HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT - Essay Example Since the transformation is taking place increasingly in most of the organisations, the role of the HR managers also tends to change. The HR managers need to be more competent in order to deal with such kind of changes. When such kind of changes tend to trigger, it becomes increasingly important to motivate the staffs and appraise the performance on a standard basis. Employee motivation and appraisal are the most significant roles of the HR managers (Jones & George, 2009). Importance of Employee Motivation and Appraisal It is a well known fact that the recruitment and selection as well as training and development components of the human resources management system explain that the employees need to have all the necessary knowledge as well as the skills in order to perform the task of the organisation. Performance appraisal tends to complement the above mentioned components of the human resource management. The term performance appraisal seeks to gauge the job performance of the emplo yees along with their input towards the organisation. It is increasingly essential to provide the feedback as well to the employees which can be comprehended as a process whereby the information related to the performance appraisal is shared by the managers with their subordinates. The process also permits the subordinates to reflect upon their performance and thus managers can work with these subordinates to plan for the future. However, the main point to keep into mind is that the performance appraisal needs to take place prior to the performance feedback. It can be mentioned that the performance appraisal can be exercised without providing any feedback to the employees, but there are certain managers who provide their valuable feedback since it assists in motivating the staffs and thus contribute to improve their performances. The performance appraisal lets the managers to effectively manage the human resources in the organisation. It assists them in comprehending the training an d development requirement of the staffs in the organisation. In addition to this, the most useful decisions relating to the bonuses pay and perks, promotion depends upon the accurate and correct appraisal of the employees. Feedback lets the good performers understand that their efforts are being valued at the organisation while on the other side it also lets the poor performers comprehend the truth that they need to progress on the determined areas so that the overall efficiency can be increased. It has been noted that most of the managers dislike providing their valuable feedback to the employees especially at times when the feedback tends to be negative. However, the managers need to remember that providing feedback can benefit the organisation to a great degree. The performance feedback needs to be provided following certain guidelines which can contribute to the employee’s motivation and the enhancement of the employee’s performance in the organisation. It would be prudent for the managers to be specific on what they like to comment and then focus on the behaviour of the employees that can be easily corrected and is within the workers ability to improve. For instance, if the managers tell the salesperson that he is being too shy when dealing with the customers, it would do

A Time to Kill Essay Example for Free

A Time to Kill Essay I want to tell you a story. Im going to ask you all to close your eyes while I tell you the story. I want you to listen to me. I want you to listen to yourselves†¦. Can you see her? Her raped, beaten, broken body soaked in their urine, soaked in their semen, soaked in her blood, left to die. Can you see her? I want you to picture that little girl. â€Å"Now imagine shes white! † (Schumacher, 1996) In the 1996 release of his film A Time to Kill, film director Joel Schumacher submits a formidable adaptation of John Grishams 1989 legal thriller novel of the same name. The film’s plot, set in the Deep South (Mississippi) involves the rape of a young black girl and the arrest of white rapists responsible and their subsequent murder by the girls father. The remainder of the film then focuses on the trial of the killer, who surprisingly chooses a young unheralded white male lawyer to defend him. At issue are several questions, to be approached and responded to from the Christian tradition. The questions are as follows: 1. Why does Carl Lee take the law into his own hands? 2. Why does Jake take Carl Lee’s case? 3. Jake indicates to Carl Lee that they are friends. Carl Lee corrects him quickly. What is Carl Lee’s rationale? Race, defensibility, access to resources 4. Explain the impact of the 2 psychologists’ testimony. 5. Explain the impact of the deputy who was shot during Carl Lee’s revenge. 6. Why is Jake’s closing argument so effective? What type of strategy is he using? 7. Why does Jake bring his family to Carl Lee’s party at the end of the movie? My summation is as follows: (1)Carl Lee decides to take up arms once he is confident that the violators of his daughter would likely walk free or receive light punitive sentences for their vicious assault. Quite frankly, while his lawyer vies to go for he insanity defense, Carl Lee informs all that he, in fact, was not insane during commission of the murders. What is clear is that, due to the racial climate, Carl Lee felt that ‘justice’ could only be served in this instance †¦ if he meted it out himself as prejudice would surely veil justice as it had many times over. â€Å"Yes, they deserved to die – and I hope they burn in hell† (Schumacher, 1996) is Carl Lee’s response when asked what would’ve been a fair sentence to those that nearly fatally assaults his daughter. (2)It is my opinion that Jake takes on the case of Carl Lee due to several factors. My first notion is that he felt as if he and Carl Lee were ‘neighbors’, as Carl Lee’s brother had previously been helped by the lawyer; not to mention that both men had daughters that were practically the same age. Moreover, while Jake was fully aware of the practical possibility of the rapists ‘getting off easy’, he realized that racial prejudice within the law was unjust. He seemed to relate to and understand Carl Lee’s plight and providing a good defense was ultimately the ‘right thing to do’. (3)While meeting his client in jail, Jake makes the naive mistake of referring to Carl Lee as a friend. Understandably so, Carl Lee takes offense to such a characterization as he reminds the counselor that he had never visited the home of this ‘so-called’ friend and also that their girls (while peers) would never have the opportunity to play together. Carl Lee goes on to dispute Jake’s naive approach to race relations in the South and informs him (Jake) that he is, in fact, ‘the enemy’. Carl Lee grabs his assessment of their relationship primarily due to his pragmatic world view. He was Black and Jake was white. More importantly to Carl Lee was that the jury, which held his life in their hands, would also be lily-white. Jake was not chosen for representation due to friendship or otherwise; but, simply because he would be in a better position