Roman Fever: A Brilliant Display :: Roman Fever Essays

Exposing Gender Stereotypes in Roman Fever    Definitive criteria for judging the success or failure of a work of fiction are not easily agreed upon; individuals almost necessarily introduce bias into any such attempt.   Only those who affect an exorbitantly refined artistic taste, however, would deny the importance of poignancy in literary pieces.   To be sure, writings of dubious and fleeting merit frequently enchant the public, but there is too the occasional author who garners widespread acclaim and whose works remain deeply affecting despite the passage of time.   The continued eminence of the fiction of Edith Wharton attests to her placement into such a category of authors: it is a recognition of her propensity to create poignant and, indeed, successful literature.   The brevity of her "Roman Fever" allows for a brilliant display of this talent in it we find many of her highly celebrated qualities in the space of just a few pages.   "Roman Fever" is truly outstanding: a work that exposes the gender stereotypes of its day (1936) but that moves beyond documentary to reveal something of the perennial antagonisms of human nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   From the story's first sentence, upon the introduction of two women of "ripe but well-cared-for middle age," it becomes clear that stereotypes are at issue (Wharton 1116).   This mild description evokes immediate images of demure and supportive wives, their husbands' wards.   Neither woman is without her "handsomely mounted black handbag," and it is not until several paragraphs into the piece that Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley even acquire first names (1117).   Thus, without even disclosing any of the ladies' thoughts to the reader, Wharton has already revealed a great deal of their personal worlds.   They live in a society which expects women to act largely as background figures, thoroughly engaged with furthering their husbands' careers and the constant struggle to remain pretty.   Indeed, little else is desired or even tolerated3/4and Grace Ansley and Alida Slade appear, at first glance, to conform to this image perfectly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the workings of the characters' minds are revealed, the extent to which they have internalized these values becomes apparent.   Each, in their brief description of the other, mentions that her acquaintance was quite beautiful in her youth.   Alida recalls how much she enjoyed having been married to a famous lawyer; she misses being   "the Slade's wife" (1119).   Startlingly, now that their husbands are dead, we find that the women consider themselves to be in a state of   "unemployment" (1118)!

Finding Her Voice in Their Eyes Were Watching God :: Their Eyes Were Watching God Essays

Janie Crawford, the main character of Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, strives to find her own voice throughout the novel and, in my opinion, she succeeds even though it takes her over thirty years to do it. Each one of her husband’s has a different effect on her ability to find that voice. The first time Janie had noticed this was when he was appointed mayor by the town’s people and she was asked to give a few words on his behalf, but she did not answer, because before she could even accept or decline he had promptly cut her off, â€Å" ‘Thank yuh fuh yo’ compliments, but mah wife don’t know nothin’ ’bout no speech-makin’/Janie made her face laugh after a short pause, but it wasn’t too easy/†¦the way Joe spoke out without giving her a chance to say anything on way or another that took the bloom off things† (43). This would happen many times during the course of their marriage. He told her that a woman of her class and caliber was not to hang around the low class citizens of Eatonville. In such cases when he would usher her off the front porch of the store when the men sat around talking and laughing, or when Matt Boner’s mule had died and he told her she could not attend its dragging-out, and wh en he demanded that she tie up her hair in head rags while working in the store, â€Å"This business of the head-rag irked her endlessly. But Jody was set on it. Her hair was NOT to show in the store† (55). He had cast Janie off from the rest of the community and put her on a pedestal, which made Janie feel as though she was trapped in an emotional prison. Over course of their marriage, he had silenced her so much that she found it better to not talk back when got this way. His voice continuously oppresses Janie and her voice. She retreats within herself, where still dreams of her bloom time, which had ended with Joe, â€Å"This moment lead Janie to ‘grows out of her identity, but out of her division into inside and outside. Knowing not mix them is knowing that articulate language requires the co-presence of two distinct poles, not their collapse into oneness’ † (Clarke 608). The marriage carries on like this until; Joe lies sick and dying in his death be d.

