Distinctive Characteristics of American Culture and Character Acquired Essay - 1

Distinctive Characteristics of American Culture and Character Acquired Throughout History - Essay Example Trends in household appliances and fashion started to pick up. They also started to fill their leisure time by participating in sports and other various activities like going to amusement parks. These changes then had an impact in the literature of that time and it targeted the middle class that was gradually growing. After 1910, the American culture experienced very little change (Fischer 23). Between 1870 and 1900, public-school enrollment doubled. This had a ripple effect that increased the number of high school and college students in the same period. The effect of this was that the level of illiteracy was very much reduced. There was also a growth in elementary schools, which went hand in hand with the growth of immigrants, and most parents saw this as a venue for acculturation. Martial arts, sciences, and American history were classes that were added into the curriculum around this period. It supplemented the basic curriculum of arithmetic, reading, and writing. Higher education expanded as universities and colleges, by 1900, had around 250,000 students. This was four times the number the universities and colleges had thirty years before. Act of The way Americans dressed and ate was changed by mass production. Hand-made clothing became less and less popular after the civil war. People became rather accustomed to wearing clothes that were ready made and were on sale in retail outlets. These retail outlets were however found mostly in large cities. However, Aaron Montgomery in 1872 started a mail-order business and thus the Americans did not have to visit these retail stores to buy clothes. This turned out to be quite a successful business for Montgomery and he dealt with a variety of commodities from agricultural products to clothes. In 1896, the Rural Free Delivery service made mail-order more accessible. With due time, increased accessibility to a wide variety of foods by people all over the country was experienced.

A Long Way Gone Essay Example for Free

A Long Way Gone Essay Imagine being a nice well respected kid into a cruel boy at such a young age. Interacting with people that you do not even know in your life that has an intention of just killing can be difficult for a young boy. Beah’s harsh actions were displayed in his memoir, Along Way Gone. Ishmael Beah proved that he lost his innocence by letting the rebels turn him into a murder, by getting convinced that violence is the solution to everything, and by relying on drugs to ease the pain he was suffering. Beah was manipulated by rebels into becoming a non ­stop murder. The rebels really get under his skin and brainwashed him into fighting in wars. He ends up coming across another rebel group that he surrounds with the other kids and the other rebel kids looks familiar to him because he thinks they were the group who killed his family. Beah gets angry and angrier, â€Å"so when the lieutenant gave orders, I shot as many as I could, but I didn’t feel better† revenge takes over him and has an outburst (pg. 122). Beah had encountered, â€Å"†¦ a few rebels after a long gunfight and a lot of civilian casualties. We undressed the prisoners and tied them until their chests were tight as drums† and tortured the rebels that the kids captured (pg.123). Beah is a murder and has no sympathy for any harm he does. Beah inserted violence and killing into his life at such a young age. The rebel group manipulated Beah by convincing him, â€Å"my squad is my family, my gun was my provider and protector, and my rule was to kill or be killed† and does not think otherwise.

