Fordist And Taylorist Production Systems Cultural Studies Essay

Fordist And Taylorist Production Systems Cultural Studies Essay Fordism, named after the Henry Ford from US, who refers to a variety of communal theories about production, assembling and related socio-economic phenomena  [1]  . Although Henry Ford was not the inventor of the automobile but he developed extraordinary methods of production and marketing that allowed the automobile to become reachable to the American working class. Ford always wanted to make cars that his team workers could afford easily. So, the mass production began in Detroit in 1914, when Ford discovered that a moving assembly line using interchangeable parts which could completely reduce the cost of making motor cars. After that he created the Ford Motor Company, which was one of a dozen small automobile manufacturers that emerged in the early 20th century. Mass production was really an unpleasant work, with high turnover because new production system must be oriented towards multi-skilling and rapid re-skilling workers; in order to hold the search for shifting a newly form ing market in a post mass production (cf. Piore, M. and Sabel, C., 1984). Just to retain his unskilled workforce, Ford doubled their wages to $5 per day justified by higher productivity  [2]  . After three years of production, he introduced the Model T, which was simple and light yet sturdy enough to drive on the countrys very elementary road system. He sold 18m Model T Fords, transforming to America into the first car-owning democracy, at a low price that dropped from $600 to $250 over 15 years. Henry Fords success and revolutionary techniques of production were then termed Fordism  [3]  . The scale of mass production is hard to understand. Fords River Rouge plant in Detroit, completed in 1928, he extended for a mile along a tributary of the Detroit River and employed 100,000 men workers. Raw materials like iron ore and rubber were unloaded at one end, and finished cars emerged from the other end, 72 hours later. But Fords system proved less efficient than GM  [4]  , which produced a range of models for different pocketbooks. Labour relations were troubled, sit-down strike, at the big automakers in the 1930s with layoffs and speed-ups, the end of organized capitalism has a tendency to become dis-organized in that the labour-employer relationships are fracturing (cf. Lash, S. and Urry, J. 1987) . GM was the first company forced to recognize the UAW  [5]  union after a sit-down strike closed its plants in Flint, Michigan in 1937. After more battles, the workers won higher wages and benefits, sharing in the American Dream. Unions also negotiated rigid work rules to protect workers from exploitation by foremen. Ford was even more determined to oppose unions than GM, and Henry Ford employed 3,000 service department personnel to prevent them taking hold. In 1937 they beat up key UAW union organizers attempting to hand out leaflets near the River Rouge factory. But in 1941, even Ford was forced to yield to union power, to ensure industrial peace during wartime. But the legacy of bitter industrial relations e ndured. The decline of mass production is due to Post Fordism; small scale batch production in small medium plants not mass production in large plant, only customized not standardized products, using multi-skilled workers with flexible work roles not fixed job descriptions, robots and computerized work teams instead of moving assembly lines (cf. Murray, R. 1989). Car manufacture ceased with the outbreak of World War II, but the auto manufacturers made good profits helping with the war effort, producing everything from jeeps to aircraft engines. The mass production helped the Allies win the war, and led to further consolidation in the industry. The war also brought new social groups, like women and black people, into the auto industry, but also increased social tensions in Detroit. Unemployment disappeared, and the UAWs power grew. The end of the war released an enormous surge of pent-up demand, especially for cars and houses, and Detroit boomed as never before. Car workers wages soared and many became homeowners. The Big three car companies dominated production as never before. In 1955 GM became the first company to make $1bn profit. Big cars predominated, promoted by sexy adverts  [6]  . The first signs that all was not well with Detroit was the 1973 oil crisis, when Middle East producers declared a boycott. Queues formed at petrol stations, and consumers for the first time switched in large numbers to smaller, more economical cars-often made by the Japanese; which they found more reliable. The Detroit-made cars had more defects, and Detroits attempts to build a successful small car failed. The auto industry now is much better prepared to withstand the effects of an oil crisis and meet consumer demand for highly fuel-efficient vehicles than it was during the Middle East oil crisis of the 1970s, Ford Motor Company Chairman Harold A. Poling said  [7]  . Imports of Japanese cars soared in the 1980s as consumers gradually grew to prefer the smaller, more reliable cars. The unions and the US companies reacted to the threat by trying to get the US government to block imports, and by the mid-1980s had succeeded in getting Japan to agree intended export chains (cf. Womack, J., P., Jones, J.T., Roos, D., 1990). But the move backfired as Japanese firms became more profitable and moved up market, launching cars like the Lexus. The US companies determined that they could make more money by selling sports utility vehicles, built on a truck chassis. In the 1990s sales of SUVs  [8]  and minivans soared. Imported SUVs attracted a higher tariff rate, blocking Japanese rivals. They were not very fuel-efficient, but with oil prices at $18 a barrel, no one seemed to mind. As imports flooded in, the car market became increasingly dominated by foreign producers, who imported millions of cars from overseas factories. Companies also increasingly relo cated production to Canada and Mexico after the Nafta free trade agreement. GM, Ford and Chrysler thought that the Japanese had an unfair advantage due to an undervalued (low) currency. They also believed that oil prices would return to lower levels. Lean production, Japanese manufacturers like Toyota and Nissan were also building more factories within the US to escape import controls, threat from Japan,(cf. Womack, J., P., Jones, J.T., Roos, D., 1990) in the response to eliminate waste by introducing this method. These factories were based on a new and more efficient production system, and they also allowed the transplants to develop new models more quickly. They also developed closer relationships with suppliers, using just-in-time methods. Soon they were competing across the whole range of vehicles, from trucks to compact cars. Green cars, in the last year many Americans have accepted the reality of global warming, and the demand for green vehicles has grown. Toyota sells 100,000 Prius hybrids a year and is rolling the hybrid technology out across its entire range. Both Ford and GM exposed electric-powered concept cars at the 2007 Detroit Motor Show, but they may be years away from mass production. Taylorism, a system of production devised by F. W. Taylor (1911), and characterized by the division of factory work into the smallest and simplest jobs while closely co-ordinating the sequence of tasks in order to achieve maximum efficiency, as, for example, on a production line. As a result, skilled managers and technicians oversee semi-skilled or unskilled workers who are engaged in simple, repetitive chores. This system of production has had profound spatial implications, as large firms often allocate skilled and unskilled jobs to different locations, creating a