epistemology is the principle, presented by Rand as a direct consequence of the metaphysical axiom that Existence is Identity, that Knowledge is Identification. Objectivist epistemology[9] studies how one can translate perception, i. e. , awareness acquired through the senses, into valid concepts that actually identify the facts of reality. Objectivism states that by the method of reason man can gain knowledge (identification of the facts of reality) and rejects philosophical skepticism. Objectivism also rejects faith and feeling as means of attaining knowledge. Although Rand acknowledged the importance of emotion in humans, she maintained that the existence of emotion was part of our reality, not a separate means of achieving awareness of reality. Rand was neither a classical empiricist (like Hume or the logical positivists) nor a classical rationalist (like Plato, Descartes, or Frege). She disagreed with the empiricists mainly in that she considered perception to be simply sensation extended over time, limiting the scope of perception to automatic, pre-cognitive awareness. Thus, she categorized so-called perceptual illusions as errors in cognitive interpretation due to complexity of perceptual data. She held that objective identification of the values of attributes of existents is obtained by measurement, broadly defined as procedures whose perceptual component, the comparison of the attributes value to a standard, is so simple that an error in the resulting identification is not possible given a focused mind. Therefore, according to Rand, knowledge obtained by measurement (the fact that an entity has the measured attribute, and the value of this attribute relative to the standard) is contextually certain. Ayn Rands most distinctive contribution in epistemology is her theory that concepts are properly formed by measurement omission. Objectivism distinguishes valid concepts from poorly formed concepts, which Rand calls anti-concepts. While we can know that something exists by perception, we can only identify what exists by measurement and logic, which are necessary to turn percepts into valid concepts. Procedural logic (defined by Rand as the art of non-contradictory identification) specifies that a valid concept is formed by omitting the variable measurements of the values of corresponding attributes of a set of instances or units, but keeping the list of shared attributes a template with measurements omitted as the criterion of membership in the conceptual class. When the fact that a unit has all the attributes on this list has been verified by measurement, then that unit is known with contextual certainty to be a unit of the given concept. [9] Because a concept is only known to be valid within the range of the measurements by which it was validated, it is an error to assume that a concept is valid outside this range, which is its (contextual) scope. It is also an error to assume that a proposition is known to be valid outside the scope of its concepts, or that the conclusion of a syllogism is known to be valid outside the scope of its premises. Rand ascribed scope violation errors in logic to epistemological intrinsicism. [9][4] Rand did not consider the analytic-synthetic distinction, including the view that there are truths in virtue of meaning, or that necessary truths and mathematical truths are best understood as truths in virtue of meaning, to have merit. She similarly denied the existence of a priori knowledge. Rand also considered her ideas distinct from foundationalism, naive realism about perception like Aristotle, or representationalism (i. e. , an indirect realist who believes in a veil of ideas) like Descartes or Locke. Objectivist epistemology, like most other philosophical branches of Objectivism, was first presented by Rand in Atlas Shrugged. [5] It is more fully developed in Rands 1967 Introduction to Objectivist Epistemology. [9] Rand considered her epistemology and its basis in reason so central to her philosophy that she remarked, I am not primarily an advocate of capitalism, but of egoism; and I am not primarily an advocate of egoism, but of reason. If one recognizes the supremacy of reason and applies it consistently, all the rest follows.

Television And American Society Essay Example for Free

Television And American Society Essay Introduction Television Programs are aimed at entertainment. In the United States, most of the television programs in existence with the stated aims and objectives, owe their initial background to the practical situation and past experiences encountered by the blacks. When blacks are mentioned, the issue of racial discrimination automatically opens chapter.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The initial situation and experiences of the blacks is characterized by racial discrimination.   The initial social positions, the blacks were housemaids, whites’ cooks, whites’ â€Å"mammies† and other sorts of servants.    They were also seen as con artists and even deadbeats.  Ã‚  Ã‚   The technology of the televisions came up in some environment, which was completely unfamiliar to these blacks. The blacks occupied less inferior positions of baby sitters and nurturers for the white, to cater and manage the households of the whites and to the greater degree, restoration of balance and harmony in the house holds of the whites.   The whites were very comfortable to entrust the black on these roles.   However, more responsible social and civic responsibilities were denied the blacks by the whites. (Durham Kellner, 450) The blacks had an appreciated talent to amuse the whites through humor and this is the most significant tool to their success in the maintenance of humor in television programs. The black and the Whites occupied separate and unequal worlds in their existence, in terms of material and discursive attributes. Television programs and Blackness The programs aimed at entertainment in the United States are a good avenue to pass the information on intertextual and autobiographical issues of the blacks. (Durham Kellner, 452)   The blacks possesses an inherent talent of creating humor in a show whose amusement is so strong as to blind the culturally offensive message put across by the show.   The show exhibing blackness covers the institutional and cultural programs all of which are characterized by race and gender. The centre of interest in these television programs is the African American in all areas of its setting; aesthetic, context and narrative.   (Newcomb, 564)   The highlights of the entertainment programs usually attack fields such as class, gender, religion, colour and culture all visionalized, in the dominant angel of social location and cultural context to the African American (Williams, 110) The television program raises an attitude of hegemony whereby social and cultural forces emerge as influencing factors of political rule and domination.   Through these television entertainment programs, the actors make use of their physical and material resources, very inherent and talented towards an entertainment to others.   The recipient society interprets the presentation as an art, an entertainment or leisure. These people see the natural world as being internal to them and also in direct personal relationships with other people they encounter.   (Williams, 112) According to hegemony dominant messages inherent in African Americans are disguised as fictional entertainment in the United States.   These are a great assumption taken with respect to this scenario that the sender and the receiver interpret the message of the program in the same understanding.   The sender is making use of the inherent talent of humor and experience to come up with a message whose consequences are of political concern, since the control of these messages is a form of political control.   The audience of the program may come up with multiple meanings of the message that were not a priory.   Examined, controlled for or asked for (Newcomb, 565)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The television programs are a form of ritual communication whose aim and goal is to maintain the society and to represent the shared beliefs of the society.   