Organizational Structure Essay

In this paper, I will analyze the elements of a job analysis and discuss its significance to the hiring and employee development aspects of human resource management. I will describe the importance of a PAQ, proposing two ways the results can be used to redesign a customer service job for efficiency. I will develop two strategies that HR professionals can in the selection for a customer service position using a Fleishman Job Analysis System. I will examine the challenges for designing this job for efficiency and suggest two ways to redesign it. Finally, I will propose three ways a HR manager can use the information from a job analysis to measure the performance of customer service representatives. One of the most important aspects of human resources is recruiting. In order to recruit the best applicants, job recruiters have to be knowledgeable in all aspects of the position. The best source of information about a position comes from a job analysis. A job analysis is the process of getting detailed information about jobs. A job analysis helps recruiters to match job requirements with the best applicants. It is also essential in employee development, performance appraisals and compensation. A job analysis includes many steps but only three elements. Those elements are the sources of job information, the job specification and the job description. The first element of the job analysis is the source of information used. In doing the analysis, human resource professionals gather information about jobs through interviewing employees, observing performance of certain tasks, asking employees to fill out questionnaires and worksheets, and collecting information about a job from secondary sources. Other sources within the company include existing job descriptions and supervisors. Some of those  secondary sources include existing job analysis information from a competitor and O*NET. Next, the job specification includes the tasks that make up the job, the conditions under which the job is performed and what the job requires in terms of aptitude, knowledge, skills and abilities (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2014). This will provide a lot of data. It measures the amount of time the employee spends on major duties. It provides a description of the major duties in order of importance. It determines whether any licensures, certificates or security clearances are needed to perform the job, as well as the physical, environmental and mental demands of a position. This information is essential in creating a job description. The last element is the job description. â€Å"A job description is a list the tasks, duties, and responsibilities that a job entails (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2014).† A well-written job description can sell jobs to perspective employees and develop training programs as a job position evolves. Sometimes the needs of business changes and therefore some duties may change within a position. â€Å"For the employer, the job description is often used as a recruiting tool and by supervisors to outline position expectations. The job description may be used to indicate salary or reporting structure and as a reference during performance evaluations (Richards, 2014).† Once all the information has been assembled for a job analysis, it can be further analyzed by using a position analysis questionnaire (PAQ). â€Å"A PAQ is a standardized job analysis questionnaire containing 194 questions about work behaviors, work conditions, and job characteristics that apply to a wide variety of jobs (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2014).† The purpose of the questionnaire is to measure the job characteristics and its relation to the human characteristics. The PAQ can be used for a few different things. Common uses include developing a compensation model, selection criteria for a specific job and to study the nature of work (PAQ.com, 2014). A PAQ can be used to redesign a customer service job to be more efficient and improve quality. â€Å"Using the PAQ provides an organization with information that helps in comparing jobs, even when they are dissimilar (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2014).† In making those comparisons, analyzers might find ways to be more efficient. The collected data from this approach helps in developing or revising a job description. In the customer service business the needs of each customer can vary. Therefore, responsibilities of a customer service representative can vary to meet those needs. Those things might not be listed in the job description but will need to be added in order to keep the job description updated. Furthermore, information learned from the PAQ helps in evaluating the position for appropriate classification. A good source to use for worker requirements is the Fleishman Job Analysis system. The Fleishman Job Analysis system (F-JAS) is a job analysis technique that asks subject-matter experts to evaluate a job in terms of the abilities required to perform the job (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2014).† Because the results of a F-JAS, provides a picture of the ability requirements of a job, than recruiters know what abilities to scan for when reviewing resumes. Typing skills might be a skill that is important in a customer service position. The F-JAS can give us an idea of just how important typing is to a job so that we would be able to make reasonable accommodations for an applicant with disabilities. Human resource professionals can also use F-JAS to update job descriptions. As processes change the need for some abilities change as things may become automated, therefore job responsibilities change. â€Å"Kannisto adds, â€Å"With the compliance environment and legal implicat ions, the stakes are a lot higher for job descriptions to be crystal clear with essential responsibilities. If you have a measure of performance that doesn’t appear on the job description and you have a case brought against you, depending on the agency [involved], there could be punishment,† he explains (Tyler, 2013).† When considering the job of a customer service representative (CSR) who handles consumer inquiries for a company that sells items online and by catalog, a few challenges of designing this job for efficiency, come to  mind. The first challenge that comes to mind is monotony. Over time, employees will be bored of doing the same job over and over. Even more so if the job is divided into departments, such as sales, returns and customer service, employees will lose interest. A suggestion for redesigning the customer service representative position is job enlargement. Employees might find the job more engaging if all the calls came through on department. We could cross-train employees to be able to handle all the calls that come through the queue. Another suggestion is job rotation. Maybe every week, we could rotate the tasks. We could also make some customer services responses automated for customers. So if a customer wanted to check status on an order, we could generate a system automa ted response so that those calls don’t come into the call center. Another challenge for designing a customer service representative job is defining authority. Sometimes, customer service requires problem solving and quick decisions. Waiting to speak to a manager can be frustrating for the customer and it makes the employee look incompetent, because it increases hold time. The employee probably feels impotent having to get permission to make a decision, especially when they know what to do. A suggestion for redesigning the CSR’s position is job enrichment. CSR’s need a certain amount of authority when it comes to resolving customer service issues. This is a way to raise productivity levels and employee satisfaction from a sense of personal achievement in taking ownership of problems and meeting the challenge of increased responsibility. A human resource manager (HRM) can use the information obtained from job analysis to measure the performance of a customer service representative. Job analysis is a set of procedures or methods for determining what workers actually do on the job and for describing which aspects of worker knowledge, skill, ability, and other characteristics are needed for job performance. This process defines a productive employee and gives human resource managers a place to start for measuring performance. One way HRM can use this information is in making personnel decisions. This tool can help determine whether an employee should receive a promotion, transfer, pay increase or be fired. It can also be used for employee development. A performance  appraisal will determine the strengths and weaknesses of employees. This is key to helping our CSR’s grow, because we can create training programs to increase their skills levels. Taking the time to strengthen their weaknesses will make them perform better, which is great for the company. Finally, the performance appraisal can be used as documentation to protect a company from lawsuits, because it is used as the basis for personnel decisions. In conclusion, the job analysis is the foundation of most human resource functions. With its use, job descriptions are created and updated which standardizes recruiting. It is a perfect outline for measuring performance of new and existing employees. Job analysis provides training and employee growth opportunities. Personnel decisions are also validated by job analysis, because it creates a system of checks and balances for hiring, performance appraisals, promotion and demotion and/or firing. Works Cited Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, (2014). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. (5th ed., p. 103). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, (2014). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. (5th ed., p. 107). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, (2014). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management. (5th ed., p. 108). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education. PAQ.com. (2014). The paq program. Retrieved from http://www.paq.com/?FuseAction=Main.PAQProgram Richards, F. (2014). Key parts to job descriptions. The Houston Chronicle. Retrieved from http://work.chron.com/key-parts-job-descriptions-12366.html Tyler, K. (2013, Jan. 01). Job worth doing: Update descriptions. Retrieved from http://www.shrm.org/publications/hrmagazine/editorialcontent/2013/0113/pages/0113-job-descriptions.aspx

Proctor and Gamble Success, Failures, Key Players and Projected Outcomes Essay

Answer 1   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Just like any other ordinary multinational company in the market, Proctor & Gamble has been able to use innovation as one of their tools in order to achieve market competitiveness. By knowing the tastes and preferences of their target market, Proctor & Gamble has been utilizing every single opportunity available to improve their market sales and profitability. At the end of the day, the entire company will benefit from the innovative actions of the management of Proctor & Gamble. Through the aid of advanced technology available in the production line, Proctor & Gamble was able to produce Tide, Crest, Pampers etc in a more efficient manner (Bruner, 2001). The eagerness of the members of the top management to pursue innovative processes in the operational line of the company will be later on become part of the core traits of the entire organization, thus, boosting employees morale, efficiency and productivity. With this success of Proctor & Gamble in penetrating their target market through the aid of innovation, there would be no doubt that this company will eventually enjoy impressive growth for the next coming periods. In order to prepare the company from the said growth, Proctor & Gamble increased the volume of their fiscal budget and sales making the shares to the company to rise (Businessweek.com, 2001). This increase in the shares of stocks of Proctor & Gamble means that investors wanted to invest or invest more on the stocks of the latter. On the other hand, one failure that could be considered on the part of the management of the said company would be the resignation of their CEO, Durk Jager, in 2000 as well as the failing profitability of the company during the fourth quarter of the same year (Businessweek.com, 2000). Durk Jager made a lot of contributions in P&G for he is the one who made initial steps in innovating the products and production line of the company as well as credited for his successful marketing strategies that made P&G become one of the leading multinational companies in the country. Profitability on the fourth quarter during that time was the consequence of the tight market competition that exists in the industry. Answer 2   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the factors that made a major impact on the company’s success and failures would be their leaders or the top level management. These members of the top management team of P&G serves to be the â€Å"asset† of the entire organization for the former exhibit impressive skills and talents in handling the operation of the company as well as in predicting the behavior of their target market to gain comparative advantage over their competitors. With these superb managerial skills of the top managers of P&G, the said company was able to overcome their obstacles such as the declining profitability during the late period of 2000. Furthermore, another factor that can be raised here is the various economic factors such as competition, stability of the finance sector of the company and the economic stability of the country in terms of trading with other countries since it affects the international operation of P&G. Like for instance, the rapid fluctuation of exchange rates in the financial market could threaten the return on investment of the foreign investors in the country causing major draw back in the condition of the stocks of multinational firms such as P&G. It is also included here in the list of economic factors that affects the success and failure of the P&G would be the labor market. Proctor & Gamble employs around 130,000 workers in United States alone and any distortion in the labor market, like increase in the wage rate of the workers, could affect the performance of the company in terms of financial stability and production continuity. Answer 3   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   After the resignation of Jager in 2000, another persona was born in order to assume the position of CEO in Proctor & Gamble and he is none other than A.G. Lafley. Lafley used to run a U.S. Navy retail store before he assumed the position of CEO in P&G (Martin, 2008). In order to boost the profitability of P&G which was negatively affected by tight market competition, Lafley decided to know more regarding the behavior of the consumers to anticipate their current needs and preferences which Jager seems to overlook when he was in the position of the CEO. From knowing more on the consumption behavior of their target market plus the innovation of their products, Lafley was able to regain the lost profits of the company as well as the sales and market shares in the industry. In short, the problem regarding the lowering down of P&G’s profit boils down to the saturation of consumers on the old reliable products of the company. What the consumers want to see, as Lafley discovered, is the innovation on the product line of the company, what is new and what the improvements are. Lafley was able to answer these questions and execute the necessary actions to remedy the failing market status of P&G. True enough, P&G now ranked on the 10th place of the worlds top multinational companies in terms of profitability and this is a manifestation of the good leadership and at the same time critical thinking of Lafley regarding the finding of ways to suffice the needs and preferences of their target consumers. References Bruner, G. F. (2001). The Tao of Innovation. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=66774845&sid=1&Fmt=4&clientid=11123&RQT=309&VName=PQD Businessweek.com (2001). Lehman Upgrades Proctor & Gamble. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/dec2001/pi20011212_0523.htm?chan=search Businessweek.com (2000). Why the Tide Turned Against P&G. Retrieved January 29, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/investor/content/eemi/emi0609b.html?chan=search Martin, R. L. (2008). P&G: Using the Past to Invent the Future. Retrieved January 30, 2008, from http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jan2008/id20080122_229434.htm?chan=search   