to understand what would be needed to convince white people to view the world (and thus his situation and/or circumstance) differently. Carl Lee would add, â€Å"You are my secret weapon because you are one of the bad guys. You dont mean to be but you are. Its how you was raised†. (Schumacher, 1996) (4)On the witness stand, during the trial of Carl Lee, there was expert testimony from separate and distinct psychologists’. The one, a Dr. Rodeheaver, the more impressionable of the two, was an agent of the State. Dr. Rodeheaver’s testimony, while definitely stirring, seemed to shed light on civil injustices used to finance the State’s mental institutions. This testimony, which ordinarily would have been discredited, , was seemingly taken with a ‘grain of salt’ by the all-white jury who did not think outside of the black/white dichotomy. Another psychologist, presented as a ‘defense’ expert would wound up hurting his own cause as he was exposed as a drunken ‘has-been’ bearing no confidence and even less self respect. (5)While carrying out what he surely felt was ‘justice’, Carl Lee (father of the assaulted child) mistakenly shot a town deputy. This deputy, who had to undergo an amputation due to Carl Lee’s recklessness, proclaimed to the jury, the judge and the world, â€Å"I got a little girl. Somebody rapes her, hes a dead dog. Ill blow him away just like Carl Lee did†. (Schumacher, 1996) Deputy Looney goes on to command the jury to â€Å"turn him loose† regarding Carl Lee’s future. The impact of Looney’s testimony, I felt, was a breakthrough in the case as ‘finally’, it seemed that a white face (and one that was nearly killed by the gunfire) was relating to the injustice prevalent in Deep Southern courthouses. Whether proximity or empathy, Deputy Looney’s testimony certainly opened eyes in the courtroom and the viewing audience; it actually got the jury to thinking†¦. †what would I have done, IF I were Carl Lee†? (6)During the movie, Jake calls on God – in the form of human resource, as he seeks advice from his debunked mentor; a former law professor who tells him, â€Å"Your job is to find justice no matter how well she hides herself. And, struggle as he may, even at one point willing to cop a plea, Jake throws all caution to the wind (even at the cost of losing his everything) to find the truth. In his closing statement to the jury, he states, â€Å"I set out to prove a black man could receive a fair trial in the south, that we are all equal in the eyes of the law. Thats not the truth, because the eyes of the law are human eyes yours and mine and until we can see each other as equals, justice is never going to be evenhanded. It will remain nothing more than a reflection of our own prejudices, so until that day we have a duty under God to seek the truth, not with our eyes and not with our minds where fear and hate turn commonality into prejudice, but with our hearts where we dont know better. (Schumacher, 1996) As denoted in this paper’s opening quote, Jake Brigance uses the juror’s own hearts to free their souls. Having been primed by Deputy Looney, the jury (and the viewing audience) finally is able to realize their own veiled prejudices; and, it is this ‘affect’ that brings warmness to all witnessing Jake’s rhetorical deliverance. Whet her we would have done as Carl Lee did, we now could definitely ‘feel’ what he must have felt as an (excluded) individual seeking justice. (7)The last scene of the film brings the point of community to the forefront. By inducing inclusion into the hearts and minds of the all-white jury, Jake is able to obtain a ‘not guilty’ verdict. Just like in a Rocky movie, viewers were cheering the underdog on by film’s end. Naive in his approach†¦. inexperienced in matters he’d just overcome, Jake (victorious, acclaimed and relieved) sought to validate his sincerity by visiting Carl Lee’s home. As mentioned, while fully aware of the social climate (as it pertained to race), Jake had and still remained an idealist – seeing a world without racial walls. The world had showed him a different reality; yet, still, ever the dreamer, Jake was insistent. If he and Carl Lee weren’t â€Å"friends’ before, Jake saw no reason why they should not be. Moreover, according to Jake – his diluted view of race relations may have been needed to be updated – but the idealistic nature of his being (a color equal world) would need to exhibit what he envisioned. Carl Lee had once told him that their daughters would never play together. I smile as I type that †¦ Jake realized that he (as a white) would need to extend the olive branch to address the racial situation from the top-down, as opposed to the bottom-up angle he once believed. And finally, Chapter 5, Building Community (Windley-Daoust, 2008) articulates the importance of ‘community’ as a human survival tool. Specifically, it addresses Jesus’ idea of whom and/or what constitutes a ‘neighbor’ as it is mentioned that we ought to love our neighbor as ourselves. Neighbor, as it meant in the Gospel, simply means ‘all’. The subject of exclusion versus inclusion (in the sense of community) is discussed at depth within the chapter †¦ and, it is to that end that I address the question presented within the text. †¢Ã¢â‚¬Å"Who is excluded from a community to which you belong? Why are they excluded? How does their exclusion hurt them? How does it hurt the whole community? † (Windley-Daoust, 2008, p. 151) I actually had a struggle with answering this question because (initially) I took the inquiry personally. Having virtually no prejudices to mention, I couldn’t figure out how to answer succinctly; but after thought, the question doesn’t address me or my outlook but rather that of my community. That being said – the most ‘excluded’ of my community would have to be those that are addicted to crack cocaine. Strangely enough, those that distribute the highly-addictive substance within and throughout my community are lauded and placed on economic pedestals while those that actually use the peddled product are oft-times ostracized and detested as ‘less than’. I would suppose such an attitude is employed due to the personal (proximal) damage done by the users (i. e. , thievery, child mistreatment, uncleaniness) which cause such an position against all; yet, â€Å"the way we treat others is based on the way we view them† as elucidated in our text. Windley-Daoust, 2008, p. 151) What is lost in stereotyping ‘crack heads’ within the community is the danger of ‘pigeon-holing’ an entire segment of the population, thus depriving them and ourselves of the God-given gifts and talents that they possess. Moreover, it is not uncommon to hear people say that â€Å"once a crack head, always a crack head†; which many times will compel an individual to believe that they have little or value to add to such a huge human existence. With education and understanding (and prayer), hopefully, the community ‘at large’ will come to realize that addiction is a disease and that drug use is merely a symptom of a much larger societal ill. And, as long as ‘exclusion’ on any level exists, we (as a collective) will always fall short of reaching our human potential in the eyes of God.

