He spent his life in voluntary poverty, enthralled Essay Example For Students

He spent his life in voluntary poverty, enthralled Essay by the study of nature. Two years, in the prime of his life, were spent living in a shack in the woods near a pond. Who would choose a life like this? Henry David Thoreau did, and he enjoyed it. Who was Henry David Thoreau, what did he do, and what did others think of his work?Henry David Thoreau was born in Concord, Massachusetts on July 12, 1817 (Thoreau 96), on his grandmothers farm. Thoreau, who was of French-Huguenot and Scottish-Quaker ancestry, was baptized as David Henry Thoreau, but at the age of twenty he legally changed his name to Henry David. Thoreau was raised with his older sister Helen, older brother John, and younger sister Sophia (Derleth 1) in genteel poverty (The 1995 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 1). It quickly became evident that Thoreau was interested in literature and writing. At a young age he began to show interest writing, and he wrote his first essay, The Seasons, at the tender age of ten, while attending Concord Academy (Derleth 4). In 1833, at the age of sixteen, Henry David was accepted to Harvard University, but his parents could not afford the cost of tuition so his sister, Helen, who had begun to teach, and his aunts offered to help. With the assistance of his family and the beneficiary funds of Harvard he went to Cambridge in August 1833 and entered Harvard on September first. He Thoreau stood close to the top of his class, but he went his own way too much to reach the top (5). In December 1835, Thoreau decided to leave Harvard and attempt to earn a living by teaching, but that only lasted about a month and a half (8). He returned to college in the fall of 1836 and graduated on August 16, 1837 (12). Thoreaus years at Harvard University gave him one great gift, an introduction to the world of books. Upon his return from college, Thoreaus family found him to be less likely to accept opinions as facts, more argumentative, and inordinately prone to shock people with his own independent and unconventional opinions. During this time he discovered his secret desire to be a poet (Derleth 14), but most of all he wanted to live with freedom to think and act as he wished. Immediately after graduation from Harvard, Henry David applied for a teaching position at the public school in Concord and was accepted. However, he refused to flog children as punishment. He opted instead to deliver moral lectures. This was looked down upon by the community, and a committee was asked to review the situation. They decided that the lectures were not ample punishment, so they ordered Thoreau to flog recalcitrant students. With utter contempt he lined up six children after school that day, flogged them, and handed in his resignation, because he felt that physical punishment should have no part in education (Derleth 15). In 1837 Henry David began to write his Journal (16). It started out as a literary notebook, but later developed into a work of art. In it Thoreau record his thoughts and discoveries about nature (The 1995 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 1). Later that same year, his sister, Helen, introduced him to Lucy Jackson Brown, who just happened to be Ralph Waldo Emersons sister-in-law. She read his Journal, and seeing many of the same thoughts as Emerson himself had expressed, she told Emerson of Thoreau. Emerson asked that Thoreau be brought to his home for a meeting, and they quickly became friends (Derleth 18). On April 11, 1838, not long after their first meeting Thoreau, with Emersons help, delivered his first lecture, Society (21). Ralph Waldo Emerson was probably the single most portentous person in Henry David Thoreaus life. From 1841 to 1843 and again between 1847 and 1848 Thoreau lived as a member of Emersons household, and during this time he came to know Bronson Alcott, Margaret Fuller, and many other members of the Transcendental Club (Thoreau 696). On August 31, 1839 Henry David and his elder brother, John, left Concord on a boat trip down the Concord River, onto the Middlesex Canal, into the Merrimack River and into the state of New Hampshire. Out of this trip came Thoreaus first book, A Week on the Concord and Merrimack Rivers (25). The Church of Scientology EssayThoreau has been called Americas greatest prose stylist, naturalist, pioneer ecologist, conservationist, visionary, and humanist (The 1995 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 2). It has also been said that Thoreaus style shows an unconscious, but very pointed degree of Emersons influence. However, there is often a rudeness, and an inartistic carelessness in Thoreaus style that is not at all like the style of Emerson. Thoreau possessed an amazing forte for expressing his many observations in vivid color: No one has ever excelled him in the field of minute description. His acute powers of observation, his ability to keep for a long time his attention upon one thing, and his love of nature and of solitude, all lend a distinct individuality to his style (Pattee 226). Thoreaus good friend Bronson Alcott described his style as:More primitive and Homeric than any American, his style of thinking was robust, racy, as if Nature herself had built his sentences and seasoned the sense of his paragraphs with his own vigor and salubrity. Nothing can be spared from them; there is nothing superfluous; all is compact, concrete, as nature is (Alcott 16). Most of Thoreaus writings had to do with Nature which caused him to receive both positive and negative criticism. Paul Elmer More said that Thoreau was: The greatest by far of our writers on Nature and the creator of a new sentiment in literature, but he then does a complete turn around to say: Much of his Thoreaus writing, perhaps the greater part, is the mere record of observation and classification, and has not the slightest claim on our remembrance, unless, indeed, it posses some scientific value, which I doubt (More 860). Thoreau was always very forthright in everything he said. Examples of this can be found throughout Walden, one of which being his statement in chapter two: To a philosopher all news, as it is called, is gossip, and they who edit and read it are old women over their tea (Thoreau 79). There is certainly no ersatz sentiment, nor simulation of reverence of benevolence in Walden (Briggs 445). Thoreau was a philosopher of individualism, who placed nature above materialism in private life, and ethics above conformity in politics (The 1995 Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia 1). His life was marked by whimsical acts and unusual stands on public issues (Thoreau 697). These peculiar beliefs led to a lot of criticism of Thoreau and his work. James Russell Lowell complained the Thoreau exalted the constraints of his own dispositions and insisted upon accepting his shortcomings and debilities as virtues and powers. Lowell considered: a great deal of the modern sentimentalism about Naturea mark of disease (Wagenknecht 2). In some ways Walden is deluding. It consists of eighteen essays in which Thoreau condenses his twenty-six month stay at Walden Pond into the seasons of a single year. Also, the idea is expressed in Magills Survey of American Literature that: Walden was not a wilderness, nor was Thoreau a pioneer; his hut was within two miles of town, and while at Walden, he made almost daily visits to Concord and to his family, dined out often, had frequent visitors, and went off on excursions. Walden is a testament to the renewing power of nature, to the need of respect and preservation of the environment, and to the belief that: in wildness is the salvation of the world (Magill 1949). Walden is simply an experience recreated in words for the purpose of getting rid of the world and discovering the self (Thoreau 697). Henry David Thoreau strived for freedom and equality. He was opinionated and argumentative. He stood up for what he believed in and was willing to fight for it. His teachings and writings had an amazing affect on people and the world, and will have for centuries to come.

Heart Of Darkness Essays (1228 words) - Fiction, Literature

Heart Of Darkness Heart Of Darkness Whether a reader connects to the symbolism of Heart Of Darkness or is merely reading it for fun, one cannot go away from this story without a lingering feeling of uneasiness. Joseph Conrad writes what seems to be a simple story about a man in search of an ivory hunter; one must look deeper into the jungle which makes up the core of Heart Of Darkness , where Conrad hides the meanings and symbolisms that shape this story. Conrad has been accused of being a racist because of the way he portrays the natives in this story. It is a controversy that continues even today. It can be argued that because of the way he depicts the natives, they cannot be an essential part of Heart of Darkness. However, if one reads between the lines it is obvious the story would not be shaped the way it was if the natives were not involved. The natives in a sense, create Kurtz. They are his "people" and his followers: Suddenly round the corner of the house a group of men appeared, as though they had come up from the ground. They waded waist-deep in the grass in a compact body bearing an improvised stretcher in their midst. Instantly in the emptiness of the landscape a cry arose whose shrillness pierced the still air...And is if by enchantment streams of human beings - of naked human beings - with spears in their hands, with bows, with shields, with wild glances and savage movements, were poured into the clearing by the dark-faced and pensive forest.(58-59) The first time Marlow meets Kurtz is in this scene. It shows Kurtz not only depends on the natives for physical support but also for protection. Conrad's portrayal of the natives as "human beings with wild glances and savage movements" is ironic because Conrad does not think they have the right to be put on the same level as the white man even though Kurtz could not exist without them. The natives are Kurtz's followers and worship him like a god and yet they are seen as only a part of the jungle that is "dark" and "undiscovered". One scene in Heart Of Darkness which unquestionably shows the lack of respect the natives are given is when Marlow is at the Company Station on his way to the Congo. He describes the natives as "ants" which are decomposers. Marlow is describing the natives as creatures that do nothing but break down and destroy the land. When Marlow tries to get away from this scene of natives he steps "into a gloomy circle of some Inferno...Black shapes crouched, lay, sat between the trees, leaning against the trunks, clinging to the earth, half coming out, half effaced within the dim light, in all the attitudes of pain, abandonment, and despair...They were dying slowly...they were nothing earthly now, nothing but black shadows of disease and starvation lying confusedly in the greenish gloom." (20) Marlow characterizes the natives as "unearthly creatures" that have been abandoned from society. It has been accepted that they do not deserve to live like regular human beings. They must live in "abandonment and despair" because they are criminals. Marlow depicts them as slowly rising out of the earth as if they were horrid creatures that only come out in the darkness because no one can bear to see them in the daytime. Marlow also describes the natives as "bundles of acute angles sat with their legs drawn up...one of these creatures rose to his hands and knees and went off on all-fours towards the river to drink. He lapped out of his hand, then sat up in the sunlight crossing his shins in front of him, and after a time let his woolly head fall on his breastbone." (21) This is utter degradation of a human being. At this point, one does not even see the natives as human anymore. They have been described not only as acute angles but as dogs that lap up their water on all fours. How more degrading can one be to a race of people? The one distinguishable native in Heart Of Darkness is the helmsman. Although, he is not important enough to be given a name, he is given a title which is a step above his comrades. He is "an athletic black belonging to some coast tribe...He sported a pair of brass earrings, wore a blue cloth wrapper from the waist to the ankle, and thought all the world of himself. He was the most unstable kind