Muhammad Ali - Cassius Clay :: essays research papers

I consider a hero someone that has done great things. Some of the things that I consider great are, accomplished hard goals, stood up for their own rights, done things that would be hard for me to do, and done things that are extraordinary. Muhammad Ali-Cassius Clay is someone that fills my standards of a hero. Muhammad Ali has accomplished hard goals by getting medals in the Olympics. Muhammad Ali had to stand up for his rights when he started to box. He has accomplished things in his life that would be very hard for me to accomplish. Muhammad Ali has done things that I think are very magnificent. The thing Muhammad Ali has done makes him a hero to me. At first Muhammad Ali had no intension of boxing. After his bike was stolen, in the month of October 1954, when he was twelve, his whole life destiny changed in an instant. Upon finding out that there was a police officer in the basement of a gym, Ali went down in a horrendous state of mind exclaiming a â€Å"state wide bike hunt (http://www.planetpapers.com/jump.cgi?ID=182.html),† and said he was going to beat up the person that sole his bike. The way his life changed was that the police officer asked him if he knew how to fight and he said â€Å"no.† The policeman offered Ali lessons in how to box so that he could seek on the bike thief. This was the starting point in Muhammad Ali’s boxing career. In the late fifties, Cassius Clay rules Golden Gloves And the AAU national champion. A quick fight at the Rome Olympics in 1960, Cassius Clay a teenager knocks beats a Polish fighter by the name of Zbigniew Pietrzykowski to a â€Å"bloody pulp.† Muhammad Ali took home the gold. In 1962 Muhammad Ali states that he will knock out Archie More in the forth round. His prediction came true. In 1964, Muhammad Ali became world heavy weight champing by beating Sonny Listen. Although he did not knock him out, Sonny would not enter the seventh round making Muhammad Ali world champion. After knocking out Zora Folley, he did not fight for three and a half years. During this time he was standing up for his rights during the Vietnam War. He said, â€Å"I have no Quarrel with Viet Cong (www.usatoday.com).† He did not want to fight because the more troops we sent in, the more we lost.

Preventing Tooth Decay in Hispanic Preschool Children: Program Development

Preventing Tooth Decay in Hispanic Preschool Children: Program Development School of Nursing Health Teaching and Promotion Preventing Tooth Decay in Hispanic Preschool Children: Program Development Dental caries is a single most prevalent chronic infectious disease amongst US children (US Dept of Health and Human Services, 2000). Caries progression in younger children is more rapid and severe than in adults, resulting in the ailment known as Early Childhood Caries. According to National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) morbidity report almost 20% of children 2-5 years old had untreated dental caries (2012).In order to prevent tooth decay and promote good oral hygiene in young children, the community nurse will coordinate with East Los Angeles day care centers to hold a series of short classes for groups of parents 10-14 at a time just before the end of day care’s business day. These classes will focus on preventing caries development in preschool children by raising awarene ss amongst parents. The education will target Hispanic day care centers, and the goals of the program will be achieved by educating parents and their preschool children on factors that contribute to cavities formation, and strategies to prevent caries progression.Health Prevention Need According to Dental Health Foundation (DHF) children in California have twice as much untreated dental caries as the rest of the nation (2000). DHF further indicates that national minorities are at higher risk to develop dental problems. Variables such as socioeconomic status and educational level directly correlate with the rates of the dental disease prevalence (US Dept of Health and Human Services, 2000). According to NCHS, almost 40% of Mexican children from families that are below 100% of poverty level have untreated dental issues.Additional factor that contribute to dental cavities progression is lack of insurance. More than quarter of Californian preschoolers and elementary school students have no dental coverage (DHF, 2000). The practice of giving a nocturnal bottle is still utilized by more than 30% of Californians, and is considered as most common factor that contributes to tooth decay (US Dept of Health and Human Services, 2000). Caries in children may be source of severe pain, interfere with learning, diminish overall quality of life, and potentially lead to life-threatening infections.Fortunately, dental caries is easily preventable by following basic oral hygiene strategies. However due to lack of knowledge and other socio-economic and cultural barriers, these guidelines frequently are not followed, and children suffer from tooth decay and associated problems. The goal of this educational course closely replicates oral health goals set by Healthy People 2020, which emphasizes importance