Cultural Difference between Public and Private Organisations Essay

Cultural Difference between Public and Private Organisations - Essay Example Considerable research in public administration was conducted in the ensuing years, but determination of these differences was largely overlooked by most of the scholars and journalists (Baarspul, 2009, p. 1). Although most of the researchers mutually consent that employee behavior in the public organizations is different from that of employees in the private organizations, yet certain researchers have expressed disagreement as a result of their studies while the compilation of empirical findings is nearly non-existent to date (Baarspul, 2009, p. 1). This paper discusses the differences of organizational cultures between the public and private sector organizations. Study of these differences is important because knowledge of the culture generally prevalent in either of the two types of organizations is a pre-requisite to understand the way these organizations play their role in the society, and to introduce positive changes in them to enhance their productivity and efficiency for the benefit and well-being of the society. Differences in the cultures of the public and the private organizations are caused by differences of the work environment, and dynamics of the workplace that come into play as a result of mutual interaction and integration of a wide array of factors that include but are not limited to the goals, decision making processes, attitudes and behaviors of the organizational personnel, and the patterns of communication. The prime goal of the private sector organizations is to safeguard the interests of the stakeholders that primarily include the owners of the organizations, and the people who have invested in the organization to purchase its shares. On the contrary, â€Å"the most often repeated observations about public organizations are that their goals are particularly vague and intangible compared to those of private business firms and that they more often have multiple conflicting goals† (Rainey, 2009). Decision making processes in the priv ate organizations in general and private for-profit organizations in particular is smoother as compared to those in the public organizations. Chances of occurrence of conflict, turbulence, and interruptions are more in the public organizations owing to the disorganization of the system and issues of decision making. These differences in the processes of decision making can fundamentally be attributed to the difference of roles played by the private and public organizations in the society. The main purpose of the private organizations is to make money for the stakeholders by selling their services and/or products to the consumers. On the other hand, â€Å"The typical general purpose, tax-supported governmental agency, such as a state department of mental health, contracts for services and collects information about the needs of people that call for a public response† (Nutt, 2005, p. 289-290). These differences of roles propose considerably different accountability and expectat ions which impart the conditions for different decision making processes in the private and the public organizations. The attitudes and behaviors of the organizational personnel play a key role in shaping the organizational culture. An organization that operates in the public sector is assumed to

Old Peoples Home or Their Own Homes Essay Example for Free

Old Peoples Home or Their Own Homes Essay Health care service has become popular in our modern society. In some developed countries, the old come to live in old peoples home with nursing services which are partly paid by the government. However, in my opinion, elderly people should live in their own homes. Firstly, elderly people are offered better care when living at home. As a family only looks after one or two elderly people, other members can immediately satisfy their needs. Moreover, their children understand old people’s habits, so they can easily give the most suitable care. In contrast, in old peoples homes, there are many old people while the number of nurses is limited. Therefore, they cannot get good care instantly. Additionally, many nurses only care for the old to earn their livings, so they are probably less enthusiastic than old people’s family. Secondly, the old usually consider family as a good environment motivating them to live happily. They can enjoy the cozy atmosphere when having meals with their family or playing with their grandchildren. Witnessing their children’s success and grandchildren’s maturity always gives them a great sense of self-fulfillment. On the other hand, living in old people homes, they cannot usually meet their family. They probably feel isolated, which affects their health badly. Some people may argue that nurses specialize in giving health care to elderly people. Therefore, they can play the role of caregivers more professionally than old people’s family. However, what old people really need is not only good care but also a happy atmosphere of family with their relatives surrounding them everyday. Therefore, family is definitely a better place for elderly people. In general, family should be responsible for taking care of old people. By doing this, young people do not only help the old enjoy their lives but also express their respect and gratitude to their elderly

