Flirtation with Teams free essay sample

Levi Strauss co is the largest maker of brand-name clothing in the world. It has had a long history of being profitable, good to its workers, and charitable to its factory towns. Compared with other companies in the apparel industry. Levis Strauss had been known for generous wages and good working conditions. According to chairman Robert Haas, Levi’s treatment of its workers and concern for their welfare is far greater than in other companies in the industry. When the other American apparel firms moved their manufacturing offshore, Levis Strauss co maintained a large American manufacturing base and was often ranked as one of the best companies to work for. In fact, in 1997 the company received an award from the United Nations for improving global workplace standards. Up until 1992, Levi’s employees worked on their own operating machines in which they performed a single, specific, and repetitive task, such as sewing zippers or belt loops on jeans. We will write a custom essay sample on Flirtation with Teams or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Pay was based on a piece rate system, in which workers were paid a set amount for each piece of work completed. A worker’s productivity and pay was highly dependent on levels of skill, speed, and stamina. By 1992, however, Levis Strauss Company began to feel the pressure of overseas, low-cost competitors, and realized it needed to increased productivity and reduce costs to remain competitive and keep their North American plants open. The company decided that the best that the best solution was teamwork. In a memo sent to workers, Levi’s operations vice-president wrote, â€Å"This change will lead to a self-managed work environment that will reduce stress and help employees become more productive. Teamwork was felt to be a humane, safe, and profitable solution that would be consistent with the company’s philosophy. Under the new philosophy, gone was the old system of performing a single task all the time and the piece rate system that went it. Now groups of 10 to 50 workers shared the tasks and would be paid for the total number of trousers that the group completed. The t eam system was expected to lower the monotony of piecework by enabling workers to do different tasks and to therefore lower repetitive-stress injuries. Although employees were given brief seminars and training on team building and problem solving, it was not long team building and problem solving, it was not long before problems began to arise. Top performers complained about their less skilled and shower teammates who caused a decline in their wages. Meanwhile, the wages of lower-skilled workers tried to rid their group of slow workers. To make matters, top performers responded to their wages by reducing their productivity. Not surprisingly, employee morale began to deteriorate. Another problem was that whenever a group member was absent or slow, the rest of the team had to make up for it. This exacerbated the infighting among team members and resulted in excessive peer pressure. In one instance, an enraged worker had to be restrained from throwing a chair at a team member who constantly harassed her about working too slowly, and in another incident, a worker threatened to kill a member of her team. An off-duty sheriff’s deputy had to be placed at the plant’s front entrance. Because the group had limited supervision, they had to resolve group problems on their own, and they also divided up the work of absent members themselves. In some plants, team members would chase each other out of the bathroom and nurse’s station. Slower teammates were often criticized, needled, and resented and simply quit. In one group, a member was voted off her team because she planned to have hand surgery. And although workers were now part of a team system, management was not given guidance on how to implement the system. As a result, each manager his or her own idea of how the team system should work, including team size, structure, pay formulas, and shop-floor layouts. One former production manager described the situation as worse than chaos and more like hell! To make matters worse, the team system did not improve the situation for Levi’s. Lab our and overhead costs increased by up to 25 percent during the first years of the team system. Efficiency, based on the quantity of pants produced per hour worked, drooped to 77 percent of pre-team levels. Although productivity began to improve, it is now only at 93 percent of the piecework level. Even in some of the company’s best plants, production has fallen and remained at lower levels since the introductions of teams. And though one of the reasons for adopting the team system was to lower the high costs of injuries that resulted from workers pushing themselves to achieve piece-rate goals, these costs