Chinese Labor and Employment Law Essay Example for Free

Chinese Labor and Employment Law Essay In November 2001, China became a fully admitted member of the World Trade Organization and in n in international trade. China has not only become a major export power, but also an attractive investment target for world trade and investment continues to increase, its labor environment will likely attract more ? 2 1980. At least 130 million of these are migrant workers who move from relatively poor rural areas to urban and industrial centers to work. Many of these migrant workers remit portions of their earnings back to family members in their hometown. Until recently, China has typically had an oversupply of unskilled labor and a shortage of skilled and professional workers. However, in the past several years, some companies in the major industrial hubs have begun to complain about labor shortages. As a result, many companies now raise wages 10 percent or more annually to retain workers, while others have closed their doors and moved to poorer inland areas or countries with cheaper labor. Interestingly, salaries for new university graduates have stagnated university system. While university graduates start their careers with wages comparable to a factory worker, their salaries typically rise much more quickly than those factory workers. How have 35 years. Prior to the early 1980s, nearly all jobs were allocated to citizens through an administrative bureau. Employees could not choose their employer or terminate their employment. Further, regulations set an expectation that the employee would work for the same employer for her or his whole working life. Companies in this era could only terminate employees for gross misconduct. This type of labor market and social safety net was called the Iron Rice Bowl because the employer guaranteed job security and benefits to employees In other words, the benefits could not be taken away 3 In 1983, the government introduced a contract system that attempted to address the low productivity of the labor market by replacing the Iron Rice Bowl with short-term labor contracts. At first, state-owned companies resisted this trend and the government succeeded only in minimal reforms. In 1992, the N required all trade unions to be affiliated with the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). This effectively brought labor unions under greater control of the government. The Labor Law of 1994 liberalized the labor market. The labor law, when combined with economic reforms, resulted in more than 40 million lost jobs in government and state-owned enterprises. As a result of the reforms, the government shuttered inefficient businesses and the formerly economically dominant northeast turned into a rustbelt. Meanwhile, Chinese entrepreneurs and Hong Kong investors transformed the formerly weak southeast province of Guangdong into the largest center of manufacturing in the world. In 2008, the government introduced a Labor Contract Law that rolled back some of the laissez-faire approaches to the workforce that the government introduced in the 1990s. This new law abolished the system of at-will employment for most full-time employees and required employers to provide employees with written contracts. Since 2008, the government has also revisited its policy of tight control over the All-China Federation of Trade Unions (ACFTU). While all unions must still be approved by and affiliated with ACFTU, it appears that the government is allowing the ACFTU greater authority to advocate for the rights of workers than it did just a few years ago. That said, the government continues to imprison workers who advocate for the formation of independent trade unions. W A G ES Does China have a minimum wage? 4 Yes. There are two standards of minimum wage: monthly and hourly. Minimum wages are set at the provincial and municipal level. The government prohibits employers from reaching an agreement with employees for wages that fall below the local minimum wage standard regardless of whether the employee is still in her or his probation period or internship. A probationary period occurs at the beginning of an employment relationship and allows employers to terminate employees without severance pay up to a maximum of six months, but usually just two months. The probation period allows the employer to make sure the employee is a good fit with the employer before being locked into the full term of the employment contract. Provincial and municipal governments frequently adjust statutory minimum wages. For example, many municipalities have raised their minimum wages twice in the past year alone. Ho It depends on the locality. -time employees is RMB 1,120/month, or roughly $165. However, in the poorer inland city of Chongqing, the minimum wage is RMB 870/month, or roughly $130. Of course, purchasing wages. The relative cost of living in China is lower than in many developed countries, but even when wages are adjusted for relative prices they remain much lower than in highly developed countries. How much do factory workers earn? It depends on the locality, industry, skill level, and a host of other factors. However, several sources keep broad indices of costs for general factory labor across many regions. Although the indices are only rough estimates, they are helpful in gauging wage differentials across the country. For example, a skilled manufacturing employee in Beijing can be hired for 5 RMB 