Predicting Individual differences in Mindfulness

Predicting Individual differences in Mindfulness Predicting Individual differences in Mindfulness: The role of Trait Anxiety, Openness and Parental Nurturance  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­ Abstract Mindfulness is a way of paying attention, intentionally and without judgement to the present moment. Mindfulness training has shown impressive outcomes in a number of areas such as depression and pain reduction; however, the literature has failed to account for natural, individual differences in levels of mindfulness. This research provides an exploration of the variables: Trait Anxiety, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance and their ability to predict individual differences in Mindfulness. 123 participants each completed four questionnaires: The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to assess Trait Anxiety, the NEO-FFI was used to measure Openness to Experience, the Parental Nurturance Inventory was used to measure Parental Nurturance, and Mindfulness was assessed using the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). Partially consistent with the predictions, Trait Anxiety was shown to negatively predict Mindfulness, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance where n ot as strong predictors of Mindfulness. Key Terms: Mindfulness, Trait Anxiety, Openness, Parental Nurturance. Introduction Mindfulness is a way of paying attention, intentionally and without judgement to the present moment. The practice of Mindfulness originated in East India and is at the heart of Buddhist meditation. According to Kabat-Zinn (1994, 4) ‘This kind of attention nurtures greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality’. A lack of or reduced awareness to the present-moment, however, has the opposite affect which results in fear driven ‘unconscious and automatic actions and behaviours’. Continuing in this pattern of diminished awareness results in erosion to ones confidence and hinders the possibility of a life of satisfaction, health and happiness (Kabat-Zinn, 1994). Traditionally, Mindfulness was viewed as a spiritual practice, heavily steeped in Buddhism; however, more recently this practice has been widely encouraged in the western society (Baer, 2003). According to Baer (2003) there are two main Mindfulness training programmes namely the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Programme and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Other therapies such as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Relapse Prevention incorporate principles of Mindfulness into the programme. Most Mindfulness training programmes run for a serious of 8-10 weeks, with a one day a week group meeting which is held for approximately 2 hours. Clients are also required to do homework session including 45 minutes per day, 6 days a week. Evidence suggests that Mindfulness-based training intervention is effective. Research indicates that Mindfulness-based training is effective in working with borderline personality disorder, mood disorders, pain, generalised anxiety disorder, stress, alcohol and substance abuse, and eating disorders (Baer, 2003; Roemer, 2002; Williams, Teasdale, Segal, Soulsby, 2000; Witkiewitz, Marlatt, Walker, 2005; Woodman, Noyes, Black, Schlosser, Yagia, 1999; Zettle Rains, 1989). Without any way of accurately, and objectively measuring levels of Mindfulness, positive findings were attributed to the training alone. Brown and Ryan (2003), however, proposed that individual differences may account for differences in levels of Mindfulness. The introduction of a measure for Mindfulness has made room for researchers to explore this proposal in greater depth. The present study attempts to explore a question: to what extent do individual differences influence levels of Mindfulness. The literature highlights three such individual differences that may be of interest: Trait Anxiety, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance. The experience of anxiety is one that is familiar to most people; and Kaplan and Sadock (1998) describe the related symptoms as including an uneasy feeling followed by automatic responses such as headaches, perspiring and tightness in the chest. Trait anxiety, as apposed to state anxiety, is a persistent and does not wane in less stressful times. These researchers identify anxiety as having two components, namely awareness to the physiological sensations and awareness to being afraid. These experiences often lead to feelings of embarrassment, and in order to feel justified for the anxiety, people tend to focus on certain, conforming aspects of the environment and overlooking others. As a result of this bias to attention, a person is unable to experience the presence as a whole. Trait Anxiety is therefore expected to have an inverse relationship with Mindfulness. Openness to Experience is one of the five main personality domains and is described by McCrae and John (1992) as encompassing such things as imagination, aesthetic sensitivity, awareness of inner feelings, an inclination towards variety, and intellectual curiosity. Individuals who score high on this scale tend to be motivated to discover their environment, ask questions and have a readiness to question authority. As such, it is hypothesized that a high level of Openness to Experience would be a positive predictor of Mindfulness, since these individuals approach their environment with awareness, which is not clouded by judgment. The manner in which a parent responds to their child in the first years of his or her life has a far reaching impact on their adult