Negative stereotype of Chinese Americans Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Negative stereotype of Chinese Americans - Essay Example Related to this is the notion that the Chinese "somaticize" their emotions. In this view, rather than expressing/experiencing emotions verbally and behaviorally, the Chinese manifest emotions as physical or bodily symptoms related to illness. If true, this "somaticizing" of emotions may provide a culturally condoned outlet for emotional expression (e.g., complaining of a stomach ache when angry) when other forms of expressions may be considered inappropriate (e.g., yelling at your employer). A somewhat different understanding of Chinese emotions, proposed by Potter (1988, 59), is that emotions lack social significance in the collectivistic Chinese culture and thus are less relevant than they are in the individualistic American culture. The underlying assumption here is that emotions are more disruptive to the social harmony than they are helpful. In this view, emotional expression in Chinese culture is not so much discouraged or suppressed, but rather it is ignored. Potter described attitudes toward emotional displays in China as that of indifference, as evidenced by a statement by one of her cultural informants: "How I feel does not matter!" Although the underlying dynamic in Potter's model is quite different from that of Kleinberg, Wu and Tseng, and others, both models may lead to the same result: low levels of emotional experience and sparse emotional displays. Empirical tests of these n... Tsai and Levenson (2000, 37) found support for emotional moderation in Chinese culture in a study comparing Chinese American and European American dating couples who had unrehearsed conversations about their relationship. Chinese American couples reported fewer periods of positive emotion and showed less variability in their reported emotional experience than European American couples. Other studies of emotion in Chinese culture have not directly measured emotional responding, but rather have examined qualities of emotional judgments. Ekman et al. (1987, 97) found that college students from Asian countries (Hong Kong, Japan, Sumatra) attributed less emotional intensity than students from non-Asian countries to photographs of facial expressions posed by Caucasians. Matsumoto (1993, 55) reported a similar pattern of lower intensity ratings for Asian Americans using photographs of facial expressions posed by both Caucasians and Japanese. Consistent with ethnographic views reviewed earli er, Matsumoto also found that Asian participants rated the emotional expressions as being less "appropriate" under various social situations than did Caucasian participants. Health care and social services providers face numerous challenges in meeting the health and wellness needs of Chinese Americans. In designing a strategy of care for this population, providers must understand that poverty, limited English skills, and noncitizenship status all serve as significant barriers to access and use. Providers must also consider the population's unique cultural beliefs and practices as well as address its most pressing social concerns. A strategy to increase accessibility for and use of health care services among Chinese Americans may well

Olympics Essay Example for Free

Olympics Essay The Olympic games were brought back by a man named Pierre de Coubertin when he made a speech to the Athletic Society of France in 1892 (Doc 1). Since the games came back they have shaped the economies, national pride and the social changes in multiple countries. The economies of the countries who host the Olympic games generally have a boost in the economy. With a few exceptions like South Korea. Even with the Olympic games being hosted in Seoul, none of their companies were selected as top sponsors. â€Å"Korean companies are not on the list.  Korea failed to avail itself of an opportunity to display its industrial and economic power to a worldwide television audience. † (Doc 7) One country that always contributed to the games was the United States. In 1980 when the games were hosted in Moscow, the USA contributed less than 200 million. Twenty years later in the year 2000, they contributed over 1,200 million when the games were hosted in Sydney. (Doc 9) Many of the documents shown had national pride behind them. Many critics talked highly of the Soviet Union when the Olympic games were to be held in Moscow for the 1980 games. Saying that the Soviet Union â€Å"is a beacon of peace, democracy, and social progress. † (Doc 6) But when it came to what they Americans thought, it was far from that. Bob Matthias form the United States, once said â€Å"You just loved to beat’em. You just had to beat’em. † (Doc 4) This is because of the long rival that these two countries have had ever since the cold war had started. His perception of the Russians was skewed because he had a long standing with them. He didn’t see them as real competitors. Some countries always went up and down, like Pakistan. There â€Å"social values which have shrunk from that of national pride to self-promotion. † (Doc 10) Ali Kabir, a sports writer states that they have lost what has once made them great, and that is work. â€Å"The current national team is clueless and has tarnished the country’s name. † For a few countries it was more than national pride, for Japan it was more of a national crusade. They felt that this was a perfect time to come back as a world trade power. (Doc 5) For other countries like Germany, it was also more than just national pride. For Hitler it was a way to show that Germans were superior. He always made protests that always helped the Germans and no one else. (Doc 3) Although he was less concerned about medals, he was more concerned about gaining propaganda. Women were on the bottom of the totem pole during that start of the Olympics in 1896. When the games were hosted in Great Britain in 1908, only two percent of athletes were women. (Doc 2) It would take a long time for women to take root in the Olympics. In 1992 the games were held in Spain and twenty nine percent of the athletes were women. A woman named Hassiba Boulmerka once said â€Å"My victories give me confidence, and they give confidence to my country. I represent my country and all the women I my country who aspire to be athletes. † (Doc 8) A document I would like to have seen would be one containing a record of how a restaurant would have increased sales. This would have shown how wealth effects the modern Olympics. The Olympics helped increase revenue in the surrounding areas of the stadiums. They produced massive amounts of national pride and the social status of women is still evolving.