continued to rise in many plants even after the team approach was implemented. Profit margins also began to decline as competitors began offering private-level jeans at two-thirds the price of level’s, and Levi’s market share of men’s denim jeans in the united states fell 48 percent in 1990 to 26 percent in 1997. As a costs continued to increase, plant managers were warned that they would face an uncertain future they cut costs by 28 percent by the end of year. Teams did, however, result in some improvements. For example, the average turnaround time of receiving an order and shipping it was reduced from nine to seven weeks. As well, because the teams were responsible for producing completed pairs of pants, there was less work-in-process at the end of each day compared with the piece-rate system, where each worker did only one part of the job. And according to Robert Haas, teams allowed workers to manage themselves and to find better and safer ways of working. Nonetheless, the team system did not help Levi’s achieve its objectives. In February 1997, then CEO and current board chair Robert Haas announced that the company would cut its salaried workforce by 20 percent in the next 12 months. The following November, the company closed 11 factories in the United States and laid off, one worker described it as a †relief† from the burden and stress that had become part of her job. Commenting on the team approach, a new retired former manufacturing manager said, â€Å"we created s lot of anxiety and pain and suffering in our people, and for what? † according to a production manager who has taken early retirement, â€Å"it’s just not the same company anymore. The perceived value of the individual and the concern for people just is not there. † A veteran worker who had gone back to the old system of doing a single task and was now paid in part for what she produced said, â€Å"I hate teams. Levi’s is not the place it used to be. In February 1999, as sales of Levi’s jeans continued to fall, the company let go another 5900 workers, or 30 percent of its remaining 22 plants in North America. According to company officials plant closings might have been sooner and job losers greater if they had not adopted the team system. In 2003, due to substantial drops in net sales over the last three years, the company implemented more measures to recoup some of its losses, including closing 37 of its factories worldwide and instead using independent contract manufacturers. The company closed its remaining North American manufacturing facilities; its San Antonio operations closed at the end of 2003 and its three Canadian operations closed in march 2004. The closures affected some 2000 employees. The Canadian plants were considered among the most efficient in the company. As such, Levi Strauss co. now manufactures 100 percent of its jeans for the North America, compared with 15 percent in 1991, and none 20 years ago.

Tell Asmar Statuettes, Victory Stele of Naram-sin, Law Code of Hammurabi, Ishtar Gate.

Tell Asmar Statuettes, Victory Stele of Naram-sin, Law Code of Hammurabi, Ishtar Gate. 1) Tell Asmar Statuettes -dated around 2700-2600 B.C. and came from Sumerian architecture. These statuettes were from the Abu temple and these statuettes represented the goddesses. The tallest one was 30 inches high, which was the god of vegetation. In correlation, the rest of the statuettes, all had their purposes in representing different kinds of goddesses.2) Victory Stele of Naram-sin - was during the Akkad period, which was around 2230 B.C. and made out of pink sandstone. It was also about six feet and six inches tall. Originally, this stele was erected in the town of Sippar, to the north of Babylon. In addition, the sculpture illustrates the victory over the mountain people of western Iran by Naram-Sin, which was the fourth king of the Semite dynasty of Akkad.Hammurabi Code3) Law Code of Hammurabi- was made during the era of the old Babylonian period under the rule of King Hammurabi. The inscriptions of his codes were inscribed on a black basalt stele, beneath King Hammurabi an d the shamash. The sculpture is approximately seven feet tall. It was made around 1792-1750 B.C. and King Hammurabi himself along with the shamash writing all of the laws down, while the king is dictating them to him.4) Ishtar Gate- built by Nebuchadnezzar II in 575 B.C. in Babylon was a glazed-brick structure decorated with figures of bulls and dragons, symbols of the weather god Adad and of Marduk. The repeated design served as a guide for the ritual processions from the city to the temple. The gate was made out of blue-gazed enamel bricks and edged with white and gold geometric designs. I have learnt a lot just from looking at such beautiful architecture. After researching the detailed facts, I have realized that this took lots of effort, manpower, very...