To What Extent Were Gorbachevs Reforms A Failure Politics Essay

To What Extent Were Gorbachevs Reforms A Failure Politics Essay The second half of the 1980s was marked as the fundamental change in the Soviet era. The era of reconstruction, Perestroika had gone into history, with the main purpose of introducing the new Soviet Union, which was the creation of the legal social state and democratisation of a new country. It is considered the most dramatic event in political economy to happen since the Great Depression of the 1930s  [1]   The research question: To what extent could the political and socio-economic consequences of Gorbachevs reforms be considered a failure? adopts a critical and evaluative approach of the Soviet reforms such as, perestroika, new political thinking and glasnost, during the mid 1980s, assessing negative as well as positive consequences of the reform. This investigation explores the question of whether the socio-economic and political changes caused by Gorbachevs reforms can be either justified as a complete failure, contributing to decline in socio-economic development and political factors, or on the other side viewed as a successful policy, that brought freedom to East Europe. For answering the question it is essential to examine the political and socio-economic conditions and address the necessity of such changes that was caused by a profound crisis in the of the Soviet-Union pre-Gorbachev era prevailing in late 1970s. Regardless of the conclusion, this topic will remain under controversy causing different judgments among the historians, as an Emeritus Professor of politics at Oxford University said: The extent to which he [Gorbachev] is regarded a success or a failure will long remain a matter of controversy. There seems no doubt, though, that both in Russia and outside he will be regarded as a figure of decisive importance, regardless of whether his activities are viewed positively or highly negatively.  [2]   During the investigation a wide range of sources was used, representing polar opposite perspectives of the West and the East, from both the time of Perestroika and in hindsight. The sources used can be separated into three groups. The first group were those who believed that the initiative and perseverance of Mikhail Gorbachevs reforms made the first step to ensure the transformation of the country to a civilised state of the Western world. The second group- evaluates Gorbachevs reforms more negatively, believing that his imperialistic policy has led to serious irreversible consequences of the country. Finally, the third group includes political scientists and economists like Marshall I. Goldman and who combine their studies in both approaches, considering both positive and negative aspects of Perestroika. Therefore, the essay will be divided into Political and Socio-Economic reforms of Perestroika during 1985 and 1991 according to these identified groups. 2. Conditions in the Soviet Union prior to Perestroika The necessity of Perestroika and such radical changes were caused by the profound crisis of the Soviet system that were formed in the late 70s including the fall of Soviet authority in the eyes of public opinion in the Soviet Russian and in the Eastern Europe, a so-called socialist camp, where new democratic ideas were forming and demanding more human and political rights, as well as a rejection of the totalitarian regime. Therefore, for Mikhail Gorbachev, his reforms were seen as the best solution to the urgent political and socio-economic problems, which were aimed to strengthen and develop the Soviet Union. Furthermore, he was not anticipating that Perestroika would lead to a complete collapse of the system and USSR. a) Political Between 1980 and 1984, the changes in leadership have had a great impact on destabilising the government. Moreover, USA USSR relations were getting worse every day. After the Yalta Conference and Churchills Iron Curtain speech all contributed to the growing fear of the Soviet Union  [3]  and the beginning of the Cold War. The rivalry of two sides, has increased the military budget of the country, while not helping its economy. Additionally, in the mid 1980s, the Soviet Union was demonstrating its military might in the Afghan war that has also turned against it.  [4]   b) Socio-Economic Prior to perestroika, the Soviet economy was marked by the extensive economic growth in the late 1960s that began to pull to the economical development backwards. In the consequent 20 years USSR has experienced a rapid decline in growth of industry from 8.5% to 3.5%. There was also a problematic situation in consumers market which was also linked to the drop of oil prices. According to the economists, the prices of raw materials were comparatively cheap to other products, which caused inefficient and wasteful usage of these raw materials.  [5]  Between 1970 and 1980 USSR has earned 170 billion US dollars from the petroleum export. However, again, this money was invested into the military expansion and purchase of new machinery which was inefficiently used and did not enrich the country in the long run.  [6]   The agricultural situation in the Soviet Union was also rather complex. The money earned from petroleum exports was used for food imports, instead of introducing new efficient agricultural reforms substituting the old collective system. The economic problems reflected on production in both agrarian and industrial sectors of the country. The harvest fell from 237 million tons from 1978 to 158 million tons in 1981, depicting a very radical change. Similarly, the production of steel fell from 151 million in the 1978 to 147 million in 1982, which is particularly surprising as it always has been constant apart from the World War II period.  [7]   The economic and political constraints in the country such as economic stagnation and corruption, contributed to the rapid decline in the social sphere. Budgets proportion that went to people was not simply enough. This has lead to various social problems such as low standards of living, health care and high levels of alcoholism. These three main factors have affected the ideological and moral values of the people in the country causing demoralisation of the society. That also affected the quality and efficiency of work, such as poor working habits and incentives. As a result, in the early 80s the income per capita has decreased three fold compared to mid 60s. Additionally, there were issues with income distribution, resulting in high inequality between the lower and higher classes. This, of course, all went against the communist ideology. People were deprived of the civil rights and as a result various dissident movements broke in USSR and Eastern Europe. 