A summary of The significance of the Frontier by Frederick free essay sample

Turner considered that vital since the official American history up 2 that time consisted of he colonization of the West that It was this that explained American development. The West compelled Pl to adapt themselves 2 developing each area out of Its primitive economic/political conditions. Its isolation led to the need of transportation. -The American frontier Is distinct from the European frontier due 2 an abundance of free land. Its Isolation led to the need of transportation. -Although the frontier forced Pl to change (switch from railroad car to canoe) it still maintains frontier characteristics after being settled. Thus, the frontier meant a teddy movement away form the Influence of Europe. -The areas that had been settled upon were a source of political concern since it was surrounded by Indians. The frontier led to trade between Indians whites. I. E. Astor American Fur co. Operated in the Indian trade. -The need to expand Is Inherent In Americans (Ruler Canal, extension of cotton culture). We will write a custom essay sample on A summary of The significance of the Frontier by Frederick or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page -California(gold rush) was a distinctive frontier. Now settlers needed means of communication w/the East. -Railroads (aided by land grants) increased the influx of immigrants into the Far West.Natural boundary lines which affected the characteristics of the frontiers_ 1) fall line 2) Allegheny Mats. 3) Mississippi/Missouri (direction North south) 4)99th 1 OFF -Frontiers similar in many ways.. 1) Indian problem 2) each settlement of one frontier served as a guide for the next for example, the mining experience in Wisconsin was applied to the Sierras. -Frontier differences: The frontier reached by the railroad, guarded by the US army, moved forward at a swifter pace and in a different way than the frontier reached by the canoe/horse.The unequal rate of settlement is what forces the distinction between various frontiers(traders,miner etc). -Colonies initially supported the fur trade and pushed forward exploration because of it. Unarmed Indians traded w/the trader to obtain weapons thus, ending the primitive Indian life. -In spite of tensions between frontiers such as, the trader and farmer, Indian trade pioneered the way for civilization. The buffalo trail became the Indian trail, this in turn was the traders traces. Thus civilization in America has followed the arteries dad by geology and these paths have been broadened and interwoven into the mazes of modern commercial lines. -The finding of salt springs released the original settlers from reliance on sea coasts. Salt was used 4 preserving food. This in turn allowed us to decrease our dependence on G. B. (more difficult to transport goods/carry of raw materials). Those materials gave way to diversified agriculture. -The steady advance of farmers was the result of their search 4 fertile land out west. -Symbolized freedom.Indentured servants who completed their work could obtain and, immigrants where Americanizes and fused into a mixed race. The growth of nationalism and the evolution of American political constitutions were dependent on the advance of the frontier. -The pioneer needed the goods of the coast. Thus came the demand for internal improvements which led to sectional voting/debates and resulted in loose construction(land ordinance of 1787). The gobo. Tried using land as a source of revenue. Jackson Just gave away land to settlers. Legislation was made w/regard to the frontier. I. E. Land, tariff, and internal improvements. Ability killed nationalism since the western frontier worked in unsettling population. The frontier promoted democracy here in Euro. It promoted individualism. It was W. NY that forced an extension of suffrage. It was this individualism that induced America to allow a laxity in regard to governmental affairs -W. Statesman was inferior in logic to an old Valor. Statesman/slaves. But when he went home he takes hold of the plow which gave him muscle and allowed him to preserve his republican principles -The East always feared an unregulated advance of the frontier, and tried to check and guide it.

Performance Management for Firm-Level Performance- myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about thePerformance Management for Firm-Level Performance. Answer: Introduction It is crucial for every organization to perform performance management and appraisal for their employees. Effective performance appraisal ensures growth and success of employees and the organization. However, appraisal systems have been misunderstood and mismanaged by various organizations which affect the operations of the organization (DeNisi Smith, 2014). The International labor organization is concerned with different activities globally and hence has several departments. Technology Department is one critical department for the organization which deals with the technical matters. As such, it is vital for the department to perform well as it impacts directly or indirectly to the success of the whole organization. This paper, therefore, discusses performance expectations of an Information Technology (IT) expert, environmental factors contributing to the performance, and aspects that would be considered as poor performance. IT expert good performance IT department forms the backbone of various organizations. We are in the 21st century where the world is evolving so fast regarding technology. Therefore, an employee working as an IT expert in an organization much is required from him/her. These expectations could be attributed to various factors. Technology determines business innovation Technology has revolutionized the world making it become a global language. Innovation and invention are very vital for growth and success of the business. If an IT expert cannot come up with new ideas concerning business performance, there are high chances of the business collapsing and becoming extinct. A sluggish IT department, therefore, slows the growth of a company by limiting its ability to adapt swiftly to ever-shifting market demands. It as well affects innovation and invention process (Padilla-Prez Gaudin, 2014) and thereby, the release of new products or services may never occur or take a long time. Customer satisfaction and the organization-customer relationship is also destroyed that makes the organization lose market to its