Equity and Trust Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Equity and Trust - Essay Example The settlor also uses the word â€Å"confidence† in that he was confident that Pamela will carry out his express wishes with advice from his solicitor. However, taken together the words expressing the trust may be interpreted as precatory as it is not altogether clear what the settlor’s intention are in terms of securing the kid’s future.5 However, since the settlor used the word trust in referring to the specific terms of the gift, there is no doubt that he intended to create a trust for the benefit of the children and intended that his wife determine how best to secure his children’s future as their trustee. Thus the certainty of intention has been satisfied in respect of the gift to Pamela. The requirement of certainty of subject and object will give effect to the settlor’s intention if sufficiently identifiable.6 Thus the certainty of subject matter is satisfied if the property to be transferred to the trust is identifiable and administratively possible.7 The settlor transferred 500,000 pounds to his wife Pamela with the specific instructions that the funds were to be held by her upon trust for their children. Thus there is no uncertainty relative to the subject matter of the trust and as such it is administratively possible. Therefore certainty of subject matter is sufficiently made out to constitute a valid declaration of trust. Certainty of objects is satisfied if the words used to create the trust identifies beneficiaries or a class of beneficiaries with sufficient clarity that the trustees or the courts can identify the beneficiaries.8 The gift to Pamela refers to their children and thus there can be no doubt that all children shared by Pamela and her husband are the beneficiaries of the trust and can be easily identified. It therefore follows that each of the three certainties are satisfied in the gift to Pamela and a valid, enforceable trust was created. b. The Gift for the Settlor’s Best Friends and their Re latives The gift of 100,000 pounds for the settlor’s best friends and their relatives must meet the certainty of objects requirement if it is to be a valid, enforceable trust. Essentially, when the settlor refers to a class of beneficiaries and does not specifically identify the members of the class, the courts require that there must be a conceptual certainty as to who makes up the members of the class of beneficiaries.9 The class of beneficiaries must be of sufficient certainty so that the trust itself is administratively possible. The trustees must be in a position to identify those who make up the members of the group forming the beneficiaries of the trust so that at some later time, otherwise, trustees may find themselves confronting a number of claims for breach of trust. For instance a trust for the residents of a specific community would be administratively impossible since the trustees would have an onerous task of having to identify those who are residents and wheth er or not present or future residents fall

Event Risk Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 2

Event Risk Management - Assignment Example all participants will be required to adhere to present rules defining their contact behaviours, each member will be required to abide by the rules during the session, and acts of misconduct will attract reprimand. The police officers will also be engaged to ensure that security is beefed and order observed. The head of the police department will be involved in planning for security patrols and deploying of police officers. This will ensure law is not broken and at the same time, the safety of those attending the event guaranteed. The health practitioners will also be invited to provide first aid services to those who might get hurt or fall sick during the session. This will ensure that the health of those invited is cared for should there be any unexpected health problem. During this event, provision of clean drinking water and safe food will be mandatory. Safe and adequate means of transport to and from the venue will be provided. With the coming of a famous musical band a variety of people with divergent purposes will be attracted. All people coming will be required to pay an entry fee to cut out the idlers, if necessary charges be slightly higher. The stage will be protected and be on a raised ground such that the crowd will be at a lower point. Various entrances and exits will be opened to enhance mobility of the crowd. The selling of alcoholic drinks will be limited or prohibited depending on which suits the situation. Both the young and old will be invited as this will help curb reckless behaviours that is seen when those who attend such an event are youths only, a mix of the crowd will be appropriate. Various hotel departments such as that dealing with accommodation and security will be rigorously involved. Frequent patrols and visibility of the security personnel will help control risky behaviours and any attempt to cause chaos. The accommodations department will be required to ensure that the rooms in which the people will sleep are safe and clean with

