Lifelong Learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

Lifelong Learning - Essay Example Super's theory included propositions relating to trait-and-factor theory, developmental psychology, and personal construct theory, from which Super derived his ideas about self-concepts and sociological theory. Super proved that the changes in the self-concept develop throughout the person's life as a result of experience. People modify their self-concepts depending on the career choice and new work conditions. The important part of Super's theory is dedicated to the construct of career concerns as divided by the six stages of person's development depending on the age span. Development stages were described by the theorist in the beginning of his career (1954) and are as the following: As we see these stages relate to the life-span dimension of the person: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, middlessence and senescence respectively coincide with career stages of growth, exploration, establishment, maintenance and disengagement. The career stages of adulthood that includes specification stage, implementation stage and stabilization stage describe adults who are looking for stability and advancement in their jobs. Stability referrers to as keeping the same job for a long time period, struggling to meet job requirements but still being concerned about one's competencies. On arrival in the job market, young adults reflect on how to achieve their vocational goals. They then move on to seeking a promising path by questioning their goals and abilities in an attempt to accelerate vocational development. The adult then "grapple with the occupational race", striving to reach a plateau of occupational status (Super, 1969)Once adults reach their late twenties, different aspects of their career choice is combined with the feeling of safety and certainty in their competence and dependability. Advancing in career implies promotions, or moving to a position with more responsibility, and may involve a higher income (Super, 1980). After career has been established, adults become concerned holding on, keeping up and innovating in their careers during the consolidation stage. In the final career stage at the age of around 55 people are sure about tomorrow's day and have no need to keep on working, so they declare retirement. In conclusion, perceived as a well-respected theory, Super's theory of career choice and development it is regarded as one of the most comprehensive approaches describing the crucial factors of person's career. Mezirow and transformative learning Mezirow in his theory of transformative learning focused on the idea of perspective transformation, which he understood as the learning process by which adults come to recognise and reframe their culturally induced dependency roles and relationships. Later he drew on the work of Habermas to propose a theory of transfo

The Japanese model of human resource management is no longer relevant Essay

The Japanese model of human resource management is no longer relevant to firms in the contemporary business environment. Critically assess this statement - Essay Example In this case, an individual may argue about the extent to which Japan should adopt Western management practices so as to boost its performance in the global marketplace (Sakikawa, 2012). This paper will evaluate whether the Japanese HRM model is relevant to the contemporary business environment. The Japanese HRM model is characterized by information flow and collaboration that is dominated by the Japanese culture. Japanese people believe in getting their hands dirty to help them identify the prevailing problems and come up with relevant solutions to address the challenges, and the leaders are not exempted from this initiative. These principles are usually mistaken by most western managers who believe in micromanagement, which is an unprincipled and constant practice that interferes with the processes (Rowley & Benson, 2004). However, according to the Japanese society, these tools are essential in terms of shepherding the underlying processes. The decision making process according to the Japanese is aimed at providing an opportunity that fosters equal ranking among employees and managers in a particular group in order to incorporate the idea that an individual stipulates. This process rhymes with the Japanese culture that focuses on harmonizing people. The physical action that is attributed to the decision making process aims at creating an environment that offers support as well as an agreement for a decision in case a manager who is in a higher position accepts and recommends a particular decision (Ruysseveldt, 2004). The Japanese people believe in the ringi decision making process. This means that a person should submit a proposal to his or her supervisors, and await their feedback. Though the executive leadership does not define the corporate policy clearly, all the managers regardless of the levels that they occupy are supposed to raise their decisions that

