Saturday, August 31, 2019

Factors of Career Choice

career choice Contents 1. Introduction 1. 1Role 1. 2Objective and Subjective Constraints 1. 3Key Theories of Occupational Choice 1. 3. 1Developmental Theory 1. 3. 2Structural Theory 1. 3. 3RIASEC Model 2. Factors of Occupational Choice 2. 1Family and Class 2. 2Neighbourhood and Peer Group 2. 3School and Education 2. 4Race 2. 5Gender 2. 5. 1Horizontal and Vertical Segregation 2. 5. 2Pay 2. 5. 3Hours Worked 2. 5. 4Orientations to Work 3. Solution of Constraints and Obstacles to Occupational Choices 4. Conclusion 5. References 1. Introduction â€Å"The occupational choice debate is concerned with the degree of choice individuals have over their eventual occupation. † (Module Handbook) The process of occupational choice is â€Å"psychologically based and examines the way in which the individual develops and passes through a series of stages during which the self-concept grows as abilities, aptitudes and interests develop. † (Watson T. J. 2008) This assignment is attempting the factors that may prevent or affect people’s occupational choices and how we can overcome them. . 1Role Role plays an important part in human-being, it can influence a person’s behaviour and decision making. Role may be achieved or ascribed. â€Å"The concept of an achieved and ascribed role is important in occupation choice. † (Module Handbook) Stark (2007) states that â€Å"An achieved role is a position that a person assumes voluntarily which reflects personal skills, abilities, and effort. An ascrib ed role is a position assigned to individuals or groups without regard for merit but because of certain traits beyond their control. (wikipedia) An achieved role can be changed and gained through putting efforts by a person, e. g. educational qualifications. On the other hands, an ascribed role is unchangeable. This role is assigned to you by your parents or family, e. g. height, gender, rich or poor, status, etc. The role of a person can influence one’s occupational choice. In general, people who have advantages in their ascribed role, it perceived to have advantages in their career path or development as well. Some people can act as model, and some cannot, because of the height of a person. Fortunately, people’s achieved role can break this normal pattern. If people can put efforts and reach to higher educational level, they can also earn the opportunity on their career development and work as middle or top level management in a company. People cannot change fundamental elements but can change their path through their effort. Thus, people’s achieved and ascribed role can alter the decision when they are making decision on occupational choice. 1. 2Objective and Subjective Constraints If we wish to product a model or theory which identifies the various factors that influence the individual’s occupational choice, we must consider both objective and subjective constraints. The individual has certain tangible resources such as cash, skills, knowledge or physique, which are objective constraints. The individual has certain intangible minds of motives, interests and expectations, such as to achieve power or gain job satisfaction, which all are subjective constraints. These are psychological factors of personal achievement. 1. 3Key Theories of Occupational Choice . 3. 1Developmental Theory Eli Ginzberg (1951) defines â€Å"an individual never reaches the ultimate decision at single moment in time but through a series of decisions over [time]. † (module handbook) It is the Developmental Theory of occupational choice. â€Å"E. Ginzberg looks at occupational choice as a cumulative process of decision making, taking place in three stages closely linked to tho se of emotional and intellectual development. Fantasy choice is followed by a period tentative choice, then finally there is a period of realistic choice. † (White S. 968) People’s occupational choice do not occur only at the moment on the decision making, but â€Å"is an extended process which may begin as early as ten or twelve and continue well beyond the choice of a first job. † (White S. 1968) Fantasy choice is occurring at the age between 6-11 when the children have no ideas about the real-life situation, all things are fantastic and delivered to them by their parents. When the children grow at the age of 11-17, the knowledge of the real world increases, they aware of themselves and the outside environment, and they makes tentative choice on the basis of their own interests. . 3. 2Structural Theory The structural theory is that the entry points of the occupational structure are impacting on ambition of people. According to Keil et al, they include family ba ckground and value, neighbourhood and peer group, school and education, gender and race. 1. 3. 