Compare and contrast 4 poems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Compare and contrast 4 poems - Essay Example Unrivaled for its variety and strength, the poetry of the First World War persists to have a powerful impact on readers. The three poems that will be discussed in this paper reflect the diverse experience of those who lived through the war, integrating the words of poets, soldiers and civilians affected by the war. These four poems depict the emotions of those at war, and the unknown lyrics of soldiers’ songs. Furthermore, the poems provide a blend of voices that is both unique and tremendously moving. The poetry that was coming out of the First World War revealed, for the first time in the history of ever, the actual horror of war. The consequence is an extraordinary documentation of passionate emotions and atrocious experiences, written by men and women from extensively different settings, of distinct and lasting significance. Moina Michael influenced by the May 1915 poem â€Å"In Flanders Fields† composed by Canadian doctor and Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, publish ed her own poem in Novemember 1918, We Shall Keep the Faith. In her emotional poem Moina Michael swears to at all time don a red poppy as a symbol of remembrance for those who were killed in the war. ... tradiction, which is a remembrance that is sub-presumed into the iconography of politeness, and provided with the added baggage of watchfulness, responsibility, and unstipulated trust. Monia’s poem somehow ignores, as do the memorials erected all over the state, is the time of evolution between life and death. The poppy remodelled by Monia is the gesture of the realm into which a generation fell and through which we persist to stumble on as if heaved; we are the future that the demised speaks to. Presently the poppies flutter in the fields of Iraq. The poppy, with its embedded promise of oblivion, has become the appropriate preserve of the despicable. The Monia’s poem also falls short to tell us what that was, however, it serves well adequately to mark the appalling void at its heart. â€Å"1914† is Wilfred Owen’s first poem about the First World War. It has two stanzas with 8 and 6 lines, respectively. These 8 lines and 6 divide the otherwise frequent iam bic meter. The rhymes too are traditional: no restrained pararhymes are present. On the other hand, the most significant thing is how virtually its intent adheres to received perception of the war at that moment, as exemplified by the Rupert Brooke’s poem â€Å"The Soldier.† The comparison between the diction on the lines 1-8 and lines 9-14 is very spotlighted. The octet contains â€Å"whirled†, â€Å"rend†, and â€Å"down-hurled†, words which depict the devastating force. On the other hand, words, such as like â€Å"famine† and â€Å"rots† are indicative of destruction’s impacts. Thus, â€Å"wails† depicts human reaction, all the consequences of that terrifying strained word â€Å"tornado†. All these words are also indicative of a more apt year later during Owen’s experiences in the trenches. How distinct when we

Perception of the Elderly in Modern Society

Perception of the Elderly in Modern Society Aging is the normal process of time-related change which begins with birth and continues until death. These changes include how a person feels and functions with respect to physical or mental competences. It is important for individuals to increase their knowledge and understanding of aging so as to prevent ageist behaviours, discrimination and maltreatment of the elders in our societies today. The public’s perception of older adults is very unpleasant and can implant fear into individuals who are approaching the retirement age. This pessimistic view of being old not only makes younger peoples evolution into older age one of misery, but this despondency is mentally projected out towards the elders of our society (HubPages, 2012). This essay therefore, examines the factors that may perhaps be accountable for the perception of the elderly in societies today, theoretical perspective, effects of ageism on the elderly and suggestions that can change society’s negative perspe ctive toward aging and to promote positive images. Constantly babies are being born around the world, as well as persons moving into retirement. According to Michelle Barnhart, Researcher, Oregon State University, on a day to day basis approximately 10,000 individuals in the United States turns 65 years old and this is an indication that it is time for them to retire. Most developed countries have generally accepted the chronological age of 65 years as the definition of an ‘older person’ (WHO, 2009). Apart from chronological age, an individual’s age can be determined by examining biological, psychological and socio-cultural processes (Cohen, 2002). The elderly population seems to be increasing significantly, due to the fact that more and more people are attaining the retirement age (65 years) and are living longer. In societies today the elderly is seen as