The programs create an invisibility of the African American and an authorized representation by the white of the blackness. The television programs portray blackness and black themes for the purposes of entertainment to the whites due to the humorous attribute associated with the Africans.   The white producers take this advantage of audience appreciation and they stage the African humor at the expense of blacks.   The black Americans are left suffering out of the social problems confronting them.   The humor in the programs is out of the programs highlights of racism and sexism, which have got great social impact and cultural meaning to the audience. (Williams, 110) The programs present blacks playing subservient roles in the society and stereotyping the blacks while still the humor out these is enjoyed.   In first instances amusement created by the program blinds the offensive side.   Cultural and racial politics in the programs is the cause of humor to the whites.   The programs cores are further unfair to the African Americans by considering just as minor and a coincidental theme of the play, the social and the cultural facts of â€Å"blackness† It is the responsibility of every means of communication to uplift the ethical and moral standards of the society.   This target is practically defeated by the television programs aimed at entertaining the audience as part of leisure.   The televisions present programs, which highlight the use of drugs. Involvement in sex, acts of rebellion and extreme deviance behavior of the individuals. These issues are humorous and attract the audience but the far reaching consequences are towards the lowering of the ethical and moral standards of the society.   The programs also exhibit a sense of upward social mobility of the blacks and the replacement of black urban poverty with middle class affluence and yet retain the humor of the audience.   (Newcomb, 568)   Conflicts as age and suspicion based on race and colour are associated to the central elements of the contemporary America way of life by the programs.   This portrays the life of Americans to be a type of middle class family life (Newcomb, 569) The Americans are making all efforts to fight all form of racial and class discrimination.   The Americans are also determined to fight gender discrimination in terms of sex and age.   The social ills of drug abuse sexual abuse, deviance and rebellion are also practically out of the Americans policies.   However the television programs structure and viewpoint are contributing factors to defeat these aims and objectives. They portray to the world what is the position of African Americans, which is not a part of the modern American society.   The views and perspectives of these programs highlight the social locations and experiences subjected to the African Americans.   The program highlight situation comedy, variety, talks among others, which in totality operate vividly, and comfortably within the conventional and aesthetic boundaries of African Americans. (Newcomb, 570)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Morality issues circumvent around racism and this is a representation of the blacks in the society as per the television programs in the United States.   The television programs also features badly on the state of education and unemployment as negatively affecting the African Americans in the urban areas of the United States.   The programs also fail to address some very crucial issues that affect so many blacks in the United States. The audiences are not restricted to the programs representation of the African Americans and therefore they should be examined and their effects of derailing the meanings and pleasures correctly checked. The blacks’ presence in the United States is threatened with race, gender, class and power and inequalities related to these are a result of prejudice. (Newcomb, 571) Racial invisibility and colour blindness integrate Black characters into hegemonic white worlds.   This appeal to visions of colour blindness and universal harmony.   The uniqueness of the blacks in the shows is the appealing factor to create humor and a sense of fitness in a normative television universe.   The inherent victimization, anger and irrationality in the blacks at the shows, due to the pains of exclusion from society are a cause of humor to the audience.   This in the truest sense is racial prejudice.   (Durham Kellner, 447)   In the programs the whites acts the position of sympathizers for the elimination of this prejudice. The programs subvert American values bearing in mind that the effect of any communication is to persuade the audience to change attitudes, to modify behaviour and to take part in socialization. Any form of communication helps to maintain the values of a society and to represent the shared beliefs. These programs are responsible for production of dominant ideologies so influential as to take the audience into a dreamland. (Williams, 110) Conclusion The programs bring out the blacks as living simple and linearly dimensional lives in a segregated universe.   They are seen to be subjected to the challenges of domestic lives such as child rearing, embarrassments, and awkward situations among others.   Modern America is reduced to ancient behaviours of race relationships characterized by conflict, tension and apartheid and the African Americans dependent on cultural pluralism.   These programs make use of cultural politics within blackness to constantly modify the African Americans life, and comprehensively explain the position of an American from the point of view of an African American. Works cited page Horace Newcomb. Television the critical view. Oxford University press, New York Oxford. 2000. Meenakshi Gigi Durham,   Douglas M. Kellner. Media and Cultural Studies. Blackwell publishers.2001 Raymond Williams. Marxism and Literature. Oxford University press New York. 1997

The Different Types Of Conflict

The Different Types Of Conflict Statistics of the U.S. researchers showed that an average user management 21% of the time during the week to resolve the contradictions and conflicts within the company.Thus, conflict resolution and conflict so satisfied with a job that managers need to pay attention to promote the company work better. Conflict is a process in which one side perceives that its interests are opposed or negatively affected by another side . Conflict is inevitable. The potential conflict is found everywhere. Conflict as well as conflicts within an organization can occur at many levels from small to large.This topic talks about how to identify the type of conflict, the origin of them and give appropriate treatment strategy of conflict. Conflict has an important influence in business administration such as high level of conflict will create a loss of control in the organization, reduced productivity and increased hostility between people. Energy for the work have to use for conflict and contradiction. Wit h high levels of conflict, anger will tend to focus on individuals rather than dispute can be resolved . From here the coordination disappeared and confidence threatened. Great disadvantage and loss for many companies. In addition to the above disadvantages, conflict can function to promote the development of an organization. The nature of conflict is not bad but its consequences in a positive or negative depends on how to solve them. So, figure out the cause of the conflict is the key to manage them in the direction of creating positive consequences for the organization. GROUP CONFLICT LITERATURE REVIEW The group is a collection of individuals who satisfy the following four factors: There are 2 or more members; have time to do certain work together, sharing the same or perform general one task or plan to reach theobjectives that the group expected, operating under the general provisions of the group. Group work brings good results that the individual can not do or that the efficiency is not high. Also allows individuals to overcome personal obstacles and society to achieve or accomplish results, higher goals.At the same time leads to the development of other members to join the group. The result of