The Woman Warrior- Silence (Theme) - 788 Words

Theme: Silence (finding one’s own personal voice) Kingston gives a voice to many of the voiceless women in the book, resulting in them discovering their identities as individuals. The theme of finding one’s own personal voice is a major theme in Kingston’s memoir. She makes various references to the physical and emotional struggle throughout the text by seeing the silence of the women in her family and Chinese culture. By adding her experience as a Chinese-American woman she tries to discover her voice. For Kingston, silence basically equals to a lack of voice, which she associates with the loss of identity as a woman. In No Name Woman, you can see that Kingston fears that if she stays silent and doesn’t find her own voice, she would†¦show more content†¦Kingston does this by almost making us look at her in a negative way. Moon Orchid comes across timid and almost incapable to do simple tasks. She couldn’t fit into America- and she doesn’t even try. In conclusion, Kingston’s different voices in the book culminated to show the dominance of her voice against all the others and to show her identity, which she finally gets. When Kingston gives a final look to her past, she tells the story of the poet Ts ai Yen to represent the possibilities of the two cultures that have surrounded her, her entire life coming together. Kingston sees them both as women warriors symbolically fighting to link the cultural gap between America and China. This last story helps Kingston find her true voice andShow MoreRelatedThe Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston1722 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston crafts a fictitious memoir of her girlhood among ghosts. The book’s classification as a memoir incited significant debate, and the authenticity of her representation of Chinese American culture was contested by Asian American scholars and authors. The Woman Warrior is ingenuitive in its manipulation of the autobiogr aphical genre. Kingston integrates the value of storytelling in her memoir and relates it to dominant themes about silence, cultural authenticityRead MoreFinding the Voice to Speak Essay955 Words   |  4 PagesFinding the voice to speak The Woman Warrior consists of five stories which focuses on five women: Kingstons long-dead aunt, No-Name Woman; a mythical female warrior, Fa Mu Lan; Kingstons mother, Brave Orchid; Kingstons aunt, Moon Orchid; and finally Kingston herself. Based on her mothers stories, which are integrated with Kingstons imagination, The Woman Warrior reveals her past childhood experiences, and explores her struggle to reconcile her Chinese heritage with her American identityRead MoreEssay on The Woman Warrior, by Maxine Hong Kingston1033 Words   |  5 PagesThe theme of â€Å"voiceless woman† throughout the book â€Å"the woman warrior† is of great importance. Maxine Kingston narrates several stories in which gives clear examples on how woman in her family are diminished and silenced by Chinese culture. The author not only provides a voice for herself but also for other women in her family and in her community that did not had the opportunity to speak out and tell their stories. The author starts the book with the story of her aunt. This story was a well-keptRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Echo Of Silence 1522 Words   |  7 PagesVictoria Collins Mr. Welborn Art History and Appreciation November 21, 2016 The Echo of Silence This paper is written on the artwork ‘Rebellious Silence’ from the series of Women of Allah by Shirin Neshat. Ms. Neshat â€Å"...is a contemporary Iranian artist best known for her films exploring the relationship between women and the religious and cultural value systems within Islamic communities† (Fine Art). In this paper Neshat’s biography, style for taking the picture, inspiration for the picture, andRead MoreWoman Warrior Essay1345 Words   |  6 PagesWoman Warrior Essay Maxine Hong Kingstons novel, The Woman Warrior is a semi-autobiographical collection of short stories that chronicles her childhood in California. It gives the reader a feeling of how it feels like to be a Chinese American girl growing up with traditional parents in a world that is quite different from theirs. Throughout the novel, both she and her mother refer to the outside world as ghosts. The subtitle given to the book is Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts. To figureRead MoreMaxine Hong Kingstons The Woman Warrior Essay1302 Words   |  6 PagesMaxine Hong Kingstons The Woman Warrior Maxine Hong Kingstons novel, The Woman Warrior is a semi-autobiographical collection of short stories that chronicles her childhood in California. It gives the reader a feeling of how it feels like to be a Chinese American girl growing up with traditional parents in a world that is quite different fromRead MoreThe Woman Warrior By Maxine Hong Kingston Essay1557 Words   |  7 PagesHathman 1 Rachele Hathman Professor Richard Potter ENC 1939 16 November 2016 The Woman Warrior Language is a system of communication used by humans either written or spoken to communicate our thoughts and feelings. Our thoughts and feelings we want to communicate to our loved ones, to our friends, to people we work with or go to school with and even to strangers. Maxine Hong Kingston in her memoir The Woman Warrior explores language and