Sociological Autobiography - Free Essay Example

When we make decisions and experience things, we often describe them as being our own, ours. However, when we think about why we made those decisions and why we experience things we come to realize that we are influenced by society to make decisions for us. There are many external societal factors that influence our beliefs and values which in turn affect how and why we make decisions. My family, friends, and society in general have heavily influenced the way I have lived my life and the person that I am today. I was birthed into this world on January 24, 2002 in the city of San Jose, California, eyes wide open, ready to be shaped and molded into the individual that society wanted me to become. Immediately I was given the ascribed status of a girl. A quick glance was all it took to confirm what then became my gender and that was that. With this social label my parents, in result, treated me according to societys view of how a girl should be treated. This included pink and purple everything, dolls and dollhouses. It wasnt until I got a little older and would play with my cousins that that stereotype began to change. I grew up surrounded by a lot of family mainly because my culture is very family-oriented, but also because my family was so large in number. Most of my first cousins, especially those close to my age, were male. Because many of my cousins who I played with as a child were male, I started to participate in more boy activities. For example, playing in the dirt and mud, playing basketball, and playing video games. I do not recall my parents or family ever saying anything about me participating in these activities however, I do remember an occurrence when I was in kindergarten in art class. The art teacher had assigned us an art project where we were to paint a picture for our dads for Fathers Day. I decided to paint flowers for my dad because at the time he liked to garden and had all kinds of vegetables and flowers growing in our backyard. When I had told the art teacher what I was going to paint she told me to paint something else, like a car. At the time I didnt understand why I couldnt paint flowers for my dad when I knew that he would like it, but that didnt matter because flowers are girly and not meant for boys. This was just the first of my experiences with societys gender roles. I am the youngest and only girl out of three other siblings. However, they are all half-siblings. I have two older brothers from my father and one older brother from my mother. Because of this, and because of the large age gap between my brothers and I, I never experienced that close sibling relationship with them. Being not only the youngest, but also the only girl had a huge influence on who I am today. My dad had only ever had sons, so he, in a way, treated me like another son. He wanted me to play all kinds of sports like my brothers did. I was never an athletic person, and still am not, so I never played any sports that my brothers played like football and baseball. My dad also was rougher with me because he didnt want me to be soft. Because of this I was called a baby or wimp if I cried over little things. My mom however, always defended saying that it was okay for me to cry though her reasoning was because Im a girl and you must be more careful around me because I am not as tough as a boy. Growing up in the Bay Area the community that I was surrounded by was extremely diverse much like here in Sacramento, if not more so. There was a great mix of people from different cultures, religions, and backgrounds. The neighborhood that I grew up in specifically was inhabited mostly by middle class families, my own included. Being around people of the same or similar social class and economic backgrounds caused less discrimination and prejudice toward people when it came to social statuses and salaries. Being raised in this community also encouraged diversity especially in race and ethnicities, so even at a young age, seeing people of different skin colors participating in various cultural practices became a norm. Though I am half African American and half Chamorro, I was raised predominantly by my maternal side of the family. My mother and my mothers side of the family being Pacific Islanders, I grew up with their beliefs, norms, and values solely because that was what I grew up with. As a Pacific Islander, more specifically a Chamorro/Guamanian, our culture is centered around a very social lifestyle. Our culture is also extremely family-oriented and that includes both immediate and extended family members, so as I was raised, family was taught to be one of the most important values in life. Another important value that was taught is storytelling. Passing down stories through generations was taught to be important in order to keep the culture alive. Because Pacific Islanders are not a very common race compared to others based on population sizes, there is often prejudice towards Pacific Islanders since there is such little common knowledge about us. Pacific Islanders as a group are often generalized to all be Hawaiian or the same as Hawaiians when that is not the case. At a young age when people would ask me where I am from and I would tell them that I am from Guam, they would be confused, which even at a young age I understood because it is a very small island on the other side of the globe, and I wouldnt expect them to know. It was often difficult to feel involved or connected with classmates and groups in school because of the race being so underrepresented. In turn, I embrace my ethnicity and culture as much as possible and will be sure to pass those values on to my future children. One way I embrace my culture right now is through cultural dancing. I have danced with a local Polynesian dance group since I was nine years old. In the group we perform Hula, Tahitian, and other Polynesian dances. Hula and Tahitian dancing are often sexualized because of the movement of the hips and the type of attire worn, especially by women, when dancing and performing. When I would tell people that I danced Hula and Tahitian, many times guys would say things like, Oh, so you can move your hips? Society portrays the Hula Girl in a way to attract tourists or a public relations campaign. As a result, sometimes people dont take the performances seriously or do not recognize the significance of the dance. This is just another example of the lack of common knowledge of Pacific Island cultures. Another value that Pacific Islanders have is practicing religion. There is no one religion that is enforced specifically however, Catholicism is predominantly practiced within the race. My father is not a very religious person and that was just how he was raised, but my mother was raised in a very Catholic home. Consequently, I was raised in a Catholic family. My maternal grandmother often pushes Catholicism on me and my other cousins. If someone were to ask me right now what religion I follow, I would tell them Catholicism but only because that is the only religion that I was taught about or practiced. As I have grown older and have been more educated on different religions and on how different people view religion, my belief about certain practices and their purpose has faltered. I believe in God, but many of the beliefs and rules of the Catholic faith I have begun to question. Religion is very complicated. As I am growing and truly finding what I believe in, I begin to question who is right? Who is wrong? Is there a right or a wrong? Overall, my religion is something that I am continuing to question every day and will continue to change as I discover myself and my true beliefs. Sexuality and my sexual orientation were not something that I ever really thought a lot about. Growing up I knew that I was attracted to the opposite sex. It wasnt until I got older, around middle school, when I was properly educated about the different sexual orientations. At that time, it was starting to become more common for people around my age to discover their sexuality. Becoming more educated on the various sexual orientations, my orientation did not change however, I became more open to a possible change. All my life thus far I have only ever been attracted to the opposite sex, heterosexual, but I cannot say that I will never be attracted to someone of the opposite sex or someone of a different gender identity. The way that society and the people in my life have defined race and ethnicity, social class, and gender have greatly affected how my life has developed thus far. They have shifted the way I view my roles as a mixed race, middle class, female. The things that I have experienced and learned have affected and will continue to affect the way I live the rest of my life. Society has a huge impact on our lives and will continue to change and shape the way we live throughout time. Our experiences in the social world are what make us who we are.