Chrysanthemums Essays - The Chrysanthemums, Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemums Essays - The Chrysanthemums, Chrysanthemum Chrysanthemums Chrysanthemums When Elisa sees the chrysanthemum sprouts on the road, she feels betrayed, a victim of her own romantic reverie. She has invited a stranger into her world and has seen into his world what she imagines as a brighter, freer existence than her own. This interlude in her life has given her an insight into her own strength, but not without leaving her with a sense of guilt. When the man enters her garden, she literally lets down her beautiful hair. She reveals her innermost feelings to him, her feeling about her planting hands that seem to have a life of their own. She transposes her own deep, emotional feelings to him, when she imagines what it must be like to sleep out under the stars. She feels that he understands her, that she has meet a kindred spirit. In her enchantment, she reaches out to touch his leg and, ashamed, she retracts her hand. As he drives away in the distance, she whispers, Thats a bright direction. Theres a glowing there. After he leaves, feeling guilty for her thoughts, she scrubs herself until she is scratched and red. Although true to her husband, she has strayed in thought. Elisa holds herself to a high moral standard as a good wife and feels guilty for her escapist thoughts. She is further humiliated when she finds that her feelings were all based on a pretense. The chrysanthemums in the road show that the relationship is based on fraud. Her enhanced belief in herself is shattered and she becomes crushed and weak.

Act of Identity Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Act of Identity - Assignment Example Whites are attracted by blacks’ cultural differences generated by mainstream social constructions despite being seen as a forbidden narrative, as well as a symbol of rebellion. He identified himself with hip-hop culture, wore baggy jeans, a reverse baseball cap, designer sneakers, as well as developing a taste to rap music. He interacted a lot with blacks and even changed the way he spoke and imitated the AAVE just like African American. Mike even criticized groups he viewed as anti-African American, such as Jews and Koreans. He even accused his mother of being racists by referring to one of his African American childhood friend as Negro (Cutler, 316). This shows how strongly he valued African Americans despite his mother’s dislike of the blacks. Moreover, he felt the name Negro was more offensive and hurting, and since he was fond of his childhood friend, he never wanted any form of hurt directed at him. He tried to associate with poverty in order to prove his authenti city to hip–hop. Therefore, by identifying with the African American culture, Mike wanted to be unique from other whites who were discriminating against the blacks. Moreover, he felt the need to socialize and study or learn the African American culture, as he wanted to lead that particular life. Mike even began using drugs and joined groups of gangs, thus making him collide with police. Another gang group broke his arms. At the age of 15, despite joining another private high school, he continued to use AAVE and hip hop terms like yo, I’ m sayin’ even though he now had modified his speech and was heading towards a better English (Cutler, 315). This showed that he used associated with the African American culture as a form of getting entertainment. Since he belonged to various African American gang groups, he intended to get friends who could help him realize his self. Therefore, he got entertained from activities of the group. Even though at one point he got inju red, he never abandoned the group despite his mother’s plea. Contrastingly, despite abandoning his former lifestyle, never shed the gangster image but still get involved in violent actions and confrontations. 2) Dowdy’s mother expected them to embrace colonization in order to become successful and to up hold their uncle’s image and family status. She argued that as survivors of the long years of slavery, the only way of ensure prosperity is by adopting the British language (Dowdy 2). Moreover, Dowd’s country had many expectations from the colonists. For instance, their books had to be published by British publication houses while the best student writing had to read by foreign audiences such as General of Certificate of Education in London (Dowdy 4). The newspapers in Trinidad had to be produced in the best English in order to enable the Majesty to read despite having got independence twelve years ago. Her mother also expected them to learn ballet, take p iano lessons, join choirs, and dress in the best way as per British fashion. However, the more she tried to please her mother, grandmother, and teachers, the more she got alienated from her friends and peers. Despite speaking the Queen’s language fluently, she frequently got mocked by her friends thus, making her feel lonely and in a different world from peers. For instance while my friends used Trinidadian to express their innermost thoughts and desires, she used the Queen’s language to please her family members and teacher and thus, lived in two different countries. She claims that the colonizer valued the native language for the colonized for entertainment. It underrates the colonizers language. Therefore, the successful colonized person remains in two worlds, the

Discussion Board Post Response Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 15