the first group help the second group learning experience. Participate in group have some benefits such as: Take advantage of talent, skill and ability of each member make it become collective strength, can learn from each other work experience, life experience and social experience. The group can support each other to solve the problems of the individual, help the individual to develop a nd reach the common goals of the group. Help groups behavior change, personal attitude in a good way by individual self-improvement. For example: Personally speaking crowd will be more confident. Working group to help solve problems more effectively, due to the many different members, with experience and knowledge. And work together are factors that make motivation for all members. The group is a collection of people with different characteristics and demands of purpose and work method completely different. Therefore conflicts arising is normal. Conflict is complex psychosocial issues in collective activities of the organization. It is a psychological phenomenon among human. Manage relationships through the team requires leadership, management should have proper awareness about conflict and how to resolve conflicts in the organization. Conflict is a social psychological phenomenon the status changes to previous psychological balance. Collective conflicts in the contradictory nature of antagonism arose between human in the process of working together in groups. As we all know, human activity is purposeful activities; activities each can to achieve different purposes (for example, achieve a purpose to achieve objectives B, with the purpose B to achieve the purpose of C). But the ultimate goal that everyone wants to achieve is always a benefit to meet the physical and spiritual needs of his. Through searching the benefit human have relations with the enviroment and relations with each other. Thus, the conflict is the interaction between people (between subjects with other subjects) in the direction hinder, exclusion each other or struggle each other. Debate is an inevitable and necessary part of the work group. However, it is useful only when it debates in peace and all revolve around issues of common work. In fact, the debate easily out of control and negative impact on work and relationships of the group. Conflict can bring positive or negative results, dependi ng on the nature and intensity of the conflict, and conflict resolution. So why conflict need resolution? As the nature of conflict does not go away by itself, if dont solve the problem can create greater conflicts. Effective conflict resolution will bring benefits such as: Improving understanding and mutual respect among team members. Improve team collaboration through discussion, negotiation in resolving conflicts. Strengthening the human link when the conflict is resolved effectively, they will understand the others about feelings, preferences and circumstances. Improve understanding of each member due to personal conflicts push them more efforts to quickly pass the rival of them, help them understand the real issues most important to them, and lead them to success faster. However, if the conflict is not resolved in a scientific and effective way, they can cause unpredictable consequences. Conflict in the work easily turn into personal conflicts. Team work is broken, wasted talen t, and easy to protest and blame on each other make the spirit of teamwork disintegration and this is very detrimental to any company or organization. This literature review will clearly state the causes of conflict, conflict category. Once you understand the source of conflict will be easy to understand and figure out the direction to solve it effectively. This is a very useful topic for all kind of professions, social class. This skill helps people avoid embarrassment before the scene of conflict and minimize conflict. Key words: Conflict, Group behavior, Group Conflict, Cause of Conflict, Resolving Conflict, Conflict Style.. TYPES OF CONFLICT There are three types of conflict include: Conflict between individuals and individuals, Individuals and groups. Or conflict between groups and groups. In essence, the conflict is the clash of interests and values à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¹of human Individuals to Individuals: In the organization possible conflicts between the individual and the individual.The cause of the conflict is very different: the incompatibility of psychology; misunderstood each other; disagreements in perspective, lack of understanding, mutual trust, the crowding out of other people for. Psychological conflicts between individuals can occur such as : One side Conflict is only one person against another in a positive way in the form of public or non-public. Or two side Conflict come from both parties are actively involved.The evolution of the conflict without solve conflict first step will be a logical progression in the upward direction. Both parties refused to accept the proposal of each other, making the conflict a progression. After that conflict evolve become very strong. Drastic actions of the two sides, can not be controlled. Then conflict evolve explosion: This is often conflict started after the insiders have to silently endure and contradiction s become extreme stress in a moment of explosive conflict. These conflicts often have great strength and ended very quickly. The conflict can be ended as diverse as: Resolving thoroughly, extinguish the conflict when it is completely finished with the victory of the people and the failure of others, or by compromise, concession each other. One side conflict, when a person has cleared his inhibition, then the conflict is resolved completely. If not resolving thoroughly it can turn into a dormant state that the two parties are fatigue and risk of back anytime. Or the other way it would be a false ending in the illusion of wraps of conflict due to one reason or another, while the cause of the arising conflict is still not resolved. When the enemy back stance, his earlier opinion, the conflict between the two sides became more intense, reproducibility conflict is huge. Individual to the group: There is a conflict between a member of the collective. This type of conflict is caused by many reasons. May be due to the reason comes from the individual or from the collective.For example: All the many elements of bad, lazy, undisciplined good personal conflict, positive; conflict between a bad individual selfishness, dishonesty in dealing with a collective good; conflict between the development of the collective characteristics of leadership style. Etc.. Type of conflict between groups and individuals by the views or interests do not match.For example, in a sales team, a majority of the members of the group want to lower the product for quick consumption and more.But there is one person in the group do not agree so that it can affect the overall profit and customer may be rated poor quality.In this case, conflicts between individuals and groups occur Groups and the Groups: In an organization can have multiple groups.View of the interests of the group do not agree with each other such as division of labor no reason not understand each other, conflicts between individuals with different individuals in the two groups caused conflict between the two groups, ordue to competition between groups leads to conflict occurs CAUSE CONFLICT: To successfully resolve conflicts that arise in the work is not easy it requires you to know exactly the origin arising conflicts and provide reasonable solutions. Conflict is a disagreement, dispute occurs when there is a difference: Work methods between people: Each person has different way of working.There are people who like to work fast, but also those who want to work slowly but surely.Or more emotional work while others are rational.There are also those who want to work for profit regardless of tricks but there are those who work with responsibility and conscience.Different styles lead to conflict at work Communication Barrier: Conflict is more likely to occur in this case because of the misunderstanding of communication.In particular, differences in language