life, affecting their relationships, both intimate, social and professional, how they interpret information given to them from the environment and whether or not they view the world as a safe place, and whether or not people are trust worthy (Fonagy, Gergely, Jurist, Target, 2005). According to this theory of attachment, Parental Nurturance is also an important factor in determining an individual’s ability to contain his or her own emotions. From this, it is hypothesised that positive Parental Nurturance will be a good predictor of Mindfulness as individuals are able to be present in their environment in a trusting, non-judgmental way. The present study explores the predictive value of these variables for increased levels of Mindfulness. In light of the literature, it is thought that a low level of Trait Anxiety will have an inverse relationship with Mindfulness, and that Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance will be positive predictors of Mindfulness. Method Design and Measures For the purpose of the present research study, a cross-sectional, correlational design was adopted. Information was thereby elicited from people in a number of different conditions, namely Trait Anxiety, Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance (independent variables), and the dependent variable of Mindfulness. The following measures where used: Spielberger’s (1983) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was used to assess Trait component of Anxiety. The STAI is designed to measure and distinguish between anxiety as a trait or as a state. Trait anxiety is a relatively stable personality trait and is marked by feelings of apprehension and tension, which is heightened in times of perceived threat. State anxiety, however, fluctuates and is heightened at times of stress and low in less stressful periods. This is a self-report, four-point rating scale, including 20 statements that ask people to describe how they feel at a particular moment. A high score is indicative of a high level of Trait Anxiety. Costa and McCrae’s (1991) NEO-FFI was used to assess Openness to Experience. This is a 60-item version of the NEO PI-R, which measures only the five factors of adult personality, however for the purpose of this study, only the twelve-item scale assessing Openness was employed. This is measure makes use of a five-point rating scale, where participants demonstrated the degree of agreement with given statements. A high score on this scale is indicative of a high level of Openness. Buri’s (1989) Parental Nurturance scale was used to assess this component of the study. This is a self-report, five-point Likert scale, where participants are required to describe positive and negative aspects of the parental nurturance they received. This is repeated twice, once for information pertaining to the mother and the second time for information relating to the father’s nurturance. An average of these combined scores is used as a final result, with a high score indicative of elevated levels of Parental Nurturance. Mindfulness was measured using the FMI (Walach, Buchheld, Buttenmuller, Kleinknecht, Schmidt, 2006). This is a short scale, 14-item, self-report measure, requiring participants to indicate their degree of agreement with a given, mindfulness direct statement. A high score on this measure is indicative of elevated levels of Mindfulness. Procedures, Participants and Ethics Participants were purposively sampled and personally invited by written invitation to participate in this study. Of the initial 153 participants, 123 were included in the present study. A detailed outline of the nature and details of the study, including a description of what would be required of them was provided in the initial invitation. Participants were assigned to one of three separated testing groups. On receiving consent, participants were handed a package of four questionnaires (STAI, NEO-FFI, Parental-Nurturance Inventory, FMI). Each questionnaire was marked with separate instructions for completion. Each participant completed the pack of questionnaires in the same order. Results Reliability of Measures A reliability analysis of the questionnaires was conducted, yielding satisfactory results indicating that the participants responded in a consistent manner to the questionnaires. The reliability coefficients were as follows: Mindfulness (ÃŽ ± = .78); Trait Anxiety (ÃŽ ± = .88); Openness (ÃŽ ± = .73); Parental Nurturance – mother (ÃŽ ± = .96); Parental Nurturance – father (ÃŽ ± = .96). Descriptive Statistics A descriptive analysis of the data obtained across the variables of Mindfulness, Trait Anxiety, Openness and Parental Nurturance is given in Table 1. As shown, the mean score for openness was 3.62, with a standard deviation (SD) of .55. The total results on the measure of Trait Anxiety yielded a mean score of 2.19, with a SD of .59. The mean score for Parental Nurturance was 3.71, with a SD of .79, and the Mindfulness mean is indicated at 2.69, with a SD of .46. Table 1: Presentation of Mean Scores and Standard Deviations from the Measures Employed to assess Openness to Experience, Trait Anxiety, Parental Nurturance and Mindfulness. Inferential Statistics The correlational analysis undertaken to explore the relationship between the dependent variable, Mindfulness, and the independent variables, Openness, Trait Anxiety and Parental Nurturance. These results are presented in Table 2. A significant, positive correlation was found between Mindfulness and Openness (r = .02, df = 3, p Table 2. Correlational Analysis Presenting the Relationship between Mindfulness and the Variables: Openness, Trait Anxiety and Parental Nurturance. * Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level (1-tailed). ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (1-tailed). An analysis of the degree of variance (ANOVA) yielded F=19.496, which is indicative of a statistically insignificant effect. Therefore, there is no relationship between the constant and the independent variables as a group. With this information in hand, a regression was undertaken to see what differences exist in each group. These results are given in Table 3. Table 3. Presentation of the Individual Differences between Variables. From this it is clear that Trait Anxiety has the strongest, inverse relationship with Mindfulness, which is a negative relationship. Therefore, lower levels of Trait Anxiety are a strong predictor for Mindfulness. Openness is shown to be an insignificant predictor of Mindfulness, and Parental Nurturance is approaching significance. 4. Discussion The results of this study partially meet the predictions made. Openness to Experience and Parental Nurturance were not demonstrated as positive predictors of Mindfulness, although Parental Nurturance bordered on significance. Trait Anxiety was found to be a negative predictor of Mindfulness, where the lower the level of Trait Anxiety, the higher the level of Mindfulness. These results can be explained in terms of awareness to the environment. Individuals having a high level of Trait Anxiety are unable to be present in the moment since they are subject to cognitive bias, which inhibits the information they are able to process. According to Harvey, Watkins, Mansell and Shafran (2004) individuals with high levels of anxiety have explicit memory bias for concern-relative information. These authors make further reference to the Cognitive Avoidance Theory of Worry, and describe how people who worry excessively have, as a result reduced their awareness of aversive imagery, as well as physio logical and emotional responses, which inhibits emotional processes. Since individuals with high levels of Trait Anxiety are working hard at suppressing unpleasant experiences in terms of physiological, emotional and psychological responses, they are reducing their ability to be Mindful. A key component of Mindfulness is the ability to absorb the environment as a whole, without judgement and being completely present in the moment. Individuals with low levels of Trait Anxiety are able to process their environment without bias, they are not fearful and ashamed, and are not required to be vigilant and suspicious of the environment and others. The qualities are similar to those describe in the description of Mindfulness, and should therefore yield similar outcomes of ‘greater awareness, clarity, and acceptance of present-moment reality’ Kabat-Zinn (1994, 4). From this study, it can be said that the variable of Trait Anxiety is a good predictor of the individual differences in Mindfulness. Further research into the predictive value of other personality variables may aid in the understanding of this phenomenon. Bibliography Baer, R.A. (2003). Mindfulness training as a clinical intervention: A conceptual and empirical review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(2), 125-143. Brown, K.W. Ryan, R.M. (2003). The benefits of being present: Mindfulness and its role in psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 84(4), 822-848. Buri, J. R. (1989). Self-esteem and appraisals of parental behavior. Journal of Adolescent Research, 4, 33-49. ** Costa, P. McCrae, R. (1991). The NEO-Five Factor Inventory – Form S. Odessa, Florida: Psychological Assessment Resources. Fonagy, P., Gergely, G., Jurist, E.L. Targer, M. (2005). Affect Regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of the Self. London: Karnac. Harvey, A., Watkins, E., Mansell, W. Shafran, R. (2004). Cognitive Behavioural Processes Across Psychological Disorders: A transdiagnostic approach to research and treatment. Oxford University Press. Kabat-Zinn, J. (1994). Wherever You Go, There You Are: Mindfulness meditation for everyday life. NY: Piatkus. McCrae, R.R. John, O.P. (1992). An introduction to the five-factor model and its implications. Journal of Personality, 60, 175-215. Roemer, L. (2002). Expanding our conceptualization of and treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: Integrating mindfulness/acceptance-based approaches with existing cognitive-behavioral models. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9(1), 54-68. ** Spielberger, C. (1983). State-Trait Anxiety Inventory for adults. Redwood City, California: Mind Garden Walach, H., Buchheld, N., Buttenmuller V., Kleinknecht, N. Schmidt, S. (2006). Measuring mindfulness – the Freiburg Mindfulness Inventory (FMI). Personality and Individual Differences, 40, 1543-1555. Williams, J.M.G., Teasdale, J.D., Segal, Z.V. Soulsby, J. (2000). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy reduces over-general autobiographical memory in formerly depressed patients. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 109, 150-155. Witkiewitz, K., Marlatt, G.A. Walker, D. (2005). Mindfulness-Based relapse prevention for alcohol and substance use disorders. Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly, 19(3), 211-228. Woodman, C.L., Noyes, R., Black, D.W., Schlosser, S. Yagia, S.J. (1999). A five year follow-up study of generalized anxiety disorder and panic disorder. Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 187, 3-9. Zeattle, R.D. Rains, J.C. (1989). Group cognitive and contextual therapies in treatment for depression. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 45, 436-445. ** References borrowed from given notes.