France and Russia Semi-Presidential Systems Analysis Essay

France and Russia Semi-Presidential Systems Analysis - Essay Example Democracy is simply understood as highly associated with freedom. On the contrary, it would be a bit harder to define authoritarianism due to the fact that it is quite supple and diverse in its form. In other words, it is very interesting to find out why some countries ended up themselves in authoritarian regime knowing the fact that there is no individual freedom associated with it. In addition, it is very complex and not everyone could substantially express their freedom. At some point, there must suppression of individual rights involved. After all, authoritarianism requires absolute obedience to authority. This is the basic requirement in authoritarian regime contrary to emancipation of individual freedom in democratic regime. In democratic regime, it is the people who have the higher authority to select among themselves somebody to be seated in the higher rank, to represent their voices. Submission therefore to this instituted authority would mean complete obedience and respect of the voice of the majority. In this case, it is always the majority wins and has ultimate right over the minority. This only means that for as long as there are minority groups, democratic regime should always subject itself to varying amendments in many aspects in governance. For instance, the emancipation of law should at some point be allowed to undergo process of voting prior to its implementation. In the legalization of abortion, democratic regime always has the chance for ratification by the majority. Substantial debates are necessary just to make sure that everybody’s possible voices on the said issue are heard. On the contrary, one could always associate authoritarianism with dictatorship, monarchy, one-man rule, autocracy and even police state. This what it means about authoritarianism being diverse. In democracy, the rulers are restricted by a constitution, law and even oppositions such as the minority group and even some insurgents. However, this is not the case in the issue of authoritarian regime. There is a repressive control of the people in authoritarianism. Seeing these definitions and illustrations of authoritarianism and democracy would somehow suggest that it would be impossible why countries remarkably engaged themselves with authoritarian regime. It is important to look at this issue in detail most especially in the case of Russia. In this paper, the proponent tries to elaborate some factors that could probably explain why Russia has slid into competitive authoritarianism. Based on history, Russia like France has semi-presidential systems. However, France chose to remain democratic but Russia decided to slide into competitive authoritarianism. There are many probable factors that one could elaborate for the reason of acquiring substantial explanation. However, in this paper, the proponent chose to discuss one of the most important factors considered to be elemental for the institution of authoritarian regime in Russia. This is th e issue concerning democratic value. Democratic value People lack democratic values. Perhaps, this is a good point to start with. In Russia, history could tell that in its archaic society, the leaders always decide for the people. People were never thought to decide among themselves and thus lacking responsibility and freedom to think of different things for the good of the country. This is a remarkable impact and

The Japanese model of human resource management is no longer relevant Essay

The Japanese model of human resource management is no longer relevant to firms in the contemporary business environment. Critically assess this statement - Essay Example In this case, an individual may argue about the extent to which Japan should adopt Western management practices so as to boost its performance in the global marketplace (Sakikawa, 2012). This paper will evaluate whether the Japanese HRM model is relevant to the contemporary business environment. The Japanese HRM model is characterized by information flow and collaboration that is dominated by the Japanese culture. Japanese people believe in getting their hands dirty to help them identify the prevailing problems and come up with relevant solutions to address the challenges, and the leaders are not exempted from this initiative. These principles are usually mistaken by most western managers who believe in micromanagement, which is an unprincipled and constant practice that interferes with the processes (Rowley & Benson, 2004). However, according to the Japanese society, these tools are essential in terms of shepherding the underlying processes. The decision making process according to the Japanese is aimed at providing an opportunity that fosters equal ranking among employees and managers in a particular group in order to incorporate the idea that an individual stipulates. This process rhymes with the Japanese culture that focuses on harmonizing people. The physical action that is attributed to the decision making process aims at creating an environment that offers support as well as an agreement for a decision in case a manager who is in a higher position accepts and recommends a particular decision (Ruysseveldt, 2004). The Japanese people believe in the ringi decision making process. This means that a person should submit a proposal to his or her supervisors, and await their feedback. Though the executive leadership does not define the corporate policy clearly, all the managers regardless of the levels that they occupy are supposed to raise their decisions that

