Evolution of the Incidents Command System

During the 1970s, the southern parts of California witnessed massive wildfires which led to the destruction of vast acres of land, loss of lives of people as well as millions of dollars. These disasters were mainly attributed to poor coordination and communication among the various agencies which were charged with the responsibility of responding to wildfires (FIRESCOPE, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Evolution of the Incidents Command System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The disasters triggered a reaction by the 92nd US congress which approved funding for the southern Californian fire response agencies to establish a system which enabled for their effective, harmonious and timely coordination in response to wildfires. The body was known as the Firefighting Resources Organized for Potential Emergencies (FIRESCOPE) and was established in 1971under the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (FIRESCOPE, 2003). The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection was later joined by the Ventura, Santa Barbara and Los Angeles fire departments as well as the governor’s office and the U.S forest service in the strengthening and enhancement of the FIRESCOPE, where they established a task force composed of technocrats, who were tasked with the research and development of the FIRESCOPE system (FIRESCOPE, 2003). The task force came up with two sub-components which were to comprise the FIRESCOPE and they included the Multi Agency Coordination System (MACS) and the Incident Command System (ICS). This was in 1973. The first attempt to nationalize firefighting was made in 1974 when the U.S government chartered the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) to oversee the coordination of various State and Federal agencies and their fire management programs. Many of these agencies used the model of Large Fire Organizations for wild land fire management (FIRESC OPE, 2003). In 1976, FIRESCOPE was renamed Incident Command System (ICS) following a consensus by all the participating agencies in the same. They also agreed to use the structure of ICS as developed by the task force in 1973. As from 1978, the ICS was not only used in response to wild land fires but also in response to urban fires and to this regard, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) and the State Board of Fire Services formerly adopted the system as a State strategy for responding to fires of any nature (FIRESCOPE, 2003). In 1980, the NWCG conducted an evaluation to weigh the applicability of the ICS in the entire U.S nation following its wide use in California not only for fire response but also for the response to other types of incidents.Advertising Looking for research paper on homeland security? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The findings of the NWCG were positive and it recommended the na tionwide adoption of the ICS but under the name of National Interagency Incident Management System (NIIMS).The NIIMS was not concerned with response to fire incidents only but included the response to other incidents like earthquake, plane crashes and fatal accidents (FIRESCOPE, 2003). After the September 11 attacks and the subsequent hurricanes of 2004 and 2005, NIIMS seemed to be ill equipped to respond to disasters of huge magnitudes. Consequently, there emerged the need for the United States to put in place a comprehensive approach to incidents so as to increase the capability of mitigating their effects regardless of size, cause, location, complexity and intensity. In this regard, on the 28th of February 2003, the president of the United States issued a presidential directive to Homeland Security known as the Homeland Security Presidential Directive 5 (HSPD-5) requiring it to develop a National Incident Management System (NIMS) (Homeland Security, 2008). NIMS is a system which facilitates the cooperation between various organs of the local and Federal governments, the nongovernmental organizations as well as the private sector in mitigating the effects of incidents. It operates under principles which enable for collaboration in incident management. The incidents range from floods, terrorism acts, manmade and natural disasters or calamities (Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2008). The core principle guiding the NIMS is that incidents should be managed and handled at the local level as possible. It is formed under the principles of flexibility and standardization. Flexibility allows for NIMS to be able to respond to an incident regardless of its location or size and complexity while standardization ensures that response to incidents is done under certain standards which cut across various levels of jurisdictions and actors in incident management. It is composed of components such as preparedness, resource management, communication and information manage ment, on-going maintenance and management as well as command and management (Homeland Security, 2008). The command and management component of the NIMS is essentially the ICS. This component ensures that all jurisdictions have in place elaborate systems of responding to disasters. These systems must be in harmony with the Federal guidelines on disaster preparedness and response and they are a pre-requisite for the lower jurisdictions to receive Federal funding for response to disasters irrespective of their magnitude (FIRESCOPE, 2003).Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Evolution of the Incidents Command System specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The ICS component is structured in a hierarchical manner with a clear chain of command headed by the incident commander. The structure has got four main sections namely the financial, planning, operational and logistics. These sections work hand in hand during the re sponse to any disaster. Each State and jurisdiction is linked to the national grid of the ICS chain of command. This puts the United States in a better position to respond to disasters which face it like those caused by terrorism (FIRESCOPE, 2003). References Federal Emergency Management Agency. (2008). National Incident Management System. Washington D.C: FEMA. FIRESCOPE. (2003). Some Highlights of the Evolution of the Incident Command System As Developed by FIRESCOPE:Timelines. Web. Homeland Security. (2008). National Incident Management System. Retrieved from https://www.fema.gov/pdf/emergency/nims/NIMS_core.pdf This research paper on Evolution of the Incidents Command System was written and submitted by user Leonel Daniels 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.

