Critical thinking Essay Example for Free

Critical thinking Essay Before reading this article, what was your answer to the question â€Å"Who’s American?† How did you develop this concept of being an American? If you or your parents were born in another country, how would you define the National identity of that Country? (For example, what does it mean to be Dominican or Chinese?) When I first seen the question who’s American my answer was that the American culture is primarily western or any one born in the United States of America. My parents and I were born in the United States of America. How I developed this concept was from the way I was raised because I was born in the United States and I was always told your American. To be Dominican means that you was born to parents in the Republic. To be Chinese means that you was born to parents that are Chinese. How can the concept of a National identity both unite and divide people? Concepts of National identity can divide and unite people by providing conflicted opinions. Opinions serve as ways to unite people by providing sense of commonality. Opinions can also diverse set of ideals that cause conflict and division. After reflecting on these issues via this article, these questions, and class discussions, has your concept of what it means to be American changed? If so in what ways? I would have to say after I looked at all these issues and article and class discussions my concept hasn’t changed. But I have learned more about what it means to be American. But for myself I don’t look or judge people for where they are from whether they are American or whatever Nationality.

Impact of organizational change on employees commitment

Impact of organizational change on employees commitment IMPACT OF ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE ON EMPLOYEES COMMITMENT Employee commitment has been an important factor to determine the success of an organization. In the current section we are going to see the influence of organizational change on employees commitment. Many authors and researchers have concentrated on reactions closely associated with the change itself, such as participants openness to change (Wanberg Banas, 2000), willingness for change (Armenakis et al, 1993), confrontation to change (Kotter Schlesinger, 1979), or pessimism toward change (Wanous, Reichers, Austin, 2000). On the other hand few researchers have focused on broader workplace outcomes, such as organizational commitment and absenteeism (Hui Lee, 2000). But, Hercovitch Meyer (2002) investigated individuals support for a single change initiative as a function of both commitment to change and organizational commitment. Judge et al. (1999) argues that if it is known how a change initiative is managed and the consequences of the change initiative can impact organizational commitment as they cause employees to re-evaluate their personal association with the organization. Thus, knowing that organizational change may indicate alterations in the rapport between the employe e and the organization (Caldwell et al., 2004), it is important for management to understand how change initiatives may strengthen or weaken employees commitment to the organization. Coetsee (1999) argues that commitment is one of the important factors involved in employees support for change initiatives. Some aspects of change initiatives may also play important role in the change-commitment relationship. First, attitudinal reactions to change are considered to be focused, in part, by feelings of uncertainty, loss of control, and fear of failure engendered by the change events (Oreg, 2003). As such, the magnitude or extensiveness of a particular change, by affecting the degree of such feelings, provides a context within which fairness and favourableness are evaluated in shaping employees responses to the change (Caldwell et al, 2004). Second, a given organizational change can be conceived as occurring or having different impact at different organizational levels, such as the organizational, work group, or individual levels (Goodman Rousseau, 2004). Fedor et al (2006) suggests that Changes having proximal impact, that is, changes affecting ones own job needs or ones immediate work group should be more salient in shaping the change-commitment relationship than changes having their eff ects at higher levels in the organization. Hercovitch Meyer (2002) defined commitment to a change as â€Å"a mindset that binds an individual to a course of action deemed necessary for the successful implementation of a change initiative†, and argued that this mindset â€Å"can reflect (a) a desire to provide support for the change based on a belief in its inherent benefits (affective commitment to the change), (b) a recognition that there are costs associated with failure to provide support for the change (continuance commitment to the change), and (c) a sense of obligation to provide support for the change (normative commitment to the change)†. Attitudes towards organizational change The role of organizational commitment in a change context is evident from the change management literature (Vakola Nikolaou, 2005). Darwish (2000) says that according to many authors employees appreciation of change is dependent on organizational commitment of that employee. Iverson (1996) ranked union membership and organizational commitment first and second respectively as determinants for attitudes towards organizational change. Lau Woodman (1995) argued that organizational change is supported by highly committed employees if it is supposed to be advantageous. But, Vakola Nikolau (2005) contradicts this by saying that many researchers indicated that highly committed employees may refuse to accept to change if they perceive it as a threat for their own benefit. Influence of organizational commitment on attitudes to organizational change is evident from the above findings. Iverson (1996) supports this as organizational commitment is better predictor of behavioural intentions than job satisfaction within change context, based on previous research. He then adds on that in a change project more effort is put by highly committed employees, as a result positive attitudes towards change are developed among employees. From the above discussion it can be predicted that the relationship between organizational commitment and attitudes to change is positive. Locus of control The concept of LOC was initially proposed by Rotter (1966), which refers to an individuals awareness of his or her ability to employ control over the environment. Internals believe that they have control over their environment, whereas externals view their lives as controlled by external factors. Researchers have proposed that the concept of LOC should be considered a multidimensional construct and thus the internal and external control might be relatively independent as opposed to consisting of opposing ends of a single continuum (e.g., Levenson, 1981). However, most studies of locus of control within organizations have been dominated by Rotters single factor LOC scale (Chung Ding, 2002). Given that change unavoidably places an individual in an indecisive environment (Begley, 1998). An individuals psychological reactions to change will be influenced by his or her control over the environment. According to Judge et al. (1999), some evidence confirms the relationship between LOC and various psychological reactions to a change. Lau Woodman (1995) identified that compared with externals, internals had a more positive attitude toward a change, and could better handle with a change (Judge et al., 1999). However, Chen Wang (2007) argued that internals may resist a change and externals may support a change in some cases. Thus, the relationship between LOC and psychosocial reactions to a change is more complex than it appears. Chen Wang (2007) proposed that the above difference between internals and externals lies in the manner of their support or resistance to a change, which comes from a different psychological mechanism, and thus LOC should be studied in relation to more comprehensively analyzed psychological reactions to a specific change.