Heritage Project Essay Example for Free

Heritage Project Essay To me heritage is something that should be of vital of importance, something that has played a part in history and contributed to why I am where I am today. For heritage to be important to me, it must have had an impact on the lives of my ancestors and the choices they made as well as the things which they fought to uphold. Heritage defines who we are, with the different types of foods, buildings and ways of life between the different cultures that bring us together. The stories and memories passed on from generation to generation, bringing us together and giving us a sense of direction. It is the foundation that we are built upon and allows us to lay new grounds for the future. Debate around the public representation of Juma Masjid. Juma Masjid represents the Muslim community, being one of the most glamorous and extravagant mosques in the country people tend to take it for granted and not take into account its unique architecture and design. With the Muslim population annually increasing, space is not a problem as Juma Masjid is the most spacious Mosque in the southern hemisphere. It represents the Muslim community as it is greeted with great numbers of Muslims on the days of Eid as well as a number of tourists who make the trip into town to marvel at its beauty. Although Indian and Muslim people always having a strong bond and togetherness, they aren’t allowed into the Masjid. This is for any non- Muslim for that matter. In Islam, which has strict rules that one has to abide by and comply too. When you are a Muslim, you believe in the One and Only Allah, all other heritage and cultures are of no effect and are said to be false. There is no place for other religions in Islam, a Muslim should not become derailed from Islam and weaken his faith by giving into the western temptations and ways of life. Juma Masjid has never caused uproar or been part of anything controversial regarding its structure. Muslim people should be grateful as South African is a very understanding and accommodating place, with the government allowing Minarets to be built on Mosques. Muslims in Switzerland aren’t so lucky however, as existing Minarets stand and new ones cannot be built, the Muslim people came out saying that instead of trying to make life hard for them and drive them out of the country the Swiss government should rather ‘integrate rather than exclude†. Throughout history people have been oppressed upon, some more than others of course. Because of this people would always remember the past and the way that they were treated and try to turn the oppression around. Our divided past still has an impact on the lives we live today, with sport for instance. White people are highly regarded as cricket and rugby players while Black African people are associated with Soccer and form most part of the support system in the sport locally. We should ask ourselves, how do we sort this out? One should remember that common interests bring people together, so instead of carrying on with the old bring in the new and expose people to different environments, taking them out their comfort zones and creating a better future for our country moving forward. As much as we can say that apartheid is over, there is still the lingering after effects of stereotypes and racism in different aspects of life. Therefore, we cannot just forget about it and move on, we should learn from it and educate about it, so it does not deter this country again. The Juma Masjid. The first bit of history surrounding Juma Masjid may be only from the early 1880’s but for Islam, it was introduced a lot earlier in South Africa, most people believe it to be brought into the country in around 1667 by the Cape Malays. It wasn’t until 1863 though when Aboobaker Amod Jhaveri and Hajee Mahomed Hajee Dada arrived in Durban did Islam really take off and open up to them; the people at the time. It is accepted that they were aboard the SS Truro, one of the passenger liners that brought down labourers from India and other areas. Aboobaker Amod Jhaveri together with Hajee Mahomed Hajee Dada then purchased a plot of land in 1881 from K. Moonsamy for a sum of ? 115 with the intention of building a Masjid for the Muslim people of the Durban area. There was not much of a structure on the site, but none the less they turned this small piece into what would become the largest and most visited Masjid in the southern hemisphere in the century to come. This however still wasn’t the Masjid to be; rather it was a Jamaat Khana. A Jamaat Khana is simple structure in which people could go into and perform their daily prayers. A Jamaat Khana is not even nearly big enough to accommodate the number of Musallees that a Masjid can. A Masjid is much more elaborate in terms of the architecture and minarets, domes and craftsmanship’s. It wasn’t until 1884 when the two founders had the structure rebuilt to make room for the ever growing numbers of Muslim people in the area. This was now the first Masjid ever to be built in the Natal region. This Masjid could now capacitate up to 200 Muslims. Aboobaker being a businessman and knowing the trade, went ahead and purchased land surrounding the Mosque. This proved a smart and important buy as in the following years he would pass away in India from cholera while on a business. This land that had been bought paid dividend as it was used to expand the Masjid even more. As the last surviving trustee and care taker of the Masjid, Hajee Mahomed had to take action as again space for worshippers was becoming an issue because of the influence of Aboobaker’s business transactions and dealings. It is said that he was an honest and fair man, who attracted many non-Muslims to the path of Islam by the way he went about with his dealings and mannerisms. Hajee Mahomed then acquired more land from John Stanger for a sum of ? 