division of labour  [9]  . Taylorism is often mentioned along with Fordism, because it was closely associated with mass production methods in manufacturing factories. Taylors own name for his approach was scientific management  [10]  . Applications of scientific management sometimes fail to account for two inherent difficulties: Individuals are different from each other: the most efficient way of working for one person may be inefficient for another. The economic interests of workers and management are rarely identical, so that both the measurement processes and the retraining required by Taylors methods are frequently resented and sometimes sabotaged by the workforce. Both difficulties were recognized by Taylor, but are generally not fully addressed by managers who only see the potential improvements to efficiency. Taylor believed that scientific management cannot work unless the worker benefits. In his view management should arrange the work in such a way that one is able to produce more and get paid more, by teaching and implementing more efficient procedures for producing a product. Although Taylor did not compare workers with machines, some of his critics use this image to explain how his approach makes work more efficient by removing unnecessary or wasted effort (cf. Parker M. and Slaughter, J., 1988). However, some would say that this approach ignores the complications introduced because workers are necessarily human: personal needs, interpersonal difficulties and the very real difficulties introduced by making jobs so efficient that workers have no time to relax. As a result, workers worked harder, but became dissatisfied with the work environment. Some have argued that this discounting of worker personalities led to the rise of labour unions. It can also be said that the rise in labor unions is leading to a push on the part of industry to accelerate the process of automation, a process that is undergoing a renaissance with the invention of a host of new technologies starting with the computer and the Internet. This shift in production to machines was clearly one of the goals of Taylorism (cf. Berggren, C., 1989), and represents a victory for his theories. It may not be adaptive to changing scenarios; it overemphasizes routine procedures, i.e. strictly following a given set of rules and regulations, work procedures, production centeredness etc. However, tactfully choosing to ignore the still controversial process of automating human work is also politically expedient, so many still say that practical problems caused by Taylorism led to its replacement by the human relations school of management in 1930. Others (cf. Braverman, H., 1974) insisted that human relations did not replace Taylorism but that both approaches are rather opposite: Taylorism determining the actual organization of the work process and human relations helping to adapt the workers to the new procedures. However, Taylors theories were clearly at the roots of a global revival in theories of scientific management in the last two decades of the 20th century, under the moniker of corporate reengineering or business process re-engineering (cf. Milkman, R., 1997). As such, Taylors ideas can be seen as the root of a very influential series of developments in the workplace, with the goal being the eventual elimination of industrys need for unskilled, and later perhaps, even most skilled labor in any form, directly following Taylors recipe for deconstructing a process. This has come to be known as commoditization, and no skilled profession, even medicine, has proven to be immune from the efforts of Taylors followers, the re-engineers, who are often called derogatory names such as bean counters. A complex division of labour  [11]  and the expansion of economic interdependence accompanied the emergence of industrial capitalism. The division of labour reached its logical conclusion in the emergence of Taylorism and its mass production partner, Fordism. These had their weaknesses including high start-up costs and a relatively rigid production process. Such low-trust systems can be contrasted with high-trust systems, where workers operate with greater autonomy and cooperation. A whole series of techniques and initiatives are described by the term post-Fordism including group production and mass customization. These are epitomized by the Quality Circle, a concept alien to Taylorist assumptions that workers need to be stripped of opportunities for creative input. Such systems tend to be marked by high skill levels and rapid turnover of product designs. The decline of manufacturing industry as an employer can be explained both by competition from the Far East and the increasing rate of technological change. Global production systems have also contributed to the movement of industry around the world. These processes have led to a steady decline in trade union membership since the 1970s. The separation of home and work contributed to the marginalization of women from paid employment, a pattern gradually reversed during the twentieth century. Within the economy women remain concentrated in poorly paid routine occupations  [12]  . Either work becomes recreated as womens work, or heartlands of female employment slowly have their status eroded over time. Labour-force participation is higher among childless women, though many more females now return to their full-time jobs after childbirth than they did a decade ago. Women dominate part-time employment, though their reasons for remaining in such jobs remain the source of controversy  [13]  . The most notable change in working life in developed countries has been the expansion of female participation in the paid labour market and resulting erosion of the male breadwinner model within families. Among men, the trend has been away from manual work and currently also away from routine non-manual labour. These trends have levelled off in recent years, with women remaining over-represented in routine white-collar jobs and men over-represented in skilled manual work. Despite womens advances across the economy, the top posts remain the preserve of men. Women in the most recent generation have benefited from the legislation passed in the 1970s, but the pay divide remains substantial over a lifetime. Debates on skills in the workplace have tended to become polarized between those, (cf. Braverman, H., 1974), who see capitalism as continually deskilling the workforce as new machines and technologies replace crafts and creativity; who argue that it is not technology but the way this i s used that is most important  [14]  . Unemployment has a long history and has ebbed and flowed throughout the twentieth century. There are significant effects for individuals, communities and the wider society. These are disproportionately borne by the young and ethnic minorities. A key task for individuals will be to find ways of forging long-term life plans in a society that privileges the short-term. In 1990s the the new industrial relations associated with the introduction of HRM, also seeks to create an atmosphere and a framework for union-management collaboration (cf. Guest, D., 1989, Storey, J., 1992). From the above it is possible to deduce some conclusions. First of all, there are changes in the way by which work is done and controlled. The Fordism model is dictatorial, with rigid discipline, technical and specific personnel training, taking man as a simple addition of the machine and separating the intellectual from the manual work. Classical management control is performed by rigid supervision procedures. The number of problem with general post-Fordist paradigm has implication for the potential embedding (cf. Kelly, J., 1998) The post-Fordist model presents flexible authority and control systems by which conformism