Power and Politics at Work Literature review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Power and Politics at Work - Literature review Example As the paper outlines, employee motivation is indeed one of the major aspects of modern business. But this could be vitiated by several aspects like harassment and rough treatment in the work place. In their article entitled Human Resource Development Review- Towards a theoretical model of performance inhibiting work place dynamics, Brian A. Altman and Mesut Akbere argue and analyze that many situations could arise that could best be termed as â€Å"performance inhibiting work place dynamics.† Therefore it becomes very important that employees need to be positive minded and not cynical or caustic about the work or any other related matter. In the second article, its authors, James B. Avey, Tara S. Wernsing and Fred Luthans argue that while negative minded situations do present itself in business enterprises, at the end of the day it is the positive mindedness attitude of the employees that could help overcome difficult situations and bring about beneficial â€Å"organizationa l change.† (Avey., Wernsing & Luthans, second article). For instance, many may think in terms of downsizing in a negative sense but it could also increase efficiencies and streamline operations in a positive way. In the next article, its authors argue about the pros and cons of the merit payment schemes in the context of nonprofit organizations. The authors argue that under conventional methods, entitlements to incentives were taken for granted and not directly related to performance, but the new concept is that even in organizations requiring workforce to consider altruistic motives while performing, it is often the better performers who gain more merit payments rather than the poorer performers. However, the fairness of the schemes often determines its effectiveness and negative performance rating could serve to lower productivity and performance since if the â€Å" the organization does not reward their performance, but instead responds unfavorably to it by appraising perf ormance unfairly, an employee will perceive inequity.† (Cirka., & Deckop, Third article). That being said, now the argument moves from individual-based performance and motivational strategies to group based ones. In the next  article, the authors argue that team efficacy sometimes becomes more important than self-efficacy and thus while providing a greater degree of flexibility and leeway to operations, especially customer servicing, service teams are able to deliver better results, although they may be constrained about the optimum performance of each team constituent member. Thus â€Å"self-managing teams† are indeed very crucial in the overall organization performance index and are greatly valued, despite the argument that gaining optimum levels of performance from all members may be difficult propositions. (Royter., Wetzels., & Jong, Fourth article)  

Paper Towel Experiement Essay Example for Free

Paper Towel Experiement Essay My wife and I go through an enormous amount of paper products. We discuss often which brand works best for the price. Typically, we buy the brand Bounty for our paper towel selection. There is no particular reason why we buy this brand but it seems to be the one we get home with. After reviewing some other literature in regards to the paper towel experiment, I found some different results. According to Consumer Reports (2009), Brawny was the most absorbent of all of the 21 brands that they tested. They found that Brawny held 2  ½ ounces more per square foot on average than the other brands tested. However another consumer, Chelle from Yahoo’s Contributor Network, found that Bounty was the most absorbent paper towel. She tested Scott, Brawny, and Bounty. (2010) Twelve year old Samantha also performed an experiment on paper towels testing four brands: Bounty, Sparkle, Scott, and Western Family. Her hypothesis was that Bounty would be the most absorbent but after her experiment reported that Sparkle absorbing 50 ml of water on average. (2001) Mrs. McKee’s class from Arizona also did a paper towel experiment. They tested their school’s paper towel, Brawny, Bounty, Viva, Scott, and a generic brand. The results from their experiment showed that on average Viva was found to be the most absorbent. (2012) After looking at other research and preforming my literature review, I decided to test four paper towels: Bounty, Brawny, Viva, and Kroger Brand. I decided that I would use 200 ml of water and place each brand of the folded paper towel in the water five different times. I plan to squeeze the water into a beaker and measure how much water was absorbed. I would then take the average to find out which brand of paper towels was more abso rbent. Problem: What paper towel is the most absorbent and leads to the most cost effective? Materials: 1 Glass container labeled with ml to 750 ml 1 small beaker labeled with ml to 150 ml 1 stop watch 1 baby bottle (I only had one glass container with ml labeled) labeled with ml to 260 ml Paper Towels: Bounty, Brawny, Viva, and Kroger Generic Brand (4 brands X 5 sheets) Water 1 Funnel Pen and Paper Prices on the paper towels were how much I paid per roll, but with further investigation I found that the price per square foot was different. Independent Variables: Brand of Paper Towel, price per square foot Dependent Variable: Amount of Water Absorbed, Vivi sheets were much smaller than the other sheets and two sheets were used and cut to the same size as the other sheets – price is still