Major Contemporary Issue Affecting Organisational Behaviour Today Commerce Essay

Major Contemporary Issue Affecting Organisational Behaviour Today Commerce Essay According to Griffin and Moorhead (2012), Organisational behaviour is the study of human behaviour in organisational settings, of the interface between human behaviour and organisation, and of the organisation itself. As Knights and Willmott (2007) pointed out, in order to have a comprehensive knowledge and understanding of organisational behaviour as a field of study, the three areas that make up organisational behaviour must be studied together. These areas include human behaviour, the relationship between human behaviour and organisations, and the organisation itself. And they must be analysed from three points of view which are individual, as team or group and as an organisation. Question 6. Choose a major contemporary issue affecting organisational behaviour today..Discuss its practical implications for managing peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Murray, Poole and Jones (2006) are of the view that, with the ever increasing globalisation of the continents of the world, organisational culture, product and production diversification, teamwork, information technology, flexible working practices are regarded as some of the current issues affecting organisations. For the purpose of detailed analysis and word count, I have decided to pick organisational culture as one of the contemporary issues to discuss. Organisational culture: Every organisation has a culture and it is this culture that defines the performance as well as the excellence of the organisation as a whole. Over the past years, organisational culture has been researched in order to get to its dept on how it affects both customers and employees. According to Ravasi and Schultz (2006) organizational culture is a set of shared mental assumptions that guide interpretation and action in organizations by defining appropriate behaviour for various situations. Organizational culture play an important role in every organization because it portrays the organizations values, norms, beliefs, systems, working language and habits. Therefore, priority should be given to organizational culture because it defines the companys image (Mullins, 2007). It is necessary to understand the concept of organisational culture by typologies and classifications. Handy (1982) pointed out four types of culture that would help in the understanding and classifications of organisational culture and they include personal culture, risk, role and power. As suggested by Scholtz (1987), stable, reactive, anticipating, exploring and creative are used to describe the typologies of organisational culture. To be able to point out the functions of organisational culture, it is necessary to know the determinants of organisational culture. In an article entitled (building organisational culture that stimulates creativity and innovation), Martins (2003) stated that the determinants of organisational culture are structure, support mechanisms, behaviour that encourages innovation and open communication. Kilmann, Saxton Serpa (1986) pointed out the following functions of organisational culture. Organisational culture help organisations stand out which distinguishes them from other organisations hence, their identity is portrayed. It also encourages stability in organisations. Employees and leaders in organisations could be changed but a relative stability is maintained over a period of time as organisational culture is passed on from generations to generations. An organisation with a strong culture could have competitive advantage in the marketplace if it keeps abiding on its culture (Brown 1998). Organisational culture has great implications on both the employees and the company as a whole. For example, Hewlett Packard advised HP employees to develop 3 personal and 3 organisational goals that they would like to achieve each year as a change of their culture. After two years into this new system of culture, HP reported that there was no loss in productivity even when some employees were working shorter hours and more employees were able to be retained. Question 1: Advantages and disadvantages of working as part of a team for the Individual. There is no definite definition of team but as Mckenna(2012) pointed out, a team could be described as a small number of people with complementary skills who are committed to a common purpose, common performance, and a common approach for which they hold themselves mutually accountable. Advantages As suggested by Mckenna(2012), one of the advantages of working as part of a team for the individual is the motivation he/she gets from the members of the team to accomplish their tasks. Usually, members of the team are motivated when they work with the thought that other members of the team are depending on them for the objective of the team to be achieved. With such thought in their minds, the individual tend to be motivated unlike when he/she works alone, there is no one to motivate him/her (Cole, 2005). Cole (2005) is of the view that when individuals get together as a team different abilities and experience