Higher education Essay

A committee to look into the functioning of Bangalore University has suggested splitting university into five different universities, Bangalore South, North, East, West and Central. The expert committee consisting of Manipal Global Education Chairman T V Mohandas Pai, former vice-chancellors Dr N Rudraiah, Prof N R Shetty, educationists R Natarajan, KRS Murthy, K Narahari and the principal of University Visveswaraya College of Engineering (UVCE), Dr K R Venugopal, who is also the special officer has submitted its report to the Karnataka government. Reportedly, the report makes three major recommendations — to split Bangalore University into five, to upgrade UVCE as a centre of excellence on par with Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and Bangalore University to focus only on research and development. Prof N R Shetty, former VC of Bangalore University, who was on the committee said, â€Å"Considering the huge number of colleges affiliated to Bangalore University and the availability of funds through Rashtriya Ucchathar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA) for creation of new universities, we have recommended that five, including Bangalore University, be carved out of the existing university.† As per the report, BU has 614 affiliated colleges and, under the RUSA scheme, there is an option for states to create one university with 100 colleges. â€Å"As far as funds are concerned, it will not be a burden on the State government since the RUSA scheme proposed by MHRD will provide funds for the newly created universities based on the quality of education,† Shetty said.â€Å" There is a need to improve research and technology under Bangalore University. With such a high number of affiliated colleges, it won’t be possible to concentrate on research activities,† he added, reported New Indian Express.

Important Steps to Marketing Success Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Important Steps to Marketing Success - Essay Example One possibility is renting a billboard that presents a continuing storyline as a traveler goes from one billboard to another, ultimately looking forward to the next billboard and the next part of the story; i.e. Burma Shave from 1925-1963 ("Billboards, 2006), and when the dairy business was in a slump, the GOT MILK logo was used in billboards, magazines, and on television. In the meantime, the product logo becomes familiar. The cost of this type of advertising, however, might be prohibitive. Display signs that encourage the public to search you out might be a less expensive option, but these sales methods also call for a design package that might make it worthwhile to spend a little extra for a well-known designer. After all, if a designer is well-known, he or she must know how to sell an idea. Marketing also could be accomplished with print flyers or broadcast ads by creating a powerful design that demands attention and by developing a mailing list for distribution. Once you have a design, you can create your own flyers. In advertising one thing leads to another. Advertising calls for sales promotion, which requires public relations. Public relations becomes part of personal selling, and the bottom line is direct marketing. How does one marketing decision actually suggest the next step For instance, let us say your company is selling a gadget guaranteed to outperform a similar product. You have registered your trademark, which includes a highly visible logo. In the age of computers a mouse is no longer a small animal; it is an object designed to move you around on the computer screen. Logitech is a highly visible name in the mouse market. But what if you have a voice-activated mouse pointer that reads the information on the screen without having to use a mouse The logo could be a lightning bolt, and the name of the pointer program could be the "Wizard"--shades of Harry Potter. The simpler the logo, the more successful it could be. Look at Nike. Nothing is simpler or more recognizable than the little boomerang. Whatever name you choose for your product, it should connect to your company name. Your particular Wizard is not the only voice-activated pointer program in the marketplace. It is therefore important to bring your company to the attention of the public. There are several ways to make your company name recognizable. One way is to connect to a charity. What if you donated several copies of your new program to a charity such as The Braille Institute This would be followed up with a press release, announcing your gift (Krotz, 2006). Not only would this be of interest to other charities, it might be a useful product for people who have arthritis or are disabled and can't use a regular mouse. If you have a reliable product and customers realize it, word of mouth can do a lot for sales. In this high-tech age, online selling is a necessary activity. Your company should have a website that is easy to navigate. In fact, it should have a voice-activated link in keeping with your new product. As a tie-in to your website, you might set up a booth at a trade show that will allow prospective buyers to try your products. Make sure you have

Kate's Ethical Dilemma Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Kate's Ethical Dilemma - Essay Example This study outlines that Kate would consider the good for herself regardless of the possible happiness for the three children that they could have had if she had used the money to buy gifts, or without considering the harm for the company in the wide extent, because the extra fifty dollars is going to be recorded as a loss. If Kate is following the utilitarianism theory, she would look at the greatest happiness. She would decide to buy gifts for the three sick children since the total good is the greatest in comparison to the other options: return the fifty dollars to the store, for if she does not, it is going to be recorded as a loss for a company that earns millions of profits, so harm is minimized. As she kept it for herself, she became disappointed to hear that the foundation will not be able to provide gifts for the medical centre this year because of the global financial crises, so keeping the money did not result in the greatest good. Clearly, using the money to buy the children’s gifts would satisfy the theory’s approach. AS the discussion highlights by applying Kantian’s theory to the situation, Kate would only be concerned about the current circumstance, which is that the cashier gave her extra change by mistake and she would be aware that the fifty dollars is not her money, which belongs to the store. Therefore, she would act based on her duty towards the fact that the fifty dollars was given to her by mistake. She would not consider the future consequences of using the money whether to buy gifts for sick children to make them happy, or to keep the money for herself to cover up the reduction in her salary and her mother’s gift. She would return the money to the store ignoring the possible out-comes. If I were in this situation, I would choose the utilitarianism theory. I would consider the consequences on both parties.

CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT DORCHESTER HOTEL Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT DORCHESTER HOTEL - Essay Example The report seeks to present a critical review of these issues whereby recommendations for resolving or improving upon the issues discussed will be given at the end. 2.0 Introduction According to Datamonitor (2004) â€Å"Tesco PLC is the largest food retailer in UK, operating around 2,318 stores worldwide. It operates around operates around 1,878 stores throughout the UK, and also operates stores in the rest of Europe and Asia.† Paton (2005) also states that â€Å"Tesco has 367,000 staff worldwide (250,000 of them in the UK), 2,365 stores (1,770 in the UK), sales of more than ?37bn, and last year reported pre-tax profits of just over ?2bn.† Tesco has an estimated 30 % of the market share in the grocery industry in UK. Currently, Tesco is rated as the number one chain supermarket in the UK grocery sector as a result of different strategies it has implemented over the years. Of notable concern is that Tesco’s workforce is comprised of diverse people from different b ackgrounds which entail that managing diversity is a virtue. The success of Tesco can be attributed to various factors but particular emphasis in this case is put on the human resources practices in this organisation. ... HRM deals with the group of people employed by a business or company which produces goods and services. The aim of managing human resources is to make the organisation successful as well as to help the employees to enjoy their work in a bid to steer the operations of the organisation towards the attainment of set organisational goals. The other aim of HRM is to help the employees to do their best while at the same time making sure that they receive suitable rewards for their work. Against this background, this report seeks to critically evaluate how different HR issues such as recruitment, retention, training and development as well as performance management are implemented at Tesco. These human resources practises play a complementary role to each other in that they are meant to positively influence the actions of the employees towards the attainment of the set organisational goals. In order to achieve the objectives of the organisation, the needs for the employees cannot be separat ed from this process. Thus, the HR approach is a system of HRM that recognises that the success of the organisation depends on its human resources (Kleynhans, 2007). Thus, HRM has become more important in organisations today than ever before. Whilst different companies have access to the same technology, during the contemporary period, it is the human resources that make a difference in companies being successful and achieving their organisational goals. HRM includes policies, functions, and systems that affect employee’s behaviour, attitudes and performance (Carell et al 1995). It is these HR practices that help the company gain the advantage over its competitors. Thus, the report will specifically focus on how Tesco is implementing these

