The Industrial Revolution Essay Example for Free

The Industrial Revolution Essay From the beginning of the Industrial Revolution to the present day, the structure and culture of the American workplace have been affected by many forces, among them capitalism, technology, globalization, and issues of equality. Describe these forces in detail and analyze their impact on the structure and culture workplace. Capitalism Capitalism is an economic system that is based on the private ownership of capital or the means of production and the creation of goods and services for profit. Some of the elements central to capitalism include capital accumulation, competitive markets and a price system. Capitalism has been dominant in the Western world since the end of Mercantilism. It was fostered by the Reformation, which sanctioned hard work and frugality, and by the rise of the industry during the Industrial Revolution, especially the English textile industry. Unlike earlier systems, capitalism used the excess of production over consumption to enlarge productive capacity rather than investing it in economically unproductive enterprises such as palaces or cathedrals. It is now widely recognized that a new global economy is emerging. It is characterized by the transnational flow of capital, goods, services and labor; by greater national specialization and increased competition across borders; and by the use of new technologies that radically disrupt traditional ways of doing business. In seeking competitive advantage, the United States has targeted a niche for itself at the top of the world economy: It has opted to use the highest technology, to have the most capital- and knowledge-intensive industries, and to produce the highest quality and highest value-added goods and services. Surfing the crest of this giant wave is not easy: To maintain its prosperity, the U. S. economy must be in a state of constant change, driven by a process of â€Å"creative destruction. † Inefficient products, companies and entire industries continually need to be replaced. Capitalism is the social system which now exists in all countries of the world. Under this system, the means for producing and distributing goods (the land, factories, technology, transport system etc. ) are owned by a small minority of people. we refer to this group of people as the capitalist class. The majority of people must sell their ability to work in return for a wage or salary. the working class are paid to produce goods and services which are then sold for a profit. The profit is gained by the capitalist class because they can make more money selling what we have produced. In this sense, the working class are exploited by the capitalist class. The capitalist live off the profits they obtain from exploiting the working class whilst reinvesting some of their profits for the further accumulation of wealth. This is what we mean when we say there are two classes in society. It is a claim based upon simple facts about the society we live in today. This class division is the essential feature of capitalism. It may be popular to talk about various other â€Å"classes† exiting such as the â€Å"middle class†, but it is the two classes defined her that are the key to understanding capitalism. Profits In capitalism, the motive for producing goods and services is to sell them and make a profit. this is not done to necessarily satisfy the needs of the people. The products of capitalist production have to find a buyer, of course, but this is only incidental to the main aim of making a profit, of ending up with more money than was originally invested. This is not a theory that we have thought up but a fact you can easily confirm for yourself by reading financial reports from the press and other source. Production is started is started not by what consumers are prepared to pay for to satisfy their needs but by what the capitalists calculate can be sold at a profit. Those goods may satisfy human needs but those needs will not be met if people don’t have the money to purchase them. The profit motive is not just the result of greed on behalf of individual capitalists. Many times they do not have a choice about it. The need to make a profit is imposed on capitalist as a condition for not losing their investments and their position as capitalist. Competition with other capitalists forces them to reinvest as much of their profits as they can afford to keep their means and methods of production up to date. As you will see, we hold that it is the class division and profit motive of capitalism that is at the root of most of the world’s problems today, from starvation to war, to alienation and crim. Every aspect of our lives is subordinated to the worst excesses of the drive to make profit. In capitalist society, our real needs will only ever come a poor second to the requirements of profit. Technology Technology is defined as the making, modification, usage and knowledge of tools, machines, crafts, techniques, systems, methods of organization, in order to solve a problem, improve a preexisting solutions to a problem, achieve a goal, handle an applied input/output relation or perform a specific function.