and passivity open spaces for dynamism and creativity (according to the management model established earlier). However, when this analysis is centred on the objects and ideology that guide the productive process, one can conclude that no evolution has occurred. Management, yesterday and today, aims toward maximum rationalization of the production system, greater increase in productivity, profitability and competition, maintaining together the older way of production (cf. Sparrow, P. and Marchington, M., 1998). When that concentration is measured in employment terms, aggregate data for the mid-70s to the mid-80s show that larger firms in all three societies have been shedding labour, even though disproportionately. This fact must be analysed also by the quality of employment, the quality of life and the security of economic recovery, and not just from the point of view of job creation in terms of head-counts. The de-centralization of decision-making and flattening of managerial hierarchies in post-Fordist has led to a de-centralization of managerial control, or whether Fordist centralized management control is being maintained, even in spatially decentralized units, through the development of new control technologies (cf. Lane, C., 1995). In fact, there is not, in either model, a proposal that guarantee the autonomy of the worker. In both, Taylor and Ford, task obligations are reached through rigid control and supervision concerning the worker. In the post-Fordism model, task obligations occur by way of a rigid management scheme. Direct supervisory control is inhibited, assuming either the form of auto-control or control by complex technological procedures; nevertheless, it continues to exist. Beyond the work strengthening and capital concentration, the post-Fordism model maintains the division of work, although on more ample bases. If in Taylorism-Fordism the tasks were broken down into simple and routine movements, in post-Fordism the division into fractions of work happens with the attribution of responsibility to the groups that fulfil a set of specific tasks (activities). There is widespread agreement in the literature that due to the need for more flexible and speedier reaction to changing market demands, de-centralization of decision-making and flattening of managerial hierarchies has occurred (cf. Lane, C., 1995). However, there is little systematic evidence as to what form that de-centralization has taken and which hierarchical levels have been affected. To the post-Fordism is like Fordism as well as post-modernism is like modernism. Postmodernism is another version of that historical amnesia characteristic of American culture the tyranny of the new. According to the Green (cf. Green, A., 1997), postmodernism should be seen not as a development beyond modernism but rather as a continuation of a certain idealist current within it. One can make the same statement about Fordism and post-Fordism. Finally, it seems opportune to repeat the words of Ford from back in the 40s (cf. Ford, H., 1991): We are not living in a machine age; we are living in the power age. This power age of ours has great possibilities, depending upon how we use it. Of course it can be mistreated. But, it can also be used greatly to benefit mankind. If this sentence were true during that period of time, today it seems even more adequate. References

The Importance Of Play Children And Young People Essay

The Importance Of Play Children And Young People Essay The central interest of this essay is to evaluate the role of play in relation to language and communication development. Developmental psychology is the main source to explore and explain this unique interrelation, because it offers vital information about the human behavior. For this reason several developmental theories occur from many scientists such as Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Sigmunt Freud, Albert Bandura and other contemporary scientists, who managed to clarify the aspects of child development from different perspectives. Initially, this essay illustrates the importance of play by describing its categories. Play theories are briefly demonstrated and divided into classical and contemporary. Thereafter, it mentions the characteristics of language through the aspects of two respectful scientists, Lev Vygotsky and Jean Piaget, in order to understand the correlation between language and play development. It illustrates the existence of nine basic communicational skills and why non-verbal and verbal communication is so important. Also, this essay analyzes research which explains the direct relation between play, language and communication. Through detailed references, the idea that the role of play is salient in childs development is supported. Next illustrates the importance of finger, mime and rhyme play to explain that even the most common games possess a significant role in language development. Last but not least, analyzes how play reinforces the literacy development and finally demonstrates the opinio n of the writer. The Importance of Play Arguably, play is a vital part of the development of children which has many implications in their lives. Despite the difficulty of referring a commonly accepted definition, play is a vital part of the developing child (Sheridan Howard Aldelson, 2011). It is a fundamental action which occurs throughout childrens life and is divided to two categories, free play and structured play. Precisely, free play is an action where the child can choose the rules and the form of play, without the participation and the engagement of an adult. Hence, the child becomes the leader of the play (Tassoni Hucker, 2000). On the other hand, structured play is defined as an action which is directed by adults. Many researchers have claimed that free play offers more opportunities to children for learning than the second category does. At the same time, there are proponents of this view and others who do not adopt this notion. For this reason, Thomas, Howard and Miles proved by a study they conducted, that free play, in other words playful mode play, is capable of fostering childrens ability of learning. They state that through this mode childrens communication is benefited, because that playfulness creates the ability of enhancing miscellaneous types of behaviors. As a result, educational settings use this method to foster childrens language and communication development (McInnes, Howard, Miles Crowley, 2009). It is of importance to mention that there are play theories which are separated into two categories, classical and modern theories of play. Concisely, classical theories consist of the Surplus Energy Theory, Recreational or Relaxation Theory, Pre-exercise Theory and the Recapitulation Theory of play (Sheridan Howard Aldelson, 2011 Stagnitti, 2004 Tassoni Hucker, 2000). Modern theories concluded by the Arousal Modulation Theories of Play, the Psychodynamic Theories of Play, the Cognitive Developmental Theories of Play and the Sociocultural theories of Play. The last category is divided into two sub-categories which are the Play as Socialization and the Metacommunicative Theory (Stagnitti, 2004). Moreover, there are five types of play, which are cited as physical play, play with objects, symbolic play, socio-dramatic/pretence play and games with rules (Whitebread, 2012). The above five types of play help children to expand their abilities not only in language and communication domain, but also in the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development (Sheridan Howard Aldelson, 2011). According to the constant evolution of language and communication, play and its benefits in this domain must be analyzed in depth, in order to evaluate childrens developmental potentials through play. Language and