The Diary of Anaïs Nin Essay -- Sexuality

Sex and desire. Few words evoke such complexity of meaning. For some, it is a sexual act. Whereas one might describe it as the sensual pleasure of two bodies fused into one being, another may define it as the fulfillment of animalistic desire, an unleashing of the beast. But, beyond an act charged with various meaning, it can also serve as an identity–heterosexual, homosexual, bisexual, or transsexual. Whether act or identity, societal dictates define the norm and the deviant. Because of this, the artist who departs from the "acceptable" and embraces the "aberrant," arouses the consciousness of self and society. In doing so, sex and desire become a vehicle, a means of communication between artist and audience, and an object that demands our attention. Whether it is the subtle and sensual language of Anaà ¯s Nin in The Diary of Anaà ¯s Nin (1966), the coarse and explicit vocabulary of Henry Miller in Tropic of Cancer (1934), or the poetic and surrealistic prose of Djuna Barne s in Nightwood (1934), sex and desire, as a vehicle in the literature of these authors, exposes the chaos and confusion within their world and suggests the establishment of a new order for self and/or society. Written between 1931 and 1934, The Diary of Anaà ¯s Nin chronicles one artist’s psychological journey. Deserted by her father as a girl, Anaà ¯s experiences an â€Å"initial shock† that leaves her â€Å"like a shattered mirror† (Nin 103). The shards of glass, each developing a life of their own, come to be the â€Å"several selves† of Anaà ¯s (103). Through the pages of The Diary, reflecting upon and dissecting these various selves, she concludes, â€Å"one does not need to remain in bondage to the first wax imprint made on childhood sensibilities. One need not be branded by the fir... ...dea briefly has been to present a resurrection of the emotions, to depict the conduct of a human being in the stratosphere of ideas, that is, in the grip of delirium.† (243). As an artist, his task has been to â€Å"overthrow existing values, to make of the chaos about him an order which is his own, to sow strife and ferment so that by the emotional release those who are dead may be restored to life† (253). While there are those who might disagree with his methods, his language and vivid imagery not only awaken the conscious, but they also provide a much-needed dose of humor in Modernist literature. Works Cited Barnes, Djuna. Nightwood. New York: New Directions Books, 2006. Print. Miller, Henry. Tropic of Cancer. New York: Grove Press, 1961. Print. Nin, Anaà ¯s. The Diary of Anaà ¯s Nin: Volume One 1931-1934. San Diego: Swallow Press and Harcourt, 1966. Print.

A comparison of the magazine articles by John Pilger Essay

A comparison of the magazine articles by John Pilger and Tony Parsons, analysing the way they appeal to different audiences and the effect of the language on behaviour and opinion. John Pilgeri s article ‘The Man With No Namei appeared in the ‘New Statesmeni in June 1991. The magazine is left wing, and aimed at the middle and upper classes of society. I believe that Pilgeri s article is suited for reader of a higher intellect, and is perfect for the ‘New Statesmeni. The magazine promotes its ideas in such a way that one tends to think that it is reliable source of information. Tony Parsonsi article ‘Beggars Of Britaini appeared in ‘Arenai in October 1991. The magazine is aimed at young people probably in their teens or twenties. I believe that Parsonsi article is suitable for my own age group, which is of the age fifteen to twenty years old. The magazine itself is glossy and full of text and pictures that blend in. It would have been helpful if the articles provided were in there original form. Graphics are generally very useful for promoting a idea, in addition to the written language. ‘Arenai may well provide graphics but since I have not seen a original copy and nor is there one in my local newsagents I am unable to discuss the articlei s fully. The ‘New Statesmeni does not have the style of graphics that is present in ‘Arenai. It is considered as a more formal magazine and depends much less on sensation compared with ‘Arenai. Text for some is difficult to analyse whereas if it is accompanies with illustrations, it sets the tone of the article. Language with gimmicks is fine for all but new statesmen generally promote more depth in thought without the â€Å"extras†. One could compare arena and the new statesman with a story that one might either see on television or hear on the radio. The television and pictures and illustrations set the scene the scene for the mind to analyse. The radio and the new statesmen just use text. The mind has to provide its own imagery and in some ways I believe this is better and fairer. The examiner has provided the two articles in exact same font and style. I am not convinced that this makes a fair comparison between the two magazines. We can judge language and readability but possibly not impact on the reader. The tone of both articles is rather personal because in ‘Beggars Of Britaini Tony Parsons uses much offensive personal writing, while John Pilger writes about his personal story. Both articles are emotional in more ways then one. Pilger is emotional in the way he talks about his friendship with the homeless