3,000/month, or roughly $445. A similar worker in the poorer inland municipality of Chongqing can be hired for RMB 1,900/month, or roughly $280. To illustrate how important geographic location is in determining wage rates, the average employee salary in Beijing is nearly three times higher than in the poor inland province of Jiangxi. Do Chinese workers get overtime? T , an employer must pay overtime compensation to any employee who works more than 40 hours per week. As a general rule, an employer cannot require overtime of more than one hour per day, or three hours per day under special circumstances, and no more than 36 hours per month. As in many other countries, white collar workers like managers and sales staff are often exempt from the overtime pay rules. The following payment schedule illustrates the overtime pay requirements. E xtended Wor king Hours Typical working day Rest day (min. one per week) (i. e. , weekend) National holiday M inimum O vertime Pay (percent of regular wages) 150 percent 200 percent 300 percent Many migrant workers desperate to earn quick money agree with the employer to work beyond the maximum overtime requirements so they can send extra money home to their families. This type of overtime work is frequently found in industrial hubs and is a contributing cause of recent labor strikes because employees who agree to these arrangements place downward price pressure on wages and upward pressure on hours. Employers are also able to maneuver around overtime regulations by applying to the local labor authorities and asking for approval to use an alternative system of working hours. What are the wage levels for workers who are paid piece-rate? 6 Piece-rate is a compensation system where the employer pays the employee for each unit produced or action performed, not on the basis of time. Piece-rate wages are still a feature of to address the exploitation of employees through piece rates. For example, workers were exploited when employers paid workers at piece-rate, but then fined them for quality defects, tardiness, or no reason at all. These penalties effectively left workers with wages far below what the employer promised the workers during the hiring process. The first principle of piece-rate wages is that employers cannot set a work quota so high that it prevents an employee from completing the work within an eight-hour day or an average 40-hour week.

Challenges That Face The Organizational Behaviour Business Essay

Challenges That Face The Organizational Behaviour Business Essay Employee and customer satisfaction are the vital elements of an organisation to survive in the continuous changing world. To function effectively, the organisation must understand the culture and the diversity of the employees. Organisations must adapt to the changes of technology and customer needs, therefore the importance of the work force is a pivotal role facing any organisation today. In the past, behaviour patterns of the employees were not taken much care of, but today it is key structure to obtaining success within and outside the organisation. Every organisation has its own distinct behaviours, characteristics that portray the companys ways of building a positive and productive relationship within the work force. The companys philosophy, values, mission, vision, goals and objectives, communication, capacity to embrace changes, culture and learning sets as its model framework which outlines its function. Every detail of the behavioural aspect in an organisation is incorporat ed in the field of discipline now known as organisational behaviour. Organisational behaviour is a broad study of knowledge about how individuals and groups act in their respective organizations. Organisational behaviour in management can be viewed as the behavioural pattern of people in management; the manner and way people interact within the organisation. Management is to organise, control and achieve the objectives of the owners of the organisations that employ them. The management operates through the manager who exercises great care in administering the resources of the organisation. According to the Management guru Peter Drucker (1909 2005) the basic task of management is marketing and innovation. Directors and managers have the power and responsibility to make decisions to manage an enterprise to the best of their ability. Frenchman Henri Fayol (1841 -1925) considers management to consist of six functions, forecasting, planning, organising, commanding, coordinating, controlling. Business Strategy A key factor in the running of organisations is the business strategy the organisation develops. Business strategy refers to how a business competes successfully in a particular market. It concerns strategic decisions on meeting the need of its customers, the choice of its product, gaining an advantage over its competitors, exploiting or creating new opportunities. A business strategy is typically the direction a business will pursue and the steps it will take to achieve its goal. A successful business strategy will identify what a business wants to accomplish, the strengths it can bring to bear on accomplishing the goals and weaknesses that must be addressed prior to integration and implementation. Business strategy determines the direction of the business in the long run, competition in the market and resources required for it to be able to compete. These are all factors which affect the overall outcome of the business