Minorities in Congress Essay -- Congress Racism Politics Essays

Minorities in Congress In forming a government for the people, by the people, and of the people, our Founding Fathers developed the idea a bi-cameral legislature. This Congress, composed of the House of Representatives and Senate, thus became known as the people’s branch of government. American children are taught in schools that anyone can be elected to Congress, so long as they meet the qualifications of the Constitution. So long as you meet the age and residency requirements you are indeed qualified to be a candidate for Congress.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  If we take a more in-depth look at the composition of Congress we see a body disproportionate with its Nation. Congress has maintained a fairly homogenous make-up since its founding even into the year 2001. This conclusion raises no eye brows as both the executive and judicial branches of government have also maintained a very white, male, Protestant resemblance. However, Congress was formed for a distinct purpose: to represent the people of the United States of America. The melting pot of America’s huddled masses has been slow in placing leaders that truly represent its demographics.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  There are a number of simple and complex reasons as to why this under-representation of minorities has occurred. Who is the real minority in Congress? This is not a simple partisan question, though it seems partisanship is a factor. An examination of the composition of the current, 107th Congress will lend greater light on where Congress stands as a representative body. A quick laundry list of the minorities in the United States being under-represented might read as such: African-Americans, Women, Black Women, Hispanics, Gays and Lesbians, Asian-Americans and Pacific Islanders, Indians (Native Americans). All of the above groups have a unique history in struggling for greater representation. We now examine some of those histories in trying to answer why America’s Congress does not look like America’s people.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  While Voting Rights legislation had a great impact on changing the composition of Congress, other factors exist as barriers to minority representation in Congress. One of these is the use of single-member districts. Of great debate as to whether it is helping or hindering minority candidates is the establishment of minority districting and the use of racial gerrymandering. The question of constitutionality and these dist... ...tion has focused attention on the problems of our current system of voting. With the disproportionate amount of minorities being represented in Congress today, a change in the voting system is inevitable unless the two parties make a concerted effort to draw larger minority support and offer up minority candidates.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Political reforms other than proportional representation may prove to favor minority candidates. Those looking to narrow the gap in Congress have looked at term limits and campaign finance reform. The idea that term limits would aid minorities comes from the fact that incumbents are so much more successful in elections. While there is always a call by reformers of government to implement term limits, the probability of this occurring seems quite slim. However, campaign finance reform is making headway this year in Congress. Supporters of reform argue that it would open access to greater candidates seeking election and not just those supported by the â€Å"big money† interests or soft money backing of parties. This augmentation of viability for a candidate would enhance the chances of minorities becoming candidates, thus enabling their representation in Congress.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Free College Admissions Essays: Psychology :: College Admissions Essays