Attitudinal Component of Nurses Research Proposal

Attitudinal Component of Nurses - Research Proposal Example The caring behavior along with self esteem was found to be an attitudinal component in professional nurses. These findings can be considered as baseline for understating the attitudinal component. The unexplained part of the model is about large percentage of variance in the result. (Gail Holland Wade, 2004) The sample can be termed as large as 317 senior nursing students were considered from 20 national leaguer programs. This sample can be termed large with the number of nursing students considered from the number of programs they are selected from. The sample can be considered as large due to the number of working environments considered while selecting 317 nurses to study their attitudinal components. This brings out one of the largest environment sample. Due to the larger environments considered the nurses responses also can vary. This may be a reason for the large variance observed in the study's result. The large environment or the more number of environments considered in this study is a sample representative of the population. The extraneous variables considered are regarding caring, attitude and perception of the instructor. These are considered as deciding variables in nursing autonomy and professional status for nurses. In deciding about autonomy and status for nurses, the caring, attitude and perception of the instructor will play a major role. The large variance in the results obtained indicates that these variables are not satisfactory. The ideals of autonomy can be used to control the extraneous features regarding caring, attitude and perception of instructor. 4. Study Instruments Tools The study instruments and tools considered here are autonomy, clinical competency, perceptions of instructor and self esteem scale. The model of the practice, review instrument and data extraction tool can be considered as tools. The model of practice is attitudinal component of nurses. The review is regarding the professional nurse practice. There is validity for the study instruments as the relation between autonomy to the nurses and professional status is considered as a valid issue. The study supposed that this aspect will affect the clinical competency of the nurses along with the perception of instructor. The purpose of the study is to find the causal model of the attitudinal component. The investigation for the cause that results in attitudinal component gives validity to the study and the relevance to the support given to the study. The instruments used in the study can be termed as appropriate as the study is quantitative. (Alan Pearson et al, 2006) 5. Data Collection Methods The clinical activities considered by Watson in his theory of transpersonal caring are data collections methods in this study. The factors of taking care numbered to 10 are interrelated clusters of characteristics associated with human caring. This method is capable to give a structure for studying and understanding nursing education and enables data collection regarding the attitude of the nurses. The establishment of conceptual congruency between factors

Description of the Hawthorne Studies and What Were the Results Research Paper

Description of the Hawthorne Studies and What Were the Results - Research Paper Example At the beginning of the 20th Century, large businesses in America began the adoption of scientific management, an idea initiated by Fredrick Taylor. His idea involved the division of tasks into small portions that would be done by the employees like automatons. These studies have varied to include the effects of the physical environment on the workforce in an effort to ensure maximum productivity. Western Electric Company conducted studies in their Hawthorne plant to establish the relationship between productivity and the influence of the physical conditions. The initial studies began around November 1924 where they evaluated the social effects as well as the experimenter effects. Elton Mayo, who became a professor of industrial research at Harvard later on, supervised the studies (Mayo 64). The initial studies focused on the influence of lighting on the productivity of the workers. Two groups of employees were involved in this study; one group’s lighting was varied while the control group’s lighting remained under the same conditions. When light remained constantly unchanged the two groups demonstrated the same level of productivity. Lighting in the test group was reduced, a situation that raised complains among the group members (Steven and John 5). To further demonstrate the effect, the researchers changed the bulbs daily in the presence of the workers. Despite the bulbs replaced being the same, some improvement in productivity was noticeable in the test group. The findings were that the group with improved lighting demonstrated an improved productivity compared to the control group. In explaining the findings, the researchers concluded that the workers felt motivated by the changes. To the workers, the change was a demonstration that the management was concerned about them. The mental stimulation that they were being treated in a special way encouraged them to be active in their work. Another study was conducted in the relay assembly Test Room using six workers who had worked for the company for some time. Five of them were set to work in the assembling area while the sixth was to supply them with the parts they would require. The study was to focus on the effects of changing the working arrangements on the employees’ productivity (Gale 439). The researchers introduced various variables such as breaks, reduced working hours, and provision of food during the breaks. The breaks were varied, initially they were introduced to two-five minutes break that was done according to their suggestion. This was later changed to two-ten minutes breaks, during this period productivity was seen to improve. Consequently, the researchers adjusted the breaks to six-five minute breaks, these did not go well with the employees, they complained and their total productivity that was measured by the total output reduced (Franke and Kaul 625). Reduction of the total working hours by thirty minutes depicted an increased level of productivit y, further reduction showed an increase in hourly output but the total output per day was drastically reduced. The researchers concluded that the feeling of the employees was that their work was being checked individually. Therefore, the workers were motivated by working as a group, having supervisors that were concerned about their welfare and having a special treatment in the workplace. Another aspect under observation was the social effect and its influence on productivity. This study was done in a bank wiring room where the workers were subjected to the assembling of telephone switching equipment, a task that involved the processes of wiring, soldering, and inspection. At the initial stages of the study, the workers were not open to the observer and had limited

Delegation Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Delegation - Research Paper Example Proven through the example of three rural hospitals that are administrated through one person, effective delegation is essential in creating a strong organization. As well, innovative techniques can provide models from which an administrator can develop a good organization. This literature review will synthesis the information provided by five resources in order to demonstrate why delegation is vital to the health care industry. Creating solid leadership means leading the employees, rather than doing all and then becoming stressed and incapable of creating a meaningful sense of task and goal orientation. Through looking at five pieces of relevant literature, a sense of the importance of delegation in this goal can be observed. This review will expose the way that confidence and trust are key to successful team building. In creating teams that are able to perform tasks that can be delegated and distributed, an organization can build a solid foundation for successful operation. way they think it should be done, rather than utilize the skills of an employee who may not do the task the way the managers things it should be done. According to Nefer (Dec. 2008), one of the biggest mistakes a manager will make is to not delegate authority and take on too much work, thus lowering the efficiency of the department (p. 19). The manager or supervisor must remember that part of their job is to make sure that employees are delegated a sufficient number of tasks in order to create a well run department. In order to look at the way in which a manager or supervisor approaches delegation, several questions must be asked in regards to the way in which the work is being distributed. Nefer (Dec. 2008), asks the manager to examine their own performance and decide if they are delegation-phobic. The delegation phobic manager will exhibit a

Summary on Henry Ford Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Summary on Henry Ford - Essay Example The real turning point for Ford’s career was joining the Edison Company in Detroit as an engineer in 1892. Here, he struggled with building a gasoline engine strong enough to power a motorcar, but in 1896 the first Ford motorcar was born, and it could reach 90 miles per hour. From here, Ford accumulated funding and released the Ford model T in 1908, hugely increasing growth with assembly line production. Having become reputedly the richest man who ever lived, Ford was in a position to publish his opinions and moral-code on a huge scale. Ford detested all that was un-American (in his eyes), strongly backing the pioneers and detesting the immigrant Jew. This eventually led to Ford financially backing the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, a widely distributed anti-Semetic text favoured by Hitler. Ford is often mistakenly assumed to be anti-History, but he had a great passion for collecting and an admiration for the American past. He used this passion further in 1920 to restore his family home using real archaeological techniques. He then went on in 1926 to recreate a whole village as a tribute to village life and God’s nature, which he truly

Pricing Objectives and Strategies of Pixar Animated Studios Essay

Pricing Objectives and Strategies of Pixar Animated Studios - Essay Example One of the most important considerations while setting the price objectives is the fact that how much prices setting objectives corresponds to the overall strategy of the firm. Further to this, the pricing objectives are selected with business and financial goals in the mind. Error: Reference source not found. The possible pricing objectives to be set can be: Considering Pixar in mind, since in entertainment industry prices vary according to the film theaters, therefore, there is a very little bargaining power left to the producers to bargain. A closer look at the situation would suggest that the pricing within the entertainment industry largely depends upon the quality of the content. If films are being liked by the audience than any pricing objective can be set to achieve. It can be either to maximize sales volume, profits or to keep the status quo. If the content is not liked by the audience than any pricing objective and subsequent pricing strategies may not work for the Pixar. As discussed above that the pricing strategy within the entertainment industry does not have preferential rights to set the prices and they are largely being standardized within the industry, therefore, any pricing flexibility may not be working directly for the Pixar. However, within Channel distribution, the negotiable pricing may seem to the right idea for Pixar to work. Since pricing, flexibility within channel distribution will provide them a necessary room to gain more room on the theater for prolonging and a special screening of the films at special prices for the different classes of the customers. Since Pixar is the producer of animated films which are supposed to be more popular with children, therefore, a targeted pricing flexibility against specially arranged screenings may allow it to generate more audience hence more revenue.

Use of Alcohol (Halal Issue) Essay Example for Free

Use of Alcohol (Halal Issue) Essay A controversial issue of Halal is the presence of alcohol in food and beverage. Traditionally, consumers and Islamic jurists have identified alcohol as a substance that is Haram for consumption, whilst the process of fermentation is perceived as an unethical process as it produces intoxicants. Since alcohol exists in small quantities in Halal food products, consumers are unsure of its legal values and whether it can be consumed. However, food producer claims that the fermentation processes itself are not unethical. In fact, the processes are essential in major industrial applications especially food processing and flavoring. Alcohol is pervasive in the food industry in its indispensable role as food soluble, flavoring and preservatives. These distinctive features of alcohol as solvent agents are also extensively applied in pharmaceutical, cosmetics, drugs and antibiotics, and other industrial applications. The total value of the application of alcohol in these industries is in the billions of dollars considering that just in the soft drink sector alone, for example, Coca Cola reported sales of USD22billion in its 2004 annual report.(Alcohol is used as solvent in this industry). Alcohol occurs as a result of the processes of fermentation and in industrial applications, fermentation has proven to be an economically and commercially viable mode to produce alcohol. The type of alcohol that is commonly extracted through this process for the food industry is known as ethanol, which in its purest form would be harmful for consumption. Thus, ethanol is always mixed with other substances to render it safe for consumption.

