Tuesday, August 25, 2020

Against Legalizing Prostitution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Against Legalizing Prostitution - Essay Example nthropology, and Social Work at Central Michigan University and Shekarkhar works at the Department of Sociology and Criminology and Law at the University of Florida. Hayes-Smith and Shekarkhar center around the defects of the current development and propose elective developments rather than prostitution decriminalization. As per Hayes-Smith and Shekarkhar, prostitution stays illicit in many pieces of the US. The creators question whether there is observational proof to help United States’ contention that prostitution must stay unlawful for upkeep of general wellbeing/security. As per the article, there are four suppositions of laws on prostitution. These suspicions incorporate illegalisation of prostitution dissuades the requesting of such administrations, prostitution spreads explicitly transmitted infections, sex work builds the helplessness of whores to exploitation, and prostitution makes social issue. Hayes-Smith and Shekarkhar contend, â€Å"†¦these presumptions have dread actuating segment coordinated towards prostitutes† (45). The creators include that the suspicions may likewise not be observationally legitimate. Hayes-Smith and Shekarkhar accept that laws on prostitution are coordinated towards profiting certain individuals and gatherings in the public arena, yet destroying others. Network individuals don't have normal convictions; henceforth, the laws are gainful who accept that trade of sex for cash is ethically unforgivable and an exit from the customary family request. The creators set that illegalisation of prostitution prompts shameful acts since it slanders sex laborers, encroaching their entitlement to utilize their bodies as a wellspring of salary. The blemishes distinguished in the current prostitution laws makes Hayes-Smith and Shekarkhar require an elective development for tending to the wasteful aspects. Moreover, Hayes-Smith and Shekarkhar set that prostitution ought to really be decriminalized in light of the fact that it is widespread among the high society residents whose odds of criminalization are

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Service Line Development Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Administration Line Development - Term Paper Example Self paying patients have expanded from 5 to 8%. These progressions have been joined by a decrease in income from $461.5 million to $427 million †a 7.5% decay. This decay has prompted a decrease in the hospital’s net revenue from $23.075 million to a negative of $1.495 million †a decay of 106.5%. This decrease in income seems to have been started by the loss of the Obstetrics program and the disintegration of general medical procedure volumes. The quantity of releases, tolerant days, ADC, Surgeries, OP visits and ED visits. The main increment is identified with ALOS which expanded from 4.0 to 4.3. Zuckerman et al (2002) noticed that obligatory wellbeing upkeep associations (HMO) programs have positively affected the two grown-ups and youngsters and has brought about less reliance on crisis space for clinical consideration. There is an expansion in the utilization of deterrent consideration. Zuckerman et al (2002) likewise highlighted contrasts in access between indiv iduals took on Medicaid oversaw care and low-salary secretly guaranteed individuals. This distinction appears to have emphatically affected the level of patients utilizing Medicaid and Medicare while contrarily affecting the level of patients utilizing the office who are protected. Gaynor and Haas-Wilson (1999, p. ... The notices and phone discussions appear to point towards the administrative attitude of decreasing installments to emergency clinics. There are likewise changes in how doctors are repaid and this has suggestions for social insurance in the province. In any case, despite the fact that everybody is influenced Robert Holland who isn't legitimately utilized in the wellbeing segment gives off an impression of being the main individual who realizes how to affect the administrative changes to the medicinal services approach. There is a pressing requirement for development in human services strategies and the recommendation made by Robert Holland to the CEO †Morgan Reece of working all the more intimately with the Hospital Political Action Committee so as to outline criticism to the lawmakers is a decent one. An individual from the medical clinic board - Dr. Joint, who doesn't work at the Trinity Community Hospital is worried that Congress needs to either decrease repayment or keep it at a similar level while opening the entryways of clinical offices to millions. Dr. Joint demonstrates that the installment to doctor isn't staying aware of cost increments thus the medical clinic won't have the option to select any new specialists. This appears to have been the issue when the Obstetrics administration was ceased at the medical clinic. There is clearly a lack of specialists which can effectsly affect wellbeing administrations. This will likewise dismiss individuals from general wellbeing offices as they will want to pay more for private administrations so as to guarantee that they get quality social insurance. It in this way implies the individuals who can't manage the cost of private consideration are the main ones who will visit the medical clinic. As of now, just some fundamental arrangements can be managed comparable to

Sunday, August 9, 2020

Calm in Suburban Ohio

Calm in Suburban Ohio When I think of suburban Ohio, my family’s current home, I recall the time I danced down the street under the Big Dipper constellation. A dozen fireflies lit up the trees. There was no one aroundâ€"a terrifying scenario in Cambridge, MA, but a soothing one in the suburbs. That was a night the cicadas came back, and I wished city sounds would drown out their mating snaps. During the day, the sky here is a plain blue and the houses are beige. The white picket fences have no locks or latches. Sometimes a contractor showers the fences with a high-pressure hose, and it confuses me. Why clean the fences when they don’t even close? Cars here slow down for a deer family of four. In Bambi times, animals feared humans. Now the mama deer stares at me. I should’ve Googled if deer attack humans. But at least the mother deer’s three babies are concentrated on grass. At sunset, the runway pond burns. On the Ohio planes, you can see the full sky dome. Theres periwinkle. Royal purple. A most vivid pink. Stripes and splashes across the sky. I miss it.     Before MIT, when I still identified as a math lover and major, I attended a cake decorating event at the local library. The librarian wondered if I was over 12 years oldâ€"not great to hear a month before college. But the decorating event went well. I was bad at spreading icing and making flowers, so I squeezed a    on top of the cake instead. Then I added a 2â€"    is cooler, right? Now when I visit Ohio, I don’t need a    to feel cool. I enjoy role-playing with my sister and going to the zoo. Before I gained the freshman 15+, I even went with my sister on the playground. And it felt pretty darn cool because I was no longer in a rush to grow up. In college, youth is appreciated. It means a more flexible sleep schedule. You can often hear (MIT) seniors say they are old because cant stay up late anymore.  Of course, it’s probably due to sleep deprivation catching up, and not the age, but feeling old is better than feeling like you have made bad choices for the past three years.     The coolest Ohio event is the helicopter Easter egg huntâ€"if only MIT let us out every spring in time for that (or at least hosted an equivalent event). Because even people over 12 or 21 could appreciate 80,000 candy-filled eggs dropped on a field from a helicopter. How cool is that? That’s the kind of college spring break event I enjoy! (though my little sisters enjoyment is probably what makes it fun) The most relevant Ohio events are the Central Ohio Alumni Club get-togethers. Over spring break, I get to met the freshest MIT admits, and over the summer, if I can make it, it’s time to catch up with students of future, present, and past, plus their parents. The local Club provides a calming MIT away from MIT. We talk about work but don’t do work. Makes sense why students are so excited about these events. Before junior year, I spent the whole summer in the Massachusetts  suburb of Lexington. My partner and I leased a box there  (technically, it was a studio, but the combined room and bathroom were smaller than my East Campus room, and attached to the outside of a house). Trader Joe’s was 3 minutes away, but everything else was far. The most excitement came from five resident raccoons. I became very familiar with the Cambridge/Somerville squaresâ€"Davis, Porter, Harvard. By the end of the summer, I was really  ready to go back to being 7, not 70, minutes away from Downtown Boston.  I plan to avoid living around successful adults with children for the next 10+ years, but Lexington was a learning experience nevertheless. Its part of why I enjoy going to work at the VA Medical Center this summerâ€"I pass by the Lexington studio, then get even farther away, in both distance and average age of resident. I’m back in the Ohio suburbs with my family now, and, as always, it is soothing. The entertainment is farther, but the supermarkets are closer and with fresher fruit. Before the last year of college, that’s a great deal. Though it was also nice to live in a more relaxed East Campus in the previous months. I’ll miss the communal living and perfect location of the dorm next year. It’s no surprise that graduating residents dream of finding a commune of their own. In two weeks, I’ll be back for dorm-made rollercoaster-riding and freshman-meeting and (other people’s) hair-dyeing. For now, goodbye. Time to eat a pack of blueberries. Post Tagged #photography

Saturday, May 23, 2020

A Brief Note On Wealth Management Products And Chinese...