Contributions of Feminism to Archaeological Theory

Contributions of Feminism to Archaeological Theory Introduction In its stages of conception, archaeology was considered to be merely a sub-discipline of both history and anthropology, and, in many cases, was restricted as a rich mans hobby. Developed during the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, the initial episode in the history of theoretical archaeology is usually referred to as culture history, a means by which early archaeologists established rudimentary predictive models patterning human behaviour within designated temporal and spatial contexts via the interpretation of artefactual evidence. Though universally popular during the first half of the twentieth century, culture history was rebelled against during the 1960s. Perceived as restrictive due to its reliance on categorisation of artefacts the paradigms of culture history were abandoned in favour of the newly developed school of thought known as New Archaeology. In an attempt to incorporate a level of scientific reasoning to anthropological archaeology, these primarily American archaeologists, chiefly Lewis Binford and his associates, moved away from simple descriptions of the past in favour of questioning why cultures developed and adopting hypothesis evaluations (Renfrew and Bahn, 1996). The scientific basis and reliance of New Archaeology instigated the widespread development of processual archaeology. Two decades later, processualisms focus on science and impartiality were increasingly questioned. Led by Ian Hodder, Michael Shanks and Christopher Tilley, a new approach to theoretical archaeology emerged, which emphasised the necessity of relativism in archaeological investigation (Shanks and Tilley, 1992). This methodology, known as post-processualism, however, has been criticised by proponents of processualism and New Archaeology for abandoning scientific competency and rigour, and the debate over the most appropriate theoretical approach to any archaeological analysis is still much in evidence. Theoretical archaeology now relies on a wide range of influences. During the 1970s and 80s, gender-related and feminist archaeology became popular among those archaeologists seeking a post-processual approach to cultural identity. Though phenomenology, post-modernism, and post-processualism are still discussed in the literature and relied upon to evaluate cultural diversity, feminist archaeology is, for the most part, unique in focusing on the collection of evidence of female social roles in past cultures and their influence in developing and sculpting individual societies (Gilchrist, 1998). Archaeological theory It is possible to summarise the history of how archaeology has been conducted in the twentieth century into three expansive concepts; predominantly description, explanation, and interpretation (Trigger, 1989). The chronological sequencing methodologies, encouraged by the culture history approach, allowed the description and ordering of artefacts using stratigraphic excavation and stylistic seriation, particularly with regard to ceramics and lithics. Though much disregarded following the development of processual and post-processual archaeology, the descriptive approach of culture history dominated the majority of the twentieth century, and successfully produced charts and maps of cultures based upon artefacts and stratigraphic sequences which are still relied on as initial datasets for investigation (Hodder and Hutson, 2003). Arguing for a new recognition of the processes behind the evidence obtained from the archaeological record, the development of complex processual archaeology encouraged many advocating theorists to analyse the evidence away from simple classifications and to view the archaeological record from a taphonomical viewpoint. Proponents of behavioural archaeology, such as Michael Schiffer (1983, 1995), argued that the culture history assumption of artefacts existing as in situ fossils restricted the comprehensive analysis of archaeology to categorisation alone. Processualism criticised culture history, and Binfords early statement that artefacts were â€Å"fossils† upon which past reconstructions could easily be made (Renfrew and Bahn, 1996), for epistemological simplicity. The recognition that much of the value of evidence from the archaeological record was being lost through the collection approach of culture history necessitated a review and reassessment of the methodology of arch aeological investigation, which, in turn, illustrated the problematic approaches of processualism with regard to the rigid, ethnocentric tenets of scientific archaeologists. Archaeology, it was criticised, saw what it wanted to see and moulded the evidence to fit ethnically biased hypotheses, predominantly a result of the domination of Caucasian male scientists within the field during the 1980s. For example, feminist archaeologists emphasised the androcentric approaches of theoretical archaeology by denouncing statements, from male archaeologists, that the commonly-cited Venus figurines of Europe represented the palaeolithic equivalent of pornography. During the era of processualism, a new-found movement of feminist archaeology began questioning the cultural presence of females in the archaeological record, debating their very existence at all (Conkey and Spector, 1984; Wylie, 1991). Feminist archaeology The exploration of the social status of genders in the past is the all-encompassing drive behind feminist archaeology. Though it has only recently become a field of study in its own right, the interest in prehistoric matriarchy stems largely from the nineteenth century, particularly with regard to claims made by J. J. Bachofen in 1861 and Frederick Engels in 1884. Engels and Bachofen proposed that matriarchy formed an important, universal phase in human culture after an initial stage of promiscuity and prior to what was termed the world historic defeat of the female sex (Key and MacKinnon, 2000). Engels suggested an early stage in human development was characterised by group marriage, with descent traced through women and matrilocality. Women had supremacy in the household and their high status derived from their central position within the social relations of production (Conkey and Gero, 1997), however, these conclusions were based not on archaeological evidence but on ancient myths and ethnographic cases. Marija Gimbutass interpretation of Early Neolithic farming communities as matrifocal and probably matrilinear, egalitarian and peaceful, worshipping a supreme goddess, is a result of her research into the symbolism of female figurines and statuary from household contexts in south-east Europe and the Near East (Gimbutas, 1974, 1989, 1991). Although unsupported by many archaeologists, her views have become