Santa Claus By Howard Nemerov English Literature Essay

Santa Claus By Howard Nemerov English Literature Essay In the poem the Santa Claus by Howard Nemerov, the poet who is Mr. Nemeroy has out rightly shows his recent for the Santa Claus, it is noted that Santa Clauses are frequently seen during the Chrismas seasons. This is when they are seen all over the towns giving gifts to children, and in this poem the poet is highly against the activities of the Santa Clauses as he sis really seen during the festive season a period which is seen as a very happy moment in the Christians calendar as the son of God Jesus Christ the savior of the world is born. They arent seen and available during the Easter seasons which is a sad day in the Christians calendar as the only son and savior of the world dies on the cross for the sins of the Christians. This is clearly experienced in the poem Santa Claus by Howard Nemerov, this is when the poet uses figurative language in airing out recent of the Santa Claus figurative language or speech is a form of literary style that describes something through the use of unusual comparisons (Nemerov, 2011). This style is usually used by the poet to make things clearer for the readers, the poet also use figurative speech to make his work interesting, and at the same time increased effects in the piece of work. It should be noted that use of figurative language in any piece of work doesnt literary mean what is implied by the poet or artist. In the poem Santa Claus by Howard Nemerov, Mr. Nemerov, has used several figurative language that has helped him drive his points shim an example in the poem is when he says He teaches the innocent to want, thus keeps Our fat world rolling. This is an action that clearly indicates that he doesnt like the Santa clause, which to my own thinking I believe that this line in the poem says that the Santa Claus comes into the world during the Christmas season with the aim of giving gifts to the children and people. The Santa Claus will ultimately make the people to share there presents during the Christmas festive season instead of spreading these gifts through out the year especially during Easter seasons at a time when the savior is crucified for the sins of the Christians. The poem Santa Claus by Howard Nemerov, the poet has used a various numbers of figurative languages in his attempt to show his recent to the Santa Claus as in the line in the poem The merest soupcon, of brimstone and the pit. In this line the poet is emphasizing on the problems that are encountered when the Santa Claus is performing his duties. In the poem the poet indicates that the Santa Claus is giving out small gifts especially to children in the pretence of sharing their joy with them during this festive season but as a result of this the children will only be blinded by the kinds of presents they receive from the Santa Claus. Its from this statement that the poet ventured into the different ways that the Santa Claus use to bring the children into sharing and giving out of gifts (Nemerov, 2011). He has major criticized the quantity and quality of the gifts that are given out to the children. Figure of speech is also used in the poem is the At Easter, hes anonymous again, Just one of the crowd lunching on Calvary. This is where the poet in hyperbolized the Santa Claus, at this point the poet associates the Santa Claus to be a person who isnt very keen on following the ways of the savior, in that they disappear during the time when the son of God is crucified and they dont spread the peace in the society that they live in through out. Therefore these kind of people are only linked with the spreading and sharing of joy to the people at the time of birth of the messiah. On the day of his crucifixion a time in which the Christians are supposed to spread love and share gifts and from the word anonymous as in the poem it clearly indicates that thee Santa Claus doesnt appear any where close to the messiah in order to share the love at this sad moments. The poet has also used allegory figurative language in his work as in the following sentence His prescribed costume, White flannel beard, red belly of cotton waste. Conceals the thinness of essential hunger this figurative style states that everything that is inside represents another thing that is outside. This is when the poet artistically satirizes the costumes of the Santa Claus by stating that the clothes that are worn by the are very huge and massive thus used to show that the Santa Claus is a very big and old person but in real sense the person that is wearing the cloth is a young person and in the process the individual will use that as an opportunity to make the children believe in his principles. Yet they cant be able to be able to sustain the doctrines of there practice through out the year. Symbolism has been used in the poem when the poet criticized the Santa Claus by failing to share there good deeds in times when the children needed to share and spread love this is when he states (Nemerov, 2011). This annual savior of the economy Speaks in the parables of the dollar sign, this is a form in which the poet criticized the ways in which the Santa Claus asked the children to share with there friend only during the Christmas holidays while they dont practice it through out the year. Symbolism is used in the poem, were as symbolism means something that stand for something else, in the poem the poet has à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦when the Child is born To suffer for the world, suffer the world, the poet has used the child in that point to indicate that the Santa Claus is always seen on the Chrismas times a time when the child which represents Jesus Christ, therefore making it easy to understand the concept of the poet. Allusion is another figurative language that is used in the poem as it refers to a person theme place or event in history or current culture, in the poem Santa Claus by Howard Nemerov, the theme and setting of the poem is during the Chrismas season, this is a time when the Santa Claus are mostly in the streets and they tend to offer the children with surprise gifts during the Chrismas season. In conclusion the poet of this poem Santa Claus by Howard Nemerov has showed a negative feeling towards the Santa Claus this can be expressed by the tone that the poet has used an example is when he uses the harsh tone of describing the name of the Santa class as a thing that gives out a stench as in the line (Nemerov, 2011). His name itself is corrupted, and even Saint Nicholas, in his turn, Gives off a faint and reminiscent stench this is an a harsh tone that makes the reader experience the recent the poet has for the Santa Claus.