of education and prevention (U. S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2012).A joint effort of public health professionals, day care centers personnel, and individual parentsâ €™ involvement can halt the progression of caries and prevent the tooth decay in children. Characteristics of Learners This program will involve parents and their preschool children, and child care providers. Considering the geographical location of proposed courses (East Los Angeles), the most of the participating children are of Hispanic heritage, three to five years old; include both gender, and most likely bilingual. Piaget coined a term of preoperational intelligence to describe the cognitive learning in children ages 2 to 6 (Berger, 2008).Preoperational cognition, according to Piaget, denotes learning that occurs before understanding logical operations. Children’s cognitive processes at this age are magical and egocentric (Berger, 2008). Lev Vygotsky, in contrast to Piaget’s theory emphasized the social learning as an important part of knowledge formation. Vygotsky recognized the importance of guided participation in learning process of preschool children. He provided four steps created by caregivers that motivate children to learn: challenge presentation, assistance availability, instructions, and encouragement.Another prominent social development theorist, Eric Erikson described preschool children being in the initiative versus guilt state, which characterized by child balancing effort and expectations of adults (Berger, 2008). Preschool children may have prior knowledge of basic oral hygiene strategies, but need assistance and supervision. Additionally children at this age are able to follow two or three step instructions, curious and motivated, do distinguish cause and effect in simple situations.Berger states that young preschool children have healthy growing organisms, but greatly influenced by genetics, nutrition, socioeconomic status, and other factors (2008). The long standing tradition of encouraging children to eat traced in low-income Hispanic families is turning into the overeating epidemic in the US (Berger, 2008). Besides overeating, poor dietary choices, such as snacks with little nutritional value, but high in sugar, fat, and salt pose a direct danger to oral health. The second category of learners in this course is comprised of adult Hispanic parents of preschool children, and caregivers at day care centers.Both parents and caregivers are most likely emerging adults with ages ranging from 21 to 35. Most of them belong to lower socioeconomic status, with public health being the only source of healthcare coverage. As much as 45% are uninsured (NCHS, 2012). Almost 25% of these adults live below poverty level, and median per capita in income is almost 2. 5 times less than that of rest of California (United States Census Bureau, 2012). Forty four percent of East Los Angeles population reported having a high school diploma, and only 5. 4% achieved baccalaureate degree as highest level of education (United States Census Bureau, 2012).As much as 97% of population is of Hispanic descent, and almost half o f them are foreign born individuals. Catholicism is a predominant religion amongst Hispanic population. People of Hispanic origin have strong values of family relations, religion, tradition and customs. They might have preconceived ideas of oral hygiene, but most likely not follow the guidelines. Hispanics have a strong respect to healthcare providers, and their culture prescribes obedience and compliance, making them open to learning to certain degree (Berger, 2008).They might have limited English proficiency and be illiterate, which makes learning process harder. Nursing Diagnosis A multitude of nursing diagnoses are applicable to the situation of poor oral hygiene. Various problems arise from the potential adverse effects of infection and caries. But for this educational course two interrelated nursing diagnoses were identified. The first nursing diagnosis is ineffective oral health maintenance related to knowledge deficit, cultural beliefs, and lack of material resources as evid enced by reported poor dentition status in children (Wilkinson, 2005).The second diagnosis directly stems from the first one: knowledge deficit related to lack of exposure and unfamiliarity with information resources as evidenced by inadequate demonstration of proper teeth brushing and flossing techniques (Wilkinson, 2005). These two diagnoses will guide the content of educational course with focus on relevant needs. Client-Centered Educational Goal Wilkinson includes goals into the nursing diagnoses for evaluation of outcomes (2005). Goals are descriptions of desired family or client actions that can be measured or directly observed (Wilkinson, 2005).Upon completion of this course parents will express knowledge of importance of proper oral hygiene, demonstrate correct brushing and flossing techniques, and identify strategies that reduce progression of caries. The following education plan is tailored to the client-centered goals with objectives that reflect clients’ needs. Le arning Objectives Rankin, Stallings, and London state that leaning objectives have to be clearly formulated, time-limited, verifiable (measurable), and attainable in order to achieve effective learning (2005).A curriculum for health professionals and child care providers by California Childcare Health Program was used in the process of objectives identification (2005). To achieve stated educational goal six objectives: two of each learning domain were formulated. Cognitive objectives: 1. After attending a class on oral hygiene (condition), parents will state (performance) the detrimental effects of snack and drinks high in sugar, and nocturnal bottle on progression of teeth decay prior to the end of class (criterion). 