Black Men and Public Spaces Essay

The name of the story is Black Men and Public Spaces. It was written by Brent Staples in 1986. Brent Staples is a black man who whenever in public is met with fear from others because of his race’s stereotype. Feeling like a potential perpetrator can be just as unnerving as feeling like a potential victim. Staples has the ability to alter public space by his physical behavior, his dress and his verbal reaction. Black men have a reputation of being rapist, murders and gang members, therefore many people get worried when a young black man is around. So Staples has learned how to change his perception or level of threat to others. He accomplishes this by his physical behavior. The way he walks or acts around others can change there mood. Now Staples notices if people are frightened by him. Brent Staples attempts to introduce people to something most all are guilty of, but pay little attention to. Using accounts from his own and others’ experiences, Staples essay portrays the racist tendency of people to assume black men are potentially violent and dangerous. Stereotypes are so common in our world today and people don’t even notice how bad they portray it. I hate seeing that a man had to force himself to change the way he acts and portrays himself in public. Why should someone change their ways? It made me think of a time when I was getting gas on Green River Road near Washington Avenue. I was almost done when a car with two black men pulled up and stepped out of their car. I was nervous so I stopped and got into my car real quick. Now that I think about it those men weren’t doing anything, just grabbing some late night food. How could I be that bad of a person? I know now that was wrong of me and I’m working on it. I hope someday society will realize what they are doing and change it. Not just for their sake but for mankind. Staples was viewed as a rapist, murder, and etcetera, all because he was a black man. But in reality he was just as uncomfortable as everyone who looked at him differently. Brent Staples tries to make people aware of what they are guilty of and someday all will realize.