and have to be taken seriously in order to achieve the goal req uired. Case study A typical example of a case study of a business strategy is Vijay Patel a self made millionaire. He is the founder chairman Waymade Healthcare, a drugs company. Although he has achieved considerable wealth already he is not ready to give up: Ive got a long way to go. It isnt about making more wealth. It is about achieving the goals I have set for my business. My ambition is to become a mini Glaxo by 2010. (Glaxco is one of the worlds leading pharmaceutical companies.) Sunday times, 10 September 2000 Innovation and Creativity Another critical element in order to achieve organisational goals and objectives are what new ideas can be integrated to achieve success in an organisation. Many companies introduce new ideas and plans to achieve their targets and goals. This is an important part of future success within any organisation. New technology has become available over the years which have led to newer options available to organisations which seemed distant before. Companies structure the business on these advances in technology, allowing them to have a clear vision of what they would like to achieve in the future. This process of change is known as innovation and creativity. All organisations can innovate but where some will flourish, some will also fail. Introducing innovation and creativity will have positive and negative effects as new developments bring in fresh ideas which change old practises with new ones. The Challenge for all organisations is to keep ahead of changing market conditions, new technologies and human resources issues. Management of these changes are the most important challenges facing any organisation. The management have to be very adaptive and flexible. The management must have open, caring relations with every employee and face to face communication. There is also a systemic approach to business innovation, which includes change in organisation, strategy, technology, process, product and marketing. All of these will be affected by innovation and need to evolve to adapt with changes. Case study BT is unique in having an end-to-end open innovation process. The company scouts the latest innovations and trends in the market worldwide, creates prototypes rapidly in hothouses, uses its own research, and partners with academic institutions to create products and services for its customers. A recent successful innovation that was rapidly down streamed for use by BT Retail was the development of BT FON application for the iPhone and Android smart phones. They enable users to find the nearest Wi-Fi hotspot and roam to it instead of using the expensive data channel provided by their mobile operator. The concept for the application was rapidly developed by BT Innovate and Design researchers and developers to become one of the most downloaded free apps on both the Apple and Android sites. Control To achieve and maintain the quality within the organization is of critical importance which is through control process, which refers to examining the activities whether these are done in a planned and organized way. There are three types of control: market control which deals with the external market mechanic (price competition), bureaucratic control emphasis on organisation authority, admisinistration rules, regulation and policies, whereas clean control is related with behaviours patterns of employees such as norms, values, believes. Control is important to as it provide assurance in the terms of goal fulfilments. Control is considered as the final link in the management process. It tells us successful accomplishment of the organisation goals by examines planning empowering the works and their safety at workplace. The following three step control process involves: 1. Assessment of actual perform 2. Comparing it with a standard 3. Managerial discussions to correct deviations or inadequate standard in order to measure control process following measure are utilized: 1. Personal observed 2. Statistrical reports 3. Oral reports 4. Letter report To ensure control, it is very important to compare actual performance with the pre established standard in order to correct actual performance or revise the standard. Quality Control: Quality control is an important aspect of management which talk about added value to product and services which set them apart from competitors .it is an important part of companys strategy, important at every level of operations process. The goal of quality control is to identify mistakes and correct them as soon as possible. Quality built trust and productivity increases profit for the organisation. Traditional quality control emphases on mistakes rather then preventing them. Wall Shewort (1930) introduced statistical quality control, comprised of acceptance sampling approach and process control. Process control production: It deals with measuring out put and comparing it to pre-establish standards for example: canned soups are retained within certain temperature during processing. it temperature is too high, soup would have burning taste and if temperature is too low then there is a chance of bacteria in the soup. If process control procedure detects a shift beyond an accurate temperature range corrective action can be taken. Acceptance sampling process It tests a small sample and small sample is fine than the whole is also accepted. If sample is bad than the lot is rejected. Quality assurance