Wednesday, December 25, 2019

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1412 Words

Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald’s novel The Great Gatsby showcases the American society during the Roaring 1920s. During this time period many longed to be rich and become a member of the upper class. It became one’s dream to obtain good social standing rather than to achieve freedom and happiness. Fitzgerald creates characters, such as Daisy Buchanan and Jay Gatsby, who are more concerned with wealth than what truly makes them happy in life. Therefore, many perceive the theme of this novel to be achieving the American Dream; an idea that people in America, the land of opportunity, could achieve success and prosperity through hard work and perseverance. However, I believe that Fitzgerald wrote The Great Gatsby as a warning for how†¦show more content†¦The constant staring of these large eyes represents not only God looking down on the characters but also the idea and concept of morals present in every character. The eyes continue to stare down on the charact ers because of their carefree lifestyle. Almost every character in the novel is neglecting their morals by forgetting what is truly important in life, since they are more concerned with how they can become wealthy and achieve a higher social status. â€Å"Evidently some wild wag of an oculist set them there to fatten his practice in the borough of Queens and then sank down himself into eternal blindness or forgot them and moved away. But his eyes, dimmed a little by many paintless days under sun and rain, brood on over the solemn dumping ground.† (Fitzgerald 27-28). As Fitzgerald describes, this billboard has not been kept up with and appears to be rather worn down and practically disintegrating. As stated, this billboard symbolizes not only God but also the spiritual and moral values of those in society. Therefore, when it is mentioned that their society is not paying any attention to or acknowledging the advertisement, it clearly represents the characters constant dis regard of their values. If the theme of this novel were thought to be achieving the American Dream, one would consider this billboard to simply be an image of God watching over the characters and their actions

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Analysis Of The Article Megyn Kelly Missed - 819 Words

The article â€Å"Megyn Kelly Missed an Opportunity to Help Women†, articulates the importance of human resources management for employees and organizations. Phillips demonstrates various inequalities in the workplace today through the findings of unreported discriminatory practices against women starting with Kelly. Her interaction with Trump is a continual issue in the workforce today which goes unreported or suppressed because women are afraid to voice their concerns. Taken from Kelly’s book, Phillips assiduously advocates the importance of the Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), stating how organizations should learn to adapt to better human resources management practices to prevent discriminatory actions. Some of the implications The†¦show more content†¦The EEOC established in 2965 as part of the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act extends discrimination and harassment protections to uncovered groups in the workplace. Writer of the article, Phillips, also uses cases Kelly had found over the years about the equal employment opportunities. More specifically, the upraise of the glass ceiling within global corporations such as Walmart. In 2010, this giant retailer had systematically barred qualified women from job opportunities open to men (Phillips, 2016). Preventing women from advancing in their career is an example of systemic discrimination which goes against the human rights legislation. Luckily, â€Å"EEOC regulations provide a path for women in less high-profile jobs to challenge discriminatory practices. In response to improper treatment, a woman can register a formal complaint with her Human Resources officer or with a local EEOC of HR response is unsatisfactory.† (Phillips, 2016). On the other hand, women know that jobs are scarce, thus, making complaints may be unpalatable. They fear that they may be laid off or terminated by questioning company regulations. For settlements to begin, employees must understand EEOC rules and most importantly, women need to have the courage to stand up for their rights. Many employers settle disputes themselves to prevent time-consuming and