College Essay about Psychology    Some say that mankind is complex beyond comprehension. I cannot, of course, speak for every other individual on this earth, but I do not believe that I am a very difficult person to understand. My life is based upon two very simple, sweeping philosophies: pragmatism in actions and idealism in thought. Thus, with these two attitudes, I characterize myself.    Pragmatism in actions. I believe utterly in one of those old cliches: we are given only a limited time upon this earth and every moment wasted is lost forever. Therefore, I do not engage in those things that I view as useless. The next question is obvious. What do I view as useless? In reality, perhaps too many things and definitely too many to address in one essay. However, I can indulge in the discussion of a few. Hate is a wasted emotion. Hate accomplishes nothing. It does not relieve hunger. It does not alleviate pain. It creates only avoidable aggression. I do not believe in any kind of hate, including prejudice and racism. My energies and time can be better spent elsewhere. Anger too. What does anger do? Nothing. It frustrates us and aggravates us, and we can avoid it. Being frustrated is not a pleasing experience for me. When I was young, or rather, when I was younger than I am now, I would explode at the smallest disturbances (I'm sorry mom and dad). Now, I have realized that anger is a waste of time, and I no longer have a temper to lose. I would much rather wallow in happiness. And in my happiness, I do not worry much over my image in the eyes of others. The important word here is much, for there are opinions of certain individuals about which I do care a great deal, but these are few. They include my family, my close friends, and those who possess the power to affect my life significantly (for example, university admissions officers). Otherwise, I pay no attention to whispers behind my back or vague rumors circulating in the air above. As long as I know the truth, however harsh it may be, and those that I care about know the truth, I am not troubled. The masses may think as they wish. They are entitled. As can probably be observed from this essay thus far, my outlook on life saves me more than a bit of stress.

The Outsiders :: essays research papers

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton Published 1967 Published by: Puffin Books Genre: fiction The book The Outsiders is the realistic story about this between two very different groups in a town in the United States: the poor Greasers from the east side, and the Socs, whitch is what the greasers call the socials, the richer boys from the other side of the town. Ponyboy Curtis is the narrator of the story, a 14-year-old boy who lives with his two older brothers, Darry and Soda. He is a pretty good athlete and student, but is not treated the same as the richer students at his school. Ponyboy uses to have long hair that he greases back, a symbol of being in the outsider gang. He is unhappy with his situation, because Darry is too protective of him and he always has to be afraid of Socs attacking him. One night Pony and his best friend Johnny are attacked by a group of drunken Socs. When one of the Socs tries to drown Pony, he goes unconscious and when he wakes up, he sees that Johnny has killed one of the Socs. The two boys decide to go to their friend Dally; he gives them money and directions to a church in the country. There they hide out for a long week, and after it Dally comes to find them. After eating, they return to the church and see that it has caught fire. A group of children are stuck in the burning building. Pony and Johnny do not hesitate and jump in to save the children, Pony gets out ok but Johnny is hit with a piece of falling wood and serious burnt. The boys appear in the news as heroes, even though they are still wanted for murdering the Soc. Pony is fine, but Johnny is badly hurt. After a while, there is a big fight between the Greasers and the Socs. The Greasers win, but when Dally and Pony go to tell Johnny that they won, he dies during their visit. Dally is destroyed by this and later he calls Pony to tell him that he robbed a store and is being chased by the cops. They hurry to meet him, and see him shot down after he pulls a gun on the police. Pony is scared by what has happened, and convinces himself that he, not Johnny, killed the Soc.