would be showcased by individuals towards achieving team objectives. These are some of the different abilities that would be seen in an individual: people with leadership spirit, good planners, thinkers, ideas person and humorists, those with technical or professional knowledge, those with good communication skills. This would help an individual to express his/her ability as a dormant ability would definitely quench if it is not put to work. Another advantage of a team for an individual working in team is the experience gotten from it. Working in a team help individuals to gain experience. Especially with the different abilities and approaches each members of the team used in tackling a problem. Although he/she might not be an expert in the application of such ability but they would have gained that experience and would be able to apply it when they encounter such tasks again in the future (McKenna, 2012). Disadvantages As pointed out by Koontz and Wiehrich (2008), one of the disadvantages of working as part of a team for the individual is the teams goals and objectives that must be achieved. An individual cannot work towards achieving personal goals because whatever task he/she has been allocated to in a group must be accomplished with the aim of meeting the groups objectives. In other words, he/she must give up personals goals and work towards group goals hence, organisational goals and objectives is the priority and not personal goals (Prakken, 2000). Barker and Angelopulo (2007) is of the view that working in a team consumes time. This is because every member must be given an opportunity to speak in a meeting which would take a while for the team to arrive at a conclusion. Also, since time is money, it may cost an individual to work as part of a team and such costs could involve transportation, lodging and other overhead costs(Mukherjee and Basu, 2005) Conflicts within a team are usually problems for an individual. This is because it demoralises an individual, reduce his/her motivation towards accomplishing the task allocated as well as reduce communications to other members of the team hence, the level of individual cooperation with the team would drop which may lead to unaccomplished mission for the individual as well as the team (Mukherjee and Basu, 2005). 5. An employees individual personality has no part to play in his/her day to day behaviour at work..Its not something employers need to worry about. Critically evaluate this statement. There are four main drivers that influence the behaviour of an individual personality hence, they have a great effect on the performance of an employee at work. This means employers need to take cognisance of this if they want to receive the best performance of their employees. The following are the four drivers, namely self motivation of employees, employees ability, employees role perceptions and situational factors (Miller, Vandome and John, 2010). According to Miller, Vandome and John (2010), Motivation refers to the internal forces that affect the direction, intensity and persistence of a persons voluntary choice of behaviour. McShane and Von Glinow(2003) were of the view that direction refers to the path on which employees channel their strengths towards achieving the organisational goals. Intensity refers to the degree of effort or the level of seriousness employees have applied towards achieving organisational goals. And persistence is refers to how long an employee is willing and able to put his/her time in order to achieve organisational goals (Miller, Vandome and John, 2010). Employers need to take note of employees that have direction, intensity and the ones that are persistent in what they want to achieve as they have great implications in the performance of each employee. According to McShane and Von Glinow (2003), ability refers to both the natural aptitudes and the learned capabilities required to successfully complete a task. Employers should look for such type of people to employ in their organisations. This is because they are people that have natural skills to learn things quickly; also they are people that have acquired experiences which makes them competent for any task allocated to them (miller, Vandome and John, 2010). As McShane and Von Glinow (2003) pointed out in (Organisational Behaviour), role perceptions has to do with the level to which an employee understands the role or tasks he/she suppose to perform in an organisation. This also involves the employee understanding the the importance of these tasks to the organisation and the behaviour he/she will use to accomplish such tasks (Taderera, 2010). Taderera (2010) is of the view that situational factors refers to conditions especially environmental factors from outside the organisation that affect an employee such as consumer preferences economic factors and environmental factors such as time, people, budget and work facilities. Usually, these environmental factors are beyond the control of an employee especially in the short run (McShane and Von Glinow, 2003). This means that employers need to tackle and arrange these factors in such a way that they wont interfere or interrupt the performance of their employees.