Legalizing Marijuana essays

Legalizing Marijuana essays The earliest knowledge we have of marijuana comes from the Chinese around 3750 B.C. (A Brief History of Marijuana Prohibition par 1). A philosopher and farmer by the name of Shen Nung showed the Chinese how to use the oil and seeds for food and how to make rope and clothing from hemp. When Shen Nung became a mighty emperor, he created a book of medical knowledge. For thousands of years later, resinous cannabis extracts were used as real medicines. The idea of prohibiting marijuana is an ancient idea as well. The catholic empire saw the medical treatment as witchcraft and anyone who betrayed the law was put at risk to be burnt at the stake. Since 1937, the entire cannabis hemp plant has been illegal in the United States. In the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century, medical marijuana was fairly common. It was the second and third most used medicine in America by those just born to those in their old age (A Brief History of Marijuana Prohibition par 5). In 1937, the treasury department sent a draft of the Marijuana Tax Act of 1937 to congress. All cannabis plant substances were made illegal for social use. Marijuana was still recognized for its medical value; it just requited physicians, dentists, and other doctors to pay one dollar per year to continue prescribing the medicine. The pharmacists who dispensed the drug had to pay fifteen dollars, the growers twenty-five dollars, and the importers fifty dollars per year. Marijuana gained a reputation as an awful intoxicant by the government and was seen as a plant that was smuggled by violent immigrants (Why Legalize? par 3). Commissioner Anslinger said Marijuana is an addictive drug which produces in its users insanity, criminality, and death (History of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in the United States). More laws were passed making the penalty harsher for those with the drug in their possession. Consideration for re-legalizing the drug was denie...

Management Role-Perception, Attitude, and Vaules Essay

Management Role-Perception, Attitude, and Vaules - Essay Example Considering the articulations from Robbins, the extent that influencing work environment values which are helpful for an organization on hierarchical practices is concerned, the capacity of workers inside an organization and improved work environment upgrades worker gainfulness. For instance, standard well-being offices will secure the life of the specialists. In the event of any danger at work they have some confirmation of some wage. This guaranteed salary has a tendency to minimize any inhibitory reasons for alarm of the laborers giving themselves completely to their work (Robbins & Judge, 2011). Administration Role-Perception, Attitude, and Values are the center explanations that comes as a consequence of viable coordination of a given association administration. In todays working environment, representatives need to enhance their information and aptitudes consistently to have the capacity to perform their occupations. Henceforth, pioneers of associations are looking to apply the best preparing systems to guarantee greatest execution and gainfulness. The coordination of an association executes all the bearings according to the administration for success. For this to be considered, the administration continues redesigning its administrations and also giving preparing to its representatives to improvement of an

Marion Kaplans Between Dignity and Despair Essay

Marion Kaplans Between Dignity and Despair - Essay Example Above all, Marion A Kaplan has been able to demonstrate as to how the overall family experiences transformed due to marginalization and restrictions imposed on Jewish community. This book is academically critical as it narrates the story of common Jews who were part of the community before the rise of Hitler to the power. Marion A Kaplan offered a detailed account of changes in the social attitudes of common Germans when Hitler assumed the power. Marion attempted to illustrate the historical account of how ordinary Jews suffered during the period immediately preceding the war. She has specially been able to portray the experiences of women and how the family experiences changed during that era. Marion is known for her work on the feminist movement and extensive work on detailing the day to day lives of Jews during Imperial Germany. She has been able to combine the history of ordinary Jews with that of the gender studies with focus on women. The theme of this book is to present the Jewish history from the point of view of individuals- women specially and is based upon an extensive account of personal memoirs as well as testimonies of women who lived during that era. There has been extensive historical coverage of how the Jews survived under these conditions however; Marion’s account is more rigorous as it offered a unique and different perspective to this historical period. Until this work, Jewish history was not seen particularly from this perspective and thus this book is significant milestone towards contributing the academic literature on this subject. Marion has been able to demonstrate as to how the psychological, social as well as physical isolation of the German Jews further deteriorated their spirit and marginalized them in same society where they were considered as equal citizens. The use of legislations to actually undermine the social, economic as well as legal standing of the Jews in the country was widely used against them. These actions