Section Two: Learning goal 3.3 Discipline Research WMP (Wealth Management Products) and Chinese Shadow Finance Introduction The purpose is to investigate an area of interest which relates to my major, finance. This topic also relates to my role in my CPO as I was working as an Financial assistant. Based on what I have observed in my CPO and what I have learnt in the university, I realized that the chaotic wealth management product (WMP) market has caused the shadow finance issue in China to deteriorate further. To begin the research, I will first illustrate how the research topic relates to my CPO and the banking industry in China. Next, I will address the research topic under each subheading and draw a conclusion: ï‚   What is WMP ? ï‚  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Now the government is tightening the leash of WMP sales in banks and other financial institutions, and hoping to hold the aggressive growth of the shadow banking sector in check. Therefore, this research will help me understand more about an important issue in my CPO and banking sector in China. What is WMP ? Wealth management products, or WMPs, are sold by banks as a substitute for deposits, which essentially a pool of securities (trust products, bonds, stock funds). They are sold as low-risk investments (usually yield on average 2 percentage points higher than bank deposits) but often are not so. In real world, wealth management products are often sold as short-term investments that offer significantly higher returns than the famously anaemic deposit rates mandated by China’s central bank. The interest rates of WMPs can be set freely by banks and many of the assets and liabilities reside off-balance sheet. Take the Bank of China Progress series wealth management product for an example. It is linked to gold and oil trends. Therefore, assuming that the prices of the two commodities, namely, gold and oil, are both above 110% of their respective original prices at the expiration of the product, investors are able to obtain 100% of the guaranteed principal and the yield at an annual rate ofShow MoreRelatedVenture Capital in China: Past, Present, and Future8156 Words   |  33 Pageseconomic policies at the Third Plenum of the 11th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party in 1978. The long-suppressed entrepreneurial zeal of the Chinese people was rekindled with the lifting of restriction on private business ownership. Later, the advent of Western-style venture capital funds provided budding Chinese entrepreneurs with sources of hitherto unavailable capital. Western investments, advice, and discipline, combined with Chinese entrepreneurialism, knowledge, and circumstances, have producedRead M oreCountry Note Book of China17054 Words   |  69 Pages †¢ IV. Preliminary Marketing Plan I.  Cultural Analysis writing guide Guideline I. Introduction writing guide A significant aspect of China is its long cultural and national history. The Chinese people have shared a common culture longer than any other group on Earth. The Chinese writing system, for example, dates back almost 4,000 years. The imperial dynastic system of government, which continued for centuries, was established as early as 221 BC. Although specific dynasties wereRead MoreEurope Economic Crisis55278 Words   |  222 Pages The European Economy series contains important reports and communications from the Commission to the Council and the Parliament on the economic situation and developments, such as the Economic forecasts, the annual EU economy review and the Public ï ¬ nances in EMU report. Subscription terms are shown on the back cover and details on how to obtain the list of sales agents are shown on the inside back cover. Unless otherwise indicated, the texts are published under the responsibility of the Directorate-GeneralRead MoreEssay about Recognizing and Shaping O pportunities19389 Words   |  78 PagesI O N S No tC Recognizing and Shaping Opportunities LYNDA M. APPLEGATE HARVARD BUSINESS SCHOOL Do CAROLE CARLSON 8056 | Published: September 1, 2014 This document is authorized for educator review use only by Vikas Gupta, at Institute of Management Technology - Ghaziabad (IMT) until December 2014. Copying or posting is an infringement of copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860 rP os t Table of Contents 1 Introduction ....................................................Read MoreUK - Analysis Report31935 Words   |  128 Pages2008 and the GDP growth rate fell to 0.7%. In 2008, the economy entered into a recession, with a predicted negative growth rate of -4.5% for the United Kingdom: Country Analysis Report – In-depth PESTLE Insights  © Datamonitor. This brief is a licensed product and is not to be photocopied Published 05/2010 Page 1 Overview following year. The recessionary trend in the UK has worsened beyond expectation since the last quarter of 2008. The economy shrank by a sharp 1.6% in that quarter;Read MoreChina in Africa Essay20116 Words   |  81 Pagessummary of the NAI Policy Dialogue publication African Agriculture and the World Bank: Development or Impoverishment? by Prof. Kjell Havnevik et al. The publication was presented at the Swedish launch of the WDR08 in Stockholm on 4 November 2007. In brief the NAI Policy Dialogue questions the World Bank recommendations for large scale agriculture to solve the productivity and equity problems in African agriculture. 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Throughout the rest of the essay, Stacie reinforces the outcomes of her actions with strong logic. Despite her initial failure, she establishesRead MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 Pages Contemporary Issues in Management Accounting This page intentionally left blank Contemporary Issues in Management Accounting Edited by ALNOOR BHIMANI 1 Great Clarendon Street, Oxford ox2 6dp Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide in Oxford New York Auckland Cape Town Dar es Salaam Hong Kong Karachi Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne MexicoRead MoreModern History.Hsc.2012 Essay25799 Words   |  104 Pagesagainst the United States. - In return, the Germans would send Mexico money and help it recover the territories of Texas, New Mexico, and Arizona that Mexico lost during the Mexican-American War 70  years earlier. - Wilson released the Zimmerman note to the public and Americans saw it as a cause for war. U.S. declaration of war on Germany - After the sinking of seven U.S. merchant ships by submarines and the publication of the Zimmerman telegram, Wilson called for war on Germany, which the U

Tuesday, May 12, 2020

Gender Issues Within The Workplace Essay - 1918 Words

In recent discussion of workplace, there have been many controversies all over the world that include gender issues in the workplace. Gender plays a powerful role in shaping workplace experiences. The workplace in society is known as a place where people work in a specific location such as a home office, office building, schools, hospitals, and factories in which we earn income from to support our needs and wants. However, workplace gender equality is mostly achieved when people are able to enjoy the same rewards, resources, and opportunities regardless of gender. Today that s not the case, as individuals in society we have our own social role that is mostly understood as our expectations. These roles are a part of who we are in the workplace. Majority of the time these roles do affect the way we are treated because we usually don’t follow the set of norms, values, behaviors, and personality characteristics that are attached to our status in the workplace, and because of this occupational segregation, wage gap, sexual harassment, rape, maternity leave for women and men continue to be a problem today. In society, men and women are not being treated equally in the workplace. Most of the time men and women don’t have the same opportunities and resources to move up in life. However, this gender bias and discrimination has played its role in the wage gap for so long that it is widely recognized. Today women still earn less than men. Women still don’t earn the same salaries asShow MoreRelatedGender Disparity Within The Workplace : A Cultural Issue1266 Words   |  6 PagesGender Disparity in the Workplace: A Cultural Issue For much of American history, women were subject to laws that restricted their autonomy. 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Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Fermentaion Free Essays

string(36) " of prevention should be suggested\." Dilution is achieved by controlling the flow of process water from the dilution tank TUB 1201 into the mixer GAL. 1230. Process water flow rate is controlled to achieve the desired density of the mixed solution. We will write a custom essay sample on Fermentaion or any similar topic only for you Order Now The now diluted C-molasses solution flows into the vapor condensate EAI 1204, where it is preheated by the condensing hot water vapor from the flash tank TUB 1203. The solution is preheated to about 75 to ICC. The preheated solution flows into the hydrothermal GAL. 1231 where the temperature s increased to between 85 to ICC, using the 7 – lobar saturated steam as a heating medium. The then heated solution enters the cyclone IF 210. The cyclone is responsible for removing solid purities that may be present in the concentrated C- molasses. The discharge valve on the cyclone will open periodically to dislodge the cyclone. The diluted, heated and now ‘cleaned’ C-molasses then flows into the intermediate/ Buffer Tank TUB 1202. The tank is equipped with a level indicator control that controls the flow out of this tank maintaining a desired level set point. The stream is then pumped out into the second hydro heater GLOBAL where the temperature is increased to between 121 to ICC, using the 7 – lobar saturated steam. The hydro heater GAL. 1232 is equipped with highly delicate temperature indicator controller; this temperature control is a Critical Control Point. When the temperature drops below ICC, the sterilizer will go into recirculation and will stop feeding forward to the sterile tanks. This is designed to prevent Coli and C. Botulism to enter the sterile tanks. These are harmful micro-organisms that are not suitable to fermentation and human consumption. The heated solution then flows through the retention coils and into flash tank TUB 1203. The flow through the retention coils is controlled at a backslappers of kappa. The coils are interchangeable since there are two coils, one online and the other on standby. The flash tank is kept under vacuum – 35 to -kappa by using the vacuum system. The flash tank TUB 1203 is protected from over-pressuring by pressure relief valve installed into the vacuum system. The vapor leaving the flash tank is condensed by incoming diluted C-molasses in EAI 1240 and forming condensate that flows to the inch separator vessel. This separator easel separates liquid from vapor and also forms a barometric seal into the seal pot. L. DEVELOP DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR THE EFFICIENT OPERATION OF THE PLANT/ SECTION OF PLANT UNDER CONSIDERATION. The diagnostic tool for the efficient operation is a system developed for better and safe way of operating a system. These processes include daily maintenance to ensure that a system is performing at its best. There a programs that is designed for each operation of the plant to maintain stability and safety operation through monitoring. There are alarms installed in the plant to alarm operators of deviation from normal operation of the plant. Deviations can be of process out of specification and danger alarms of hazards in the plant. At Anchor Yeast Durban the company has a dedicated and well developed system of monitoring deviation throughout the plant operation for the efficient operation. There are DOCS and software such as Aurora. Aurora is used for daily operation maintenance and keeping records of the plant operation. Without these systems the plant will be a danger to employees and the surrounding environment. These tools assist in managing and implementing efficient ways of operation of the plant. With the tools it is possible to determine and strategies the optimal peak operation for the plant in the next hour of operation and for the 24 hour of operation. They provide demand response strategy for emergency situations, such as extreme unwanted condition of the plant operation. With these the company always adheres to maintains high standard of delivery to its customers, through meeting schedule timing for the production and safety and cost efficient way of saving energy. Fault Tree Analysis is a broadly used deductive method for the efficient operation of the plant in designs and daily operations to minimize cost F. HAZARD AND OPERABILITY STUDY (HAZARD) OF THE PROCESS OR PART OF THE PROCESS UNDER CONSIDERATION. Hazard and Operability study is the method in which a multi – discipline team performs a systematic study of a process to identify hazard and problems which prevents efficient operation. The technique is applied to new plant development and existing Operations for better and safe Operation. The method is also applied to continuous and batch process. The study provides opportunities to engineers to let their imaginations go free and think of all possible ways in which a hazard or operating problems might arise. Engineers have to ask themselves the following questions when performing HAZED study: What can go wrong? This is the first and most important stage in any hazard study, is to identify the most important things that can go wrong and produce accidents or operating problems. What will be the consequences? Engineers need to know the consequences to employees, members of the public (community), plant and profits, now and in the long term. How can it be prevented? – Safeguard Engineers need to administer controls that will prevent accidents from occurring, or make them less probable and protect people from the consequences. What should be done? – Solution At this stage engineers weigh their options to resolving the accidents, by comparing the risk (that is, the probability times the consequences) with generally accepted codes and standards or with other risk around them. Is it worth the cost? Engineers should compare the cost of prevention with the cost of the accident to see if the remedy (solution) is reasonably practical or they should look for a cheaper but efficient solution. Prevention At this point engineers have come up with a solution but before commencing to put the solution in motion they should assess their solution, I. Perhaps their method of prevention has disadvantages and better methods of prevention should be suggested. You read "Fermentaion" in category "Papers" Figure 1: Hazed Procedure [Figure 2. 1, Peg. 9: Hazed and Hazard Identifying and Assessing Process Industry Hazards, Tremor Klutz 3rd Edition] P. PROBLEM SOLUTION TO A CUSTOMER REQUEST (TECHNICAL REPORT) Unhappy customer s are bad news for the company and the business. It takes one unhappy customer to steer away prospective customers away from the company. Unhappy customers have their reasons. Some customers have unrealistic expectations and some they Just don’t feel well with the business. We must be hones some customers complaint are legitimate and realistic and we as the suppliers we must attend to their complainants with honesty and integrity to build on good customer relationship. Whatever the cause, unhappy customers are our hope for future business and we want them happy again for the business. Customer may not always be right but he or she will always be the customer we want and need. So we need to take care of our customer and take control of their complaints and them to our own advantage. There are seven (7) steps in resolving customer complaint which eave proven to work well. . Listen Intently: Listen to customer and do not interrupt while telling you a complaint. They need to tell their story and feel that they have been heard. 2. Thank Them: Thank the customer for bring the problem to your attention. You cannot resolve a problem that you do not have full details about or solve it on assumptions. 3. Apologies: Sincerely convey to your customer and apology. T his is not the time to make Justification and making excuses. You apologies, that’s it. 4. Seek the Best Solution: Determine what the customer is seeking as a solution, Ask the customer. Reach Agreement: Seek to agree to the solution that will resolve the problem to their satisfaction. 6. Take Quick Action: Act on the problem with a sense of urgency. Customer will respond positively to your focus on helping them immediately. 7. Follow Up: Follow up to make sure that the customer is completely satisfied. TYPICAL CUSTOMER REQUEST AND SOLUTION At anchor yeast we have customers all over the country and across the border. Customer happiness is very valuable to the company and any complaint is attended with urgency and caution. As one of largest yeast making company in South African, e are always under pressure to deliver on time and meet our customer wants and needs, and still performing to our utmost in producing high quality yeast. There are trucks coming in the plant to collect cream yeast and deliver to customers. One of the company that we always work with very closely is Anchor Yeast Johannesburg were most of the cream yeast produced at Anchor Yeast Durban is transported to, for further applications. There are Unitarians coming on daily basis to collect the product. Delays are very stressing the relationship between the two companies. The Unitarians ruckus come from Johannesburg Debug) with molasses to Durban Anchor Yeast. The molasses is a raw material that is used to make yeast. When the trucks come on site they first have to go to the company’s weighbridge before being offloaded. After being weighed the truck is offloaded either Tank offloading point or at the HTML offloading point. Offloading of the truck takes three (3) hours maximum then truck goes back to be weighed. After the truck has been weighed, it goes to the CHIP (Clean In Place) point to be Caped. Coping is a process where the truck is being clean using chlorinated water and Caustic. This process takes one hour (1 her). After the CHIP the truck is ready to be loaded with cream yeast. The loading process takes one hour (1 her). Then after that the truck is ready to go back to Judder with the product. Customer Complaint: Unitarians tankers are taking to long at Anchor Yeast Durban to turn around back to Anchor Judder. Possible causes of delays: At Anchor Yeast Durban there are three companies that come on site to deliver molasses. The Subs Hertz Borders Trucks (GHB) and Gridiron Terminal Trucks and local delivery trucks that that transports cream yeast to Durban based customers ND other customers across the country. When the Unitarians trucks from Judder comes onsite to deliver molasses there are always trucks waiting, loading or offloading molasses. There are only two offloading points at the company. Unitarians have to wait for other trucks which came before to finish offloading and loading. The trucks can sometimes wait for over three hours depending on the number of trucks offloading. Sometimes production of cream yeast is very slow. That means every time the trucks arrives onsite to collect cream yeast, they wait because not enough cream yeast has been produced. The company having to aware of the complaint from the Anchor Yeast Johannesburg, the company came with solutions to the complaint. There was a spreadsheet that was made to record the times the Unitarians come onsite and time finished to offload the truck. The spreadsheet included also the time it took to load a truck. With regard to running low on cream yeast there was a production time table set for everyday that how much needs to be produced and how much will be transported to Judder on daily basis. The number of other truck companies bring molasses was reduced to avoid Unitarians trucks to wait for other trucks to finish. It was also suggested that Unitarians trucks given first priority when comes to offloading. This meant when Unitarians is onsite and there is a truck waiting to be offloaded, the Unitarians truck will offload before the truck to avoid delays. The plant efficiency was increased and more of product was produced and made available for the Unitarians to transport. The implement solution has been running fro couple months now and been evaluated. The solution has been found to be working well and keeping the customer happy. Thought at the beginning the other companies were not happy with Unitarians having o bypass their trucks, but after some negotiations the other companies have come to accept the terms. How to cite Fermentaion, Papers