based on per square foot for each paper towel Constants: Amount of water used in each trial, paper towel size, time exposed to the water, type of fluid (water used) I will make sure to use the timer to submerge the paper towels for the same amount of time. I will use the same measuring instruments for each experiment. Hypothesis: Because Bounty’s roll of paper towel cost the most, Bounty will absorb the most milliliters of water per square foot. I came up with this hypothesis because I wanted to show my wife how we could save money by continuing to buy the name brand paper towel. Data Collection Process: Each paper towel was folded four times to create a small square. Each paper towel was emerged into 200 ml of water and left for 20 seconds. Each paper towel was removed from the water allowing drip time of 5 seconds and then the remainder of the water was squeezed to a beaker. The left over water was poured into a baby bottle for measurement in milliliters. At first I was going to use the amount of water that I could squeeze out of the paper towel, but then I realized that some was still left over in the paper towel. To reduce the threats to internal validity, I then decided to subtract the amount of water left over from 200 ml to get an accurate reading of how much water was actually absorbed. Conclusion: Results from my experiment indicate that per square foot, Viva paper towels are the most absorbent. In addition, since Viva’s price per square foot was 4 cents, it would also be the most cost effective. Viva paper towels absorbed on average 8 more milliliters than Bounty and Brawny and 13.4 milliliters more than the generic Kroger brand. At first glance, Bounty looked like the most expensive paper towel with Viva 2nd. However, when you look at price per square foot, the price of Viva and Bounty are the same. Brawny is actually the most expensive per square foot. With this being said, my experiment refuted my hypothesis that Bounty was the most absorbent because it cost the most. Bounty was not the most cost effective because it did not absorb the most and the price per square foot was the same as Viva. Price per square foot indicated that Brawny was in fact the most expensive and it still was not the most absorbent. It is imperative when doing an experiment that the experiment is done with several trials and that the procedure are completed in the same manner. This adds to the validity and reliability of the experiment. To replicate this experiment, you must have the above materials. Choose at least 4 paper towel brands. Fold each paper towel (five trials per towel) four times. Submerge each paper towel individually into 200 milliliters of water for 20 seconds. Remove the paper towel, allowing it to drip for 5 seconds.  Measure how much water is remaining and subtract that number from 200 to see how much water the paper towel absorbed. Record this and continue the step for each of the remaining paper towels. It is recommended to do at least 5 trials per brand of paper towel. When others perform the same experiment, it validates the results from my experiment. References Chelle. (2010)Which Brand of Paper Towels is the Most Absorbent? Retrieved on October 27, 2012 from http://voices.yahoo.com/which-brand-paper-towels-most-absorbent-5714586.html?

Concepts of Universal Design in Architecture

Concepts of Universal Design in Architecture There are many misconceptions surrounding the idea of universal design. People often believe that providing the disabled with signage or a ramp is sufficient and practices the ideals of universal design. What people must understand is that universal design is about providing these necessary amenities to the disabled without segregating them from the norm of society. It is also about creating a space that can withstand multiple environments and the fads of time as a timeless creation. In a universally designed world peoples differences are not highlighted by building usage but are designed for and create seamlessness between users. The bottom up theory is looked to by many designers when establishing universal space; it works on the premise that the building users, the architect is serving include those with disabilities are all people who can be treated as normal people[2] and with this you must start at the bottom of the pyramid and aim to reach the top and achieve universal design. Questions to consider when designing a universally designed space may be how this space will respond to different environments or eras and as the user or users change what will be the response to how it is used. Universal designed has been outlined and defined into seven principles that can be applied to a wide range of areas including architectural spaces to product design. Equitable use Flexibility in use Simple and intuitive Perceptible information Tolerance for error Low physical effort Size and space for approach and use Access Living Headquarters Access Living is an organization that started in the early 1970s and has been committed to rehabilitation and growth of disabled peoples by the support of disabled peoples. This company has personal with a multitude of disabilities and unique challenges that they encounter. In March 5, 2007 LCM Architects lead by partner John H. Catlin, FAIA designed access livings main headquarters in Chicago with not only a universal focus by as a sustainable design direction. This 50,000 115 West Chicago Avenue. business footprint for Access living truly reflects the mission of the company and reinforces their ideals to empower the options available to differences of others. It