Evaluation of Social Identity Theory Essay

Social categorization is the filing of the certain type of people, which is usually expressed to individuals that are the similar to you as ‘us’ or to individuals who you see are different from what you think of yourself as ‘them’. When you observe at other people, you see the differences of how other people look and behave compared to how you usually behave and act during your daily life. Furthermore, you will categorize them as being ‘them’ as a word to describe either the significant or insignificant differences between people that are similar to you and people who are not similar to how you look or behave. For e.g. some people often think that they are ‘cool’ based on their own opinion, but when someone else is different they might be considered as being ‘uncool’. Social identity looks mainly at the individual characteristics that determine who you actually are. It is solely based on what you do that defines you socially or in public, which makes people believe that this is your identity. Social Identity is not personal identity as there is no correspondence. Personal identity basically looks at what you do personally compared to social identity, which is solely about the individual characteristics that you represent in the eye of the public. You can be socially identified to be e.g. ‘a nerd’, because of your individual characteristics that seem to define you in resemblance to a nerd, for example, being knowledgeable or smart in terms of IQ or the way you dress or look. Or that someone is gay or a lesbian, because they act unusually strange resembling of how the opposite gender usually acts. Additionally, the way they dress that is unusual in the public’s eye, so they will be easily identified as being gay or a lesbian, e.g. a man wearing tight-fit shorty shorts and long boots with a handbag or a woman with short hair  wearing a hoodie with baggie trousers and casual Nike shoes. Social comparison is the comparison between individuals due to the differences from the determination of the characteristics of one person. Our conscience is socially aware to help us be able to understand these differences so that we are able to distinguish people that are alike and people that are different. Furthermore, we tend to help people due to their individual characteristics that are similar to ours and instead we are hesitant or not willing to help someone else that are considered to be different from ‘us’. In Tajfel’s theory, it is an experiment conducted with students that are sorted into small groups. Each group produced an artwork and they were then told to rate the painting work of other groups, including their own. At the end result, one group that is pre-dominantly male-based has given their own artwork very high ratings, while the ratings of others were low. This shows the differences between self-admiration and egotistical thinking, as they are putting themselves in best priority. Positive Distinctiveness are †¦. That is recognized as being special and different to what is already common†¦

Explain how you would perform the role of Ismene in her first appearance in the play to engage the sympathy of the audience Essay

In order to engage sympathy I would perform Ismene as a 30 – 40 year old woman (at least 10 years older than Antigone) who is quite business-like and appears to the audience as if she can handle herself. The first signs of beauty have just faded from her face and she has developed a little fat around her stomach. The play would be set in a fictional place and as such there would be no set era of human history, because of this I would have Ismene dressed in an unbecoming suit, which looks very masculine and only has stock colours of black and white. In scene one I would have entered first, looking quite purposeful, seemingly prepared for whatever was to come. Then I would stand center stage for about thirty seconds, gradually getting more and more agitated, constantly looking at a pocket watch in my left pocket. Then there would be a noise heard in the distance and I would hurry over to downstage right and hide behind one of the pillars so that the audience would be able to see me but anyone who entered would not. At this point Antigone would flounce in from upstage right. Antigone would be around the age of 18, dressed also in a suit, however her suit would be much more feminine and vibrant colours, she would have a skirt which was hitched up too high and her jacket would be open exposing a top which exposed slightly too much skin. She would have blood red lipstick on and far too much makeup on her face. After hearing Antigone enter I would take a moment to prepare and try to calm myself. I would then reveal myself from behind the column but I would remain nearer to the column than Antigone herself. There would be a few moments of silence where we just looked at each other and then Antigone would speak. In her first line Antigone’s tone would be quite calm and composed. However I would be trying not to make eye contact with her as she was talking about an aspect of our past, which neither of us was proud of. However Antigone would add a hint of venom on the word â€Å"care† in the final sentence of her line at which point I would finally look her in the eye, almost defiantly and take a moment to consider what I would say next. Throughout the scene I would be trying to convince Antigone that what she was doing was going to get her killed and that even though what she was doing was morally right it was not worth her loosing her life over. Also I would be trying to bond with Antigone and trying to keep us both together. While Antigone would constantly keep rejecting me, or even attempting to make me suffer. For example in the speech on page 5 I would emphasize every time it says â€Å"we† in an attempt to show Antigone that we are on the same side. In reply to this Antigone would just brush this off and put even more emphasis on saying â€Å"I† Her tone would also seem very righteous and full of herself. There are many lines that I would use to gain the sympathy of the audience, for example. When Antigone says, â€Å"Yes I want to frighten you† I would look taken aback and hurt and shocked all at once, mirroring how the audience would have reacted to such an unexpected line. Also when I say, â€Å"we are ruled by the more powerful† I would say that as if it was fact and there was nothing we could do to help it, I would also at that point seem very helpless and exposed. At this point Antigone would see this and would drive the knife in deeper saying her next line with such venom that it leaves me speechless. Throughout the scene I would be getting more and more desperate, almost pleading with Antigone at some points. While Antigone would be almost reveling in the fact that she made me feel so terrible. And finally on page seven I would compose myself, stand up straight, look Antigone straight in the eyes and say my final line before finally allowing a single tear to roll down my face as I watch Antigone storm off downstage right and I would exit upstage left.