Monday, December 9, 2019

Cross Cultural free essay sample

Definition of Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology Culture is something learned shaping individuals’ behaviors. It is an impermanent factor of individuals’ environment, created by people, and those around them. Culture can shape individuals or influence how they live. Culture can aid in defining individuals, separating one from other. People’s behaviors are influenced by many sources but such causes do not always account for social-cultural conditions. Cultural psychology attempts to connect cultural conditions with psychological theories. Important communication between culture and behavior allow individuals to observe that cognitive operations are changeable results in the kind of atmosphere by which individuals surround themselves (Shiraev amp; Levy, 2010). Cross-cultural psychology, considered a new concept in the discipline of psychology, recognizes relevant factors amid various cultures. It does not focus on one culture while attempting to explain behaviors or actions of society, instead it addresses several cultures. Cross-cultural psychology attempts to explain and describe similarities and differences in human behavior psychologically with reference to sociocultural and ecological factors (Flowers, n. d. ). Culture is not the same as society, race, or ethnicity, however; these elements contribute to individualism. The various approaches used in cross-cultural psychology to help individuals understand how human behavior differs are cultural mixture, ecocultural, evolutionary, the integrative approach and sociological. Each of these approaches works with the other, for example, the evolutionary method supposes biological factors influence one’s behavior whereas the ecocultural method believes true acknowledgement of individuals comes by viewing one’s environment (Shiraev amp; Levy, 2010). Cross-cultural psychology also adds to both applied and general psychology, involving cultural influences. To decrease negative effects of cultural differences, six kinds of cultural training have been identified. The first is fact-oriented training used to gather information. The second is attribution training that helps individuals adopt the cultures’ standards. The third is cultural awareness. The fourth is cognitive-behavior modification. The fifth is experiential learning giving individuals positive interaction with local residents, and finally there is the interaction approach. Cross-cultural psychology can contribute to a more international-oriented education for college students (Triandis amp; Brislin, 1983). The Relationship between Cultural and Cross-Cultural Psychology Cultural psychology is a discipline overlapping other disciplines, including anthropology and philosophy. Cultural psychology knows human drive cannot be explained by factors such as genetic predisposition. Instead, cultural psychology believes that culture should be united when trying to explain behavior. Meanwhile, cross-cultural psychology, regardless of its compatibility with other fields, compares different cultures contrasting the differences and similarities with their effect on humanity. Both fields of study have a culture in common, but deviate from each other in that cultural psychology is mostly concerned with understanding the relationship individuals have within their own culture. Whereas cross-cultural psychology is mainly interested in the comparison of various cultures (Shiraev amp; Levy, 2010). The Role of Critical Thinking in Cross-Cultural Psychology Life is very complex and at times difficult to understand. Critical thinking can be beneficial enabling individuals to traverse life effectively. However, critical thinking is not innate, but rather an ability needing to be learned and honed. The ability to organize thoughts intentionally and accurately, communicating concisely, and solving complex puzzles each use critical thinking. Thinking critically entails asking the correct questions to help solve problems. Individuals who practice applying critical thinking can better develop this skill or expand on previously learned information. Many traits use critical thinking, such as patience when forming critical decisions, the ability to organize, or the accurate use of language (Shiraev amp; Levy, 2010). Language is vital to critical thinking because correct translation is significant for individuals to understand someone else in the way she wants to be understood. However, translating one to another does not mean one will be understood completely. Individuals must realize language can be employed in various ways; to inspire or to traumatize. Possessing the ability to choose right from wrong, recognizing reliability and validity in research, abandoning emotions, and overlooking prejudices each requires critical thinking. Furthermore, critical thinking becomes necessary when similarities are made between different groups or cultures. These examples also demonstrate how critical thinking facilitates cross-cultural psychology (Shiraev amp; Levy, 2010). Methodology Associated with Cross-Cultural Research Research is meaningful to cross-cultural psychology. Without research subjects intriguing to psychologists would be open mostly to assumptions. Cross-cultural psychologists fascinated with commonalities among cultures are interested with how these cultures relate to one another giving rise to certain behaviors. When conducting psychological studies obstacles can often arise creating issue during the course of the research; for example, language barriers. Two different strategies, the application-oriented strategy and the comparativist strategy, allow researcher a choice performing research. Plus researchers can use different approaches to gather samples such as random sampling, through convenience, or systematic sampling (Shiraev amp; Levy, 2010). Analyzing data is part of researching culture, and this entails two approaches: the relativist approach and the absolutist approach, also known as the universalist approach. Psychologists supporting the absolutists approach think psychological occurrences in essence are the same culturally. Basically they believe the norms in every culture are the same or are at least ruled by the same values. The relativist approach differs in that psychologists believe human behavior is solely understood within the culture in which individuals dwell and human sychology must be examined within specific cultural atmospheres (Shiraev amp; Levy, 2010). The Quantitative and Qualitative Methods When psychologists are conducting any form of research, they must choose a proper method. The qualitative and quantitative methods are useful for observation because they are statistically and mathematically based. Using a comparative perspective cross-cultural psychology measures and compares human behavior with various other cultures (Shiraev amp; Levy, 2010). The qualitative method is valued when some aspects of the research can be difficult to gauge. It is carried out in towns, neighborhoods, or parks where people are behaving naturally. In this type of study, psychologists attempt to illicit the unspoken facet of culture. Psychologists can use research techniques like focus groups, experimental studies, observations, sample groups, surveys, and more. Psychologists must remember, however, when heading up any research method to be sure their material is transcribed correctly, and they steer clear of prejudicing the outcome (Shiraev amp; Levy, 2010). Conclusion Culture can influence greatly individuals’ lives, therefore it is important to recognize its influence. Cultural and cross-cultural psychologies are fundamental disciplines, aiding individuals in realizing the affect culture has on human behavior and environment. Through cultural psychology, individuals can see the connection between culture and human behavior. Cross-cultural psychology brings individuals to an awareness of the differences and similarities within their culture and how it affects their behavior. Without these two psychologies, individuals may never completely comprehend how complex human nature truly is. References Flowers, S. (n. d. ). Cross-cultural psychology curriculum for community college. Retrieved from http://ww2. odu. edu/~jritz/oted885/Cross-CulturalPsychologyCurriculumforCommunityCollege-SusanFlowers1999. pdf Shiraev, E. B. , amp; Levy, D. A. (2010). Cross-cultural psychology: Critical thinking and contemporary applications (4th ed. ). Boston, MA: Pearson/Allyson Bacon. Triandis, H. C. , amp;