and customs are the most common problems. Besides the geographical barriers of distance or transmitted by mouth through many people incorrect information leads to misunderstandings and contradictory arise together. Personality: Sometimes the tension and stress and pressure, leading to an individual feel uncomfortable so the easy anger unusual and lost faith in the people around.They feel out of place in the group when the workload is too much due to the uneven division of labor. From that easy to cause jealousy, competition, personal steam along with other Besides, due to the following reasons : Different target, Stress / psychological pressure, Ambiguity about the scope of the powers,.. CONFLICT STYLES Here are the five conflict management direction useful for those who always face conflict.Each direction effectively solve different specific circumstances, it is important to understand the time to apply them wise. Forcing This is a quick method, but not collaborative, it is resolved in favor of the direction of power. They find ways to reach the goal with any price (intimidate, oppress, crush, etc.), they do not care to demand others. This method is best used in situations that require quick decisions that are vital, such as in the case of an emergency. This type of person always aims to compete for a better position the company, they know what they want. They usually start from a powerful industry, they are lured by position, social status, theyre intelligence, and have a good vision. But when they decide not to match, they find ways to defend themselve. However they feel unhappy, depressed when to do the job without challenges. Accommodating This method is not definitive, but it collaborative and opposition to competitive methods. The leader using this style can ignore their own interests in order to satisfy the needs of others. They see the relationship is paramount and their interests are secondary. They are willing to sacrifice the purpose, benefits as long as other people love them. They think that to avoid conflict to keep the peace. This method can promote the best performance when the problem to be solved become especially important for people other than yourself Avoiding This method is indecisive, no cooperation. Those who use it will not be solved conflict. It is often applied to problems less importance. Therefore, the cost to resolve the said conflict is usually higher than the subsidized amount to solve it. They are always run away from conflict. They are the kind of people who execute the decisions, not opinions and do not want to touch anyone. They like to do the job at bringing competitiveness, argue against them is cheap method. So, this is a type who was very weak. It is important for you to recognize each type of person in your company, you can use them only when you think its best to resolve the problem you are experiencing. You can also solve them by instinct, experience and learn how to change the resolution if necessary. Collaborating This way both resolute and collaborative, it is the opposite of elusive style.When collaborating, individuals often try to work with others to find a solution that both parties are satisfied. It is often used in situations both parties interests are important to compromise Tube aims to try to reconcile and recognize that all people are equally important. This type of person is very useful when you need to combine the views of the people to give a best solution that everyone feel good; when there is conflict in the group for a long time;, or when you have a very important case that can only be resolved by agreement between the members. They see conflict as a problem to solve, they find ways to reduce stress, they are not satisfied until reaching common goals and solve problems between the two sides. Compromising This is how to solve the intermediate nature of assertiveness and cooperation. It is located in the middle of the competition and help. This method be applied when the purpose set out in moderation and it is essential to quickly go to the settlement. When unresolved conflict team members may begin to divide faction and of course no group solidarity. That is why it is important for the leaders to resolve the conflict if it occurs. This kind of people aims to compromise in order to try to find a solution to satisfy everyone. They sacrificed a neutral interests to find a solution in order to achieve common goals. They also mobilize their opponent to do the same RESOLVING CONFLICT To resolve the conflict, you should apply the following methods: Keep good relationship is the top concern. Be polite and calm with people, build a culture of mutual respect and avoid people feel pressure in everyday relationships. Separate issue from the people will helps you to have a lively debate that does not affect the relationship between colleagues together. Pay attention to the existing benefits by listening carefully you will understand why people accept their current position. Listen before speaking to solve a problem effectively need to listen in order to understand their needs. By following these methods, It can resolve conflicts in a calm and polite.This helps you to prevent the protests could lead to reckless in the company Steps to resolve conflict: Step 1: Analyzes: Resolve conflicts when it started, avoid prolonged easy arising conflicts. Described conflict as a common problem to be solved, not as a struggle with winners and losers. Identify contradictions content as specific as possible. Step 2: Exchange: Listen, clarify, evaluate each others opinions. Flexible and ready to change the view to be convinced. Focus on demand, purpose and discover the difference between the two sides. Step 3: Understand: Try to find out the circumstances of the other by putting yourself in their situation. Step 4: Agreement: Find out wise solutions beneficial to both. If there are errors, please be willing to apologize If all else fails, ask the help of expert because bystander opinion always fair and objective DISCUSSION Most of the conflicts between individuals are so opposite in personality and effective communication.There can occur when people do not like each other, when the belief does not exist. They can also conflict when vying a position or interest. Anger is the heart of each individual conflict. There are many notions of conflict.The version that conflict is bad, negative, creating stress, distrust, suspicion, reduced performance, reduced commitment and cohesion, increase resistance to change, so should be avoided.The second conflict is also negative; however, the notion that the inevitable third school that conflict is natural and comes from the interaction between individuals or between individuals withelements within the organization.Therefore, in itself, is neither good nor bad, but the potential positive or negative consequences depending on where it arises, awareness. DIRECTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH Future studies relevant and useful includes Group think or Group Decision Making.Because to understand the nature of the group, or of each member will be easy to make the final decision and avoid unnecessary conflicts occur.Solidarity in the group is very important.If a team has more talent, but every individual fighting with each other, the result will not work as expected with the break plans.But if a group agrees, to comply with the principles set out and mutual respect with the slogan We are one will achieve certain success.Besides also strengthen human love, the colleagues, friends. CONCLUSION In group activities can not avoid conflict.Some Confict may have no benefit for the organizational, but also the conflict will change the team become better. Conflict is always present, in the scale, scope and frequency of different organizations.Identify conflicts, their causes, and therefore, conflict management, an effective way requires a lot of knowledge, skills. Although conflict is a normal phenomenon in society, but it is a phenomenon that should be considered research, because it not only helps us to correctly identify conflict, but also the right choice method of solving conflictfor human and social benefit.