3RIASEC Model Holland (1973/1985) developed a psychological approach â€Å"to identify people’s occupational preferences and helps fit a person’s choices and organizational characteristics. † (module handbook) It is referred to as RIASEC. RIASEC indicates Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional. By the research of Taiwan’s high school students, we found that â€Å"the R type is a very typical male-oriented type of career† and â€Å"girls, on the other hand, were more interested in the A-type fields and tended to choose artistic fields as their careers. † (Tien H. L. , Wang Y. F. and Liu L. C. 2009) 2. Factors and Obstacles affecting Occupational Choice People do not enter the occupational structure with equal opportunities. There are many factors and obstacles that can influence the choice-making on occupation of people, we are now focus on the factors in structural theory, including family and class, neighbourhood and peer group, school and education, race and gender. 2. 1Family and Class When the children at the age of 6-17, which is in the stage of fantasy choice and tentative choice, they depend on their parents mostly. Thus, the patents’ expectations for educational achievement, beliefs and behaviors will affect the children’s future development. The Parent Socialization Model developed by Eccles and colleague (1982) has highlighted the important role parents play in the development of children’s achievement choices. The belief of parents â€Å"will then influence parenting behaviors and expectations, which, in turn, will affect child outcomes such as educational and career choices. † (Jacobs, J. E. , Chhin C. S. and Bleeker M. M. 2006) Moreover, as the family background of a person on his or her ascribed role cannot be changed, family network and status also play important role on occupational choice. The structure of a family an individual faced when he or she was growing up may affect the individual’s social skills and lead to human capital investments† and â€Å"parental education appears to have an indirect effect on children’s occupational status through children’s education. † (Tsukahara, I. 2007) Grieco (1987) shows â€Å"how this can be helpful both to the employee, wh o gains support from family members both inside and outside work and is sustained in steady employment, and for employers, whose recruitment costs are kept low and who can look to employees’ relatives to help train them and teach them to â€Å"fit in†. (Watson T. J. 2008) Even not every people will choose the same career as their parents, most people appear to have a high probability to make similar choices. Rather, parents’ education also appears to have an indirect effect on children’s occupational choices through the children’s education. For example, if the parents perceived a positive effect on the professional occupations, the children will then also have a positive effect on the professional occupations in future. 2. 2Neighbourhood and Peer Group People can enjoy social experience through the contact of neighbourhood and peer group, such as friends and teachers. As these peer groups always recognize in people’s earlier stage, such as school life, they have long-term consequences for one’s belief and value. â€Å"Teachers, parents, peers, and others may influence youths’ achievement and interests long before educational and occupational decisions are made. † (Jacabs, J. E. 2006) These peer groups can provide people social support and encouragement; however, the groups may also provide somehow of negative impact if wrong perception and information are provided. 2. 3School and Education Formal schooling operates alongside the general cultural and family socialization process. † (Watson T. J. 2008) Willis (1977) states education â€Å"as a form of preparation for the way those particular individuals will need to live with their subservient roles once they enter paid employment. † (Watson T. J. 2008) The jobs which people choose were influenced by the level of educational qualifications they achieved. The more professional of the jobs, the more skills and abilities are needed, and the more rewards (both monetary and non-monetary) can earn. On the contrast, there are more limitations on occupational choice for people who have lower educational level. 2. 4Race Race or Ethnic Discrimination is also undoubtedly playing a major role in occupational attainment. The research project conducted by Cardoso P. and Marques J. F. (2008) about The Perception of Career Barriers Inventory found that African and Afro Portuguese students score significantly higher than Euro-Portuguese students on Ethnic Discrimination. The Ethnic Discrimination â€Å"results highlight how, at the early stages of development and at crucial career decision moments, when these beliefs are structured, a negative influence on vocational behaviour development can occur. † (Cardoso P. and Marques J. F. 2008) Melamed (1995) concluded that â€Å"discrimination accounted for between 55% and 62% of the variance in the differential career success of men and women in a British sample. † (Brown D. 2002) Although the wide-spread prevalence of race discrimination in most countries, the limitations and difficulties in career choices and development of these minority groups are still high. . 