has been awarded the Barrier Free America Award from Paralyzed Veterans of America; A sustainable design award from AIA; the Trend Setter Award from Friends of Downtown; LEED Gold Certification; and a Silver Award from the Association of Licensed Architects. Design Solutions LCM architects started the vision of universal design, by choosing an accessible location and considering building approach. The building is no more than two blocks from the local trains underground station and from the city bus. This close relationship not only encourages green transportation but it provided for uses that may not have other modes of transportation and its prime location allows for people from multiple locations to be able to utile this feature with ease. In addition to the consideration of close proximity, the garage of the building has designated spaces that allow for electric vehicles to be recharged for use. As users approach, the building integrates two curb drop offs seamlessly added to allow for users coming from street level and for wheelchair lifts to have a direct route to the main building entrance[4]. Being in a colder climate of the United States, architect Catlin devised a solution to deal with iced sidewalks in the winter months by designing a heated concrete sidewalks and well lit approaches. All of these features lead directly into the entrance of the building that is separated by two sets of sliding doors that open directly off the sidewalk. These doors have a wide opening of sixty inches to allow for easy mobility or two wheelchairs in passing. Once you enter in to building for access living, its well designed interior lobby space and furniture selection leaves you no clue that this space is universally designed. LCM architects and there team of designers took close consideration into their interior choices being conscience of spacing, materials, colors and configurations so this truly was a universally accepting space. Universal design has a close relationship to human factor and ergonomics. As a process they both attempt to consider the abilities and limitations of users when developing a product or building an environment.[5] All of the furniture came from the Steelcase, so a select piece could be duplicated in several forms to include with arms/without, adjustable or basic systems that encouraged change as necessary. Using a single manufacturer line allowed for a wide range of seating choices to read and flow seamlessly. Within this configuration ample space is giving for wheelchair move ability and integration within a personal or large group interaction. Multiple chair heights are included for users of all statures and clearance below some of the seating is open to allow the user to push up to the standing position with their leg muscles[6]. A custom feature within the lobby is the reception desk; Lehner points out that the reception area underscores the universal design. A person approaching the reception desk in a wheelchair should have the same ability to use it as a person who doesnt have a disability. Thats the premise behind the entire design-no one uses a back door or side door, and no one uses a ramp. Everybody comes in the same door and uses the same elevators[8]. Unique to most reception desk, the primary dimension is at a wheel chaired accessible counter height of (29-30 AFF)[9]. Based on the guided approach to the desk knee and toe space is carefully designed and provide for. The reception desk does also include a small portion at the standard height of 42. Much consideration was giving to the reception side of the desk because this would be the primary and full time user of the millwork. The desk maintains the counter height and electrical outlets are placed at the ends of the counter opposed to across to mi nimize the need for users to strain to reach across counter span. The employee also is provided with a very accessible approach to their work station and a turning radius within, allowing for a 360 degree wheelchair turning radius. Beyond the reception desk, clever inclusions of universal principles are utilized to assist with user move ability throughout. Two elevators with double entry points allow users to move quickly in and out without the need of turning within a small confined space. The elevators are also large enough to support four wheelchairs within. Along with the maximization of mobility within the elevator Architect Catilin incorporated state of the art emergency use technology for the deaf and head of hearing and enlarge elevator buttons placed at a universal accessible height. Each of the floors of the Access Living Company, are color coded so users can easily identify locality and direction. This color coding process is a wonderful tool to assist the young child to elderly and people with all timers. This would also eliminate the frustrations of getting off the elevator on the wrong floor, like so many of us have done. Once on a floor users, will notice ample floor space as to not to feel const rained by close furniture configurations and for wheelchair passing. The high traffic and areas of egress are ingeniously deigned with a floor border that lines the walls so the visually impaired can easily utilize this tool to maneuver through the floors. To a user with no sight impairments this simply appears as an aesthetical feature because of how well it integrated throughout. This feature is a prime example of how universal design principles do not highlighting the differences of users. Obstacles In designing the Access Living headquarter LCM Architects, incurred many obstacles