less valuable since their individualism, self-reliance, and independence would have been altered. This is due to the fact that with the aging process there is a possibility that one may experience some form of health complications or chronic disease, as a result of the physical changes taking place in the body. Elders are frequently faced with stereotyping where individuals repeatedly perpetuate bogus information and negative images and characteristics concerning them. Some elderly are perceived in a positive light from time to time because they are actively involved in the community, loyal, sociable, and warm. Nonetheless the negative perceptions are more dominant, for instance; older people are often stereotyped as being unhealthy or always sick, decreased psychological functioning, unappealing, sexless, negative personality traits, miserable, lonesome and excluded from society. Stereotypes may be as a result of an individual’s negat ive personal experience, myths shared throughout the ages, and a general lack of current information. Older adults are labeled with negative statements such as; wrinkled, cranky, crotchety, inattentive, forgetful, fragile, feeble, stuck in the past, past their prime, or a burden on society. There are a lot of factors that may be responsible for the modern day perception of the elderly. An individual’s age, gender, level of knowledge, interaction with old adults and how frequent, cultural influences, modernization and the media are all factors that may influence how the elderly is perceived by members of society. Additionally, there are a lot of misconceptions about older adults since most people are not knowledgeable about aging. These misconceptions include: most older adults cannot live independently, chronologic age determines oldness, most elderly persons have diminished intellectual capacity or are senile, all older people are content and serene, all older persons are resistant to change and older adults cannot be productive or active. The functionalist theory looked at how the different parts of society work together in order for it to function smoothly. With respect to the elderly, functionalists believe that the elders are one of society’s fundamental groups. However, the disengagement theory states that withdrawal from society is a normal behaviour portrayed by the aging individual. This is so because the elderly experiences a reduction in both their physical and mental level of functioning, hence they expects at some point in time they will die, resulting in withdrawal from individuals and society (Cummings and Henry 1961). Additionally, theactivity theory seeks to explain that activity levels and social involvement are key aspects in replacing what was lost and went on further to say it is the key to happiness (Havinghurst 1961; Neugarten 1964; Havinghurst, Neugarten, and Tobin 1968). To expound, it is said that the happiness of an elderly depends on how active and involved he or she is, the more activ e, the happier they will be. Lastly, thecontinuity theory explains that the elderly who remain active and involved during their elder years do so by making particular choices in order to preserve stability internally and externally. This is an attempt to maintain social equilibrium and stability by making future decisions on the basis of already developed social roles (Atchley 1971; Atchley 1989). Conflict theorists’ stated that society is essentially unstable in view of the fact that it shows favour to the more powerful and wealthy individuals while marginalizing everyone else. There is always a competition for power and limited resources among social groups; hence the elderly population struggles with other groups resulting in conflicts. Conflicts are evident in Trinidad and Tobago with respect to the senior citizens pension; at age 65 all individuals qualify for the $3,000.00 pension, while on the other hand those who are entitled to a National Insurance Pensions qualifies for a smaller percentage of the senior citizens pension. The Modernization theorydeveloped by Sociologists Donald Cowgill and Lowell Holmes proposes that industrialization and modernization are the main reason why the elderly looses power and influence in society (Cowgill and Holmes 1972). Sociologist Donald Cowgill’s states in his theory that there is a relationship between ageing and modernization; older men and women in less technologically advanced societies tend to yield more economic and social power than those in more industrialized countries (Cowgill 1986). Prior to industrialization, it was seen where the younger generation cared for the elderly in their society due to the strong social bound they had. Nowadays, it is evident that in various households the number of family members is under five (5); extended families are replaced by nuclear families. Individualism have become a characteristic of our civilization despite the traditionally collectivist nature of some cultures because of changes associated with all modern soci eties. In an individualistic industrial society, caring for an elderly relative is seen as