Halliburton Essay Example for Free

Halliburton Essay One of the most important functions for any organization to succeed in any particular direction is planning. Planning is an activity that enables companies and their employees to understand the company’s purpose and its strategic direction so that they can align themselves to it. This paper will discuss the importance of planning at Halliburton Company and analyze the extent to which it impacts the legal, ethical and CSR issues in the organization. Furthermore, it will discuss three factors that have an influence on the company’s strategic, tactical, operational and contingency planning. Halliburton Company was established in 1919 in Houston, Texas with a second headquarter in Dubai, UAE. Currently employing over 50,000 people, it is a huge multinational and global leader in the energy services sector operating in more than 70 countries. Using its technological edge in its operations and assistance from its world-class human resource, Halliburton has demonstrated outstanding growth and development in the energy sector over the past several decades. Its focus on innovation dates back to its early years when its founder, Erle P. Halliburton initiated his oil well cementing business by building a wooden mixing box only by hiring a wagon, a team of mules and a pump in Oklahoma. Careful planning and effective strategies have enabled Halliburton to remain as the market leader in the energy sector for almost a century now. Its planning strategies are comprehensive, focused on global changes and follow the â€Å"Think globally, act locally† theme. Halliburton management realizes the fact that for global survival it is essential to adopt different methodologies in different countries. For this purpose, it operates from 2 headquarters – Texas, the oil hub of the West and Dubai, the trading hub of Asia and Europe. â€Å"The number one priority of Halliburton is to provide competitive, safe and superior quality products and services†. Halliburton management maintains that in order to ensure business continuity they must explore the unexplored parts of the world for newer energy reserves bringing in environmental concerns. Thus, there are several instances when Corporate Social Responsibility and other issues have an impact on the planning of Halliburton and its strategy planning. There are often differences in the legal framework of different countries, for example, the British and American laws pertaining to environmental exploration have different clauses. This results in differences in the local planning of future steps to be taken by Halliburton in maintaining its market position and extending its operations. Ethics also play a key role in shaping up its policies and plans for the future. Environmental concerns, consideration for animal and plant wildlife are some of the factors the Halliburton management takes into account when planning its activities. For example, if oil exploration in the Sahara will result in extinction of the sub-Saharan tigers living in the region, the company will develop an alternative plan. Global companies as large as Halliburton have to manage their activities and operations collaboratively; sometimes the ethical and legal frameworks of adjacent countries can render certain actions legal in one nation and illegal in another nation. Thus corporate planning is a very extensive process at Halliburton which involves considerable amount of consideration given to regional subsidies of the company. Though corporate social responsibility and legal issues dominate the effect on the planning activities of Halliburton, ethical considerations also sometimes require plans to be modified. For example, Halliburton’s operations in Saudi Arabia have to be controlled differently than its operations in the US. The ethics standards and beliefs in the two countries are different and regulate different practices. For instance, daytime operations during the fasting season where the temperature is very high is not restricted by law. Even the workers may be willing to work, but ethics and moral standards suggest that Halliburton operations should be continued at night during those days. There are several factors which affect the course of action of companies. Often we see changes in the stock market leading to important strategic planning changes in companies. However, most of these are short-term plans and do not affect the vision of the company by a significant degree. Some of the most important factors which have a contribution towards the company’s strategic, tactical, operational, and contingency planning are as follows: Potential Energy Reserves: Halliburton thrives on its energy reserves and constant exploration of newer energy sites. Its strategic and international planning is based upon the potential energy reserves of a region. A region where there are high energy reserves would naturally be an area for long-term planning for Halliburton management while a exit strategy may be prepared for a dried up site in Japan. Its strategy is the key to business continuity and profits and thus takes into account the future business that can be generated from a particular region. Taxation and Corporate Laws: The reason why Nevada is the registered as the corporate head office of thousands of companies is because of its tax-friendly laws. Halliburton’s expansion and acquisition strategies are dependent on the corporate taxation and regulations that are enforceable in a particular state or country. These laws influence to a great degree the company’s operational and contingency panning as well. Avoiding over-taxation requires careful hindsight in operational and acquisition activities. Companies like Halliburton need to have effective planning strategies in order to save huge amounts in taxation and legal fees. Culture: The culture of Texas may be very oil-friendly however, that may not be the case in Brazil. The differences in culture, customs and therefore the code of ethics is important for Halliburton to realize and respect. Companies not caring about these factors often face problems in the long-term. Nike could not stop the sweatshop crisis news from coming into the media which caused hundreds of thousands of dollars loss to the company and several protests were lodged against the company till it finally winded up its operations. Halliburton’s planning should take into account the resident cultural practices and base its plan according to them – violation of local culture is often taken very strongly by the people and is revoked at some point or the other.