Monday, December 2, 2019

Remembering Mike Essays - 1159, Nelle A. Coley, David Meece

Remembering Mike Remembering Mike The death of my friend Mike Walker taught me the true meaning of the clich?, ?Life does not last forever, so live each day like it is the last.? I treasure my friends and family more than anything in the world. A good friend is hard to find. I thought this was true until the first day I met Mike. I remember the day perfectly and I will always remember it for as long as I live. To me Mike was a great person. He was always laughing and telling jokes. Of course he had his down times like everyone else, but he did not allow himself to stay down for long. He was the type of guy to just walk up to anybody and say, ?Hi, I am Mike Walker.? The first time I met him, I was sitting down to lunch with my friend, Andrew. We were not there long when another guy sat down. He immediately looked at me and said, ?Hi, I am Mike Walker.? I was so surprised by his welcoming smile that I was left speechless. After a slight nudge from Andrew, I responded with my name and was greeted by yet another charming smile. It was not long before I realized I had sat down to lunch with the golf team. They were all talking and goofing off while I quietly ate my lunch. When I looked up, Mike was staring at me. He looked right at me, as if he were reading my mind. He looked around the table before saying, ?All right guys, subject change. What do you want to talk about, Stacy I never got the chance to answer because lunch was over. As we left the cafeteria Mike turned to me and said, ? Don't worry we will talk about what you want next time.? With a smile on his face (as well as mine), he was gone. From then on Mike and I had a friendship. We talked in the halls and after school. Mike was a great person and could always make me happy. One day I was talking to Mike before school let out. We were laughing and joking as usual. He told me he was going to be around after school and to find him later. So, I went happily to band practice. The next thing I knew, my teacher was telling us practice was cancelled. So I got up ready to find Mike. When I walked out of the school, I saw nothing but people and an ambulance. It was so quiet; I never thought there could be so many people in one place and not a single sound. I could not hear anyone move, cough, or even breathe. It was as if the world was holding its breath. I started walking and asking people what was going on. At first they said someone had hit their head, but they were ok. The farther down the hill I got, the more the story changed. They said it was Mike who fell off his four-wheeler and hit his head. I started walking faster and faster in a panic to see Mike. Someone then suddenly stopped me. It took me a minute to realize it was my best friend Mat. I knew as so on as I saw him Mike was dead. His eyes said it all. I stayed a little while staring at the ambulance hoping that maybe Mike would get up and the ambulance would drive away. But it did not happen. That night I cried so hard. I could not sleep due to the tragic sight I had just seen. I had awful mental pictures in my mind. I called Mat for comfort. I was so upset that words just flew out of my mouth. I said, ? Why did I even have to know Mike. This would be easy if I had not ever met him.? Mat put me on hold and when he came back a song was playing. It was Garth Brooks ?The Dance.? I never really listened to the message of the song. It is about the dance of life. It says that he wished he could have missed the