a voluntary obligation that may be ignored without fear of social censure (Openstax College, 2012). However, research shows that even though modernization and industrialization lead to socio-cultural changes, the importance of family and respecting and valuing the elderly in certain cultures may be limited but still remains a priority. David Hackett Fischer (1977), an American historian, like modernization theorists he also believes that the status of older people has declined over time. However, he further stated that, before modernization and industrialization could take place in the United States the decline in the elderly being powerful had already began. According to the Encyclopedia of Aging (2002), Fischer further argued that between 1800’s and 1900’s the cultural transformation took place when citizens became interested in the principles of independence and egalitarianism. These behaviours were influenced mainly by the standards of the French Revolution. These new cultural values are accountable for the lower statuses of elders in the US and by extension Western societies today. For this reason, our elderly are no longer treated with the respect compared to log ago and this is where ageism is seen and ageist behaviours being demonstrated towards the older individuals in society. Ageism generates unnecessary fear, waste, illness, and misery (Palmore, 2004); hence it has an impact on both society and culture, even though most individuals are not aware of it. Ageism and ageist attitudes is one of the factors that can contribute to elder abuse by creating a fertile environment in which the abuse can develop, leading to age discrimination, and devaluing and disempowering older people. The elderly themselves feels less valuable to society because of society’s perception of them. The youth centric culture in which we live describes us as lacking compassion for the elderly, the affinity to â€Å"shoot† our weak and wounded, us versus them mentally and the impression that ones value is based on what one can add to society (Holman, 2010). In Western culture, more so the United States, they are obsessed with the youths of their country. On the other hand, other cultures will respect and even worship older individuals for their wisdom. Tan et al. (2004) ar gued that a sample of younger people in China held more positive attitudes towards all categories of older people when compared with findings from studies in the US, Singapore and Trinidad. In general, society considers the children to be the future generation and they are worth fighting for. However, they will think twice when it comes to fighting for the elderly because in their view they have already lived their lives and are no longer as valuable to society. The role of the media in supporting ageism is that it mostly celebrates and encourages the younger individuals, which perpetuates ageist images and stereotypes. Children are more susceptible to the penalty of negative media images and introduction to stereotypical portrayals of the elderly can alter their views of the actuality of aging and the elders in our society. This would definitely affect the way the youth intermingle with the elders. Television, print media (books, newspapers, magazines, and advertisements) are all considered a major and insidious cause of influence on the public’s perceptions of older people and ageing. In the media the elderly often represents and portray the roles of older characters, which reflect ageing stereotypes. Television especially, plays a momentous role in influential public outlook on the elderly, and it is often held responsible for bringing about negative stereotypes of ageing. Television characters can both deliberately and automatically create standards of social comparison and role models for viewers (Kessler et al. 2004). Aging is often associated with balding, graying or thinning hair, and wrinkling of the skin. The media in trying to sell their product or service often reflect ageism by depicting the physical changes and unattractiveness of the elderly resulting in older people being stereotyped as ugly. Physical appearance, mainly facial features do play an important role when it comes to defining a person as old. However, the youths tend to find it hard in accepting that these changes must take place with the aging process. The television is viewed by almost everyone in society and it is a fact that older people are often underrepresented. It is concluded that the media is a relevant approach for showcasing stereotypes of how older people and how ageing is portrayed. In Trinidad and Tobago the Government have tried implementing support systems for its elderly population such as senior citizens pension ($3,000.00 monthly), which increases with the change in Government. Additionally, public assistance and disability grants are available to not only the elderly but all those in need. The elderly who have not yet reached the age of 65 to qualify for the pension and is at a disadvantage due to illness or complications caused by the aging process can benefit from these grants. Also, bus