competitors. Therefore, organizations need to reorganize their IT department and reap the best of it. Information Technology results in enhanced work effectiveness IT expert has a huge role to play in ensuring the operations of the organization run effectively and efficiently. A well experienced IT expert can provide high-quality job which positively affects the final result of a company. Efficient IT performance, in turn, enhances the performance of other employees and their productivity (Wu et al., 2015). Its through IT department that employees can connect and interact comfortability with each other and the customers. As such, an IT expert is expected to work smart, effectively, and align all the operations of the company in order. Information Technology provides consistent, relevant, and easily accessible information An IT expert is expected to make information available for all other staff of the organization. The information should be relevant, consistent, and of high quality. In turn, this will translate to quality service and product delivery, user satisfaction, and benefit both the organization and individual employee (Peppard Ward, 2016). The smooth flow of information is vital to smooth business operation. By coordinating with the Human Resource management team, an IT expert is expected to ensure all activities of an organization runs smoothly. Environmental factors contributing to the performance requirements IT department focuses mostly on the most important and crucial matters of business. They deal with data analysis, disruptive technologies in business operations, cloud computing, and ever-changing consumer preference. Despite the fact that IT has been shown to enhance the performance of an organization, several environmental factors are involved as well. Environmental hostility and complexity The environment determines the performance of the IT department. Hostility, for instance, leads to poor performance by weakening the business process agility while environment complexity strengthens (Chen et al., 2014) it hence good performance. Market and economic shifts Due to the rapidly changing business environment, an IT expert is required to possess excellent skills to adapt to the changing environment. Unseen or unanticipated environmental changes may have an adverse impact on the overall performance of an organization (Rezaee, 2017). Therefore, IT experts are expected to be ready to handle any disaster or economic shift that may occur. Customer focus Customers expect good quality products and services. No one wants to spend money on products that do not match their value. Therefore, expectations by consumers make the expectations of IT experts to be high. Due to such factors, they are required to produce high-quality products; otherwise, they risk losing the market. Speed to market and market agility The market in the world today is changing drastically. One of the reasons is the growing use of technology in business operations. Numerous organizations have embraced technology, and therefore, it is essential for an organization to remain at per with new technologies. New and modern technologies can help an organization keep with speed of the growing market and hence remain effective and at play (Chen et al., 2014). This can only be achieved by proficient IT experts who are conversant with all aspects of information technology. Organization strategic goals International Labor Organization (ILO), is a global organization that aims in ensuring that human and labor rights are protected throughout the world. Therefore, it has numerous offices worldwide, and data emission (from the headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland) and information sharing is crucial amongst the stations. Information technology, therefore, is critical for smooth organization operations. As such, it calls for well-equipped IT experts who can coordinate ad virtualize the systems in the entire organization. Technology plays a significant role in the realization of its strategic objectives. The goals of the ILO are; promoting better standards at places of work, creating employment opportunities for men and women, social protection for all people, and tripartism strengthening (Helfer, 2006). All these are possible through proper IT coordination. IT experts have a huge role in ensuring all organization projects are coordinated in all the centers globally and ensure data integri ty while liaising with other managerial teams. What makes an IT expert a bad performer IT department controls all aspects of work in an organization virtually. Every eye, therefore, is directed towards IT experts and in case the productivity of a company goes down, the blame is put on the IT department. Various factors contribute to poor performance of an IT expert. First and foremost, these people are under a lot of pressure as every other department looks up to them. Due to the high expectations from their colleagues, employers, and the society, an individual may fail to handle the pressure and hence underperform (Tuten Neidermeyer, 2004). Altitude also plays a chief role in enhancing performance. The wrong attitude towards technology can make an IT expert a bad performer. Performance appraisal is also very vital in ensuring the workers are motivated and hence become more productive (DeNisi Smith, 2014). It is clear that motivated employees perform better as compared to unmotivated workers. As such, performing performance appraisal in the organization will ensure employees give their best and remain committed to the operations of the company. Recommendations Motivating of the IT experts and other staff through rewards and incentives. It is important to undertake performance appraisal for the employees as it increases their commitment. Giving rewards and incentives motivates employees and thereby enhancing their performance and hence the success of the entire organization. Training of IT experts is also important in ensuring they are at per with the ever-changing technology. Qualified employees are in a position of experiencing less pressure since they are equipped to handle their job perfectly. Its through such training forums and seminars that an IT expert can be taught on the importance of their jobs and thereby have a positive attitude. Conclusion Employees working in the IT department determine either the success or failure of an organization. Well trained and experienced IT experts, who can handle ever-changing technological advancement, will lead