People are key to quality and works, work hard for zero defects Total quality management It refers to when the workers (quality circles) discuss different methods to improve quality of products and solve production problems. This strategic commitment is known as total quality management, which requires 70% members support decision. Case study: Motivation Motivation refers to goal directed behaviour. It can be describe as direction and persistent of action. Twyla Dell describes motivation as what people actually expect from work they perform. The employee gets rewarded in return of their hard work to improve productivity, quality and services. Employees, who are motivated and dedicated to work, feel satisfied with their work performance. Their higher degree of interest results in better organisational development There are two major categories of motivation content theory and process theory. Content theory discusses the elements which serve as motivation for an individual at work and emphasis upon peoples needs and goals and effort to achieve their goals. Process theories deals with initiation of a particular set of behaviour, its direction and stability, involves expectancy based model, equity theory, goal theory and attribution theory. Major that comes under content aspect are Maslows hierarchy of needs model; Alderfer,s modifield need hierarchy model; Herzbergs two-factor theory; McClellands achievement motivation theory. Maslows theory According to Maslows to achieve self action the basic needs of a person needs to be fulfilled first. The second step is saftly.when the individual feel secure, he and she seeks love and develop esteem. Once these needs are fulfilled, self action is the high need to be fulfilled. Maslows hierarchy of needs model In the context of work motivation, Herzberg Herzberg presents his two-factor theory, which comprised of maintenance factors and Growth factor. Maintenance factor Maintenance factor are related with job, its environment .If an individual is jobless, and he or she would be dissatisfaction. Growth factor Growth factor, on the other hand, related with effort in Terms of improving job performance. Case study Tom Monaghan founder of Dominos pizza emphasises people behaviour at work striving to accomplish the goal and meet the challenges. When their efforts rewarded, the workers gain a sense of belongingness and recognition. He strictly believes in the light of his own experience that his employees got some dreams and are willing to work with an aim to bring their dreams in to reality. With this perception facilitates them to prove his belief right. In terms of career development, Dominos offers employees follow the Monaghans own success path who started out as a delivery person and moving up through the position of store manager. Following this tradition, Dominos employees have taken great opportunity to start their own franchises. Monaghan ran Dominos according to a modification of Alderfers model of work motivation with the belief that people need to be rewarded for their efforts and that most of them, like him, have dreams that can be nurtured and satisfied by material wealth. Whether these dreams coincide with basic existence needs or the need of some people to find self-esteem through possessions is a matter of debate among psychologist. Whether they can be practical managerial creativity. Monoghan also believed that people need a sense of belonging and that they want to cooperate with others in a successful working environment.thus, Dominos emphasizes teamwork. Even working at a somewhat routine and standardized job like pizza delivery, it is possible for a Dominos employee to b part of a group, a family, with the sense of belonging that families engender. In addition, Dominos has a clear system of extrinsic rewards, including the opportunity to advance and become a franchise owner.Thus employees have a clear expectation of what they must do to earn certain rewards. Finally, we might explain Dominos success by the fact that it challenges people to use their creativity. In a business as straightforward as pizza parlors, Dominos has found that innovation and creativity can play an improving the company product, in enhancing their own talents in the pursuit of their own opportunities, and in making the organisation successful Factors responsible for ineffective performance of work organisation and steps to over come As we discussed above factors responsible for effective work organisation. If any one of the above stated factors such as business strategy, innovation and creativity, quality control, does not function properly, the stability of an organisation is disturbed. And these disturbances put the organisational objectives at risk, leading to failure to achieve the desired outcome. According to a survey (2009), the Society of Human Recourse Management emphasised factors important for job satisfaction. These are job security, correlation with immediate supervisor, benefits, constant contact between employee and senior management, chance to show skills and abilities, appraisals, health and safety. Besides, there are other factors in the working organisation responsible for the unsuccessful performance of the workforce to accomplish the outlined goals. These are as follow: Lack of motivation Lack of Information Insufficient recourses Time management These factors and many other are important for successful work organization but in my view lack of