5Gender Gender will be a major factor in the career choices. Due to the role conflicts between men and women, a study found that â€Å"women in Israel, Germany, the United States, and Japan assigned lower importance to the centrality of work in their lives than did men†¦.. this is the result of women’s orientation to o ther life roles, primarily because of women’s concern regarding participation in the family role. † (Brown D. 2002) By the survey report of â€Å"Third Quarter Economic Report 2010† in the section of â€Å"Labour Force Participation Rates by Sex† (www. enstatd. gov. hk), the data shows the participation rates of male employees is 68. 9% and female employees is 52. 2% in the third quarter of 2010. The number of women who engaged in labour force is still lower than men. We are now analyzing the gender by three sections: horizontal and vertical segregation, pay, and hours worked. 2. 5. 1Horizontal and Vertical Segregation Horizontal segregation is the term â€Å"used to describe the tendency to discover men and women in different types of occupation. (Module Handbook) For example, by the survey of â€Å"annual percentage of male and female managers by job function†, â€Å"female managers are mainly in the functions of â€Å"personnel & training† and â€Å"conference & banqueting†, whilst management posts in the areas of â€Å"property & security†, â€Å"food & beverage†, and â€Å"control & finance† are mostly held by men† in 1999 in Hong Kong. (Ng C. W. and Pine R. 2003) By the survey report of â€Å"Women and Men in Hong Kong: Key Statistics† in the section of â€Å"Employed Persons by Industry and Sex† (www. censtatd. gov. k), the female employed persons were mainly engaged in the public administration, social and personal services sector (35. 9%), while data of the male employed persons was different, with the financing, insurance, real estate, professional and business service sector being the largest sector (18. 2%) in 2009. Vertical segregation is the term â€Å"used to describe the situation where, the higher one progresses in an organizational or professional hierarchy, the fewer the number of females one encounters. † (Module Handbook) Morrison et al. 1987) coined a term of â€Å"glass ceiling† to â€Å"describe the difficulties women face in climbing to the top of the corporate ladder. † (Ng C. W. and Pine R. 2003) Although the percentage of women who studied law and medical and health subjects is over 60%, the opportunities to promote is still obstruct by the â€Å"glass ceiling†, such as traditional value and family responsibility. (Ming Pao Newspaper) For example, by the survey of â€Å"annual percentage of male and female managers by job level†, â€Å"only 7. 2% of senior General Manager positions were held by women† in 1999 in Hong Kong. Ng C. W. and Pine R. 2003) According to the record of Hong Kong Listing Companies, there is only 9% of women in the top management level who mostly were entered by the role of family members. (Ming Pao Newspaper) By the survey report of â€Å"Women and Men in Hong Kong: Key Statistics† in the section of â€Å"Employed Persons by Occupation and Sex† (www. censtatd. gov. hk), the figures show there are 96,500 women and 229,800 men in the Managers and Administrators role, while there are 398,800 women and 149,600 men in the Clerks role. R 2. 5. 2Pay â€Å"Full-time working women earn 82. % of men’s hourly pay. † (Module Handbook) According to â€Å"Women and Men in Hong Kong: Key Statistics† in the section of â€Å"Median Monthly Employment Earnings of Employed Persons by Age Group and Sex†, the median monthly earnings of female employed persons in Hong Kong was HK$8,500 in 2009 while that for males was HK$12,000. (www. censtatd. gov. hk) By the survey of , over 70% of people indicated that Hong Kong is still have sex discrimination in career environment which men’s paid are more than women even they are on the same positions. . 5. 3Hours Worked Even the labour market participation of women has increased dramatically in many countries, the hours worked of women are still lower than men due to the different orientations to work. Hakim (1996, 2000) states that â€Å"whereas in general men prefer to work, women show a heterogeneous set of work-life orientations: some women prefer to work, others want to stay at home and almost half of them prefer to combine work and family life. † (Doorewaard H, Hendrickx J and Verschuren P. 004) The data indicated that although many women are entered or re-entered into the labour market, they are still want to have work-life balance, especially for those women who are married and have children, it is also the barrier of women in the career path both actually or in people’s traditional perceptions. 