Community education and use in University

Community education and use in University This essay discusses key approaches to learning which have importance for community education and tries to identify how one could develop the use of these during the time at university. Following wide research in academic literature a clear concept should emerge. It has two main parts; the first one, after a brief definition of learning, focuses on key approaches to learning, their strengths and weaknesses, and their importance for community education as a higher education program as well as profession. The second, more reflective part, will look at how these could be developed during my university studies. Each part is broken down into smaller units which will touch on the phenomenon of Learning, Approaches to Learning, Community Education and the Development of Approaches in Higher Education. It will look at how those are related and what is their significance for community education. As there is extensive amount of literature available on each one of these subjects this essay an introduction to these rather than than an exhaustive account. However as a result of this work a clear understanding of the position of approaches to learning within community education and the ways of their utilisation and development should emerge. Learning Even though there is lots of material available on subject of learning, it seems that this term is largely misunderstood, often used instead of the word teaching or in the narrow sense of formal education as the process through which learners acquire new knowledge and skills. There is another factor which complicates defining learning; Moon (2006) states in A handbook of reflective and experiential learning: Theory and practice that it is a lack of vocabulary that complicates this issue; some languages do not distinguish between teaching and learning, having the same word for both (e.g. Russian). (Moon, 2006, p.12) It is almost impossible to define learning without using the word itself or words like learner. However in terms of community education learning can be defined as a constant, social, interactive and constructionist process'(Burns and Sinfield, 2008, p.50) which takes place regardless of the presence of educator, it is a process in which one is gathering new ideas and information, recording them, organising them, making sense of them, remembering them, using them (Devine 1987 as cited in Burns and Sinfield, 2008, p.50) as well as deepening understanding of prior knowledge which will consequently bring a change. Therefore we should no longer assiduously acquire knowledge once and for all, but learn how to build up a continually evolving body of knowledge all through life- learn to be. (Faure et. al., 1972:vi). (Tett, 2010, p.34). Approaches to learning Biggs (1987, 1989) proposes that students seek congruence between their learning motives and strategies in a particular context. Thus an approach to learning can be understood as a process of students devising learning strategies to solve the challenges their motives have defined for them. (Wilson and Fowler, 2005, p.88) As quote suggests approaches to learning are a combination of motives for learning and strategies or methods used in the learning process. There were several studies focused on the phenomenon of students approaches to learning. The original research was carried out by Marton and Saljo in Sweden in the early 1970s, but in addition to this there were almost parallel studies by John Biggs in Australia, Entwistle in England and others around the world. As a result of these findings three approaches have been identified. These are surface approach, deep approach and achieving/ strategic approach to learning which are recognised independently by numerous researchers, although the terminology originated with Marton and Saljo (Beckwith, 1991). Students adapting the surface approach were described as ones who tend to concentrate on absorbing as much information as necessary, memorising material and not reflecting on it and see learning as something that happens to them. Biggs (1987, 1990) suggested that motivation of these students is extrinsic e.g. external conditions and pressure; where the student tries to meet given requirements and balance between working too hard and failing. This presents itself in the lack of a critical view of material, where content of learning has not been questioned and there are no connections made between learnt material and previous learning or knowledge, its purposes and structure. The student looks to simply reproduce material as evidence of learning; focusing on what appears to be the most important topic or element and does not see interconnections between these (Biggs, 1991). A consequence of this approach may be superficial learning, where the learner might have difficulty to apply what he or she learnt in different conditions or structures. This type of learning is possibly a result of low interest in the material, or perhaps because learners believe that this is the proper way of learning. It may also be the result of a state of anxiety or pressure, for example in learning for assessment situation as suggested by Moon (2004). Students who develop the deep approach to their learning are likely to be interested in the topic or material they are learning and see themselves as an active part of learning process. The motive behind their learning is to actualize interest and to gain an understanding of a particular subject; their motivation is intrinsic coming from inside (Biggs, 1990, 1991). These students relate learnt content to previous knowledge; adapt a critical view of material and question its logic and argument (Moon, 2004). They also draw connections to their own experiences, looking for practical examples as well as applications in the real world. While theorising about a subject, generalising it and