Saturday, May 2, 2020

Effect of Media on Body Image free essay sample

Many people will go great lengths to change their body image to whatever the media shows to be normal. In some instances, not only can changing one’s body image make them appear â€Å"normal†, it can ultimately lead to greater future success. It all comes down to being normal. Adolescents are being shown what is considered â€Å"normal† by media. The children in turn, try to live up to those unreal expectations of their body. The way we have been trying to change our children’s views are completely wrong. Instead of pointing out negative flaws on other people’s body image in the media, we need to solve the root of the problem which is obesity. The media aren’t only affecting adults and teens, but also children as young as nine and ten years old (Helmich, pg.2). Runway modeling plays a big role when it comes to setting these children up for failure. We will write a custom essay sample on Effect of Media on Body Image or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Children are taught that these models portray beauty, and that’s what they should look like when they’re grown up. Kelly Cutrone, owner of People’s Revolution, explains that â€Å"Women shouldn’t be comparing themselves with these girls. These girls are anomalies of nature. They are freaks of nature. They are not average. They are naturally thin and have incredibly long legs compared to the rest of their body. Their eyes are wide set apart. Their cheekbones are high.† Children need to be taught that modeling is meant to highlight the clothes, not necessarily the wearer’s physique. Two examples of the media portraying â€Å"normal† as a freak of nature are the toy dolls Barbie and Ken. Both dolls project the perfect body type, when it’s actually unrealistic to look like them. â€Å"If Barbie was real, her neck would be too long and thin to support the weight of her head, and her upper body proportions would make it difficult for her to walk upright. If Ken were real, his huge barrel chest and enormously thick neck would nearly preclude him from wearing a shirt† (Croll, pg.700). Other examples would be female models. The average female model is 5’ 10† and weighs 110 pounds. The average American female is 5’ 4† and weighs 144 pounds. (Croll, pg.700) There is nothing normal about their appearance. A lot of models are genetically inclined to naturally have the body types that they do. It doesn’t mean they are unhealthy or superior in any way. That’s just how they were meant to be. Some people, such as Katie Ford, chief executive officer of Ford Models, don’t believe that fashion models are the ones responsible for creating this perfect image through the media. â€Å"The  biggest problem in America is obesity. Both obesity and anorexia stem from numerous issues, and it would be impossible to attribute either to entertainment, be it film, TV or magazine† (Hellmich, pg.703). On the other hand, a study mentioned in From Body Image and Adolescents, states â€Å"Young women surveyed before and after being shown fashion and beauty magazines have decreased self-image and increased desire to lose weight as compared to young women shown news magazines. Females report they exercise and diet more in response to fashion magazine images† (Croll, pg. 701). Not every case of anorexia comes from media, but the media sure isn’t innocent either. Croll also claims â€Å"At eight years old, girls believe that weight control is strongly associated with self-worth and view dieting as a means of improving self-worth† (702). Children shouldn’t be comparing body image to self-worth, especially at this age. Not only is the media and society detrimental to our emotions, but physically as well. Many people are trying to change the way they look by a variety of methods such as vomiting, laxatives, diet pills, exercising, cigarette smoking, and surgery. Society can’t really blame people for using these strategies because they don’t know any better, and we already have this perfect body image burned into our minds. Body image can directly affect one’s potential to succeed, according to Joe Kita in All to Be Tall. Kita explains that taller men are more likely to be hired, make more money, be chosen as leaders, and make better first impressions. Due to the large impact that height has on success, people such as Jim Conran are paying up to $80,000 to have their legs broken, caged, and then lengthened. All of this pain and money just for a few inches added to his height. Jack Turner, another patient who grew two and a half inches from the surgery says â€Å"It will reduce the toughest man to a crying little girl in a matter of weeks.† (Kita 712) Society has become so overly inspired by other’s image, that they are willing to do whatever it takes to change their own. Dr. Paley says he needs to be careful when choosing people to proceed with the surgery, â€Å"I’ve had some real nutcases-people who were willing to sell their houses, steal their wives’ money, and do unbelievable things for a few extra inches† (Kita.  713). If society had never fallen into this state of wanting to look perfect, there wouldn’t be a need for surgeries like this. Whether you are short or tall, you would still have the same potential to succeed as the next tall person. Some evidence does show that being tall has a few physical advantages, but not enough that it should change the amount of success in ones’ life. Another example of the need to change one’s body image comes from Toby Sheldon, a 33-year-old Justin Bieber fan. Toby spent $100,000 on plastic surgery in five years in order to look like Justin Bieber. Not only did he use Botox injections and hair transplants, he also changed his smile. Toby says â€Å"It’s Justin’s smile that gives him his youthful look. So I had my upper lip lifted, and my bottom lip plumped out†. (Man Undergoes). This is where it gets out of hand. When Jim Conran had surgery to increase his height a few inches, he was still Jim Conran. But when Toby Sheldon changed his entire appearance, it’s hard to say if he is really himself anymore. Pretending to be somebody else takes away from your character. Studies from An Intervention for the Negative Influence of Media on Body Esteem, suggest that â€Å"media exposure to unattainable physical perfection is detrimental to people, especially women† (Cash and Henry, 1995). The journal also suggests that replacing a lot of the super-thin models with average size models, might make a positive change in the viewer’s self-image. In addition to that, women should be shown how much the media actually alters the images that are shown. (Cash and Henry 3) Accomplishing these steps would be near impossible though. The media has too much control to have them just throw out their thin sized models. Instead, solving the obesity dilemma could potentially help with the view of our self-image. Instead of telling our kids that models are freaks of nature and that our children look good the way they are, we need to teach them how to live a healthy lifestyle. If our children are living healthy, they will, in return, look healthy, which will increase the view of their self-worth. Although it won’t eliminate this problem completely due to the images of the media, people will generally feel better about themselves. Rather than showing children how to overcome the negative things they will see, teaching them how to live in a positive way just might do the trick.