the use of language to express what Kingston finds as severalRead MoreRacism and Ethnicity Issues in Morrison, O ´Connor, and Kingston ´s Novels1754 Words   |  8 PagesThe central problem in Flannery O’Connor’s story, â€Å"Everything That Rises Must Converge†, Maxine Hong Kingston’s â€Å"The Woman Warrior†, and Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Recitatif†, revolve on the issue of race. Morrison and O’Connor focus on the theme of race specifically between blacks and whites in America. It could be said that Kingston’s â€Å"The Woman Warrior† concentrates on the racial differen ce between Asian and Caucasian but race is not made to be a big issue in this novel, since almost all of the charactersRead MoreUse of Imagery in Othello1555 Words   |  7 Pagesand Othellos’ true love overcoming such stereotypes and we are told this through imagery of fair warriors and that alike them. The wages of deceit is also shown through imagery of spiders and webs, uniforms and other images. Also, the power of jealousy is very well defined by imagery in the story. The green-eyed monster, handkerchief, and cuckolding imagery are very prominent in the defining this theme. The devilish character of Iago is depicted very well though different types of imagery. His sadisticRead MoreVictorian Period2321 Words   |  10 Pagesforests as ancient as the hills. Generally a very pleasant place, until he mentions a strange chasm on the side of a hill, surrounded by cedar trees. This chasm is a â€Å"savage† place, â€Å"as holy and enchanted† as any place that was ever â€Å"haunted by a woman wailing for her Demon Lover† (Coleridge 670). Within this haunted cavern, there are all kinds of turmoil– to illustrate; Coleridge compares this to if the Earth itself were heavily panting for breath. From this savage place in the hill, a geyser

Binge Drinking And The Minimum Legal Drinking Age

Karzhova Marina Erin Beaver English Composition II 5 November 2014 Binge Drinking and the Minimum Legal Drinking Age In the year 1984, President Ronald Reagan enacted a law that increased the minimum drinking Age all U.S states to 21 years. As a result, it is believed that the mortality rates due to road accidents reduced from 5,000 in the 80’s to 2, 000 in 2005 (Dean-Mooney). However, the issue of binge drinking remains unsolved with learning institutions having to deal with it every semester. In response to this, 134 college presidents formed the Amethyst Initiative, which is, a proposal allowing persons aged between 18 and 20 to consume alcoholic drinks Conversely, the Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD), which pushed for the enactment of the law in 1984 believes that the Amethyst Initiative is misplaced. The push for a lower drinking age is a battle between the parental community and the student fraternity. For the drinking age too be lowered the Amethyst Initiative must compile concrete research and facts to support its findings. Nonetheless, historical data shows that increase in the minimum legal drinking age results in a decrease in the amount of deaths. As argued by Barry, Stellefson and Woosley, â€Å"the MLDA clearly reduces alcohol consumption and its associated harms† (8). In light of this, one can argue that the minimum drinking age should remain at 21 as lowering it may cause fatal consequences. The factors can be broadly classified as internal, such asShow MoreRelated The Drinking Age Should NOT Be Lowered Essay1006 Words   |  5 Pageslowering the minimum legal drinking age. Choose Responsibility, a group founded by John McCardell, proposes that upon completion of a 40 hour course to educate young people about alcohol, 18, 19, and 20 year old people should be licensed to drink. The Amethyst Initiative, part of Choose Responsibility, is a petition to Congress to rethink the minimum legal drinking age. Several college leaders have signed this petition in the belief that lowering the minimum legal drinking age will reduce binge drinkingRead MoreBinge Drinking vs the Drinking Age Essays829 Words   |  4 Pages2013 Binge Drinking VS the Drinking Age Presidents of college campuses around the nation face issues of underage drinking and binge drinking on a regular basis and realizes that it is a danger and a problem. â€Å"Alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., a major contributing factor to unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death for youths and young adults, and accounts for an estimated 75,000 or more deaths in the United States annually† (Wechsler 2010). Binge drinkingRead More Lowering the Legal Minimum Drinking Age Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pagesunderage drinking has become a major problem, especially on college campuses. But, underage drinking is not purely the root of all accidents related to alcohol. The real problem lies within the unsafe underage drinking habits amongst youth. There are ways that these alcohol-related accidents can be avoided. Several organizations have been created that are targeting a change in the legal drinking age laws. One key way to lower the risk of unsafe drinking is to lower the minimum legal drinking age fromRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Abolished1634 Words   |  7 Pagestheir own legal drinking age. In 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age act was passed and raised the drinking age in the