Why The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Should Not Be Banned Essay

The decision to ban the novel Huckleberry Finn from classrooms and libraries has been an ongoing controversy. The presence of the 'n word' and the treatment towards Jim, and other blacks in general, has made many readers uncomfortable. Despite this fact, Huckleberry Finn has been and remains a classic read. I do not believe the novel should be banned or sanitized because it is a part of American history whether it is good or bad, also we have no right to change someone's writing simply because we do not like how it is written, Mark Twain's writing should not be penalized because of the ideals of today. Sanitizing Huckleberry Finn would be ignoring America's past and history. Revising the original version of the book is not staying true to the period in which Twain was writing. The language of the book depicts America's past(Rawls 1). The language used is appropriate for this specific time period. People would not have referred to slaves or African Americans in any other way. Altering Huckleberry Finn and changing the racial slurs would make the novel lean towards a more fictional direction. Erasing racial labels does not erase race or racism. Wanting the world to be less racist does not give anyone the right to change someone writing. Being less racist would mean that the world could recognize words and their meanings as a sign of how much we have evolved(Dawkins 1). It is wrong to ignore the past simply because we don't know how to explain it. A large part of moving forward in the world depends on addressing problems and difficult situations. People have been reading "Huck Finn" and "Tom Sawyer for over a century and it has not stopped us from evolving and moving past slavery and racism for the most part. Why should we all... ...t"(Mullen 1). We need to remember and acknowledge the fact that these young people are juniors and seniors who differ in ages from 16 to 18 and in some cases are halfway to legal adulthood. The students reading this novel can make decisions for themselves based on what they know as right or wrong. Reading Huckleberry Finn one time in their literature class will not change that. Huckleberry Finn should not be banned or sanitized because it is a part of American history whether it is good or bad, also we have no right to change someone's writing simply because we do not like how it is written, Mark Twain's writing should not be penalized because of the ideals of today. If you find the book offensive, don't read it or buy it. There are countless amounts of offensive books that people find no interest in, however that does not mean we change them or rewrite them.

Free Essays on The Stranger (The Outsider): Disillusionment :: Camus Stranger Essays

Disillusionment in Camus' The Stranger (The Outsider) In Albert Camus' The Stranger (The Outsider), the protagonist Meursault is clearly disillusioned of life in general. Two examples of this disillusionment occurred in the instances of his mother's death and an offer to be transferred to another work environment. This incomplacency is paramount in discerning this meticulous, selfish Camusian character. In regard to his mother's death, he seemed indifferent at the loss of her life. He was so uninterested in her funeral that he remarked the following: "...I can be there for the vigil and come back tomorrow night" (Camus 3). His mother appeared to slow him down. He claimed he never went to visit her in the nursing home because she enjoyed it too much. Nonetheless, he admitted, in addition, that the visit "took up my Sunday -- not to mention the trouble of getting to the bus, buying tickets, and spending two hours traveling" (Camus 5). To further define his insensitivity, Meursault shed not even one tear in this part of the novel; moreover, he expressed no form of sorrow whatsoever. Likewise, Meursault's attitude and reaction toward an offer to be relocated to a Parisian location was a monumental indicator of his insensitivity. One would expect him to accept or decline the offer graciously and respectfully. Meursault proved, again, to be unpredictable when he states, in regard to his then current life and a possible reincarnation in Paris: "...it (life) was all the same to me" (Camus 41). Caught off-guard by his response, Meursault's boss asked yet another question: was Meursault interested in a change of life? Unmoved, Meursault further retorted that one life was as good as another, and, furthermore, he wasn't dissatisfied with his current status at all. (Notice how he never stated that he was happy with it either.) Meursault's boss blasted him, crying that Meursault never gave him a straight answer and had no ambition; his boss sad both of which were "disastrous" qualities in business (Camus 41).