3. Analysis of Political Reforms a) Glasnost Glasnost was the main political reform introduced in 1986 by Gorbachev. After 50 years of silence and fear the society was finally allowed to speak and express its opinions. With the policy of Glasnost, which Gorbachev has referred to as the other side of the Perestroikas coin, the system became less strict in many aspects of the society. This has included media, reduction in censorship and freedom of speech, opening up USSR to the rest of the world. Only in the year 1986 more than 14 million new newspapers were printed. After Olympic boycotts, the 1986 Goodwill games were seen live from both sides of the Iron Curtain. In the period of two years Gorbachev has made the fear disappear, bringing pop-culture to the USSR, creating a new breed of young people.  [8]   The policy of glasnost was responsible for drastically changing the spiritual life for people. The government ceased prosecution of many key figures that were exiled under Stalins rule, like Andrei Sakharov, who was in  internal exile for seven years.  [9]  Gorbachev said that they need glasnost in order to ensure fulfillment of tasks of the Party Congress  [10]  or in other words Perestroika was used as the base for his reforms. Primarily it was aimed to criticise and expose the corrupt leadership and was an instrument to improve political activity. In his speech to the January 1987 CC Plenum, Gorbachev has said: there can  be no person beyond criticism or people with no right to criticise.  [11]   b) Intellectual Elite Natan Edelman, a well-known historian, wrote in 1989: that the intellectuals support for Perestroika  is virtually unanimous.  [12]  All the great minds that were deprived during the Soviet Regime, has benefited from Gorbachevs reforms. Gorbachevs reforms have assured intellectuals of the right to free speech, unprecedented artistic freedom, wide access to the mass media, and a chance to be elected to the Soviet legislature and to serve in government.  [13]  These were the kind of thinkers who were essential for countrys future growth. c) Democratisation With the reform of Perestroika a general democratisation of life began in the country. Gorbachev publicly stated that Democratisation will not weaken our society but on the contrary, it will strengthen it.  [14]  Even though many were against the political reforms, the supreme Council has adopted two new laws changing and altering the Constitution of the USSR, and introducing voting system for peoples deputies. The final stage of the political reform which was the Congress of public Deputies of the USSR, has elected Gorbachev as the president of the USSR. Despite the numerous mistakes in the reforms, this was still a significant step towards liberation from the previous one-party system. d) US-Soviet Relations The slogan of the new political thinking, was a big change for the USSR and the world. The main idea of the concept was that any military conflict, is wrong. During the 1987 Washington Summit meeting between leaders of the USSR Mikhail Gorbachev and the U.S. President Ronald Reagan, a disarmament treaty was finally agreed and signed.  [15]  Gorbachevs new thinking and non-aggressive policy improved the US-Soviet relations as well as the international situation in general. Weapons of mass destruction were reduced by 2000 warheads. USSR has refused to further confront the West and wished for an end of the Cold War, for which Gorbachev received a Nobel Prize. This breakthrough has not only brought relief to the American-Soviet tensions, but has also allowed Gorbachev to cut the military budget that was essential to reduce the inflationary pressure and improve the living standards.  [16]   e) Afghan War and The Brezhnev Doctrine During 27th Party Congress in February/March 1986 after confirming the Brezhnev Doctrine,  [17]  the failed operation in maintaining Afghanistan gave Gorbachev no other choice in than to abandon the Doctrine and follow the policy of Perestroika. By 1989 Gorbachev withdrew almost all combat personnel from Afghanistan.  [18]   After the free elections in Poland which were marked by Communist Partys defeat by Solidarity in 1989, Gorbachev has renounced the Brezhnev Doctrine.  [19]  His speech at the UN on Dec. 7, 1989 represents the abandonment of communism from the Eastern Europe. In the next two years, their  numerical strength will be reduced by 500,000 persons, and the volume  of conventional arms will also be cut considerably. [à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦]. By agreement with our allies in the  Warsaw Pact, we have made the decision to withdraw six tank divisions  from the GDR, Czechoslovakia, and Hungary, and to disband them by 1991.  [20]   f) Conclusion of political reforms The results of Perestroika in terms of foreign policy and political freedom cannot be considered a failure. Due to the policy of glasnost, the media and formation of independent press could now criticise anyone they wanted. People were finally free to speak. Perestroika was a big step towards liberalism with multyparty system and elections.  [21]   Now, almost 20 years after Perestroika, Gorbachev himself, who has lost the political power to Yeltsin after Perestroika, does not regret his actions and marks the results of his reforms as success . Gorbachev claims: it was such a success as it launched the democratic process in the Soviet Union. After the break-up of  USSR, Russia today is continuing to develop the market economy as well as pluralism in several domains such as politics, ideologies, religion, etcà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ã‚  [22]   Collapse of the Soviet totalitarian empire and the formation of the 15 new states, some of which later became the members of NATO and a part of new Europe; destruction of the socialist camp and the Warsaw Pact with democratic changes in the political system can all be seen as examples of positive sides of Gorbachevs reform. It also had a further positive effect on economic reforms, that in the long-run has resulted in growth in Eastern Europe and Russia. Moreover, according to Gorbachev, another positive side was that they have managed to avoid a real bloodbath  [23]  in achieving these changes. On contrary, the radical changes were not welcomed by most of the older generation Soviet party members. They believed that the perfect Soviet regime has started to lose its totalitarian control and its isolationist character. For example, the control over media that resulted in a weaker censorship, has then opened many negative aspects of USSR that has been previously presented to be flawless. Gen. Valentin Varennikov, Chief of Soviet Ground Forces has stated that the social and military situation of the country was becoming worse  [24]  and Nina Anderyeva, a historian, saw the younger generations negative attitude towards the Soviet past as a moral degradation and a negative result of Glasnost.  [25]  The society has started to hear the problems in the Soviet Union such as poor living conditions, alcoholism etc. The nationalistic feeling and the strive to independence from the East European countries has increased. Many ethical problems which were previously sealed, have now opened into various riots, demanding for greater independence and stabilisation of the economy. 4. Analysis of Socio-economic Reforms a) Economic reforms The crisis in the economic development was a significant reason for the Soviet leadership in changing the structure of the economy. In July 1987, the  Supreme Soviet  has passed the Law on State Enterprise. It was seen as the key in conversion to a market economy  [26]  . The core of reform included the abandonment of the old planned economy and transition of the decision-making from state to private businesses. This has resulted in abolition of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and the GKES, which were involved in foreign economic operations before.  [27]   However, the initial process of privatisation was much slower than planned. A small number of vendors was the main reason for high prices on the market, and the prices of goods in cooperatives were always higher than the prices in state stores. By 1989, only after one year of Perestroikas inception there were 133,000 private ownerships. However, in comparison to Chinas ten million private enterprises in 1980,  [28]  it is only demonstrating the Soviet delay in the privatisation. Due to mistakes in reforms and social elements in the system, the transformation of the Soviet planned system into a free market economy has failed. The third economic change, was the Venture Law, that went into effect in June 1987 after Gorbachev and his leadership have decided to open the doors of the Soviet market to foreign firms. This was completely against the Marxist ideology and was viewed as an economic and political espionage by the Soviet party members, fearing that the capitalists would gain control over the Soviet market, exploiting their workers as well as stealing their ideas.  [29]  However, it was more the Soviet government and the newly bred mafia that took advantage of this, rather than the foreign companies which instead have brought advances to the Russian market. b) Agricultural reforms A similar situation was in the agrarian sector. In May 1, 1987 Gorbachev has authorised the establishment of individual farming and has introduced decollectivisation. However, again, this process was very slow. By 1990 there were only 20  000 private farms in the Soviet Union, from that only 240 were registered in Russia and only 4 in Ukraine!  [30]  Many who did set up the private farms were subject to attacks and were classified as kulaks. In contrast, to compare with contemporary dynamics, the Chinese process of decollectivisation went at a much faster pace. By 1980 in China all farms were decollectivised.  [31]   c) Anti-alcohol campaign Perestroika has also introduced socio-economic reforms to tackle serious problems like alcoholism that also affected the economical growth. Gorbachevs anti-alcohol campaign was aimed to decrease the consumption of alcohol, improve health and increase the efficiency of the work force and production. However, the anti-alcohol campaign had a rather negative impact on the Soviet economy. As this was a great hit for the state monopolies, including the disappearance of vineyards in Georgia and other republics. It has decreased the tax income by 13% and was said to cost the Soviet Union 200 billion Rubles. It did not stop people from drinking, instead the policy encouraged black markets and increased the production of moonshine,  [32]  that were usually low-quality and harmful for health. Additionally, it had a side effect on the consumption of sugar as home-made vodka required large quantities of sugar for production. The increase in consumption was 10 kilograms per capita in only 5 ye ars, effecting the market and the prices. Both sugar shortage and the reduction in imports of consumer goods combined with inflation caused a buyers panic.  [33]  Moreover, the situation got worse as not only sugar disappeared from the markets but normal goods from sugar to furniture. As a result consumer behavior was to buy as many goods as possible to avoid future shortages, spending hours in queues for nearly everything.  [34]  . d) Conclusion of socio-economic reforms During the years of Perestroika nothing significant was actually done to reform the economic methods. There were many laws adopted that allowed small businesses and private corporations, however, none had any fundamental effect on the principles of the Soviet economy. The political reforms have lead to governments losing of control over the national economy that they had planned out for many years. Gorbachevs indecisiveness in his reforms might explain the fact that he did not know what he was doing. A rapid decline in production has resulted in 20% decline in national income. The consumption of new machinery and lower tax revenues contributed to a rapid increase of the budget deficit. Table 1 shows the estimate budget deficit of the country between 1978 and 1990. CIA states that in 10 years the deficit had increased from 16 billion rubles to 68 billion rubles and later on increased even further reaching three digit values. Although different sources have different values and estimations, it is a fact that the situation catastrophically affected the people. As a result, to decrease the deficit more money was printed which has additionally increased the inflation. As Gorbachev has stated in his speech in the 1990 We have lost control over the financial situation in the country. By late 1990 the inflationary prices of goods were increasing at a 20% rate per annum and few years later this value has increased to 70%.  [35]  There were shortages of various consumer goods and a rat ioning system was introduced. This resulted in a drop of living standards, the Soviet Union fell to 82nd place in the world in terms of living standards. Another problem that has elevated during the economical crisis, was a serious debt as the expenditures were 20-30 % higher than the income (GDP)  [36]  . The debt of the Soviet Union was estimated to be about 60 billion dollars. The Soviet Union had to sell its gold reserves to purchase the foreign currency. This is a very bright illustration that Perestroika has not only failed to improve the old system, instead it disturbed the old system and further deteriorated the situation. 5. Conclusion According to the existing evidence, it is clear that Perestroika has suffered a defeat in the form it was originally conceived  [37]  from a socio-economic side and failed in achieving its main aims in improving the economic situation, instead had rather negative results and consequences. Gorbachevs reconstruction has weakend the social and economic conditions in the country. A further phrase by Aleksandr Zaychenko further proves this statement: Russians today [in 1989] eat worse than did Russians in 1913 under the Czars.  [38]   Even though elimination of the state monopoly in foreign trade was a positive sign in transformation to the market economy, as foreign corporations were able to show the Soviet system new and more advanced ways of doing business. This was a sign that He [Gorbachev] knew where he wanted to end up, with a more productive, consumer-oriented economy, but he did not know how to get there.  [39]  Between 1985 and 1991, ten new economic reforms have been introduced, and not a single one was ever implemented  [40]  no one went down that road before. As a result this half-measure in the economy has lead to an economic crisis. After the reconstruction of the old approaches to the economy there were no new methods that would replace the old ways, the Soviet economy was stuck in the middle between the planned and private economies, which are considered as an economic failure. As stated by Marshall I. Goldman, an expert on the Soviet economy, his book Went Wrong with Perestroika, clearly shows the fundamental problems in socio-economic sphere that were formed as result of Gorbachevs indecisive maneuvers and highlights their contribution to result in a total failure and the collapse of the whole system. On equilibrium, however, political factors seem to be more successful. Reforms like: Glasnost and New Political Thinking, played a crucial role in improving the U.S.-Soviet relations breaking the tensions and diminishing the possibility of a military conflict between the two military blocks, NATO and the Warsaw Pact, as well as finally opening the iron curtain and breaking the Berlin wall. Additionally, Mikhail Gorbachevs new thinkingduring Perestroika was the key in ending the Cold War. After 5 decades of hostilities, In the last few years, throughout the world  people were able to heave a sigh of relief, thanks to the changes for  the better in the substance and atmosphere of the relations between  Moscow and Washington.  [41]  Additionally, after three decades of confrontation USSR became friends with China. This all was doubtlessly one of Gorbachevs successful achievements of his reforms. People take Gorbachev as a hero, others accuse him of causing a disaster  [42]  . Similarly Perestroika is considered as a failure because it has given way to the totalitarian control of the country and, on the other side, can be considered a success for giving freedom to people. Peoples conclusions are linked to their understanding of things.  [43]  These understandings will change with time and therefore change their whole idea towards the event. 7. Bibliography Books Charles Bukowski, and J. Richard Walsh, eds.,  Glasnost, Perestroika, and the Socialist Community  (New York: Praeger Publishers, 1990) Peter J. Boettke,  Why Perestroika Failed: The Politics and Economics of Socialist Transformation  (New York: Routledge, 1993) Mikhail S. Gorbachev, 39 Address at the Forty-Third Un General Assembly Session, December 7, 1988,  The Soviet System: From Crisis to Collapse, ed. Alexander Dallin andGail W. Lapidus (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1995) Marshall I. Goldman,  What Went Wrong with Perestroika  (New York: W. W. Norton, 1992) Ronald E. Powaski,  The Cold War The United States and the Soviet Union, 1917-1991,   (New York: Oxford University Press, 1998) Dmitri N. Shalin, ed.,  Russian Culture at the Crossroads: Paradoxes of Postcommunist Consciousness  (Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1996) Joanne Wright, 3: The End of the Cold War: The Brezhnev Doctrine,  Why the Cold War Ended: A Range of Interpretations, ed. Ralph Summy andMichael E. Salla (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1995) William E. Watson,  The Collapse of Communism in the Soviet Union  (Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1998) Thomas C. Owen,  Russian Corporate Capitalism from Peter the Great to Perestroika  (New York: Oxford University Press, 1995) Hunt, Lynn: The Making of the West: Peoples and Cultures. (Bedford/St. Martins, Boston and London, 2009) Magazine Peter Hylarides, Mikhail Gorbachev and Perestroika,  Contemporary ReviewAutumn 2008,  Questia, Web, 1 Jan. 2011. Journal Vanden Heuvel, Perestroika and After: Comrade Ligachev Tells His Side,  The Nation  2 Dec. 1991,  Questia, Web, 1 Jan. 2011. Websites Structural Reforms, 1986 to Mid-1988 http://www.country-data.com/cgi-bin/query/r-12788.html Communist Party of the Soviet Union. CENTRAL COMMITTEE. MINUTES Of Meeting No. 2 of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU September 20, 1990, http://www.ibiblio.org/expo/soviet.exhibit/o2gorby.html Mikhail Gorbachev, former USSR President  :Perestroika won, but politically I lost. Euronews Inerview 05/11/09 17:31 CET http://www.euronews.net/2009/11/05/mikhail-gorbachev-former-ussr-president-perestroika-won-but-politically-i-lost/ 1985: Anti- Alcohol Campaign http://www.soviethistory.org/index.php?page=subjectSubjectID=1985drylawYear=1985navi=byYear 1987 | Nuclear Disarmament http://www.austria1989.org/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=66Itemid=96 1988 | Gorbachev Ends the Cold War http://www.austria1989.org/index.php?option=com_contentview=articleid=67Itemid=97 Video Gorbachev, Glasnost, Perestroika, Arms Agreement , http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=595W4JJHa2U

Grapes Of Wrath Essay -- essays research papers