to the productivity of the organization. It is crucial, however, to motivate the employees through rewards and incentives to enhance their performance. References Chen, Y., Wang, Y., Nevo, S., Jin, J., Wang, L., Chow, W. S. (2014). IT capability and organizational performance: the roles of business process agility and environmental factors. European Journal of Information Systems, 23(3), 326-342. DeNisi, A., Smith, C. E. (2014). Performance appraisal, performance management, and firm-level performance: a review, a proposed model, and new directions for future research. Academy of Management Annals, 8(1), 127-179. DeNisi, A., Smith, C. E. (2014). Performance appraisal, performance management, and firm-level performance: a review, a proposed model, and new directions for future research. Academy of Management Annals, 8(1), 127-179. Helfer, L. R. (2006). Understanding change in international organizations: Globalization and innovation in the ILO. Vand. L. Rev., 59, 649. Murali, S., Pugazhendhi, S., Muralidharan, C. (2016). Modelling and Investigating the relationship of after sales service quality with customer satisfaction, retention, and loyaltya case study of home appliances business. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 30, 67-83. Padilla-Prez, R., Gaudin, Y. (2014). Science, technology and innovation policies in small and developing economies: The case of Central America. Research Policy, 43(4), 749-759. Peppard, J., Ward, J. (2016). The strategic management of information systems: Building a digital strategy. John Wiley Sons. Rezaee, Z. (2017). Business sustainability: Performance, compliance, accountability and integrated reporting. Routledge. Tuten, T. L., Neidermeyer, P. E. (2004). Performance, satisfaction, and turnover in call centers: The effects of stress and optimism. Journal of Business Research, 57(1), 26-34. Wu, S. P. J., Straub, D. W., Liang, T. P. (2015). How information technology governance mechanisms and strategic alignment influence organizational performance: Insights from a matched survey of business and it managers. Mis Quarterly, 39(2), 497-518.

The Living and the Dead by Brian Mockenhaupt

The Living and the Dead by Brian MockenhauptIf you are looking for a great assignment for your college composition class, why not try the Living and the Dead by Brian Mockenhaupt. This may be a quick read, but it is one of the more important literature assignments you will ever take in your college career.In Living and the Dead, Mockenhaupt explains the three stages of life: the active, the passive, and the contemplative. He offers three exercises to help you make sense of the history of one's own life, from conception to death. Some students may find this boring, but many others find it entertaining.One of the strengths of Brian Mockenhaupt's writing is that he uses a consistent voice throughout the book. He takes on different characters, themes, and ideas to present the work in different ways. While Living and the Dead might not be an easy book to read, it certainly is one that will keep you interested. One of the other strengths of the book is the author's ability to present infor mation in such a way that it can inform thought.When preparing a sample essay, it is important to consider how much material the student wants to include. An essay of this length can be finished in about one or two hours, so it is important to include as much detail as possible. However, don't overdo it, as you can spend an hour or two writing and rewriting your paper before you're even finished with it.This, of course, means that there is no way to ensure that your final grade will be a perfect 10, but it does give you an idea of what it might look like and give you a sense of how much time you have left to finish the assignment. To give yourself a break from cramming, consider an outline for the essay, so that you can plan your main ideas and give them direction in the form of a logical sequence.The Living and the Dead by Brian Mockenhaupt is an excellent text for any composition class. It might be one of the best texts that I have seen for college students, as it covers a wide ra nge of subjects, and presents them in an organized manner. You should definitely consider including it in your school library or you will quickly find yourself spending hours reading and rereading it.As always, you can learn more about Living and the Dead by Brian Mockenhaupt by reading a review of the book online. Or, if you are planning on making a living by writing articles, books, or whatever, you might want to check out some of the free resources available for this book.

General Motors Product Development

Table of Contents Introduction General Motors’ Leadership Competitive Advantages Challenges to General Motors Strategies Possible Growth Strategies Conclusion References Introduction The automobile industry is characterized by impulsiveness and indecision due to constant political, social, technological and economic transformations. Consequently, automobile companies find themselves in dynamic situations that call for steady adjustments.Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on General Motors Product Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In such circumstances, the companies require effective leadership to help in identifying the most feasible and productive changes. Brown (2007) maintains that car companies should transform their operations in order to remain competitive. Hence, they need transformational leaders who can identify emerging opportunities and restructure the companies to exploit the op portunities. The success of General Motors is credited to its effective leadership. In spite of General Motors having numerous competitive advantages over other automobile companies, it relies heavily on its transformative leaders. The leaders are responsible for formulating operation strategies and establishing appropriate structures to facilitate implementation of the plans. This paper will discuss the effectiveness of leadership in General Motors. Besides, it will identify various growth strategies that General Motors can pursue. General Motors’ Leadership According to Bayou and De Korvin (2013), the current state of automobile industry calls for transformative leadership. It underlines the reason General Motors hires transformative chief executive officers (CEO).Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Through the transformative leadership of Mary Barra, General Moto rs has been able to restore order in all its global units. Bayou and De Korvin (2013) allege that the most critical role of a transformative leader is to re-establish order and shrewdness into the messy whirl that is the modern day’s business atmosphere. Prior to Barra assuming leadership of the company, General Motors’ product development processes were in absolute confusion. The company had at least 30 distinct platforms. Besides, the company offered inefficient services and manufactured inferior cars. There were needs to align operations and enhance organizational efficiency (Fogel, Morck Yeung, 2014). Barra embarked on these vital transformational objectives and within one year she managed to downsize the product line. In addition, she improved the quality of cars and ensured that employees were conscious of customer needs. Today, General Motors manufactures its cars based on customer demands and preferences. Barra has instituted a team of leaders with varied skil ls in the automobile industry to help the company meet customer demands. General Motors suffered from autocratic leadership for many years. The company’s leaders did not give employees an opportunity to explore their talents or make decisions. Employees received instructions from plant managers and CEO. Such leadership style inhibited innovation. In return, General Motors was unable to compete with other automobile companies leading to its meltdown. Currently, the General Motor’s leadership has eliminated bureaucracy and emphasized on employee empowerment (Fogel et al., 2014).Advertising We will write a custom case study sample on General Motors Product Development specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Employees are responsible for making decisions on matters affecting their areas of specialization. Besides, they are accountable for all their decisions. Barra’s leadership has restored employee commitment and innov ation leading to General Motors becoming competitive. Indeed, the current leadership has helped the company to be in the forefront of the fight against global warming. General Motors has not only managed to offer value to its clients, but also reduce the United States’ overreliance on hydrocarbon-based fuels. Competitive Advantages Bayou and De Korvin (2013) allege that General Motors is the second principal automobile company worldwide. One of the General Motors’ competitive advantages lies in its extensive geographic coverage. The company has 207 divisions that are distributed throughout the globe. The different divisions share ideas on product development with each other, thus helping the company to develop superior cars. One of the challenges that automobile companies encounter is lack of efficient design teams. However, General Motors has trounced this challenge by establishing a design team that can combine skills from different markets. Besides, General Motors p roduces its automobile parts at low costs due to economies of scale. According to Dyer (2006), General Motors has an extensive collection of regional brands such as Cadillac, Hummer, Buick, Pontiac, Chevrolet, Saturn, and Saab. The extensive collection of brands enables the company to compete with other automobile companies in local and regional markets. Its brands are not only strong, but also popular in most countries. Therefore, General Motors does not incur enormous marketing costs since most customers are familiar with its brands. Besides, General Motors reaches a broad market base relative to other companies.Advertising Looking for case study on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Challenges to General Motors Strategies General Motors faces a myriad of challenges in its plan to recover from past financial meltdown. First, the company requires minimizing repetition in model production and producing vehicles that will increase its profit margin. To achieve this, General Motors has to ensure that its product range matches with the income distribution of its target markets. Second, the company’s technology is not consistent with the dynamic automobile industry (Fogel et al., 2014). General Motors should update its technology in order to implement its recovery strategies. Third, for General Motors to make a significant profit and minimize operation costs, it should scale down its global coverage. It requires relinquishing some markets that do not give it substantial returns. Even though General Motors has conquered the liquidation that it experienced in 2009, the company still requires containing its operation costs as a strategy to regain productivity. Fin ally, General Motors cannot realize its goals with undertaking a major restructuring and changing its corporate culture (Bayou De Korvin, 2013). The main challenge is that the United States’ government influences the decisions made by the company. Therefore, it is hard for General Motors to initiate cultural transformation or implement other strategies aimed at benefiting the company. Possible Growth Strategies For General Motors to overcome the current competition in the automobile industry, it should focus on alternative growth strategies. The company should invest in technology and focus on customer needs. There is high demand for trucks in the global market. Hence, General Motors should invest in truck development as one of its growth strategies (Fogel et al., 2014). The truck development will help General Motors to increase its revenues, and therefore its competitiveness in global market. Additionally, customers are buying hybrid vehicles since they are environmental fr iendly. Thus, General Motors should invest in hybrid electric cars as a measure to boost its sales volume. Conclusion Automobile industry is characterized by constant changes that call for effective leadership. Through transformative leadership, General Motors has managed to recover from past financial meltdown. Currently, the company is working hard to re-establish itself in the automobile industry. The leadership has helped General Motors to abolish bureaucracy and encourage innovation. The company has numerous divisions worldwide that makes it enjoy economies of scale. Moreover, it has an extensive collection of brands that are popular worldwide. The United States’ government influences decisions made by General Motors. Hence, it is hard for the company to initiate and implement recovery strategies. For instance, the company cannot reduce its global coverage since it has to get authorization from the government. General