Race, Urban Poverty, and Public Policy Essay -- Urban Decay, Urban Poor

The problems of race and urban poverty remain pressing challenges which the United States has yet to address. Changes in the global economy, technology, and race relations during the last 30 years have necessitated new and innovative analyses and policy responses. A common thread which weaves throughout many of the studies reviewed here is the dynamics of migration. In When Work Disappears, immigrants provide comparative data with which to highlight the problems of ghetto poverty affecting blacks. In No Shame in My Game, Puerto Rican and Dominican immigrants are part of the changing demographics in Harlem. In Canarsie, the possible migration of blacks into a working/middle-class neighborhood prompts conservative backlash from a traditionally liberal community. In Streetwise, the migration of yuppies as a result of gentrification, and the movement of nearby-ghetto blacks into these urban renewal sites also invoke fear of crime and neighborhood devaluation among the gentrify ing community. Not only is migration a common thread, but the persistence of poverty, despite the current economic boom, is the cornerstone of all these works. Poverty, complicated by the dynamics of race in America, call for universalistic policy strategies, some of which are articulated in Poor Support and The War Against the Poor. In When Work Disappears, William Julius Wilson builds upon many of the insights he introduced in The Truly Disadvantaged, such as the rampant joblessness, social isolation, and lack of marriageable males that characterized many urban ghetto neighborhoods. In the class discussion, Professor Wilson argues that it is necessary to disassociate unemployment with joblessness, as the former only measures those still s... ...or-eliminating technology -- they are unlikely to be plausible policy alternatives in the current political and high-technology-oriented context. What all these analyses and policy recommendations do require is a universalistic strategy, backed by a broad-based multi-ethnic, multi-class coalition which cuts across ideological and political lines in order to address the problems of race and urban poverty at the dawn of the 21st century. Works Cited David Ellwood Poor Support Herbert Gans The War Against the Poor: The Underclass and Antipoverty Policy Notes 1 Wilson, 28. 2 Ibid, 75-8. 3 Ibid, 216-18. 4 Newman, 292-293. 5 Rieder, 79. 6 Ibid, 173. 7 These definitions of social organization are also found in Wilson, 20. 8 Anderson, 144-45. 9 Wilson, 62. 10 Ibid, 113. 11 Ellwood, 238. 12 Gans, 110-112.

Recruitment in the workplace Essay

In this report, I am going to describe and explain the recruitment and selection process and the different stages that the business has to go through when filling a vacantly Recruitment is when an organisation identifies a vacancy and from the range of applicants that require a job, the organisation employ the best candidate from the application forms received to fill the vacancy in order for the business to run efficiently. Selection is when all the applicants are shortlisted and from them, the employer chosen the best candidate for the job role. The human resources (HR) department are required to work for the organisation by recruiting, training staff also motivating them to work hard in the business. If the employees are trained and recruited correctly, it would show that the business is successfully operating. There are also many other tasks the HR department do such as giving employees promotions and a wage/salary boost, annual appraisals and other employee benefits. Recruitment can be internal or external depending on the job role and the vacancy being filled. Internal recruitment is when an employee already within the business fills a vacancy rather than employing someone outside the business. The vacancy for internal recruitment can be advertised by putting up notice boards, on the intranet and it can also be discussed during staff meetings on who would be the best person to fill the vacancy. The advantages of recruiting internally in the business are that when performing an induction for them, it will not be as difficult because the employee would be familiar with the business workplace and surroundings also it is quicker and less expensive than recruiting someone externally because the amount of candidates is already been narrowed down to certain employees inside the business. The disadvantages if recruiting internally is that the person filling the vacancy from inside the business may not have all the required skills and qualifications to perform the job effectively and by recruiting someone externally offers a versatile range of skills, qualities, experience and qualifications. External recruitment is when someone from outside the business is employed to fill a vacancy. This is a more common approach when recruiting as there is a larger range of candidates that have different skills and abilities. There are many ways to recruit externally. Most businesses will advertise using media such as the internet, newspapers, company newsletters and magazines. Another way to recruit is to go to the job centre and tell them that the company has a vacancy and eventually there will be a range of different candidates with different levels of experience, qualifications and skills. The advantages of using external recruitment are that a wider audience can be reached which increases the chance that the business will be able to recruit the skills it needs also the disadvantages mentioned for internal recruitment are advantages of external recruitment. The disadvantages of external recruitment are firstly even if the new employee has all the experience and skills required for the job, he may not be able to adapt to the businesses system and therefore will take longer to familiarize with the workplace and the employees however with internal recruitment, you would not have this problem. During the recruitment process, candidates must go through seven different stages before a suitable candidate can be chosen and made an employee in the business. This applies to both internal and external recruitment. The seven stages are: 1) Identify a vacancy – This is when the business makes it known that a job is available and currently vacant so this could be because an employee has either left the business and this could be for a number of different reasons for example One reason could be that they have had a disagreement and there has been conflict between them and the owner or manager or another reason could be because they have had a better offer from a different business and they are receiving a better wage or salary. Recruitment does not have to be permanent as female employees could be on a maternity leave or an employee could be sick for a long time so they will need someone to cover for them while they return to their job and in these cases, most businesses would internally recruit someone and the advantages of this are it’s quicker and causes less hassle. Human resources will need to formally agree with the department that is requiring an employee to fill the vacancy so a replacement can be searched for immediately. Since recruiting employees cost a large amount of money, the business will only hire employees if it is absolutely vital for their business to run efficiently as the money could be spent on other parts of the business such as paying off any bills or ordering stock. 2) Draw up a job description – This is when the job is described in detail so firstly, the name of the job or job title. This is important because it gives a brief ideas of what the job involves e. g.if the job that is a marketing director, the candidates applying for the job will know what they are applying for just from the name. Marketing means to advertise the products and make sure the customers are aware of what products the business offers and persuade them to buy it. Some job titles may change over time such as in schools, the head teacher may chance to principal or head master to give a different feel to the job and possibly increase the prestige and responsibility of the job. Job description also includes employment conditions such as how much the employee will get paid and how many hours a work so for example a cashier could get i 5. 