Grapes of Wrath   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The book, Grapes of Wrath, follows the life of the Joad family, who live in Oklahoma during the Depression. The story begins with the return of Tom Joad from prison, where he has spent the last few years. He killed a boy in a bar fight and is now on parole. He is taken by surprise when he returns to Oklahoma only to find that his house is in ruins and his family is not there. He doesn’t know that, while he was gone, the banks forced his family and thousands of others off their land. Tom is accompanied by a former priest, Casey, who searches with Tom for his family. Tom and Casey find the Joad family at Tom’s uncle’s house. The family is preparing to move west to California in hopes that they will find jobs and escape the Dust Bowl drought. The Dust Bowl drought has killed all the farmer’s crops and the land has lost it’s richness. Tom decides to travel with his family, even though he’s going against parole rules by leaving the state. The Joads travel west with all twelve members of the family and Casey piled into an old truck. The trip to California proves to be hard when their grandpa dies just days after their departure. Truck problems are regular occurrences and the penetrating heat tires the migrating family. They have very little money and they have many family members to feed as well as gas to buy. Tom is warned by families going back east that there are no job opportunities in California. They say the Joads will be forc...

Literature in the Trash Essay

Society has almost forgotten how to appreciate literature. These are the themes of both Mario Vargas Llosa’s essay entitled, Why Literature, and Bob Swift’s On Reading Trash. Both writers believe that people nowadays are not delving into books because of misconceptions regarding reading. However, they have written their ideas using very different and contradictory approaches. Llosa’s belief is that people are so engrossed in their own worlds or professions to provide time for reading good literature. Society has learned the wrong notion that great books can only be read by those who can afford to devote time to it. Since work is the priority in most people’s schedules, literature has to be put aside. He also believes that this miserable state of literature in society is caused by the fast development of science and the other scholarly aspects of life. Llosa states that â€Å"in our time, science and technology cannot play an integrating role, precisely because of the infinite richness of knowledge and the speed of its evolution, which have led to specialization and its obscurities.† However, Llosa strongly feels that literature is a binding force that helps humans reconnect with each other through their experiences, dreams and ambitions. He writes that â€Å"the brotherly link that literature establishes among human beings, compelling them to enter into dialogue and making them conscious of a common origin and a common goal, transcends all temporal barriers.† His most controversial claim is that â€Å"genuine literature is always subversive, unsubmissive, rebellious, a challenge to what exists.† He simply wants to imply that good stories or readings usually depict a life that is much better than what reality has to offer. This normal characteristic of literature is a driving force that makes humanity attempt to copy the fictional worlds in books so as to live better lives. Bob Swift’s very brief essay, on the other hand, recounts how he has grown to love reading. His story does not directly point out society’s weaknesses but it is evident to the reader that he is attacking the wrong notion that appreciating literature is only for those who like classical readings. He clearly believes that children should be free to read even popular books (a.k.a. â€Å"trash†) because their appreciation for these simpler to understand books can lead them to love good classical literature. Although both writers are criticizing society for not reading enough, Llosa and Swift have written their essays in very different ways. Llosa used lengthy, descriptive sentences that can easily tire and lose the reader. His use of words that are not commonly heard in daily living can really be very boring to a young reader. Words like â€Å"solipsism† and â€Å"arcane† are deterrents in getting his message across. It might have been easier to understand these words if they were not part of such long sentences that seem to be saying more than just one message at a time. Swift was direct to the point and frank in every way. His use of brief but very concise words allowed the reader to quickly pick up his point. The hardest word in his essay seemed to be â€Å"omnivorous.† However, because the word was used in a very short sentence, it was easy to understand what it meant. Llosa’s approach encompassed the whole world. He even used Spain’s surveys to prove his point. Swift’s farthest distance to get his message across was the local library. Somehow, Llosa’s essay tends to be arrogant and cynical. Statements like â€Å"I feel sorry for these men† and â€Å"they earn my pity† forces the reader to look up to him and feel his judgmental tones. His sentences such as â€Å"When we close the book and abandon literary fiction, we return to actual existence and compare it to the splendid land that we just left. What a disappointment awaits us!† gives a peek to how negative this writer is about his surroundings. Although Llosa claims he loves literature, he delved too much on the subject of what hinders good literature from being read to the point that the reader does not feel the passion in his words. The author’s perspective dwelt so much on current and historical problems that it was inevitable for the reader to feel anxious throughout the essay. It seems he has alienated himself from the world because of literature. Swift’s love for reading is very much felt in every paragraph of his essay. His personal approach and overflowing description of his excitement when he is reading books was contagious. One cannot help but reach out for a story to read after finishing his essay. Swift’s very practical and positive outlook is evident in the way he has written his essay. His own theory that states â€Å"if you get kids interested in reading books – no matter what sort – they will eventually go to the grander literature all by them selves† shows how down to earth the author is. It also shows how much faith he has on beginning readers. Mario Vargas Llosa and Bob Swift both recognized that society’s misconception about literature is a problem that needs to be addressed. Their approaches to the subject provide clues to their own outlooks in life. Whichever approach may be preferred, it is still to a reader’s advantage to learn his lesson from these authors and read a good book soon.