2. 5. 4Orientations to Work Orientations to work to different people are varying. People seem to be motivated to work by a mixture of options, e. g. earning money, developing their careers, gaining status, etc. According to Crompton and Harris (1998), â€Å"it is not only influenced by someone’s own choice and motivation, but also by the constraints of the situations in which one lives and works. † (Doorewaard H, Hendrickx J and Verschuren P. 2004) It can simply distinguish into three types of work orientations: job orientation, money orientation and people orientation. Watson (1994) said â€Å"life circumstances and the specific circumstances prevailing in the work situation influence what they are looking for and what they expect to get. (Martin E. 2004) Hence, orientations to work are also barriers to occupational choice if the job itself cannot fit in one’s orientation. 3. Solution of Constraints and Obstacles to Occupational Choices It is no doubt that the work pattern and norm is constantly changing around the world, however, this change can help to overcome some of the constraints of occupational choices. The past few decades have been marked by a significant gr owth in women’s labour force participation in most countries. Although women play a stronger economic role than in the previous decades, men are usually the primary breadwinners in families. Women, who function as secondary earners, tend to have part-time and other nonstandard employment. † (Kan M. Y. 2007) Those nonstandard employments, such as part-time job, temporary jobs, psychological contract, will be more common in the future work. â€Å"The nature of formal contracts has altered, with more short-term contracts†¦.. sub-contracting and out-sourcing arrangements have become more common and are part of a set of strategic HRM options. (Westwood R. , Sparrow P. and Leung A. 2001) Furthermore, the increasing of feminine management style in both government and private companies where a more flexible and â€Å"feminine† approach to management, such as flexible work family arrangements, â€Å"Family Friendly Working Practices† in Hong Kong. This style helps women who want to balance between work and family life. Additionally, the work pattern of â€Å"10 years in employment and 10 years out† which is a flexibility approach for people who want to have a break for few years and return to work, e. . female returners who seek to re-enter the workforce after a few years of unpaid care-taking responsibilities. At the time of making occupational choice, people are still young and lack of knowledge and experience. â€Å"People make choices based on imperfect knowledge and uneven distribution of knowledge and at a young age. † (Module Handbook) To prevent in making wrong decision and lack of confidence from the students, school and teachers can arrange some experienced people to share their real experience and give more support to them. Luzzo (2000) proposes â€Å"to help students think about the role that perceived barriers play in the career planning and exploration process, and to identify effective resources and strategies for coping with such barriers. † (Cardoso P. and Marques J. F. 2008) 4. Conclusion Every people have different choices on career and different orientations to work. And, there are some subjective and objective variables affecting the process of choosing the career. People have to identify them clearly in hope to find the most suitable job for them which is fitting with their interests, intentions and abilities. owever, those obstacles can be overcome through the changing work pattern and work management. In fact, many of these trends of future work are already with us today. We are all in the moment of changing atmosphere. 5. References Brown D. (2002). â€Å"The role of work and cultural values in occupational choice, satisfaction, and success: A theoretical statement†, Journal of Counseling and Development, Vol. 80, Issue 1, PP. 48-56 Cardoso P. and Marques J. F. (2008). â€Å"Perception of career barriers: The importance of gender and ethnic variables†, International Journal for Educational & Vocational Guidance, Vol. 8, No. 1, PP. 9-61 Doorewaard H. , Hendrickx J. and Verschuren P. (2004). â€Å"Work orientations of female returners†, Work, Employment and Society, BSA Publications Ltd, Vol. 18(1), PP. 7-27 Eccles J. S. (1994). â€Å"Understanding Women’s Educational and Occupational Choices: Applying the Eccles et al. Model of Achievement-Related Choices†, Psychology of Women Quarterly, 18(1994), PP. 585-609 Jacobs, J. E. , Chhin C. S. and Bleeker M. M. (2006). â€Å"Enduring Links: Parent’s expectations and their young adult children’s gender-typed occupational choices†, Educational Research and Evaluation, Vol. 12, No. 4, PP. 395-407 Kan M. Y. (2007). Work Orientation and Wives’ Employment Career s: An Evaluation of Hakim’s Preference Theory†, Work and Occupations, Sage