unassailable for certain ecofeminist groups, and at least contrast with the androcentric evaluation of hunt scene cave art. The analyses of Palaeolithic figurines illustrate that differences in ethnological and epistemological approach potentially result in hugely varying disparities in the interpretative conclusions of particular artefacts, sites, and periods in history and prehistory. Overall, applying concepts of gender to all aspects of a specific culture is profoundly more productive than the restricted, narrow approaches of New Archaeology and culture history. It is important to archaeological interpretation that multiple varieties of gender, and their associated arrangements within a given culture, are illustrated and emphasised, in contrast to the previous assumption of a single dichotomy between proactive male and passive female roles. Feminist archaeologists, in general, have aspired to determining the quantity of genders in past societies, with particular regard to the engendering of biological sex. The most reliable sources of this data, as purported by many feminist archaeologists, are from funerary deposits. However, this data is frequently invisible or vague within the archaeological record, and the differentiation between the dichotomy of the biological status of sex and the cultural status of gender remains problematic. Furthermore, feminist archaeologists claim that a false dichotomy between the genders, often referred to as labour division, exists. Within modern indigenous and developed cultures, men and women are often assigned different functions within the community, and it is reasonable to assume that this division existed in the past, however, there is significant dislocation between gender-specific roles in most cultures. Feminist archaeology has contributed greatly to the umbrella field of archaeology by encouraging an avoidance of the polarisation of genders, thereby providing more subtle and comprehensive understanding of societies (Bem, 1993). Feminist archaeology has therefore contributed greatly to the understanding of archaeological interpretation. It has encouraged new questions and new methodological approaches to data sets, and has revolutionised observations and analyses of existing data, particularly with emphasis on removing bias from interpretation. In contrast to the assumptions purported by other schools of theoretical archaeology, feminism has critiqued and argued against presumed concepts, encouraging the application of epistemological analysis to gender roles. By challenging preconceived ideology regarding the interaction between men and women within past societies, feminist archaeology adopts a refreshingly questioning approach in contrast to the previous interpretation of sites based on current modern attitudes, practices and socio-cultural biases. Conclusion Unfortunately, there is no single consensus on the definition of feminism and feminist theory, and, therefore, it is unrealistic to portray feminist archaeology as a homogeneous, ideologically-coherent framework. As a movement of resistance and struggle against male oppression for womens empowerment, theoretical feminist objectives include a critique of female status in past societies and the definition of gender difference for women. Initial rethinking of the new female history, anthropology and archaeology focused on the countering of androcentric narratives, the recognition of powerful individual women in the past, the search for matriarchies in past societies, and the redressing of the balance hitherto ignored by theoretical archaeology. Sà ¸rensen (1992) has outlined three predominant categories of archaeological sources most useful for pursuing archaeologies of gender: burial activities, individual appearance through costume, particularly from funerary contexts, and some types of art. Though this is a short analysis of the benefit of feminism to archaeological theory and practice, details given here illustrate several ways that a feminist stance can improve and contribute to archaeological interpretations. In comparison to the previously biased analysis of singularly male roles within prehistory, feminist archaeology offers the opportunity to consider all aspects of men and women, particularly roles, status, and contemporary perceptions, from a balanced perspective. Many theoretical archaeologists now believe this to be essential to a comprehensive understanding of past societies. Economic relationships between communities, political structures, and ideological status are affected by our often biased interpretation of gender roles, and feminism, above all other schools of archaeological theory, attempts to desegregate the prejudiced views of gender superiority and inferiority, allowing clarity of interpretation, and giving a voice to the hitherto ignored female se ctions of past societies. Bibliography Bem, S. (1993) The Lenses of Gender. New Haven, Yale University Press Conkey, M. W. and Spector, J. D (1984) Archaeology and the study of gender. Advances in Archaeological Methods and Theory 7: 1-38 Conkey, M. W. and Gero, J. M. (1997) Programme to practice: Gender and Feminism in Archaeology. Annual Review of Anthropology 26: 411-437 Gilchrist, R. (1998) Womens archaeology?: political feminism, gender theory and historical revision. In Hays-Gilpin, K. and Whitley, D. (eds.) Reader in Gender Archaeology. London, Routledge Gimbutas, M. (1974) The Goddesses and Gods of Old Europe: myths and cult images. London, Thames and Hudson Gimbutas, M. (1989) The Language of the Goddess. London, Thames and Hudson Gimbutas, M. (1991) The Civilisation of the Goddess. New York, Harper Collins. Hodder, I. and Hutson, S. (2003) Reading the Past: Current Approaches to Interpretation in Archaeology. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press Key C.J. and MacKinnon J.J. (2000) A Feminist Critique of Recent A rchaeological Theories and Explanations of the Rise of State-Level Societies. Dialectical Anthropology 25(2): 109-121 Renfrew, C. and Bahn, P. (1996) Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practices. London, Thames and Hudson Schiffer, M. B. (1983) Advances in Archaeological Method and Theory. London, Academic Press Inc. Schiffer, M. B. (1995) Behavioural Archaeology. Utah, University of Utah Press Shanks, M. and Tilley, C. (1992) Reconstructing Archaeology: Theory and Practice. London, Routledge Sà ¸rensen, M. L. S. (1992) Gender archaeology and Scandinavian Bronze Age studies. Norwegian Archaeological Review 25: 31-49 Trigger, B. (1989) A History of Archaeological Thought. Cambridge, Cambridge University Press Wylie, A. (1991) Gender theory and the archaeological record: why is there no archaeology of gender? In Gero, J. and Conkey, M. (eds.) Engendering Archaeology: Women and Prehistory. Oxford, Blackwell Publishers