motivation is the most important factor which put the whole organisation at risk and refrain it to accomplish the set goals. Lack of motivation Motivation plays a significant role in organising human behaviour at work. Increase in salary, rewards, and benefits, flexible timings, job security, promotions all keep an individual committed to their work. If any of these incentives are withdrawn, interest of the employees decreased and they start looking for some other organization which meets their needs. On the other hand, if the do not join another organisation, and remain in the same organisation, their quality of work decreased. They unable tp perform at their best. The worker might develop some psychological problems as a result of continuous stress. They consider the job as a duty irrespective of the matter that they enjoy it or not. They consider the job is the basic requirement to fulfil the basic need of themselves and their family. Manager plays a vital role regarding workforce motivation and keeping their morale high. Employees motivation is the key factor which effect organisation performance. The manager should know the aptitude of employees because every individual has different personality. The manager is to involve all the staff members in the decision making process and create friendly environment. The organisation must provide the opportunity to its work force to develop their knowledge and skills. They must be involved in different task in order to build confidence in their respective area. The employees must be provided with complete information about how to perform a task in a given time frame. They must be allowed to work independently, be capable of making decision. Their goal directed behaviour indicates task management with higher level of responsibility. Giving confidence to the employees to attend in higher level meetings provide more access to important and desirable meetings and projects. Employee might be added in specific mailing lists, in company briefings keep them aware regarding company matters. They should be provided opportunity to impact department or company goals, priorities, and measurements. Modern nature of work organisation Work Organisation Change Work organisation change refers to change within organisation which effects the internal as well as external environment of the organisation. Organisation change can be initiated by the manager within organisation and it can be due to changes in policy or due to some external forces e.g., clients demand. In order to survive, the organisation must have the potential to accomplished changes. Factor of organisational change 1. Uncertain economic scenario 2. Globalisation 3. Government intervention 4. Lack of natural resources 5. Swift developments in new technology and the information age; 6. Quality assurance and high standards of customer satisfaction 7. Increased flexibility in the structure of work organisations patterns of management 8. The changing composition of staff Change within organisation is related with time factor. Old dated material resources( (machinery, equipment) as well as human resources in terms of lack of modern skill and knowledge and lack of aptitude in the labour force results in change. These problems can be over come by regular repair of the equipment, physical material and update these with advance technology. While on the other hand, human resource management can run training workshops in order to empower their work force with relevant skill and knowledge in their respective area. Change in organization is an indispensible element in todays technologically advanced world. However, organizational change has faced many challenges in order to accept it by the members of the staff and even the organization as a whole. Due to its challenging nature, organisational change has been criticised keeping in view the following factors: 1. If the change does not meet the need of organisation and employees 2. If the organisation ignore needs and expectations of employees 2. If the employees are ignorant or have less information about the change 3. If the member realized there is no need for change When the employees have insufficient information, they resist change which might be a big hurdle to achieve the goals. Every member has his or her own perception and interprets the change by using his/her own particular perspective or frame of mind. For example Habib Bank Ltd. Pakistan (2007) introduced customer relationship officers (CRO) and employed fresh graduate with updated skill and knowledge. This change was unacceptable for senior employees and they took many years to accept this change by changing their perception with the help of continues meetings and organising socials and training workshop combined with the new staff. Similarly, habits of the members serve as a source of security and when change is necessary, it leads to resistance. Effort is required to provide some rewards in order to build new habits. Change is also perceived as loss of freedom and economic implications, insecurity and fear of the unknown. For example introduction to new technology put heavy pressure on members in order to maintain their position in the orgnisation. Another major criticism is when the organisation resists the change as they are comfortable with the structure, environment and rules, already established within organisation. The possible reasons might be organisation culture, maintaining stability, investment in