man. Parsons on the other hand hurls abuse at the way beggars get their money and how they appeal to most peoples sympathetic side. â€Å"†¦ And gypsy beggars who try to stuff a ratty flower into your buttonhole with some sentimental line – ‘for the children coos some obese hag† Pilger talks about making a friendship with this homeless man. Parsons shows his personal view on the matter of beggars. Parsonsi article is colloquial because he seems to be talking directly to you with streetwise language. â€Å"†¦. hey-you-guys-letis-catch-crabs† Pilger is somewhat more formal in his approach. † I have seen him nodding as if he is in silent discussion with himself† Both articles are written in first person. Both articles are addressed directly to the reader. This creates an individual effect, as if the writer is writing directly to you. This makes you be more involved in the article, rather the normal news, report the facts and doni t report emotionally. Parsoni s article is written from the writeri s point of view you either agree, or disagree. While Pilger talks about his friendship with a homeless man. Parsonsiarticle was published in ‘Arenai , a magazine aimed at a younger audience and it shows the whole structure and language is different. Most young people have short attention spans but in Parsonsi his article brings up the subject of beggars straight away, with strong obscene language making people read the article. â€Å"†¦ been happier for us to sleep in a shoebox full of shit†This is effective for young people with short attention spans. As I said earlier in the essay ‘Arenai is aimed at the younger generation. Pilgeri s article was published in ‘New Statesmeni a magazine aimed at middle and upper classes. Pilger writes a touching story of a build up of a relationship with a homeless man, ‘The Man With No Namei. Pilger builds up his article with a story and telling the reader the facts. The reader learns about the plight of the homeless people while telling the story of a typical homeless man. â€Å"My friend is typical in that he bears the familiar scars of the homelessness† The article is aimed at the more mature reader, who would be touched by Pilgeri s generous nature, and the predicament of the homeless man. So this is perfectly in place in the ‘New Statesmeni mature readers to read a mature article. Both articles use Standard English. I regard â€Å"Beggars of Britain† use of English really standard. While â€Å"The Man With No Name† is high Standard English. With but a few complicating words for a teenage reader. â€Å"such as a furtiveness† â€Å"sporadic, shallow joviality† Some of these words are considerably complex for an immature reader. The target audience for both publications is perfectly suited in their respective magazines. Parsons writes for a younger audience and writes just how the younger audiences like it. While Pilger writes for a matured audience and the audience like the way it is written. Both article style and structure are catered for different audiences. Pilgeri s article oozes aged style for â€Å"New Statesmen† audience. His story was a touching emotional parable, a parable which makes the reader think differently about the subject of homelessness. Parsonsi article has a different type of style a more risqui style; the younger audience may start to show malevolence towards beggars the same type that Parsonsi shares. â€Å"These people disgusted me† Both journalists are highly literate, but I think Parsonsi article does not do him justice. I imagine that Parsonsi article was not written for it high literacy level, but written by Parsonsi passion. His hatred of beggars dictated this article. Pilgeri s article was delicately written and written excellently. The story was written with the right balance of everything fifty- percent story and fifty- percent facts. â€Å"He had his usual tweed jacket and was leaning against the hedge† This extract from Pilgeri s article is a story paragraph. â€Å"With maximum publicity, the government allocated three hundred million for ‘rough sleepersi † This extract from Pilgeri s article is a fact paragraph. Parsonsi article is mostly abuse towards beggars, although he does feel genuine sympathy towards the real beggars. â€Å"In Africa you see beggars with deformed legs crawling, literally crawling† â€Å"Begging defaces the city, degrades the spirit† Parsonsi article is mostly just his private opinion on beggars rather then a serious article. Both articles were written in ninety ninety-one. Both and articles were respectively published in ‘Arenai and ‘New Statesmani. The conservative government was in power at the time, and Margaret Thatcher was Prime Minister. Both writers were against the conservative government, and blamed the government for homelessness and begging. â€Å"Thatcher government stopped council spending on housing more then ten years ago. † â€Å"Liberals blame the fall of the begging taboo on the let-the-bloody-orphans-take-care-of-themselves ethics of Thatcherism† These articles are still relevant to the year two thousand because both problems are still around. Begging has made a lot of headlines quite recently because there has been quite a few people who have been falsely begging, when they can easily live a prosperous life and have been accused of preying on the British peoplei s generosity.