The Wealth of Nations Essay -- essays research papers

In 1759 Adam Smith, then a thirty-six year old Professor of Moral Philosophy at Glasgow University, published his Theory of Moral Sentiments. This work attracted the attention of the guardians of the immensely wealthy Duke of Buccleuch towards retaining its author as a tutor to the youthful Duke whilst on a protracted, and hopefully educational, "Grand Tour" of continental Europe. While tutoring from 1763 Adam Smith found some of the time spent in the French provinces hard to fill and seems to have begun his masterpiece An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, as a way of taking up otherwise idle hours in the summer of 1764. Overall however he derived much personal philosophical benefit from these months of journeying on the continent. In Paris he met amongst others, the "Physiocrat" economic theorist (and court Physician) Quesnay and the French Ministers, Turgot and Necker. The French economic policy, during these times were conducted in accordance with the "Mercantilism"(the theory and system of political economy prevailing in Europe after the decline of feudalism, based on national policies of accumulating bullion, establishing colonies and a merchant marine, and developing industry and mining to attain a favorable balance of trade) that had held sway in the economic thinking of Europe for some three centuries. Mercantilism expected that governmental control would be exercised over industry and trade in accordance with the theory that national strength (i.e. the Royal states treasury) is increased by a preponderance of exports over imports. By nature, back then France was fitted to be a great agricultural country, a great producer and exporter of corn and wine; but French legislators for several generations had wanted to counteract the apparently natural bias of French economic life towards agriculture, and had tried to make France an exporter of manufactured goods. Like most legislators in those times, they had been prodigiously impressed by the ambitious position which the maritime powers, as they were then called (the comparatively little powers of England and Holland), were able to take in the politics of Europe. They saw that this influence came from wealth, that this wealth was made in trade and manufacture, and therefore they dete... ...one constitutes the ultimate aim and end of economic life. Although Economics has moved on in many was from the outlook and policies endorsed in the Wealth of Nations that epoch-making publication remains as perhaps the most famous economics book of all time. Governments in search of a strengthening of their states through economic policy, and many individuals in search of personal gain, have all drawn lessons from its pages. Powerful movements that led to the emergence of Modern Capitalism were substantially based on Smith's work and hence he deserves to be regarded as one of the most dramatically influential philosophers or philosophic writers of modern times. This book is a comprehensive and systematic theory of an economy. It shows the connections and relationships among variables. The Wealth of Nations also talks about the division of labor. Smith states that the division of labor starts the process of economic growth. One growth is started, accumulation keeps it going. There are three benefits of division of labor. First; increase in skill and dexterity. Second; save time in moving from job to job. And lastly, the invention of new machinery.

Issues in Uganda’s human rights Essay

Assignment – Research Paper Research Topic: Issues in Uganda’s human rights As a female-born Canadian, living in one of the better countries of the world, take solace in the fact that as a person, have consciously been able to exercise my â€Å"rights and freedoms† through working, schooling or voting. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (Constitution Act, 1985.) safeguards our basic human rights. As Canadians, we feel protected in this way, exercising our rights without much thought, passing through our day and night without griping fear for our lives, or of the police. Imagine for a moment waking up and the army has moved in, soldiers, police, trucks, tanks control the streets. All â€Å"left-handed† people, regardless of age are being taken away, and secretly relocated for re-education?! As a society or an individual within, we would be helpless and vulnerable, should some form of organized brutality be thrust upon us. The western countries of the world place human rights, in high esteem. In stark contrast, woefully many countries, U ganda in particular, are continually in a desperate struggle for the advancement of human rights. (Ewins, 2011) The country still faces heavy criticism regarding the treatment and growth, or lack thereof in the area of human rights. In particular, the specific malfeasance shown toward women, children, homosexuals, and the disabled. Officially known as the Republic of Uganda, is a sovereign nation located in the continent of Africa, bordered by Kenya, Sudan, the Republic of Congo, Tanzania, and Rwanda. Even though this republic is only forty-six years old, since gaining independence from Great Britain, methods of torture and child labour still exist. Continually, there are seemingly insurmountable struggles (i.e. arrests, enslavement, poor laws, etc) (Middleton & Miller, 2008). Additionally, the LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) and the mentally/physically ill in Uganda have virtually no protection at all, and both male and female homosexual activity or interaction is illegal. (Ewins, 2011) The Uganda Human Rights Commission, an agency established in 1995, still continues to struggle trying to put an end to the cruelty concerning the treatment of women, children, homosexuals, and the mentally ill. This same  agency is responsible for crimes against children, which is an underlying problem that only exacerbates the situation for the advancement of human rights in Uganda. The practice of child abuse is considered exploitative, extremely unethical, and inhumane. Commonly, children are laboured for days on end, performing chores for superiors. Ugandan children are trafficked within the country, as well as to other countries as Canada, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia for forced labour and commercial sexual exploitation. (Clark-Kazak, 2010) Karamojong women and children, an ethnic group of herders living mainly in the northeast of Uganda, are sold in cattle markets or by intermediaries and forced into situations of domestic servitude, sexual exploitation, herding, and begging. Many Ugandan security and government agencies, including Uganda’s Rapid Response Unit, the police force, law-enforcement officials and the military, have been accused of torture. (Clark-Kazak, 2010) These agencies persecute opponents of the government, carry out abductions, disappearances, extrajudicial killings and torture and act both independently, as well as interdependently with each other, and in cooperation with the Ugandan Police. Some of these inhumane acts of torture include kicking and beating, which is described as â€Å"kandoya† – a tying of the victim’s hands and feet behind the body and strung from the ceiling, and even electric shock by attaching wires to the male genitalia. Because these agencies operate through the Ugandan Police, not much stance has been taken by the government. (Clark-Kazak, 2010) Over the past twenty years, the rebel group LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) has abducted more than 30,000 boys and girls as soldiers. Attacks against Uganda’s Acholi people have resulted in severe trauma to civilians from extreme violence and abduction. Girls are often forced to become sex slaves, and the UPDF (Uganda People’s Defence Force) has