Sunday, March 22, 2020

The Case of Disgruntled Nurses free essay sample

At the board of directors’ meeting, board president received a letter from staff council of Oneida Home Health Agency (OHHA), highlighting various staff concerns and suggestions. Rachel Nelson, who had been hired as the executive director of OHHA, was shocked and angered to see the letter, since this was a clear violation of organizational hierarchy and brought her management skills into question. Rachel had replaced Chuck about two years ago, who left the agency in a bad financial position. Soon after her induction, she was joined by Annemarie as nursing director, replacing the previous director Dorothy who had resigned. Rachel and Annemarie had been trying hard to deal with the financial deficit and introduced systems to improve accountability, productivity, quality and efficiency of staff and their documentation. These systems and the intended changes were not viewed positively by some of the staff and started a conflict with the management. The differences grew and resulted in the above mentioned letter being sent directly to the board. We will write a custom essay sample on The Case of Disgruntled Nurses or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Rachel recalled the events that had led to the current state of affairs. Problems and their causes: With a broad scope of problems at their hands, Rachel and Annemarie felt the need for changes in organization structure. They discussed the new organization with the staff and found a positive response. This demonstrates an important trait of an effective manager, who shares the information with the staff and welcomes their response. However, it also brings out the point that Rachel and Annemarie were unaware of the hidden negative reactions of their staff, which demonstrates a lacking on their part, since today’s gossip may be tomorrow’s fact. i The senior nurses, on the other hand, felt the new organization structure was bureaucratic and restricted their direct access to management for any favors. This behavior was caused by years of lenient supervision by Dorthy, who always accommodated their demands. If Dorthy rejected their demands, nurses got around her to make successful personal appeals to Chuck. Without any criticism and feedback from the management, nurses were denied the opportunity to improve and develop their skills. As a result, nurses failed to comprehend the importance of new and actual roles of management and disgruntlement started. Another problem was documentation which Dorthy had tried to solve by adopting problem-oriented medical record (POMR) method, but it was an extremely difficult system to master and nurses were finding it hard to adjust to the new system. Annemarie took steps to improve experience with POMR methods, but without the consent of the staff. The modified-POMR methods increased their paper work and nurses had to spend more time on office work, the time which they preferred to spend providing home care. The senior nurses liked their job as it gave them flexible work timings, focus on direct patient care and relatively paper free work. The previous organization culture had kept the nurses happy and motivated by lenient supervision and praise without criticism. There were no penalties for poor performance and senior nurses were satisfied, as they never considered their job as a profession with future growth prospects. The staff was still motivated to work in the relatively work-free environment. Herzberg’s two theory factor provides evidence for this type of behavior by stating that hygiene factors (Company policy, supervision, interpersonal relations) are less important in motivating the employees than motivating factors (Achievement, work itself, responsibility). ii Annemarie tried to communicate and work with the nurses, but found the doors closed in defiance. Both justified their positions and accused each other of neglecting other party’s views. With the passage of time, Annemarie and nurses developed a negative perception about each other. In the absence of any communication, the positive/negative affects took root. The individual negativity produced negative group affect and agency witnessed lesser cooperative behavior. iii The agency was operating with a high mistrust between Annemarie and senior nurses. In the office, when Annemarie faced the nurses, they felt that she was spying on them and when she closed the doors, nurses wondered if she was plotting something against them. Annemarie also had doubts about the professional behavior of the nurses. She introduced more control to keep things in her hands by monitoring productivity, directing all phone calls to her, making nurses sign in and out and scheduling of holiday coverage without discussing with the nurses. This led to the general feeling amongst nurses that they were losing their independence to do the work they liked, i. e. provide home care. Annemarie also hurt the self esteemiv of the senior nurses by preferring younger nurses, who had shown positive response towards her stricter standards and control procedures. Annemarie failed to understand that she had two different kinds of employees with different needs. The new nurses were motivated by their need for achievement, since they had their professional growth and development in mind. The senior nurses were motivated by their need for affiliation to their work as home care providers, which gave them respectable status and warm relationships with the people in community. Annemarie also preferred new nurses because of their educational degree, which reflected bad on her part, as she failed to realize that their customers preferred quality over education. The senior nurses also felt strongly that their quality of work was being ignored because of an educational degree. They perceived the situation as inequitablev and this drove them further away from Annemarie. Although organization was satisfying the first two needs of physiological needs and safety in Maslow’s hierarchyvi, it failed to address love and self esteem of the senior nurses. The increasing negative sentiments towards each other were the result of Pygmalion effect or self fulfilling prophecy, which explained the selective negative perceptions of Annemarie and senior nurses based on their low expectations from each other. Annemarie failed to understand the importance of communications in organization and never attempted to see the perspective of senior nurses. She ignored the fact that people perceive the same thing differently and their assumptions, perceptions and feelings must be understood to be able to better communicate with them. viii The nurses also ignored that managers require cooperation, reliability and honesty from their subordinates. Had they tried to understand the goals and pressures of Annemarie, things could have been brought under control with open communication and feedback sessions. The lack of mutual respect and collaboration resulted in the problems being faced by OHHA. Recommendations: First solution could be to fire the senior nurses, who had no career orientation and were reluctant in adopting the new systems and procedures. They could be replaced by newer nurses, who were well liked by Annemarie and had shown the willingness to learn and adopt new systems, working for individual and organizational growth. However, this might not be viewed negatively by the clients and local population, who held them in high  regard. Since Annemarie is at the centre of this conflict, an alternate solution could be to fire her. In order to achieve her goals, she had alienated people who did not cooperate. She had taken decisions without any feedback from her subordinates and her communication skills were under question. However, with high self efficacy, extensive nursing administration experience in different capacities and her dedication to work and patients, her separation would be a loss for the agency, when Rachel is still new to home health field. Third option is to adopt the path of reconciliation between Annemarie and senior nurses. The clients respected the senior nurses and mostly asked for them by name. They also had a credible experience of home care, which if used positively can bring extensive opportunities for the agency. Annemarie, on the other hand can focus on nursing administration in an unbiased way. The collaboration between the two can extremely benefit the agency. Solution and its implementation: The third option presents a win-win situation for the agency. However, considering the bitter past, it would be the most difficult to achieve. Rachel needs to re-open the direct communication between Annemarie and the disgruntled nurses, in an attempt to sort the resolution of conflict. Rachel can first discuss and understand the individual perspectives of Annemarie and nurses. This can lead to a meeting between the concerned parties for discussion about mutual goals and understanding the differences. Given the complexity of the relationship between them, one meeting will never be enough to resolve the issues. Rachel should make sure that meetings continue and she should keep a check on the outcome of these meetings. To develop a better coordination between management and staff, Rachel should encourage healthy speak up sessions, in which management and staff can share their concerns and suggestions. Management can also use these sessions to discuss any proposed changes and involve the staff in understanding and implementing those changes. This would implement the key trait of â€Å"Type Z† organization, i. e. instilling a sense of strategic vision in the employees. x To redeem the esteem of the senior nurses a training scheme could be introduced, in which senior staff volunteers and trains the newer staff. This would give a sense of privilege to disgruntled nurses, who would feel that their experience is being rewarded and respected. Younger staff can benefit from this experience and their attitude towards their disgruntled colleagues would change to feelings of respect. This way, staff can also realize the benefits of collaboration and team work. Rachel can introduce employee appraisal, reward and promotion schemes to fully involve the staff in their work and promote a culture of healthy competition. Appraising the staff on objective and subjective performancexi would push them to work harder while cooperating and assisting each other. These schemes would act as a positive KITAxii to move the staff towards the right direction and away from conflict. Trainings can be conducted for Annemarie on how to be an effective manager, who successfully plays the interpersonal, informational and decisional rolesxiii. This will significantly improve the performance of Annemarie and hence, the organization. Similarly, trainings can be conducted for nurses on how to manage their bosses, so they can understand that forging tiesxiv with Annemarie based on mutual respect. To oversee the proposed solutions, Rachel needs to be more involved in day to day activities of the agency. This would give a feeling to the nurses that the management understands their concerns and the importance of resolving those concerns. Conclusion: The analysis of this case brings out the fact that open and effective communication has a very important role in successful operations of an organization. The manager needs to understand employees and their assumptions, perceptions and feelings. Employees need to understand the goals, pressures, strengths and weaknesses and working style of their managers. By working together and communicating openly a win-win situation can be achieved, as desired by all organizations. Bibliography The ideas presented in this analysis draw from several sources included in Organizational Behavior reading pack for MBA 2015 and interested readers can pursue the following sources for more details.

Friday, March 6, 2020

Ray Bradbury Essays - Fahrenheit 451, Waukegan, Illinois

Ray Bradbury Essays - Fahrenheit 451, Waukegan, Illinois Ray Bradbury "It was a special pleasure to see things eaten, to see things blackened and changed. With the brass nozzle in his fists, with this great python spitting its venomous kerosene upon the world, the blood pounded in his head, and his hands were the hands of some amazing conductor playing all the symphonies of blazing and burning to bring down the tatters and charcoal ruins of history. With his symbolic helmet numbered 451 on his stolid head, and his eyes all orange flame with the thought of what came next, he flicked the igniter and the house jumped up in a gorging fire that burned the evening sky red and yellow and black. He strode in a swarm of fireflies. He wanted above all, like the old joke, to shove a marshmallow on a stick in the furnace, while the flapping pigeon-winged books died on the porch and lawn of the house. While the books went up in sparkling whirls and blew away on a wind turned dark with burning." The above quote is from Fahrenheit 451, my favorite science fiction novel of all time, by Ray Bradbury. The quote describes the main concept of the book and is very appealing because it gives so much visual detail to the scene. This story is set in a future where all books and other written materials are forbidden. The main character's (Guy Montag's) job is to burn books and the houses which the books are hidden in. He never questions his actions until he meets someone who tells him how it was in the past when people didn't live in fear and could read whatever they wished. Then he does everything he can to prevent books from being burned and starts wanting to learn more and more. I thought that this novel exercised great social commentary on society as a whole. It shows how important books are to us all. It also shows that some people feel that knowledge is a threat to power and rule. Reading is a freedom everyone should be able to enjoy. Ray Bradbury is an American novelist, short-story writer, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and poet. He was born in Waukegan, Illinois on August 22, 1920. His work has been included in the Best American Short Story collections (1946,1948, and 1952). He has been awarded the O. Henry Memorial Award, the Benjamin Franklin Award in 1954, the Aviation-Space Writer's Association Award for best space article in an American Magazine in 1967, the World Fantasy Award for lifetime achievement, and the Grand Master Award from the Science Fiction Writers of America. His animated film about the history of flight, Icarus Montgolfier Wright, was nominated for an academy award, and his teleplay of The Halloween Tree won an Emmy. Some of Bradbury's most famous books over the years are The Martian Chronicles, The Illustrated Man, No Man is an Island, The Golden Apples of the Sun, Dandelion Wine and of course Fahrenheit 451. Ray Bradbury's writing has been honored in many ways, but probably the most unusual was when an Apollo astronaut named the Dandelion Crater on the Moon after Bradbury's novel, Dandelion Wine. Besides his literary achievements, Ray Bradbury was the idea consultant and wrote the basic scenario for the United States Pavilion at the 1964 New York World's Fair. He thought up the metaphors for Spaceship Earth, EPCOT, Disney World, and he contributed to the birth of the Orbitron space ride at Euro-Disney in France. He was creative consultant for the Jon Jerde Partnership, the architectural firm that blueprinted the Glendale Galleria, The Westside Pavilion in Los Angeles, and Horton Plaza in San Diego. Ray Bradbury is now living in California and is still writing and lecturing.