drawing out hypothesis, searching for meaning and conclusions they tend to put new knowledge or deeper understanding of previous learning into the bigger picture. Their study behaviour is usually marked by wide reading, reflecting on what one reads and hears; engaging in discussion with teachers and othe r students, and the like (Biggs, 1991). Students adapting the surface approach are more able to demonstrate their understanding and creative in problem solving. In his article Learning Approach and Outcome: Some Empirical Observations, Saljo (1991) states findings of his research on approaches to learning. His experimental session started with interviews, in which participants were to describe how they experience their own learning. The point he makes is that the subjects themselves introduced this (surface and deep) kind of distinction in the interview (Saljo, 1981, p.53). The subjects whose outcome was the deep approach made it clear in all cases that in their view there were significant differences between learning as an active process and memorizing. In their view, trying to understand, comprehend, grasp the meaning and on the whole to think and reflect actively on what they hear and read was a necessary part and the true purpose to learning. They did not understand learning as mere reproduction of learnt material but as a process in which they try to relate what they read, hear or see with what they previously know and then inject meaning into what they are learning. Moon (2004, p.60) states that in the later work by Biggs in Australia and at Lancaster University another approach to learning was identified labelled the achieving approach or strategic approach. The difference between the two aforementioned approaches and the achieving approach is that the surface as well as the deep approach are more closely linked with quality of learning whereas the achieving approach focuses more on how to undertake the task with the aim of succeeding especially in an assessment situation (Biggs, 1991) and (Moon 2004). Students using the achieving approach are highly competitive, motivated by performing well and obtaining the highest grades regardless of whether or not they are interested in the learnt material. They are referred to by Biggs (1985) as model students as they are highly organised and self- disciplined, keeping clear notes, following up all suggested readings, allowing appropriate time to the task given, using time management and schedule planning skills in their learning linked to their perception of importance of the studied material. They are also likely to use one or both of the aforementioned approaches in their learning strategy, creating surface- achieving or deep- achieving approach. There seems to be plenty of evidence, says Moon (2004), that modern learners in higher education need to be strategic especially in modules where they are faced with frequent assessments. Strong lines are drawn here between surface and deep approaches to illustrate clear differences between them. However this distinction is stereotypical and therefore there are cases in which it does not demonstrate itself in practice. Memorising itself, as some studies suggest, does not mean that student has a surface approach to learning. It is often viewed as such in western culture but in Asian students it is more a question of gaining the understanding building up stage by stage Marton and Booth (as cited in Moon, 2004, p.61). Another example could be actors learning their lines and later interpreting them in the character they are playing, or students memorising new vocabulary in order to better understand foreign language. Also one student does not adopt one approach constantly. We could say that every student has his or her preferred approach but in some cases approaches students use in practice are influenced by personal and situational factors Wilson and Fowler (2010, p.88). Students might see the deep approach to learning as desirable but may be unable to use it and could slip into the surface approach if pressed by time, work load or if the environment he or she works in is too noisy for instance. The same is the case for students using predominantly the surface approach to learning, who might adapt the deep approach if the task demands it, e.g. surface approach will not be sufficient in writing reflective essays. It would therefore appear that there are many influencing factors on which approach to learning students use. As suggested earlier, learners usually use more than one approach to learning throughout their lives. However findings of the studies (try to back up with actual studies and dates) on this matter are showing evidence in favour of deep approach. Results of researches linked low performance scores to students who used the surface approach where the scores of those using the deep and achieving approaches were significantly higher. Kember and Gow (date) see encouraging students to adapt the deeper approach as the key task for higher education. (as cited in Wilson and Fowler, date.) Community Education What significance do approaches to learning have for community education? Looking at community education as a higher education course in general it is obvious that the approach to learning adopted by students will influence the study experience and its results. Therefore the chosen approach could affect individuals views on community education and its practice. Selecting the learning approach with the best results would certainly help students succeed in their chosen course and prepare for future employment. Community educations primary purpose is education within and for communities encouraging and engaging people throughout life into learning that is based on what they are interested in. (Tett, 2010, p.1). However providing services and meeting the needs merely on a surface level would not be effective. Keeping issues of individuals and communities isolated, engaging them in leisure, learning and action opportunities without considering their personal, social, economic and political needs (CeVe 1990:2 as cited by Smith) would be only a partial and temporary solution. Within this field there is a great demand for critical and reflective practice, making links between learning, development, socio-cultural, economical and political issues and thus sustaining the deep approach not only to learning but to practice as well. The work of community educators, whether their focus is on young people, adults or community capacity building will always concentrate on purposeful learning and education in communities designed to bring about change.'