passes are available to all senior citizens (age 65 and above) where the elderly can travel for free on board any Public Transportation Service Corporation (PTSC) Buses throughout Trinidad and Tobago. Added to this, they are entitled to travel for free on the Port Authority Inter Island Ferry Service. From my observation, most of the elderly population do welcome the initiative and take advantage of these services offered to them. However, a few of them refuse to accept the bus pass and free boat ride as they see it as a form stereotyping. I do understand their point of view as to why they prefer to have their age kept a secret; this is due to the society in which we live where the elderly often faces ageism and ageist behaviours from the younger citizens. In light this; it is my opinion that not enough is being done to ensure that the senior citizen population has a bright and enjoyable future. The perceptions the public hold of older people can impact on the elderly in employment, education, health services, and the overall treatment of older adults. These perceptions are determined and influenced by many different factors such as: modernization and industrialization of society; age; gender; lack of knowledge and misconceptions, as well as the media. It is seen that perceptions of the elderly can impact their lives positively but mostly negatively. On the positive side, the access to social and employment opportunities, as well as access to health services is evident. On the other hand, negatively it resulted in stereotypical behaviours and ageism, which further lead to social exclusion and isolation of the elderly, as well as elder abuse. It is also evident that ageism can definitely lead to marginalization and degradation of the elderly in our societies today. The World Health Organization states that with the growth of the elderly population there is an increase in many new social, political, and economic challenges (WHO 2002). I believe that the government must intervene and develop strategies and implement policies or laws to ensure that older people are treated fairly and with respect. For example, there is a family obligation towards the care of older people enshrined in law in China with punishments for adult children who fail to support a dependent parent, Tan et al. (2004). This will guarantee that the elders can and do live a better quality of life because at the end of the day they would have contributed to the society in which we now live. I recommend that groups or campaigns be set up so as to ensure the elders in our societies are valued and respected by providing, caring and protecting them from ageism and elder abuse. This will further promote how the elderly have contributed to society and developed new initiatives in which they can add more valuable contributions to society. In these groups ageing educational programmes should be implemented and geared towards all age groups of society, more so to those groups that portray negative attitudes towards older people, for example; the youths and men. These programmes should also branch over to schools in our society, both primary and secondary so as to target children and adolescents with respect to ageism seeing that it is not innate but is developed over time. Additionally, education programmes could also be implemented in the community; for example health centers, community centers, and youth groups to specifically target those areas where the general public’s attitudes towards ageing and older people are most negative including attitudes towards older people’s health, body image, sexuality, mental ability, personality and social involvement. The first step is education to address their lack of knowledge and then to bring about awareness of the elders contribution to society so as to ensure they are well respected and accepted by members of society. These community educational programmes should consist of some older people so as to ensure elders feels valued and acknowledged rather than isolated or socially excluded. Involvement in these community activities will also allow for enhancement of their quality of life. Contact with these elderly people would definitely address all the misconceptions and stereotypes and establish successful to improve the perceptions of older people and ageing. REFERENCES Atchley, R.C. (1971). Retirement and Leisure Participation: Continuity or Crisis?The Gerontologist11:13–17. Atchley, R.C. (1989). A Continuity Theory of Normal Aging.The Gerontologist29:183–190. Cohen, H.L. (2002). Developing media literacy skills to challenge television’s portrayal of older women. Educational Gerontology, 28, 599-620. Cowgill, D.O. and L.D. Holmes, eds. (1972).Aging and Modernization. New York: Appleton-Century-Crofts. Cumming, E. and Henry, E. (1961).Growing Old.New York: Basic. Havinghurst, R., Neugarten, B., and Tobin, S. (1968). â€Å"Patterns of Aging.† Pp. 161–172 inMiddle Age and Aging, edited by B. Neugarten. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press Holman, K. (2010). 