recruited small numbers of children into its forces, some as young as thirteen. (Mujuzi, 2011) Not only are children being treated as property with no rights protecting them, women also receive similar treatment. For many decades, the Ugandan culture has made it clear that women should treat men as higher class citizens, and respect their commands, as they are higher in value than women. Despite the substantial economic and social responsibilities of women in Uganda’s many traditional societies, women were taught to accede to the wishes of their fathers, brothers, husbands, and sometimes other men as well, and to  demonstrate their subordination to men in most areas of public life. Customary law also prevails in the event of divorce in that child custody is typically awarded to the father. (Mujuzi, 2011) The physical integrity of Ugandan women is poorly protected. Violence against women is widespread: some estimates say that more than half of the women in the country have suffered domestic violence at the hands of their partners. Domestic violence has wide social acceptance, even by women. Rape is very common in Uganda. In nearly half of sexual violence cases, the victim’s husband or partner is the perpetrator reflecting a widely held belief that spousal rape is a husband’s prerogative. (Ehiri, 2009) Many women were raped by rebel soldiers during the conflict in northern Uganda. Women of the Sabiny tribe are subjected to female genital mutilation. There are no laws prohibiting the practice, but the local authorities have issued a decree denouncing the custom. (Kafumbe, 2010) In addition, in 2006, The World Health Organization (WHO) published results of a study on countrywide domestic violence and women’s health in Uganda. In the study, they found that 22% of adult women in the country experienced sexual violence, with 76% of men transmitting the HIV virus with 82% chance of the women becoming pregnant. 70% of women and 60% of men agreed that wife beating was justifiable under certain circ umstances. Ethically speaking, this makes the situation extremely uncomfortable. (Ehiri, 2009) An example one of which can be seen as a step in the right direction is with regards towards marriage and divorce laws in Uganda. The proposed legislation, the Marriage and Divorce Bill, which was passed in March of 2011, recognizes cohabitation in terms of property rights, abolishes forced marriage, prohibits same sex marriage and allows women to divorce their husbands on grounds of cruelty. Ultimately, the Bill still condemns same sex marriage, however, gives women in marriage more freedom. While polygamy has been quite popular in Uganda, it has been decreasing every decade, with only 27% of men having more than one wife, as opposed to 43% of males with more than one wife in 1988. (Kafumbe, 2010) The situation compared to decades ago, where polygamy was on the rise, is much less in existence. Granted, the government still has a vast array of issues to fix. For example, the period following the collapse of Idi Amin’s regime (which lasted from 1979–1986), was characterized by continued turmoil, violations of human rights, including the killing of innocent people, mismanagement of  the economy, a nd guerrilla warfare, which is civilians attacking members of the military. The army, led by General Tito Okello, overthrew President Obote in 1985. This gave the rebels of Yoweri Museveni, a former guerrilla leader, an advantage to take over government from Okello on January 26th, 1986. From 1986, however, with a new government headed by Museveni, Uganda started on the path to reconstruction and rehabilitation with new promise of security, peace, and development. (Middleton & Miller, 2008) One issue that it is not showing any signs of improvement, applies to the gay citizens in Uganda. Homosexuality in all its forms is illegal. This includes sexual acts, and just being gay. The consequence for homosexuality can put a Ugandan in prison for life. Prior to 2000, only male homosexuality was criminalized, then in 2000 under the Penal Code Amendment (Gender References) Act 2000, all references to â€Å"any male† was changed to â€Å"any person† so that lesbianism was criminalized as well. A new bill has been introduced into parliament, providing for harsher penalties for homosexuals, including the death penalty for â€Å"repeat offenders.† Ugandan citizens would be required to report any homosexual activity within twenty-four hours or face a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment, and Uganda would request extradition if Ugandan citizens were having same-sex relationships outside the country. Gays and lesbians face discrimination and harassment at the hands of the media, police, teachers, and other groups. According to Jessica Stern of Human Rights Watch, â€Å"For years, President Yoweri Museveni’s government routinely threatens and vilifies lesbians and gays, and subjects sexual rights activists to harassment.† (Clark-Kazak, 2010) There appear to be two types of harassment of the Ugandan LGBT community: human rights violations against this community, as well as failure to provide governmental and non-governmental services to this community. First, in Uganda, there is a strong cultural abhorrence and complete lack of understanding of LGBT individuals. This is reflected in everyday actions throughout the country, from minor forms of harassment in clubs, restaurants, and on the streets, to more pernicious forms of discrimination in terms of jobs and service distribution. Interviews with members of the LGBT community suggest that an openly gay individual will likely be excommunicated by his or her church, will be neglected by his or her family and community, may be kicked o ut of school, will have difficulty finding and  holding a job, and will be otherwise persecuted in everyday life. Stories of people being maimed or killed because they are thought to be gay are a persistent, minute to minute reminder to the LGBT community to maintain strong secrecy, often forcing people to engage in heterosexual relationships to give the impression of being straight to the outside world. Much of this type of cultural bias and discrimination cannot be attacked using current laws; it can only be attacked through new laws creating positive rights enabling LGBT individuals to be free from this type of harassment and discrimination. (Hollander, 2009-10) Condemned by world leaders, some western governments threatened to withhold financial aid. In the United States, Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon has argued that, should the legislation become law, Uganda would be ineligible for trade benefits under the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA). The global backlash to this bill has been significant. President Barack Obama recently denounced it as â€Å"odious† and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton communicated her â€Å"strongest concerns† over the proposed legislation directly to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni. Resolutions have been introduced in the U.S. Congress condemning the proposed bill, calling on the Ugandan Parliament to reject it, and urging all governments to reject and repeal similar laws criminalizing homosexuality. Some countries have gone even further; with Sweden has threatening to cut off all aid to Uganda should the bill become law. (Ewins, 2011) As well, the U.K. partnered up with BBC to film a documentary on Uganda’s treatment of homosexuals. It was filmed in Kampala and its surrounding slums, where they interviewed leaders in the anti-homosexual movement, as well as homosexuals who are out and living in fear. Radio DJ Scott Mills travels to Kampala where the death penalty could soon be introduced for being gay. This was aired in the U.K. on February 2011 before the Bill was