United States to twenty-one. This law caused uproar in states that had declared the minimum drinking age to be eighteen. Alcohol consumption is a major factor in cultural and social matters and the National Minimum Drinking Age has affected everybody. This law is unjust because of many reasons. One of the most prominent reasons is that it is an ex-post facto law. The legal drinkingRead MoreIs it Right to Lower the Drinking Age?1070 Words   |  4 Pagesissue. My question is, â€Å"Why should we lower the legal drinking age†? Current proposals to lower the minimum legal drinking age to 18 would have some benefits like increasing revenue for bars and liquor stores. However the risks surpass the benefits. Many peop le think that if you’re 18 you’re portrayed as an adult, you’re old enough to serve your country, vote, and make your own decisions. In some cases this could be true, but lowering the drinking age would be way too risky for themselves and othersRead MoreBinge Drinking On College Campuses1459 Words   |  6 Pages Paul October 28, 2014 Binge Drinking On College Campuses Over the past few years, there has been this big debate about whether the drinking age should be lowered to 18 or if it should stay at 21. Those in favor of lowering the drinking age to 18 argue that someone who is old enough to serve their country should be allowed to have a drink. Those who are in favor of keeping the minimum legal drinking age at 21 because of consequences regarding psychological developmentRead MoreThroughout History, The United States Has Taken On Several1288 Words   |  6 Pagesregarding the minimum legal drinking age that vary in age as well as in state and federal enforcement of the limit. To this day, there is quite a bit of controversy surrounding the subject because advocates of higher, lower, and limitless age regulations all provide decent arguments towards their suggested policies. Regardless of the policy, they all have the same aim: reduce alcohol addiction, binge drinking, drunk driving, and other alcohol related public health risks. The curren t minimum legal drinkingRead MoreUnderage Drinkers And The Drinking Age1237 Words   |  5 Pagesthey actually go out. Underage adults are binge drinking and doing drugs before they leave their house, then they are out on the road, in public places, and making irrational decisions. If only these adults didn’t feel the need to pre-game, and get as belligerent as the can before they go out, because once they do that’s the end of their drinking until they get back home. There is a way to reduce dangerous drinking, it would be to lower the drinking age to 18. Once lowered to 18, adults would noRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Act1700 Words   |  7 Pagesthe National Minimum Drinking Age Act made all 50 states raise the legal drinking age to 21(Dejong). The debate is on whether the age should be lowered or not. Statistically, having the age at 21 has been very helpful in keeping the nation safe. If there is not an issue with age now, would it make sense to lower the age and create unnecessary problems? In this case, the negative effects outweigh the positive. Simply because there is no good in lowering the age. The legal drinking age has been setRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Of The United States Essay1500 Words   |  6 PagesThe legal drinking age in the United States was ruled to be 21 in 1984, setting the country apart from almost all other western nations. These past 30 years have contained as much problems regarding the consumption of alcohol as one of the country’s biggest failures ever, the 18th amendment, otherwise known as prohibition. Also, the legal drinking age in the United States can be considered violation of states liberties, as the national government, albeit with good intentions, has intervened and only

Literature Review Goal Setting - Click on Free Sample

Question: Describe about the Goal Setting? Answer: 1. Introduction Goal setting is an integral part of the organizational behavior that involves the development of strategies in order to motivate employees within the organization and help in attainment of long-term goals. Vigoda-Gadot and Angert (2007) suggested that appropriate goal setting is important in an organization because it provides focus, increases motivation, improves group cohesion and help in performance measurability. The literature review here focuses on the concepts and theoretical models related to goal setting within an organization. With the help of this document, the researcher ensures effectiveness and influence of goal setting within an organization to set the baseline of a plan and to take decisions effectively. With the help of secondary academic review the researcher will be able to obtain an in-depth knowledge on the topic. 2. Research questions How does goal setting models helps in enhancing the organizational performance? What are the major goal setting models followed by your organization? How effective do you think is the present goal-setting model in your organization? How do you think the goal setting techniques motivate employees? 