Publications, Vol. 34, No. 4, PP. 430-462 Martin E. (2004). â€Å"Who’s kicking whom? Employees’ orientations to work†, International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Vol. 6, No. 3, PP. 182-188 Module Handbook – Management, Work and Society, University of Huddersfield, January 2011 Ng C. W. and Pine R. (2003). â€Å"Women and men in hotel management in Hong Kong: perceptions of gender and career development issues†, International Journal of Hospitality Management, 22(2003), PP. 5-102 â€Å"Third Quarter Economic Report 2010† (2010), Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Government Tien H. L. , Wang Y. F. and Liu L. C. (2009). â€Å"The Role of Career Barriers in high School Students’ Career Choice Behavior in Taiwan†, The Career Development Quarterly, Vol. 57, Issue 3, PP. 274-288 Tsukah ara, I. (2007). â€Å"The Effect of Family Background on Occupational Choice†, Labour: Review of Labour Economics & Industrial Relations, Vol. 21, Issue 4/5, PP. 871-890 Watson T. J. (2008). â€Å"Sociology, Work and Industry†, Fifth Edition, Routledge Westwood R. , Sparrow P. nd Leung A. (2001). â€Å"Challenges to the psychological contract in Hong Kong†, International Journal of Human Resources Management, 12:4, PP. 621-651 White, S. (1968). â€Å"The Process of Occupational Choice†, British Journal of Industrial Relations, Vol. 6, Issue 2, PP. 166-184 Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, [retrieved on 18 February 2011] â€Å"Women and Men in Hong Kong: Key Statistics† (2010), Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong Government â€Å" †, Ming Pao Newspaper [retrieved on 15 February 2011] â€Å"70% , 3,500? †, Wen Wei Po [retrieved on 15 February 2011]

Friday, August 30, 2019

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Essay

Abstract This paper will explain Maslow’s triangle and its application to interpersonal communications. An explanation will be given how the interpersonal communications, based off of Maslow’s triangle, can be used as an interview and interrogation tool. Examples will be provided of a personal experience that directly relates to the vertical progression through Maslow’s triangle. When Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow’s triangle) is understood, it is easier to understand another person and have better more effective interpersonal communication. Maslow’s triangle is a set of needs that must be met and people are self-motivated to fulfil the needs. Maslow’s triangle can be used during interrogation and interview as a means to build trust a rapport. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs can be divided into two parts, basic needs and growth needs (McLeod, 2014). To elevate to a higher need, the needs at the current level must be satisfied. The basic needs are believed to be self-motivating and the longer they go unmet the greater the desire for them becomes. For instance the longer one goes without sleep then the more tired they become and soon the body will breakdown. The bottom of the triangle is physiological needs. These are the most basic needs for survival such as food, water, breathing, sex, sleep, homeostasis, and excretion. The next level is safety needs which consists of protection from elements, security, order, law, stability, and freedom from fear. Love and belongingness needs is the third rung and is comprised of friendship, intimacy, affection and love, from work group, family, friends, and romantic relationships. The final basic need is esteem needs which includes achievement, mastery, independence, status, dominance, prestige, self-respect, and respect from  others. The top of the triangle, and the growth need, is self-actualization needs, made up of realizing personal potential, self-fulfillment, and seeking personal growth and peak experiences. Maslow believed that people have an inborn desire to be self-actualized (Cherry, n.d.). Self-actualization is when a person reaches their full potential. Understanding human needs can be a used persuade people as they are already self-motivated to fulfil their needs. This can be used by both preventing the obtainment of a current need or by providing a current need. In the later one can build rapport with the subject by providing the needs. This can further lead into security or love and belongingness where you as an interrogator or interviewer can be the stability or friendship need that is missing. By filling in the need you can passively be purvey to more information or even take a more aggressive quid pro quo stance. Furthermore you may even give an ultimatum that if the information you seek is not provided then the fulfilled need will be taken back leaving a deficiency. As this relates to my personal experiences and my progression through the hierarchy of needs, I am no different than anyone else and I must have fulfillment of one level before ascending to the next. I have been fortunate