killed. Mills, who is openly gay, finds out that the living situation in Kampala and around Uganda is incredibly frightening and horrific. Those who are openly gay are disowned by their family and friends, and are forced to live in slums and outside the city so they can be somewhat protected. An effective way that the Ugandan people â€Å"capture† homosexuals is through their newspapers. The newspaper â€Å"The Rolling Stone† publishes photos of openly gay Ugandans living in and around Kampala, asking citizens to call them or the police if they know where they are located. (Mills, 2011) If a  person gets caught, they are persecuted and thrown in jail for adultery. In the documentary, we meet a lesbian named Stosh. When she was a teenager she was raped by a man to try and â€Å"cure† her of her lesbianism and as a result was infected with HIV. To make matters worse, Pastor Male is part of the self styled National Coalition against Homosexuality and Sexual Abuse in Uganda and claims he was the first person in the country to come out openly against gays. Male believes that no one is born gay and that through counseling they can be cured of this â€Å"affliction†. (Mills, 2011) Exercising tolerance of ignorance can be quite a bitter pill to swallow Although the focus of most research in the media on Uganda has been surrounding women, children, and the LGBT community, often overlooked is the mistreatment of the ill, specifically those with mental disorders. A survey of the existing mental health system in Uganda was conducted using the WHO Assessment Instrument for Mental Health Systems. (Fisher, 2010) In addition, 62 interviews and six focus groups were conducted with a broad range of mental health stakeholders at the national and district levels. Despite possessing a â€Å"draft† on mental health policy that is in line with many international human rights standards, Uganda’s mental health system inadequately promotes and protects, and frequently violates the human rights of people with mental disorders; through physical and emotional abuse. Qualitative interviews with a range of stakeholders revealed that patients had experienced various forms of direct human rights abuses within the mental health facilities and units in the country, particularly in psychiatric units in general hospitals. (Fisher, 2010) In discussions with the mental health service facilities, many stakeholders from different groups spoke about how it is fairly common for mental health professionals to infringe on the rights of patients. Numerous respondents, particularly mental health care service users themselves, spoke about the stigma and verbal abuse patients experience from mental health professionals. As one service user lamented: â€Å"Sorry to comment on psychiatrists, but when you are in hospital, instead of calling you by name, they call you ‘case’, ‘this case here’, ‘this mental case’ That is not a proper way to address people. Why do you call me case? I have a name. I am not a case and I have a right to be called my name. But because they have an attitude of labeling. You are  being turned into an object by them.† (Fisher, 2010) Many respondents also spoke about the ‘poor food supply in the mental health units’, which is ‘never enough for everyone’, and is often ‘old’ or ‘so bad you would not wish it upon anyone’. Poor dietary supplies were seen as impacting especially badly those patients who are also physically ill (i.e. as HIV-positive patients). The patients are continuously secluded, sometimes they are beaten up, or starved as punishment, and sometimes they are left alone for hours with no one attending to them. This study was done in every mental institution in the country except for Butabika, which is known as the best mental establishment and is known for its good conditions. Although that does say there can be good and bad institutions, knowing there is only one with a positive rating in the whole country is beyond troublesome. (Bernstein & Okello, 2007) Briefly, a final problem, which falls under the umbrella of human rights, is that of refugee status. In Uganda, refugee policy and programming is focused almost exclusively on providing protection and assistance to refugees residing in rural settlements. While international law allows refugees the right to freedom of movement and choice of residence, Ugandan legislation restricts refugees’ residency to rural settlements, subjecting those who wish to live outside of settlements and in urban centers to severe restrictions. This study sheds light on the reasons refugees choose to reside in Kampala as opposed to rural settlements and the challenges they endure while attempting to sustain and support themselves. Research findings indicate that at all stages of exile, refugees in Uganda are put under pressure, either implicitly or explicitly, to relocate to settlements. The lack of progressive thinking and hence over-reliance on settlements as the mainstay of refugee protection and assistance has hampered reforms of refugee policy and hindered the broader involvement of municipal authorities in responding to protection and assistance needs of refugees in urban areas. Research findings suggest that many refugees have talents, skills, and abilities, which would enable self-sufficiency in Kampala and other urban areas. However, these capabilities are currently undermined by a refugee regime which only promotes self-reliance in rural settlements. In an effort to enhance refugees’ overall human security and to support their own efforts to become independent and self-reliant, this paper asserts that refugee policy in  Uganda should be reformed to support refugees’ decisions to choose their own places of residence, instead of restricting them to rural settlements. (Bernstein & Okello, 2007) When first beginning my research on Uganda, I wanted to focus specifically on the lack of rights for the LGBT community, yet there is a glaring human rights problem all throughout the country, especially including women, children and those with mental/physical ailments. While researching through my references, it is positive to note that â€Å"human rights† is a hot button topic in Uganda, there is some progress; albeit small. (Ewins, 2011) There is focus on the topic of â€Å"human rights† in Uganda and how it effects women, children, the mentally ill, and homosexuals. As a Canadian, I recognize and exercise my rights because I have all of them as a woman and a Canadian citizen. Often times, people seem to forget how fortunate they are to live in a first world country where they do not have to be afraid everywhere they look because of who they are. Dismally, many Ugandans have to exist that way with no escape in sight., as a significant amount of the population are poor and unable to flee to a safer place. Having always been interested in human rights in all countries and how they differ from Canada’s laws, researching the human conditions in Uganda has been a huge eye opener concerning the depth of despair. Although I am not gay myself, rights for LGBT members is one of things that I am very passionate about changing around the world. My research will show what they have to go through on a daily basis as Ugandans and changes that have been made throughout the decades to improve on these rights, or make them harsher. With my research, I have developed the following research questions: Creating the Anti-Homosexual Bill has received negative attention from countries around the world including the United States and Sweden. How has the Ugandan government dealt with this image the rest of the world has about their country? In Uganda, if someone is homosexual, they will most likely be discriminated against. What acts of discrimination by the rest of the Ugandan population will put homosexuals in danger? Some forms of data that will be presented are