resources past agreements and threats to power. Organisational culture The development of the culture of an organisation is a long term process, and influence the organisation process and behaviour pattern of the staff members. So it is not easy to bring change and accept it promptly. However, ineffective culture is prone to change easily. Maintaining stability Large organisation more often sounds to be stable. Therefore change in organisation structure, rules, division of tasks leads to resistance to accept change. Investment in resources: To bring change, large resources are also required. Therefore the organisation experience difficulties if their resources are already invested in some project. Similarly past contracts of an organisation with some other organisation can cause resistance to accept change. Lastly change might be perceived as a threat by some group in power. As a result of change, there is strong chance that their influence on decision making or resource is minimized. Case study The following case study provides evidence regarding the outcome of organisation change. These outcomes are related with leadership, motivation, culture change

Love and Hate in James Cains Mildred Pierce :: Cain Mildred Pierce Essays

Love and Hate in James Cain's Mildred Pierce      Ã‚  Ã‚   Some may say that the character Mildred Pierce of the novel, Mildred   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Pierce by James Cain, may be a good role model for an entrepreneur or a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   single working mother.   Some may say that she was hopelessly devoted to   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   her ungrateful daughter, Veda.   Some may also argue that Veda was a   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   terrible daughter who lacked compassion, sincerity, and most of all,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   respect.   As true as that may all be, the candlelight glowing about the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   flawless, sugar-coated heroine shall be blown out.   Fluorescent lights,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   please.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mildred Pierce loved her daughter.   Perhaps she had loved Veda too   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   much.   One questions how a woman can love such a bitch - a coloratura   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   soprano.   Could it have been another type of love?   Mildred had an   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   exaggerated sense of self-importance.   She felt the need for attention and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   admiration from others, particularly Veda.   Mildred Pierce took people for   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   granted or exploited them with an unusual coolness.   Had Mildred Pierce   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   been a real person, and ever introduced to Sigmund Freud, the verdict   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   would be in.   Mildred Pierce suffers from Narcissism.   Another kind of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   love, indeed!   She simply had fallen in love with her reflection (as the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   disorder was named for the mythological Narcissus, who fell in love with   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   his own reflection) - Veda Pierce, that is.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In 1991, Sophie Freud, granddaughter of Sigmund Freud, explained that   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   the narcissistic mother has a great investment in her daughters.   The   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   survival of women greatly depends on loving, and whether she is loved.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Narcissistic actions are ambivalent.   "In order to develop into a woman   Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  [the narcissist mother believes] a daughter needs sufficient libidinal   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   resources to identify with her female partner [mother]..." (Fenchel).     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mildred Pierce fits the description.   That must explain the sensual vibes   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   - but unfortunately Veda was not the type of daughter to want to identify   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   with her mother.   Mildred's character ached for approval from Veda.

?An Interpretation of Paul Laurence Dunbar?s Poem Sympathy and We Wear