5 reasons why people devalue the elderly . Retrieved from http://alexschadenberg.blogspot.com/2010/05/5-reasons-why-people-devalue-elderly.html HubPages. (2012). We are the elderly of the future. Retrieved from http://seeker7.hubpages.com/hub/Caring-For-and-Supporting-Elderly-Parents Kessler, E.M., Rakoczy, K. Staudinger, U.M. (2004). The portrayal of older people in prime time television series: The match with gerontological evidence. Ageing Society, 24, 531-552. Openstax College. (2013). Theoretical perspectives on aging. Retrieved from http://cnx.org/content/m42973/latest/ Palmore, E. (2004). Research note: Ageism in Canada and the United States. Journal of Cross-Cultural Gerontology, 19, 41-46. Street, Debra; Parham, Lori. Status of Older People: Modernization.Encyclopedia of Aging. 2002. Retrieved March 30, 2014 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3402200387.html Tan, P.P., Zhang, N.H. Fan, L. (2004) Students attitudes toward the elderly in the Peoples Republic of China. Educational Gerontology, 30(4), 305-314. World Health Organisation (WHO) (2009) Definition of an older or elderly person. Retrieved from: http://www.who.int/healthinfo/survey/ageingdefnolder/en/index.html World Health Organization (WHO) (2002) Active ageing A policy framework. A contribution of the World Health Organization to the Second United Nations World Assembly on Ageing, Madrid, Spain, pp. 1–59. Retrieved from: http://whqlibdoc.who.int/hq/2002/WHO_NMH_NPH_02.8.pdf 1

The Americanization of Canada Essay -- American Culture Canadian Cultu

â€Å"Former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau once compared liking next to the United States to sleeping with an elephant. He said, ‘You cannot help but be aware of its every movement.’†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  http://www.pbs.org/pioneerliving/segments/Americanization.htm The issue of American culture and its globalization has raised a lot of controversy. â€Å"The era of globalization† is becoming the preferred term to describe the current times. The term Americanization has been around for years. It was first used when the United States was being heavily immigrated into. The new Americans began to enjoy the freedoms associate with our country and gradually began to act less like a foreigner and more like a real American. Today we are able to witness an essence of American culture almost everywhere around the world by what we call cultural icons of our times. Sneakers, blue jeans, burgers, Hollywood blockbusters are only a few. To many, globalization is synonymous with Nike, Levi's and MTV. In fact, the most visible sign of globalization seems to be the spread of American burgers and cola to nearly every country on earth. It crowns the United States the king of pop culture. Globalization does more than allow businesses to operate in countries all around the globe. In addition to global commerce, globalization allows for social activism, journalists, academics, and many others to work on a global stage. According to Keith Porter, a co-host and executive producer of a nationally syndicated radio program on world affairs globalization can be both a good and bad thing. He quotes, Thomas Friedman in saying â€Å"Globalization can be incredibly empowering and incredibly coercive. It can democratize opportunity and democratize panic. It makes the whales bigger and the minnows stronger. It leaves you behind faster and faster, and it catches up to you faster and faster. While it is homogenizing cultures, it is also enabling people to share their unique individuality farther and wider." Without the role of globalization it is not possible to speak of a term called American dominant culture. The dramatic effect of globalization has and will be strengthening this term. People around the world have become less like themselves and more like each other. The most common name that puts this in front of our eyes is McDonald’s. When a McDonald’s restaurant opens in a f... ...ogies that have made transcontinental communications possible has ensured that the world slightly conform and make very different cultures mesh into various ones that more resemble each other. As communication techonolgy continues to become better and more powerful it will be interesting to see the changes that it will lead to. Perhaps in ten years college students will no longer be writing about the topics of globalization and Americanization. Instead they will write about the time when cultures were so very different from each other. Works Cited Cantor, Paul A. Gilligan Unbound: Pop Culture in the Age of Globalization, Rowman and Littlefield Thussu, Daya Kishan. "International Communication: Continuity and Change" Hodder Arnold Publishing Sources Cited http://www.pbs.org/pioneerliving/segments/Americanization.htm http://www.encyclopedia.com/searchpool.asp?target=@DOCTITLE%20Americanization http://globalization.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm? http://www.usemb.nl/051800.htm http://www.infocan.gc.ca/facts/index_e.html http://www.tv.cbc.ca/national/pgminfo/border/filmfact.html http://www.rice.edu/projects/topics/globalization/movies-germany.htm