Bureaucracy and Scientific Management Essay

Bureaucracy, which is an important model of organization defined by rules and series of hierarchical relationships, has been the dominant role for understanding organization for decades (Grey, 2007). Since the 1960s, numerous criticisms in mainstream thinking keep emerging toward the bureaucracy asserted that the imminent death of bureaucracy is coming because the defects associated with applying rules would lead to several problems such as poor employee motivation and goal-displacement. In view of this, the implication of a move from bureaucracy to post-bureaucracy has emerged and it is being depicted as a new label of flexible specialization in volatile market. Based on trust and empowerment, post-bureaucracy and other terms including post-hierarchical, post-fordism and post-modern organization are also employed in the same sense (McSweeney, 2006). While some expert judge that the post-bureaucracy are actually more rhetorical than real and it has its own problems such as the risk, unfairness and loss of control, others highlight that the advent of the new post-bureaucratic era is still arriving since the market has been experienced a moving from mass production towards niche production in today’s business environment. While it can not be denied that the concern on the aspect of its design and efficiency in mainstream thinking toward the bureaucracy did lead to some problems in a sense, this essay will attempt to demonstrate that the bureaucracy is still relevant for understanding organizations in current business environment and the existence of post-bureaucracy should be questioned. In order to demonstrate this, according to the mainstream thinking, critiques towards bureaucracy at different perspectives and the feasibility of post-bureaucracy will be discussed at the beginning. Then it will argue the limitation of the mainstream thinking and how bureaucracy can still be relevant for understanding organizations by using examples from literatures. According to Weber, rational-legal is the basis of bureaucracy and it becomes widely adopted because it refers to a highly efficient form of organization while critiques towards the bureaucracy in mainstream thinking are basically to do with the aspect of its design and efficiency in contrast. In the popularist critiques, bureaucracy is viewed as a form of organization which is like a predictable machine with standard operations and leads to the unnecessary delay and excessive obsession with rules. Based on the mainstream thinking, Grey (2007) summarized some important problems from the popularist critiques related with the inertia and ‘Red Tape’ mentality. Specifically, because simply following the rules in bureaucracy gives rise to have little personal commitment and low interest for the workers in the organization, job satisfaction and responsibility in their minds will not be guaranteed and leads to a poor motivated customer service as well as the procrastination in paper work. In the view of the customers, due to the impersonal rules from bureaucracy, sometimes it facilitated the employees in organizations to be ‘jobsworth’ and lead to ‘buck-passing’ by hiding behind the rules when no decision is being made towards a rule-against problem until ‘authority’ comes because the typical mind in their heads. However, some managerialists such as Crozier (1964, cited in Grey, 2007) and Gouldner (1954, cited in Grey, 2007) might deal a blow to the idea that bureaucracy is rigid and impersonal because rules sometimes are completely ignored by employees in their observation. For example, safety regulations as well as equal opportunities regulations in organizations are usually being ignored because they are viewed as a commonplace and sometimes the inconvenience would get in the way of the their jobs. But it was not assured that whether the result of the observation is suit to the organizations in other industries. Yet, more overriding controversial problem in bureaucracy is the goal-displacement within organizations. In the managerialist critiques, as Robert Merton (1940) addressed in his study, bureaucracy would not always lead to the best outcome because people are more likely to follow the rules as a goal rather than its effect. In this way, it gives rise to deliver sub-optimal outcomes in organizations by ‘doing the thing right’ rather than ‘doing the right thing’. A defense for the goal-displacement would be that solutions are not all the optimum ones in every case, but bureaucracy offers an optimum average at overall level. However, another particular version of goal-displacement given by Philip Selznick (1949, cited in Grey, 2007) also poses a blow to the bureaucracy. He suggests divisionalized structures on organizations would lead to different aims towards the divisions by pursuing divisional interests but not the whole organization as the rules designed. Individual prejudices would play a central part in decision making and different aims in divisions within the organizations would very much debunk the rational image of bureaucracy. These insights above are very much pointing to the emergence of post-bureaucracy in organization. Admittedly, apart from overcoming the demerit of bureaucracy, as new forms of organizations with an open boundary based on trust and empowerment, post-bureaucracy would be more suitable for the organizations while the market is even more volatile in today’s business environment. However, post-bureaucracy has its own problems on the aspect of control and risk in mainstream thinking. Without applying rules in organizations, it is not easy to sustain the operation of organizations in an open boundary while trust and empowerment is so fragile that there is a danger that post-bureaucracy will descend into anarchy. Besides, giving employees more freedom to work in their ways would lead to the risk of making wrong decisions. Because employees might have adopted an even less efficient approach to the problems, the efficiency in the post-bureaucratically organizations would be less efficient at all times (Grey, 2007). However, some experts would try to advocate the post-bureaucracy in a different perspective. While the present business environment is moving from mass production towards niche production, organizations are chasing the trend of fitting with the flexible specialization in producing (Piore and Sabel, 1984, cited in Grey, 2007) and the rise of the network society and network organizations also provide a favorable environment for the post-bureaucracy (Castells, 1996, cited in Grey, 2007). But managerialists such as Warhurst and Thompson (1998) and McSweeney (2006) acute that the critiques towards the mass production is by no means decreasing over the world, and the new forms of operation with post-bureaucracy based on trust and empowerment are actually more rhetorical than real because few and limited practical cases of detailed type post-bureaucracy could be found in recent period so far. Therefore, the existence of post-bureaucracy within organizations should be questioned in a sense. Back to the argument discussed in the front, some limitations are worth noticing in the mainstream thinking. Although bureaucracy has its shortcomings in multiple perspectives, Paul du Gay (2000) claims that bureaucracy actually embodies fairness. It is true because people would chase for the maximum efficiency due to the demand of instrumental rationality. Ethic of impersonality and fairness in bureaucracy are required so that employees and customers are treated without prejudice and discrimination. In George Ritzer’s The McDonaldization of Society (2000), it also provides the idea that impersonality is the central of bureaucratic ethos that guarantee fairness as du Gay mentioned and this can be related to the merit of standardization in organizations. Specifically, Ritzer utilizes Mcdonaldization and sees it as the template for contemporary forms of bureaucratization. By focusing on the four dimensions including efficiency, calculability, predictability and control through non-human technology, he exemplifies the logic of standardization in bureaucracy has several advantages including economic and material reasons and contends that the proliferation of standardization has spread into more and more sectors in all kinds of area. Scientific management in bureaucracy is still very evident in organisational systems over the period. Another noticing limitation could be found on the one-sided aspect of the restriction focused on efficiency. The critiques towards bureaucracy as well as post-bureaucracy in mainstream thinking might have a different understanding if the vision is shifted from different perspectives. According to du Gay (2000), it is fundamentally doing with the power. But more importantly, it is about the question of a binary logic. Mainstream thinking concerning about the efficiency towards bureaucracy is more likely to divide whether the bureaucracy is good and post-bureaucracy is bad or post-bureaucracy is good and bureaucracy is bad. However, the division between bureaucracy and post-bureaucracy was actually much less clear-cut in current business environment. For example, in Richard Sennett’s (1998) study, he revisits what previously was a Greek bakery operating with bureaucratic rules and workers are stable unionized few decades ago. However it becomes a multinational firm with large scale and uses shifting workforce of non-unionized workers for operating the bakery machines. In this way, products are easily to shift from type to type while workers know nothing about the techniques of baking but just simply pressing the button on the bakery machine. It clearly shows how new working environment of post-bureaucracy about flexibility in production do not simply imply an empowered kind of organizational life and the ways of working are as dehumanizing as before — the combination of bureaucracy and post-bureaucracy. Bureaucracy is still very much alive in the new forms of organization. In conclusion, the concern on the aspect of its design and efficiency in mainstream thinking toward the bureaucracy did lead to some problems in a sense. However, while bureaucracy has been proclaimed is ending since 1960s and it leads to the view of emergence towards the new form of organization, post-bureaucracy has its own problems and its existence should be questioned. However, bureaucracy actually does embody fairness. While the world is stepping into a new business environment, organization operate in bureaucracy still has several advantages including economic and material reasons and the proliferation of standardization has spread into more and more sectors in all kinds of area. Bureaucracy is still very much alive and evident in modern organizational and social life, even combined within the new organisational systems.