Communication Language is a strong communication tool (Moyles, 1989) which fosters childrens abilities. Through language we can live the past again, evaluate the future and use this vital tool when we face complex situations (Crain, 2000). Also, many developmental theorists tried to explain, how children adopt primal abilities as they grow up and some of them, gave special emphasize to the language and communication development and how is related to play. They evaluate childrens development from birth to adulthood. Vygotsky, claimed by his social constructivism theory, that language is the cultural tool which facilitates the processes of thinking and learning. It was his firm belief that children must comprehend language, in order to interact in the society. Hence, according to Vygotsky, play and language are interrelated (Moyles, 2005). Due to the fact that through play children master communication skills, they interpret the use of objects and imitate the attitudes and the habits of adults (Gray MacBlain, 2012). In addition, he stated that children gain knowledge when they participate in social communication and consequently, they adopt new meanings. Therefore, according to Vygotsky, children act in the zone of proximal development (Whitebread, 1996), which means that every child has limited potential when accomplishing an activity but he can expand his skills with a suitable help (Lindon, 2001). However, another respectful scientist did not lay emphasis, as Vygotsky did, on the importance of language during childrens development. Piaget, a Swiss scientist, stated that language mechanism is used by the young child only to express some basic satisfactions and not to foster more complex functions such as thought and logic (Gray MacBlain, 2012). Furthermore, Piagets opinions did not promote childrens abilities; instead he undervalued them, by applying activities that were too complex for children competences (Whitebread, 1996). On the contrary, some scientists argue that childrens thought, started to function logically as they learn how to use language. This happens because language skills are difficult to be assimilated by young children, but when this gradually occurs, logic develops (Crain, 2000). Nevertheless, Piaget did not support the above notion by mentioning that logic derives from actions (Gray MacBlain, 2012). On the grounds that language is an integral part of communication, it is important to pinpoint some of the skills that children develop in this domain. In other words there are nine basic communication skills. Initially, children learn to request reinforcement, to request assistance, to accept and reject offers. Furthermore, they respond to the order wait or no, they respond to directions, follow a schedule and finally they are able to do a transition from one place to another (Frost Bondy, 2011). For instance, when children pretend to be a patient in a hospital, they learn when they have to wait their turn in order to be examined by the doctor and they give order such as wait, stay, come. Communication is a complex function. Before the emergence of words, children can communicate in a high level before adopting language production and language comprehension (Sheridan Sharma Cockerill, 2008). The above aspect describes the non-verbal communication type which is very important. Newborn babies communicate non-verbally to express their needs. Facial expressions, body language, proto-sounds and perception of feelings are the attributes of non-verbal communication (Whitehead, 1999). Hence, adults start to communicate with children initially non-verbally and secondly verbally. Research argues that conversation between children and adults which contains a large number of open questions is essential because children have the opportunity to respond with spoken language. In other words, when children feel that they are active participants in an adult-child conversation, they feel playful which is salient for the development of language. (Howard McInnes, 2012). Fostering Language and Communication Skills through Play To begin with, studies have proved that there is a strong connection between language and play. A research which had taken place in Japan in 1989, showed remarkable signs that play and language are correlated with each other. Specifically, the four children who participated in this research, were observed twenty times each in a free play mode, where the individual had a passive role. The intention of the study was to analyze early language development and play development (Ogura, 1991). Thus, six features of language were illustrated in order to analyze the findings better. These were the emergence of first words, naming words, vocabulary spurts, word-chains, nonproductive two word utterances and the emergence of productive two-word utterances (Ogura, 1991 p.278). Furthermore, that research divided play to thirteen subcategories. The findings showed that children managed to obtain the ability of naming words because they had been involved in preverbal communication. Also, children be gan to name objects when conventional naming act category of play appeared. Furthermore, words and sounds have a strong relationship each other. It was proved that children through the functional relational manipulation play and the container relational manipulation play, managed to adopt the above important function and the production of first words as well. Moreover, it was stated that the early language development is related to the subsitutional play. Also, this study illustrated that the environment is a major factor in the development of the symbolic play. As a result, language is being influenced by the social interaction. Moreover, childrens vocabulary spurts appeared with the subsitutional play. Word-chains appeared when pretend doll play, subsitutional play and pretend other play took place during the observations. In addition, the fifth language category derived in parallel with planned play and combinatorial symbolic play. The last language category was related to planne d play (Ogura, 1991). Undoubtedly, this paper shows the unique interrelation between language development and play. Researchers evaluated the connection between symbolic play with play materials and symbolic play with play situation. Firstly, during childrens play with unstructured play materials, they found that children who are at the age of three to four years old could imitate the activities of adults. However, in structured play children were able not only to imitate but also to participate slightly in role play. At the age of four to five years old childrens unstructured play evolved and they started to express questions and ideas with the mediate tool of spoken language. On the contrary, in structured play they used more conversation. This study showed that in the first type of play children at the age of five to six used their body language and voice to clarify a situation. Also, both in structured and unstructured play, children preferred to play in sex groups. We can notice that structured materials are better for younger children because they do not offer limitations in their ideas whil e playing. In other words, younger children need to enhance their expressive ideas by playing with structured play materials to be adequately prepared for school (Umek Musek, 2001). At the same time, symbolic play related to play situation showed that phonetic imitation (Umek Musek, 2001 p. 61) is promoted and that at the age of four children use social speech. Moreover, they use social markers, in order to speak like adults (Ervin-Tripp, 1973). Later, at the age of five children used metacommunication in their play. Metacommunication is very important because children can discuss about play. They stop in order to negotiate