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout African American history, African Americans have used poems as a way of describing the African American condition in America. One poet who was widely known for using poetry to describe the condition of African Americans in America was Paul Laurence Dunbar. Paul Laurence Dunbar was one of the most prolific poets of his time. Paul Laurence Dunbar used vivid, descriptive and symbolic language to portray images in his poetry of the senseless prejudices and racism that African Americans faced in America. Throughout this essay I will discuss, describe and interpret Sympathy and We Wear the Mask. Both Sympathy and We Wear the Mask were written by Paul Laurence Dunbar.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  To begin with, the poem Sympathy suggests to the reader a comparison between the lifestyle of the caged bird, and the African American. Paul Laurence Dunbar’s center of attention of Sympathy is how the African American identifies and relates to the frustrations and pain that a caged bird experiences. Dunbar begins the poem by stating â€Å"I know what the caged bird feels, alas!†(African American Literature page 922). This shows the comparison of a caged bird to an African American. Dunbar wrote this poem with vivid, descriptive, and symbolic language throughout the entire poem. Dunbar uses this vivid, descriptive and symbolic language to stress his point that some one tied up in bondage and chains is not privileged enough to enjoy the simple but unique parts of life. In the first stanza of Sympathy Dunbar wrote: I know what the caged bird feels, alas! When the sun is bright on the upland slopes; When the wind stirs soft through the springing grass,- And the river flows like a stream of glass: When the first bird sings and the first bud opes, And the faint perfume from its chalice steals- I know what the caged bird feels! The first stanza is representative of the symbolic speech in which Paul Laurence Dunbar uses to describe the condition of African Americans. The first stanza also states how the conditions of African Americans are similar to that of a cage bird. The symbolism in the first stanza is that of nature. Dunbar speaks of the chalice, river, and grass which are parts of nature that a person who is not oppressed, may enjoy and take for granted. Unlike the non oppressed people; chalice, river, and grass are parts of nature in w... ...he second stanza is the mask in which hides African Americans feelings and thoughts from the public. The second stanza ask a question of â€Å"Why should the world be overwise† which is interpreted as Dunbar asking why should the majority of people have such a negative affect on people and how the minorities respond to societal norms. These societal norms that are spoken of a rules or unspoken laws that are set up to benefit and serve the majority or those that are in charge. In this case   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Similar to Sympathy the third stanza of We Wear the Mask is also like a prayer. The third stanza is a plea for release of control over African Americans. The third stanza is also a plea from African Americans for the release of hiding feelings and emotions.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In conclusion, Paul Laurence Dunbar was of the most prolific poets to ever write poetry. Paul Laurence Dunbar used vivid, descriptive and symbolic language to portray images in his poetry of the senseless prejudices and racism that African Americans faced in America. This use of vivid, descriptive and symbolic language was very apparent in both of his poems Sympathy and We Wear the Mask.

The Time Machine :: essays research papers

As fabled as fairies and dryads, only slightly more scientific, the imaginary device referred to as the â€Å"time machine† has gained many prospective engineers over the years. Young boys ponder thoughts of returning to Jurassic times in a time machine of their own, while little girls dream of princesses in castles. Even as we grow older, we fancy that such an appliance might help us revoke that angry diatribe towards our boss, or take us back to yesterday when we bought that lotto ticket. Certainly, the contraption has procured a wonderful spot on our list of â€Å"Things I Wish Bill Gates Would Hurry Up And Design.† But who exactly was it that first conjured up such an idea? Most definitely not Bill Gates. In the late 1800s, H.G.Wells entertained many, as well as making a reputation for himself in the writing business, when he composed his â€Å"extraordinary voyage† The Time Machine. The Time Machine was perhaps the first book that allowed the world to accep t the thesis that seeing is not believing. Our â€Å"voyage† begins much like any other book of the 1800s, with many respectable people gathered together in a drawing room. Not only is it redundant, but it is the forecast of a positively boring book. However, we must remember that just as weather forecasts have a way of being uncannily incorrect, book forecasts are commonly wrong as well. There is a psychologist, a medical man, a very young man, Filby, a provincial mayor, our narrator, and the Time Traveller himself. The group listens rather skeptically as the Time Traveller attempts to convince them of the validity of such trekking, even when he presents them with a miniature replica of the time machine he claims to have built for himself in the laboratory. When the â€Å"mini-machine† seems to disappear in mid air, they pass it off as a clever party trick. However, the resolute scientist invites the group back for a second dinner party the following week where he hopes the true device will be completed. The following week, the assemblage returns only to find that their host is absent. Mid-way through the main course, the Time Traveller appears, looking rugged and distressed. After shoveling the entrà ©e into his mouth in a manner very much resembling a feasting lion, he sits to tell his story. The group listens intently as he divulges the details of his experience traveling to the year Eight Hundred and Two Thousand Seven Hundred and One A.