Explain How You Could Promote Inclusion

To answer this question one would have to first define the terms ‘inclusion, equality and diversity. According to Ann Gravells inclusivity is â€Å"involving all learners in relevant activities rather than excluding them for any reason either directly of indirectly† Gravells defines equality as â€Å" the rights of learners to attend and participate, regardless of their gender, race, ethnic origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation and age.And finally Gravells definition of diversity is â€Å"valuing the differences in people, whether that relates to gender, race, age, disability or any other individual characteristics they may have†. ( Gravells, A. , 2008, pg. 18). The Government defined inclusion in 2001 as â€Å"†¦ a process by which schools, local education authorities and others develop their cultures, policies and practices to include pupils†(http://www. csie. org. uk/).The essence of the definitions of all three terms is acceptance it im plies that the objective of teaching is to impart the knowledge and to assist the entire group in achieving their educational goals regardless of their background. As a teacher I must ensure that I do not allow anyone to feel marginalised or show favouritism and know that everyone is an individual with various abilities, needs, background and experiences and that all learners have the right to be treated with respect and dignity.Any barriers or boundaries to learning must be identified at the outset thereafter continuously monitored throughout the course for students to successfully and effectively participate in learning. The individuality and characteristics of each learner should also be identified and respected and if there is a cultural diversity in the group then the teacher should be culturally sensitive when delivering sessions. Adoption of such method can promote a sense of inclusion, equality and diversity at an individual level, which can translate to a more beneficial co llective learning practice throughout the course.Cultural and language differences; disabilities/age/medical issues, family commitments; lack of support, peer pressure, previous learning experience, travel issues, lack of confidence, emotional or psychological problems and learning difficulties, all these issues can potentially act as barriers to learning. (Gravells, 2008, pg. 16) As my subject will be Third World Development I could expect ‘some’ learners with extreme passion to issues of developing countries which can at times affect students’ morale and potentially result in dropping out or being very pessimistic – this could be a potential barrier.As a teacher I will have to deal with such cases by motivating those students and include them in all activities and discussion by telling them that they need to learn about causes and solutions to developing world’s problem so that they can become part of the solutions. Promotion of inclusion, equalit y and diversity can be achieved by the teacher first having the knowledge of the existence of potential barriers then identifying these barriers within the learning group thereafter finding ways towards overcoming them.Francis and Gould assert â€Å"It is important to recognise the differences in the learners we teach as these may influence how we interact with them. To act professionally as teachers we will want to ensure that we behave in ways acceptable to all our learners, taking into account factors such as race, gender, age, previous experience or background. † (Francis M and Gould J. , 2009, pg. 70) During the course enrolment forms, discussions, assessments and individual learning plans can ensure that no learner is disadvantaged or subjected to unfair discrimination on any grounds in relation to accessing appropriate learning methods and resources.Collecting this data also helps identify areas that may require referral to counselling, creche facilities, health advice or a basic skills tutor in order to overcome obstacles. Promoting inclusion by identifying variation in needs ensures that learners have equality throughout their learning experience. Data collection through assessment is valuable when analysed, acted upon and continuously monitored to ensure consistency in inclusion through equality. Advocating equality through more effective provision of resources according to individual need is essential to the learning experience.Planning and implementing various strategies throughout the course to support learners with various learning requirements such as VAK style or learners with dyslexia may benefit from having different colour and bigger fonts on the teacher’s projector screen can help tackle exclusion and inequality. If there is wheelchair users on the course the appropriate venue for teaching should be considered. For students that have a disability (such as being blind or deaf, etc. ) it may be useful for the student to have lea rning support whilst attending the classes.Carefully prepared resources can also help with inclusive learning e. g. handouts should be in a font size which is big enough for partially impaired vision learners. Any resources need to be in simple English (i. e. avoid unnecessary jargon). A good layout combining colours and pictures for easy reading. Using non-discriminating language, resources that echo the diversity of the group and that are adaptable to meet the needs of the learners can be a conscious, active and constant way of tackling exclusion.Use constant assessment methods to give equal opportunity to all the learners and at the end of the course give the learners the option to evaluate the course. In conclusion, processes of inclusion are wide-ranging, dynamic and varied. They consist of: ? forging relationships ? building community ? increasing participation Inclusion in education is concerned with breaking down barriers to learning and increasing participation for all stud ents, treating all learners on the basis of equality and non-discrimination. In educational and social settings of all kinds, working towards inclusion entails celebrating differences of: ? ulture ? ethnicity ? gender ? needs and abilities (http://www. csie. org. uk).Bibliography Gravells A. , Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector, 3rd Edition, 2008, Learning Matters Ltd. Francis M and Gould J. , Achieving Your PTTLS Award,: A Practical Guide to Learning in the Lifelong Learning Sector, 2009, Sage Publications Ltd. Reece R. Walker S. , Teaching Training and Learning: A Practical Guide, 3rd edition, 1997, Tyne and Wear Business Education Publisher Ltd. http://www. csie. org. uk/ Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education