in creating a space that was not only universal, sustainable but also aesthetically and functionally useable. With their primary focus on creating a universal space they quickly learned that what works for one disability doesnt always work for another,[10] Lehner says. As a universal designer you must learn to balance the integration of accommodations so they are not swayed by a particular user. Thats nowhere more apparent than in the flooring. LCM discovered through research that carpeting, contrary to popular belief, serves people with MCS by trapping contaminants that would otherwise remain airborne. It also offers traction for people using canes. But carpeting can be difficult to negotiate with a wheelchair, says Catlin[11] This is a great lesson to be learned because when people think a disability they too often only think of wheelchair users. After selecting a fabric that architect Catlin thought would be perfect for all of the users in the space he quickly had to return to the drawing board after one employee had an epileptic seizure from the intense patterning of the flooring. This is one example of the many difficulties faced in this project in designing for the masses, but Catlin remedies this problem by installing a more muted pattern through the building while still ensuring there was still enough contrast on hallway borders to help guide people with visual impairments[12]. Conclusion Although they are a portion of users there are wheel chair bound we must consider and be aware that there are countless impairments that cause all users to have different needs and ways in which they utilize a space. Designing a universal space you must have an understanding of that and remember that you are not designing for outlined user but in turn everyone becomes your user. It is often very difficult to create and design a workable solution that all people will deem user friendly, which is why architects and designers seem to steam away from this principle. Catlin illustrates that not only can design be an aesthetically pleasing universal space but green principle can also be an applied in a brilliant way. Works Cited Access Living. Ed. Geekpak. Acess Living, 2008. Web. 14 Oct. 2009. Boniface, Russell. Paralyzed Veterans of America Honors Chicago-based Access Living for Accessible Design. The News of Americans Community of Architects. AIArchitect, 17 Aug. 2007. Web. 20 Oct. 2009. . Dong, Hua. Shifting Paradigms in Universal Design. Vol. 4554/2007. Heidelberg: Springer, 2007. Print. Goldsmith, Selwyn. Universal Design. Maine: Architectural, 2001. Print. Meyers, Tiffany. UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN ACCESS LIVING HQ. Metropolis Magazine Oct. 2007. Metropolis Magazine, Sept. 09. Web. 23 Oct. 2009. . Tandem, Byan, ed. Home Design: Understanding Universal Design. AARP (2008). AARP. Web. 22 Oct. 2009. . Goldsmith, Selwyn. Universal Design. Maine: Architectural, 2001. Print. Goldsmith Access Living. Ed. Geekpak. Access Living, 2008. Web. 14 Oct. 2009. Access Living Dong, Hua. Shifting Paradigms in Universal Design. Vol. 4554/2007. Heidelberg: Springer, 2007. Print. Access Living Access Living Boniface, Russell. Paralyzed Veterans of America Honors Chicago-based Access Living for Accessible Design. The News of Americans Community of Architects. AIArchitect, 17 Aug. 2007. Web. 20 Oct. 2009. . Access Living Meyers, Tiffany. UNIVERSAL DESIGN IN ACCESS LIVING HQ. Metropolis Magazine Oct. 2007. Metropolis Magazine, Sept. 09. Web. 23 Oct. 2009. . Meyers Meyers

Comparing Home in Richard Fords I Must Be Going and Scott Sanders Hom

Comparing Home in Richard Ford's I Must Be Going and Scott Sander's Homeplace Most people define home as a comfortable setting which provides love and warmth. In Scott Sanders â€Å"Homeplace† and Richard Ford’s â€Å"I Must Be Going† the concept of home is defined in two different ways. Sanders believes that by moving from place to place, the meaning of home has been diminished. Sanders believes that America’s culture â€Å"nudges everyone into motion† (Sanders 103) and that his â€Å"longing to become an inhabitant rather than a drifter† (103) is what sets him apart from everyone else. Ford prefers to stay on the move. His argument is life’s too short to settle in one place. He believes home is where you make it, but permanence is not a requirement. Sanders argues that â€Å"in our national mythology, the worst fate is to be trapped on a farm, in a village, or in some unglamorous marriage† (Sanders 102). Ford is a prime example of someone who believes this myth. In all of Ford’s moves from place to place, he has been in search of something better. He says that all of his moving is a result of â€Å"longing that overtakes me like a fast car on the freeway and makes me willing to withstand a feeling of personal temporariness† (Ford 109). Ford acts on his feelings without realizing that he will only be there for a short time. Sanders associates yearning for some other place as being wrong. He quotes Henry Thoreau saying, â€Å"The man who is often thinking that it is better to be somewhere else than where he is excommunicates himself† (104). Ford does believe staying in one place is normal, â€Å"One never moves without an uneasiness that staying is the norm† (110). However, Ford blam es growing up in Jackson, Mississippi as his reason for wil... ...t people Rushdie mentions here. Ford is the person who â€Å"roots† himself in ideas because he is always looking for that special place but can never find it. Sanders would rather commit himself to one spot because he feels any one place is as good as any. Sanders gains this mentality based on the discoveries of Copernicus and that Earth is not the center of the universe. He believes, â€Å"any point is as good as any other for observing the world† (Sanders 103). Ford finds no truth in this statement as he continues to move â€Å"toward someplace we badly need to go† (Ford 111). Works Cited Sanders, Scott â€Å"Homeplace.† Seeing and Writing. Donald McQuade and Christine Mcquade. Boston: Bedford/ St. Martin’s, 2000. 101-104 Ford, Richard â€Å"I Must Be Going† Seeing and Writing. Donald McQuade and Christine McQuade. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. 109-111