Service User Participation Case Study

Service User Participation Case Study Introduction This paper will consider some aspects of user and carer participation in theory and practice in relation to the case of a seventy two year old man named Harold. Different Levels of Service User Participation Service user participation is an integral part of social work practice and stems from the concept of the empowerment of service users.[1] This ranges from consultation on an individual level†¦to user control and management of services (Carr, 2005, p.14). Service user participation is a principle that is quite often difficult to put into practice, although new initiatives such as Direct Payments which allow service users to choose and pay for the services they want go some way to alleviating this, in the case of a person such as Harold, who has complex needs, this is not always straightforward. There are power implications in the relationship between service users and social work professionals, and this makes it hard for service users to know whether their concerns are being taken seriously.[2] This is even more problematic in situations where the person concerned does not appear to have any interest in what happens to them and this is discussed without reference to the service u ser as appears to be happening with Harold. Harold has told his sons that he can’t be bothered to get washed or cook a meal†¦ The sons have recently spoken with the day centre manager about their concerns regarding their father†¦ he is spending most of his time in bed, and he is not eating regularly†¦ he sometimes seems to be slightly confused and distant. It is difficult to assess how far user participation might apply to Harold under these circumstances he no longer wants to attend the day centre and is not looking after himself so it is difficult to know whether he would be able to be involved at any real level in an assessment of his needs. This case does provide a dilemma for social workers on the one hand they have a duty of care, and also in terms of ethical practice, to take into account what the service user actually wants for him/herself. Service user participation often takes place in groups so that the service user does not feel overwhelmed by professional involvement, but this does not seem to be an option in Harold’s case. He sometimes gets confused and he also prefers to be on his own. If, on the other hand, the day centre manager and the other professionals (social worker, a Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist, and a Community Psychiatric Nurse) involved with Harold take too much notice of the sons then they could be addressing their needs rather than Harold’s and it is difficult to see what level of service user participation would be applicable in Harold’s case. An Approach to Service User Empowerment Harold does not object to people coming to the house and perhaps user participation for Harold might best be achieved through the services of an advocate who could present Harold’s views in the best light. As a group older people can be disadvantaged and it is often forgotten that they are people who are as entitled to be treated with respect and consideration as are other groups. Since the 1960s there has been a growing movement in Britain which has come to be known as advocacy. Advocacy involves speaking on behalf of someone, it is an attempt to enable and empower people who might otherwise be disadvantaged. An advocate is there to promote the interests and views of the person they are speaking for. Dunning (2005) maintains that there are a number of stages in people’s lives (particularly those of older people) when advocacy should be a requirement, and especially if there is: ..a decline in physical and mental health, sensory impairment and the need for health and social services (Dunning, 2005, p.10). This is a clear description of how things are in Harold’s case, he loses his way around the local shops and his GP has recently diagnosed that Harold has Parkinson’s Disease. Harold is becoming increasingly divorced from reality he acts as though his dead wife is still in the house with him and is unaware of the professional concern and considered involvement in his case. Under these circumstances it would seem clear that Harold is in need of someone who will act in his best interests and speak on his behalf if he is to have any control over his own future. An advocate would, hopefully, be able to establish what Harold should be asking for and what he might be entitled to in terms of services and support. Whether Harold would be empowered by knowing what is on offer is difficult to assess because of his tendency to become confused, but an advocate could make a case for the fact that Harold wants to stay in his own home and this would alleviate any fears he has of reside ntial care. Quinn (2003) is of the opinion that information and advocacy are themselves services and can be the building blocks of †¦enabling older people to receive the services they require (Quinn, 2003, p.3). The team mentioned above have all received referrals for Harold, an advocate would try to elicit what Harold really wanted and convey this to the team so that his wishes are made known, and as far as possible, catered for. In this way an advocate would give Harold a voice and thereby empower him. Factors that Promote and Limit Service User Involvement in Decision Making Ongoing debate on the needs and rights of older people highlight the fact that while there has been a move to ensure individual’s rights to equality of service, older people may still face discrimination. Under these circumstances it is vital that factors relating to power imbalances between service users and professionals be acknowledged. It is only with this acknowledgement that the parties can then work together to at least lessen those factors that contribute to the marginalisation and exclusion of some service users (Carr, 2004). These factors might include a tendency of some professionals to ignore service users views or to at least misinterpret them so that rather than being enabled service user participation can result in service users feeling further disempowered. Institutional barriers need to be overcome, as does a continuing use of professional jargon which can also serve to exclude service users from the decision making process. Carr’s (2004) research found that service users often cited language gaps as a disempowering and exclusionary factor, however, once this was brought to light most professionals were more than happy to try to modify their language in order to encourage greater service user participation. Research tends to suggest, and Harold’s situation is a case in point, that greater and more effective service user participation cannot be achieved in a unitary way. There is a need for different models and levels of participation depending on the service user’s circumstances. Some service users will be so empowered by participation that they will go on to be involved in how services are delivered, still others are not able to be truly involved at any recognisable level without the intervention of a third person. Thus advocacy is an important element of lower levels of service user participation. An advocate can help to empower people in Harold’s situation because service users will then have someone who is impartial, who can inform them as to what is available in terms of services and support and who will promote their best interests among other professionals and make sure that their wishes are made known. Harold, for example wishes to remain in his own home, he does not want to attend a day centre, neither does he want to go into residential care. Carr (2004) notes that the service user movement has been instrumental in promoting the rights of people’s entitlement to as ordinary way of life as is possible. Working with Service Users and Carers in an Ethical and Anti-Oppressive Manner Society often views old people as of little use because they no longer contribute to society in the same way as when they were younger and at the same time they are greater consumers of health and welfare services (Moore, 2002). Clearly it is not always easy working with older people because they may have multiple and complex needs, nevertheless under the 1998 Human Rights Act, they are entitled to be treated with dignity and local authorities have a duty to abide by the requirements of this Act. Any move to force a person like Harold to attend a day centre when he clearly does not want to is arguably not good practice. In order to deal with a person like Harold in an ethical and anti-oppressive manner it is vital that he is listened to. If his confusion makes this difficult then again, this is where the services of an advocate could play a vital role. An advocate would be able to see that Harold’s voice was heard they would also be able to express the concerns of his family. Harold may not be aware how concerned his sons are, he needs to be informed of their concerns but this does not mean that their concern for him should take precedence over his own desire not to attend day centres or to go into residential care. The professionals involved with Harold should not be persuaded by the arguments of his family because this could result in oppressive practice. Anti-oppressive and ethical practice has to consider the rights and needs of the service user as prior to the concerns of those close to him. Ethical and effective social work should involve a thorough assessment of Harold’s needs and a care package that takes his health and his wishes into account. It should be tailored to suit his individual needs and there should be room for changes and adjustments if the care package is not to become an imposition (Kerr et al, 2005). Where a person is not fully cognisant of what is happening then anti-oppressive practice should involve the use of an entirel y independent advocate. This would be advisable in Harold’s case where there could be a conflict of interests between what his family wants for him and what he wants for himself, or what the care team may consider is best for him. An independent advocate would be the best way of ensuring that the team were consistently mindful of the need to engage in ethical and anti-oppressive practice. This is often achieved by those involved being reflective in their dealings with service users. How Reflective Practice Informs Social Work Practice In the contemporary climate social workers are often faced with a conflict of interests between bureaucratic requirements and targets and the needs of their clients. This is unfortunate because it negates the claim that effective social work is client centred, Schonn (1991) has argued that: Professionals claim to contribute to social well-being, put their clients’ needs ahead of their own, and hold themselves accountable to standards of competence and morality. But both popular and scholarly critics accuse the professions of serving themselves at the expense of their clients, ignoring their obligation to public service, and failing to police themselves effectively (Schon, 1991:11-12). When people reflect on what they are doing then they are more inclined to recognise people’s individual worth and therefore to act in an ethical manner, one that works towards the best interests of the client. Ruch (2002) maintains that reflexive practice results in a deeper understanding of a person’s self and the role it has in professional practice it makes them more open to new and different ways of working and thus it is now becoming an integral part of social work practice. In Harold’s case a reflexive practitioner may find it easier to balance the conflict of interests between Harold and his sons and with the help of an advocate empower Harold in his role as service user. Bibliography Carr, S. 2004 Has Service User Participation Made a Difference to Social Care Services? London, SCIE Department of Health (2002b) Information Strategy for Older People (ISOP)  in England. London: Department of Health Dunning, A. 2005 Information, Advice and Advocacy for Older People York, Joseph Rowntree Foundation http://www.assoc-optometrists.org/uploaded_files/nsf-olderpersons.pdf Jordan, B (2000) Tough Love—Implementing New Labour’s Programme: social work and the third way (London: Sage). Kerr, Gordon, Macdonald and Stalker 2005 Effective Social Work with Older People Moore, S. 2002 3rd Edition Social Welfare Alive Cheltenham, Nelson Thornes Quinn, A., Snowling, A. and Denicolo, P. (2003) Older People’s Perspectives:  Devising Information, Advice and Advocacy Services. York: Joseph  Rowntree Foundation Ruch, G. 2000 â€Å"Self and social work: Towards an integrated model of learning† Journal of Social Work Practice Volume 14, no. 2 November 1st 2000 Schon, D. 1991 The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals think in Action Ashgate Publishing, Avebury www.scie.org.uk/publications/leadingpractice/files/scie_9%2520service%2520user.ppt+SERVICE+USER+PARTICIPATION accessed 27/4/06 http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/positionpapers/pp03.asp Has Service User Participation Made a Difference to Social Care Services accessed 27/4/06 1 [1] www.scie.org.uk/publications/leadingpractice/files/scie_9%2520service%2520user.ppt+SERVICE+USER+PARTICIPATION accessed 27/4/06 [2] http://www.scie.org.uk/publications/positionpapers/pp03.asp Has Service User Participation Made a Difference to Social Care Services accessed 27/4/06