2.After attending a class on oral hygiene (condition), parents will state (performance) the need to assist children with brushing until age of 8 by the end of class (criterion). Affective objectives: 1. After discussing a recommended routine of oral hygiene (condition) , parents will verbalize (performance) their feelings associated with changes in the routine by the end of the class (criterion). 2. After discussing effects of sugar on tooth decay and importance of dietary modification (condition), parents will state their challenges associated with breaking he nocturnal bottle habit in their children (performance) routine by the end of the class (criterion). Ppsychomotor objectives: 1. After observing instructor perform correct brushing techniques (condition), parents and children will demonstrate a repeat demonstration (performance) routine by the end of the class (criterion). 2. After attending the class (condition), children will demonstrate â€Å"lift the lip† technique (performance), to allow their parents inspect the teeth by the end of the class (criterion). Content OutlineContent outline allows structured learning environment and provides guidance to the instructor. The content outline for oral health should include information on basic teeth anatomy, teeth eruption pattern, signs and symptoms of caries and teeth infection. The signs of infection may include gum or facial swelling on affected side, foul odor, drainage, and visible cavities and discoloration (California Childcare Health Program, 2005). The information of possible outcomes of untreated infection need to bi disclosed. Children may complain of pain and discomfort.Further, content outline should include demonstration of correct brushing techniques, both for parents and children, and information on relationship of sugar and night-time bottle to tooth decay. The session should include questions and answers section to allow parents and children validate their understanding. Active discussion is encouraged to promote disclosure of feelings associated with necessary changes. Content outline need to incorporate information on public health resources available to low income families to meet material needs. Instructional Strategies and MediaThe proposed e ducation program will take place in the day care centers in East Los Angeles, CA, 1 hour prior to the end of business day. The course will be divided into 2 parts, first focusing on dental health concepts, and the second will be devoted to the correct brushing techniques and evaluation of learning. Teaching will be conducted in group format with estimated 10-15 participants. Group format allows sharing of concepts between members and more comfortable environment (Rankin et al. , 2005). The first part will be in the lecture format, reinforced by booklets both in English and Spanish anguages. Video material and plaster model of jaws will be utilized, to demonstrate teeth anatomy. Rankin and others note that instructional videos are more effective in conjunction with practice and return demonstration (Rankin et al. , 2005). Therefore, the second part of the session will focus on demonstration of brushing strategies, different positions to assist parents with brushing, and dental produc ts. Demonstration can reinforce psychomotor objectives achievement, and lectures and videos are effective in meeting cognitive objectives (Rankin et al. , 2005).At the end, parents will be allowed to ask questions and reflect on their feelings, which will result in achievement of affective learning objectives. Instructional media listed above will include resources and materials recommended by â€Å"Promoting Children’s Oral Health: Curriculum for health professionals and child care providers† with permission of its developer – California Childcare Health Program. These include 4-minute â€Å"Lift the Lip† video on basic oral exam for parents and day care center providers, â€Å"Healthy teeth begin at birth† booklet, and the â€Å"What do you think? questionnaire to evaluate parents understanding and validate their feelings and concerns. All the materials are available in English and Spanish (California Childcare Health Program, 2005). Evaluation of Objectives and Program Evaluation Strategies To evaluate the outcomes of educational session, the lecturer will use a modified and simplified â€Å"Evaluation questionnaire† available from â€Å"Curriculum for health professionals and child care providers† to reflect both on cognitive learning, and to