Behavior Modification Project

I don’t remember exactly when I took to smoking or how the habit had developed in me. However I remember well that my pattern of smoking has been fairly consistent, at least for the last couple of years, smoking about six cigarettes a day. There are of course days when I have smoked a couple of cigarettes more or less too. Most of my friends don’t smoke and they don’t like smoking in their presence, although they wouldn’t object it on the face. I am aware of the risks of smoking, its association with cancer and strokes, and had long decided to abandon it.I had convinced myself that I need to give up smoking. However I didn’t have a plan or deadline for it; not that I was ignorant of this fact. I knew that to get rid of any habit, one should have a concrete plan and an anticipated schedule. In my mind, I believed I would soon be implementing one for myself. Unfortunately I did nothing in an effort to quit smoking, only compensating it with a feeling that I have a strong untested will power and can easily quit whenever I wanted. It never struck me that the quitting should start now.It so happened, that I had an opportunity last month to attend a seminar on ‘Modern lifestyle trends and its impact on health’. Here the speaker emphasized that habits like smoking, alcoholism, drugs, sexual attitudes can only be reversed when it is within a reversible range. He said it was his personal opinion that chronic addicts cannot come out of it, no matter what the de-addiction programs he or she goes through. He then went on to give scary facts that awaited the pursuers of these habits. This was when I got really scared, and decided to call it a day.I knew I was not a chronic smoker although I thanked God; he didn’t define a chronic smoker. I realized and accepted the fact that I had not made even the slightest attempt, to give up smoking. I took a resolution that quitting efforts would start right here and right now. I wa s careful enough not to fall back on Behavior Modification Project 3 my will power and put it through an acid test, by deciding to quit immediately. I began to plan a way of achieving a no smoking state in a gradual way. I was happy that although my efforts to quit smoking had been late, it was being done cautiously.Had I taken an unplanned and arbitrary decision, like stopping instantly; and if it had rebounded, there were chances that I would probably never get out of it. For the first week, I had decided that I would smoke no more than six cigarettes a day, so as to average about six or lesser number per day. For the second week, I had planned a reduction of two cigarettes a day, so as to average about four or less per day. Then the most important third week, where I further reduced the number of cigarettes to just two per day. Then the hopefully successful fourth week, where I would be a non-smoker.Although I was confident, I was apprehensive of the possibility of achieving thes e goals. I recollected the times when I didn’t have a cigarette and desperately needed one, and to the extent I went, to get one. As my goal to quit smoking is to be achieved only in stages, I thought it necessary to reward myself whenever I reach the goal, for the week. This would not only be an encouragement for me, but also an acknowledgement of meeting target for that week. I decided to treat myself to a half hour, either in a flight simulator or with friends.This was my roadmap to quit smoking, planned in detail. The first week wasn’t difficult as it was almost like any before; the only difference being that it should not exceed six any day. However, I considered this week as a crucial one because this was the first week I was ever under smoking conditions. I smoked only about five for most days of this week. The second week was more difficult, as I could smoke only four or less. Here too I tried to restrict to the least possible and I smoked less than the target. I smoked only about three per day for most days, touching four only twice that week.I allowed and enjoyed the treat I promised myself, after each week. Then came the ultimate third week Behavior Modification Project 4 where I had to be more resistive to temptations; just two cigarettes a day. It was indeed difficult but I was determined, and knew it was worth it. On the third day of the third week, I had a feeling that things might become extremely difficult, and even impossible in the fourth week. Third week looked achievable, but I feared the fourth ultimate week, where I had to be without cigarettes.I realized, I needed any possible help to keep me off cigarettes. I joined a meditation class by the mid of the third week. By the time fourth week started, I felt I could comfortably keep off cigarettes for the week. I didn’t feel the urge to smoke one that entire week. In fact, I would say, the fourth week was the most comfortable and a confident one as I felt that smoking w as no longer a problem with me. When I went for my treat that weekend, I sensed the feel of being a non-smoker, for the first time. Behavior Modification Project Working out is something I really enjoy doing, but I almost always find some excuse as to why I cannot exercise more than going to Zumba twice a week. It’s not that I don’t care about losing weight or staying in shape; it’s just that the outcome of working out is too small to control my behavior. The contingency for working out is ineffective. Ineffective contingencies fail to control our behavior because the outcomes are either too small (though of cumulative significance) or too improbable.I have a given level of health, I work out twice a week for 60 minutes, and then I have an infinitesimally greater level of health. Although my level of health increasing is small and cumulative, I know neither my body image nor my weight will change by working out one time. I know getting my butt to the gym several times per week will reduce my body fat, but there are several competing contingencies that prevent me from doing so. For example, E. R. is one of my favorite T. V . shows that I love to watch if I have some spare time in my day, I would much rather watch Dr.Carter put in a chest tube to save a little girl’s life than sweat through two tank tops at the gym. If I go to the gym I will lose the opportunity