Iroquois Kinship System

Iroquois Kinship System Anthony Sifuentes ANT 101 Introduction to Cultural Anthropology Instructor Mario Tovar March 5, 2012 The Iroquois is the group I have decided to do my research of kinship systems on. This will come from what I have found in the text of chapters three and four of the text. The Iroquois is a unilineal descent group. This means that descent is traced back through one sex or side of the family. They traced their bloodline through the female side of the family, meaning they were a matrilineal descent group.These groups are not as common as patrilineal descent groups, which trace their bloodlines through the male side of the family. Horticultural societies used the matrilineal descent group because of women having a key part of the food producing role. They also owned land. The likelihood of a society being or remaining a matrilineal society depends upon how much food is obtained from hunting and herding. The more meat and food gathered by men as a result of this wi ll drive down the role of women as major food producers.The fact that descent groups extend beyond any one individual because it goes beyond any one person’s lifetime allows things to remain in a group for a long time. This includes property, land, hunting and fishing territories, animals, and even knowledge. Iroquois matrilineage gave women the right to fields and tools, since they were a horticultural society, this made sense. Women did most of the cultivating of the crops and they should have the rights to both the land and tools to reap what is sown. They also lived in longhouses.These were long structures in which nuclear families lived in different compartments inside the house. After marriage, the Iroquois were matrilocal, meaning the husband lived in the wife’s community or longhouse. The eldest woman of a matrilineage was the most influential in decision making, including the allocation of resources and property. (Nowak & Laird, 2010, Chapter 4) This greatly d iffers from today’s society in that most of the bloodlines are traced back through the male’s side of the family. Also, most of the ecisions that I have heard of or seen are made and decided by the oldest or most respected man of a family. This is not to say one is more right than the other. In my own personal experience, on my father’s side, which is Mexican, my grandfather was the patrilineal leader of the family. The best way I can explain it is that my family roots for nuclear purposes goes to my grandparents on that side. Once my grandfather passed away, my grandmother took over as matrilineal leader. She passed away not long after him and that role was overtaken by my oldest aunt and her husband, with my aunt carrying the authority on that side.Marriage among the Iroquois had to be exogamous. This means that they had to marry outside their lineage or clan. The Iroquois kinship system recognizes two groups: parents and siblings who are too closely related t o marry, and potential spouses and in–laws. A person may marry a cross-cousin, where parallel cousins are considered as close as siblings. Parallel cousins are treated to and referred to as siblings and their parents and treated to and referred to as parents. They are traced through matrilineage and are in the first group.In the Iroquois system, they cannot marry parallel cousins, but can and should marry cross-cousins. Sometimes referred to as the sibling-exchange system, it keeps wealth in the family and reasserts alliances between lineages. There are laws in American preventing cousins and family members from marrying. Aside from the legal ramifications, marrying within a nuclear family is dangerous, biologically. It is not as bad when it goes out as far as cousins, but there is a social stereotype against marrying someone close to you within the bloodline.I personally do not a problem with second or third cousins marrying, but I have never had to go through knowing or won dering if someone in my family or if I was going through the marriage process with a cousin. Marriages in the Iroquois society were easily dissolved. Since everything went through the female side of the marriage, the man was an outsider living in the village. If the woman did not want to be married to him anymore, she packed his belongings and left them on the steps of the longhouse. When the man returned, he saw his things, realized the marriage had been terminated and returned to his own village.Marriages in today’s society are much more differently dissolved. Today, we have to go through the process of dividing property, belongings, child support and visitation and well as money. A man or a woman cannot simply come home and realize a marriage is ended. We must go through courts and make sure that things are done according to laws. In what I have experienced, being married and divorced twice, people should think more before marrying. I do not regret marrying either time, bu t more thought should be put into it and more work should be put into marriages to make them last. Kinship affects my life in a very big way.My family lines are important to me and I enjoy finding out where I come from and who my ancestors were. I also live it every day, because I currently live with my girlfriend, who has two children that are not mine. I find it difficult to discipline them because I am not their father and struggle with ways to make the house work sometimes. I believe that kinship is important and should be talked about and worked on by all of us to make our lives easier. Reference Page Nowak, B. , & Laird, P. (2010). Cultural anthropology. San Diego, Bridgepoint Education, Inc. https://content. ashford. edu