Tuesday, February 18, 2020

What is mentoring at work What benefits may the mentor derive from Essay

What is mentoring at work What benefits may the mentor derive from such a process Illustrate your answer with suitable examples - Essay Example velopment, acquirement of inter-personal skills, problem solving skills, collaboration and teamwork as well as open mindedness among other positive aspects that are important for enhancement of performance. The purpose of this paper is to assess critically the meaning of mentoring at work and to assess the benefits that a mentor derives from workplace mentorship. Mentoring is a practice that involves sharing of knowledge, experience, facts as well as the point of view by a person to promote personal and career development in another individual. At work, mentoring involves maintaining a positive attitude towards work as well as developing problem solving skills among the less experienced employees to enhance the accomplishment of organizational goals. A mentor is usually an experienced worker in an organization who understands the organizational processes and is competent in problem solving (Ragins, 2007). Zachary (2005) states that, â€Å"satisfaction is one of the major benefits of mentors†. In essence, humans tend to be inclined towards helping others as a sign of social responsibility. Material benefits may not be achieved, but the mentor tends to feel esteemed when successful individuals associate their accomplishments with him/her. When a person acts as a mentor, there is a high possibility of developing a new perspective in regard to approaching issues in the workplace. The mentor gains a sense of worth on the realization that the knowledge he/she has acquired over many years is valuable not only to the organization, but also to another person who will possibly pass it over to a third person in future. In essence, he/she becomes a legendary employee in the organization whose legacy is admired by many. Willingen (2000) observes that talent is preserved in an organization, which is an indicator of success for the mentor. Moreover, the mentor understands concepts better as he/she engages in problem solving through workplace mentoring (Ensher & Murphy 2005).

Monday, February 3, 2020

IMF Policy and Its Effects Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IMF Policy and Its Effects - Assignment Example In his essay â€Å"What I Learned at the  World Economic Crisis†, he described very thoroughly the problems of such countries and the role of international monetary fund IMF in creating and multiplying the downfall of a running economy. Stiglitz said that during his appointment as chief economist, he saw many economic crises in most parts of the world, which then took the form of a global crisis. He said that the IMF in not very serious on the issue of solving the problems of countries. Because it suggested wrong policies, many developing countries which were initially in a very good state, adapted those policies & in the end, declined off smoothly. Actually, IMF tries to implement the same tactics on each country without properly analyzing the background and ground facts. During the crises of Latin America in 1980s, IMF imposed controlled budget technique and tight policies if the countries agreed to provide them with an aid. This really proved to be good for them as they w ere not already involved with budget surpluses techniques so they survived from the crisis in a much better way. But the big issue is that IMF imposed all such techniques to those countries too like Thailand and Indonesia, who have a total different reality than US. This was a big mistake, not only from the IMF side but from the governments too, as they did not consider the fact that IMF was not fully aware of their economical status. They were already giving huge surpluses while avoiding the severe conditions of illiteracy and other factors that contributed a lot in economical development of a country. By implementing IMF policies, they nearly starved to death. The inflation rates and unemployment soared and people came upon the streets against their governments. Another major reason of this setback was that some Asian countries started liberalizing their capital markets, due to which they needed more revenue to compensate. So they implemented some short term financial programs whi ch caused huge real estate disasters. In late 1990s, Thailand and Indonesia suffered major economic crises due to bad policies of IMF. Stiglitz suggested that the tight austerity measures, high interest rates and reductions in government’s expenditure cannot solve the problem of such countries; rather it would propel them more towards depression and result in more bankruptcies. If there would be internal policies of the country according to its own ground facts, then they would be more helpful. Privatization is not the solution; instead there must be market competition so that the best would tackle the system. There should be an institutional infrastructure from top to bottom, which would definitely be helpful in boosting the economy. If every country suffering from recession adapts these measures, it will definitely get out of it without much damage to the economy (Stiglitz. What I Learned at the World Economic Crisis. 2000). In the reply to all of above mentioned accusation s made on IMF, Kenneth Rogoff, the Economic Counsellor and Director of the Research Department at IMF, came up with a comprehensive set of answers in his article â€Å"The IMF strikes back†. He said that there has been a debate on the competency of IMF staff that they are incapable and 3rd class students at their times, and also that IMF staff is careless and irresponsible that they don’