assess program perceived effectiveness (California Childcare Health Program, 2005).This tool includes questions with answers utilizing Likert scale to elicit feelings related to course effectiveness, and a simple test to assess knowledge. Observation of return demonstration of teeth brushing by both parents and children will serve as evaluation strategy for psychomotor objectives. Observation allows the teacher to provide feedback and corrective measures (Rankin et al. , 2005). The questions and answers session at the end of the class will assist the evaluation of achievement of both cognitive and affective objectives, by allowing participant verbalize their feelings, and validate their learning.Several open ended questions are included in the written questionnaire as well. Conclusion The oral health of children is greatly impacted by such socioeconomic variables, as their parents’ income, education, culture, prior experience, and insurance status. Preschool children from Hispanic families in state of California are at higher risk to develop dental cavities compared to the rest of the state. Basic strategies and spread of information about dental health can prevent progression of dental caries and greatly improve future quality of life in preschool children.This program will teach parents, caregivers, and children on proper teeth brushing techniques, disseminate knowledge on basic oral health concepts, and provide a list of public resources available to overcome financial barriers. References Berger, K. S. (2008). The developing person through the life span. ( 7th ed. ). New York. NY: Worth Publishers. California Childcare Health Program. (2005). Bright Futures Toolbox: Health Professionals and Human Services Providers. Retrieved from National Maternal and Child Oral Health Resource Center: http://www. ucsfchildcarehealth. org/pdfs/Curricula/oral%20health_11_v7. df National Center for Health Statistics. (2012). Health, United States, 2011: With Special Feature on. Hyattsville, MD. Retrieved from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www. cdc. gov/nchs/data/hus/hus11. pdf#076 Rankin, S. H. , Stallings, D. K. , & London, F. (2005). Health promotion: Models and applications to patient education. In Patient Education in Health and Illness (5 ed. , pp. 27-46). Philadelphia, PA: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. The Dental Health Foundation. (2000). The Oral Health of California’s Children: Halting a Neglected Epidemic.Oakland, CA: Dental Health Foundation. United States Census Bureau. (2012). State & County QuickFacts. Retrieved from United States Census: http://quickfacts. census. gov/qfd/states/06/06208 02. html United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2012, August). Oral Health. Retrieved from Healthy People 2020: http://www. healthypeople. gov/2020/topicsobjectives2020/overview. aspx? topicid=32 United States Department of Health and Human Services. (2000). Oral health in America: A report of the Surgeon General. National Institutes of Health,

5.04 Sinclair: Snoop for Scoop

5. 04 Sinclair: Snoop for Scoop! Part I: 1. Sinclair â€Å"muckrake† for social reform, by uncovering the terrible working conditions people in the meat industries were experiencing. After uncovering these terrible conditions Sinclair then wrote â€Å"The Jungle† which made the public aware of the terrible & unsanitary working conditions in the meat industry. Soon after, Americans demanded better regulations for the meat industry. 2.The Pure Food and Drug Act was established as a direct result of the public outcry from Sinclair novel â€Å"The Jungle†. 3. As a result of his novel Sinclair wanted to opened the public eyes to the terrible working conditions people were experiencing and how the meat products were being produced. In this he hoped to see changes in meat productions such as healthier productions and working conditions. Sinclair also wanted to help promote socialism. 4.Majority of the public was mortified that their meat was filled with contaminations & wanted this problem to be fixed immediately. Some on the other hand saw Sinclair's book as an exaggeration of what was really going on. Many people began to stop eating meat. 5. ABC News found that the conditions at Food Lion was mortifing. Food Lion was selling food that was rotten & washed them with bleach to get rid of the ordor. They also found cheese that was being gnawed at by rats. . Food Lion could not prove the findings were false. 7. The basis of Food Lion's lawsuit against ABC-News was that they were charged with fraud ,trespassing, and breach of duty. 8. In the jury's verdict they ruled against ABC News 9. The jurors' rationale for the verdict was that Food Lion Lion food recieved twice the amount as compensation for wages paid to producers because the jurors' believed ABC didn't have to lie to get the information about Food Lion Part II:I do believe journalists have a duty to be â€Å"watchdogs† for the public, but to a certain instinct. I say this because altho ugh it is apart of their profession if being a so called â€Å"watchdog† for the public means breaking morals & laws then it shouldn't be done. But then again I feel that we have to be our own â€Å"watchdogs† inorder to know what's really going on. I'm not sure of the name of the person who post I responded to, but the date of the post I replied to was on Thu Oct 11 09:36:35 2012 5.04 Sinclair: Snoop for Scoop 5. 