(Tett, 2010,p.106). And through this practice to provide the learning which will contribute to a more robust and active citizenry through enabling people to review more critically and creatively the values and workings of society and developing tolerance of diversity and difference (Tett, 2010, p.51). Practitioners whose preferred approach to learning is the deep approach have a potential to motivate individuals and communities to reflective and critical thinking about whatever situation they are in, equipping them with needed strategies to address those issues, which will help them to be more independent and active participants in society. Development of Approaches to Learning Wilson and Fowler (2005) Conclusion

Independant Amateur Filipino Film Makers Film Studies Essay

Independant Amateur Filipino Film Makers Film Studies Essay In the spirit of independent expression, the Cinemalaya Awards seeks to discover, encourage and honor the cinematic works of Filipino filmmakers that boldly articulate and freely interpret the Filipino experience with fresh insight and artistic integrity. Cultural Center of the Philippines As of today, we filipinos are very fond of Hollywood films. Cinemas in the Philippines are currently full of different Hollywood films. There are very few films that are recognized throughout the country. This is one of the reasons why the Cultural Center of the Philippines arranged Cinemalaya, an awards show giving Filipino independent films credit. We wonder, though, is it enough? We think that it is absolutely not. Most of the Philippines creative young minds are not recognized by as much people as that of Hollywood films. We also believe that independent films carry more true-to-life stories, and that it actually has more values instilled in it. We find it very disappointing that cinemas today show less of these, and show more of Hollywood films that make us fantasize more than make us realize the harsh realities of life, and how to deal with them in a realistic way. Also, Filipinos nowadays are supporting the movies of other countries more than their own. This is why we are forw arding our proposal that cinemas in the Philippines should showcase more Filipino independent films than Hollywood films. In this paper, we define independent films as films made by amateur Filipino film makers, films that are low-budget, or home-made. We define Hollywood films as films made in Hollywood, films that have high-budget productions, films that have professionals working on it and the like. We will be limiting our statistics to only Philippine Independent films. We will make surveys regarding the awareness of students of independent films, their stand (against it, for it, neutral) on independent films, their views toward independent films. We will also research more about independent films. First of all, we believe that independent films are needed more than Hollywood films when it comes to education, especially for the children. From our observations, weve noticed that independent films capture a more realistic view on life. One example of these independent films is Idol: Pag-asa ng Bayan (2007) which is about an honor student ending up cheating for the sake of his friends, portraying a reality of peer pressure, selfless actions, and of course cheating. Another example is Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros which focuses on the emotional damage a boy can undergo, as if he was a female. Lastly, the most dramatic and realistic example is Magnifico which shows us how hard life is especially when youre poor. A young mind, Magnifico attempts to help out his family earn by working at such an early age. It shows the effects of poverty, the beauty of simple living or contentment, and the love for family. Whether it focuses on social issues such as cheating (Idol: Pag-asa ng Bayan,2007) or homosexuality (Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros,2005) or economic issues such as poverty (Magnifico, 2003) , independent films successfully presented actual happenings in our world today. Most Hollywood films, on the other hand, a re fiction, a literary work, history, and the like. Some Hollywood films also depicted realistic stories such as World Trade Center (2006) which focused on the 9-11 bombing, Kramer vs Kramer (1979) which focused on the realities of marriage and family problems, and John Q (2002) which focused economic problems, but these films dont have much of a filipino sense. It is important to be reminded of our values not only as people but as Filipino people, so we should be seeing these realities set on the Philippine situation, the Philippine customs, the Filipino attitude. Another point is that sure, some Hollywood films like Troy (2004), 300 (2007), and Beowulf (2008), are very helpful in our studies, but then we arent planning on removing films like that from cinemas. We just need to have more Filipino independent films because we need more education about the realities of the present situation, as weve established earlier. We also noticed the difference between the objectives and focuses of Philippine independent films and Hollywood films. Weve noticed that Philippine independent