Motors should invest in hybrid electric cars and truc ks to achieve future growth. Demand for trucks and hybrid vehicles will continue to rise as people go for environmental-friendly cars. References Bayou, M., De Korvin, A. (2013). Measuring the leanness of manufacturing systems: A case study of Ford Motor Company and General Motors. Journal of Engineering and Technology Management, 25(4), 287-304. Brown, A. (2007). Organizational culture: The key to effective leadership and organizational development. Leadership Organizational Development Journal, 13(2), 3-6. Dyer, J. (2006). Specialized supplier networks as a source of competitive advantage: Evidence from the auto industry. Strategic Management Journal, 17(4), 271-291. Fogel, K., Morck, R., Yeung, B. (2014). Big business stability and economic growth: Is what’s good for General Motors good for America?. Journal of Financial Economics, 89(1), 83-108. This case study on General Motors Product Development was written and submitted by user Zackery Acosta to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Brazil and Italy Divorce Comparison Essay

Brazil and Italy Divorce Comparison Essay Brazil and Italy Divorce Comparison Sociology Essay Brazil and Italy Divorce Comparison Sociology Essay The main focus of this research is on the study of the dynamics of the divorce problem in Italy and Brazil. This study includes comparison of data associated with divorce issue, factors that contribute to divorce, and governmental efforts to solve the divorce problem. To have deep understanding of the topic, scholarly sources have been used, for example, â€Å"Marriage and Divorce: Changes and their Driving Forces† by Stevenson and Wolfers, â€Å"Socio-Economic and Cultural Correlates of Cohabitation in Brazil† by Covre-Sussai and Matthijs, â€Å"Legislative Changes and their Impact on Divorce, Separation and Marriage Rates in Brazil† Maristrello Porto and Butelli, and other works. The research presents the effects of legalization of divorce and describes the factors that account for divorce rate. Historical and cultural developments, rise of globalism, and introduction of new technology may lead to changes in people’s judgment, causing them to reconsider their choices concerning family life. The research also describes the role of the Roman Catholic Church in restricting divorce progression. Due to the significant influence of the Church in Italian and Brazilian societies it was possible to delay the legalization of divorce for a considerable period of time. Divorce in Brazil and in Italy For a long time family was regarded by many nations in the West as a very important social institution. Today, family has become a subject of controversy and discussion. Many researchers have raised questions about the functions of the family units in terms of husband-wife-children relationships. It became common to see women going outside the home to take income producing jobs rather than staying home with children. Many couples live together without a formality of marriage, and those who are legally married tend to separate or divorce. Italy and Brazil are not the exception in this matter. In these countries husbands and wives often share their responsibilities in domestic spheres and the market. Rearing their children is also included in those responsibilities. Gary Becker, in his Treatise on the Family explained this phenomenon and described it in terms of â€Å"production complementarities†. He also identified some reasons for this change: the emergence of new technology that can save labor in the home, availability of birth control and easy access to abortion (Stevenson Wolfers, 2007). All these forces made a significant contribution to a high divorce rate in many countries, including Italy and Brazil. Italy and Brazil have been selected for this research to learn the dynamics of the marriage failure in a deeper way. Such an approach will consider more cultural and social variables that can influence the divorce rate. Italy and Brazil are situated in different geographic regions and have different historical development. While Italy’s population is more homogenous, Brazil is an ethnically diverse country with 50% of mixed races, 42% of white people and 6.5% descendants from Africa (Covre-Sussai Matthijs, n.d., p. 6). The religious influence in both countries has been considerable for centuries. The dominance of the Roman Catholic Church significantly influenced Italy and Brazil. As it was mentioned before, family is a very important social institution. Families are not standing in opposition to the rest of the society as some people think. The truth is that the family units affect the values and structure of the whole society. Both, in Italy and Brazil, these units are the product of particular historical and social circumstances. They are intricately interconnected to other features in social infrastructure. For this reason, the problem of divorce should be a great concern to Italy and Brazil. This research will compare the dynamics of the divorce problem in Italy and Brazil. It will also discuss the initiatives of the governments of both countries to solve this problem. Magnitude of the Problem Italy was one of the countries that held the traditional view concerning marriage, and did not accept the legalization of divorce for a long time. In 1970 a divorce law was passed in Italian parliament. Mark Seymour in his book Debating Divorce in Italy (2006) made the following comment on this event, â€Å"after several deputies had collapsed from exhaustion, a parliamentary vote of 319 for divorce, and 286 against, made Italian history: The Nation now had a divorce law† (p. 211). But only in 1974 when the divorce referendum on this matter was held the Italian public voted for its legalization. Since then the divorce rate began to increase. In 1960s, before the divorce law was passed the divorce rate in Italy was zero. The research of Gonzalez and Viitanen (2006) showed the dynamics of the divorce rate in Figure 1 while comparing the rates in other European countries (p. 24). Immediately, after the passing the law the rise in divorce rate occurred. It reached about 0.7 per 10 00 population. In 1974 the rate began to decrease and it was at approximately 0.3 for more than a decade. However, in the late 1980s the divorce rate almost doubled. This phenomenon can be explained by the amendment of the divorce law passed in 1987. It made provisions for shortening the divorce process and allowed only 3 years