04 Sinclair: Snoop for Scoop! Part I: 1. Sinclair â€Å"muckrake† for social reform, by uncovering the terrible working conditions people in the meat industries were experiencing. After uncovering these terrible conditions Sinclair then wrote â€Å"The Jungle† which made the public aware of the terrible & unsanitary working conditions in the meat industry. Soon after, Americans demanded better regulations for the meat industry. 2.The Pure Food and Drug Act was established as a direct result of the public outcry from Sinclair novel â€Å"The Jungle†. 3. As a result of his novel Sinclair wanted to opened the public eyes to the terrible working conditions people were experiencing and how the meat products were being produced. In this he hoped to see changes in meat productions such as healthier productions and working conditions. Sinclair also wanted to help promote socialism. 4.Majority of the public was mortified that their meat was filled with contaminations & wanted this problem to be fixed immediately. Some on the other hand saw Sinclair's book as an exaggeration of what was really going on. Many people began to stop eating meat. 5. ABC News found that the conditions at Food Lion was mortifing. Food Lion was selling food that was rotten & washed them with bleach to get rid of the ordor. They also found cheese that was being gnawed at by rats. . Food Lion could not prove the findings were false. 7. The basis of Food Lion's lawsuit against ABC-News was that they were charged with fraud ,trespassing, and breach of duty. 8. In the jury's verdict they ruled against ABC News 9. The jurors' rationale for the verdict was that Food Lion Lion food recieved twice the amount as compensation for wages paid to producers because the jurors' believed ABC didn't have to lie to get the information about Food Lion Part II:I do believe journalists have a duty to be â€Å"watchdogs† for the public, but to a certain instinct. I say this because altho ugh it is apart of their profession if being a so called â€Å"watchdog† for the public means breaking morals & laws then it shouldn't be done. But then again I feel that we have to be our own â€Å"watchdogs† inorder to know what's really going on. I'm not sure of the name of the person who post I responded to, but the date of the post I replied to was on Thu Oct 11 09:36:35 2012

Social Change

Sociology and Social change are not words that the average person thinks about on a daily basis. However, these are definitely two areas that effect society on a regularly. Chapter one of the textbook discusses these subjects. This chapter gives a detailed view of the kinds of change, levels of change, and causes of change. Although these are not things that are pondered upon, the information outlined in chapter one helps clarify why and how things change. It can be extremely difficult to read about or research a topic and not know exactly what it is.The first thing chapter one does is defines social change. The textbook’s definition of social change is â€Å"the significant alteration of social structure and cultural patterns through time. † In other words, it’s when there has been a big enough change in society and its actions over time to make an impact. This section also breaks down social structure as the interactions between people and groups that have beco me predictable. After explaining specifically what social change is, the chapter then goes into more detail.The next thing that it talks about is the kinds of change. There are five different kinds of change. The first is changes in personnel. This is the change where different individuals with their own unique pasts are constantly moving throughout social structures. Next is change in the way parts of the structure relate. This kind of change deals with the relationship roles, especially those in the family setting. The third kinds of change are changes in the function of the structures. This change is how and what is contributed to society.Although an establishment is created to fulfill one particular need, it may very well adapt to assist with additional needs. Fourth, the next kinds of change are the changes in relationships between different structures. This is how certain organization may adapt over time to fulfill the needs of society at the time. Lastly, there is the emergen ce of new structures. The next section discusses the levels of change. There are three levels discussed in this section; micro, macro, and societal.Micro level of change is the level of change that focuses on individuals and things that are of everyday concern to people. Macro level of change deals with society as a whole and how decisions are possibly formulated in society. Societal level of change is the changes that happen within the urbanized society. These changes take longer to occur and mostly affect choices between women and men, and marriage ideals. The section immediately following talks briefly