films seem to aim to open the minds of children rather than adults. Hollywood films seem to aim to open the minds of adults- parents, teachers etc. Weve also noticed that Philippine independent films seem to aim to remind people of the mistake in actions, mistake in character, and mistake in society. It seems like these films focus on the problems present. Hollywood films on the other hand, seem to aim to make people see possible problems, though these problems are less likely to occur in the Philippines. Like racism, for example, there are fewer races here so the chances of racism are minimal. In terms of focus in target, through research, we were able to find out that independent film, as said by the online Wikipedia focuses on niche audience (Wikipedia, no page), meaning a portion of people, not the general public. Hollywoo d focuses on the general public. We researched more about art films in contrast with Hollywood films. David Bordwell, as Wikipedia said, wrote about the difference of the two kinds of films. According to an article in Wikipedia, Bordwell wrote in his article, The Art Cinema as a Mode of Film Practice(Wikipedia, no page) , that those of Hollywood films use stereotype characters, familiar settings, and wherein the protagonists actions lead to only one end point, sort of like a cause and effect. He also stated that independent films often deal with an inner drama that takes place in a characters psyche. (Bordwell. no page). He also said that its more realistic, and it breaks away from the stereotype, mainstream structures. Looking at these facts, we saw that independent films have more value in content. This is one more reason why there should be more independent films in our cinemas. In terms of appeal, of course the majority will go to Hollywood films. Hollywood films have a greater budget; so of course, they will have trailers that could capture an audiences attention. Since Independent films are low-budget films, they can not advertise their works, or even if they could, they wouldnt bother because as Bordwell said, independent films are focused only on a portion of the public. Hollywood films also have better effects and cinematography than that of independent films. But we dont take this as a liability, mainly because if there is less quality of effects and cinematography, the audience is forced to focus on the main story, the lessons, and more importantly, the problems presented. If youre thinking how are cinemas going to earn money if you put more independent films, which are less appealing to the public? theres answers for that. First of all, there have been films that were made a hit, especially Magnifico (2003), and Ang Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (2 005), though not in box office. Independent movies are also beautiful, and we believe that people would like to watch these films if they were aware of this. Also, in Malls, we see a lot of advertisements of films, and if independent films were to be put on big screen, with matching advertisement, people would be encouraged to watch. Lastly, since most people can relate to these films better, theyd be encouraged by people whove seen the film. Therefore, putting these films in theaters wouldnt really affect the cinemas in terms of economy. How many people are actually aware about independent films? Based on our surveys, the average ratios we got were the following: six out of ten people are aware of these independent films, one out of six is for independent films, four out of six are against independent films, and one out of six are neutral about it. This is another problem. The answers we got indicated that many people arent even aware of these films. So, all the more we have to show these independent films. As you can see with the statistics, more filipinos are against it, showing lack of nationalism. If you are wondering What benefits would cinemas gain with this proposal? our proposal has a lot. First of all, it encourages nationalism. By watching an independent filipino film, you support a group of filipino citizens. By supporting these people, you support the country. Second of all, more talent would be recognized. We are used to recognizing the same people as producers, directors, and especially actors. In indep endent films, since you have low budget, you get people who are either unprofessional, or people who have low talent fees, but of course, have talent. So, when the movie hits the theaters, the people who contributed there would be recognized. Also, was we said said in our introduction, there is something called the Cinemalaya awards which is an awarding ceremony for all independent films. If these films are shown in theaters, more people can vote/nominate independent films, plus this awarding ceremony will be given more attention by the public. Furthermore, showing these films in theaters help us showcase the talents of young filipino artist to foreigners. That is something to be proud about. Lastly, as weve said earlier, independent films have more value in content, and are aiming to enlighten or remind us about the realities or problems in life, therefore showing these films in the cinemas are also a way of spreading education to the youth, and even to the adults, especially filip inos. As the world evolves into a more modern world, our values and nationalism goes down. Our talents, its hidden in one corner of the world, while stardom, its just across the theater doors. This is the problem we want to solve. That is why we exposed our views and points about our preposition: The cinemas in the Philippines should showcase more Filipino independent movies than Hollywood Movies. We need to raise our Filipino flag. We have to show them what we have. We have to educate the future of the country. We have to restore the values that were gone. If this proposition is approved, then maybe its another victory for me and you.