enough that air and water have always been present in my life. Sleep is sometimes lacking and can affect my health but on the whole a sufficient amount of sleep is met. Being that the lowest level needs have been generally fulfilled the next level is considered. Safety needs have generally been provided given that safety of employment was sufficient. While employed in the active duty military I had job security providing money that provided safety in resources. Safety in employment allowed the lower level item such as food to always be fulfilled as well as safety of property a need of the second tier. Employment allowed advancement into both the third and fourth levels as I was part of a family both in occupation and able to provide for one at home. I also had friendship within the employment and much respect both from self and others as well as a sense of achievement. This had much to do with the type of occupation being what it was (military). This all fed into a greater self-esteem and then into the top tier of the triangle, growth and self-actualization. The other side to  this is that when I was no longer in the active duty military and I lost the fulfilment of safety of employment I much of the fulfilment of other needs. I lost the steady monetary income and in direct correlation I lost safety of property as I was never sure if I would be able to make my house payment. Being able to provide for my family was always a question and this greatly reduced my self-respect and respect from family and relationship within the family dynamics. I was not sure if I would be able to always meet to need of food. My focus was fulfilling that unmet need, the need for safety of employment. At no time after I had a deficiency in level two of the triangle was I ever considering my self-actualization or full potential let alone even confidence or achievement from the level below that. When Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is understood, it is easier to understand another person and have better more effective interpersonal communication. The needs laid out in Maslow’s triangle can be used during interrogation and interview. They can be used as a means to build trust a rapport and or persuasion and coercion. References (n.d.). Retrieved from wikimedia,org: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Maslow’s_hierarchy_of_needs.svg Cherry, K. (n.d.). Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from About Education: http://psychology.about.com/od/theoriesofpersonality/a/hierarchyneeds.htm McLeod, S. (2014). Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. Retrieved from Simply Psychology: http://www.simplypsychology.org/maslow.html Tay, L., & Diener, E. (2011). Maslow’s Hierarchy. Retrieved from Changing Minds: http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/maslow.htm

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Reading the Poetry of Sylvia Plath Can Be a Disturbing Experience Essay

I agree with the above statement as for me reading Plath’s poetry was quite disturbing. The best poems to explain this experience are â€Å"Black Rook in Rainy Weather,† â€Å"Finisterre,† â€Å"Morning Song,† â€Å"Child† and of course, â€Å"Poppies in July†. There are poems that aren’t quite as depressing, such as â€Å"Pheasant†, but certainly an unsettled atmosphere dominates throughout Plath’s work. Main text The theme explored in â€Å"Black Rook in Rainy Weather† is the lack of inspiration and the depression that arises therefore. Plath is in a state of desperation, she describes her life as a â€Å"season of fatigue† (part of the poems psychic landscape) with â€Å"brief respites from fear of total neutrality.† Her life is empty as she perceives it, to the extent that the most banal things may serve inspiration to her tormented mind: â€Å"A minor light may still lean incandescent out of kitchen table or chair as if a celestial burning took possession of the most obtuse objects now and then†¦Ã¢â‚¬  It is comforting to realise that Plath is able to find inspiration in this, but the poem is simply permeated with her pain and fear of losing all motivation: everything is black, it is raining and the background setting seems dull. It is a fairly routine situation in which most people have probably found themselves at some stage. Therefore, it is likely to that readers can relate to it, but its only effect could be to provoke bad memories and make one feel uncomfortable. It is crucial that the reader attempts to exclude the thoughts of her tragic death and almost permanent state of severe depression when reading her work in order to give it a chance. However, it seems to just stare at you from the page. Also knowing that, all her work acquires a sinister context, which is indeed disturbing: if a person to bright and talented couldn’t find a solution to her inner problems – what about the rest of us? â€Å"Finisterre† is an imaginative masterpiece. But the themes that feature in it are very important too. Sylvia Plath is emphasising the failure of organised religion and therefore rejects the beneficial qualities of the hope that religion normally provides. To take away one’s last hope is deeply unsettling. The poet describes a grand statue of Our Lady of the Shipwrecked to whom a sailor is praying and also a peasant who came to pray. However, according to Plath, Our Lady â€Å"doesn’t hear what the sailor or the peasant is saying, she is in love with the beautiful forlmelessness of the sea.