Theodicy and Dostoevskys The Brothers Karamazov Essay -- The Brothers

Theodicy and Dostoevsky's The Brothers Karamazov The problem of reconciling an omnipotent, perfectly just, perfectly benevolent god with a world full of evil and suffering has plagued believers since the beginning of religious thought. Atheists often site this paradox in order to demonstrate that such a god cannot exist and, therefore, that theism is an invalid position. Theodicy is a branch of philosophy that seeks to defend religion by reconciling the supposed existence of an omnipotent, perfectly just God with the presence of evil and suffering in the world. In fact, the word â€Å"theodicy† consists of the Greek words â€Å"theos,† or God, and â€Å"dike,† or justice (Knox 1981, 1). Thus, theodicy seeks to find a sense of divine justice in a world filled with suffering. Russian author Fyodor Dostoevsky was among those philosophical thinkers who grappled with the task of explaining why evil exists in a world created by a perfect god. Despite the powerful influence of Christianity in his early childhood and throughout his life, Dostoevsky encountered difficulties in answering this question, which he described, â€Å"Nature, the soul, God, love – all this is understood by the heart, not by the mind† (Gibson 1973, 9). Nevertheless, Dostoevsky not only felt obligated to discover a solution to the problem, but also â€Å"responsible to his fellow believers for its success or failure† (Gibson 1973, 169). This quest for a solution to the problem of theodicy ultimately led Dostoevsky to write The Brothers Karamazov, a novel that attempts to explain the need for evil in the world. In posing his solution to this problem, Dostoevsky explains the necessity of suffering for the realization of human redemption, as well as the role of Chris t’s atoneme... ... Christ and for his role in overcoming evil and suffering, and with the idea that the negative effects of suffering can be countered by compassionate love of others. Works Cited Bakhtin, Mikhail. Problyemi tvorchestva Dostoevskogo. Kiev: Next, 1994. Dostoyevsky, Fyodor. The Brothers Karamazov. Trans. Constance Garnett. New York: Signet Classic, 1986. Gibson, A. Boyce. The Religion of Dostoevsky. London: SCM Press Ltd, 1973. Hansen, Bruce. â€Å"Dostoevsky’s Theodicy.† Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University, 1996. At . accessed 18 November 2001. Knox, John. â€Å"The Problem of Evil and Suffering.† At . 18 November 2001. Kraeger, Linda, and Joe Barnhart. 1992. Dostoevsky on Evil and Atonement. Lampeter, Dyfed, Wales: The Edwin Mellen Press, Ltd.

Great Society: Big Ideas

School Desegregation Montgomery Bus Boycott Tallahassee Bus Boycott Freedom Rides March on Washington Children's Crusade Freedom Summer Selma March and Bloody Sunday own words) Boycott – refusal to deal with something, such as a business, as a protest to force some kind of change Civil disobedience – intentional breaking of a law in a nonviolent or passive manner Civil Rights Movement – social movement of the asses ND asses to establish equality and civil rights for African Americans Integration – acceptance and equal access for all people into a group or place Segregation – enforced separation of groups Social activism – use of direct action to bring about social change 7. 03: Minority Rights: The Big Ideas How were the Civil Rights Movement and other social movements of the asses similar? How were women viewed by most of society in the asses? How did this change in the ASSES?What was the Equal Rights Amendment? What happened to it? Who were the United Farm Workers? How did they fight for their cause? What was the Native American Power movement? How did life change for Native Americans in 1953? What did Native Americans gain through social activism in the asses and early ASSES? Gray Panthers (Who were they and what did they fight for? ) National Organization for Women (NOW) (What were their goals? ) Betty Friedman Phyllis Scholarly Cesar Caves Events (Describe the event, its causes and effects) Civil Rights Act of 1964 (How did it affect different minority groups? ) 1961 – President's Commission on the Status of Women Title IX was passed