to watch E. R. My performance objective is to workout at least five days a week for at least 40 minutes. The type of exercise does not matter; it can include cardio, aerobics classes, toning exercises, or any combination. I did not specify exact days I had to work out, just that I have to work out five of seven days a week. For my intervention I implemented an avoidance of loss contingency.An avoidance of loss contingency is the response contingent prevention of the removal of a reinforcer resulting in an increased frequency of the response. Each time that I missed any of the five days or working out for 40 minutes I have to pay my classmate and workout buddy Michelle $3. By working out for 40 minutes I would avoid the loss of a reinforc er (money). By setting up a performance contract I know exactly what is expected of me. I am completely aware of the behavioral contingency: the occasion for the response, the response, and the outcome for that response.Since Michelle and I go to the same gym, she holds me accountable and checks with me daily if she does not see me at the gym. I report to Michelle each day before boot camp at 3:00pm. My weeks run Monday-Sunday, and I pay out for each instance of a missed workout Monday before class. Having to give Michelle money that I would have otherwise spent at the vending machine during the class break is very aversive. I keep track of my performance of working out on a week at a glance graph, which I present to my boot camp classmates every Friday.The graph has different shapers of data points indicating the type of exercise I did. For example, I use circles for cardio, stars for weight training, and hearts if I did both cardio and toning. My benefits measure is my body fat pe rcentage. I did not choose to use weight loss as a benefit measure because as I do more toning exercises, muscle is gained so my weight may not fluctuate a whole lot. Body fat is what I really want to focus on because I could care less how much I weigh if my body looks tight and toned!So far the performance management intervention has been overall pretty successful. I am making time to workout many more times per week than I have in a long time. My performance manager Michelle really motivates me to stay on top of my game, and since we go the same gym, our workout buddy system works really well. I began the intervention on June 11, 2008 and I am currently still implementing. My body fat percentage decrease quite a bit at first, then increased slightly (due to poor eating habits).So far I have only paid out $6, which is much less than I ever thought I would have paid out at this point. I made a goal with my performance manager to hit my goal for the rest of boot camp. If I hit my goa l for the remaining 3 weeks at 100% Michelle and I are treating ourselves to pedicures! I have hit my goal of five days a week several times, and only had a few weeks when I did not reach five workouts per week. The first week of the intervention I started on Wednesday, so I missed a couple days to workout. Also, in week 5 I had a migraine so I excused myself from working out.I am currently in the middle of week 9 and so far have worked out three times. The only thing I would revise about this intervention is the diet aspect. I did increase my exercising; however, my results were not phenomenal. I think I need to put some performance management contingencies on healthy eating as well as exercise. I feel great working out more, but I am still eating Twinkies and Taco Bell! This really prevents me form losing optimum body fat! Through behavior analysis (the study of the principles of behavior)

Classical vs Romantic Essay

The classical period in music spans from 1750 to 1820, a period of musical change after the Baroque and Rococo periods and its eventual transition to the Romantic period. This era in music produced most of the well known composers, prominent of which were Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven, Franz Joseph Haydn, among others.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The shift from the Baroque and Rococo musical styles also coincided with the formation of classicism, an artistic movement that also involved painting, literature, and architecture. The Baroque era of music mainly utilized polyphonic harmony in composition – a style which involves two main themes or melodies, which creates an elaborate hearing experience because of many different instruments playing unique themes. An example of which is Johann Sebastian Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier which is a collection of piano pieces specifically arranged for the piano, utilizing every major and minor chords. The contrapuntal polyphony of these pieces have two different melodies for the left and right hands, creating harmony at the same time. On one hand, the classical movement utilizes a homophonic – a style that is above chord accompaniment and emphasizes on melody, tone, form, and balance. Melodies are more refined, elegant, and expressive, utilizing dynamics (pianissimo, mezzo forte, etc.) along with a balanced formal structure. The classical period also developed the sonata, symphony, concertos, serenades, among other instrumental music during that time. The Romantic period on the other hand, is a movement that expands the form of classical composition that enhances expressiveness and appeals to the emotive aspect of the listener. Although identified as a Romantic period, the era does not emphasize on romantic love per se, but it is used as a prevalent theme in composition. There is little difference between the classical and romantic periods because both utilize the same structure in composition, but only vary with the use of themes. In terms of expression, the romantic period is much more expressive compared to classical pieces.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ludwig van Beethoven and Franz Schubert, prominent classical masters, produced music for both eras, with their works employing a smooth transition of change regarding themes and melodies into the Romantic period. Schubert’s violin compositions are generally associated with the Romantic era while Beethoven mastered the use of chromatic and homophonic harmonies to stress fiery and elegant themes in most of his works.