3. Theories and concepts on goal setting 3.1 Locke and Lathams Goal setting theory According to Locke and Latham (2006) the concepts of Management by objectives (MBO) and goal setting theories became major fields of study within the segment of organizational behavior because goals and objectives are the key elements that creates a positive organizational climate, improves job motivation, provides social and emotional support and enhance overall performance levels. Reed (2012) suggested that goals are related with performance enhancement because they organize effort, directs attention and encourages determination and plan development. In determining the relationship between goals and performance levels two main concepts are important namely the concept of Goal difficulty and the concept of Goal specificity. Murphy (2013) suggested that ambitious goals can contribute to the motivational increase of the individuals and thus enhance the overall performance levels. Lunenburg (2011) opined that goals have an inescapable influence on the behavior of the employees and thus influence the long-term performance of the employees within an organization. The goal setting theory proposed by Locke and Latham in 1960 emphasized on the fact that clear and specific goals and effective feedback can essentially motivate employees. According to Locke and Latham (2006), there are five important principles of goal setting that can improve the success rates within an organization namely clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback and task complexity. This theory states that goal setting within an organization should be a dual process. The individual employees should set a personal goal whereas the management of the organization should also focus on setting a team goal in order to comprehensively attain both individual growth and organizational growth. Vigoda-Gadot and Angert (2007) suggested that the willingness of wok towards the attainment of the goal is the major source of motivation for the employees within an organization. However, Bazerman (2009) argued that in some circumstances there might be rise of conflict between the personal goals and organizational goals. Moreover, the theory states that the organizations should frame complex goals so that the attainment of the same may bring a sense of self-satisfaction within the employees and further motivate them to increase their productivity. However, Sinnema and Robinson (2012) commented that high complexity of goals might make the goals unattainable. Finally, it has been argued that goal setting may not necessarily improve the job satisfaction levels. Figure 1: Goal setting theory (Source: Locke and Latham , 2006, pp- 267) 3.2 Goal setting theory conditions The necessary conditions that make goals effective and enhance the performance levels by invoking motivation within the employees are namely Goal commitment, Goal specificity, Goal difficulty and feedback related to goals. The following segment discusses the conditions. 3.2.1 Goal commitment Goal commitment in simple words denotes the acceptance of the goal by the individual. The acceptance of the goal is the initial step towards the motivation of the individuals. Rug and Wallace (2012) commented that if the goal is achievable and realistic then the rate of acceptance is high and with the advent of acceptance, the individual applies the required degree of determination and self-efficacy in order to complete the goal. However, Lawlor (2012) the rate of commitment may be hampered if the individual does not find the goal to be important. Hence, in order to successful make a goal achievable the organizations must exert the importance of the goal on the employees. The major factor that the organization needs to avoid in this context is the development of a casual attitude of the employees relating to the goals. For this Rug and Wallace (2012) suggested that the organizations should effectively provide all details about the goals, should establish a relation between the goal a nd the organizations ,mission and should also show the advantage that the individual may incur from the attainment of the goal. 3.2.2 Goal specificity The specificity of the goal is ascertained by its measurability. Bazerman (2009) suggested that highly specific goals affect the performance levels. Vague and abstract goals make it difficult for the employees to decide on the type of performance and quality of performance that the individuals should generate. The goals should thus be clear in terms of the specifications thereby assigning the actual tasks that the organization requires the employees to meet. The major focus of the management of the organization should be on the removal of the ambiguity from within the goals. For instance, the sale persons are given specific monthly targets that they have to achieve and the specification of incentive structures that they might get on achieving more than the monthly targets. According to Sinnema and Robinson (2012) the numerical targets makes the targets more realistic and highly motivates the employees to achieve the same. Further depending upon the skills of the employees the managem ent can enhance the goal challenges and specifications. 