Sunday, January 26, 2020

Analysis Of Four Different Generations In The Workforce Commerce Essay

Analysis Of Four Different Generations In The Workforce Commerce Essay For the first time in history, the workforce has become a melting pot of four diverse generations. Not only is the workforce now more multi-generational it is also more multi-national (Johnson Lopez, 2008, p. 31). While diversity is increasingly common in the workforce, usually it is only considered in differences of race, religion, sex, nationality, education, and skill level. While each of these traits can contribute to an employees perception of work and preferences in the workplace, generational differences will also have an effect. When organizations try to understand and cater to differences in generations, they will experience benefits both for the organization and the individual employees. By offering more of what employees want, an organization can begin to see the benefits of a multigenerational work force. Generations Currently, there are four prominent generations in the workforce. A generation is defined by demographics and key life-events that shape, at least to some degree, distinctive generational characteristics (Bell Narz, 2007, p. 56). Since the 1920s, key historical events have shaped society. It is argued that these same events have affected the people who lived through them by shaping their values, attitudes, behaviors, expectations, habits, motivational buttons, views of authority, and expectations of leadership (as cited in Crampton Hodge, 2007, p. 16). Generations are formed by grouping these people in similar time periods with similar personal attributes. Due to economic reasons, many employees are working past retirement age which is causing the median age of the current workforce to increase. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported a median age was 41.2 in 2008 with an anticipated growth at 42.3 by 2018 (Toossi, 2009). According to 2009 Bureau of Labor Statistics projections, the baby-boom generation is expected to remain in the labor force longer than previous generations. As this group ages, the number of people in the labor force aged 55 to 64 is expected to grow by 33 percent between 2008 and 2018, and the number of people aged 65 and older is projected to grow by 78 percent. (Bureau, 2009, Â ¶ 2) According to Nelson and Quick (2009), the number of younger workers is declining, as is the number of older workers (over age sixty-five) (p. 47). Even with conflicting data about workforce projections for older workers, it is apparent that there are more people staying in the workforce for longer periods of time. Wilson (2009) states, Younger workers will continue to arrive, and, with the way the economy is going, a lot of the older workers are not going anywhere soon (p. 54) All of this has led to a multigenerational workforce. Matures The oldest generation currently in the workforce has many names, but for the purposes of this paper, they will be referred to as the Matures. This group also has been called the Veterans, Traditionalists, and the Silent Generation (Bell Narz, 2007; Crampton Hodge, 2007; Giancola, 2006). Just as there are differences in the name of this generation, there are differences in the exact dates of this generation. Depending on the source, the Matures were born anywhere between 1900 and 1945. Currently, these employees are retired or nearing retirement age, yet continue to be in the workforce due to the economic climate and personal choice. While the Matures only make up about 5% of the current workforce, they are still a valuable part of an organization (Giancola). According to Nelson and Quick (2009), this group usually encompasses most organizations top managers. Giancola (2006) claims the Matures tend to be thrifty and adaptive because of their experience during the hard economic times of the Great Depression. During that time, husbands typically worked in an office from 8am to 5pm while nonworking wives tended to the family (Bell Narz, 2007). The Matures are thought to be disciplined and have a strong work ethic. They prefer a chain of command and fairness and tend to be very loyal to their organizations. Most Matures have worked at one or two organizations throughout their careers (Bell Narz; Crampton Hodge, 2007; Wilson, 2009). This hard-working dedicated group gave birth the Baby Boomer generation. Baby Boomers The largest generation is known as the Baby Boomers. According to Robbins and Judge (2008), Boomers are a large cohort born after World War II when veterans returned to their families and times were good (p. 119). Giancola (2006) claims this generation makes up 43% of the workforce. Depending on the source, the Baby Boomers were born between 1943 and 1967 (Crampton Hodge, 2007; Giancola). Modeling after their parents, the Baby Boomers also have a strong work ethic and have some of the same values as the Matures. They are ambitious and hardworking with loyalty to their career (Robbins Judge). This generation made the dual career household commonplace. The time period between 1950 and 1970 saw many changes in society. While significant changes happened in society during the Matures time period, the Baby Boomers grew up with the ability to see the changes happen on television. These changes have forced the Baby Boomers to be very receptive to change and expansion. This group was influenced by events such as the civil rights movement, the Vietnam War, and the womens movement (Robbins Judge, 2008). They have a general distrust of authority and do not like rules that were made just for the sake of having rules. Crampton and Hodge (2007) compare the two groups by stating Veterans (Matures) work hard because they think it is the right thing to do while Baby Boomers work hard because they think they have to (p. 17). Their hippie ethic contributes to their need to challenge the status quo. Being so highly competitive, many view them as being self-centered or micro-managers (Robbi ns Judge; Wilson, 2009). Generation X As with any age group, Generation X workers inherited some of their characteristics from their parents. Generation X, also called the Baby Bust generation, encompasses a group born anywhere between 1961 and 1981, making up roughly 42% of the workforce (Giancola, 2006; Nelson Quick, 2009). As children of the Baby Boomers, Generation Xers saw the toll that having both parents trying to have it all took on the family, and they are working to change it (Bell Narz, 2007, p. 57). Generation X strives to achieve balance in their work and family lives. Like their parents, Generation Xers question authority and are highly competitive (Robbins Judge, 2008). They are flexible and embrace change. This is was especially important with the development of the personal computer (Crampton Hodge, 2007). The use of computers was an important change for the workplace and Generation X was the first to use them. Acquiring technological skills is important for this generation. Generation Xers lack loyalty to an organization so they must possess a variety of skills to make them marketable. They value education, independence, and parenting above work (Sutton Bell, 2007, p. 57). This attitude is especially prevalent in Generation Xers children. Generation Y The fourth generation currently in the workforce is Generation Y, also known as Gen Yers, Nexters, Millennials, the Internet Generation, and Echo Boomers, who were born anywhere from 1980 to 1999 (Crampton Hodge, 2007; Bell Narz 2007). For the purpose of this paper, they will be called Gen Yers. According to Robbins and Judge (2008), this generation is very self-centered and concerned with becoming rich and famous more than any other generation. While other generations lived to work, Gen Yers work to live (2007). Much like their parents, Gen Yers are concerned with having a work/life balance. They question everything and put other things above work (Nelson Quick, 2009). While they are very high-maintenance for an employer (Robbins Judge), they are also predicted to be the highest performing in the workforce (Nelson Quick). Crampton and Hodge (2007) claim that Gen Yers are the most educated, well-traveled, and technologically sophisticated generation (p. 18). They are more comfortable with diversity than any other generation simply because they were taught at an early age to respect other races, sexual orientations, and ethnic groups (Bell Narz, 2007). Gen Yers like to have a challenging work environment and take ownership of their assignments. Perhaps the Gen Y trait most different than any other generation is their technological knowledge. While Generation X was the first to use technology in the workplace, Gen Yers grew up with it surrounding them. Theyve lived much of their lives with ATMs, DVD, cell phones, laptops, and the internet (Robbins Judge, 2008, p. 120). Technology, as well as their ability to multi-task, has given Gen Yers an advantage in the workplace. They are consistently high performers (Wilson, 2009). Technology has also exposed them to more at an earlier age than any other generation. They tend to have a strong sense of morality, to be patriotic, willing to fight for freedom, are sociable, and value home and family (Lowe, Levitt Wilson, 2008, p. 46). Opposing Views Some research suggests that the generation gap is more of a myth than an actual problem in the workplace. Giancola (2006) suggests that the focus on generational gaps may be more popular culture than social science (p. 33). Several factors have led him to this conclusion. The foremost factor is the inconsistencies of defining a generation. Some define a generation by the US Census Bureaus definition of that time period while others define a generation by shared formative experiences. Experts generally have identified four generations on this basis, but others believe there are five and cite an anomalous subgroup in the Silent Generation, The Swing Generation, which is comprised of activists and free thinkers who were born in the latter years of the Silent birth period (Giancola, 2006, p. 33). Giancola also mentions another generation called Generation Jones which overlaps two other generations. The reality is that many people identify with at least two generations (p. 34). Another problem with the generational way of thinking is the broad range of ages in each generation. Age is a factor that influences how individuals perceive events. In a time period of 20 years, the oldest will be entering adulthood while the youngest will be babies. An event will not affect the two ages in the same way. The Baby Boomers in particular are an example of how there are many differences in the same generation. Giancola (2006) suggests that the Baby Boom generation must be segmented into smaller groups to understand and predict the behavior of its members with precision (p. 34). Another argument against a generational gap causing conflict is each generations core values. Giancola (2006) quotes a report by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) that indicates that core values are not very different among generations. The differences are so slight that AARP refers to a vanishing generation gap (p. 34). Perhaps the most overlooked argument against the generational way of thinking is all of the other causes of differences in people. Numerous factors in addition to birth era also shape how others think and behave, such as race, gender, ethnicity, geographical considerations, and socioeconomic background (McDonald, 2008, p. 63). Each of these characteristics can play a role in how a person is affected by something. With the US now being so diverse, many organizations are employers to many different types of people. While there is much research stating the differences in generations cause problems in the workplace, other research shows that generations in the workplace are not all that different and are not an issue that needs special consideration. Regardless of the reasoning behind the differences, organizations need to embrace these differences in their employees and learn how best to nurture their needs. Baldonado and Spangenburg (2009) claim understanding generational diversity will improve the competitive edge of an organization, increase recruitment, and retention, and ultimately create a stronger organization (pp. 99-100). Bridging the Gap Whether the differences are generational or just individual, it is apparent there are differences in people in the workplace. This is not altogether a bad thing. By examining the differences in employees, an organization can utilize these differences to their advantage. McDonald (2008) states there are indications that workers from each generation respond to different sets of motivators and rewards and seek to derive varying experiences and benefits from their jobs (p. 62). The following table (Table 1) shows the differences core values and expectations of members of each generation. Matures Generation Y Table 1 (Adapted from Patota, Schwartz, Schwartz, 2007) These differences can be a huge benefit to an organization. When most organizations think about knowledge transfer, they think in terms of veterans of the organization mentoring the new hires, younger people with little experience (Wagner, 2009, p. 6). A manager will be successful in realizing that knowledge transfer can be reciprocated. The differences not only affect how management interacts with employees, but also how employees interact with each other. For example, an employee who has been at an organization for 15-20 years may not be very receptive to a younger counterpart (Cocheo, 2008). These younger employees bring along a wealth of knowledge and a new perspective to an organization. Negative Perceptions As with any stereotype, there are negative perceptions about a particular group. Each generation describes the next as having an easier time of it all, with less work ethic, less respect for its elders, and wearing ugly clothes and listening to awful music (Wilson, 2009, p. 50). Each generation feels like they had to work harder to achieve what appears to be given to the next. Jones (2009) points out that some feel Gen Yers havent earned their opportunities as Gen Xers and the Boomers did (p.1). To demonstrate how people can work together effectively in a multigenerational environment, Patota et al. (2007) distinguish two types of people: the Super Manager and the Super Employee. Super Manager Patota et al. (2007) list four characteristics of the Super Manager: Identifies competencies necessary to be successful in each task/job/project; Recognizes what makes each generation tick in the workplace; Blends competencies and the generational qualities in a way that inspires, motivates, and leads employees to achieve the universal company goals (strategic imperatives); Provides rewards to employees that are consistent with each generations motivations, expectations and values. (pp. 3-4) If managers possess the qualities of a Super Manager, they will effectively lead their employees to success. By knowing what motivates their employees, Super Managers can help them achieve greatness in their individual positions. Another important part of individual success is becoming a Super Employee. Super Employee Patota et al. (2007) identifies the following as characteristics of the Super Employee: Recognizes generational differences; Respects differences in generational outlooks; Becomes a more valuable employee as a result of being able to work with multiple generations. This is similar to a bilingual person who can easily shift from one language (paradigm) to another. (p. 4) Acceptance is the key to becoming a Super Employee. By abandoning preconceived ideas of their coworkers, employees can have effective knowledge transfer and become indispensable to their organization. Having Super Managers and Super Employees is important for any organization. In order to have both, the organization must become attractive to prospective employees. There are a variety of ways an organization can do this. Most organizations attempt to offer competitive pay and benefits, but specialty benefits really differentiate one from the other. Employee Retention through Specialty Benefits As seen in Table 1, each generations priorities vary, as well as their views regarding work. As time has progressed, it seems more recent generations want to see what an organization can do for them. With such a highly educated workforce, the job market has become more competitive. It is increasingly important as time moves forward that organizations offer more of what future generations want. EAP Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) appeal to all generations. Initially, in the 1970s, EAPs were enacted as an alcohol intervention for employees. Now EAPs include family members and offer counseling within a broader scope, including topics such as finance and marital problems (Clark, 2007). As the employees personal problems are dealt with, the result is not only a healthier employee, but also a healthier workplace (p.50). Though underutilized, this is an attractive benefit for an employee and beneficial to the organization. Work/Life Balance An extension of the EAP, work/life balance programs have become a staple requirement for younger generations. As seen in Table 1, Gen Xers require a work/life balance. Employees are making their personal lives more of a priority and work less of one. Households in which both parents work full-time have less time to care for family members, take care of personal family business, or deal with any other lifestyle issues. Some benefits of a work/life balance program include child care, continuing education, pet care, bereavement services, and additional time off for personal holidays (Clark, 2007). As employees are able to worry less about taking care of personal business, the more productive they will be at work. While this may be more attractive to younger generations than older ones, there are benefits for all generations within a work/life balance program. Wellness Programs Wellness programs concentrate on personal health and preventative services. As health insurance premiums have increased, wellness programs have increasingly become important to all generations (Clark, 2007). Some services included in wellness programs are personal trainers, exercise coaches, attention to disease prevention and management, and help for quitting anything that is unhealthy (2007, p. 51). Like EAPs, wellness programs help to reduce absenteeism and promote a healthier workforce. Stock Ownership Some organizations have formed an Employee Stock Ownership Program (ESOP) to help retain employees. Cocheo (2008) claims an ESOP gives employees more pride in what they do. Their work directly affects their organizations return on equity, which ends up being more pay for them. They understand that they can make decisions that affect the customer, that affect the company (p. 24). Having an ESOP spans across all generations, from satisfying the Matures loyalty to an organization to Gen Yers need for immediate gratification. Future of the Workplace Recruitment In order to attract future employees, organizations need to focus on younger generations as they enter the workforce. In order to become an employer of choice, organizations must create a compelling vision of the future for both the organization and the employee; behave in a way that makes employees proud; ensure employees are in jobs that match well their skills and abilities; and provide the human resources needed to get the work done. (Streeter, 2007, p. 14) Whitacre (2007) explains that there are certain common standards that most people look for in an employer: challenging work, stability, nonthreatening environment, and fair compensation. These are especially important to Gen X and Gen Y, which are the future of the workplace. Because both generations are technologically savvy, keeping up with the latest technology will help increase productivity (Auby, 2008). In order to get the most benefit from current and future employees, organizations should pair up younger workers with veterans in the company. Gen X and Gen Y like to collaborate and work in teams as seen in Table 1. This will ensure knowledge transfer and will make older generations feel respected and valued. Work schedules are an important change in the workplace. Older generations are accustomed to the usual five day workweek but younger generations want more time away from work. Organizations will need to turn the focus on productivity and away from hours at work (Auby, 2008). By showing younger generations that productivity is more important, they will be more loyal to the organization. Another attraction to organizations for younger generations is their interest in public service (Trahant, 2008). Philanthropy is an important trait of an attractive organization. Younger generations want opportunities to volunteer, especially on company time (Lowe et al., 2008). Appealing to peoples sense of public service is clearly important in attracting a new generation of young people (Trahant, p. 37). While large salaries, stock options, and appealing to special interests like the ones mentioned above are important in hiring younger generations, speed is the most critical factor in recruitment and hiring the best talent (Trahant, 2008). These younger generations do not want to wait for a long time to be hired. Job fairs and other recruiting events are helpful by giving organizations the opportunity to hire people on the spot. While this is helpful now, history shows that future generations will likely change priorities and organizations will need to adjust their offerings to cater to the interests of the next generation. The Next Generation While there is not much research on the next generation, natural progression would indicate that the next generation would possess characteristics like their parents and characteristics based on perceived mistakes that their parents made. Also, historic events that they have lived through and experienced will give them similarities to recent generations. It is apparent that dependence on technology only continues to increase. The next generation will be more technologically savvy than those before them. Organizations will need to keep up with current times and constantly get feedback as to what prospective employees are looking for if they want to attract the best employees. Conclusion No two people are exactly the same, nor do they have the same expectations or priorities. The only way to satisfy the needs of a group of people is to try to find some commonalities between them. Diversity is inevitable, but if an organization can determine what its employees want the most, it can begin to understand what direction it needs to go to attract quality employees. It seems that members of the four main generations do have many similarities when it comes to how they behave in a work environment and what they expect from an organization. Whether they are separated out into groups or not, people who live through the same events are going to have similar experiences and views. By separating them into groups, such as generations, organizations can narrow their focus on a particular type of employee. Rather than trying to please each individual, an organization can make changes based on the majority of each group. This will result in making fewer changes and recruiting and retaining happier employees. While looking at generational differences can give an organization a better idea of what to offer, the best way is to just ask the employees themselves. Moving forward, organizations should try to elicit feedback from the employees to determine what is important to them. By giving them the opportunity to speak up, an organization is more likely to offer what good employees are looking for. It is counterproductive when an organizations focus is primarily on productivity. Instead, the focus should be on motivating the employees. This theory spans across all generations and is mutually beneficial to the employee and the organization. More motivated employees will be more productive and more loyal regardless of what generation they were born into.