The World During Rizals Time - 3501 Words

CHAPTER 1: THE WORLD DURING THE TIME OF RIZAL * Philippines- still a colony of Spain, largest and richest in terms of natural resources and trade potential * 19th century reform movements are political movements such as abolitionism or temperance which played a significant role in the political life of the nineteenth century. The movements found organizational form in the United States in organizations such as the American Anti-Slavery Society. SPANISH RULE DURING THE 19TH CENTURY During the 19th century Spain invested heavily in education and infrastructure. Through the Education Decree of December 20, 1863, Queen Isabella II of Spain decreed the establishment of a free public school system that used Spanish as the language of†¦show more content†¦That made it the second richest place in all of Asia, just a little behind Japan ($1,135.00), and far ahead of China ($652.00) or India ($625.00).[90] Philippine Revolution[edit] Main article: Philippine Revolution Revolutionary sentiments arose in 1872 after three Filipino priests, Mariano Gà ³mez, Josà © Burgos, and Jacinto Zamora, known as Gomburza, were accused of sedition by colonial authorities and executed. This would inspire the Propaganda Movement in Spain, organized by Marcelo H. del Pilar, Josà © Rizal, Graciano Là ³pez Jaena, and Mariano Ponce, that clamored for adequate representation to the Spanish Cortes and later for independence. Josà © Rizal, the most celebrated intellectual and radical ilustrado of the era, wrote the novels Noli Me Tà ¡ngere, and El filibusterismo, which greatly inspired the movement for independence.[91] The Katipunan, a secret society whose primary purpose was that of overthrowing Spanish rule in the Philippines, was founded by Andrà ©s Bonifacio who became its Supremo (leader). An early flag of the Filipino revolutionaries The Philippine Revolution began in 1896. Rizal was wrongly implicated in the outbreak of the revolution and executed for treason in 1896. The Katipunan in Cavite split into two groups, Magdiwang, led by Mariano à lvarez (a relative of Bonifacios by marriage), and Magdalo, led by Emilio Aguinaldo.Show MoreRelatedFirst Revolutionary Movement : Benedict Anderson s Novel Imagined Communities1555 Words   |  7 PagesBenedict Anderson’s book Imagined Communities develops a theoretical framework which can be applied to the formation of nation-states in the 18th and 19th centuries across the world. Anderson’s analyses of the processes that contribute to a nation’s birth reveal a constant prerequisite in every revolutionary movement: an imagined community. Imagined communities are formed by a number of people who identify with a socially constructed group, even though they have no interaction with the vast majorityRead MoreThe Mega Star Generation1141 Words   |  5 Pagesindelible imprints of time†. Who si Rizal? Every Filipino who at least have been to school, or is celebrating the commemoration of his death and someone received a formal education could answer this for sure with â€Å"Our national hero†. But beyond being a hero, do we really know this guy or what is his statue’s worth in Luneta? Was he really that god-like during his entire life, that some ignorant and uneducated people in our generation worship him as a God? Sad to say that, in our modern time today, peopleRead MoreRizal Sa Dapitan1435 Words   |  6 Pagesguard, Jose Rizal left Manila, traveling to Mindoro and Panay, until he arrived at Dapitan at precisely seven oclock in the evening of June 17. From that day until July 31, 1896, Dapitan became the bare witness to one of the most fruitful periods in Rizals life. His stay in the province was more than â€Å"he† living in exile – it was the period when Rizal had been more focused on serving the people and the society through his ci vic works, medical practices, land development and promotion of education. Read MoreRizals Love Affair to Josephine Bracken1640 Words   |  7 PagesJOSE RIZAL’s LOVE AFFAIR TO JOSEPHINE BRACKEN (Western Mindanao State University,ZC) Submitted to Ms. Submitted by Student Nurses Helouise P.Vallecer Karielle Mareez H. Mamungay Rizette Jade O. Araneta Miel Marie F.Atilano Jester lendl Cruz ABSTRACT In this article of Rizal’s love affair to Josephine Bracken it is studied on how and why they met. How do they leave each others side from the time of the first glance of Rizal’s eye to Josephine. LITERATURE REVIEW Sweet foreigner? WhileRead MorePilipinong Manunulat1723 Words   |  7 Pagessuperheroes such as â€Å"Darna† (a Filipino version of Wonder Woman), Dyesabel (name of the Filipino mermaid/heroine), and many others. During his time, the â€Å"Golden Age of Comics† flourished. Like Carlo J. Caparas, Mars Ravelo’s creations and writings were turned into films and became box-office hit during 1960†²s to 1980†²s. Ravelo was also the highest paid comic writer during his time. Until now, his creations is still influential to Philippine contemporary literature. 