of legal separation. Before the divorce process could last 5 or 6 years. Since the amendment was provided the divorce rate had been gradually rising and in 2008 it reached 1.3 per 1000 population (The United States Census Bureau, n.d.). In 2011, the Italian National Institute of Statistics gave more detailed information on separations and divorces in Italy. According to their data, â€Å"In 2011 separations were 88,797 and divorces 53,806; compared to the previous year a substantial stability is observed (+0.7% and -0.7%)† (Istat, n.d.). Total rates of separation and divorce indicate the rise of these phenomena. For example, in 1995 the numbers of separations and divorces for 1000 marriages were 158 and 80 respectively. In 2011 these numbers grew to 311 and 182. Recently the Italian Government has introduced another amendment that simplified the divorce process. The 3 years term of legal separation that had been required by the law, was reduced to 6 months. This initiative will probably contribute to the further growth of divorce rate. The historical development of divorce legalization in Brazil was similar to Italian. The Brazilian society was not willing to accept the divorce law for a long time. This phenomenon was attributed to the influence of Christianity represented by the Roman Catholic Church. Only in 1977 the divorce law became legal. In the 1960s and the early 1970s the divorce rate was zero, the same indicator as in Italy before the introduction of the divorce legalization. But since 1980 this dynamic has changed. The researchers Maira Covre-Sussai and Koen Matthijs, in their project on cohabitation in Brazil discussed the marriage trends. Their research covered different regions of Brazil inhabited by various ethnic groups. The graphs 1 and 2 show the dynamics of marriage and divorce rate in the period from 1980 to 2007 (Covre-Sussai Matthijs, n.d., p. 7). It is remarkable that soon after the introduction of divorce law marriage rate dropped by 4 – 6 marriages per 1000 adults in different regio ns during the next decade. Then the marriage rate stabilized. However, it never came back to the initial point. The divorce rate has shown an ongoing growth in all regions of Brazil since 1980. In the North this rate grew from 0.1 to 0.8 per 1000 adults in the period from 1980 to 2006. In the Central West the divorce rate rose 4 times within the same period. To be precise, if in 1980 the rate was approximately at 0.5, in 2006 it reached 2.00 per 1000 adults. It is also necessary to say that the initial rate 0.5 was more predominant in the Brazilian society. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (2012) published average data on this issue. According to their data the divorce rate rose from 0.5 to 1.4 per 1000 adults from 1980 to 2006. But then, the graph showed a rapid growth from 1.4 to 2.6 per 1000 adults from 2009 to 2011. The Civil Registry 2011 revealed an astonishing fact: divorce rate rose to 45.6% in only one year. The Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (2012) put it in more detailed way, The number of divorces in Brazil reached 351,153 in 2011, with increase of 45.6% over 2010 (243,224). As a result, the divorce rate reached its highest level since 1984 (2.6 divorces per 1000 inhabitants aged 15 and over), even more than in the previous year (1.8%). It is remarkable that the rapid growth of divorce rate occurred after the Brazilian Government provided the 66th amendment to the constitution. According to the new legislation a year period of separation was not necessary to be divorced any more. This event took place in 2010, just in the period when the rapid rise of the divorce rate occurred. Considering the fact that Italian Government has recently introduced an amendment that reduced a period of separation, a prediction can be made that Italy will soon experience a new rise of divorce rate. To have a full picture of the magnitude of divorce problem it is necessary to research structural factors that may count for it. The major factor that influenced marriage and family was globalization. Both, Italy and Brazil have been affected by the globalization process to a different degree though. Since 1960s many countries, particularly in Europe, have experienced the second demographic transition. In their research on socio-economics and cohabitation, Maira Covre-Sussai Koen Matthijs put it in the following way, â€Å"Secularization, privatization, individualization and urbanization seemed to contribute to the shifts from collective to individual behavior† (n.d., p. 9). These factors influenced human mind: people began to acquire critical thinking and evaluate current social and economic conditions. New motivations in social consciousness have been formed, such as equality, freedom and self-fulfillment. As a result, people began utilizing these ideas and standards as the y forged their families. Therefore, the growth of divorce rate, decline in fertility, cohabitation and economic autonomy of women are directly related to the 2nd demographic transition. In the social background there were changes, such as abandonment of previous traditions, beliefs and values. Under the influence of these changes couples began to consider new options in their life. For example, they may take the decisions related to legal marriage, living with a spouse and having children (Covre-Sussai Matthijs, n.d.). All these changes have affected people both, in Italy and Brazil. Today Italian people have been experiencing tougher demands in the course of their life. They can also have more opportunities for self-fulfillment. As a result their lifestyle is now very hectic. Both, men and women are professional and are capable of doing different jobs. But their busy life often prevents them from paying attention to emotional needs of each other and from showing care to their children. Therefore, the lack of affection led to relational problems and caused a separation and divorce. The upper middle class in Brazil has been experiencing similar relational problems, but since this social class is not large, Brazilians deal with these problems at a lesser scale than Italians. Unlike Italy, Brazil has never been the state with sufficient welfare that could provide all the necessary needs and proper education to people from all social classes. It is well known that poverty and low education do not encou rage people to get married. For this reason many Brazilian people cohabit instead of getting married. Poverty and low