Etiquette At Work Essay -- Etiquette in the Workplace

For most of us these days, having to work is not an option, but a necessity. Struggling to maintain a job and a family can be demanding and stressful. While dealing with everyday chores at home, dinner, homework and other responsibilities, some people think that being at work is like having a break. On the other hand, for a single person, work may be the only social life they have. While using the workplace as an outlet to get away from it all or as a place to socialize, it is important to be aware of actions at work that might annoy your co-workers. One of these actions is talking about your personal life at every opportunity. Showing pictures of your children, bragging about how smart and talented they are, giving a step by step account of what your baby did that was cute, or why your child is the best soccer player on the team can get monotonous after so long. While there is nothing wrong with being proud of your children and family, the workplace is not the time to dwell on them. The same goes for any other personal event that may be happening in your life. While these occ...

The Development of Brands and Branding Essay -- Advertising

In today’s world material goods make a big contribution to one’s image and social status. A wealthy, financially stable person could walk down a street wearing an old pair of jeans and a rugged tee shirt and be taken as a middle-to-low-class person. On the contrary, a middle-class woman could wear her only Custo Barcelona dress and carry her only Louis Vuitton handbag and be viewed as a being with excess wealth and prosperity. Brand images are significant elements of American culture, and they continue to make a statement as prominent products of graphic design. Brands are series of logos, names, slogans, designs, and/or sounds that communicate to people what the company, product, or service in question stands for. Though the main aim of a brand is to develop trust and satisfaction with customers and supporters, people develop their own idea of what this representation may include after experiencing the product for themselves. As more people experience the product and word of the product is spread through society, the brand image becomes synonymous with the product. Some brand images have become so well known that they can be displayed somewhere irrelevant to the product and still are successfully able to convey a message to viewers. A brand is of utmost importance in advertising, and it is essential to develop a brand image early in a product’s life in order to assure that the image will be known for the remainder of time the company or product is in existence. Some companies or products pay companies with previously established brand images to use for their brand image and establish their own brand image. These companies use the existing brand images because certain qualities are associated with these brands. O... ...ed through these products since the advertisement shows â€Å"a successful person† or â€Å"the good life†. They are not really fulfilling the good life or being a successful person, they are buying a brand that represents the good life or a successful person (HBS). Branding is something that will never go away as long as there are things to sell. If branding didn’t exist and people bought products on impulse, companies would find it difficult to sell their products and services. The loyalty that branding produces makes it easier and more efficient for companies to survive. Branding is essential to companies because of the way society operates, through association of ideals to products. As long as companies continue to intensify their image and relate to desirable conditions, people will continue to buy their products and services, and businesses will continue to strive. The Development of Brands and Branding Essay -- Advertising In today’s world material goods make a big contribution to one’s image and social status. A wealthy, financially stable person could walk down a street wearing an old pair of jeans and a rugged tee shirt and be taken as a middle-to-low-class person. On the contrary, a middle-class woman could wear her only Custo Barcelona dress and carry her only Louis Vuitton handbag and be viewed as a being with excess wealth and prosperity. Brand images are significant elements of American culture, and they continue to make a statement as prominent products of graphic design. Brands are series of logos, names, slogans, designs, and/or sounds that communicate to people what the company, product, or service in question stands for. Though the main aim of a brand is to develop trust and satisfaction with customers and supporters, people develop their own idea of what this representation may include after experiencing the product for themselves. As more people