Female Correctional Officers

Female Correctional Officers Jordan Beth Stevenson Introduction to Corrections October 25, 2012 Saeler Abstract This research paper consists of brief history of how female correctional officers came to be in the system and the court cases that hindered and helped their process. It also consists of the stereotypes and struggles the officers are faced with in this line of work; such as weaknesses and home life association. Sexual harassment and discrimination is a problematic topic that is unavoidable. Statistics will also be mentioned and explained throughout the paper.Being a female correctional officer is extremely difficult and is not encouraged, but it is possible. Female Correctional Officers Women have been involved in the criminal justice system since the beginning. Females have been trying to work side by side with men in every aspect of finding and controlling justice in society. However, women have not been able to work in all of the areas of the system. The correctional off icers of prisons are extremely necessary aspects since the Walnut Street jail in the criminal justice system, yet only men were able to fill that position until the 1970s.Going through the history of how women came to be able to work as correctional officers will give an insight of the challenges and struggles they went through and still fight today due to the stigma of being a woman. The stereotypes that follow female officers cause hiring and retaining issues amongst the work ethic and daily activities of the officers. Overcoming these problems had been a difficult task and still is being tackled in institutions today. Discriminations are also a problem, especially from the male coworkers.Women face possibility of sexual harassment everywhere they go. Working in a male offender facility increases those possibilities. Dealing with the differences between males and females as well as competing for the same position as a man causes tension in the workplace and in society. All of thes e aspects are large parts of the career for female correctional officers. History Women have been in the correctional system since the early 1930s working in the administrative department and as secretary-like positions.The idea of a woman doing more than just paperwork was unheard of and it was looked down upon when a woman tried to excel in anything more. In 1977 though, the U. S. Supreme Court heard a case that forced them to address the issue of women in the correctional system as a working officer. The case of Dothard v. Rawlinson stated that a woman was denied a position as a correctional officer at a male institution in Alabama. It stated she was denied the position because of the conditions of the prison and the predatory nature of the male inmates (Seiter, 2011, p. 406).Women were not seen as equals to men, especially in this department. After this case was publicized, organizations began forming in order to change the law so women could hold the positions they wanted and d eserved. The Public Service Employment Act had only hired men to work in male facilities and women to only work in female facilities. In 1977, The Public Service Commission announced that they were going to review the justification for the restriction and try to overturn it. The commission wanted to have the opportunity for all candidates to be equal in being hired.Certain human right acts also tried to help gain equality by auditing some government agencies to assure there was no discrimination. The Employment Equity Act was formed to enforce compliance for the employment standards (â€Å"Women Correctional Officers,† 2012). With this act, women were able to fight back against the department for the chance to be hired as equals to men. In 1979, a case was presented to the U. S. District Court of Iowa, Gunther v. Iowa, which stated that inmate privacy was not a valid reason to not hire women for the positions of correctional officers (Seiter, 2011, p. 06). When this case was determined, it forced all facilities to consider all candidates for the correctional officer positions. And, if they refused to still not hire females simply because of their gender, they could face being sued and having a bad reputation. It was problematic for most institutions at the time because there was a strong stigma against women, claiming they were not able to perform as well as men. Although women are statistically proven to not be as physically strong as men, it is not proven that they are not as good of workers as men.This logic was flawed and deservingly overturned. Stereotypes and Discriminations Women have stereotypes in every aspect of life. Stereotypes sometimes have a dominating affect on the hiring process and retaining the position. Although credentials and producing good work during your hours is what should count, it does not always take prevalence. It is proven that men are physically stronger than women. That does mean that women do not know how to fight