education may also contribute to divorce rate in Brazil (Covre-Sussai Matthijs, n.d.). Coming back to globalization impact on family it is important to note the role of new technology in divorce rate growing. The emergence of Internet and development of cell phones pushed the boundaries and allowed people quick and easy access to communication with each other. Social services gave more opportunities for connection with friends or making friendship. All these factors contribute to relational problems within the family unit significantly. For example, in Italy many young people tend to use the instant messaging service. The service allows people to send free messages via smartphones. Such a service often tempts Italians to converse with the opposite sex. These affairs via smartphone may result in divorce. In Brazil the society is poorer, and is affected by the social services via smartphones at a lesser level. However, the Internet is now available for many Brazilians and it gives them an opportunity to connect with the opposite sex in the Internet cafà ©s. It is also important to mention some historical developments in Brazil that influenced the attitude to the family in the country. Back in the 18th century, when the Catholic Church had control over marriage the slaves were not allowed to be married. The only option they had was to have informal unions. Portuguese colonizers who came to Brazil without their wives also chose informal unions taking indigenous women. Thus family organization in Brazil had a particular history that laid the foundation for interracial and patriarchal relationship (Covre-Sussai Matthijs, n.d.). However, in the modern Brazilian society authoritarian attitudes are tolerated less and they may lead to divorce. To complete the research on the magnitude of divorce problems it is important to mention one more reason that often cause divorce in Italy. The Italian family has a special tradition that is characterized by the close relationship and strong emotional ties between mother and her son (Straussner, 2001, p. 6). Thus when the son gets married these ties often interfere with his marriage relationships. Mother views her son’s spouse as a rival. She often visits the couple’s household and attempts to replace her son’s wife doing things in the house. These mother’s initiatives often cause conflicts between spouses, and ultimately lead to separation and divorce. Efforts to Reduce the Problem of Divorce It may sound surprising to the contemporary Italians but the Italian Parliament made great effort to prevent divorce problem. Their struggle against legalization of divorce had been going since 1860 until the popular referendum that took place in 1974. A lot of research on this matter has been done by Mark Seymour in his book Debating Divorce in Italy (2006). He did a very good job studying the efforts of Italian Parliament to prevent divorce law. During the period of 1860 – 1870 the divorce proposal was not included in the 1865 Civil Code. The proposal was not introduced during the period of the Historic Right either. Until 1901, all the attempts of divorce proposal were futile owing to deliberative procedures in the parliaments. Though some representatives kept introducing proposals for divorce they were always declined or postponed. After 1901, any initiative to allow divorce could not even pass the initial stages of the review in the Italian Parliament. Many historians tri ed to understand why so many divorce initiatives failed to pass. The historian Ernest Ialongo (2008) from CUNY Graduate Center, gave the answer in his review. Because the Church, through its Opera dei congressi, had successfully mobilized public opinion and parliament against divorce. Starting with the divorce proposal of 1881, the Opera began sending out petitions to parishes throughout the country that were then signed and forwarded to parliament. There was not any other non-governmental establishment that could contribute so much to preservation of the family institution. Secular organizations , were not usually interested in sacredness of the family and moral values. Secular Italian government and non-governmental organizations, such as the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank invested their funds into the economy system or social projects. But the measures on improvement of living standards were not sufficient to protect the family units. It was necessary to protect and cultivate moral values. The Church showed its concern when the morality was questioned by some representatives of the Italian society. Eventually, it managed to delay the introduction of divorce law and the gradual destruction of the family institution in Italy. In the 1960s the Italian nation was influenced by the secularization process that started in the Western societies. Secularization of the Italian state, the weakened influence of the Vatican in the Italian communities and the triumph of individual freedoms over religious and social traditions led to the legalization of divorce. As the result of this triumph, in 1970 the divorce law was passed. Four years later, public referendum supported the decision concerning the divorce matter made by the Italian Parliament. In Brazil the Catholic Church had a strong influence too. It managed to delay the introduction of divorce until 1977, seven years longer than in Italy. When the divorce law was introduced several amendments were issued that accelerated the divorce process. The Brazilian governments tried to reduce the divorce problem by the implementation of laws that prevented divorce. The evolution of laws that supported divorce began in 1916 when the Civil Code allowed marital unions to be dissolved after the death of the spouse. Litigious judicial separation was also possible. The law had specific requirements for judicial separation: mutual consent and willingness to be married for another 2 years. According to the research of Porto and Butelli (n.d.) In litigious judicial separation at least one of these must have occurred: adultery, insult, homicide attempt, or voluntary marital abandonment. However, even after judicial separation was granted, the marital bond was kept, impeding new marriages from both individuals. (p. 6) In 1977, the law 6.515 and the Amendment to the country’s Constitution n.9 allowed the dissolution of marriage but at the same time impeded new marriages. The new legislation also made a provision for prior separation that could take more than 3 years. However, a