50 per hour so if they work 8 hours a week for 6 days then they will receive ai 264 a week. The employee will also need to know how much pay they will receive and that depends on whether the business pays an annual salary or wages every week. If the employee is temporarily working then they may receive the same pay as the employee they are covering for e. g. john is a cashier who earns i 7 an hour and he is off sick long term so an internal employee is recruited and will receive the same pay until john is healthy and fit enough to work again. The business will be looking to recruit someone that not only matches the job description but also has additional qualities which will make them be more conspicuous. Finally, the job description will include duties and responsibilities that are involved in the job and have to be performed on a daily basis so the applicants will understand how important the job is and how hard they will have to work. Job security is another element in the job description which will tell the employee how long they are being employed for because not all jobs are permanent as mentioned before, employers can just temporarily fill a vacancy and once that person returns to their job, the temporary employee will have to leave the job. The job description will also have a large variety of candidates all after the same job with different skills and traits. This is an example of a job description. It shows what the job is (which is a technical support engineer), the required skills but also useful and desirable extra skills which could be the difference to whether they are recruited or not and the qualifications and experience are required also. The desired skills mention what experience they have so has the candidate worked before and if so how long for, education is their school, college and university placements and what they have achieved in the time they have spent there also the work status is what type of job they like as there is part- time which is only a couple of hours so no more than 30 hours in a week. full-time work is over 30 hours a week and this shows that they may in the job for a long time and the befits of working full time are that the organization will provide you with annual leave, sick leave and health insurance also the hours they work are more flexible however, the most popular and more rewarding benefit is the fact that full time workers will get paid more money that part time workers because they are dedicating more time to the business. 3) Draw up a person specification – This is when the employer entails the physical, mental and any other requirement requirements that a candidate needs in order to perform the tasks effectively and successfully such as training and experience e. g. if the business was to be a chauffeur, the person applying for the job would probably need a long driving career which would show that they have a lot of experience and also be able to drive under pressure and quickly. P000rofessional qualifications such as GCSE’s and A-level qualifications such as GCE’s will also be required to show they have a thorough understanding of the job and may make it easier for them to perform the job e. g. an accountant will need a range of different qualifications so the requirements may be that they will need a Degree, preferably in maths, accountancy, business studies, economics or finance. However, it is possible to become an accountant with lower school qualifications. Without A Levels it is possible to acquire the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) qualification, which is fully recognised in the trade. Office juniors can work up to accountant level, but you have to have GCSEs and preferably A Level to begin with. Qualifications show that the candidate has been studying in recent years and are prepared for them job they are going to apply for. Experience is also required in the person specification as it could be the different to whether a candidate is employed or not. Having a high level of experience in a certain field of work will show that the candidate is well trained and has the acquired skills for the job and also shows that they will require less training e. g. if the job being applied for was a cashier, someone who has already worked in other businesses undertaking the same job role will know what they are doing so they don’t need a very detailed induction and require less training also they may be able to generate a higher income perform their tasks more efficiently. A candidate new to the field of work may find it more difficult to get the job will sufficient experience as they may have never done this job before however they me able to bring new ideas or if they have performed similar jobs then they can use that knowledge to perform the job as a cashier. Candidates must also have competence which is the ability of a person to perform tasks and take on certain responsible. The more competent a person is, the better they can perform their duties e. g.a business would rather have a more competent employee that can do their job to a high standard by producing quality output results such as high sales or revenue because it would prove more successful in the long run also having a incompetent employee would require the business to waste their time and money training them especially if they are young candidates who have possibly just finished their education or have finished a degree. The advantages of having a competent employee are that they are reliable for getting their task done efficiently and are resilient to their job. The disadvantage could be that since they may be extremely good at one job but if told to perform a different task they may struggle as it may not play to their strengths e. g. if the job was a reporter, and the employee was very competent in their job but then their manager asks them to illustrate their findings in a more abstract such as creating a presentation, this does not work well for them as they may be so accustomed to writing reports that they don’t have a clue how to create a presentation and this is a disadvantage for competent employees as they don’t offer that versatility. Essential skills will have to be met in order to get the job such as in a call centre, the person will definitely need fluent communication and also be responsive to customer calls. Essential skills are what an employee should have in order to complete the job and if they don’t have the essential criteria then they may be rejected. They can also have personal or desirable skills such as being able to work a computer effectively so they can type up emails quickly rather than constantly calling or being able to co-operate in a team and possibly even lead a team to successfully complete a task or assignment. They are not absolutely necessary but will help them and make them look like a stronger candidate so they may be a possibility that they are shortlisted and interviewed. The criteria from the person specification are important when shortlisting the candidates as only the best will be put through to the interview stage and then finally accepted. This is an example of a person specification for film co-ordination and development. It shows what skills are compulsory or essential and what skills are optional or desirable and can help candidates when it comes to shortlisting as they are more likely to be chosen than a different person who has fewer additional skills. Candidates must be versatile and not just resilient for the job. The job shows that in the qualifications category they need a couple of A-level or equivalent qualifications but there are also desirable skills they could have such as GCSE’s in the field of work possibly drama. It shows that the candidate must have a minimum of 2 years’ experience and be able to manage finances and use ICT well however they can also have desirable skills such as being able to manage and supervise staff. Personal aptitude and skills are general skills that a candidate should have or either picked up from past jobs and experience such as communication and teamwork skills. Disposition is something that would be useful to have and would possibly make their job more enjoyable. Any other requirements can be helpful as it would also make them a stronger candidate. 