Crossing Borders †Interracial Dating Essay

In the hodge-podge of American culture you are bound to find interracial dating. There are many differences between people. One that is obvious to the naked eye is the difference of race. In the society that we live in it is sometimes difficult for people of different races to be a couple. The Dominant Culture puts out an invisible border that separates people of different races. In an experiment that I did with a white friend named Michelle, we went out as a couple. Me being Indian and her being Caucasian posed some difficulties for some people to understand. We first went to a park and decided that we would just sit on the swings. There was another little Caucasian girl next to us. The next thing I saw really surprised me and Michelle. The mother of that little girl came and quickly grabbed her daughter and brought her to another part of the playground. All along, the mother looked at me and Michelle in a weird way. After that, we went to the shopping mall. Keeping in mind that we are in a predominantly white suburb, we held hands at the stores. People looked at us as if we were from another planet. I guess they could not believe that an Indian guy and a white girl could be going out on a date. We even brought another one of my friends to see the reaction of other people that me and Michelle could not see. Our other friend, Jim, said that many people kept on starring at us. Also that some people were whispering about us after they had passed us up. This really was a surprise to me. This experiment that I did was a real eye-opener because it gave me the evidence that people really were not happy seeing different races dating. Although this is not the opinion of all people, it seemed to be the opinion of a quite a number of people. These people are what keep the invisible border present in society. The real question that I asked myself is why this happened. One conclusion I came to was that since this was a primarily white suburb, people would not be too open to different races just being there. If someone different from them was to come into their society, it would be natural for them to not accept them. Especially in a situation that involved dating, people would be closed minded. Not only would they want themselves having nothing to do with interracial dating, they would want others of their same race not to be involved with interracial dating. The white people in this suburb probably looked down upon Michelle for being with an Indian guy. Furthermore, the events of September 11th did not help this situation either. Ever since that date, Indian people have been clumped into the whole middle-eastern terrorist category. This just gives the people of this suburb a reason to denounce me and our relationship. Much of this anger comes out of stereotypes. Since these people think that most middle-eastern people are bad or somehow connected to terrorism, this creates a stereotype that I am labeled with. Another reason we got such a hard time is that our cultures did not match up. Even though we have similar values, the customs of Caucasians and Indians are obviously different. Many people in the suburbs that we saw probably did not understand my culture, so what they do not understand, they do not like. People still have stereotypes of Indians. They might think that we cannot speak English or that we smell. These stereotypes bring the Indians in a lower regard with the dominant culture. Why is it harder for black and white couple to be accepted by society rather then an Indian and a white couple? This particular question can be answered in many ways. One of the many reasons is that social standards are set in our community that base blacks down the totem pole. Blacks have been discriminated against from the start of slavery and to this day in some rare cases. The dominant culture has looked down upon blacks because of their skin color for many generations. This is cause for the dominant culture to look down upon blacks. When it comes to Indians, some white people perceive Indians as somewhat semi-British. Whites are less prone to be against a relationship with an Indian person. It is more accepted for Indians to date white people because the dominant culture holds Indians in higher regards than blacks. It is because of biased thinking that this notion came into being. After everything, people are still not open to other ideas or beliefs. Even though the dominant culture puts out an invisible border, that border is becoming more visible with stereotypes that are put out there. This invisible border is displayed by their actions when they see interracial couples. They make it more difficult for these couples to be together. Other things like September 11th added to this invisible border in me and Michelle’s case. What this means is that the majority of our society will be closed minded to interracial dating. What it also means is that the racial lines will be erased if these couples get married and have children. The dominant culture wants to keep the races separate. In relating my experience with Michelle in that suburb, I felt like we should not be together as a couple. The reactions I got made me feel like I did something wrong. It is this feeling the invisible border is suppose to bring to me. I realized this only in the end. It is up me to decide who I date. It should be the concern of the two people that are dating and not the society.