Strategies to Reduce Water Scarcity

Strategies to Reduce Water Scarcity Water Woes- how can you reduce fresh water scarcity in a country? Abstract The essay can be divided into three parts. First of all, it will introduce the fresh scarcity in Israel. secondly, it will discuss some questions and methods for the water scarcity in Israel. finally, I will give my own opinion and image what will the water scarcity be in the future in Israel. Introduction The essay is going to introduce that how to reduce fresh water scarcity in Israel. The water is very lacking in this country. Not only for human, but also for the animals and plants live this country. In the other hand, the government of Israel has tried many methods to reduce the fresh water scarcity. Even they had the war for the water. But still is powerless on this way. Per capita water for the people of Israel is only 150 MCM. But in fact the capita water they used have reached 290 MCM. Otherwise, because of the pollution from the industries, the water chemistry in local river is not good. At all, the best way to reduce the water scarcity in Israel is to combine many methods like artificial rainfall, the implementation of each person to save water with reward system, the use of recycled water to solve this problem. Methodology The plan for achieving research purpose for 3 stages. They are first collect all the methods that can reduce the fresh water scarcity. Next, compare these methods and get the finally few methods which are suitable for Israel. Finally, image to put these methods to Israel and compare the data from Israel. Check whether they are suitable for Israel. The most of the information I got was form Bing. Because this website is relatively large and reliable. Furthermore, I chose the resource as possible which has the author and the date of creation. In addition, I deliberately chose the information on the websites which have different data that I want to use as the sources I used. And I think the name of website which is socialistworker.org is the best website I found. Because it got a lot of useful information. For example, it introduces the terrain of Israel, the history of the methods which the government ever used before and so on. Findings There are two issues are serious about water scarcity in Israel. One issue is the per capita water for the people who lives in Israel uses too much. In the front of the essay, mentioned the per capita water for the people of Israel is only 150 MCM. But they did not save to use water. So the result of the usage amount is far beyond the standard. If Israel wants to reduce the fresh water scarcity. They must overcome this difficulty. I think that the government in Israel can give some policies. For example, if someone save to use water reach to some standard. He can get some money like this. Another issue is because of about 80% of water in Israel has already reused many times. The quality of the water is not good. In my opinion, Israel must find the other water resource. We all know, Israel face two seas. They can make full use of this condition. In my view, they need to vigorously develop the technology that can convert seawater into fresh water. Although the cost is very high. But if they solved the water scarcity problem, they can get more money return. Now the population of Israel is about 8 million 500 thousand. And the area of Israel is about 25740 square kilometers. Compare Israel with china. We all know that there are a lot of people in china and the per capita water for per Chinese is very low. But the per capita water for Israel people are only 1/4 of chinas per capita water. The chart shows the proportionof the water resources situation in Israel. The data came from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/brief/Water.html and http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/scarcity.html Discussion In this section, this essay will evaluate the findings in light of the hypothesis firstly. Secondly, discuss the proposed solution. I think the content I wrote in the findings section is more clearly provides the solution. Then, combine the pie graph in the findings section and think about my proposed solution that is find other water resource. Form the graph, we can know that most of the fresh water of Israel is from seawater. This means my proposed solution is working. On the other hand, the problem about the per capita water for the Israel people. This is the most important problem actually. In this issue, the government of Israel has ruled that 100 liters of water per capita per day on average for the people in Israel. Expect the Palestinians. They can only get 70 liters of water per capita per day on average. Furthermore, in some areas, the figure is as low as 20 liters per day for Palestinians. By contrast, Israelis consume up to 300 liters per capita per day. That is unfair. I n addition, the local people in Israel are using too much water. They still not pay attention to the importance of water conservation. Although the government always propagandas water conservation. we can do a calculation. Lets say one local people in Israel use 300 liters per day and expect the Palestinians firstly. There are about 8 million 500 thousand people. It is amount of 255 million liters. It is a big number for a country which is lacking of the water. Conclusions and Recommendations In conclusion, the proposed solution that the essay mentioned is suitable for Israel after the comparison of the data and in light of the background of Israel. but actually the government of Israel is doing the solution that the essay given. Just not enough for reach the point that can solve the water scarcity. So, whether can solve the water scarcity in Israel fundamentally is depend on the per capita water the Israel people using. On the other hand, if the government of Israel limits the consume of water for Israel people compulsory too much. They will be unhappy and remonstrant absolutely. So, government must give some other benefits to instead of this. Finally, according to my research, Israel also use many other methods to get fresh water. One of them is artificial rainfall. This is the easiest way. Israel is the famous country that has the lowest natural resources. So, in my opinion, they should use many methods at the same time for saving water. Like use artificial rainfall, t he implementation of each person to save water with reward system, the use of recycled water to solve this problem. Reference list       Sumaya Awad, Apartheid Israels war on water (2016). Available from: https://socialistworker.org/2016/07/28/apartheid-israels-war-on-water [Accessed 29 December 2016] Water Resources of Israel(online). Available from: http://www.gsi.gov.il/eng/?CategoryID=112ArticleID=159 [Accessed 29 December 2016] Water in Israel: Israels Chronic Water Problem (2016). Available from: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/scarcity.html [Accessed 29 December 2016] Arwa Aburawa. Water And Israel The Facts (2011). Available from: http://www.greenprophet.com/2011/08/water-and-israel-the-facts/ [Accessed 29 December 2016]   Ã‚  

Analysis Of The Crucible English Literature Essay

Analysis Of The Crucible English Literature Essay Imagine yourself placed under pressure. Can you hold on to your morals and beliefs? Will you expose your true self when you cannot control your stress? The term crucible can either be a metallic container used for heating substances in high temperature or a severe test or trial. Metaphorically, Judge Danforth applies both definitions in his quote. He informs that the authorities will unmask anyone who tries to hide the truth. The Crucible, a play written by Arthur Miller, takes place in Salem, Massachusetts around 1692. Salem is divided into Salem Village and Salem Town, where people living in the village tend to accuse those in town of witchery. This witch hysteria in Salem is a cause of turmoil to the people since they are tested under pressure. Because of trials, their reputations are at stake. The Salem society centralizes their lives in reputations and personal interests, such as Reverend Parris, and seeking vengeance on those they are jealous of, like Abigail Williams and the P utnams. Out of those who are victims of this mass hysteria, John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse are the most prominent ones. John Proctor, a farmer in his middle thirties, is the protagonist of this play (Miller 175). He is portrayed as a man who dislikes hypocrisy, yet struggles in the play because he is one himself. In other words, he feels guilty for hiding the fact that he has committed adultery with Abigail. Rebecca Nurse, a minor character around her seventies, is the wife of Francis Nurse and midwife to many families in the village. Both Proctor and Rebecca share similar characteristics of integrity, yet, despite having similar morals, both have significantly opposite personalities and different reasons for sacrificing themselves. John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse are characters of integrity, who rather be hanged than confess a crime they never committed. Under the pressure of being accused of witchcraft, both demonstrates integrity through their moral principles and beliefs. Throughout the play, Proctor conveys integrity. For example, he confesses to Elizabeth his affair with Abigail, speaks out about his dislike for how Parris corrupts the church, and confesses his crime of adultery. Moreover, when Danforth interrogates Proctor about the other participants in witchery, Proctor says that he speaks of his own sins and not others (Miller 239). This proves that Proctor is a good man and citizen who does not intend to hurt anyone. Proctor believes in no such thing as witchcraft and he is able to stay with his own beliefs regardless of the consequences. Likewise, Rebecca, pure, pious and truthful, tries to ameliorate the situation over Ruth by comforting Ann Putman. She says that Ruth will eventually wake up because she has witnessed all sorts of children going through their silly seasons (Miller 179). It did not matter for Rebecca to risk her life by expressing her real thoughts to Goody Proctor, knowing that she envied her. Rebecca proves righteousness by taking responsibility for her own actions, rather than blaming others. We see this when she says, There is a prodigious danger in the seeking of loose spirits. I fear it. I fear it. Let us rather blame ourselves and - (Miller 180). In addition, she portrays purity and goodness when she tries to help people who are struggling, and similarly, she has no intention to hurt anyone, like Proctor. Due to Goody Putmans jealousy, she accuses Rebecca for the supernatural murder of her babies (Miller 201). Unlike Rebecca, Mrs. Putman is desperate to accuse others of witchcraft in order to relieve the guilt she has for her babies deaths. Therefore, Rebecca, scapegoat of Mrs. Putman, is sent to jail. Yet, during her three months in jail, she has never sp oken a word (Miller 231). This reveals how she refuses to compromise her honesty by not lying. In this way, not only does she show integrity, but she also sticks to her principles. Although they are both characters of integrity, Rebeccas integrity never wavers; she is steadfast whereas Proctor is less sure of himself because he doubts whether he should give up his name and confess a lie. A key difference between Proctor and Rebecca is that while Proctor is a dynamic character, Rebecca is a static character. Proctor changes during the play and learns through events and experiences. At the beginning of the play, Proctor does not want to get involved in the witch-hunts because he is scared to expose the fact that he had an affair with Abigail and ruin his public reputation. But when Elizabeth is arrested, he becomes fired up. He changes from a quiet man to one who stands up with courage and speaks up against what he believes is the right thing. Unfortunately, when he confesses his sin to save his wife, it does not work out. At the end of Act IV, Proctor exclaims to Danforth, How can I live without my name? I have given you my soul; leave me my name! (Miller 240). This shows that he still cares about having his name clean and protected because he believes that a human being is granted with only one name in their lifetime. At first, he decides to take the easy way out and confess a lie. Yet, when Proctor realizes that he has to make up his mind to choose either his name or his life, he decides that he rather dies with an honorable name than to live in a tainted one (Miller 240). Proctor considers his name more significantly than his life because he did not want Danforth to use his name to get other people to confess, so he rather die than have his name blacken. Hence, he chooses to sacrifice himself honorably leaving no regrets and save Elizabeth from the chaos. Rebecca, however, stays the same throughout the entire play. Since Rebecca is a role model in the town of Salem, many people respect her for that reason. She never doubts her beliefs as well as people in Salem. In spite of this, when Proctor confesses a lie in front of her, he feels ashamed of himself since he knows deep inside him that he is doing the wrong thing. Rebecca symbolizes the Christ figure, someone who portrays courage and faith. She is always straightforward towards everyone no matter what situation she is in. For instance, when she is questioned by the authorities, she spoke no lies and only the truth. The difference between Proctor and Rebecca is that as Proctors personality, he is impulsive, bad-tempered, and violent at times, yet Rebecca is rational and passive. An act of impulsiveness from Proctor is shown when Cheever comes with a warrant to arrest Elizabeth, and Proctor tears it without thinking the consequences. Beside this, in Act I, when Abigail tries to seduce Proctor, he violently tells her, do you look for wippin? (Miller 177). Then in Act II, when Elizabeth starts to ask why he has been alone with Abigail, he angrily tells her, No more! I should have roared you down when first you told me your suspicionà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦let you look sometimes for the goodness in me, and judge me not (Miller 194). Furthermore, in Act III, when Proctor could not tolerate Abigails lies, he leaps at Abigail and, grabbing her by the hair, pulls her to her feet (Miller 219). Finally, in Act IV, he defies the authorities and admits that what he has confessed is a lie and he wants to do the right thing by dying. Although Proctor did not want to die soon and be able to see his sons grow up, he does not want to live under a lie. On the contrary to Proctors personality, Rebecca is a stereotype of all good that exists; the compassion she has within her and the love for truth that keeps her strong. Since Rebecca has already lived long, she is well-experienced and flawless throughout the play. She thinks over a situation thoughtfully and guides people through a logical way of thinking. Because she has lived long and maintained her good reputation, it did not matter for her whether she is going to die. She is satisfied with her life for having eleven children and being a grandmother for twenty-six times (Miller 179). Rebecca tells Proctor when they are to be hanged, Let you fear nothing! Another judgment waits us all! (Miller 240). Through this quote, it depicts the truth that never fades away inside her, thus, she spreads her strength to encourage and motivate Proctor to make the right choice as her, tell the truth, and become the role model for the Salem society. In The Crucible, John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse are essential characters because they both represent the voice of reason. Both characters demonstrate integrity and are willing to die than to confess to witchcraft. Even though Proctor does not want to get involved in the trials, he does so at last because of Elizabeth. He becomes tired of Abigails lies and decides to make his move and fight for what he thought is right. However, both are different in how Proctor changes and Rebecca does not, and likewise, both have different personalities. Proctor is spontaneous and aggressive, and he does not think through things as clear as Rebecca does. Unlike Proctor, Rebecca is passive and compassionate. Moreover, she has lived longer and she has learned technically everything she needed in life. Yet, Proctor has not, which is why Miller intentionally makes Proctor a sinner who is going against his own vision of decent conducts (Miller 175). The reason behind this is because Miller wants the read er to understand how guilt can consume ones life and change one person internally. Miller shows us how people would react under certain circumstances, like how Proctor reacts when Danforth insistently wants to hang up his signed confession on the church door; it is then that Proctor takes back his words. In The Crucible, the witch-hunt is an allegory of what Miller describes the communists trials. Miller justifies that there is no justice in the society, unless that person chooses to fight based on what they think is right. Everyone commits mistakes, but not all agree to correct them. The ones who chooses to correct their errors, demonstrates characters of integrity and courageousness, like both John Proctor and Rebecca Nurse.