4) Advertise the Vacancy – This is when the vacancy is publicised and the business try to get unemployed people to apply for the job. One way to advertise the job is to put it on a local newspaper as they are read by many business men and women so the business can receive a few applicants that are in need of a job and have scanned through a newspaper and found one. The advantages of this are that it will be read by a variety of people and hopefully attract more candidates. The job advertisement is written by the personnel department similarly when marketing a product. The presentation of the advertisement is important as the candidates will receive their first impressions from it and will judge whether it is good or not and also whether they would like to work for the business. On the advertisement it should include the description of the job and mention the main requirements, where the job is going to be located so the candidates know where they will work, how much salary they are expected to receive however it may not be the exact amount on the advertisement as it may vary, address and contact numbers if necessary and the company logo. The more detail that is put into the advertisement the better and more informative it will be however making the advertisement too long can make it look unprofessional. This is an example of a job advert for royal mail and as a job advert should, it includes all the important details such as the job title, company name, contact details and their salary. However it may not look very appealing. This advert is just to make sure that the general public is aware of the job and if anyone is interested and they meet the requirements then they may apply and possibly get shortlisted for an interview. 5) Shortlist the applicants – when short listing, the applications that were most appealing and may be considered for the job are listed by the human resources department. It is drawn up by using criteria from the person specification such as qualifications and experience that the candidate has to see if it is enough for them to be able to handle the new job they are applying for also any other skills and attributes they have acquired through other job would be helpful for the candidates. The selection process will begin and the employer will be looking to fill the vacancy with the best candidate amongst the applications. They will then all be individually contacted so an interview can be arranged. The candidates can be informed in many different ways such as ‘letters of initiation’ in which a brief document is sent to notify the candidates about whether they will be called up for an interview. The suitable candidates will be those who meet the exact criteria of the job description so for example if the job was to be a IT technician and the job description required them to have 5 years experience working in a ICT related firm and also the business may ask for certain qualifications such as a degree in computing and A-Level’s in Maths and IT to a grade B standard. Those who meet these requirements will be shortlisted as suitable candidates because they meet the exact requirements or are slightly above these requirements however they are not guaranteed to get the job but have a good chance. There is then possible candidates which may meet some of the requirements such as they may have the qualifications but not enough experience which could then mean if they are employed, they will have to go thorough a comprehensive induction programme and be well trained by a more experienced technician and this could cost the business a lot of money but on the other hand they may have some characteristics that other candidates don’t have such as they may be more able to speak multiple languages which could be helpful because the business may communicate with other countries on a regular basis with suppliers an customers. Finally those candidates who do not meet the requirements will be rejected and can no longer continue in the recruitment process. This can be down to a number of reasons with the most obvious being that they do not meet the requirements or they have provided false details. The job description and person specification must be used as the basis for short-listing. 6) Interview the applicants – The interviewer must also be prepared when interviewing the candidates that have been shortlisted. They will need to come up with a set of questions to ask the candidates and this can either be done themselves or they can get a panel of from the human resources department to do interview. The questions that are set must be asked to all candidates in the same manner as it states in the equal opportunities requirements policy. Since this will be the first time that the employer and candidate meet face-to-face, they will need to make a good impression by greeting them with a warm welcome and shaking hands is a good way to start a mutual relationship with the employer since the interview may be appointed the vacancy. The interviewer or panel will have a list of criteria to see how the candidate compares to the requirements for the job. It is essential that the interviewers carry copies of the candidate’s application forms, curriculum vitae and to support this, a covering letter will be required. To get the best out the candidates being interviewed, they must be relaxed and be able to answer questions calmly and correctly so the interview knows everything they need to know about the candidate and their personality. Questions in the interview should be have a mixture of open and closed questions and will be predetermined and should be all-round such as asking about previous jobs or company such as: 1) What do you think of the last company you worked for? 2) Why did you join your previous company? 3) Did they live up to your expectations? 4) Why are you leaving now? 5) What did you earn in your last job? Also asking questions relating to the new job / company such as: 1) Why do you want this job? 2) What qualities do you think will be required for this job? 3) What can you contribute? 4) What interests you about our product (or service)? 5) What can we (the new company) A list of questions could be asked relating to the candidate such as: 1) How do you handle criticism? 2) How would you describe yourself? 3) How would others describe you? 4) Do you consider yourself successful? 5) What was your greatest success? Body language and posture is also important during an interview as candidates are not just judged on their communication skills. The interviewer and the candidate want it run as smoothly as possible and both should sit in the correct way such as having their feet firmly on the floor and using gestures with hands if necessary For it portrays that you’ve difficulties controlling your anxiety about the interview process if the candidate is not seated comfortably. Making good eye contact with the candidate being interviewed is very crucial. The feeling of not getting the interviewee’s attention can be frustrating and will give the wrong impression to the interviewer. When asked a question that the candidate finds difficult and requires time to think, it is not good to frown. Facing the question with a smile proves that you’re composed at stressful situations. When closing the interview, the candidate should possibly raise any questions they have for the job role or about the business they will be working for however, there shouldn’t be a long time spent asking questions as can get tedious. The interviewer should then politely thank the candidate for appearing and answering the questions they have been asked and hope they have a safe journey home. 7) Select and Appoint the Best Candidate – this is the final stage of the recruitment process were candidates have been interviewed everything is taken into account and the interview is then evaluated. The employer will select the candidate that has been exceptional throughout the process and has been rated highly in all areas. The candidate will be contacted via a telephone call to notify them that they have got the job and then it is up to the candidate on whether they would like to fill the vacancy and if they accept, they will have to make a formal offer and if it goes according to plan, the candidate and the employer will meet formally to finalise the process of recruitment and formally agree on the job however, the employer will want references before the candidate takes on the job. This is known as the appointment stage. Once they have been contacted and recruited into the business, They are expected to start their new job however, if the chosen candidate should refuse the job then the business will require the second best candidate to step forward and they will be contacted immediately to inform them of what has happened and why the decision has changed. For the unfortunate candidates that have not got the job and have been rejected, the will be provided with feedback on why they have not been employed and how well their interview went.