or p rotect themselves. Women are trained the same as men in order to become a correctional officer.According to MacDonald (2012), the fact that women go through a menstrual cycle and have PMS can play a role towards their ‘weaknesses’ of being a woman. Many employers see this as a weakness and that it leaves a window of weakness during that time of the month due to the typical symptoms of a menstrual cycle and PMS. Symptoms such as fatigue, headaches or migraines, menstrual cramps, aggressive behavior and mood swings are the mentioned ones. What is not mentioned is that only 30 to 40 percent of women have PMS (Premenstrual syndrome facts, 2001).So putting this stereotype on all women is statistically wrong. Not only are aspects of every woman seen as weaknesses, but there are a few extreme females who make a title against all other women harder to stand by. A woman who plays the ‘poor helpless female’ or uses the fact that they are good looking to their advanta ge has a ripple effect in opinion of all women. If a male employer falls for the act and then the female employee is not an efficient worker; he stereotypes all women to be like that one bad employee. Women also get the stereotype of being promiscuous, especially if they are attractive.If a romance were to form at work, if a coworker hears of how you act with a boyfriend, or if she is single and flirts with one male coworker, it could get manipulated into that woman being a ‘slut’. It takes a long time and a lot of hard work to eliminate that stigma. All of these features are signs of weakness to the men they work with (MacDonald, 2012). Women can be and are as professional as men can be. In fact, it is more likely for a man to be promiscuous because the hormone in which cause sexual arousal is testosterone. Men naturally produce 4 to 7 milligrams of testosterone a day.Women produce only a tenth of that daily (Kryger, 2011). So, the overall biological sex drive is much higher in male then females. On the other hand, there are the unattractive or just want to do their job and not be social, they are labeled to be a lesbian most of the time. Female correctional officers also struggle with having balancing a home life while working the long and sometime odd hours of a correctional officer. Women are reprimanded for not being more involved with their children or families lives because of the mentality the older generation still has of the women should be a stay at home mother (MacDonald, 2012).Sexual Harassment Female Correctional Officers are faced on a daily basis with the possibility of sexual harassment. When working in a male facility, women are in very close quarters with sexually deprived offenders, including sexual offenders. The sexual tension among the men is going to be high but when a woman is mixed into the tension, the situation could easily escalate. There are three main models of sexual harassment that have been found in male prisons a gainst female officers. The first model is the natural-biological model.It is best explained as harassment that is not harmful but rather brought out simply by natural sexual attraction. Just by placing female correctional officers in the facility increases this type of harassment. The next model is the sociocultural model and is power driven. Men typically feel as they are better and stronger than women both mentally and physically. So, the differences between genders in any workplace could bring out this type of harassment. The last type is the organizational model. This model is best explained by the hierarchical relations.By having a woman in power, such as a correctional officer, the male in a less powerful position want to be in power so they try to use sex to bring the female down to their level or lower. It is a manipulative attempt (Savicki, Cooley and Gjesvold, 2003). All three of these types of sexual harassment are unacceptable and instead of offering more readily availa ble programs to help sexual offenders, the solution is to take the women out of the correctional facilities. The question then lies; what happens to the women on the streets or in the homes of the offenders once they are released from prison?The inmates can find several ways to harass the female officers from simply calling them names like â€Å"sexy†, among other names on much worse levels, to actually masturbating and ejaculating on to the officers as they walk by. Some inmates will act ill or as if they are in trouble to lure the officers into or close to the cell for a chance to grab at the officer in a sexual manner (Monthly law journal, 2010). Even though the name calling seems minor and almost unimportant compared to physically being harassed in some way, both actions take a toll on the mentality of the officer.The mentality strength of both men and women are about equal. This says that if a man in a female facility were to undergo similar harassment, they too would fe el the mental stress and damage being done. Yet, men are still in female prisons and have been since the first female institution was established. Statistics Female correctional officers make up 22. 