† The dismissal of hope is harsh, those who are meant to care – don’t, according to Plath. What is one left with after one loses hope? Some other poets known for their gloomy outlook, like T.S. Eliot who also submerges the readers in the bleakness of reality, offered us hope in religion, but Plath failed to find refuge even in that. It is as if this is not only land’s end but it is also the end of hope, faith and all good things. She does, however, attempt to provide an alternative. The last line â€Å"These are our crepes. Eat them before they blow cold† calls the reader to make the most of the present moment but not think too deeply about life – this is emphasised by the very simple language used here. This may seem to come as a solution, but to me personally this conveys an even worse disturbance- running from the truth because it is so intolerable. As I said, the images in â€Å"Finisterre† are amazing. The cascade of rocks is describes as â€Å"fingers knuckled and rheumatic cramped on nothing,† rocks â€Å"hide their grudges under the water,† the waves are the â€Å"faces of the drowned,† the mist is made up of the souls of dead people. Everything described here is nothing, dead, or about to die, just like those seemingly doomed flowers at the edge of the cliff. This poem kills any hope in the reader and, therefore, I believe it is very disturbing. â€Å"Morning Song† offers us an insight into the relationship of a mother and a newborn baby. There are elements of joy in it, but even the arrival of a baby is full of negative emotions for the poet. The baby is described as a â€Å"new statue in a drafty museum†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Why is a baby, whose life just started described as a statue? A statue is something withdrawn, distant, it even echoes the statue of â€Å"Finisterre.† A newborn is non of those things, but that is how Plath sees it. The museum is drafty. To most of us a museum is a collection of distinct pieces but to her life again appears through the prism of depression. This is nothing new to a Plath’s reader but it is a new level of emotional disturbance when not even a new life, the birth of her own child was able to support her mood. The feeling of distance is further developed through an image: â€Å"I’m not more your mother than the cloud that distils as mirror to reflect its own slow effacement at the wind’s hoard.† Paradoxically, Plath focuses on her own feelings of the lack of attention to herself: the cloud is the mother, who gives birth to a puddle – the baby, and the baby is similar to the mother, and therefore, her reflection. Probably Plath felt disconnected from the baby and felt that her own role is now diminished. I think that this is quite unnatural, although understandable. However, such a description of motherhood is disconcerting. â€Å"Child† and â€Å"Poppies in July† are explicitly disturbing. In â€Å"Child† Plath feels unable to fulfil her dream of granting her children a happy life: â€Å"pool in which images should be grand and classical, not this troublesome wringing of hands, this dark ceiling without a star.† This is frightfully upsetting. The reader can just sense the pain and disappointment, feelings of failure and despair that the poet must be experiencing. But â€Å"Poppies is July† is just immersed in her pain, or even the lack of it. The state she describes is profoundly terrifying. It exhausts her to watch poppies flickering, yet she masochistically continues to carefully observe them. She is not just depressed now. We are seeing a rather neurotic and paranoid attitude here which alternates with complete emotional obtundation. She perceives them as â€Å"hell flames,† she wishes for pain or death: â€Å"if I could bleed or sleep.† She is at a point where the mind is so shocked ant tired that it cannot even feel: â€Å"but colourless. Colourless.† I think this is the most honest and strongest description of excruciating, suffocating emotional crisis that I have ever read. Conclusion Overall, Plath’s poetry is full of ideas, mesmerising images, honest and deep thoughts with no sugar-coating. Almost all of these are destructively negative, which makes her poetry disturbing. She callously rejects hope, cruelly picks out the worst aspects in everything, her soul aches is fear of loss of those rare transient moments of inspiration that kept her alive.