Discussion Board Post Response - Essay Example It is also important to note that volunteering and putting yourself out there can help in the development and advancement of skills and knowledge that is imperative in leadership. For instance, health professionals deal with patients with different understanding capabilities and hence advanced communication skills are needed in order to identify and make sure these patients understand you. Allison Polinski, your strategies to incorporate your strengths in leadership are also spot-on. Training or providing learning opportunities for staff can help align their practices with our strengths. For instance, one of your strengths is learner. In other words, you are always open to new ideas and therefore, providing learning opportunities for the staff will give you an chance to also absorb new ideas. Creating a performance improvement team would also be important for you as a leader in an effort to improve safety and quality of services. An effective team can help you align your strengths with the needs of the organization. In this regard, the team can focus on your strengths and formulate strategies that ensure that the strengths will be effectively utilized. In so doing, employees will follow through and also utilize their best qualities in an effort to achieve organizational objectives (Buckingham,

Report On Workplace Stress Management Essay

Report On Workplace Stress Management Essay Workplace stress can be defined as the mental trauma and distress that an employee has to go through when there is a disparity between the requirements at work and the capabilities, efficiency or the resources available. Workplace today has become a studio wherein scripts are written to overtake other studios and outperform every single instance of competition out in the middle. Hence the pressure put by employers on their â€Å"bulls† to plough their fields is immense. This pressure takes its toll and results in increased anxiety and tension levels among workers. This phenomenon is popularly called stress in the workplace. Overworking, repeated rebuttals can cause such a response in workplaces these days. Majorly, work related stress affects sleep causing insomnia and sleeplessness. It affects fitness adversely because of the reduced sleep. It can cause problems in the family of the affected individual like infighting, frequent arguments and fits of disagreement. This adverse ly affects the family life and also enhances the inefficiency at work. All of this lead to increased levels of frustration and hesitancy and directly affects the quality of work, thus further compounding the pressure on the individual. Also stress is related to the cause of various physical disorders like cardiovascular and others. Hence workplace stress is a potent problem faced by modern day offices and employees. It not only affects the individual, also the company is on the receiving end of poorer quality of work output. (Wikipedia) There has been much work going on in regard to increasing the level of comfort of an employee so that there are lesser and smaller chances of stress burnout. This includes increasing the number of employees taken in, or easier division of labour at the workplace, or better appreciation or acknowledgement of quality work. All of this is being done by companies to offer their employees an opportunity to a â€Å"healthy job†. A healthy job, as defined by the World Health Organization, is one where the pressure on an individual is proportional in measure to the individuals capability, the resources available at hand, the amount of work assigned to him and the people present to support him. All of these form important factors in deciding the stress levels of an individual at the workplace. Also, the WHO emphasises that a good working environment would be one wherein the individual feels not only the absence of stress inducing factors, but also the presence of health and goodwill pr omoting factors. (WHO official website) Statement of the problem: Our major concern in the undertaking of this project is to assess factors that may lead to a stress burnout in modern day work environments and a possible solution to mitigate their effects on employees. This study aims at studying the measures that have already been taken to counter the problem of work related stress and questions their effectiveness. We will look at measures suggested by various agencies like the WHO and people involved in research on this subject in order to provide the world with a workforce performing at its maxima. Purpose: Firstly, the study will focus on the causes and effects of increased stress levels, especially in or due to the workplace. The symptoms are evident. Increased levels of tension (hypertension), insomnia, loss of interest in work, apathy or indifference, increased frustration, fatigue, trouble concentrating; these are all symptoms that an individual is on the verge of a nervous breakdown due to highly exaggerated levels of stress or anguish, thus leading to a poor response at the workplace. At times, this heightened anxiety may also lead to the individual involving in the usage of dope or turning an alcoholic. Thus the symptoms indicate when a person is in need of guidance, help or assistance to cope with the psychological pressures of working overtime or not being able to match with the standards of his peers. Then our focus will be on measures to detract such situations from coming to the fore in a workplace. We will study methods that seek to improve the overall well being of the em ployee, whether it is changes in the sociological environment, or the use of a counsellor to help the individual emerge from his state of depression. Significance of the study: Its of immediate and absolute necessity that the problems of the office and the workplace be solved as soon as possible before they spill over into the personal lives of the concerned individuals. There are many problems affecting the corporate sector, problems related to publicity and HRM, but when the output coming out of an employee is sub