pitch perception :: essays research papers

page References Baharloo, S., Johnston, P. A., Service, S. K., Gitshcier, J., Freimer, N. B. (1998). Absolute pitch: An approach for identification of genetic and nongenetic components. American Journal of Human Genetics, 62, 224-231. Retrieved 11/16/2004. Deutsch, D. (1985). Dichotic listening to melodic patterns and its relationship to hemispheric specialization of function. Music Perception, 3, (2), 127-154. Gregersen, P.K. (1998). Instant recognition: The gentics of pitch perception. American Journal of Human Genetics, 62, 221-223. Retrieved 11/16/2004. Heaton, P., Hermelin, B., Pring, L. (1998). Autism and pitch processing: a precursor for savant musical ability? Music Perception, 15, (3), 291-305. Lenhoff, H., M., Perales, O., Hickok, G. (2001). Absolute pitch in Williams syndrome. Music perception, 18, (4), 491-503. Levitin, D., J., Bellugi, U. (1998). Musical abilities in individuals with Williams Syndrome, Music Perception, 15, (4), 357-389. Pechstedt, P., H., Kershner, J., Kinsbourne, M. (1989). Musical Training improves processing of tonality in the left hemisphere. Music Perception, 6, (3), 275-298. Simpson, J., Huron, D. (1994). Absolute pitch as a learned phenomenon: Evidence consistent with the Hick-Hyman law. Music Perception, 12, (2), 267-270. Sloboda, J. A. (1985). An exceptional music memory. Music Perception, 3, (2), 155- 170. Nature or Nurture: The origins of pitch Perception For most of us, quick and accurate perception of the visual world is essential for getting around in life; we take for granted our instant recognition of color, shape, distance, and the physical relationships between objects. Many aspects of the auditory world are also apprehended in an effortless manner: a nighttime whistle is easily identified as a distant train, without any deliberation. However, identifying the pitch of an isolated whistle is beyond the abilities of most people. This is also the case for most musicians, despite the fact that they spend every day working in the context of a standardized system of pitch relationships. Those rare individuals who can instantly recognize the pitch of a random piano tone or passing car horn, without the use of a reference pitch, possess a cognitive ability that is termed "absolute pitch." The range of useful musical pitches is 20-5,000 Hz, which is, roughly the range of a piano keyboard Pitch is a one-dimensional attribute defined by the number of vibrations, per second, emanating from a sound source, such as a plucked string The peripheral auditory organs are designed specifically for frequency analysis. The cochlear basilar membrane vibrates, at each point along its length, with an optimal resonant frequency. The fact that all humans are quick to appreciate the differences in timbre between instruments illustrates the extreme sensitivity of this organ to complex frequency spectra.

Essay --

The topic assigned to me for the health paper is cerebrovascular disease, which is a stroke. Cerebrovascular is really two words combined. Cerebro is the largest part in the brain and vascular is termed as veins and arteries. From those two terms, one can interpret that this disease has to deal with the blood flow that goes on in the brain. According to the Association of Neurological surgeons, cerebrovascular disease is defined as the any disorder that is in the brain is either permanently or temporarily affected by bleeding and even by ischemia (AANS, 2005). It states, â€Å" Cerebrovascular disease includes stroke, carotid stenosis, vertebral stenosis and intracranial stenosis, aneurysms, and vascular malformations† (AANS, 2005). When this happens, the cerebral blood vessels become involved. Some symptoms of an Ischemic stroke are dysarthria, vertigo, total blindness, facial weakness, and ceratoid distribution. Other symptoms related to cerebrovascular disease are aneurysms , vascular malformations, carotid stenosis, intracranial stenosis, and even vertebral stenosis. All of these symptoms are associated with the blood flow to the brain. The way the brain gets the blood is a very long process. First off, the vertebral and carotid arteries are the main arteries pumping blood up to the brain. One can locate their carotid artery by feeling the pulse on the neck, just below the jaw. The ceratoid arteries are major arteries because they also branch off into the internal and external arteries that are located towards the upper part of the neck. The internal arteries supply blood to the skull while the external arteries supply blood to the face. The arteries that supply blood to the front two/thirds of the brain is the anterior cerebral an... ...n to help control the patient’s blood pressure and any swelling of the brain that occurred from the stroke. It is recommended that people go to stroke rehabilitation after they have had a stroke. The purpose of the rehabilitation is to help a patient regain their skills (Brain Basics, 2013). In Conclusion, it is common for people to have strokes. Many think that it won’t happen to them, but it does. It is recommended to get checked regularly by their doctor just to be on top of their health. We do not always know what is going on inside of our body. This is why it is important to have our doctors give the confirmation that we are okay or if something is worse. It is always better to be a step ahead. It is also important that people know that they aren’t alone. There are so many resources and medical places that will be glad to help them get back to being healthy.

Australia has a policy of indefinite detention for asylum seekers. Do you feel this is a breach of human rights? Why or why not? Essay

The human rights of people in immigration detention are of special concern to the Commission because the right to liberty is a fundamental human right recognised in major human rights instruments to which Australia is a party, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. The human rights of vulnerable groups – including children, asylum seekers and refugees – are given special protection under international law. The conditions for and treatment of people in immigration detention should comply with Australia’s international human rights obligations. These are contained in a range of international treaties the Australian Government has voluntarily become a party of. Under the Migration Act 1958, it is mandatory for any non-citizen in Australia without a valid visa to be detained, whether they arrive on the mainland or on an ‘excised offshore place’. These people – called ‘unlawful non-citizens’ under the Migration Act – may only be released from immigration detention if they are granted a visa or removed from Australia. Any asylum seeker who has arrived in an ‘excised offshore place’ by boat from 13 August 2012 onwards is potentially liable to transfer to a third country for processing of their claim for protection. Some of these asylum seekers have been transferred to Nauru and Manus Island in Papua New Guinea where they are in immigration detention. A large number of people who arrived in Australia from 13 August 2012 onwards remain in immigration detention in Australia. Some have been released on bridging visas. There is a well-established link between prolonged indefinite detention and serious mental health issues. Uncertainty about their future, lack of independence and loss of control over their lives, the monotony of life in detention, concern about family members still living in dangerous situations overseas, the impacts of past torture and trauma and witnessing the negative impacts of detention on other detainees all contribute to the deterioration of mental health and wellbeing. Detainees may experience a range of mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, cognitive problems, difficulties regulating their emotions, consistently behaving in a way that is not characteristic or normal, sleep-wake cycle reversal (suffering insomnia and an inability to sleep at night) and engaging in negative coping strategies such as self-harm. In serious cases, prolonged indefinite detention can lead to suicide. Alternatives to detention for asylum seekers are not only more humane than immigration detention, they have been found to be effective in managing risks to the community and far less costly than detention in closed facilities. Releasing asylum seekers from detention after they have passed initial health, identity and security checks, and allowing them to live in the community while their applications are processed, greatly reduces the human and financial costs of immigration detention while also ensuring that potential risks to the community to be managed effectively.