3.2.3 Goal difficulty According to Vigoda-Gadot and Angert (2007) to encourage high performance levels the organizations should formulate highly difficult goals. However Simes et al., (2012) argued that the difficulty level of the goal should depend upon the human skills present within the organization so that the level is achievable otherwise the goal difficulty can de motivate the employees and reduce their productivity. Ordez et al. (2009) suggests that the individuals have a tendency to act or respond dishonestly in case the goals become unattainable or difficult compared to their skills. Thus, it is essential for the organization to set the difficulty levels correctly in order to enhance the performance levels. For instance, Fords goal to gain market share in the international market forced the company to compromise on the quality standards of the new car Pinto that resulted in accidental deaths of around 53 consumers. Thus, the example shows that high standard settings are often detrimental to the s uccess of the employees and the organization. Ordez et al. (2009) added that difficulty level of the goals should remain within the power of the employees and the organization. In order to do so the organizations can conduct a SWOT analysis that will reveal the internal strengths and threats of the company in order to help them generate the necessary goal standards. A high goal not only jeopardizes motivation and commitment but also creates a non-congenial environment where the employees engage in corruption, dishonesty and hampers the quality of the organizational performance. Bennett (2009) concluded that the performance graph sharply declines with the increase in the level of goal difficulty. Figure 2: Relationship between performance level and goal difficulty (Source: Bennett 2009, pp- 98) 3.2.4 Goal feedback Feedback is an important element for performance evaluation. Simes et al. (2012) suggested that feedback is important also in case of goals in order to judge the effectiveness of the goal and the effectiveness of the commitment related to the goal completion. In the absence of feedbacks the employees remain unaware about their progress and it becomes difficult for them to ascertain the level of commitment that is further required for the job. Moreover, feedback process helps in identifying any loopholes within the goal and enables the individual to make necessary modifications. However, Murphy (2013) pointed that feedback should be constructive. The leaders and the goal makers should try to be specific while giving feedbacks. They should clearly mention the changes they require. Positive feedback also acts as a motivational factor for the enhancement of the performance levels. In this regard, Greenberg (2011) commented that feedback could be process oriented or outcome oriented. Thus by receiving the feedbacks the individuals will be aware that their work is being evaluated and this will minimize their chances if mistakes and act as amoral support for them. 3.3 SMART Goals In order to mend the problems of the goal setting theory the advent of SMART goals were made. Lawlor (2012) stated that development of SMART goals helps the organizations and employees to make the goals quantitative in nature, which helps easy attainment of the goals. The mangers adopt the following parameters while designing SMART goals. S = Specific goals M = Measurable goals A = Attainable goals R = Relevant goals T = Time bound goals Stringer and Shantapriyan (2012) opined that the specificity within the goals helps the employees and the managers to concretely define the task that is to be undertaken. The specificity of the goals gives the employees an opportunity to undergo the training process, which increases their individual productivity as well. Further, by making the goals measurable, the organizations are able to judge the feasibility of the goals. The achievability characteristic of a goal makes the goal viable and the organizations can design the desired resources in order to make the goal achievable. The relevancy of the goal motivates the employees to try and achieve the same. Finally, a time bound goal highlights the approximate time frame within which the organization plans to achieve the goal successfully. However, Reed (2012), pointed out in article that even SMART goals are not always effective for the organization. It is easy for the organizations to set ambitious goals however; the attainment of the same may divert the organization from other functional areas. For instance, a specific goal concerning the attainment of high market share in a particular target market may make the organization easy target in that market. Reed (2012) further commented that the high attainable goals as set by the SMART goal concept required high degree of skills and training in order to make the goals attainable. However, the organizations are more focused on the setting of the SMART goals without any focus on the skills requirement of the employees thus making the goals unattainable. Figure 3: SMART goals (Source: Stringer and Shantapriyan, 2012, pp-192) 3.4 GROW model The major role of an organizational leader is to effectively coach the employees to perform to their best abilities. The GROW model of goal setting is a simple and widely used tool for simple organizational structures in order to coach the employees in order to attain the goals. The following table shows the questions farmed at every stage of the GROW model. G - Goal What does the organization hope to achieve? R - Reality What is the current position of the organization? O Options / obstacles What are the different alternatives and problems available to the organization? W - Will What are the plan concerning the goals and obstacles? Reed (2012) commented