few months later there emerged the Divorce Act. This legal document provided not only separation but indirect divorce. In 1989 there the Law 1.841 was issued. It provided more freedom for those who decided to divorce: divorced individuals were allowed to remarry. As a result, successive divorces became possible. The Civil Code issued in 2002 modified the divorce process in Brazil. Marriage dissolution was provided in 2 ways: through judicial separation and divorce. In 2007 Law 11.441 was issued. It allowed the consensual divorce to be granted in the civil registry. Thus, divorce, separation and dividing the assets became possible whenever the spouses made agreements on its terms. As a result it became much easier to get divorced than before. Ultimately, Brazilian governments failed to reduce divorce problem. Non-governmental institutions, such as the World Bank or the International Monetary Fund, managed to assist the Brazilian society with reducing their social problem. Like in Italy, the finances were spent on economy system and some social projects, but not on preserving family values. Over time the divorce rate rose significantly, and statistics showed no evidence that the problem would be successfully dealt. It is really difficult to predict what the divorce problem in both countries will look like in 10 years as there are many factors that can influence the dynamics of this matter. For example, the introduction of new laws that simplify divorce process can trigger a new rise of divorce rate. The introduction of new technology will also affect the family institution and may contribute to divorce rate. Considering the reduction of the Church’s influence and the willingness of Italian and Brazilian governments to provide new laws encouraging divorce, this problem will only get worse over the next 10 years. The majority of population in Italy and Brazil had been family oriented before the divorce was legalized. Thus, legal restrictions on divorce helped to preserve families. The dominance of the Roman Catholic Church also served as a positive factor. The Church influenced both, society and government ensuring moral values in Italy and Brazil. It appears that specific historical developments, globalization process and the introduction of new technology may affect the family unit in a negative way. However, if legal restrictions and the Church’s influence remained it would be possible to avoid the rise of divorce rate and preserve family institution.

Personal Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal Paper - Essay Example They lived in a broken down shack. They slept on the floor, and they did not have any electricity or running water. My grandmother was the caretaker, while my grandfather supported the family. He worked in the tobacco fields. My mother’s sisters and brothers all pitched in to do all the chores. They had no specific roles. They all cleaned the house together, took turns sweeping the floor, and fetching water. My grandfather and his family finally migrated to New York in 1951. Upon relocating to New York, my family did not move into a Hispanic community, instead they moved into an African American community called Harlem, which is a predominately African American Community. It is believed my grandfather wanted to get away from the Hispanic community. It was very difficult for them due to the language barriers. The family did not speak any English except my grandfather. Upon entering school my mother, her sister’s and brother’s were all placed in the same grade, because they lacked the ability to speak the native language. The school gave them a bilingual teacher who taught them to speak the native language. She was also a big support to my mother’s family, and due to the school support, and the support of the community my mother’s family adjusted very well to their new environment. All of my aunts and uncles married, and soon branched out into different communities, and had children of their own. I was born and raised in a New York City Housing Project (NYCHA) called Jefferson, which consisted of a multicultural community. I resided in the home with my mother, father and five siblings. Despite my mother never obtaining an education she was very active within the community. She did voluntary work as a school Para Professional with special needs children, and my father worked in a garment factory. Most of the friends came from single-families households. Their main sources of income were either

Journal 4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Journal 4 - Essay Example Their experience showed that contrary to common sense, aggression, accidents and the stress of enforcing rules are all reduced and transformed when rules were discarded by the staff in a collaborative process. There were three non-profit site centers (63 students in a university campus, 42 children in a workplace setting, and 32 children in high school). All are in inclusive settings with resource teacher consultants for children with special needs. There was a lot of diversity in the three centers including speakers of English as a second language, newly arrived immigrants, children from a single parent family, etc. All centers were practicing the conventional way, which was rule-based. There was an abundance of Do’s and Don’ts, in other words, over-regulation, which was suffocating the children. They also found out that it was draining the teachers just policing and redirecting the children. Finally, they found out that there was a better way of doing these things. With the influence of the Reggio Emilia Approach in their series of workshops, they were able to question old concepts and approaches. They initiated new and innovative ways to make learning more meaningful and stress-free. The operative word was â€Å"collaboration†. With brilliant results emanating from the reduction of rules in a setting, it also led to explorations with the physical environment, such as redesigning the layout of the cots at naptime, enlarging the block area from 4 ft by 6 ft to 10 ft by 20 ft, thereby giving ample space to chidren with better results. They also started redecorating their environs with Monet prints, flowers and even the bathrooms to make for a calmer effect on the children. As a result, the rule-driven, clock-driven practice was changed into values-based, responsive pedagogy. Of course, there were some who were resistant to change. Eventually, they had to embrace the new innovation because it lessened