experience the product and word of the product is spread through society, the brand image becomes synonymous with the product. Some brand images have become so well known that they can be displayed somewhere irrelevant to the product and still are successfully able to convey a message to viewers. A brand is of utmost importance in advertising, and it is essential to develop a brand image early in a product’s life in order to assure that the image will be known for the remainder of time the company or product is in existence. Some companies or products pay companies with previously established brand images to use for their brand image and establish their own brand image. These companies use the existing brand images because certain qualities are associated with these brands. O... ...ed through these products since the advertisement shows â€Å"a successful person† or â€Å"the good life†. They are not really fulfilling the good life or being a successful person, they are buying a brand that represents the good life or a successful person (HBS). Branding is something that will never go away as long as there are things to sell. If branding didn’t exist and people bought products on impulse, companies would find it difficult to sell their products and services. The loyalty that branding produces makes it easier and more efficient for companies to survive. Branding is essential to companies because of the way society operates, through association of ideals to products. As long as companies continue to intensify their image and relate to desirable conditions, people will continue to buy their products and services, and businesses will continue to strive.

Some People Think That Convention in Our Society Obstruct

Chosen topic: Some people think that convention in our society obstruct progress while others think that taboos help maintain social harmony. Choose one position and support it with evidence and examples. As a result of globalization, the world is getting smaller and smaller. Some people have even said that the world has become a ‘Global Village’. With the integration of people coming from different financial, ethnic and social background, there are conflicts between interest groups.For example, the huge income disparity, large amount of new immigrants and the different point of views towards social issues may lead to a less harmious society. Apart from these, convention in a society may also be one of the factors affecting social harmony. â€Å"Social  harmony is a more complex  social  psychological phenomenon which is determined by the interactions among  social  values, people, and society. People achieve  social  harmony  when they feel their values and desires are attainable in society. â€Å"(Ai Han, 2008, Building a Harmonious Society and Achieving Individual Harmony, para 1)Traditions might lead to unfairness to the public. Take Hong Kong as an example, Hong Kong is a superstitious city and people care a lot about taboos and traditional practices. The pronunciation of the number, four, in Cantonese is similar to the pronunciation of death in Cantonese. Therefore Hong Kong people avoid saying ‘four’ in happy or critical occasions. There is also a tradition of omitting certain (4th, 14th and 24th etc. ) levels in building in Hong Kong. At the same time, the pronunciation of ‘eight’ is similar to the word of getting rich in Chinese. Many luxury buildings were built in Hong Kong in recent years.Property agencies make use of Chinese’s mindsets to increase revenue. We can easily find that the 8th floor, the 18th or the 28th floor are always being sold at a more expensive price. This phenomenon h as aroused public resentment. The general public believes that price should not only be determined by the number of floors but also many other impacts that many property agencies did not take into account. Such kinds of arguments do not only happen in Hong Kong but globally. From Asian to Western countries, there are always conflicts between conventions and the new enlightenment.The progress of might be hindered if we cannot balance the interests of different stakeholders in an issue. Homosexuality was said to be a taboo. However, as reported by Bohan (1996), in reality, homosexual individuals wish to enjoy freedom of love and belong to social groups that support them. In aspects of religion, a number of religions (e. g. Christianity and Catholic) said that homosexuality was not acceptable because it violated the original meaning of God’s creations. In traditional Asians’ eyes, they might even think homosexuality is an insult to their family and reputations.This topic is a shock for many of the older people in society or followers of religions. Both parties stand strong and do not appear to accept each other’s points of view. It is a topic that society had to deal with before