that this model takes into account the views of the SMART goals in stage one and further designs the organizational activities that will help in attainment of the SMART goals. The organizations by establishing the reality can account for the present condition of the organization as well as the employees. This helps the management leaders to effectively judge whether the essential skills and trainings are present within the employees, whether the organization has required financial and technical resource in order to successfully attain the SMART goals. Strongman (2013) further added that assessment of the obstacle and options helps the organizations to analyze the external environment before engaging in goal attainment actions. The use of SWOT, PESTLE and Porters 5 force gives the organizations the opportunity to analyze the potential threats and opportunities in the path of the desired goals. The recognition of the barriers will help the organization to make str ategies for avoidance and recognition of opportunities will give the organization to build a strong competitive advantage over the other players within the industry. However Grant (2011), argued that GROW model may be ineffective in case of one-to-one interaction between an employee and a leader. The leader in this case may focus rigidly on the principles of the model rather than paying appropriate attention to the ability, skills and mind frame of the employee. Thus excessive use of the principles of GROW within the organizational leadership context may give rise to a strict and inflexible organizational structure. Moreover Urbany and Davis (2010) added that the leaders using the GROW model for the purpose of coaching generally tends to avoid laying the foundations among the employees and try to generate fast achievement of the goals. Figure 4: GROW model (Source: Grant, 2011, pp- 120) 4. Conclusion While conducting researches by going through the case studies on setting goal, three models have been undertaken by the different organizations for performance improvement by setting appropriate and attainable organizational goals. The chapter helps the researcher to gain insight knowledge on the different positive and negative aspects of goal setting actions. Thus from the overall analysis it can be concluded that the organizations can use the elements of the different models of goal setting effectively but also not rely rigidly on the principles without paying any attention to the resource availability and human skills. Rigidity of the models may result in setting of ambitious and difficult goals, which may sound good from the organizational prospective but, may hinder the ethical considerations and reduce the performance levels of the individuals within the organization. Reference list Alblas, G. and Wijsman, E. (2011).Organisational behaviour. Groningen [etc.]: Noordhoff Publishers. Bazerman, M. (2009). When Goal Setting Goes Bad.Working Knowledge. Harvard Business School. Bennett, D. (2009). Ready, aim... fail. Why setting goals can backfire.The Boston Globe,C1 Grant, A. M. (2011). Is it time to REGROW the GROW model? Issues related to teaching coaching session structures.The Coaching Psychologist,7(2), 118-126. Greenberg, J. (2011). Behavior in organizations (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hal Lawlor, K. B. (2012). Smart Goals: How the Application of Smart Goals can Contribute to Achievement of Student Learning Outcomes.Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning,39. Locke, E. A., and Latham, G. P. (2006). New directions in goal-setting theory.Current directions in psychological science,15(5), 265-268. Lunenburg, F. (2011). Goal-Setting Theory of Motivation.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS, AND ADMINISTRATION, 15(1), p.5. Mullins, L. (2011).Essentials of organisational behaviour. Harlow, England: Financial Times Prentice Hall/Pearson. Murphy, B. (2013). Organisational Behaviour for Social Work.Practice, 25(2), pp.143-145. Ordez,L.,Schweitzer,M.,Galinsky,A.,andBazerman,M.(2009).Goals gone wild: The systematic side effects of over-prescribing goal setting.HBS Working Paper, 09-083 Reed, A. (2012).TechWell | Are SMART Goals Smart Enough?. [online] TechWell. Available at: https://www.techwell.com/2012/09/are-smart-goals-smart-enough [Accessed 24 Mar. 2015]. Rug, H. and Wallace, M. (2012).Goal Sharing. Scottsdale: WorldatWork Press. Simes, P., Vasconcelos-Raposo, J., Silva, A. and Fernandes, H. (2012). Effects of a Process-Oriented Goal Setting Model on Swimmer's Performance.Journal of Human Kinetics, 32(-1). Sinnema, C. and Robinson, V. (2012). Goal Setting in Principal Evaluation: Goal Quality and Predictors of Achievement.Leadership and Policy in Schools, 11(2), pp.135-167. Stringer, C. and Shantapriyan, P. (2012).Setting performance targets. [New York, N.Y.] (222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017): Business Expert Press. Strongman, L. (2013). The Psychology of Social Undermining in Organisational Behaviour.The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Organisational Psychology, 6. Urbany, J. and Davis, J. (2010).Grow by focusing on what matters. New York, N.Y.: Business Expert Press. Vigoda-Gadot, E., and Angert, L. (2007). Goal setting theory, job feedback, and OCB: Lessons from a longitudinal study.Basic and applied social psychology,29(2), 119-128.