Saturday, January 18, 2020

Toni Morrison’s Beloved: The Modern Gothic Novel

The purpose of this paper is to explore the concept that Toni Morrison’s Beloved is a modern Gothic novel. It can be argued that Morrison uses many techniques derived from the Gothic period to master her story of Sethe, a former slave haunted by the ghost of her murdered daughter, Beloved. It is the many interwoven techniques of storytelling that make this novel a challenge to analyze but also so integral to the telling of America’s collective past. The novel encompasses trauma, making the reader uncomfortable with its subject matter.Morrison tells a story not told before while weaving the spectacular into a very real situation. This novel makes the reader question, not only the content but how it is being conveyed, while masterfully, also complex in nature. Part of what makes Beloved and other modern Gothic novels so enthralling is its ability to convey mystery, darkness; the unknown as a realism to the reader. It parts its characters in situations that seem completely interesting, gives them a past that is tragic, maybe somewhat scandalous and puts the characters in a limbo of an unfamiliar place, where mystical events happen.The modern Gothic novel builds from a varied thematic past where such techniques in conveying story seemed romantic in flavor but also horrific and fantastic. Prime examples of the Gothic novel come from the Bronte sisters. Both of them take a faraway location usually shrouded fog and create a mysterious romantic leading man whose behavior borders on villainous. They make the female overcome with lust for this anti-hero, painting the picture of a female character in distress, needing the strength of their man and his love. In this respect, the Gothic novel creates an atmosphere of suspense as strange events happen to the main character.This notion of Magical Realism is not a new storytelling technique, but a forgotten one in need of evolution. The paragraph below examines in greater detail Gothic novel themes as a means of comparison for the modern Gothic novel, the Magical Realism used more and more today. Gothic Elements When many readers think of the Gothic novel, they think of horror, fantasy stories but what they do not think of is the beauty, the humanity conveyed in earlier works by the Bronte sisters. When considering the Gothic tradition, modern readers think of Anne Rice’s Vampire series and classic horror like Shelley’s Frankenstein, Bram Stroker’s Dracula.Not many think of the tradition has its roots in Wuthering Heights. The paragraphs below will touch on this foundation and discuss how modern authors like Morrison, Rice and even the King of Horror Stephen King find their writer’s wisdom in the true Gothic style. It is interesting to see how many such as King deviate from the style at times to write a more gory tale while Morrison relies on more thematic techniques of storytelling which require exploration of the character’s psyche. Another good example of realism incorporating suspense with a fantastic element is Henry James’ Turn of the Screw:I stopped short on emerging from one of the plantation and coming into view of the house. What arrested me on the spot—and with shock much greater than any vision had allowed for—was the sense that my imagination had, in a flash, turned real. (25-6) The Gothic tradition is based in extremes. Traditionalists from the cannon like Stephen Dailly claim the Gothic novel â€Å"get its names from the barbarous Goths that invaded England during the medieval period† (1). Still many Gothic elements are founded in the mysterious and exotic (Dailly 1).Characteristics are founded in the following elements: (1) morbid setting, (2) extreme characters: woman in distress and a villainess romantic hero, (3) mystical themes bordering on horror such as ghosts and strange visions or dreams, and (4) death and rampant dysfunctional sexuality. Not all elements are present but the majorit y is in novels like Beloved, Wuthering Heights and Interview with a Vampire. These elements make such reading, while uncomfortable, delicious in breaking some set rules. Gothic novels create a taboo, the reader recognizes as a guilty pleasure.The first unsettling effect Gothic displays is the dark disturbing setting of a foreign place sometimes a castle. This is meant to dull the senses, throw the situation off guard (Berenbaum 23). Part of what makes the setting so eerie is the pretense that the main character usually female is not supposed to be there but is put into the situation because of a family member’s sudden death and her loss of social status. She is often painted as the innocent victim; pure and angelic (Devendra 19) but generally conflicted by her past tragedy or lustful thoughts for her foil; the romantic anti-hero.While this may shock the reader, while the anti-hero like Heathcliff or Lestat should be generally hated because of his past indiscretions; she canno t help but see his humanity and beauty. It is the societal struggle that makes him interesting and creates the romantic dream for the female in distress. It gives her something to hold on to during the tough times she faces. This is also creates great conflict for both the reader and characters which is the ultimate element of Gothic â€Å"cannot exist without pain† and here in lies the paradox â€Å"that pleasure is found in pain† (Berenbaum 30).While the argument can be made that Beloved displays many modern traits like Magical Realism, one can also argue that these were stolen from the Gothic tradition. The entire novel is shrouded in mystery, in gloom based from trauma. It is this trauma born out of post-Reconstructionism and the former slave experience that becomes the taboo. It is the guilty pleasure for many readers as they strive to understand the novel’s true meaning. Much of the mystery or confusion is created by Morrison’s storytelling techniqu e of flashback.What makes the novel uncomfortable is Morrison’s structure for a non-linear storyline. At times the reader does not know they are in the middle of a flashback and this adds to the building of emotion. Valerie Smith argues this flashback technique or method of telling the story in circles makes waves as it feeds off itself over and over while remaining unconvoluted; it still â€Å"limits hegemonic authoritarian systems of knowledge† (346). Much of what we believe about the story is based on what Morrison is educating the reader about.This explains not only the setting of the story but the historical context and Sethe’s inability to assimilate into her own present time to tell her account. The flashbacks continue in circles acting as symbolic technique to explain how life works. It is the historical taboo of post-slavery that influences the reader’s reasoning because there is nothing that can be done to intervene. There is nothing that the re ader can do to make Sethe’s present condition better except continue reading but this acts as a motivation to keep the reader glued (Spargo 118).This can be seen in other post-traumatic accounts found in modern literature such as Sophie’s Choice. This type of historical influence creates taboo, the shock but it is not applicable to just the African American experience but to the human experience. Gothic Setting and the Far Away Location Much of the novel happens in the setting of memory, the continued revisiting of one moment in time and how the decision for a mother to murder her own child impacts her present.The setting of Beloved uses flashback to create gloominess but it is the feeling of Sethe and other residents of the house traveling not only in physical distance but also the passage of time that creates a haunting quality. While she is stuck in the past, she is also stuck in her new home in Ohio on 124 Bluestone Road. Part of what makes the setting gloomy is no t just the historical context of recovering from human bondage but it is the collective notion and ideology of the passage of time. Not even time can heal the wounds.The Underground Railroad while found in many undisclosed physical locations is really a state of mind but so is that period of history called Reconstructionism. For the novel, setting is more about time and characterization but as Margaret Atwood discusses â€Å"the setting is similarly divided: the countryside near Cincinnati, where the central characters have ended up, and a slave-hold plantation in Kentucky† (par 2). But the setting is also defined by people who believe in magic, folklore but also influenced by a broken society where they are themselves ghosts; shells of people.While there is the memory of physical removal from Africa, there is also the notion of that: Slaves are motherless, fatherless, deprived of their mates, their children, their kin. It is a world in which people suddenly vanish and are ne ver seen again†¦as a matter of everyday legal policy† (Atwood par 7). Sethe: Female in Distress, Exploring the Unknown, and Horror/Terror Elements Sethe is the female in distress but not in the traditionalist view of Gothic female character. She is a feminist. She is defined by her past, conflicted by her past decisions and not blinded by lust for an anti-hero.Much of her is defined by her sexuality as a powerful tool. While her decision to murder her daughter made her powerful as she gave her child freedom in death that she still cannot attain in life; it takes on a shocking quality for the reader and can be seen in sexual symbolism later in the novel. In a time when slaves are seen as property, worth less than a cow or a dog to the white man, she pulls above this lack of humanity and uses her sexuality as a tool to facilitate her survival. This does not make her actions right on moral grounds but makes her a strong female role model in literature.Throughout the canon, t he female sex is seen as taboo, symbolic in fruit and nature. Beloved has sexual overtones because of Sethe’s ability to bear fruit. This is a common symbol found in literature; motherhood; the bearing of fruit and nourishing the child with milk. What makes Beloved different in expressing these overtones is when they happen. These sexual symbols present themselves as Beloved’s ghost materializes. Sethe begins to lactate when Beloved appears, â€Å"Just like the day she arrived at 124—sure enough, she had milk enough for all† (106). Is the ghost manifesting in Sethe or is this past of post-trauma?Or is it Sethe’s decent into insanity? Later she continues to use this tool as a means of acquiring proper burial for her daughter. While many readers would be appalled by such an action, others would see how because of slavery, Sethe does not see herself of any value. Rape is not something brutal to her but the notion of not giving her offspring a proper b urial is. She believes that without this burial the soul cannot return home to God, but how does this explain Beloved showing up later. Because Sethe is still struggling with the past, so does the ghost?It is from the setting and the past that the horror element; the impending doom that the flashbacks carry emotionally; the unknown is born out of her being trapped in the house and her belief in the supernatural. It could be the ghost is just a figment of her imagination as a post-trauma sufferer. Atwood writes, â€Å"the day had gone blue without its sun, but she could still make out the black silhouettes of trees in the meadow beyond† (par 16). The past is constantly impacting her present. The doom and gloom of the past is surrounding her, trapping her in that house.This only intensifies the haunting that the ghost represents. It is the element of the ghost that furthers the notion of the unknown for the reader and allows one to analyze Sethe’s character. It is the ha unting that brings her story to the forefront of attention, acting as a catalyst for her to grow and deal with the circumstances of the past. Before she can make a better life for herself, she must descend into madness. It is the pure physicality of the haunting that remains true to the Gothic tradition and not necessarily the horror. Today’s reader associates horror