8. The youngest among the list, Louie MarRead MoreResearch Paper About Rizal2146 Words   |  9 Pagesas of a Filipino politician during his brief life with women from various parts of the world as his conquest overshadowed the real love and relationship he had with Bracken. Rizal was obviously happy in his relationship with the woman who filled in an emotional need during his lonely and boring days in exile life. Although his family was not happy about the relationship.  His deep concern over Bracken is quite evident and revealing in the numerous letters he penned during the later part of his emotionalRead MoreRizal’s Life Work’s and Writings1757 Words   |  8 PagesRizal’s life work’s and writings Rizal’s sayings * All men are born equal, naked, without bonds. God did not create man to be a slave; nor did he endow him with intelligence to have him hoodwinked, or adorn him with reason to have him deceived by others. Reaction * This saying of Dr. Jose Rizal wants to tell us that all people in this world are equal, we are not born to be a slave. We need to show to others that if they are smart, we are also smart, and what are the things they can doRead MoreReflection for Rizals Eye-Opening Journey (the National Hero of the Philippines)3237 Words   |  13 Pagesunderstand, assist, and give us our financial needs. To the staff and administration of the three Historical Places we visited: Rizal’s House Historical Museum, University of Santo Tomas, Manila Main Campus, and Fort Santiago, Intramurous Manila. Lastly our greatest gratitude to the one above all who is always with us. We thank God for keeping us safe all the time and for all the knowledge and wisdom He is giving to us. INTRODUCTION Jose Rizal made a lot of things for our country.Read MoreThe Novels of Jose Rizal2962 Words   |  12 Pagesintellectual and material resources within a colonial partnership. A Philippine revolution, in Rizals view, would be unsuccessful and yet inevitable, should Spain continue to delay in granting the kind of reform that would ensure security, freedom, dignity and education for the Filipinos. If a revolutionary, then, Rizal remained a cautious one to the end of his brief life. Regardless of these reservations on Rizals part, the Judge Advocate General Pe=F1a, charged with passing the death sentence on RizalRead MoreLife of Dr. Jose P. Rizal6588 Words   |  27 Pages– December 30, 1896, ancestral home: Quanzhou, Fujian[2]), was a Filipino polymath, nationalist and the most prominent advocate for reforms in the Philippines during the Spanish colonial era. He is considered the Philippines national hero and the anniversary of Rizals death is commemorated as a Philippine holiday called Rizal Day. Rizals 1896 military trial and execution made him a martyr of the Philippine Revolution. The seventh of eleven children born to a wealthy family in the town of Calamba

The Vietnam War Was A Brutal Conflict - 1666 Words

The Vietnam War was a brutal internal conflict between North and South Vietnam over the North s attempt to spread communism. Taking place between 1961 and 1975, it became America s second longest war. This battle destroyed countless villages, farmlands, forests, and neighboring countries of Vietnam. It took the lives of about two million Vietnamese soldiers and civilians, and over fifty-eight thousand American soldiers. In an effort to cease the spread of communism, many American troops were sent over by President John F. Kennedy to aid the South Vietnamese army. The U.S. provided South Vietnam and neighboring Southeast Asian countries with military supplies, combat troops, and economic aid. The controversy of U.S. participation in†¦show more content†¦This war was becoming less about Vietnam, and more about American honor. Consequently, time and lives were being taken away because America wanted to do the right thing. During this era, drafting was crucial. A total of 648,500 of men were drafted into the Vietnam War. Most soldiers who were drafted came from unwealthy, working-class families and only had a high school education. According to Christian Appy in Working-Class War, most of the Americans who fought in Vietnam were powerless, working-class teenagers sent to fight an undeclared war by presidents for whom they were not even eligible to vote (Draft). Their opportunities to improve themselves and their lifestyles were thrown out the window because of the draft. Families struggled emotionally as their loved ones were being taken away from them. They were sending their husbands, sons, and brothers to fight for a war that was not theirs to fight. It was said that the South Vietnamese army was not effective as