Individual Prejudice and Discrimination Soc/120 Essay Example

Individual Prejudice and Discrimination Soc/120 Essay The culture of South Africa is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. The South African black majority still has a substantial number of rural populations who lead largely impoverished lives. It is among these people, however, that cultural traditions survive most strongly. African Americans are increasingly taking on urban characteristics and have been influenced with ideas; the aspects of traditional culture have declined. Urban blacks usually speak English or Afrikaans in addition to their native tongue. Indian South Africans preserve their cultural heritage, languages and religious beliefs, being either Christian, Hindu or Muslim and speaking English, with Indian languages like Hindi, Telugu, Tamil or Gujarati being spoken less frequently as second languages. There is a much smaller Chinese South African community, made up of early immigrants, apartheid-era immigrants from Taiwan, and post-apartheid immigrants from mainland China. In general, all racial and ethnic groups in South Africa have long-standing beliefs concerning gender roles, and most are based on the premise that women are less important, or less deserving of power, than men. Most African traditional social organizations are male centered and male dominated. Even in the 1990s, in some rural areas of South Africa, for example, wives walk a few paces behind their husbands in keeping with traditional practices. A minority of ultra-conservative Afrikaners’ religious beliefs, too, includes a strong emphasis on the theoretically biblically based notion that womens contributions to society should normally be approved by, or be on behalf of, men. English speaking whites tend to be the most liberal group, including on issues pertaining to gender roles. We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Prejudice and Discrimination Soc/120 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Prejudice and Discrimination Soc/120 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Prejudice and Discrimination Soc/120 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the 20th century, economic and political developments presented South African women with both new obstacles and new opportunities to wield influence. For example, labor force requirements in cities and mining areas have often drawn men away from their homes for months at a time, and, as a result, women have borne many traditionally male responsibilities in the village and home. Women have had to guarantee the day-to-day survival of their families and to carry out financial and legal transactions that otherwise would have been reserved for men (material Culture of South Africa, 2013). Race and ethnicity are terms used to categorize populations on the basis of shared characteristics. The differentiation between race and ethnicity is an ethnic group is a social category of people who share a common culture, such as a common language, a common religion, or common norms, customs, practices, and history. Ethnic groups have a consciousness of their common cultural bond. An ethnic group does not exist simply because of the common national or cultural origins of the group, however. They develop because of their unique historical and social experiences, which become the basis for the group’s ethnic identity. A race is a group that is treated as distinct in society based on certain characteristics. Because of their biological or cultural characteristics, which are labeled as inferior by powerful groups in society, a race is often singled out for differential and unfair treatment. It is not the biological characteristics that define racial groups, but how groups have been treated historically and socially. Society assigns people to racial categories (White, Black, etc. ) not because of science or fact, but because of opinion and social experience. In other words, how racial groups are defined is a social process; it is socially constructed. The assumption that race reflects only biological distinctions is inaccurate. Categories based on race account for only 3–7% of total human genetic diversity, are not reliably measured, and are not always biologically meaningful. Furthermore, both race and ethnicity are constantly evolving concepts, making the task of comparing groups or following the same group over time quite challenging. For instance, the increasing proportion of the U. S. population describing their race as â€Å"mixed† or â€Å"other,† as well as changes in ethnic self-identification across generations and occasionally even within the same generation, makes it difficult to assign individuals to invariant categories of race or ethnicity. Nevertheless, the social importance given to these constructs to describe groups that have been treated in similar ways based on presumed biological characteristics, as well as the acknowledgment that such classifications themselves have contributed to inequalities in health and health care access, necessitates that we continue to use the terms race and ethnicity (material Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 2013). The experiences of African American descendants throughout United States history have been difficult. African American descendants have been subjected to American slavery from the earliest days in the 17th century. Slave owners strove to exercise control over their slaves by making an attempt to strip them of their African culture. Regardless of their fathers status, children of enslaved mothers followed the status of their mothers and were considered slaves as well. The physical isolation and societal downgrading of African slaves facilitated the withholding of significant elements of traditional culture among Africans in the U. S. African American descendants have endured racial terrorism in many forms. One of the forms was the Ku Klux Klan, after its founding in 1867, the Ku Klux Klan, a secret vigilante organization dedicated to destroying the Republican Party in the South, especially by terrorizing Black leaders was formed. This vigilante organization hides behind masks and robes to conceal their identity while they