The eNotes Blog 8 Novels Turning Into Movies in 2015 Get Your eNotes BookSummaries

8 Novels Turning Into Movies in 2015 Get Your BookSummaries Beloved books turned film are probably one of the biggest cornerstones of  todays cultural foundation (Harry Potter, Twilight, Fault in Our Starsmust I go on?). This coupling  allows fans to extend  their fanaticism  from the pages to the big screen. But sometimes we, er, forget the main points, characters, and themes of the bookand suddenly its opening night. The read-a-thon we planned got pushed to the side (probably by a Netflix marathon, oops) and we could  simply  use a refresher. Luckily, we have just the refresher you need on the top eight 2015 movies-inspired-by-books with book summaries. 1. Paper Towns,  July 24 Quentin Jacobsen is a seventeen-year-old living in an Orlando-area high school. He has been in love with his childhood best friend, Margo, his entire life. Quentin is an intelligent boy and Margo has a reputation for being tough and cool. When they were nine years old, he and Margo shared a discovery that changed their lives forever. Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 2. Ten Thousand Saints,  August 14 On New Year’s Eve, 1987, teenaged friends Teddy and Jude smoke pot beneath the stadium grandstand of a small college in Lintonburg, Vermont. Teddy and Jude have been best friends since seventh grade, when Teddy moved to Lintonburg with his mother Queen Bea and his half-brother Johnny. Both Teddy and Jude have been abandoned by their fathers; Teddy never knew his, and Jude’s adopted father, Les, left for New York City when he was nine.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 3. Z for Zachariah,  August 28 The novel takes its title from a religious alphabet book that Ann had as a child, which began â€Å"A is for Adam† and concluded â€Å"Z is for Zachariah†- a progression that led the toddler to deduce that if Adam was the first man, then Zachariah must be the last. This point emphasizes that O’Brien’s narrative will be an inverted Creation story, although it is less about the creation of a new world than it is about the hoped-for reclamation and reformation of an old one.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 4. A Walk in the Woods,  September 2 The central theme which runs through all of A Walk in the Woods is the difference between two quite separate worlds: the civilized world of home and the wild world of the untamed wilderness. Bryson is constantly amazed at the ease with which one passes into the latter and the difficulty of returning to the former.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 5. Mockingjay (book), The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 2 (film), November 21 (*Beginning of Chapter 13 Summary) Katniss is back in the hospital. Now, her neck is being treated. Fortunately, her spine and voice box have not been ruined by Peeta’s attempts to strangle her. She reflects that if she had been alone in the room with Peeta, she would have died. Even Haymitch is shocked by what has happened to Peeta.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 6. Into Thin Air (book), Everest (film),  September 18 The author of the bestselling INTO THE WILD (1996) and an acclaimed journalist, Jon Krakauer was assigned by OUTSIDE magazine to write an article concerning how commercialized the climbing of Mount Everest had become. Some climbers have paid as much as $65,000 to join a guided group that would lead them to the summit. Krakauer makes the point that high-altitude climbing is dangerous even for the most veteran of climbers let alone for any novice group member. The author bluntly states that some of the novices were not qualified to climb Mount Everest.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 7. Peter Pan (book), Pan (film),  October 9 In the nursery of the Darling home, a dog is the nurse, or nanny. Perhaps that is one reason there is so much joy there. Nurse Nana bathes the three children and gives them their suppers and in all ways watches over them. One night, Mrs. Darling, on Nana’s night off, sits with the children as they sleep. Drowsing, she is awakened by a slight draft from the window, and, looking around, she sees a strange boy in the room.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ 8. Frankenstein (book), Victor Frankenstein (film),  November 25 Robert Walton, an explorer, describes his trip to the Arctic in letters to his sister, Margaret Saville, who lives in England. After discussing his preparations for the trip, one of Walton’s letters informs Margaret that his ship is stuck and surrounded by ice. Walton then relates a strange event: As they looked out on the enormous ice field, Walton and his crew saw a gigantic man being pulled by a dogsled. The following day they discovered another, smaller man, desperately ill, adrift on a sheet of ice. Walton writes that he brought the man onto his ship, allowed him to rest, and attempted to nurse him back to health. After a week the man was able to talk and told Walton an incredible story. The man’s name is Victor Frankenstein, a young scientist born in Geneva, Switzerland.  Read more on .  Ã¢â€ â€™ Will you be catching any of these blockbusters this fall? Let us know in the comments!