achieving social harmony. Tragedies might occur when the convention clashes with the law or the value of society at that time. Chinese believe that having at least a son is essential for a family to continue their family lineage and to glorify their family. In Chinese history, people thought families that have no children or have daughters only was disrespectful to their ancestors.Since 1978, the Chinese Government has implemented the one-child-policy to control the soaring birth rate in China. Such kind of unfair law made many Chinese eager to have a male child directly. Barrett & Li (1999) pointed out that the problem of female infanticide and sex-selective abortion became more common after One Child Policy was established. When they found that their child was a fem ale, some of them may even abandon them, resulting in the increasing number of tragedies. At the same time, it has caused moral problem. Conventions sometimes hinder the balance of society and limit the development of society.Bengtson, Biblarz and Roberts (2002) reported that the family has traditionally been one of the most important sources of influence on children’s aspiration. Parents always have a thought that children would be more likely to success if they were professionals, in tradition’s thought, for example, doctors, lawyers, businessmen and accountants. They spent much effort and money on equipping their children. In reality, society does not only need these types of people but a diversity of skills. This kind of mindset has resulted in a bad social phenomenon so that many of the other industries (e. g. ulture, music and arts) cannot develop well and the social lacks a balance of strengths. With the aid of the above examples, it is shown that conventions wi ll obstruct the progress of society. Conventions and traditions would hinder people’s creativities and impose limitations on society. We need a breakthrough. Try to analyse from a slight different perspective and we might find new inspirations that is beneficial to ourselves or even our society. At the end, social harmony can finally be attained. Reference list: Ai, H. (2008). Building a Harmonious Society and Achieving Individual Harmony. Journal of Chinese Political Science, Vol. 3 Issue 2, p143-164. Retrieved on 23rd, October, 2012 from http://ehis. ebscohost. com/eds/detail? sid=2f313359-d4a8-40f3-80e2-aaeb1112a54e%40sessionmgr114&vid=1&hid=101&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWRzLWxpdmUmc2NvcGU9c2l0ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=35567271 Barrett. R. E. , & Li, F. (1999) Modern China (pp. 65). United States of America: R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company. Bengtson, V. L. , Biblarz, T. K. , Robert R. E. L. , (2002). How Families Still Matter (pp. 60). United States of America: Cambridge University Press. Bo han, J. S. (1996) Psychology and Sexual Orientation (pp. 205). Great Britian: Routledge.

Kashmir Dal Lake

Dal Lake has rightfully become an icon of the Kashmir tourism industry. A Himalayan urban lake, it has five basins and a number of channels that are well linked with each other. There are plenty of fishes in Dal Lake and fishery is the second largest industry of the region centered on the lake. The sparkling quiet waters of Dal surrounded by snow-capped mountains on its three sides, undoubtedly mark it as one of the most beautiful lakes of India. It is also the second largest lake in the State of Jammu and Kashmir with numerous gardens and orchards all along its shores. Houseboats form an indelible part of the scenery of the Dal Lake that are always ready to take tourists to a romantic and peaceful ride of the lake and soothe their nerves as the houseboat floats over the slightly rippling waters. They also offer some of the most exotic views of the splendid scenery of the Dal Lake. There are Shikaras that look like small ornate versions of the gondolas of Venice that offers ferry rides to and from the banks of the lake to the houseboats. The shores of the Lake houses the distinct Moghul monuments and the campus of the Kashmir University while the two hillocks overlooking the lake house Shankaracharya and Hari Parbat temples. The glorious Mughal gardens on its shores contribute to the beauty of the Dal Lake. Out of about five hundred gardens laid down in 16th to 17th century, only a few still survive. There have been controversies about the origin of the Dal Lake. While some geologists believe that the origins of Dal Lake lie in the Pleistocene Oligotrophic Lake that once covered the entire valley of Kashmir, others just believe it to be a flood plain lake. The floating gardens of Dal Lake are considered a beauty in themselves. One can find a number of restaurants and hotels at the lakefront that have sprung up, encouraged by the large influx of tourists here.