Physical Attractiveness and Criminal Behavior

Physical unattractiveness, deformity, and disfigurement have been associated with evil since antiquity. In the Iliad, Homer described the wicked Thersites as possessing thin hair over a â€Å"misshapen head,† with one blinking eye and a lame leg. Physiognomy (the â€Å"science† of reading personality characteristics into facial features) traces its practice to Homer's Greece. When Socrates was convicted for heresy and the corruption of youth in the fifth century B. C. , a physiognomist charged that his face betrayed a brutal disposition. Greek culture embraced the notion that mind and body were interconnected; if a sound mind went together with a sound body, the implication was that a twisted mind resided in a deformed body. Aristotle confirmed this view in his Metaphysics when he reasoned that the essence of the body is contained in the soul. These opinions were ensconced into law in medieval Europe. Among those accused of demonic possession, ecclesiastical edicts interpreted large warts and moles on the skin as physical signs of the entry point of the devil into the soul (Einstadter and Henry 1995). Secular law directed jurists to convict the uglier of two people who were under equal suspicion for a crime (Wilson and Herrnstein 1985). In an echo of these sentiments some years later, Shakespeare's Cassius, in Julius Caesar (Act I, Scene II), is judged a dangerous man by his â€Å"lean and hungry look. † The link between unattractiveness and criminal behavior remained alive and well in 20th-century American popular culture. In his famous comic strip and in the movies it inspired, cartoonist Chester Gould sharply contrasted the square-jawed, clean-cut good looks of detective Dick Tracy with cutthroat criminals like the flat-headed â€Å"Flattop,† the pointy-snouted â€Å"Mole,† the wrinkle-cheeked â€Å"Pruneface,† and the big-bottomed â€Å"Pear Shape. † Hollywood imitated science in Johnny Handsome (1989), a feature film about a robber with grotesque facial deformities who reforms after receiving extensive cosmetic surgery. Some of the earliest criminological researchers shared this thinking. Physiognomy persisted throughout the 18th century, most notably in the work of Swiss scholar Johan Casper Lavater, whose influential Physiognomical Fragments appeared in 1775. One hundred years later, Italian prison physician Cesare Lombroso published Criminal Man (1876), a famous study that attributed criminal behavior to what he termed â€Å"atavism,† an inherited condition that made offenders evolutionary throwbacks to more primitive humans. By conducting autopsies on 66 deceased criminals, and comparing 832 living prison inmates with 390 soldiers, Lombroso created a list of physical features that he believed were associated with criminal behavior. These â€Å"stigmata† included sloping foreheads, asymmetrical faces, large jaws, receding chins, abundant wrinkles, extra fingers, toes, and nipples, long arms, short legs, and excessive body hair-hardly the image of handsome men. The notion that criminal behavior was related to physical anomalies was dealt a severe blow by the publication of Charles B. Goring's The English Convict in 1913. This study subjected 37 of Lombroso's stigmata to empirical testing by comparing 2,348 London convicts to a control group that represented a cross section of young Englishmen. Goring found little support for Lombroso's arguments, concluding that criminal behavior is caused by inherited feeblemindedness, not physical appearance. Undaunted by these results, Harvard anthropologist Earnest A. Hooton conducted an ambitious 12-year study that compared 13,873 male prisoners in 10 states with a haphazard sample of 3,023 men drawn from the general population, searching once more for physical differences. Hooton published his findings in The American Criminal and Crime and the Man, both books appearing in 1939. The books attributed criminal behavior to biological inferiority and â€Å"degeneration,† ascribing a variety of unattractive physical characteristics to criminals (including sloping foreheads, compressed facial features, drooping eyelids, small, protruding ears, projecting cheekbones, narrow jaws, pointy chins, and rounded shoulders). By the 1930s, however, biological research was rapidly losing favor, as criminologists increasingly argued that social factors alone cause criminal behavior. Hooton's research was ridiculed in particular, one sociologist dismissing his findings as comically inept in historic proportions (or â€Å"the funniest academic performance†¦ since the invention of movable type† [Reuter 1939]). Hooton was condemned for his circular reasoning: offenders were assumed to be biologically inferior, so whatever features differentiated criminals from noncriminals were interpreted as indications of biological inferiority. Despite the skepticism of many sociologists regarding these attempts to link physical unattractiveness to criminal conduct, self-derogation and general strain theories can explain this relationship. Self-derogation theory asserts that youth who are ridiculed by peers lose self-esteem and the motivation to conform (Kaplan 1980). General strain theory claims that repeated â€Å"noxious,† unwanted interactions produce disappointment, depression, frustration, and anger (Agnew 1992). Both theories see delinquency and crime as means of retaliation that boosts one's self-worth or vents one's anger. Certainly, unattractive youths are prime candidates for noxious ridicule that results in low self-esteem and emotional strain. Only a handful of modern studies have tested the relationships among attractiveness, criminal behavior, and perceptions about crime. Saladin, Saper, and Breen (1988), for example, asked 28 students in one undergraduate psychology class to judge the physical attractiveness of a group of photographs of young men. Forty students in another psychology class were asked to examine the same photographs and then assess the probability that those pictured would commit either robbery or murder. The researchers found that men rated as less attractive also were perceived to be prone to commit future violent crimes, suggesting that unattractive people are more likely to be branded as criminals. Another study randomly scrambled 159 photographs of young men incarcerated in juvenile reformatories with 134 photographs of male high school seniors (Cavior and Howard 1973). College sophomores in psychology courses were asked to rate the facial attractiveness of these youth. Significantly more high school seniors were judged attractive than males from the reformatories. In the fascinating policy-oriented research that became the basis for the movie Johnny Handsome, surgeons performed plastic surgery to correct deformities and disfigurements (e. g. , protruding ears, broken noses, unsightly tattoos, and needle track marks from intravenous drug use) on the faces, hands, and arms of 100 physically unattractive men at the time of their release from Rikers Island jail in New York City (Kurtzberg et al. 1978). These ex-convicts were matched against a control group of equally unattractive inmates released from the jail who received no reconstructive surgery. When the researchers compared recidivism rates one-year later, those who received the surgery had significantly fewer rearrests. Apparently, improved appearance resulted in improved behavior. These research findings are preliminary and suggestive; more definitive studies using better measurements are needed. In particular, future research should relate ratings of physical attractiveness to the self-reported riminal behavior of persons taken from the general population. Such studies would rule out the possibility that unattractive offenders are more likely to appear in jails and reformatories simply due to the prejudices of the police and prosecutors. Nevertheless, existing research hints that the folk wisdom dating back to the ancient Greeks may have some basis in reality. Physical appearance is related to self-worth and behavior; as th e adage goes, â€Å"pretty is as pretty does. † When it comes to criminal behavior, the opposite may be true as well.