about time frames of change.This segment gives a synopsis of short term and long term change. Short term change is normally more noticeable and obvious. Long term change is oftentimes harder to recognize and has a larger influence. The last big section of this chapter talks about the causes of change. This portion starts off by identifying the difference in consequences and change. It clarifies that there is a difference but also states that there is a correlation. The next cause of change can be external or internal. These are also known as exogenous and endogenous.External causes, as one assumes, are those beyond the control of one’s own power. Technology would be an example of external cause. Internal causes are those factors that happen naturally without any influence from outside forces. This section discussed three internal causes in particular. Those causes were the gap between the ideas that we share as society and the actual practices of society, the difference in what every individual learns and picks up in socialization, and the difference in the way individuals take on social roles and how they define them.Chapter one is a great introductory chapter to social change. Chapter one is a great way to start this textbook off in showing the world of sociology. Not only does it explain what social change is, it gives exact reasons as to why. From the kinds of change, to the time frame of change, it is all relevant as to why society has reached its current culture. As well as why we are the people of society and how our actions have evolved over time.

Theory X, Theory Y

Theory X, Theory Y by Douglas McGregor is a motivation theory. Douglas McGregor is a social psychologist and applied two sets of assumptions to the organizational structure called Theory X and Theory Y. His theory is based on managerial views of human beings. In his book, The Human Side of Enterprise, he outlined a new role for managers. He stated that managers should assist subordinates in reaching their full potential, rather than commanding and controlling. Theory X is negative and Theory Y can be stated as the opposite, positive. Douglas concluded that managers shaped their behavior towards workers based on either the X or Y views.Theory X presumes that average employees dislike work, are lazy, dislike responsibility, and must be coerced to perform. (text book citation pg 177) Theory X is focused on an authoritarian management style. Rewards and punishments are assumed to be the key to employee productivity. Employees have little to offer in terms of organizational problem solvin g. Under Theory X employees need to be controlled and threatened to get them working. Employees work for money and security only. According to theory X, appraisals and promotions occur on a regular basis.This view is based on that employees merely satisfy their lower-level physical needs and could not hope to be as productive. Theory Y supposes that employees like work, are creative, seek responsibility, and can exercise self-direction (text book citation pg 177). Theory Y is focused on a participative management style. The managers would take suggestions from workers. These type of managers relate to Theory Y employees and try to share ideas on how the work should be carried out and how it should be improved. The manager values the workers opinion. This type of leadership leads to high motivation.Theory Y assumes that there is an opportunity to align personal goals with organizational goals by using peoples own ambition for self fulfillment. Individuals go to work of their own acco rd, because work is the only way in which they have a chance of satisfying their need for achievement and self-respect. Effort in work is as natural as rest and play. Employees under Theory Y are motivated by many different factors apart from money. The most important reward is satisfaction of their ego needs. What is the relevance of this topic to the study of organizational behavior?The relevance of this topic to the study of organizational behavior is that every employee has some hierarchy of needs and alerting managers’ actions and views accordingly will lead to more motivated workers in an organization. Organizational behavior is the study of what people do in an organization and how their behavior affects the organization’s performance. (text book citation. Pg 11) Organizational behavior works towards improving the organization’s effectiveness and to establish an improvement and organizational change so that employees will be more productive and happy.In t urn those organizations will be more effective and efficient in achieving their goals through their employees. Theory X and Theory Y stated that employees can either be motivated by strict direction or allowed to work freely. Either one of these two theories would maximize an employee’s job motivation and would produce happy employees working towards the organizations goals. â€Å"The effectiveness of organizations could be at least doubled if managers could discover how to tap into the unrealized potential present in their workforces. (book citation) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the theory