How did religious and political views shape or affect the conquest of Essay

How did religious and political views shape or affect the conquest of mexico - Essay Example The temporal realm was separate from life on Earth. The Nahua believe that natural and supernatural were entwined. Another defining aspect of religious influence was blood. Spaniards believed god had sent Jesus to spill his blood, but the Nahua believed that their gods needed human blood. Each religious influence controlled the outcome of the conquest. The Spanish were Roman Catholics. Although the Spaniards were Roman Catholics, different orders would shape the conquest and eventual conversion to Catholicism. Schwartz (2000:25) explains: The conversion of the indigenous peoples of New Spain (Mexico) was carried out in the sixteenth century primarily by missionary orders: the Franciscans, Dominicans, Augustinians, and after 1574, the Jesuits. Depending upon the order, the priests would convert the Nahua and the other tribes in Mexico. The goal was to baptize and convert the people to Christianity. It must be noted that different orders handled the natives with diverse methods. Some p riests were harsh in the conversion. The Nahua had to convert, be baptized, and refute their native religion. Other orders would incorporate the local religion into their view of Christianity. It is important to note that in the end, the Christians conquered the Nahua, but the Nahua retained some of their traditions. The Nahua believed in a variety of god and goddesses. Schwartz (2000:9) states: The many gods and goddesses can perhaps be grouped into three major categories. As an agricultural people, the Mexica gave particular devotion to the gods of the earth and of fertility, to gods like Tlaloc, god of rain†¦A second group consisted of the creator deities†¦Finally, there were deities who formed part of the cult of war and sacrifice. The many gods and goddesses were entreated for rain, victory in war, and praise for creation. The impact of the religious differences between the Spanish and Nahua in the respect to gods and goddess influenced the conquest. The Spanish fough t for a trinity in one god. The Nahua asked their gods of war and sacrifice to beat the invaders. When mankind wages war for a religious purpose they will win at all costs. If a tribe is fighting for land alone it is easier to lose. The religious ties of homeland were not as important to either side. The difference was one side fought for a sole god, but the other fought for their homeland. Thus the Spaniards overcame the Nahua. Another impact religion made on the conquest of the Spanish over the Nahua was conversion. The Nahua did not want to expand their empire through conversion. The Nahua wanted to annihilate their enemies. If they conquered people, the Nahua let them keep their identity. The Spaniards wanted to conquer and convert. This provided slave labor, allies, and more resources. Different religious values of the two warring sides influenced the conquests. Christians wore crosses with arrows, swords, and other advanced weapons. Gold was not valued by the Nahua for their t raditions. However, the Christians believed in the value of gold. The Spaniards wanted the gold to give a tribute to the church. Gold could be made into crosses. The Nahua’s rituals were of complicated temples built of stone. Water, sacrifices, and other rituals made up the Nahua religion. The value of the territory made the Spaniards feel that their god wanted them to take the riches in order to further the Church’s mission of spreading Christianity throughout the world. The

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Oral Communtications Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Oral Communtications - Essay Example 24). The law that put a limit to the terms that a president can serve in the U.S. was ratified by at least 41 states and rejected by a meagre two states. Many historians note that the 22nd Amendment was instituted in reaction to what the founding fathers of the United States wished for the country. The founding fathers thought that without setting a term limit for presidents, the nation would effectively become a monarchy (Moore p. 7). George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison and James Monroe, are some of the presidents who opted not to vie for presidency for a third term. Their moves in this direction were widely taken positively and impacted the choice of Americans to institute a term limit for presidents. The 22nd Amendment has been subject to a lot of debate. While others argue that the Amendment when related to the Twelfth Amendment bars people who have served two terms as president cannot qualify to become vice presidents, others note that a former president who served two terms can serve as vice president legally (Moore p. 7). The latter group argues that the Twenty-second and the Twelfth Amendments talk about eligibility to serve as president and election respectively to the extent that a former president can serve as vice president even if he/she had worked as president for two terms. In conclusion, the 22nd Amendment clearly bars a person who has served as president for two terms from serving additional terms in the same capacity. The Amendment was enacted with the sole purpose of avoiding the possibility of the nation becoming a