U.S. troops. Veteran Lieutenant Federick Downs Jr. stated, He had faith that his country could win the war, but he found the South Vietnamese army to be lazy and ineffective. Maybe the people in Nam are worth saving, but their army isn t worth shit, he wrote in his memoir (Roark 861). This made it harder for people to support the war. How could they send their men to help a country that could not help themselves? Even with the amount of aid provided by the States, there was still no progressShow MoreRelatedHow Do Foreign Affairs During Vietnam Justify Public Or Private Tactical Behavior?1633 Words   |  7 Pagesquestion: To what degree is torture valuable? How do foreign affairs in Vietnam justify public or private tactical behavior. T.S. Eliot: â€Å"There is no such thing as a Lost Cause, because there is no such thing as a Gained Cause.† Growth and power come paired with conflict and danger. The United States must use interrogation to ensure the safety of its citizens. A history of torture to get information is prominent between many nations, however the use of such interrogation is often kept private fromRead MoreThe Vietnam War1737 Words   |  7 PagesThe purpose of the Vietnam War, was to end the awful spread of communism. As Ho Chi Minh (North Vietnam’s communist president) fought to which spread North Vietnam’s political uses to Southern Vietnam. With this, the American Military Advisors sought to believe that a fall of Southern Vietnam to communist hands, would then lead to a total takeover of neighboring nations to fall under communism. The effect of the neighboring nations falling, was known as the â€Å"Domino Effect†. It all began when TheRead MoreThe Cold War Times : A Theory Of Containment1073 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion 1: During cold war times, the US’ had a theory of containment. Containment made to stop the spread of communism, because it was thought that if the US could not stop communist countries than it could work on stopping communism from spreading. In 1954, Vietnam was able to become independent from France. The country was divided along the 17th parallel, and North Vietnam and South Vietnam were created. Ho Chi Minh led North Vietnam and it had a communistic government, which was supported by ChinaRead MoreWhy the Vietnam War Should Not Have Happened951 Words   |  4 PagesThe Vietnam War As seen in Hearts and Minds The documentary film, Hearts and Minds, by Peter Davis; illustrates the brutal nature and different perspectives of the people involved in the Vietnam War. The Vietnam War is considered as one of the longest and horrific wars in American history. American soldiers involved in the War have diverse reactions of their experiences and encounters during the war. The Vietnamese believed that, â€Å"Americans were evil and the Vietnamese simply were fighting merelyRead MoreHaunted America by Patricia Nelson1324 Words   |  5 Pagesof the White/Modoc war in â€Å"Haunted America,† she brings to light the complexity and confusion of the White/Indian conflicts that is often missing in much of the history we read. Her account of the war, with the faults of both Whites and Indians revealed, is an unusual alternative to the stereotypical â€Å"Whites were good; Indians were bad† or the reverse stand point that â€Å"Indians were good; Whites were bad† conclusions that ma ny historians reach. Limerick argues that a very brutal and bloody era hasRead MoreAmerica s Involvement Of The Vietnam War1008 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Why? Why was America involved in such brutal war to stop a brand new country from forming? Shouldn t we support that because that s what happened to us.† That was my very first question when my grandfather first told me about the most brutal and longest wars America has ever been in, the Vietnam War. America’s involvement in the conflict was to stop the evil and corrupt system of Communism. French forces were dead meat unless America teamed up with them. Unfortunately, this didn t stop the nonmoralRead MoreThe Vietnam War, American Men And Women Soldiers1368 Words   |  6 PagesDuring the Vietnam War, American men and women soldiers, the majority of whom had volunteered, were sent to a place where nothing was accommodating. Not even the soldier’s issued equipment was adequate or accommodating. They were no t emotionally, psychologically, or materially equipped for what they would encounter in Vietnam, or upon their return to a place where they should have been safe; home. The Vietnam environment was nasty, brutish, and dehumanizing on the soldiers. 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Is It Even Possible - 998 Words