Critical Analysis of Emily Dickinsons My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums

English 1102 2/20/13 A Characterization of the Narrator in My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums The speaker in Emily Dickenson’s â€Å"My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums† is very torn between rejoicing in the victory in the battlefield, and the regret they feel for the battles losers. The narrator feels pride at first, as shown in line 1 and the title’s use of the word â€Å"Triumph† yet that pride quickly turns into regret and disdain.The narrator laments what they feel are senseless acts of war and their deep regret turns into wishing the roles were reversed and they had died. In â€Å"My Triumph Lasted Till the Drums† the narrator describes the triumphant feeling at the end of a victorious battle. â€Å"My Triumph† means that the speaker recognizes that there was a victory and that they are on the side of the victors whom should feel jubilant in victory. The use of the word Triumph shows that the speaker is aware that there is a great sense of p ride to be had in winning a battle.This feeling, however, is very short lived. The speakers â€Å"Triumph† lasted only â€Å"till the drums/and then I dropped my victory†¦Ã¢â‚¬  as noted in lines 3 and 4. These lines show the speakers a compassionate and caring person who feels remorse immediately after the triumphant feeling subsides. The speaker in â€Å"My Triumph† is an average person who is thrust into battle, emerges victorious, and sees that there is more defeat in victory than they realized.The narrator sees the reality of a cruel battle and the loss of lives and realizes that though they are victorious, the defeated are all dead. This deeply troubles our speaker as evidenced in line 15 and 16 where the speaker says â€Å"A Bayonet’s contrition/Is nothing to the Dead. † In this line the speaker is saying that the regret held by the bayonet and the hands guiding it means nothing to the dead man at the other end of the blade. This regret show s a person who may have enlisted, but now know that the brutality of war is not for them. And then I hated Glory/And wished myself were They,† lines 7 and 8, show just the conviction with which our speaker hates war. They wish themselves dead and that the defeated had been the victors. The narrator in the poem is a remorseful soldier looking upon the dead bodies of their enemies in combat. There is a great feeling of pride, but it is followed by the feeling of sorrow for the dead combatants. The speaker’s feelings are that the â€Å"Tyrannies of Men† are unnecessary truths of war.

The Reasons Young People Use Drugs

The Reasons Young People Use Drugs Jenita Magdalena, 1106053256 FIK UI 2011 Drugs are not a familiar problem in the ears of the people of Indonesia today. Especially in the ears of young people. Why? Because many young people in Indonesia now felt into drugs. And tragically, this is no longer just a problem in big cities only, but now also been expanded to rural areas. This is because drug addicts today are not only the wearer, but also as a dealer. The easier access to get drugs must be one of the factor.With the above explanation, it is clear that the drugs problem undermines the future of Indonesia's young generation. There are many reasons that many people -especially young people- using drugs. There reasons are media, curiosity, lack of proper family guidence, and the factor of friends. The reasons were not the absolute reason. There are still many other factors, but the above factors are a common factor in today's society. It helps us to better identify the factors above as an initial step spread of drugs prevention. The first reason of someone falling into the circle of drugs is the media factor.Along with the development of today's technology, people become very dependent on technology such as mobile phones, television, radio, and internet. Thus the role of the media becomes very important in a person's psychological development. People who are too often witnessed the violence in movies or the internet, believed to be more aggressive. As same as the drugs problem. Someone who often witnessed how drug users or drugs used, were also likely to fall into drugs. Therefore, the sensors could be reducing the scenes of drug use as one of the major steps in drugs prevention.Besides the media, of course, is the major causative factor is high curiosity and want to try drugs. Because someone who has seen drug users in film, television, and internet, will appear curious and wanted to try drugs. They are not know, by trying the drugs it will be difficult for them to escape from the drugs. Because the drugs is one type of substance that would cause the addiction for the wearer. Lack of proper guidance of the family can also be an important factor in causing a child got into drugs. Parents should act as educators in the family, should be a good example for children.So that children can imitate the good behavior of their parents. Based on research, a child who was raised by parents who become drug addicts, most likely the child will also become addicted to drugs later. Thus, the role of parents can be an important one of the psychological development of children. And the final factor that is not less important is the factor of friends. Often, playmates who use drugs will invite other friends to come to feel or using drugs. And usually, someone who offered his friend to use drugs will be easy to take drugs.That's because a sense of solidarity and friendship is strong, so people are can’t reject his captives. Of course as we all know, once so meone has tried to feel the drugs, it will be difficult to him to get out of the bondage of drugs. Thus by knowing the factors that cause someone to fall into the drugs, we expected to take reasonable precautions against those around us. So that step by step spread of the drugs will be reduced in this country. And of course our hope is with the reduced network with drugs in this country is Indonesia's future will be bright, because the future of Indonesia is in the hands of youth.