3% of all employees in the department in the United States (Ronquillo, 2008). Female correctional officers are typically single, either never married or divorced.The stress on both the woman and the spouse is higher than most careers due to the high risk of the job. It has also been shown that women are more likely to have attained a higher education than males (Savicki, Cooley and Gjesvold, 2003). With more education, it opposes a larger threat on the males working along their sides because they could more easily get a better position or be promoted. A higher education also gives an advantage as to adaptation and flexibility to a variety of different careers, including moving up from a correctional officer to a warden.Females also tend to view their job differently than men. Women are l ikely to choose a corrections position with the interest in human service or rehabilitation, whereas men primarily will seek the career of law enforcement or other security aspect (Savicki, Cooley and Gjesvold, 2003). The mindset of women, although different from most men, is still fitting for the position of correctional officer. Conclusion For women living in and trying to compete in a male dominated world seems impossible.Female correctional officers have many difficulties and challenges to overcome by not only the inmates, but by their coworkers and administrative personnel. It was a struggle to initiate being in the field of corrections and it is still a struggle today to get a position and retain that position. Stereotypes, sexual harassment and the severity of the job alone are factors a female correctional officer has to conquer. To keep the position they have to fight harder than men. It is not an easy career to maintain but that makes it even more rewarding when one does s ucceed. References 2001). Premenstrual syndrome facts, disease nutritional support strategies. Retrieved from http://www. healingwithnutrition. com/pdisease/pms/pms. html Kryger, D. (2011, February 13). Women and testosterone. Retrieved from http://www. wellnessmd. com/index. php? option=com_content&view=article&id=64&Itemid=106 MacDonald, J. (2012). Women in corrections. Retrieved from http://desertwaters. com/? page_id=733 Monthly law journal article: Civil liability for sexual harassment of female employees by prisoners. (2010). Retrieved from http://www. aele. org/law/Digests/jail137. htm

Linguistic Cues for Children Essay

How does linguistic variation cue representations of a speaker’s social identity and, presumably, stereotypes about relevant social groups? Although studies have indicated that phonetic variation in speech may activate social stereotypes (Purnell, Idsardi & Baugh, 1999), research on the mechanisms of this process has been scant. The term â€Å"stereotype† was introduced into the variations of sociolinguistic literature in Labov’s (1973) taxonomy of language forms charged with broad social meaning, reprised in Labov (2001). The first element in this classification, â€Å"indicators†, are variables whose use is restricted to certain social groups, but whose use â€Å"shows zero degree of social awareness and are difficult to detect for both linguists and native speakers† (Labov 2001, p. 196). â€Å"Markers†, the second category, occur when â€Å"indicators† rise to the level of social consciousness. They exhibit â€Å"social recognition usually in the form of social stigma†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Labov 2001, p. 197) The third linguistic element is that of â€Å"stereotypes†. Labov (1973, p. 314) defines these as â€Å"socially marked forms, prominently labeled by society. †Labov (1973) elaborates, stating: â€Å"stereotypes are referred to and talked about by members of the speech community; they may have a general label, and a characteristic phrase which serves equally well to identify them† As they grow, children learn to become members of the cultures into which they are born, it is from here that they get their cognitive understanding of the physical and more importantly the social world. The following assignment explores the influences that different language styles have on the cultural outlook that children grow up to have, especially in context of stereotypes or prejudices that they might carry. When children babble, very often the first words that they say are to serve some social purpose. (for example – ‘hi’ or waving their hand to show greeting. In the Indian context, they are taught to touch feet of elder people. ) We know that the grammatical complexity of sentences increases with age. In some cultures children are talked to by adults a lot more than other cultures. Along with this, the nature and modification of speech, long sentences with more adjectives, exaggerations, also take place. This gives us an idea that children who are spoken to more, are more included in the adult world and grow up to be more inquisitive and close knit. Language can be biased against women by ignoring their existence. Biased language can also reinforce people’s false ideas of what men and women are. A fixed image of someone based on unsourced evidence and observation is called a stereotype. For example, television is full of stereotypes. A â€Å"normal† British family depicted by television advertisements has two children at school, a father who works full time and a mother who stays at home and looks after the house. The trouble with this picture of a â€Å"normal† family is that it is totally false. Only 5% of households are really like this. Many stereotypes are concerned with being male or female and how males and females are supposed to behave. For example women are supposed to be â€Å"gentle† and men â€Å"aggressive†, girls are supposed to be â€Å"quiet† and boys â€Å"noisy†. But just think of how many noisy girls and quiet boys you know and you realise what a false impression stereotypes can give. In the Japanese culture, talking a lot and loudly is considered disrespectful; hence implying that talking politely means talking softly and talking less. Proverbs such as ‘talkative males are embarrassing’ are