300 in 1889 for the Masjid to expand a little more and comfort the Muslims from. Then in 1893 the British Empire abolished slavery and the Indian population wasting no time formed the Natal Indian Congress. With the freedom now granted to people, the first minaret was built on the extensions of the Masjid; this caused a chain reaction as in the same year two shops were built alongside the Masjid providing some money for the caretaking and maintenance of the Masjid. Then in 1905 during the time in which the Masjid was in full flow, the second minaret was built together with a number of rooms, it also facilitated visitors and travellers by establishing toilets and showers for the people at the back of the Masjid. A living area was also built for the Muazzin; the Muazzin is someone who gives the call to prayer for Muslims all around, the call for prayer is called the Azaan. With the Muazzin now in place, it was about time a group of trustees took control of the Masjid and in 1916; which proved a rather important and significant time in this Masjids history. A board of trustees were elected; they included. Hajee Mahomed Dada, Moosa Hajee Cassim, Abdoola Hajee Cassim, Omar Amod, Joosab Jan Mahomed Tayob Hajee Khan Mahomed. These Muslim men made up the first batch that took the realms and pressure off Hajee Mahomed as they worked with him on continuously allowing this Masjid to flourish. These two minarets were the tallest structures in the area of Durban at the time. In 1927 it was decided that it was time to expand and rebuild Juma Masjid, this contract was given to Payne and Payne architectures. A great part of the Masjid was demolished as the second minaret was brought down as construction was completed in 1928; it was also planned that the minaret would be rebuilt. Many parts and mediums of the Masjid changed then after but the greatest and most significant took place 15 years later when the Masjid went under construction again. This time in 1943, the entire building rather than just part of it that was demolished; everything was brought to the ground except the first minaret. Everything else was rebuilt with the exception of the first minaret as the rest of the Masjid was built and fitted into the Masjid. Juma Masjid is not only a place of worship but also a place of education and learning for people. A school for young Muslim girls was also established in 1957, this school has a roll of approximately 400 learners and 300 Madressah students. A Madressah is an institute put in place for children to learn about their religion of Islam and become law abiding citizens, teaching their students morals, values and etiquette. Being in the heart of the bustling Durban central it is convenient for people working in the area. Established as a girl’s school it is now a co-ed school. The Masjid itself is very beautiful Juma Masjid is of major importance in the Muslim community of Durban, as it is occupied daily by hundreds of Muslim men who attend prayers daily. On Fridays in particular, Grey Street will always be busier than usual as all roads lead to Juma Masjid. Friday is the day of most important after Eid prayers in a Muslims life. Thousands of Muslim men close their shops, leave work early and make their way to Juma Masjid in prayer. Women at home prepare lunch as they get ready for their prayers as well. Two other days are also busier than usual; the days of Eid. As thousands of Muslims take the day off from work as everything apart from religion comes to a stop. Everyone in the household is awake early as they ready themselves for the day that lies ahead. Muslim men all flock to Eid Prayers early in the morning as there are large gatherings all around the city. The day is then spent with family, great functions are held as people come together to celebrate this auspicious day of Eid. Juma Masjid has a distinct Islamic architecture style to, with its golden minaret which glistens in the rays of the sun many people often forget it’s majestic and eye popping beauty. I for one am yet to come across a Masjid that has shops, offices, a school and still a beautifully designed Masjid; all in one structure. When you enter this Masjid you are greeted with an archway, which is just underneath one of the golden minarets. Leaving your shoes outside your feet are met by the soft and warm red cushioning carpet as they sink into the carpeted floor as you enter this century old marvel. Once inside, it is realised Juma Masjid is amazing inside as well, built in a baronial style. Juma Masjid is truly something to be admired. With a Corinthian type walls on each of its high rise levels. Being Muslim I have visited many different Masjids around the country but not once have I ever come across another Masjid that has a pond in its Wudhu area. Wudhu being commonly known as ablution, simply cleansing oneself of impurities and keeping yourself clean and respectable as you prepare to stand before Allah in prayer. With the Wudhu area being a square with ablution stations all around it, all comes together with a pond in the middle and topping it off fish swimming inside is just the wonders of this spiritual sanctuary.