Is It Even Possible? Everyone is gone; nobody is to be found at all. The only thing left is the sounds of Mother Nature. This is what may happen to the human race if action is not taken. Many viewpoints are taken that the problem could be climate change, future technology, or a movement that is just killing off people. I think the human race is doomed because we do not realize the damage we are doing to ourselves until it is too late. The sources I have chosen have compelling information that brings forth different viewpoints to the effects of our humanity. A professor of philosophy at Oxford named Nick Bostrom predicts that people do not understand how we are going to destroy ourselves (Bostrom, 1). Bostrom has written many papers of human extinction saying that the future technology is the problem that will continue to grow in numbers with potency in the next century. Josh Clark wrote the article that describes how important Biodiversity is. The point that he makes tells that everything on this earth f rom the smallest micro organism to humans have an important part that makes the earth run smoothly (Clark, 2). Without these main factors of the earth, we would not make it as far as we do. Joe Welkie wrote about how 10 theories on how the human race will go extinct soon. He tells about the future technology including the DNA Strands, Overpopulation, black holes and possibly a nuclear war. Welkie is a writer on the team called ViralNova, that specializes tell aShow MoreRelatedâ€Å"the Best of Humanity Is Possible Even in the Most Trying of Circumstances.†772 Words   |  4 PagesEssay â€Å"The best of humanity is possible even in the most trying of circumstances.† For the novel study, I read The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas which is a holocaust based novel written by John Boyne. 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Schindlers List and The Killing Fields Essay Example For Students

Schindlers List and The Killing Fields Essay After having been assigned to watch the movies, Schindlers List and The Killing Fields, I regard it more of a life lesson rather than a school assignment. Schindlers List chronicles the story of a German industrialist who managed to rescue over 1,000 Jewish people, upheld by a sudden change of heart due to eye opening realities about the liquidation of Jewish communities. Although there were inaccuracies rooted within the film, I believe that the film encapsulated the truth of the story quite authentically. Similarly, The Killing Fields is a strong indictment of modern war overall and the American conduct of the war in Cambodia in particular, but its great strength descends from secondary themes of the power of friendship and the importance of a will to survive. I remember the first genocidal movie Ive ever watched in my life was The Killing Fields, and Id initially seen it when I was younger. I was seven years old, and although it seems like it was ages ago with distorted memories, I recollect feeling emotionally stunted for the next couple of weeks that followed. I vaguely call to mind the fact that the Khmer Rouge actually captured and retained possession of not only the specific ethnic populations of Cambodia, but also anyone who had the misfortune of living in the US-backed government zone, as depicted in the film as well as discussed in the article titled, Why is the Twentieth Century the Century of Genocide, that I had read. Given the films exploration of genocide and the underlying themes of political corruption and violence, my parents never really sheltered me (which was not a bad thing, in my perspective). Id learned a lot about things that children at that age shouldnt have even heard about, but I guess my parents approach to my upbringing was beneficial, because Im able to absorb things and expect things, and I guess my vision was clarified at a young age because I knew the world wasnt the golden place that society tries to paint in the minds of children. But enough of my childhood – I watched The Killing Fields a second time recently, and it was different than the way I remembered it. As a young girl, my focus honed in on the violence and the bloodshed, because thats what stood out to me and thats what surprised me that, horrific atrocities like ones that the Khmer Rouge brought upon Vietnam. Now, having grown intellectually, I have recognized the intrinsic themes of family, politics, race, culture, religion, and other questions of ethics. It encompassed all perspectives and made me see the humanity. I think this is a rare piece of work in that it didnt relinquish its hold on me right after it ended. Its the type of movie that kind of just sticks with you because of its poignancy. Sometimes, its difficult to distinguish between the artistry of the movie and the realities of the story, but I feel its significant in both respects. Its a terribly beautiful movie and its haunting and mesmerizing and deserves all the awards it won.