taught to children, automatically developing in them a stereotypical image of the traits that are present in ‘good men’. Japanese mothers do not ask for elaborate recounting of occurrences and interrupt children frequently while they speak; North American mothers on the other hand ask questions to make children talk more – thus, the Japanese encourage concision and the North Americans self expression. Thus, language is used to teach cultural values that promote some stereotypical ideas that get stored in the child’s brain. As adults talk to children, they start teaching culturally specific language practices and transmitting cultural values. Language also conveys culturally specific values through the books that children read, exposing them to culturally different ideas. I would like to bring to your notice the example of History books in India and those in Pakistan. The language used to portray the two countries’ perception of each other encourages the students to develop a particular image of the historical happenings. The language used is brash and insulting and there are many words that cannot imply any different or alternate meaning. These have consequences, and it is highly possible that these values are transmitted to children and they carry it with them for their lifetime. The perception that they develop because of the language that is used in books alters the outlook that they have about Islamic religion and it is generalized to all people from Pakistan. The notion that the language we speak or are spoken to influences the way we think and thus, our behavior is  illustrated by Benjamin Whorf, who meant that language shapes thought. One belief is that – If language is the way thought is expressed, then acquiring language should have consequences for developing thought, and differences in the language acquired should result in differences in the cognitive processes of the speakers of those languages. If we were to go with this belief then cultures in which discrimination, racism, class system, biases etc are prevalent, children would grow up with these ideologies as they hear about these things all the time. If languages differ in the distinctions that they make, then learning the language must consist in part learning to make those distinctions too. â€Å"The fact of the matter is that the ‘real world’ is to a large extent unconsciously built up on the language habits of the group†¦ we see and hear and otherwise experience very largely as we do because of the language habits of our community predisposes certain choices of interpretation† as said by Sapir, Whorf’s teacher. While Whorf himself quoted â€Å"We cut nature up, organize it into concepts, and ascribe significances to it, as we do, largely because we are parties to an agreement to organize it in this way – an agreement that holds through our community and is codified in the patterns of our language†. With the theory that says that concepts and words develop together, it is understood that the language that we speak is the medium through which we perceive the world and the episodes and people that are part of it. Words are a form of new information. Learning the word and the concept happen simultaneously. These concepts get coded in the system of the child and it translates to their thinking and understanding of things. Black children born in the United States, who have grown up in poverty and in an unstable environment, listening to their families about talk about their depraved state and attending schools that teach them self defence and attitudes of equality, or schools where they stand victim of their colour they learn attitudes of resilience and fighting back – the way they are spoken to and referred to impacts the way they think of the deal as they grow older. The beliefs that they carry with them from their natives gets reinforced and observable in these kind of settings. In the western world the reference to sex is very free, in Central Asian countries, this reference is not very freely done. As a result of the language that is used in the two places, in terms of sexual engagement, the concept and attitude that the children of the two places carry are vastly different and their approach towards it is also different The effects of parental naming practices on cognition may be hard to untangle from the effects of other information. The parents who are use more adjectives and are more specific in their description of people or ideals, those children also have more capacity for distinctive characteristics. Let us consider another example – Incorrect: Although she was blonde, Mary was still intelligent. Revised: Mary was intelligent. A speaker that is using a given arrangement of allophonic variations falling into socially relevant categories would cue the perception of a social / linguistic identity for a given listener. This model is, then, rather compatible with models of sociolinguistic variation that subscribe to exemplar theory. Thus, along with direct observation, we have seen that children also learn from what others say. Thus, children who are told different things will end up with different prejudices and biases of the world. This influence of language on the development of culture specific beliefs would also count as an example of language as a vehicle of socialization. BIBLIOGRAPHY – 1. The Fundamentals of Cognitive Psychology – Chapter 7, Language, Culture and Cognition in Development. 2. Sociolinguistic Cognition : Stereotypes in Sociolinguistics 3. http://www. steverhowell. com/lakoff. pdf 4. Stereotype Dynamics 5. About Cognitive Linguistics.