Alternatives for Capitalism in a Globalised Economy

Alternatives for Capitalism in a Globalised Economy Essential for globalized economy: Communism or Capitalism In this globalized economy now it is a big question for us that, what is the perfect economic system: communism or capitalism? By globalization we can understand cross boarder market. There is an international exchange of labor forces, ideas, capitals, knowledge, products, and services. Now we will focus on capitalism and communism and try to find out that in this globalized economy capitalism or communism, what is best suited? Is Communism applicable in globalized economy? Communism is a concept, in that ownership of land, capital and industry cannot be owned or controlled by the individual. However, under Communism the control of these things is not by a local community but by the State Government. Under this system the government has total control of everything produced and control what is made, and who will receive the goods and services produced. Under this system you are not allowed to own your own home, your own car, your own furniture, or even the food you eat. The State decides what you can use and where you will work. So, we think it is an obstacle for global economy. Because if the country determine what will be produced, how will be produced and for whom will be produced, then developed countries may notbe interested to invest in that country. At the same time Communism kills the will to work, competition, innovation and creativity, where these are the main characteristics of a worker in this modern globalized economy. Why compete to work? You wont make any more money. Why spend time innovating new ideas, or being creative, there wont be anything in it for me. As a result they fail to provide goods and services for their citizens. The Soviet Eastern Communist countries of the 20th century were noted for not having much goods and services for their citizens. Yet, the ruling class always had plenty of everything, and it was usually imported from capitalist countries. While we have rich people in America, we also have a large middle class that live comfortable lives. Even many if not most poor people in America have refrigerators, TVs, and food on the table. Since Communism controls all goods and services, the individual is at the total mercy of the State. You have no rights except those granted by the State. The old Soviet Union was a police state, with total control over its citizens.West Germany was full of cars on the Autobahns. The streets in East Germany were mostly empty, with an occasional person on bicycle, even in the middle of winter. Freedom of travel is restricted in a Communist State because they control who gets what and for how long. If you were lucky enough to get a car in East Germany, it was usually a worthless piece of junk. But, we may face a question that if communism creates hindrance to global economy, then how China runs its global economy as we know it is a communist country? Then our answer will be†¦ While China’s government may be officially communist, the Chinese people express widespread support for capitalism. And since 2002, the Chinese have been one of the strongest proponents of capitalism, even more so than Americans and Western Europeans. During last 30-35 years China has brought enormous changes to its economy. In the late 1970s, the government started opening the economy to foreign investment and privatization. With these changes came sky-high economic growth – an average of 10% since 1980. And now about 76% people of China agree that most people are better off in a free market economy. Listverse showed 10 benefits of Capitalism: Happiness If you look at this happiness map published by scholars from the University of Leicester, you can clearly see that the foremost democratic, capitalist countries like the USA, Canada, New Zealand and the whole of Europe are the happiest in the world. This is because in these countries, thanks to the free-market, whatever products people want, they can get. ViableAlternatives Perhaps the strongest argument working in favor of democratic capitalism is that there is no alternative politico-economic system which has proved itself to work in our modern age. Almost every attempted implementation of communism has failed (China – abandoned total communism long ago and are slowly creeping towards capitalism). America became socialist and imposed many strong measures on corporations to regulate their behavior, the largest companies (Trans-National Corporations) would most likely move their industry elsewhere, and potential entrepreneurs would be scared to invest in capital, irreparably damaging America’s economy. So as you can see, changing the economic system isn’t even an option. Growth Capitalism allows the economy to grow exponentially. It is a basic fact of economics that the more money a firm makes, the more it can invest in production, and the more it invests in production, the more money it makes. So long as no unfortunate events befall the firm, this growth can, obviously, continue indefinitely. Many see a problem arising with this: there are only a finite, or ‘scarce’ amount of resources on Earth, so this huge growth of production will one day run to a halt. Health There is greater awareness than ever of the importance of fitness due to government campaigns. All of these contribute to an extremely fit society, and, in desperation, one can always resort to liposuction or some other sort of surgery. Social Good It might seem at first glance that everyone is selfishly working for their own money, but dig a little deeper and it becomes apparent that every job has a benefit for someone else. Factory workers produce the products that we can’t live without; hairdressers perform a service that benefits us body and soul; and the police work to protect us and make sure we live in a lawful society. Even unpopular and ‘overpaid’ professions such as city bankers and sportsmen have a positive effect on society, whether it be helping us manage our money, entertainment or something else. Equality No matter where you start in life, everyone has an opportunity to make it big. The basic principle is that the harder you work, the greater your reward. Human Nature Being the Best Freedom Built on Democracy (Nunno, Jed Rachael, 2014) An authoritarian communist party controls Vietnam. Its true. But its founding ideology appears all but gone from the hearts of Vietnams people. Vietnam, in fact, may actually be one of the most pro-capitalist countries on Earth. Almost all Vietnamese people — 95% of them — now support capitalism, according to the Pew Research Center, which polled nearly 45 nations late last year on economic issues. No other country in the poll cracked 90%. Even in the United States — where socialist can be used as an insult — only 70% agreed that a free market economy is the best kind of economy. (Winn, 2015) References Nunno, Jed Rachael, 2014. Listverse. [Online] Available at: http://listverse.com/2010/12/24/top-10-greatest-benefits-of-capitalism/ [Accessed 24 April 2015]. Simmons, K., Spring, 2014. Global Attitude Survey, Washington, DC: PEW Research Center. Winn, P., 2015. USA TODAY. [Online] Available at: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/03/13/vietnam-capitalism-global-post/70261770/ [Accessed 24 April 2015].