the next step of the game. Indeed, it promotes dialogue among peers. It is very important because it can be used as scaffolding to childrens language development (Andersen, 2005). According to this study, metacommunication levels are higher when children are older. Moreover, the same study proposes that is better and more helpful for children to play in mixed groups rather than in groups based solely on their age. Hence, children can play in the zone of proximal development. Therefore, they foster their language and communication skills. Aga in, this study shows us that play which is depended whether from materials or situation is correlated with language development. Apart from the above studies there are play activities which enhance language and communication skills. For instance, children are benefited by mime because they develop an alternative thought. This occurs by observing a diversity of individuals demonstrating their thoughts. Consequently, they can think more complicated situations and they are able to express their ideas with an enriched vocabulary. Furthermore, finger play helps children to the counting process (Woodard Milch, 2012). Moreover, rhymes can provide many opportunities in children to enhance their language skills. According to a study, rhyme awareness helps children to recognize phonemes which are very important for reading skills. The sensitivity to rhyme enables children to group words together with the same spelling features (Bryant MacLean Bradley Crossland, 1990). Play fosters Literacy Vygotsky evaluated the role of make-believe play in children development and he argued that literacy is enhanced by play. He describes that children initially act spontaneously when they play, and the process of learning happens with their will. On the contrary, when children go to school they must change their behaviors to a planned and a structured environment. Vygotsky stated that make-believe play is the important mediate tool for children to adopt written language and to succeed in school (Roskos Christie, 2007). Furthermore, drawing is considerable as a necessary action for children. Research has shown that children can expand their graphic vocabularies and they can represent their meanings, which means that through drawing communication is enhanced (Whitebread, 2012). Besides, Vygotskys research has shown that drawings in the early childhood are connected with the ability of writing and spoken language, which means that the meaning of childrens drawings is not only the drawing as a picture but the drawing as an expressive tool of their thoughts (Roskos Christie, 2007). In conclusion, it is worth mentioning, that in childrens play the repetition and the renaming of play materials fosters the ability of the direct relation between words and the objects they portray. The above function is called metalinguistic awareness and it has been proven that it is necessary for written language (Roskos Christie, 2007 p.193). Conclusions It is clear, therefore, that the above essay illustrated the direct correlation between play, language and communication. Despite the fact that, it has been proven that play fosters the learning process, there are still opponents of this view, who state that formal learning strategies are better than playful approaches. However, this essay contradicts the notion of formal learning methods by supporting the opinion, that play does enhance language and communication by citing adequate bibliography to prove that. Children can reach high standards in the learning process of language because during play they are motivated and are not possessed with the feeling of fear (McInnes et al., 2009). To sum up, due to the fact that play has been decreased from school settings, it is salient to ensure that play must exist in the preschool and in the first school years of a child, because a child is always above his average age, above his daily behavior; in play it is as though he were a head taller than himself (Roskos Christie, 2007 p.199).

Mcdonaldization: Health In A Fastfood Society Essay -- essays research

McDonaldization: Health in A Fastfood Society   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McDonaldization, is the term Ritzer derived from the McDonalds' fast food chain to describe the state of our society. Ritzer claims our social institutions have become completely dehumanized in the form of a bureaucracy. Health care is an example of one institution that is characterized by the four components of bureaucracy: efficiency, predictability, control and quantification.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the past, health care was more simplistic in nature. House calls were no unheard of, and doctors knew all of their patients and their families on a personal level. The doctor who delivered your parents would deliver you as well as your future children. Follow-ups were quite normal; doctors were concerned with your progress for their own peace of mind.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Over time the modern health care system emerged into the bureaucratic organization that it is. All the characteristics depicted by Ritzer are easily seen when one examines health care. From a normal trip to the doctor for a routine check-up or even a specific ailment to rush trip in the emergency room predictability, control, efficiency, and quantification are obvious.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Quantification is easily seen when you first step into a hospital waiting room and a huge sign tells you a number before you are even able to speak to anyone. After waiting a while your number is called, you must give your health card number to the receptionist before continuing. You are then given a file number, which is your only identity for the time you spend within the hospital environment. After seeing the doctor you may come out with a few prescriptions which furthers your nameless ordeal. When you drop nameless ordeal. When you drop into a pharmacy to have a prescription filled the first thing they ask is if you know your prescription number. If you cannot remember it, your actual name is a secondary possibility as a means of identification. Before paying you may have to show your Blue Cross card number or other insurance cards as well, in all it is a very dehumanizing, impersonal process.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Efficiency is another characteristic that is prominent in the hospital situation. To make sure things more smoothly you must call ahead and make an appointment with the reception... ...ike health care workers has come in the face of a demand for efficiency and quantification. It is hard to say who is victimized most by this dehumanization; the doctors who must deny their humanity or their patients who must go to them for treatment.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion when one applies the four components of McDonaldization to our present health care system one discovers that they are aptly applicable. Quantification is seen when one thinks about how our medical identity is comprised of a series of different numbers. Efficiency is supposed to occur with phone-in prescriptions and appointments. Control is assured by a doctor's capacity to make life or death decisions. As for predictability it is common knowledge as to what routine one follows to receive treatment. The irrationality is how impersonal and inefficient the whole system can become through overworked doctors and other professionals. The iron cage is how the patients of these stressed doctors feel from these doctors' ignorance and neglect. In all it is true that the health care system is one social institution that does successfully meet all of Ritzer's requirements for a McDonaldized institution.