Free Essays on Strategic Planning Limitation

Strategic planning Limitations Universities may encounter a multitude of problems as they go forward with their strategic planning process. This section discusses several of these difficulties and offers ways to minimize or avoid them. POTENTIAL PROBLEMS Strategic planning is an involved, intricate, and complex process that takes an organization into the uncharted territory. It does not provide a ready to use prescription for success; instead, it takes the organization through a journey and helps develop a framework and context within which the answers will emerge. Literature and research has documented extensively the possible problems that may arise during the process. Being aware of these issues and prepared to address them is essential to success: organization's strategic planning effort may fail if these potential pitfalls are ignored. To increase universities' awareness, this section reviews some of these limitations. Commitment One of the major challenges of strategic planning is ensuring commitment at the top, because in some ways, strategic planning reduces executive decision-making power. It encourages involvement throughout the organization, and "empowers" people to make decisions within the framework defined by the strategic planning process. As a result, this shifts some of the decision making from the executive office to the participants. Commitment of the people throughout the university "grows out of a sense of ownership of the project" (Mintzberg, 1994, p. 172). Such commitment is essential to success. Strategic planning implies organization-wide participation, which can only be achieved if people believe that their involvement counts, and that they will benefit from the process. Inflexibility of plans and planning Strategic planning might inhibit changes, and discourage the organization from considering disruptive alternatives (Mintzberg, 1994, p. 178). Planning might inhibit creativit... Free Essays on Strategic Planning Limitation Free Essays on Strategic Planning Limitation Strategic planning Limitations Universities may encounter a multitude of problems as they go forward with their strategic planning process. This section discusses several of these difficulties and offers ways to minimize or avoid them. POTENTIAL PROBLEMS Strategic planning is an involved, intricate, and complex process that takes an organization into the uncharted territory. It does not provide a ready to use prescription for success; instead, it takes the organization through a journey and helps develop a framework and context within which the answers will emerge. Literature and research has documented extensively the possible problems that may arise during the process. Being aware of these issues and prepared to address them is essential to success: organization's strategic planning effort may fail if these potential pitfalls are ignored. To increase universities' awareness, this section reviews some of these limitations. Commitment One of the major challenges of strategic planning is ensuring commitment at the top, because in some ways, strategic planning reduces executive decision-making power. It encourages involvement throughout the organization, and "empowers" people to make decisions within the framework defined by the strategic planning process. As a result, this shifts some of the decision making from the executive office to the participants. Commitment of the people throughout the university "grows out of a sense of ownership of the project" (Mintzberg, 1994, p. 172). Such commitment is essential to success. Strategic planning implies organization-wide participation, which can only be achieved if people believe that their involvement counts, and that they will benefit from the process. Inflexibility of plans and planning Strategic planning might inhibit changes, and discourage the organization from considering disruptive alternatives (Mintzberg, 1994, p. 178). Planning might inhibit creativit...