standard, and if that happens on a mass scale, the company loses long standing clients and the reputation takes a steep decline, inhibiting further expansion and growth. Hence, employee satisfaction is one of the major concerns in todays corporate world. And one of the most important aspects in employee satisfaction remains burnout prevention. If the company can keep employees from exhausting their potential due to excessive workload, they will certainly excel in other aspects of growth. The feedback of an employee is essential to the expansion and the reputation of the company. Thus, employees form the backbone of the skeletal structure of any company. Hence the study of work related stress becomes of top priority of corporate honchos. If a company is unable to protect its employees from the disastrous outcomes of a burnout, the word about the companys exploitative policies gets out in the market and then there are hardly any people willing to join the company even on a bit elevated pay scale. The company loses reputation, and there is no way in which it can recruit quality professionals because of its lousy reputation. Also the company becomes a bed of controversies as people start criticising its policies of employee management. This adversely affects the stakeholders in the company. Hence, employee management and satisfaction form a primary priority of the companys policies. Chapter 2 Background: The problem we are looking at is the issue of employee burnout at the corporate level in todays cut throat environment where companies draw up plans of execution that require employees to exhaust themselves by repeated stints of overtime, incentive based overload, etc. Though in the short term the company ends up profiting from such misplaced dedication, in the long term, the company loses its energy and money on training professionals who are eventually going to burn themselves out in a particular instance. Hence the long term loss of the company is far more emphatic, and the company has to invest in order to set it right. Hence the company loses a lot of its money and time setting things right. Thus, the modern day corporate has woken up to an existing issue of workers suffering work induced stress. This problem needs to be addressed with a steel authority so that in the long term, employees dont end up leaving the company due to such reasons, and the company can retain most of its staff, thus putting good to all the investment it made on training and teaching the staff. The issue of employee burnout also has to be addressed to improve the output of a employee in a capacity. An increased output level of an employee can make wonders for a company looking for greater ventures. An employee holds the key to a companys ability to make it big in the corporate world. A grumpy and irritable employee only succeeds in turning the mood of an environment irritable, leading to an epidemic of grouchy workers, in turn leading to a horrible turnover for the company, failed attempts at meeting deadlines, angry clients. Thus an employee needs to be looked after if he does show signs of burnout. A pat on the back can do wonders to lift the morale of the worker. It can give him much needed assurance from the employers side. However, it is also rewarding to appreciate the quality of work a worker constantly turns in by rewarding him a pay rise. At times, a little counselling from experienced people can also help the individual climb out of his state of depression. Literature Review: A lot of literature has been published on the above topic to help companies with various techniques aimed at reducing stress at the workplace. The WHO has been actively involved in collaborating with researchers and the corporate world alike to enhance the methods taken to help individuals with their stress disorders. This is necessary for all companies throughout. The studies undertaken can be company specific, pertaining to the workplace of a particular company. The studies undertaken may be industry specific, pertaining generally to the kind of work involved in the industry of choice which will more or less be the same in most companies working within the domains of that industry. The studies could also be general, pertaining to some common features that all industries share. These measures can be adopted by all companies and are for global welfare of employees. Also the governments of various nations fund their own studies and researches to identify the key aspects that impact th e psychological functions of an employee. Thus even governments are actively involved in working for the welfare of their workforce. Many governments have set up centres or councils that work all the year around to study present day policies of companies towards its workers and give suggestions relevant and feasible to protect workers from an overdose of work. Also many nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are also working for the same. Human rights activists are also actively voicing their concerns over the exploitative policies of certain companies and at times, also the governments. These add up to numerous research papers and literature on policies that a company should follow to save its employees from blowing off the lid off their heads. Definitions: An important definition is of a healthy job. As previously mentioned, a healthy job is one where the load on an individual is considering the capabilities of the individual, his resources, his knowledge of the topic, his work routine, so that he is not indirectly forced into putting in far too many extra hours, his support staff, whether everything in the personal life of the individual is fine and doesnt involve sizeable perturbations. Also the stress related hazards at work can be differentiated into 2 categories: work content and work context. Work content includes the amount of work handed to the individual, the quality of the job, also whether the individual is coped with enough resources to carry out the work, whether the work entails him to put in hours of extra effort, thereby affecting sleep. The work context includes the sociological factors in a workplace. These can be the competition at the workplace, the disappointments of failure, and the grumpiness due to malpractices at the workplace, the ignorance of the higher commands to the appreciable work done by the individual, the lack of motivation or disinterest in the kind of work allotted. Chapter 3 Causes of Workplace Stress: As many countries around the world spend billions of rupees on anti-depressants and stress-busters to relieve their people from stress, an analysis of the causes of stress provides a great deal of understanding of the problem. The research hence indicated some of the chief causes of stress, the major causes being explained as follows. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, U.S., emphasises that the personal traits and characteristics of the workers play a chief role in determining the level of stress the person is likely to go through, given a fixed set of working conditions. (NIOSH, 2010). For instance, the stress level of one person may differ from another person based on their skills to cope and adjust, and the tendencies of their bodies to respond to the mental stress. Another increasingly popular notion which is gaining credence states that the working conditions, instead, play a greater and dominating role in causing stress to the people. Apart from these viewpoints, there are also other causes by various organizations of the world, which are cited as contributing factors in inducing stress. For example, the post of a person, his status in the organization can also alter the levels of stress he might be experiencing. In other words, people who have little influence and lower status in the organization are found to be more stressed out than other people, who at higher posts. Such arguments also state that even though people at powerful positions have higher workload, but there is no co-relation between workload and stress. In addition it must be mentioned, the Glob al Business and Round Table Conference on Addiction and Mental Health puts the overload factor, also called as â€Å"The Treadmill Syndrome† on the top of the list of the factors causing workplace stress. Moreover, there are popular arguments which have claimed to link the stress with economic factors. It can be best illustrated by an increasingly growing trend in the 21st century business world wherein companies are very quick to lay off workers or sack them stating some reasons, cutting down jobs and taking back benefits to the existing employees, so as to save on capital and adjust with the rapidly changing business environment. The solid emergence of the concept of â€Å"downsizing† leads to worrying employees, which in turn leads to a great deal of stress. Moreover, studies of the WHO reveal that the most significant cause of work stress can be attributed to the pressures and demands from the employees who are either not capable enough, or not qualified and equipp ed to the level which would enable them to do the required work. Such situations, clearly, lead to immense workplace stress. Another factor that adds to the stress of an average employee is the vagueness of his perception of his job and the goals of the organisation. When the employees are ambiguous about their jobs, their duties and what is expected of them, it leads to worries and anxiety. Furthermore, the lack of concrete and clear knowledge about the philosophy of the organisation and its objectives leads to a lack of awareness, commitment, interest and a sense of lessening confidence. In addition, many studies have revealed the inflexibility is also a major factor contributing to stress. Workplaces where the employees are required to work for long hours under a strict schedule, and particularly those where they are made to do so alone, and the environment is non-social, it leads to great stress. The mental pressure increases with the strictness, and this might also, in a way, d epend upon the characteristics of the supervisor (manager). Another aspect of stress which is usually found to be its cause is, as discussed, lack of control or participation. The reason behind why employees at lower positions feel stressed is actually this factor, by which the employee tends to feel that his contribution to the organisation is making no difference, since he holds no say in any sort of decision-making or policy-framing. Gradually a growing sense of alienation and frustration combine, thereby leading to stress. (Workstress.net) Effects of Stress: Stress in the working environment of a company directly affects the individuals, and in turn, affects the organizations and its many aspects to a great extent. Apart from the physical toll stress can take on an individual, leading to many problems like fatigue, blood pressure problems, the emotional and psychological effects of stress are the most severe. A distressed person may lose his spirit of dedication and commitment towards the organization totally, thereby putting in less and less amount of effort and creativity in the work he does, and contributing less to the organization. Stressed out employees may not be able to work with concentration which can affect the output of their work in a negative way. All this in turn affects the organization as a whole. For instance, increasing workplace stress may cause considerable absenteeism from work thereby pulling down efficiency and productivity. In addition, it may create many other problems like defaming the image of the company, and dissatisfaction among the public (customers). Stress among the employees also leads to objectionable trends like drug abuse, etc. It negatively impacts the procedure of recruiting new staff, as the image of the company has been harmed and damaged. In addition to this, stress can be very problematic on the personal side of the employee. Anxiety, mood swings, etc. may affect the personal life and the relationship