6 Steps to Writing a Great Thank You Note

6 Steps to Writing a Great Thank You Note All interviews should be followed up with a thank you note, no matter how well- or badly- it went. If the interviewer was the long-lost fraternity brother of your dreams, he gets a thank you note. If he was the stone-faced gatekeeper of your worst case scenario, he gets a thank you note. It’s just good form, as Emily Post would surely agree. Why do it? Even if you don’t get the job, a little formal graciousness goes a long way. It could keep you on the â€Å"good† list for future openings. Also, doing it as an automatic routine after every interview means you don’t have to think too much about it.Here are 6 steps to writing a great thank you note:1. Know the players.If you met with just one person, this is easy-peasy. If you met with a group, or you were handed off to multiple people like a well-dressed baton, it can be trickier. Try to get a business card from each person you talk to. If you forget, or that doesn’t work out for whatever reason, mak e sure you have at least one person’s contact info, or HR’s contact info.2. Decide how you want to send the note.Pretty much every part of the hiring process has gone digital, so in the interest of quickness and ease, it’s fine to email the person(s). Plus, it’s â€Å"green† and shows you know how to use resources efficiently, so†¦bonus!3. If necessary, reach out to get all the interviewers’ contact info.If you have gaps, it’s totally fine to reach out to your initial contact at the company. In the thank you letter to that person, you can add a brief note to say, â€Å"I’d love to reach out to Martha as well to say thank you, but I don’t have her email address. Could you please send that to me?†Note: if you’re doing this old school and sending paper letters instead of email, this step isn’t really necessary†¦You can address the envelope right to the person at the company’s mailing ad dress.4. Hit all the necessary points.There are a number of elements that the thank you note should include:The thanks: â€Å"Thank you for taking the time to meet with me this morning.†Brief reference to any small talk you had: â€Å"It’s always a pleasure to meet a fellow Cubs fan!†1-2 sentences that reiterate how awesome you are for this job: â€Å"Based on our conversation, I think this company has some interesting goals, and my sales acumen and leadership skills can really help you achieve them.†Leave the door open: â€Å"Please don’t hesitate to let me know if I can provide more information that will help you make your decision. I look forward to hearing from you.†A closing that is formal, but not stiffly so† (Think â€Å"Best,† â€Å"Regards,† or â€Å"Thanks again.† Nothing flowery and Victorian like â€Å"Ever so humbly yours.†)5. Check everything.For the love of all that is good and chocolate, proo fread every element: email address, name spellings, body text.6. Send it now.Seriously, same day. If you put it off, it could signal to the interviewer that hmm, maybe this isn’t your top priority. And it’s easy to get bogged down in daily stuff and say you’ll do it  tomorrow. Spoiler alert: you’ll probably forget or put it off  tomorrow  too, because human nature. Besides, you want to do it before the interview starts getting fuzzy around the edges in your memory.And then you’re done. Just a few minutes, taken right after the interview, can help establish you as the so-on-the-ball candidate. Plus, even if you don’t get the job, you’ve left a good impression, and you never know when that will come in handy.

Femenism Essays

Femenism Essays Femenism Essay Femenism Essay Is a very strong component In the three short stories that were studied In class. The stories consisted of The Story of an Hour, The Yellow Wallpaper and The Vanishing Princess. All of the stories possessed a female protagonist who was somewhat dominated by a male figure. Even though the female characters have completely different backgrounds, they all seemed to be in similar situations. To understand the nature of the stories we must look at them under a feminist perspective. This allows us to see the negative affect that that the men had on the omen in the story. In every story there was a man who degraded the female protagonist and even though they were done is different ways, it resulted in the female mentally, or physically disappearing. In The Story of an Hour the female protagonist Mrs.. Louise Mallard was a normally married woman when she was told about her husbands death and started to feel different emotions then she expected. She said It over and over under her breath: free, free, free! She felt little to no sorrow, but rather had an Insurmountable feeling of freedom and prosperity. : She legalized that throughout her marriage she had been Limited and confined, but It was not by her husband directly. She felt that she was confined to the marriage, and that being married to someone limited her soul and her wellbeing. There would be no one to live for during the next coming years, she would live for herself. With the Joy and excitement that came with this realization, she was looking forward to her next chapter in her life when the husband showed up on her front door and everything she wanted out of life vanished into thin air. The moment ended up being too much or her already weakened heart, so she passed away in result of heart failure. In The Vanishing Princess the Protagonist Is a princess who doesnt have any human traits like e. G. Eating, or time keeping. So throughout the story, the male soldiers who pass by end up putting their Ideas of women and how they should be on the princess until she finally doesnt recognize herself and she ends up questioning her identity along with her existence until she ultimately disappears. The main difference between the two characters is that the princess in getting imprisoned by the male ideology in the rising action, while Mrs.. Mallard is getting free. The major similarities in the characters are that they both are being changed by the men or their relationship to them until they can no longer bear it and end up disappearing. In the story The Yellow Wallpaper our female protagonist is being put down and degraded by the two male characters. Both characters are close to her and they both have a higher position in authority. She Is mentally Ill and her husband and brother who happen to be doctors are trying to cure her. And I know John would think It absurd. But I must say what I feel and think In some way. Throughout the story she Is trying to share her Ideas on how to cure herself, but by being a female In a male-immolated world ten men put tenet Ideas AT now a woman snouts Olsten Ana follow a mans lead he (the husband) is very careful and loving, he hardly lets me stir without special directions. She is constantly ignored until she ultimately loses her sanity completely and ends up possibly killing one of her doctors. The main difference in the characters is that they all ended up disappearing in their own way after being confined in the male dominated society. This showed that they were not pappy with the way they were being treated so they escaped in in whichever way they could. The similarities in between the characters is that they were all under the domination of a male figure and they all ended up failing to cope with confinement that came with being degraded as a female. Every woman did what they could to find their way out. In conclusion the three stories that we discussed, all three female protagonists were confined to a male dominated society and they each found their way out of it. Each character had a different setting and back story, but they all went wrought the same degraded and limited lifestyle. Mrs.. Mallard was limited in what she felt she could do in her life because of her marriage.