primarily from observation and  documentaries. Ideally, it would be more advantageous to travel to Uganda and experience life there first hand, therefore many researchers document their work by recording it, so others can see exactly what they saw. Most of my references are in text form and come from either observation from the writers’ own perspective or research from other writers, which can be also known as unobtrusive research (Trochim, 2006), or more specifically, content analysis. (Chapter 10, textbook) All my research has been through the Concordia Database in the Sociology section. From that database, the oldest document used is from 2006, with an exception to the New Encyclopedia of Africa†. (Middleton & Miller, 2008) which described various significant years in Uganda’s fight for human rights in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Additionally, this specific topic is not one that I can do myself or ask people about whil e I am in Montreal. These observations are helpful for my research, as it is the easiest and most precise type of research. The work will be even more helpful if anyone can see it first hand rather than just reading text. The documentary will show you more of an in-depth, depressing look at the lack of human rights in Uganda. The ethical issues I will be facing are my own, since being aware of these issues, I feel obligated to help in some manner. I do not know anyone from Uganda that faced the brutality or human rights violations themselves, or someone who has studied human rights in Uganda. While not doing interviews myself, several of my references have taken certain documentaries when it comes to citing their research. One in particular, which I happened to find on YouTube, is a documentary done by BBC3 in the U.K titled â€Å"The World’s Worst Place to Be Gay?†. It is hosted by a British radio DJ and openly gay Scott Mills, who traveled to Uganda where the death penalty is the huge is sue for homosexuals. He finds out what it is like to live in a society which persecutes people such as himself, and meets those who are leading the hate campaign. In its favour, is that it is a recent documentary, originally aired in February of 2011 on BBC. I have also located two other documentaries under my own independent online research, one entitled â€Å"A World of Conflict† in which reporter Kevin Sites covers every major war zone in the world in one year, and another called â€Å"Hope for Uganda†, a documentary created by World Vision, a non-governmental organization. While these highlight how poorly a condition Uganda is in, there are definitely  ethical issues that occur during filming. Ethical issues include threats of violence open discrimination and hate. While I seemingly cannot do anything to prevent it, it still remains extremely horrific and unethical. One has to come into contact with this venue of research to appreciate this line of study in a proper context. I have not required any approvals, as all of the research I have is not mine. The documentaries were approved by World Vision and BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation). With regards to the rights of the Ugandans shown in the documentaries, they were given approval to show themselves on camera beforehand. If they were not comfortable being on television, their faces would be blurred out. While filming â€Å"The World’s Worst Place to be Gay?† in Kampala, the city was warned beforehand that there would be camera crews around. Given that all the stories in the documents and in the films are quite painful, the risks were ever present. Some quotes remained anonymous, some were given with names. It took a great deal of courage for Ugandans to come forward with their hardships and their pain, however it sheds light on the primitive condition of human rights in their country. In conclusion, this topic was something I chose to study, due to the fact that this is a subject that greatly interests me, and that one day, might want to help to fight for this cause, or be involved with as a career. While I might not ever travel to Uganda or work in Africa, I can pursue those fights in Canada. It is certainly an area in which I desperately want to see change in the world; equal rights at every level for everyone, regardless of gender or sexual orientation. Despite having some background knowledge on this issue, I have many more things to learn, and that is also again in support of my selection. Something I know a lot about is not as challenging or interesting to research. I somehow feel consciously and morally obliged to learn more about the violated and disenfranchised of this country. Lastly, there will be an examination of the â€Å"human rights† issues in Uganda, focusing on how children, women, and homosexuals are treated. The research covered many kingdoms and cities all over the country. I am hoping that because of this paper, the readers will learn more about the situation in Uganda and are motivated to get involved in a project such as this, and possibly compel them to do something to help. At the beginning of the course, deciding which subject I would focus this research paper on, and focusing it on something I want to see change and would want to make a  difference in that situation. In the future, it is my hope that Uganda’s human rights will be improving in the years and decades to come, with the determination, aid, and influence of other countries, apolitical outside agencies, as well as Ugandans learning to help each other. By doing so, people can make the world a better place, not just for today, but rather for the future, and proactively forever. In my future, there will always be a watchful, hopeful eye on Uganda. References: 1.) Cooper, S., Ssebunnya, J., Kigozi, F., Lund, C., & Flisher, A. (2010). Viewing Uganda’s mental health system through a human rights lens. International Review Of Psychiatry, 22(6), 578-588. 2.) Kafumbe, A. (2010). Women’s Rights to Property in Marriage, Divorce, and Widowhood in Uganda: The Problematic Aspects. Human Rights Review, 11(2), 199-221. 3.) Miller C. J., John, M. Ed. (2008). â€Å"Uganda.† New Encyclopedia of Africa. Detroit: Charles Scribner’s Sons. 119-127. 4.) Bernstein, J., & Okello, M. (2007). To Be or Not To Be: Urban Refugees in Kampala. Refuge, 24(1), 46-56. 5.) Ewins, L. (2011). â€Å"Gross Violation†: Why Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Act threatens its trade benefits with the United States. Boston College International & Comparative Law Review, 34(1), 147-171. 6.) Hollander, M. (2009). Gay Rights in Uganda: Seeking to Overturn Uganda’s Anti-Sodomy Laws. Virginia Journal Of International Law, 50(1), 219-266. 7.) M ujuzi, J. (2011). Protecting Children From Those Who Are Supposed To Protect Them! The Uganda Human Rights Commission And Children’s Right To Freedom From Torture. Journal Of Third World Studies, 28(1), 155-168. 8.) Clark-Kazak, C. R. (2010). The politics of protection: aid, human rights discourse, and power relations in Kyaka II settlement, Uganda. Disasters, 34(1), 55-70 9.) Emusu, D., Ivankova, N., Jolly, P., Kirby, R., Foushee, H., Wabwire-Mangen, F., & †¦ Ehiri, J. (2009). Experience of sexual violence among women in HIV discordant unions after voluntary HIV counselling and testing: a qualitative critical incident study in Uganda. AIDS Care, 21(11), 1363-1370 10.) Mills, S. (Producer) (2011). The world’s worst place to be gay? [Web]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=168gaNmaIFo 11.) Allyson, S. (Producer) (2007). Hope for Uganda [Web] Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1IGKnQRPF-I 12.) Trochim, William. â€Å"Unobstrusive Measures.† Research Methods: Knowledgable Base. (2006): 1. Web. 4 Apr. 2012. . 13.) Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, section 15. (Constitution Act, April 17th 1985.)