or idea? There are both strengths and weaknesses in Douglas McGregor’s, Theory X and Theory Y. Some of the strengths of Theory X and Theory Y are that it exposes the endless possibilities for creating opportunities for people to obtain personal satisfaction, knowledge, achievement, challenge, prestige, and other rewards through work. This theory offers opportunities for human resource development involvement in team-building sessions and management development.Douglas’s theory also offers those in supervisory positions a chance to gain some self-knowledge thus acquiring some insight in their managerial skills. Theory X and Y call for managers to examine their assumptions about human nature and see how these models lead to managerial practices. These assumptions will be reflected in management attitudes toward employees, the kind and amount of participation they allow, and the outcomes they expect. The strength of McGregor’s theory is its significance. When McGregor formulated his theory, companies competed on their ability to mass produce goods.Today, however, paying attention to the human aspect is a requirement if any organization. Without a powerfully motivated, highly skilled, self-reliant human resource, organizations do not stand a chance to survive, much less compete. McGregor’s theory provides the solution to problems related to the human aspect of an organization. Some of the weaknesses in McGregor’s Theory X and Theory Y theory are that there is only so much money that can be offered as motivation and only so much control that can be applied. People change and so do motivators. McGregor states that a satisfied need no longer motivates.This theory has no evidence to support Theory X or Theory Y. There’s no validity in the assumption that managers who modify their actions or behaviors will lead to more motivated workers (textbook citation p177). It is part of the manager's job to exercise control and influence, and there are situations in which this is the only method of achieving the desired results because subordinates do not agree that the ends are desirable. What does the research say about the theory? Has it been supported by research? Cite the relevant research, and explain what it shows.Studies in relation to the application and observations of McGregor’s Theory X and Y views of managerial behavior and employee outcomes have been conducted and have shed some additional light on this topic. McGregor’s research has also been questioned for its practicality and usefulness. For instance, in Kopelman, Prottas, and Davis journal in the Journal of Managerial Issues (2008 (2) 255-271) they state that â€Å"the paucity of substantive research on the effects of Theory Y managerial assumptions/attitudes may be attributed to the absence of a construct valid measure that is freely available to researchers.How can McGregor’s theory be tested if the focal construct has essentially gone unmeasured? (p. 2697) McGregor’s theorizing about the effects of managerial assumptions has not been rigorously examined. (p. 269) . A construct-valid measure of the central concept was developed, as a critical first step in assessing the substantive validity of McGregor’s theorizing. During this research, a survey was given to undergraduate and gradu ate students in business. The survey consisted of four principal section s measuring Theory X and Theory Y attitudes and behaviors, faith in people, fast food opinions, and items relating to leisure time activities.The reasoning behind the survey was that Theory X/Y attitudes and assumptions would be closely related to Theory X/Y behaviors and that Theory X/Y attitudes and behaviors would be positively but distally related to generalized faith in people. The end results of the survey concluded that in order to construct validity of a measure should precede substantive research. Summarizing the research done by Kopelman, Prottas and Davis it was stated that theory Y attitudes, such as participative leadership should not be viewed as proxies for measuring managerial attitudes.Theory Y pertains to an individual difference variable reflecting assumptions about people at work-it is not a specific set of recommended management practices. (p. 267) In Kermally’s Book (p. 39) it state s that State you cannot and should not apply one set of assumptions to fit all situations. Again, the focus should be on individual differences and needs. There are groups of workers who would like to be directed and who are not keen on taking responsibility. Such workers would perform better under ‘autocratic managers’. According to the Harvard Business Review (p. 8) we need further investigation of what personality characteristics fit various tasks and organizations. The theory of motivation and organization will have to take account of the contingent relationship between task, organization, and people. Kermally, S. (2005). CHAPTER FIVE: Douglas McGregor (1906-1964). (pp. 35-41). Thorogood Publishing Ltd. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database. Morse, J. , ; Lorsch, J. (1970). Beyond Theory Y. Harvard Business Review, 48(3), 61. Retrieved from Business Source Complete database.