The book the Scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Research Paper

The book the Scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne - Research Paper Example The meteor – A message from God Symbolism is nothing but employing concrete symbols to display a detailed and deeper meaning. Symbols sometimes present a moral belief, religious belief or value. Literature works are never rich without the use of symbolism. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's celebrated work The Scarlet Letter, the novelist lavishly uses symbols that have a deeper meaning. This can be considered as the most symbolic piece of literature that the American literature has ever seen. The splendid use of symbolism in this works has contributed much to the rise of American literature. The most obvious symbol in the work is the scarlet â€Å"A† that the main character is required to wear. The novelist makes use of symbolism to explain how the Puritans and their people dealt with sin and how that affects sinners. The scarlet letter ‘A’ shows sin Hester performed and the way Puritans treated Hester’s sin. The entire story is centered on this symbol Scar à ¢â‚¬Å"A†. Hester Prynne gives birth to a baby after committing adultery. She struggles to build a new life of dignity and repentance. In the case of Hester Prynne also society inflicts her with isolation and discrimination. As she committed adultery she was forced to wear a scarlet â€Å"A† which is a punishment for her. She suffered complete isolation as society considered her as nothing but an adulteress. As she had to wear the scarlet â€Å"A† she remained fully ostracized from the community. Hester’s inner longings never confirmed to the rigid laws of the puritan society. She was thus secluded from the society that made her contemplate the sin and other events in her life. Solitude made her make an attempt to free herself from the pricking of the sin. Hester is publicly humiliated and thrown to isolation by the people of Boston. She carries the badge of humiliation and isolation. Hester could escape from the solitude by leaving the Massachusetts Bay Co lony. She could remove the scarlet letter and lead a normal life if she had left the place. Hester, however, behaves indifferently as Chillingworth informs her that the town leaders are planning to relieve her from the scarlet letter. The solitude did not deprive Hester of her clear thoughts and determination. She desired to determine her own identity rather than allowing others to determine her identity. Hester never desired a mercy from others. She rather effectively used the life of isolation to realize her mistake and rebuild her life again. Isolation produced a positive effect on Hester. Hester considers the scarlet letter as a symbol of her sin and painful experiences. She doesn’t want to escape from her past and rather desired to learn from her past failures. Solitude is no longer a curse for Hester. Thus, Hester very determinedly integrates her sin into her life rather than escaping from its consequences. The symbol scarlet â€Å"A†, describes the life of the c entral character in the work. The novelist has explained the life of the central character through the symbolic scarlet â€Å"A† which she wears. The letter â€Å"A† has a better abstract meaning, â€Å"A† means American. During those periods America was a religion was a more religion-based country than it is today. The Puritan way of life influences Boston and several other regions of America. Americans were heavily punished for going against the Christian religion. Yet another interpretation for letter â€Å"A† is ‘able’

Perception and Learning Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Perception and Learning - Dissertation Example Here in the following case study the Vice president of marketing at Hy Dairies Inc, Gilman have the believe that his own way of working as marketing research co-ordinator can also boost the career of his brand manager Rochelle Beauport. In spite of very good track record in the brand management the vice president never asked her about her career interest rather directly told her to join research team as technical support position. These give rise to the employee dissatisfaction and anxiety amongst the employees. Gilman should have identified the social identity of his employees and their likings to enhance their personality (Simply psychology, n.d.). Question 2 What can organisations do to minimise misperceptions in these types of situations? In minimising this kind of situations the vice president of Hy dairies Gilman should give proper attention towards active listening process. Gilman should have discussed with Rochelle about her points and should understand what she wants to do i n her future. Speaking directly to the listener before taking any decision can help to minimise misperception to great extent. Though this type of culture is not considered appropriate in many cases but if done it can be very effective. Lastly one should understand the reason for a particular decision and should clear the points why the particular decision was taken against her. Reference Changing Minds, (2011).