Conflict in Alls Well That Ends Well Essay -- Alls Well That Ends We

Conflict in All's Well That Ends Well  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   One of the themes that emerges from Shakespeare's comedy All's Well That Ends Well is the conflict between old and new, age and youth, wisdom and folly, reason and passion. As one critic points out, a simple glance at the characters of the play reveals an almost equally balanced cast of old and young. "In performance it is apparent that the youth of the leading characters, Helena, Bertram, Diana and Parolles, is in each case precisely balanced by the greater age of their counterparts, the Countess, the King of France, the Widow of Florence and the old counselor Lafeu."1 Indeed, the dialectic between youth and age is established in the first act as the Countess sees a mirror of her former self in Helena's love sick countenance in scene three when she exclaims "Even so it was with me when I was young," and Bertram's worthiness to the ailing King of France in the previous scene appears to hang upon his youthful resemblance to his deceased father. As the King explains, "Such a man might be a copy to these younger times,/Which followed well would demonstrate them now/But goers-backward" [I.2. 49-51]. Like so many literary youths of his day, Shakespeare went backward for his source material for All's Well and based the play on Giovanni Boccaccio's Decameron. Boccaccio's early sixteenth-century story revolves around Giletta of Narbona, the daughter of a wealthy and respected physician. Giletta, like Helena (the daughter of the deceased--and indigent--Gerard de Narbonne), falls in love with young count Beltramo, follows him to Paris where she remedies the King's incurable disease, and, because of her newly-acquired royal favor, is granted the right to demand a husband: Beltramo. Despite ... ...ng the confusing and difficult landscape of gender politics and postmodern deconstruction. And rather than accept Helena's all too confident statement that "All's well that ends well," we might more willingly embrace the King's more ambiguous statement," All yet seems well." 1 J.L. Styan, All's Well That Ends Well (Manchester: Manchester University Press, 1984) 15. 2 W.W. Lawrence, Shakespeare's Problem Comedies, 1931 rpt (New York: Ungar, 1960). 3 Anne Barton, "Introduction," All's Well That Ends Well in The Riverside Shakespeare ed. G. Blakemore Evans (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1974) 501. 4 Ibid, 500. 5 David McCandless, "Helena's Bed-trick: Gender and Performance in All's Well That Ends Well" Shakespeare Quarterly 45 (1994): 455. 6 Richard A. Levin, "All's Well That Ends Well, and 'All Seems Well'," Shakespeare Studies (1980): 131. 7 McCandless, 450.   

Prisons and Jails Essay

Almost all nations and cultures have made laws to protect their citizens. From the early years and over the decades these laws have been kept in force to prevent the societies from experiencing situations of anarchy. Different punishment has been provided for in different countries to prevent its people from adopting a path and practice of criminal activities. The world of today is characterized by the presence of criminals who are brought to book and punished in a variety of ways depending on the culture and values of any country or society. Prisoners have been locked up in prisons and meted out with terms that include punishment by way of a rigorous regimen of hard labor while undergoing the term as also milder ones that may include a stint in reformatory homes. Historically punishments have ranged from corporal punishment to death penalty, Several countries have for long been awarding the death penalty for committing heinous crimes that were executed in several forms that included, hanging, guillotine, by firing squad, lynching and now electric chair. The Babylonian Code of Hammurabi is the oldest record available to ascertain that a egal system existed to award punishment in the Middle East. Western countries were influenced by and followed the laws enacted in ancient Rome whereby each city had a court that worked under the Law of Twelve Tables so as to protect citizens and to make the rulers and governments effective. The Justinian Code is considered to be the most logical and effective legal system that was most effective in ancient times whereby punishment was meted out by the process of Law. In due course people began to realize the value of a legal system that protected citizens and each country began to appoint heriffs to deal with punishments and the justice system became a major part of society although they were never fool proof and were always characterized by shortcomings that put a question mark on the efficiency of the judiciary. In ancient times the justice and reform system was often misused when criminals were hung on crosses, sometimes tortured to death or placed in dungeons to die. Those citizens who protested were also treated as criminals and tortured or put behind bars. It was during this time, in the 19th century and mainly in the Roman Empire that civil justice was effectively implemented nd more prisons were built to punish criminals humanely. This soon had effect on the rest of the world and with the emergence of the modern world more prisons were built and departments set up to manage them effectively. With the widespread maturing of the legal system over the decades, more and more criminals were brought to book and the law abiding citizens heaved a sigh of relief especially during the time of the Queen of Britain at the turn of the 19th century. Under the new system the criminal was given an opportunity to prove himself innocent and the overnment had to prove a person to be guilty of crime within the prevailing provisions of law, before he could be sentenced to a term of punishment and imprisonment. Although capital punishment continued to prevail but it was awarded in the rarest of rare cases. Over the years with the influence of Human Rights Organizations and Civil Rights Movements, the trend has set in to rather reform the wrong doers than to award extreme penalties by giving sentenced criminals opportunities to amend themselves and to come back within the mainstream of society. Under the system convicts are put on probation or parole under the watchful eyes of probation officers appointed by courts to ensure that such people remain disciplined and strictly follow the code of conduct as outlined by the court. The view of punishment taken by society has changed dramatically over the years. Initially punishment comprised of physical torture, maiming, death by burning, hard labor, deprivation of food adequate clothing and shelter, but attitudes of the society have changed now and the belief is to punish by way of imprisonment of varying periods epending on the severity of the crime. Imprisonment today is considered punishment for one’s wrong doings, which is also consistent with the society’s objective of keeping such people aloof until they are reformed to lead a normal life within society. To insist that a person is sent to prison so that he is punished is wrong in today’s