with gore thanks to the blood and guts of Hollywood.True Gothic does not rely on blood but the suspense built from the unknown. It is the fear of the unknown, the life without love that makes the story so compelling. â€Å"And, for some reason she could not immediately account for, the moment she got close enough to see the face, Sethe’s bladder filled to capacity† (Morrison 54). While the house is physically haunted by Beloved’s ghost, it is also haunted by the collective experience of all its residents. The story is told not only in flashback but also from different points of view. This add s to the suspense but building eeriness.While the ghost is grown up, it has the mentality of a toddler while her sister Denver’s attitude is that typical of a boy crazy teenager. As it seems the trauma acts as a haunting embodied by the ghost, as the trauma becomes more real; it comes to the surface of Sethe’s reality; the more terror-ridden Beloved can be felt to Sethe and the others. As Sethe starts to deal with the past, Beloved starts to slip away. â€Å"She feels her thickness thinning, dissolving into nothing† (Morrison 129). Still by using varying points of view allows for differing tones of morality.While no one can blame Sethe for her actions, in a way not only does Paul D lack compassion for her situation because her inability to share her story, while this fact distresses her a lot, she is punishing herself by allowing the trauma to continue. It is in her need to identify herself by a man that weakens her ability to learn from the ghost. It builds the suspense of the unknown further. By allowing the unknown to takeover, she is riddled with fear of Paul D leaving, and taking her esteem with him. She is afraid of anything changing and possibly surrendering to her guilt.Morrison works to create the doubt that Beloved’s ghost is even real. Is she just a by product of Sethe’s trauma? A real ghost, a lost soul trying to get to Heaven? Is she a coping mechanism created by the folklore of post-slavery life? Is she a combination of things, a means for explaining the unexplainable? Or just a literary device? Maybe she is just part of the journey into the unknown that Sethe must take in order to heal from her experiences. In many ways, the ghost leaving is part of Sethe’s growth process and redemption.By making the ghost a real person, physical to everyone, it is allowing Sethe to acknowledge Beloved’s existence. This in itself has a powerful cleansing influence upon her character. She starts acting differently, stronger and less defined by her setting and the people around her. First of all, she leaves the house to go to a picnic in which Sethe stands up to the white man. In this way, she now defined by her self-esteem and her own humanity and not the past. No longer is she a shell of a woman but someone who can function in reality.The scene in which the ghost leaves is a pivotal moment for Sethe but also the other women of her new community. By unloading the baggage of Beloved’s death, she is about to have a future. The picnic acts a coming together of strong women with knowledge of who they are. While they are defined by their collective past, they are also looking to the future for the first time. It is only in the realization that Sethe is not alone that she rediscovers her strength as a person (272). She allows herself a taste of humanity. This story works to capture the essence of slavery’s aftermath for its characters.It tells a truth created in flashback and ghost st ory. It aims to create mysticism only memory can illustrate. â€Å"The novel is meant to give grief a body, to make it palpable† (Gates 29). The characters are trapped in the present because they are imprisoned by the horrors of slavery. They are literally held hostage in their home, isolated from the outside world. In many ways Beloved represents a geographically realistic neo-slave narrative by presenting in flashback the experiences of Sethe. This story also has the fantastic element of a ghost who later becomes flesh and bone.The paragraphs below explore the characters memories and the magical realism of a ghost. Memory affects the character of Sethe in a way that illustrates the pain and grief of her past enslavement. Sethe is living with the memory of killing her two old year daughter to save her from the horror of slavery while she herself was struggling to attain freedom. As a result of this action, she is unable to forgive herself and lives trapped in this memory. As much as this is a very private pain, it dominates her and comes to life in her house.The memory affects the other occupants of the house and even drives her sons to leave. Sethe believes that nothing can destroy a memory, not even destroying the physical evidence. The following quote exhibits this idea: It's so hard for me to believe in [time]. Some things go. Pass on. Some things just stay. I used to think it was my rememory. . . . But it's not. Places, places are still there. If a house burns down, it's gone, but the place-the picture of it-stays, and not just in my rememory, but out there, in the world. (Morrison 36)In essence, this means that the soul takes every experience with it. I believe her relationship with this memory only deepens over time and does not change for the better. Even the attempt to leave her happy with her new marriage leaves the reader feeling that she is still coping. Morrison writes, â€Å"the future was a matter of keeping the past at bay. The ‘ better life' she believed she and Denver were living was simply not that other one† (42). This signifies that her memories leave her static in the present. It is almost as if nothing new can happen to her until she lets the past go.Still this is likely as Morrison writes â€Å"but her brain was not interested in the future. Loaded with the past and hungry for more, it left her no room to imagine, let alone plan for, the next day† (70). It is through the flashback images the reader learns of slavery and Sethe’s experience escaping but it also through Morrison’s description of the present that reader begins to understand the environment of Reconstruction. These are people still being defined by their enslavement. â€Å"The future was sunset; the past something to leave behind.And if it didn't stay behind, well, you might have to stomp it out. Slave life; freed life-every day was a test and a trial. Nothing could be counted on in a world where even when you were a solution you were a problem† (256). This theme is never so evident than with Morrison’s use of magical realism in the form of Beloved the ghost. â€Å"This awkward spirit shakes the furniture, puts tiny handprints on the cakes, shatters mirrors, Sethe and Denver live stolidly in the chaos, emotionally frozen† (Gates 28). The physical ghost acts as an embodiment of Sethe’s sorrow and guilt.The consequence of Beloved’s actions only feed Sethe’s inability to function in the present. Whether or not the ghost is an embodiment of Sethe’s guilt, insanity, folklore, an actual real ghost, the symbolic representation of the house’s negative feelings due to historical context, or the collective sadness and unknown of the residents’ terror; remains to be seen. This is an unknown; a mystery Morrison leaves for the reader to decide. Conclusion In conclusion, Beloved connected with the reader on many levels. In times of war and t ragedy, such themes are not uncommon.One is reminded of Sophie’s Choice where the heroine had to make a similar yet devastating decision about her children. Still Morrison used a ghost to exhibit just how much the past has followed Sethe. Such technique can be found in other modern novels by Isabelle Allende and Gabriel Garcia-Marquez where the fantastic take on realistic qualities. The purpose of this paper was to explore the concept that Toni Morrison’s Beloved is a modern Gothic novel. It can be argued that Morrison used many techniques derived from the Gothic period to master her story of Sethe, a former slave haunted by the ghost of her murdered daughter, Beloved.The novel has many interwoven techniques of storytelling that make reading a challenge to analyze but also so integral to the telling of America’s collective past. As a collective, our history has pain that can be found beautiful. The novel encompassed trauma, making the reader uncomfortable with i ts subject matter, mainly Sethe’s sexuality as a powerful, feministic tool. Morrison tells a story not told before while weaving the spectacular into a very real situation and therefore created a much different storytelling style furthering the evolution of the modern novel.This novel made the reader question, not only the content but how it was being conveyed, while masterfully, also complex in nature. While it is considered a modern novel, it redefined many Gothic elements. Part of what made Beloved and other modern Gothic novels so enthralling was its ability to convey mystery, darkness; the unknown as a realism to the reader. It put its characters in situations that seemed completely interesting, gave them a past that was tragic, maybe somewhat scandalous and put the characters in a limbo of an unfamiliar place, where mystical events happened.Works Cited Atwood, Margaret. â€Å"Jaunted By Their Nightmares. † New York Times 13 Sept. 1987, natl. ed. : Arts and Entert ainment section. Atwood explains Morrison’s story of grief and death of Sethe’s little girl touching on Slavery’s influence on modern society. She looks at Gothic techniques used to tell a modern story while discussing Sethe’s insanity and humanity. Berenbaum, Linda. The Gothic Imagination. East Brunswick, New Jersey: Associated University Press, Ltd. , 1948. This author analyzes Wuthering Heights from the thematic view point of Gothic novel stylings.She looks to Bronte’s writing as a means of justifying the non-horror of Gothic novels but the humanity involved. In doing this, she paints the novel as being very Gothic and also scary. In this respect, the argument backfires but also legitimizes the Gothic novel as a genre. Dailly, Stephen. â€Å"The Gothic Novel. † Online. Internet. Available FTP: http://www. btinternet. com/Stephen. dailly/writing/resources/gothic. htm Devendra, Varma, The Gothic Flame. London: Arthur Baker Ltd. , and Morris on and Gibb Ltd. , 1957.Author looks to traditional thematic elements of Gothic novel to argue that Gothic novels display two worlds. He also looks to history to back up this point. Gates, Henry Louis and Appiah, K. A. , ed. Toni Morrison: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. New York: Amistad Press, Inc. , 1993. Editors analyze Toni Morrison’s writing, specifically Beloved in order to argue that the novel does not reflect the negative victimism of slavery but uses storytelling as a means to entertain such a serious subject. They argue that Beloved can also be seen as ghost story.James, Henry. Turn of the Screw. New York: Pocket Books, 1941 James’ tale of suspense and woman haunting the man who done her wrong and is one of the first times in literature a ghost seems realistic. Morrison, Toni. Beloved. New York: Penguin Books, 1987. Morrison’s groundbreaking story of one woman’s life after slavery and ghosts that remain in the present. This story by usi ng flashbacks tells the story of a woman murdering her baby daughter so that that daughter does not have to live in slavery. This novel displays how one’s action’s continues to live on inside of them and later materialize as a ghost.It also conveys how even in American modern society, the collective history still remains in shadows and needs to be addressed, no matter how uncomfortable. Smith, Valerie. â€Å"Circling the Subject: History and Narrative in Beloved. † Toni Morrison: Critical Perspectives Past and Present. Ed. Henry Louis Gates Jr. and K. A. Appiah. New York: Amistad, 1993. 342-55. Smith analyzes Morrison’s use of flashback as a cyclical technique not used before in literature. Spargo, R. Clifton. â€Å"Trauma and the spectres of enslavement in Morrison’s Beloved. † Mosaic 35. 1 (2002): 113-130. Spargo discusses history as a grounds for telling fictional stories.