A Tibetan Perspective on Birth and Death Essay -- Death Religion

Many religions and philosophies attempt to answer the question, what happens after a person dies? Some religions such as Christianity and Islam believe there is an afterlife. They believe that good and moral people enter Heaven or paradise and that bad and immoral people go to Hell. Other religions and cultures believe that death is final, and that nothing happens after a person dies. Buddhism and Hinduism have a different idea about death. Both of these religions originated in India. Buddhists and Hindus believe that death is not final. They believe that a person comes back after he or she dies. This process is known as reincarnation, and it provides opportunities for people to enter the world multiple times in different forms. Buddhists and Hindus want to reenter the world as humans, and they want to improve their status through reincarnation. In ancient India, many members of lower casts wanted to come back as members of higher casts. While this is an important goal of reincarnati on, the main goal is to reach either moksha (Hinduism) or nirvana (Buddhism). In other words, the goal is to reach a point of spiritual enlightenment that removes the person from the reincarnation process. Geoff Childs, an anthropologist examines the views of the Buddhist religion by studying the lives of the people in Tibetan villages. He looks at issues that adversely affect these people such as infant mortality. He carefully looks at the lives of people who have been left behind by deceased loved ones, and he pays careful attention to customs and traditions surrounding death. Tibetan Buddhists view death as a means of reaching spiritual perfection, and they seek to reach this level of spiritual perfection through living spiritually meaningful lives.... ...eath is is not a cessation in Buddhism. Death can be seen as a new beginning. A new opportunity to reach spiritual perfection. Infant mortality is a difficult subject to talk about for many Tibetan parents. Survivors are often faced with poverty and other extreme hardships after the loss of a loved one. However, Buddhism provides great comfort to survivors by teaching that Earthly bodies are impermanent. Tibetan cremation procedures place great emphasis on reincarnation. Tibetan views about death are focused on nirvana and spiritual perfection. These practices are spiritually meaningful for both the living survivors and the dead. Works Cited 1 Geoff Childs Tibetan Diary From Birth to Death and Beyond in a Himalayan Valley of Nepal (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2004) 41.  2 Ibid., 54.  3Ibid., 54.  4 Ibid., 54  5 Ibid., 146.  6 Ibid., 147.