Investigation of My Personality According to Five Personality Theories

Psychology is the combined elements of Physiology and Philosophy. It is the discipline concerned with behavior and mental processes. It also covers how they effect the external and internal environment of on organism. There are numerous approaches to discovering a systematic theory of personality in order to answer some of the bothersome questions that have developed in psychology regarding this phenomenon. Personality is believed to be possessed by all people in differing degrees. How people tend to think, feel, and behave and what causes individuals to have these tendencies are questions addressed by personality theory and research. Whereas developmental psychology and social psychology have merged as a subject matter in psychology, personality has never truly found that unity. There has never been a fundamentally acceptable definition as to what personality is. These aspects have not prevented personality from being the subject of psychological research and theory-making. One day I’ve began to consider about my personality detailed while studying Psychology. Then I’ve just realized changes in my character and behavior, but didn’t pay much attention to study each side of my personality deeply. During the investigation of my personality I’ve done some tests to learn about my personality better. My personality according to psychoanalytic theory: When I passes the test questions C. Jung’s analytic theory I have realized that I am related to the â€Å"ESFP† providers. I am not an extraverted person and reserved person and I usually prefer being alone. My personality according to Humanistic theory: The focus of the humanistic perspective is on the self, which translates into â€Å"YOU†, and â€Å"your† perception of â€Å"your† experiences. This veiw argues that I am free to choose my own behavior, rather than reacting to environmental stimuli and reinforcers. My personality according to Behavioral theory: A behavioral theory is relatively easy to develop, as you simply assess both leadership success and the actions of leaders. With a large enough study, you can then correlate statistically significant behaviors with success. According to Social –learning theory: I think People learn through observing others’ behavior, attitudes, and outcomes of those behaviors. Social learning theory explains human behavior in terms of continuous reciprocal interaction between cognitive, behavioral, and environmental influences. According to Trait theory: The trait approach to personality is one of the major theoretical areas in the study of personality. The trait theory suggests that individual personalities are composed broad dispositions. Consider how you would describe the personality of a close friend. Consequently,I would like to say that I believe people are an open book. If you watch what they do and listen to what they say over time, I think they give us a pretty good picture of their personality and attitudes. I know that is a sweeping generality, but I think it holds true in most people†¦

History of Buddhism

Dr. Klein describes the history of Buddhism, important figures in the movement and stories of the beginning of Buddhism. She discusses the nature of death in Buddhism, in several contexts. Death is an incentive because once one realizes one's human life will inevitably end, life becomes even more important. Motivation to make good use of one’s life exists because even though rebirth is guaranteed, the quality of that rebirth is not.The Buddhist focus on spiritual develpment will help one recognize the inevitability of death as well as face it without fear. The goal of a Buddhist to escape cyclic existence(enter heaven and avoid hell), is the first of element of religious practice in Indo-Tibetan tradition. The idea of rebirth leads to the next element which is compassion. With the idea of rebirth, comes a concern for others. The third essential religious practice is wisdom.In Buddhism, the process of dying consists of eight distinct visions that correspond with the consciousne ss leaving the specific parts of the body. Klein notes that a skilled mediator can simulate this experience at will giving them in control of the experience. This article is well organized and is based on a variety of different sources. It is very detailed and covers a wide scope of material related to Buddhism. Klein seems very informed on the topic but does not offer opinions or personal input.Buddhism fosters a view of personal responsibility instead of fatalism. This is a responsible concept for human beings to live by. Contemplating death to eliminate the fear is a concrete and real way to handle death. Also, not being overly dramatic when consoling the dying (as though not to cause feelings of regret) is a great idea. I think that is an interesting concept that can help the dying and the people consoling them deal with the experience in a more rational way.