carried out violence and property damage. The Klan used terrorism, especially murder and threats of murder, arson and intimidation. The Klans excesses led to the passage of legislation against it, and with Federal enforcement, it was destroyed by 1871 (material African-American History, 2013). African American descendants have been deprived of their civil rights and have been discriminated against as well. They have been stripped of their rights to vote and racial segregation at the workplace, in schools and by facilities that served the general public where enforced upon them. Anti-miscegenation laws prohibited marriages of European-Americans with people of African descent, even if of mixed race. African American communities have suffered from extremely high incarceration rates. They have the highest imprisonment rate of any major ethnic group in the world. The southern states, which historically had been involved in slavery and post-Reconstruction oppression, now produce the highest rates of incarceration and the death penalty (material African-American History, 2013). Residential segregation has taken various forms. Limited contracts in deeds had prohibited minorities from buying properties from any consequent owner. Some of the state constitutions, had sections giving local authorities the right to control where members of particular races could live. In the 1950s-1960s, legislation enacting racial segregation was finally overturned, because of the population being morally confronted and educated by advocates of the Civil Rights Movement. The United States Supreme Court ruled that separate but equal was essentially discriminatory and engaged integration of public schools in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education (material Judicial Aspects of Race in the United States, 2013). One of many significant pieces of civil rights legislation ever proposed that Congress passed is referred to as the civil rights act of 1964. The civil rights act made Congress an equal partner with the Supreme Court in establishing civil rights. The act banned discrimination in all residences of public lodging, such as restaurants, hotels, gas stations, theaters etc. ,. It also permitted the department of justice to bring suit in order to accomplish desegregation in public schools. In the mid-1950s to late 1960s during the civil rights movement it was a exertion for African Americans to succeed in having civil rights equal to those of Whites, including the opportunity for equal employment, housing, and education, along with the right to vote, the right of equal access to public amenities, and the right to be free of racial discrimination. The movement of the twentieth century has had such an intense effect on the legal and political establishments of the United States that no other social or political effect has had. Assured by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments this movement attempted to restore to African Americans the rights of residency, which had been abused by segregationist Jim Crow laws in the South (material Judicial Aspects of Race in the United States, 2013). The federal government was forced numerous times to enforce its laws and protect the rights of African American citizens which essentially altered relations between the federal government and the states. The civil rights movement also provoked the relapse of the judiciary, including the Supreme Court, in its role as defender of individual liberties against majority power. Furthermore, Martin Luther King Jr. , and other leaders of the movement anticipated, this movement to encouraged advantages not only for African Americans but also for women, individuals with disabilities, and several others. Congress passed another significant piece of legislation; the voting rights act of 1965 was passed the following year. This act excluded the voting qualifications, including literacy tests, that whites have used in the past to prevent African Americans from voting. It also enabled the federal government to oversee rules regarding changes in state voting laws. These laws together with federal actions displayed that no amount of resistance, no matter how violent, by white southerners would encumber the cause and the civil rights movement had the back-up of the powers of the federal government. The culture of South Africa is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. Both race and ethnicity are, in fact, social constructs. Race has traditionally been used to categorize populations on the basis of shared biological characteristics such as genes, skin color, and other observable features. Ethnicity is used to categorize on the basis of cultural characteristics such as shared language, ancestry, religious traditions, dietary preferences, and history. Although ethnic groups can share a range of phenotypic characteristics due to their shared ancestry, the term is typically used to highlight cultural and social characteristics instead of biological ones. The experiences of African American descendants throughout United States history have been difficult. The federal government was forced numerous times to enforce its laws and protect the rights of African American citizens which essentially altered relations between the federal government and the states. The effects of prejudice and discrimination for South African individuals have been devastating and will continue to have a negative impact for many years to come. Reference Frenkel, R. (2008). Feminism and Contemporary Culture in South Africa. , (). Adams, B. G. , Fons J. R. , Van d. Vijvera. De Bruin, G. P. (2011). . Identity in South Africa: Examining self-descriptions across ethnic groups, (). Culture of South Africa. (2013). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Culture_of_South_Africa African-American history. (2013). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Black_American_History Sociology Of Race And Ethnicity. (2013). Retrieved from http://sociology. about. com/od/Disciplines/a/Sociology-Of-Race-Ethnicity. htm? p=1 Judicial aspects of race in the United States. (2013). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Judicial_aspects_of_race_in_the_United_States