context since after he completes his term he has the justification to return to his old ways. Hence prison authorities today have a duty to fulfill by way of reforming the convict during his term so as to transform him into a more responsible citizen. It is for this reason that in most countries modern society is characterized by a prison and punishment system that strongly believes that the most effective form of punishment is to deprive the convict of his freedom until he is reformed. In this context the composition and diversity of prison population in America has been examined and found that presently over two million people are in American prisons. This does indicate that modern society has now been characterized by a pattern, which clearly indicates that the government is duty bound to ensure freedom to criminals once their 4 rison terms are over and that they gel back into society with a tag of respect and positive aspirations. The changing attitudes and trends have seen a constant inflow of inmates in the Federal, State and local prisons. The Federal government held a majority of 63% of the inmates while local municipal and county jails held 30%, and the remaining being accounted for in other prisons.. Most states have been experiencing a 5% increase in the number of inmates over the last three years. Private prisons held about 86626 prisoners which accounts for about 7% of the inmates in American prison. A private prison is a place in which convicts are physically detained by a private organization for profit at the instance of the legal authorities. These companies enter into an agreement with the federal government to take care of and reform and motivate prisoners and claim from them a fixed fee amount per prisoner. There are about 264 private prisons/correctional facilities in the United States that take care of about 110000 offenders. The concept of private prisons was floated to reduce government expenses in the long run, but the scheme has not worked effectively due to private sector neffectiveness with convicts, and having realized this the federal government is not encouraging further addition to their numbers. The number of private prisons is now set to decline gradually. Rates of imprisonment have greatly increased due to increase in the rate of criminal offences, which is considered a consequence of the fast track development that is taking place in the modern world. More delinquencies resulting from human inadequacies to tolerate inequalities have resulted in people taking the course first towards minor crimes and then graduating to bigger ones and then ultimately falling into legal traps that lead to their conviction and further imprisonment. In America imprisonment is the most common sentence in legislation for serious offences in terms of dealing with criminal activities, which explains the high number of prisoners in jails. Only effective and well targeted correction measures and programs can reduce criminal offending and over time there is good reason to target investment in preventive approaches for the betterment of those undergoing prison sentences. As discussed earlier, in the modern world the biggest punishment for a criminal is to urtail his freedom for the duration of his sentence and during this time it is the duty of the jail administration to make him undergo a rigorous regimen of correction and transformation into a more responsible and law abiding citizen. The American government has an arrangement in place whereby all jail administrators are to undergo a training program to specialize in dealing with and reforming convicts and to encourage them in displaying their creativity and interests so that when their prison term is over they can lead the life style that is in keeping with that of a responsible and respectable citizen. The American judicial and correction system is such that it is considered to be one of the most liberal in terms of providing guarantees of human rights and opportunities for misguided people to reform themselves. There are several government sponsored programs that provide for opportunities for such people to reestablish themselves for a better means of livelihood. The punishment part for their wrong doings gets over the moment they finish with the duration of their prison sentence and after that they can look forward to a happier life free of the stigma that attaches to a person of such background.

Raising Minimum Wage Essay

Corona English 1B 04/11/13 I want to start off by telling you a little bit about Ms. Criswell she works full time, with no benefits, and she hasn’t had a raise in three years. After taxes, she brings home $1,030 a month – enough, if she’s careful, to meet her expenses, with little wiggle room. â€Å"What I feel,† she says, â€Å"is anxiety. I felt it just this morning. It’s constantly in the back of my mind: ‘Am I going to have enough to pay the bills? ‘† She grows what food she can and buys items that can be stretched out to multiple meals. To live with the concern of whether or not she will be able to keep her home and feed herself shouldn’t be an issue for anyone. They are programs to help starving children in foreign countries then maybe the government should stop and look at whats happening in America. We cant say Ms. Criswell is lazy and doesn’t want to work, so how else can she bring home more income if she is limited to what is available. If minimum wage was to be increased, this would allow people to bring home more income and there are concerns and I will address them in the following. According to minimum-wage. rg, a full time minimum wage worker in California working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, will earn $64. 00 per day, $320. 00 per week, and $16,640. 00 per year. The national poverty line for a family unit consisting of two people is $14,570 per year. This doesn’t give much room for emergencies or health complications or even extra money to put away in a savings account, most fami lies live paycheck to paycheck. With rising gas prices and rent, theres no doubt that a bigger pay check can substancially lower the risk of going bank rupt or putting the health and well being of your child in danger. Cost of living has risen since the last time minimum wage was raised and therefore calls for a raise in the near future. I agree on raising minimum wage for a few reasons. Big corporations are making an enormous amount of money, they should be able to compensate their employees at a decent rate. In California, the minimum wage is considered $8. 00 an hour but is not limited to paying a new employee under 20 a minimum wage of $4. 25 for the first 90 days, or paying a full-time high school or college students working part time to be paid $6. 