Class Meditation

Gishin Tokiwo defined meditation as the science of knowing oneself. Samadhi or Dhyana are the means to reach a void within the self. The purpose of meditation is to identify our true nature. The aim of meditation is to remove obstacles of ignorance from our path of life. Meditation in class was an enchanting experience. It was difficult to sit still and not think about anything even for five minutes. Meditation improved with practice and constant efforts said the readings in the book. Those persons who had been practicing regular meditation had expressed the benefits of Dhyana. The procedure of meditation involved sitting on the floor with legs crossed in a squatting position. The posture was supposed to be straight and the head straight also. The eyes were supposed to be closed. The hands were to rest on the two knees. Palms upwards and forefingers of each hand to touch the thumb as shown in all the statues of the Buddha in meditation. It was difficult to close eyes and focus on the self. There were constant distractions of sound and breathing. There was a temptation of looking at other class mates. The eyes wanted to open after short intervals. Constant effort could finally give an experience of some short span of silence from all directions. The void was reached after about an hour or so of concentration on the self. The thoughts interfered with the focus on the self. They wandered from person to person. They kept moving from the past to the present to the future events of life. Insignificant people, places and incidents of life came before the eyes when closed for meditation. Trivial matters floated up in the mind and quickly swept out of the mind also. Faces of known and unknown people, class mates, girls and boys in and around, at parties, in the college canteen and in the apartment intruded the mind for no reasons at all. Sensations of hunger, craving for shopping, items on sale, dress in the window, make up, home, family, members, sad events and happy moments created a mixture of thoughts and feelings in the mind when it was trying to meditate. The effort to meditate became difficult because of all these thoughts entering the space of mind. Concentration was impossible and it showed how we are totally occupied with matters which are not important throughout our lives where as meditation showed the way to take charge of our lives for a positive cause of progress of the self and not to waste it in trivial matters that we give so much importance in every day life. The aim of meditation can be achieved if we can focus on the self. Reach a void within. Ponder in that empty space every day. And awaken to the meaning and purpose of our life on earth. Meditation is the means of understanding our true self. It is the way to remove our ignorance of our own self. It is the way to identify what we want; we should do in life in order to achieve our true aims in this birth. Meditation is the source, the cause and the effect of understanding our true self. Of removing the causes of our suffering and also of working towards a happy state of mind where our surroundings will cease to have control and effect over us. The experience of meditation lead to the understanding of writings by Gishin Tokiwo, Zen views of suffering exactly as it showed how we suffer for unimportant things in life only because of our ignorance of the self, we do not know what we want and so we seek what is not what we wanted in the whole life. Assignment two- Individual Meditation Individual Meditation offered more tranquillity than classroom meditation. I found a quiet place in the area. I sat in the lotus position as per the instructions for posture of meditation. I took the necessary steps to be able to have a meditation without any disturbance from my surroundings. I found individual meditation more effective than classroom meditation where I was conscious of myself and also aware that there were others watching me in the class. Thoughts of unwanted issues intruded my peace of mind. I shunned them aside so as to reach a state of total peace. I tried to achieve a status of void in my mind. I made attempts to stay in that hollow space for as much time as I could. The empty space inside, the state of thoughtlessness and the amount of energy I felt because of that short span of void gave me a feeling of happiness like never before. Meditation in isolation gave me a chance to meet my inner self. It offered me a place of privacy I had never ever realised before. The focus on this empty space gave me an opportunity of knowing myself, getting introduced to the person I was and to learn about the person I was, in this emptiness. For a few minutes I had no thoughts of others but about my self only. Other people, their behaviour and the events around me did not matter but I was alone and very happy to be alone without anyone to bother me about any matter except the one that mattered to me most. To know more of my self. I felt as though I was learning something without the need of books. It made me feel more confident about myself. Meditation gave me an insight about my inner strengths, my weaknesses, and my struggle to please others for no apparent reasons, my fears of failure and my feelings of insecurity in the society. Individual Meditation made me feel as though I was embodied with all the powers of survival in life. I felt better about my self. I got the courage to face my peers. I was not afraid of my results in the exams. I was not feeling any fear for my failure and I could realise that these were only temporary phases of my life. I felt that I was not the only one feeling like this and meditation opened the doors to inner doors of more important issues of self than just appearance, money or results in exams. Individual Meditation as related to the teachings of the Zen, made me understand that we are the creators of our own sufferings. We are the ones who create our own problems. That we are the ones who are the cause of our own suffering. The reason of our suffering is none other than ignorance of our own true self. Individual Meditation can unfold this mystery and lead us to awareness and knowledge which in turn would lead us to true nature of all human beings. That of supreme peace, freedom and fearlessness from all miseries of life. Meditation alone can lead us to the path leading to cessation of suffering. Meditation can open our minds and hearts to the knowledge that there are only four noble truths in life. They are desire, sin, evil and awakening of the self. One who can achieve victory over these four truths has reached nirvana, salvation in life. It is through Meditation that awakening is possible. Awakening lead to emancipation of ignorance. Ignorance lead to cessation of suffering and this end of suffering lead to the ultimate aim of Nirvana of all souls according to the Zen teachings of Buddhism. We are all born to achieve nirvana from this cycle of death and birth as per the teachings of the Zen. Assignment 3- Eat without company, arouse consciousness. Solitude and isolation from near and dear ones helped to remove clutter from daily life. We should endeavour to live with our self for some time of the day. Solitude helped me to connect to myself physically and mentally when I was without the company of friends. A simple activity like eating alone gave me so much information about my self and my behaviour that I had not realised before. It was as though I had never known myself at all. From the time I remember I was always surrounded by people at all times. Fearing to be left out of the crowd meant being lost to me. But after class meditation and individual meditation my perceptions had changed. I was eating alone and I was feeling very comfortable with myself without the company of all the familiar people. Food never meant so important to me, it was only a means of filling up the stomach so I could carry on the whole day. But it meant so much more when I was having it alone. It meant important to me what I was consuming as it was a source of energy not just a matter of gobbling up contents. I had never paid so much attention to what I was eating, how it tasted, what it was made of, who made it, what could have been the process of making it and who all must have been involved in its making. The depth of these questions came up to me only because I was eating alone. I was doing one thing at a time. I was fully focussed on it without the distractions of music, other people, without the serials or games on television. I was absorbed in the one activity of eating and it somehow gave me immense peace to do so. There was no disturbance of any sound while I sat and ate alone. I was looking at the food before me. I could smell the flavour of its ingredients. I could feel the taste without having put it in my mouth. I could feel the actual pleasure of consuming it and identify the sound my fork and knife made when I was cutting it into pieces and finally eating the small morsels of the dish. I was living the moment and understanding every aspect of it in total solitude. It was lesson in details of the present moment and I realised the importance of living in it with full concentration rather than trying to do too many things at the same time. The experience of eating alone gave me a powerful realisation of how much there is to every action that we perform every day a million times of our lives and yet are not aware of it. The experience gave me an awakening that I took everything important for granted and I wasted my time doing things that were not really so beneficial to my ultimate mental and physical growth and spiritual development like gobbling up food, watching too much television, keeping my ears filled with mp3 music all the time, keeping myself occupied with friends and their talks the whole day, browsing the internet for world wide information while I remained ignorant about my own self amidst so called technology, the pressure of studies and the company of my peers around me all the time. Eating alone was no different than meditation. It clarified the readings of the Zen and Buddhism as it taught me that self concentration or Dhyana is the ultimate aim of reaching a state of perfect bliss. Self concentration was the means of achieving focus on the self. According to the Zen teachings of Buddhism, Samadhi is the way of connecting to the self within and this connection is the source of all energy to accomplish all tasks of importance to an individual self. The experience of eating alone, in solitude and in total peace opened the door to yet another realisation of self concentration and its welfare on human beings as a whole. Assignment four- Washing dishes, alone. Washing dishes was a mundane chore of daily life. There was nothing so special about it. I would never have given it so much importance until I had the experience of eating alone. The immense pleasure and knowledge I gained by the previous experience inspired me to try to do things all by myself alone. I tried to pay attention to every little detail in the most ordinary situations like washing dishes. I had never realised that there was so much significance to doing simple errands in life. But I got a strange insight into myself that every fraction of a moment spent in total concentration lead to freedom from it and liberated me from my own ignorance. A person who has attained freedom from worldliness is the tathagatha according to the Zen view of suffering. I had not thought that small things mattered so much to the wellbeing of a person and that they lead to the ultimate emancipation of our deeds. Washing dishes all alone, without the accompaniment of any artificial sound of music, but the flowing of water from the tap. I had kept the television off so there was neither sight nor sound of television but I had total focus on the froth of soap in the sink. I watched my own hands move in beautiful systematic movements over the dirty dishes as though I was watching wonderful scenery from a window. The bubbles of soap created colours from no where and it seemed like magic to see them vanish one by one under the water. I saw the glass plates getting cleaned one by one and I could see the sparkle on them after washing. I saw my own fingers move over them as though they were not my own. I was so engrossed in the effort that I had no other vision but that of my hands, the water, sink, soap and the dishes. I heard no other sound but that of the water flowing out of the tap, the subtle sound of soap and its bubbles and the clink of glass dishes which sounded better than any node of any musical instrument I had ever heard. I saw all this as though I was watching from a distance. I was aloof and I did not feel the presence of my own hands on my body. I was totally involved in the activity which made me realise the power of truth to the self. Nothing else mattered but my activity that very moment. Everything looked beautiful even though it was nothing very extraordinary. I was at peace and I felt happy like never before. I had not felt like that in the best of moments with my friends in the best of parties I had ever attended. Washing dishes opened my inner eyes. Like the teachings of the Zen and view of suffering, I could feel the presence of an inner beauty in every little thing around me. I could sense a pride and pure pleasure in my simple actions. I could feel at peace with myself. I was totally free from pressures of performing my actions and the consequences it would bring upon me. True to the teachings of Buddhism in the Zen and view of suffering, I felt as though I had been liberated from my ignorance of false pride – the ego. By doing simple actions with dignity gave me a feeling of self esteem. It liberated my false notion that washing dishes was an ugly unimportant boring action forced upon me by others or by demands of time when I lived alone. Just like the Maya represented unawakened beings, not free from worldliness, the womb as the source of self afflicting passions, I felt as though I was born again. I was out of the womb of my inhibitions. I was born as a free minded person who had the power to break off from suffering. Washing dishes was a suffering till that day but it became a task of beauty, marvel and synchrony of my own body movements. My own hands and fingers gave me the feeling of capabilities of creating beautiful moments in my own life. Assignment five- un employed, un occupied, at attention in a Mall. Meditation awakened an insight into different types of self awareness. The technique of concentration could be practiced amidst crowds of strangers. The concepts of meditation can be practiced even when in a fully crowded area. And that self awareness was possible even while standing was another lesson I learnt from this exercise with relation to the teachings of the Zen and Buddhism. I walked to the nearby Mall. The shops were flooded with people as it was a Sunday. There was brisk activity of people shopping, eating, and moving around with little children. There were a lot of sound, different types but loud and noisy atmosphere in the Mall. I stood there alone. Isolated. I looked absolutely different that any person present in the shopping place. I was not moving. I had no shopping to do. I had no aim of meeting any one and I was all alone. Even in a crowd of people, I was all alone. I stood in the middle of everyone. They pushed me aside to make way to move. They said things to me while they did so. But I stood there undisturbed. Aloof. Un attached and un employed to any of the activities that would make me a part of the scene. I did not pretend to be a part of the world as I stood there in the Mall. I tried to connect to my inner self. It was a weird feeling at first. I could see that people gave me strange looks. But I was steadfast in my intentions of meditation while standing. I cut off all the sounds one by one with my inner self. I aligned my focus from the outside to the inside. I was in the same busy Mall but I was alone. I could feel the peace within. I had reached the void space that I was looking for. The people who touched me to make way did not affect me. Their words did not touch me or make me angry at all. They did not exist. I was standing there alone. All by myself. In total peace and tranquillity. Like a Tathagatha. In Samadhi. In Dhyana. The teachings of the Zen in his writings about suffering and Buddhism became very clear to me now. The teachings that we created our own surroundings by our ignorance and that we ourselves gave rise to our own suffering as per the teachings of the Zen became evident to me as I stood there in the Mall alone by myself surrounded by strangers and noise. I