of the employee with his family and loved ones, the negative impact of which may result into more and more stress. Hence, the effect of stress is multi-faceted. It is taxing to the company, to the individual and to other people not directly related to the organisation. The effects of the stress lead to symptoms of stress amongst the employees, which must be identified at a stable stage, so that the task of stress prevention is carried out effectively and successfully. (Workstress.info) Chapter 4 Summary: The problem of stress, its management, its causes and effects is one of the most important global problems of the current area. The ever-increasing concern about workplace stress and how to curb it is the key motivation behind the research. Furthermore, the primary aim of the research is to study the causes and effects of stress, and provided recommendations. There has been a genuine attempt in fulfilling the aim, beginning by reading a great amount of literature on the topic. Various studies and various sources have tried to provide a concrete notion of the causal of workplace stress, based on which many have provided recommendations. Those causes are studied in a practical environment, as part of this research, so as to genuinely assess their validity. The research also involves considerable study on workplace stress management. Preventive measures that have been implemented to reduce stress have been evaluated and looked into, and measures that include management of stressed out w orkers and their total recovery from stress have also been analysed. Discussion: It must be mentioned here that completely doing away with stress is an unprofitable concept. Psychological studies reveal that a small amount of stress can provide for just the right amount of drive needed to work effectively with genuine interest. Thus, a little stress is always good. But when stress assumes larger proportions, it can be destructive for the organisation. We have studied the factors leading to stress. The causes of workplace stress vary, as we have seen. Contrasting arguments also exist, for instance, some cases argue that the even though managers and executives of a company face a larger workload, there are less stressed out than other employees at lower positions. On the contrary, there are studies that list the overload factor as one of the primary factors leading to stress among the employees. The likelihood of the latter claim seems more intense, since it is more reasonable and plausible. Furthermore, stress is now increasingly believed to be arising out of a si tuation known as the Work Organisation Problem, which states that the stress among the employees is a consequence of improper, inefficient, problematic and inappropriate organisation of tasks and work amongst the employees. This is perhaps a result of various studies which point out and emphasize that the mismatch between qualification and work done by an employee is the root of all problems that arise in various forms within the organization. Moreover, the recommendation for the organisation to look for signs of stress amongst its employees stems out of the need for prevention of stress. Since stress management, i.e. management of stressed out workers involves many structural measures and a great deal of temporary effort, and is also time consuming, it is always imperative for the organisation to prevent stress in a proactive way. Managing stressed workers should always be recorded for further interpretation of the findings, and hence for effective human resource management of the organisation. The need for culture change within the body of employees is an area that must be taken care of. Having unions for the betterment of the employees is a notion that must be discussed with the employees first, and then implemented. Furthermore, it is quite clear and easily comprehendible that stress leads to the damage of the image of the organization. Such damage is usually both internal, i.e. within the perceptions of the employees, as well as in the eyes of the public. (Guide to Stress Management) Recommendations: Based on the findings, it can be concluded that stress arises out of not one factor, but many factors. Improper work organisation, economic factors like pressure from investors in the share-market, growing fear of being downsized, and so on can create workplace stress. In any case, an organization must follow certain fundamental steps whenever stress is discovered to threaten its efficiency. The risks involved with stress are huge, and affect the organisation in many direct and indirect ways. Hence, a concrete policy of risk-management must be followed. Such a policy includes various steps as shown by the following flowchart. Beginning from the assessment of risk, to planning and materialisation of the required action plan, all steps must be followed up with genuine concern for the stressed employees and the suffering organization. (Leka) Thus, to address the overload problem first and foremost, the primary concern of the managers should be proper distribution of work among the employees. Moreover, there can be also a regular training for all employees to teach them on how to prioritize work efficiently. Certain other factors that are also cited as causes of stress must be treated. For instance, random and abrupt disturbances for the employees can have a negative impact. Various experts have suggested measures such as effective management of workspace and time as a solution to this type of stress. In an organization, it is imperative for every employee to be treated equally and justly. Absence of such treatment can also leads to uncertainty and stress amongst the employees. Hence, it must be tended to that each employee is treated equally and at par with everybody else, and all his rights are guarded. Mistrust amongst employees should be taken care of, with an attempt to develop frank communication levels and healthy inter-personal relationships within the organization. It is strongly