80 an hour. This is completely legal and it is to the discretion of the employer to determine the final wage. With companies are making thousands of dollars you would think they would be able to compensate their employees at a higher wage. If companies could increase an employee’s salary, that means the employee can take home a bigger check which can turn out to be a good thing. Now more money is coming in, the more they can spend on items that will in return create more jobs to supply the increase of demanded items. Now, I know â€Å"more money means more spending† may seem like a bad thing Cost of living is an issue when the ideal living situation isn’t customized to every family More money coming into the house hold can mean money spent on items and in favor create more jobs to meet the demand. Those who oppose an increase to the minimum wage, however, argue that the effects on employment rates would be exactly the opposite of those supporters expect. A higher minimum wage, would be too heavy a burden on employers. We can see this being an issue with small business owners and those employers, in turn, would be unable to hire as many people. I understand that small business will have an issue hiring more people if the minimum wage is raised but on the other hand raising minimum wage will motivate people to go out and provide for themselves thus lowering unemployment rates. If minimum wage is applied inconsistently then it does seem unfair to a person living in a different state with a much lower minimum wage, but we also have to give account to the cost of living in that particular state. Rent, food, bills, etc. , maybe be higher or depending on what state the person resides

On Boy Trouble Essay

â€Å"On Boy Trouble† Essay In the essay, â€Å"On Boy Trouble† by Margaret Wente, many points were introduced to the readers. Margaret Wente lures the readers to her article by using an opening sentence such as â€Å"They are tormented by unattainable ideals,† (pg. 427). Wente attracts the readers by exercising her writing abilities and using effective and efficient words and phrases. Also, the use of allusions are very effective. Margaret Wente’s charismatic style of writing is very helpful to the readers in a way that differs from most other writers. With Wente’s style of writing, the reader does not get bored or sidetracked while reading her craftsmanship. Margaret Wente opens up about her research on the male society. She proves a somewhat non-biassed point about what type of torture and anguish most adolescent males go through in order to â€Å"fit in†. Wente expresses her points in a very effective manner by issuing facts, and examples, that seduces the reader into reading more. This is a magnificent piece of writing and is easy to read. One who is not very eager to pick up a highly intellectual piece of writing because of being in fear of becoming lost or confused while reading, should not worry about this piece. Wente does not use too many â€Å"big† words in her essay, but does include some very effective ones. The article, â€Å"On Boy Trouble†by Margaret Wente is a highly educational piece of writing, that tests the brain power of the reader, but does not stress it. Firstly, Wente’s use of effective words are one forceful way to attract the reader. Margaret Wente used such words as â€Å"psychological debilities†, â€Å"victims du jour†, â€Å"excruciating†, and â€Å"an orgy of introspection†. These words contribute to the success of her article. When a reader sees these types of words, they are immediately attracted to the piece and feel that the writer is highly intellectual. Words like â€Å"psychological debilities† are two highly intelligent words that would normally only be used by master scholar’s, or a philosopher of some sort. Words like these contribute to the effectiveness of the writing piece and it almost dares the reader to read further. In addition, a high vocabulary is very necessary for the author to possess in order to have an effective essay. The author’s choice of words, or diction, is a great way to get a point across to the readers, or the viewers. If a writer wrote a n article at a grade 5 level, the readers would most likely lose interest fairly quickly. The more intellectual the writer  seems, the more the readers will trust the writer, and listen to the writer, and understand the writer. Secondly, Wente’s charismatic style of writing keeps the reader involved in the article. Wente’s sense of knowledge and understanding about what a typical adolescent male goes through is simply amazing. The way the writer informs the reader of this topic is astounding. The way she states her ideas and beliefs are dumbfounding because of how easily she explains everything by backing them up with facts and examples. While explaining what an adolescent males has to face in a physical aspect of being â€Å"buff† and in shape, she does so in a very informative, and somewhat comedic manner. Wente says that a teenage male is being stereotyped into having to have arms like G.I. Joe. Wente states, â€Å"G.I. Joe, whose biceps, if life-sized, would measure an astonishing 32 inches† (pg. 428). Obviously, that is a comedic way of getting her point across. Next, when Wente said, â€Å"Everyone else – nerd, geek, Goth, or plain, unlabelled loser – is subject to emotional abuse whose scars may last a lifetime.† (pg. 429), she is so close to reality, it is scary. In addition, sometimes it is good to inform the reader without beating around the bush. The conclusion to the essay was especially effective because it makes the reader feel that Margaret Wente is actually talking to them, one-on-one. Wente stated, â€Å"Either way, consider yourself warned. Your son needs help, and lots of it†. It is good to just say what is on one’s mind straight up, without glamorizing things. Lastly, the use of allusions also contributed to the article. Margaret Wente referred to many different types of books in her essay. Wente spoke about Susan Faludi’s most recent book, Backlash, and her upcoming book, Stiffed. Also, Margaret Wente mentioned many other book titles when she said, â€Å"Books with titles like Real Boys, Raising Cain, Wonder of Boys, and Lost Boys are flying off the shelves† (pg. 428). â€Å"Forget Reviving Ophelia. It was Hamlet who had the real problems† (pg. 428) was also an allusion. Allusions don’t usually contribute to an essay in such a way that this does. Allusions are just a way to help the reader’s understanding and a way to help the reader’s point get across. On the other hand, an allusion usually only appears in an essay once or twice, if any, but this essay was more effective because of  the massive allusions involved. Margaret Wente also made reference to the masterpiece movie, Lord of the Flies. A llusions can be extremely effective if they are used properly. In conclusion, Margaret Wente’s style of writing is highly educational and requires the reader to think, but only to a certain degree. Margaret Wente is a literature genius and obviously knows her work. Her research of adolescent males is astonishing, and pretty much unbelievable. One could be almost positive that most adolescent males may not be as aware of what is happening to them as Margaret Wente is. Her skills in writing are obviously exercised in this piece. An adolescent male does go through a lot of pain and suffering in their teenage years in order to try to mould themselves into this ridiculous stereotype. Therefore, in order to be a successful writer, one must know what they are talking about, in order to inform others.