Identify and Discuss the Key Influences of the Strategic Hrm Diagnostic Model That Have Significance for Employee Recruitment and Selection Essays

Identify and Discuss the Key Influences of the Strategic Hrm Diagnostic Model That Have Significance for Employee Recruitment and Selection Essays Identify and Discuss the Key Influences of the Strategic Hrm Diagnostic Model That Have Significance for Employee Recruitment and Selection Essay Identify and Discuss the Key Influences of the Strategic Hrm Diagnostic Model That Have Significance for Employee Recruitment and Selection Essay The Strategic HRM Diagnostic Model (Stone, 2002:26) attempts to provide Human Resource Managers with an analytical framework designed to assist in the prediction and prevention of possible problems. The approach encourages HR managers to be pro-active, and to consider the nature of the internal and external environments before pursuing a particular course of action (Stone, 2002:25). The influences of the environments span all activities of Human Resource Management and this essay explores those that have significance for two HR activities in particular. The two of which are employee recruitment and employee selection. An organisation has extremely little, to no, control over its external environment, the aspects of which are too numerous to list. The external environment influences HRM practices, thus influencing HR activities, both directly and indirectly. In other words, an aspect of the organisation’s external environment may directly affect the processes of employee recruitment and selection through influencing HRM practices, but at the same time it will influence the organisation’s internal environment, hence affecting the processes through strategic alignment. One major external environmental influence may be politics. The state of politics may affect the processes of employee recruitment and selection in various ways. For example, political instability has had a dramatic influence on the practices of employee recruitment in Algeria (Mellahi Wood, 1996). This study addresses the impact the civil war has had on recruitment practices, among other things. An interesting discovery was that the lengthy political crisis led small and medium sized firms away from ‘rationalistic’, strategically driven practices and forced them into, what is referred to as, a ‘coping mode’. The ‘coping mode’ is reactive, as apposed to pro-active, fostering a ‘stay alive’ strategy; hence greatly affecting the management of human resources both directly and indirectly. Laws and regulations may also influence the HR activities of employee recruitment and selection. Changes in legislation could be seen as an indirect influence, in that an organisation’s objectives and strategy may have to be reconsidered due to restricting business opportunities or increasing competition as a result of the changes (Stone, 2002:17). Laws and regulations regarding equal employment opportunity, affirmative action, sexual harassment, privacy and terminations, however, prove to have a more direct influence, in that they have facilitated the creation of new jobs such as sex equity expert, gender bias officer and harassment facilitator (Lehn, 1997). The creation of new jobs requires the recruitment and selection of new employees, whether they are from outside or within the organisation; hence the direct influence. The process of employee selection is influenced in particular by equal employment opportunity (EEO) and affirmative action (AA) legislation (Sullivan, 1998), which require fair treatment for all members of the community and the elimination of discrimination. These factors play a major role in shaping the selection criteria and although they remain the same with respect to time, unlike other aspects of the external environment, they must still be considered a direct influence. The environmental influence of the labour market may also affect employee recruitment and selection. According to Doverspike, Taylor, Shultz and McKay (2002) â€Å"U. S. employers say they simply cannot find enough employees, let alone skilled employees†. This is due to the growth of the U. S. economy and the decrease of unemployment. This study explores various contributing factors of the shortage of job applicants in the U. S. , which is a significant problem for both private and public sectors. One such contributing factor is the changing demographic makeup of the workforce. Doverspike et al. 2002) explains that it is necessary to focus recruiting methods on the characteristics of certain ‘untraditional employee’ groups, so as to attract them amid the changing demographic makeup. Untraditional employee groups, for example, are Baby-Boomers, generation Xers, minority groups and any other group that requires special consideration when recruitment and selection processes are implemented. The state of economy can also have a more direct influence on the recruiting process, in that, the value or effectiveness of particular recruiting methods depends greatly on the state of economy (Teigen, 2002). For instance, high unemployment usually infers that unsolicited applications are more frequent and of better quality than they are when the labour market is tight. Also, in a situation of full employment several recruiting methods may need to be used simultaneously in order to generate even a few qualified candidates (Stone, 2002:180). Finally, technological advancement and the rate of technological change can influence employee recruitment and selection. In fact, a study was carried out by Byrne (2000) on the affect technological advancement has had on the management of the company, General Motors. Byrne (2000) states that â€Å"new technology, particularly the internet, is causing radical transformation that is nothing less than a new industrial revolution†. Thus, to survive and thrive in this century, managerial practices must change; hence influencing HR activities. These are only a small portion of the potential influences on HR activities from the external environment. Many more have significance to employee recruitment and selection, but it is important to remember that political, legal, environmental, economical and technological aspects of the external environment, as well as other aspects, affect HRM and HR activities periodically. In other words, although these aspects are key influences on HRM, they are managed through the development of a long-term strategy (Stone, 2002:18). This strategy, which is often referred to as the ‘corporate strategy’ or ‘master strategy’, is selected in light of the organisation’s external opportunities and threats and internal strengths and weaknesses. It influences HRM from within the organisation because strategic HRM requires HRM objectives and strategies to be