The Effects of Globalization and Economic Expansion on Russia Research Paper

The Effects of Globalization and Economic Expansion on Russia - Research Paper Example As a result of this, Russia obtained international acknowledgement as the sovereign successor to the Soviet Union. Russia was honored with a permanent seat to represent the Soviet Union in the United Nations Security Council, and various positions in regional and international organizations. 7 Russia sits on both Europe and Asia. However, it is neither Asian nor European in its standpoint and culture. Russia has remained the largest country in the world, even after the division of the Soviet Union in 1991. Ziegler points out that the nation â€Å"occupies about 6.6 million square miles of territory, and is nearly twice the size of the United States. From East to West, the country stretches over 5,000 miles and occupies 11 time zones† (1). After the breakup of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Russia abandoned much of its access to the Black sea. As a result of this fragmentation, Russia was left smaller, landlocked, and geographically isolated. The former Soviet Union w as the third-largest nation in the world with a population of approximately two hundred and ninety million people. Despite the fact that Russia is physically the largest nation in the world, its population has been declining over the years. In this regard, it becomes the ninth largest nation in the world following â€Å"China, India, the United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nigeria† (Ziegler 2) in terms of population. Over eighty percent of the population of Russia lives on the western side of the nation, while the rest of the population lives in Siberia and Russia’s Far East. 8 Western Russia is populated with majority of Russia’s roads, railways, and air routes. Ziegler asserts that â€Å"Siberia is extremely rich in natural resources-oil, natural gas, gold, diamonds, furs, and timber-but much of its wealth is virtually inaccessible or very costly to extract due to the country’s weak transportation system† (2). Today, Russi a is more ethnically united compared to the former Soviet Union and imperial Russia. This is because before the downfall of the Soviet Union, it had only fifty one percent ethnic Russians. However, the Russian Federation today comprises of eighty two percent ethnic Russians. Tatars are the second largest ethnic group in the Russian Federation; the group comes from Mongols descendants, who controlled the lands in Russia in the thirteenth century. Three percent of Russia’s population comprises of the Ukrainians, who are Russian’s Slavic cousins. Twelve percent of the population is made up of Jews, Germans, Belarusians, Turkic people, Caucasians, and small tribes form Siberia. The ethnic groups in Russia generally relate very well, but from time to time, outbursts of violence occur against non-Russians. 9 According to Ziegler â€Å"Russia as a whole lies much further north than the United States; in this sense it is more comparable to Canada† (2). Russia has a lot of fertile agricultural land, but its location in the north results in cold weather and very short growing seasons. As a result of this, most crops do not fare well on Russian soil. When it was part of the Soviet Union, Russia had great cropland. This was however lost when the Soviet Union was dissolved, great cropland located in Kazakhstan and Ukraine was lost. Crops grown in Russia include rye, winter wheat, potatoes and sugar

Islam Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Islam - Essay Example The three children dedicate most of their early years to memorize every word of Quran even though they do not understand or speak Arabic the language used in writing the holy book (Koran by Heart n.d). The Quran recitations are practiced throughout the in the Muslim word because they have a special auspicious during the Ramadan. By conducting this event, the Muslims believe that this is holy the month when the Quran was first revealed to Prophet Muhammad (Koran By Heart n.d). The Muslim understands that the each individual recitation is an act of divine revelation. The Muslims believes that this divine revelation is almost similar to the initial revelation by angle Gabriel to the Prophet Muhammad (Koran by Heart n.d). Since the religious text is judged on the memory and the intonation, therefore, this is just like singing a song. The concert is attended by young contestants and then their families offer a glimpse into the daily life to the broader Muslim world. Since the kids are young as seven years old, they might not understand the issues about the world that surround them (Koran By Heart

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway Essay - 1

Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway - Essay Example Hemingway does not use the crucial word in any part of the story, but the context, dialogues and the behavioral pattern of the two main characters would make it clear that they are planning to travel by train to Madrid to abort their child. The most intriguing aspect of the story is its terse narrative structure that leads the readers slowly to the core of the issue dealt with. The third person narrative serves the functional purpose of describing the mise en scene and filling in the unavoidable details of action. Each word has its weight and significance in the story for the same reason. Moreover, the story makes use of symbolic representations through every image that appears in it. The protagonists have a few drinks in the train station in the Ebro River valley of Spain and speak about the hills in the background, the drinks, their shared life, the abortion and their future. The varying viewpoints of the man and woman regarding the abortion are part cleverly revealed through their conversation and action. Hemingway presents a fragment from the life of the protagonists, but this throws light on the effects of time and space on the quality of their life. They are presumably the representatives of the ‘roaring twenties, who led a hedonistic life after the First World War. The crumbling social valued and family structure have led to a freewheeling life where men and women lived for the moment, and tried to get rid of commitments and responsibilities. The tension felt through the curt dialogue shows how the attitudes to such a life differ drastically between the man and the girl. The man is obviously distracted by the prospective because he is forcing the girl to do it. He forcefully brings the subject during the conversation and says, â€Å"That’s the only thing that bothers us. It’s the only thing that’s made us unhappy†. He neglects the attempt by the girl to bring to his notice that