realised that the exterior did not matter as long as we stayed connected to our true self. What others say or do does not matter as long as we are true to our inner self. Being honest to the moment of the time was the lesson I learnt. The outside worlds was just an illusion created by our own minds where as the true self was always guiding us to the finer goals of life was the relevance of this experience to the readings in Zen, View of suffering. I had learnt to de socialise from the world. I was not afraid of being alone anymore. I was at peace with myself. I was not restless and self conscious as I stood alone in the Mall. I did not have to give vent to my stressed up or suppressed emotions through body language of moving uncomfortably. I was stronger than before. Least nervous of my identity and I had accepted what and who I was. I was not feeling engrossed by what others thought about me. I was focussed on my self. My inner space gave me freedom and security like no other person or place could ever give me before. The teachings of the Zen were true word to word after my experience of standing alone in the busy Mall. Assignment six- ride in an Elevator. The ride in an elevator is nothing unusual at all. To think that such an event could impart lessons of spirituality was absurd to me until I had begun to study Buddhism. I entered the elevator like always but this time I entered and did not turn my self towards the others in side the lift. I looked at the blank metal wall of the elevator. I could feel the strange looks the people around me gave me as I stood unlike them. I could feel their bodies against mine at some time. I could see them giving me funny looks as they entered and walked out at their floors. But I kept my posture and my back towards them just as I was supposed to. The experience in the Mall had given me enough courage to stand up to be an isolated individual who could not be affected by anyone or anything around him. I stood there until I had reached the bottom floor. I could sense the emptiness of the elevator as each one walked out of it. I could feel that there was no one in it. Then I turned and walked out of the elevator after everyone else had gone. I was self conscious for a few minutes and I could feel the pressure of being the focus of attention in the elevator for the first few minutes. But I soon recovered from my self consciousness as I awakened myself to the teachings of the Zen to suffering. Self concentration was the key to all freedom of existence I realised. I brought it to my realisation again and once the awakening had entered my mind I was at perfect harmony with myself with the other people who occupied the elevator with me. I was devoid of their presence. I felt bold inside me. I could sense the gravitation pull of the elevator going down. I could feel the presence of men and women inside the elevator without having to see them. I did not feel the urge to look around any more. I was not self conscious of my back to them. Their stares at me did not disturb me. I did not get affected by their back glances at me even though I could see with my back towards them. It was as though I had an eye on my back. I felt the sense of vision without my eyes. I could see without actually looking and I could feel without touching. I did not feel any presence of their bodies against mine but still I had a sense of presence like a living person. My awareness of my self had distinguished the difference of being self conscious and of being conscious of the self. I had attained the basic knowledge of the self. I felt so liberated to be away from people even when I was a part of them. I felt absolutely free. I felt happy. I felt fearless that nothing could touch me and that no one could bother me if I was aware of my own inner self. I realised that meditation was possible even in a standing position. I realised that I could find peace even when there was noise around me. I could understand that the others did not make a difference to my life and actions. And that they were not important at all. I was important. The self within me was of utmost importance and the true self was that mattered not the one people saw standing facing the blank wall of the elevator. My experience related to the teaching of the Zen that I was listening to the ultimate truth without relying on any other, anything without any form. That I was my true self alone. That my suffering was none other than the one I had given opportunity to and that I was in absolute state of happiness or without suffering if I could attain the void inside me. Assignment seven- the world of cruelty and selfish behaviour. The television news channels projected news of child abuse by a single mother. The newspaper story on the front page gave pictures of a young baby thrown out of the window by his own mother in a fit of rage. These two stories are just a few among other crime and violence that has risen in the world in the past few decades. The quality of human beings has deteriorated in modern lives. No one thinks of any one else but is focussed on the self. This self focus in not the same as promoted by the Zen and his view on suffering. Many people misinterpret the self with the ego and many practice the indulgence in their own self under the name of self focus. But Zen made it clear that the self attached to the four noble truths could never attain the real inner self and could never achieve a state of bliss or emancipation of suffering from meditations. I meditated on the event of the mother throwing her nine month old baby out of her tenth floor apartment window because he was crying and she could not handle him alone. I had focussed on the scene as I had read it in the newspaper. I reached the inner space of quietude and could see the event as though it was happening before my very own eyes. I could feel the body of the cuddly baby. I could see the shabby state in which the twenty-one year old mother lived on the tenth floor of a shanty tower. I could see that there was nothing to eat and drink for the mother. She was uneducated. She was jobless. She had no support. She had no one who claimed to be the father of her baby. The baby was starving and crying out to express his need. The mother had had a fight with her new boy friend and was upset that he had not helped her with money. She was angry at her own affairs and suffering and had lost control over her self. She had had none before also. She had lived up to satisfy her four truths, of desire, sin, and evil and had never found opportunity to awaken to her inner self. The young mother did not know what she was doing. His actions were mixed up with her past and future. Her present was out of control as he could not identify her present. She repeated the mistakes of her past by letting her present go astray. The baby was only living up to its survival needs but the mother could not cope with the demand of time. She had not identified with her true self and was engrossed in selfish aims in life so this led her to end her suffering by doing another evil deed to add up to the others she had always done. The baby was not in a position to govern his thoughts and actions as the mother is Maya who is totally responsible for the suffering or well being of her child until he is grown up enough to have his own thoughts and mind. This event played before my eyes when I meditated and it clearly awakened me to how ignorance of truth lead to misery of human beings. The perpetrator was behaving in a normal fashion of an ignorant un awakened person. She did not know what was true about her own self. She had not tried to connect to her inner self in order to identify her root cause of misery. She gave extraordinary importance to actions of short lived pleasures which had no ultimate welfare for human beings. I put myself in the shoes of the Perpetrator and I found that it was not so abnormal for her to be cruel to her child. On the basis that she herself had been raised in a similar unkind manner. The fact that society did not give her opportunity of learning about the finer virtues of human beings like compassion, honesty and truthfulness lead her to behave in a base manner un fit for human with a high intellectual capacity. The teachings of Buddhism, Zen and views of suffering enlighten this very basis of human behaviour and how it lead to suffering and misery. When analysed the story gives perspective of how the past catches up with the present and if not handled with knowledge lead to a worse future for the same human being. But on the other hand an individual who had been brought up with teachings of Buddhism or high values of life in his childhood would not react to a situation in this manner at all. A self aware person would concentrate on the situation and fulfil his responsibilities as a mother instead of shunning them like this mother did. A person grown up with meditation and self focus would firstly never get involved in short term bodily pleasures of creating babies without providing for them. The true essence of mother had been violated by this mother who aimed at satisfying her worldly pleasures all her life. She was devoid of any connection to her own self. She had no sense of direction to her life. Her aims were not aimed at her well being so she eventually created nothing but suffering for her self . She was the cause of her misery and she did nothing to elevate herself from it. The teachings of the Zen could have had a positive effect on her. People like her would rise above suffering and could contribute towards a superior self if they knew about the teachings of Buddhism. Assignment 8 – Act of compassion. There were so many destitute I had seen every day. They had failed to arouse my compassion any more. I was totally un aware of their presence and I felt un attached to their misery. The teachings of Buddhism and the practice of meditation gave rise to the sensitive aspects of my own self. I could feel the tingling of fresh breeze when I walked to college. I could hear the sounds of birds and bees through the park. I could see the people who lived in underprivileged circumstances in the same surroundings as I lived in my plush apartment on the 14 floor. They had never mattered to me for so long but meditation had awakened my finer senses and I had decided to reach out to them one day. It was Christmas time and I had planned a party at my apartment for all my friends. I had saved up enough money for the event. A week before Christmas I saw a child from this shanty town asking me for some money. I had asked him why and he had told me that he wanted to buy a new pair of socks for his little baby brother as he did not have any to keep him warm. This information had awakened me to the fact that I should rise above myself. I should rise above the four truths of the noble path. I decided to cut down my party by half the expense and donated the remaining money for the whole family of this little boy. I took him to a nearby sale with me and bought woollens for his baby brother, mother, father and the little boy. His face was overjoyed and for the first time I felt a strong sense of joy like never before. The connection to my inner self had become stronger. I did not feel the need to associate with the people who I wanted to help. They did not have to known to me nor related to me at all. Compassion was within us but we had to reach out to it by deep insight only possible through meditation. â€Å"If you realise that whatever you do, or however you are, ultimately fails to hold good, then what you do, you do† is the essence learnt from the Zen views of suffering and tenets of Buddhism. One had to rise above his own self, forget his physical form, his own identity with respect to others and only then humans could achieve freedom from misery. The teachings illustrated this realisation when I did what I wanted to do when I wanted to do it. I had no connection with these people and yet they became a part of my life. I could feel happy by my actions and the same actions could have brought me misery once upon a time. The Zen teaching made me realise that we truly governed our misery and that we only could relieve ourselves from it. Compassion was a virtue that did not need special learning. We were imbibed with it and that we did not need to have extraordinary resources to perform acts of compassion. There were ample opportunities to acts of kindness if we were aware of our capability to do so. We could be kind to any one on the street without having to go out of our ways to help him or her in her time of need. The amount of positivity we earned by performing acts of kindness only strengthened the teachings of the Zen and his views of suffering in our daily life. It was possible to apply these teachings in every step of our day if only we were aware of our inner selves and if we connected to the source of origin of all energy within us. Assignment ten- give up something for the welfare of the planet. The very basis of Buddhism and its teachings is non violence, truth, acceptance and surrender of the self to the self and to the universe. The aim of Buddhism is to help every human being achieve nirvana. The goal of Buddhism teachings is to attain Samadhi or to reach a state of total bliss, emptiness through self realisation. To renounce ignorance and awaken to the understanding of the self as a part of the universe. The modern humans have used their brain power to enhance technology into our daily lives so much so that we are not aware of our total dependence on it everyday. We have destroyed tiny creatures inhabiting this planet with us to build empires of magnitude over the destruction of natural resources of the earth like mountains, rivers, sea and air, All these contradict the teachings of Buddhism. I decided to make my contribution to earth by planting more trees in and around my area whenever I saw deforestation for new buildings in the locality. I made sure I planted trees and shrubs that grew naturally in that area so that I could conserve the tiny species of insects, animals and birds that lived on these wild herbs. I did not want to beautify it with plants from the nursery but I wanted to preserve the natural foliage for saving the lives of all those who depended on it. I sacrificed my entertainment funds to buy trees and plant them nearby. I spent my time of partying on week ends to look after these trees instead. Every new leaf on the plants would revive my faith in my self. This action gave me confidence on how we could save the planet with small individual efforts rather than talk big and plan big for the government system to execute in the state. I have realised that when actions arise out of inner inspiration there is no sacrifice in them. There is absolutely no feeling of being deprived of neither time nor money when you are involved in an action which originated from your mind and heart for a noble cause you believed in. The money I spent to buy the trees did not pinch me a bit. I did not miss not seeing those movies and those outings with friends. I was nourished by an extra inner energy which boosted me for more such actions above my own self. The week end hours I sacrificed with my friends did not feel like a sacrifice but gave me immense satisfaction in the end of the day. I realised how much I could do to better the lives of all around me not just for my self but for the betterment of all. I learnt so much about environment I had never learnt through the internet. Physical work gave me good physique and I saved up the money I spent on gymnasiums instead. This activity in turn gave me an appetite for food so I cooked good meals and had sumptuous food instead of fast food junk I used to eat before. My overall health improved to an extent never before so how could I ever call this a sacrifice? I realised that the inner self was the source of well being. Not harming others and thinking of others gave rise to inner potential. I awakened to the fact that I had the capacity and the capability to do anything all alone. I understood that others did not create my misery. I felt free as I realised I had the power to create my own happiness. Meditation opened up inner doors to the treasures of human qualities that are hidden in each one of us. The Zen view of suffering unfolded all the ignorance I had about my problems. The teachings of Buddhism taught me to live free, fearless and with peace even if I was in the middle of a shopping mall, a crowded elevator or a class full of boisterous peers. I could still find my own space of perfect peace and tranquillity in the same world. I could connect to my inner self to be able to reach out to the universe in return.