linked, as closely as possible, to the organisation’s objectives and strategies. Thus, different types of organisational strategies produce a need for particular HR strategies (Stone, 2002:21). The successful integration of strategies, otherwise known as strategic alignment, has proven to improve an organisation’s environment for success (CCH, 1995). This is apparent in the case study of Colgate Palmolive’s development and implementation of their ‘global vision’ (Anfuso, 1995). Without successful integration, an organisation’s effectiveness would be substantially impaired (Grundy, 1998:50). Other aspects of the organisation’s internal environment, aside from its objectives and strategy, include the organisation’s purpose or mission, its structure and its culture. The purpose of an organisation is influenced by external factors and greatly influences the objectives and strategy, as well as the culture of an organisation. It can be considered, along with the organisation’s culture, when assessing its influence on the activities of employee recruitment and selection because it is essentially the projection of an organisations culture to the community. The purpose moulds the culture, thus potential employees deduce the values and beliefs of the organisation from its mission. The image of an organisation may affect the recruiting and selection processes by attracting or deterring potential applicants. According to Kristof (1996) â€Å"applicants are attracted to work environments that are compatible with their personal characteristics†. It is also important for management to foster a culture that promotes the achievement of the organisation’s strategic business objectives (Greene, 1995). With this in mind, selection criteria may be based on personality and attitude rather than skill or knowledge. Organisations use this tactic in hope of reducing the possibility of consequences and undesirable behaviours (Stone, 2002:211). An example of organisational culture having a negative influence on HRM is the case of Australia’s four largest banks (Westpac, National Australia, ANZ and Commonwealth). These organisations foster cultures which are high on authority and low on warmth, teamwork, employee commitment and concern for performance. Westpac’s culture, for example, is described as old-style ‘command and control’ and poses a dramatic influence on employee recruitment and selection through employee turnover, with the focus on women employees (Gray, 1997; Lyall, 1997). The structure of an organisation, as mentioned above, should be such that it helps achieve the organisation’s strategic objectives. The restructuring of an organisation to suit a selected strategy directly influences the activities of employee recruitment and selection. Organisations with narrow spans of control that are hierarchical in structure, for example, tend to be authoritarian, rigid, formal, highly specialised and bureaucratic. Whereas, organisations with wide spans of control that are flat in structure tend to be more flexible, adaptable, informal, less specialised and more entrepreneurial. Each type of structure requires employees with particular qualities and skills; therefore, the recruitment and selection processes are influenced. Downsizings and the financial costs of maintaining a full-time work force may initiate a change in the structure of an organisation. According to Burgess (1996) these factors have motivated employers to make greater use of independent contractors, temporary workers and executive leasing; hence, eliminating a number of jobs. Essentially, viewing employee recruitment and selection in a strategic light requires the HR manager to conduct each activity with top priority (HR Focus, 2000). This is because, for many organisations, competing for skilled employees is imperative as they are seen as a source of competitive advantage (Thomas, 2001; Way, 2000). To reiterate, the implementation of strategic alignment encourages the activities of recruitment and selection to reflect the direction of the strategic HRM objectives, which again reflect the direction of the strategic business objectives. The external environment influences the activities of recruitment and selection both directly and indirectly. Their direct influence is periodical and ever-changing and their indirect influence is a result of their affect on the organisation’s internal environment, which then influences the strategic HRM objectives. This essay is by no means a comprehensive study of all the possible influences of the Strategic HRM Diagnostic Model that have significance for employee recruitment and selection. Instead, it logically maps the influences of key aspects of an organisation’s internal and external environments, on the HR activities of employee recruitment and selection. Reference List- Anfuso, D. 1995. â€Å"Colgate aligns HR with its global vision†. Personnel Journal 74[1]:1 Burgess, J. 1996. â€Å"Workforce casualisation in Australia†. Journal of International Employment Relations Review 2[1]:33-54 Byrne, J. A. 2000. â€Å"Management by web†. Business Week 3696:44-52 CCH. 1995. â€Å"Successful companies integrate HR practices with business goals and full leverage employees†. Human Resources Management, Ideals and Trends 330:56-57 Doverspike, D. , Taylor, M. A. , Shultz, K. S McKay, P. F. 2000. â€Å"Responding to the challenge of a changing workforce: Recruiting non-traditional demographic groups†. Public Personnel Management 29[4]:445-457 Gray, J. 1997. â€Å"Macho bank culture drives top women from Westpac†. Australian Financial Review 3:1-32 Greene, R. J. 1995. Culturally competitive HR strategies†. HR Magazine 40[6]:115- 123 Grundy, T. 1998. â€Å"How are corporate strategy and human resources strategy linked? †. Journal of General Management 23[33]: 49-72 HR Focus. 2000. â€Å"The top HR issue of 2000†. HR Focus 77[4]:1 Kristof, A. L. 1996. â€Å"Person-organisation fit: An integrative review of its conceptualizations, mea surement, and implications†. Personnel Psychology 49:1-49 Lehn, A. 1997. â€Å"Against all reason? †. Review 49[4]:30-37 Lyall, K. 1997. â€Å"Bank women resigned to frustration†. Weekend Australian 8-9th March:6 Mellahi, K Wood, G. T. 2003. From kinship to trust: Changing recruitment practices in unstable political context†. International Journal of Cross Cultural Management 3[3]:369-381 Stone, Raymond J. 2002. Human Resource Management. Milton: John Wiley Sons. Sullivan, J. 1998. â€Å"Recruitment in the next millennium†. RCSA Journal 3:10 Teigen, M. 2002. â€Å"The suitable few: Managerial recruitment practices in the Norwegian state bureaucracy†. Scandinavian Journal of Management 18:197-215 Thomas, T. 2001. â€Å"The battle for talent†. Business Review Weekly 23[12]:72-73 Way, N. 2000. â€Å"Talent war†. Business Review Weekly 22[32]:64-70