recommended that any kind of politics must be rejected and condemned, so as to create a healthy workspace. In addition, the aim of creating a healthy and productive workspace can be done through rewards and recognizing outstanding performances, and their appreciation. Such measures have been found to go a long way in creating a sense of loyalty, commitment and a positive attitude towards the company. Stress puts the whole organisation at the risk of survival. Hence, it must be addressed as soon it has been discovered. Apart from small measures, a need to take large steps within the organization to reduce the problems caused by work stress might also arise. Such steps may involve redesigning the whole structure of work, and reorganising it within the employees, and managing it. Work stress generally shows itself in little observations, hence regular and continual steps must be taken to assess the conditions of the w orkers, and to look for signs of stress. Such measures may include regular questionnaires, or talks with the employees and managers. Also, whenever the warning signs are discovered, immediate action must follow. Discussions should take place with the stressed out workers, and certain changes which will help remove stress must be implemented. Such discussions should encompass suggestions and measures that could be taken on the personal front of the employees, which could help in lowering the stress. Steps such as having a balanced diet, thinking positive and even incorporating ideas like organising regular workshops on how to psychologically manage stress and combat it could turn out to be of great help. It becomes all the more important in many situations whether these discussions take place or not, since they could greatly benefit and completely curb stress within the workplace. A sense of direction, in totality, needs to be provided to the staff at regular intervals. (Life positiv e official website) References: Wikipedia (n.d.) retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workplace_stress WHO official website retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.who.int/occupational_health/topics/stressatwp/en/ National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health official website (n.d.) data retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/programs/workorg/ Workstress.info official website (n.d.) retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.workstress.info/the-health-effects-of-workplace- stress/ Workstress.net official website retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.workstress.net/causes.htm Guide to stress management official website (n.d.) data retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.guidetostressmanagement.com/workplace-stress/ Work Health and Organization Stavroula Leka and Amanda Griffiths UK 1-35 obtained on 17/5/2010 from www.who.int/occupational_health/publications/en/oehstress.pdf Life Positive official website retrieved on 17/5/2010 from http://www.lifepositive.com/mind/psychology/stress/stress-at-work.asp Appendix: Downsizing (cutting down or chopping the workforce in economically unfavourable times) Page 9. Flowchart on Risk Management Page 13. Flowchart on Stress Causal Mechanism Page 8. Global Business and Round Table Conference on Addiction and Mental Health (organised by the Centre of Mental Health and Addiction , Toronto) Page 9 National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NOISH) U.S. Page 8. Summary of the research Page 10. Treadmill Syndrome (disproportionately high amount of work with respect to time, space) Page 9. Work content Page 8. Work context Page 8. WHO—World Health Organisation Pages 4, 7, 9.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee :: Racism Race Kill Mockingbird Essays

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee â€Å"You felt sorry for her, you felt sorry for her?† (Lee 197) A quote from Harper Lee’s award winning novel To Kill a Mockingbird, which says so much. It shows the prejudice present in the 1920’s and 1930’s and how a black man could not feel sorry for a white woman because he was black. Negroes were not treated as equals. In fact, Negroes were believed to be less than second-class citizens, even level with the animals on the social ladder and biologically inferior to whites. Negroes were lynched often in many states, without reason, by white mobs. Blacks weren’t treated right in any part of American society including the courtroom. , with both the lynching in the streets and the prejudice in the courtroom this was a time where blacks did not have a fair chance both in and out of court. Many things happened throughout the past to create racial disharmony in the early 1900’s. Since the first slaves were brought to America whites have seen the Negro race as inferior and unequal. They were merely chattel purchased for the sole purpose as to provide for his master. Slaves were beaten to ‘keep them in line’ or killed to set an example for the rest. As time passed Negroes gained more freedom but also more hatred from the white populace. The formation of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) in 1866 greatly heightened tension between the black and white races. They preached White supremacy, â€Å"It is simple reality that to be born White is an honor and a privilege.† () To treat a Negro as an equal was viewed not only wrong but also as a direct insult and threat to the white race. â€Å"We must secure the existence of our race and a future for White children† () When a black was accused of a crime or a white person didn’t like him he could be punished by the KKK or mob through lynching, burning, dismembering, and or torturing. Nearly none of the time did the lynchings ever go to court. â€Å"A Mississippi lynch mob of 2,000 burns an accused black rapist alive a coroner’s jury returns a verdict of death †due to unknown causes.† And Mississippi governor Theodore G. Bilbo says the state has â€Å"neither the time nor the money† to go into the matter.