Education As A Keystone Of The American Culture - 1727 Words

Proper education has become a keystone of the American culture. People associate one’s level of education with his or her capability to appropriately handle a variety of situations within the world, so obtaining a degree holds a lot of value in American society. Indisputably, the primary purpose of education should be to prepare students for their lives beyond the classroom; however, if that education only exposes students to knowledge in one particular field of study, is that student truly being prepared for life? Sure, the student will be well-prepared to answer questions that arise within that area of study, but whether or not that will be enough for students to handle themselves well within the workplace is debatable. In order to†¦show more content†¦Jennifer Dugan describes the true value of general education programs within such schools, explaining, â€Å"[l]iberal arts curricula give attention to contemporary skills, including critical thinking, problem solvin g, and collaboration skills† (60). Since these types of skills can be more extensively developed in liberal arts universities, the reason why all schools should require students to take classes unrelated to their majors seems straightforward. Unquestionably, general education provides students with indispensable benefits. Faculty and student advisors at West Virginia University participated in a survey, and the results revealed that, indeed, â€Å"[m]ost participants agreed on the GEC’s [general education curriculum’s] important impact on student learning and retention† (Cottrell 12). Although some might argue students could gain these skill just as easily by taking classes within their academic majors, this is not the case because much of the students’ subject matter will lie within the same discipline. The information acquired from certain classes will likely require a specific method of studying, and, as a result, that student’s perspectiv e on learning will be limited. For example, a math major learns to study through practicing mathematical problems, but by primarily utilizing only this method, he or she will not as easily be able to memorize distinct pieces of knowledge and be able to apply that knowledge to

The Lottery By Shirley Jackson - 1299 Words

When I was a child, I listened to and followed the traditions of my parents. I never questioned it; I blindly followed along. As an adult, I understand that some traditions passed down from generation to generation are important; however, for traditions that do not make sense to me, I chose not to pass to the next generation. In the short story â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson, the characters blindly follow a tradition that no one is certain how started but continue anyway. The purpose of the lottery in the story is to decided who in the town will be stoned to death because they believe it will ensure a fertile growing season. We do not know the year in which the story takes place, but we do know that some of the surrounding towns and communities are also participating in the lottery, and that some of the other towns have chosen to discontinue it. While some believe that the traditions passed down from their elders should be honored and carried out blindly, others think t hat some traditions that don’t make sense need to be stopped. Just like in Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† the ideology of blindly following traditions can have an adverse effect on society. In the story, the use of symbolism helps to give a deeper understanding of the adverse effects of blindly following traditions. The story opens, â€Å"At mid morning on a late June day a peaceful village crowd gathers on the square for the annual lottery† (Schaub). The lottery itself is symbolic of an idea that is passed down fromShow MoreRelatedThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson1195 Words   |  5 PagesOn the surface, Shirley Jackson’s short story, â€Å"The Lottery,† reads as a work of horror. There is a village that holds an annual lottery where the winner is stoned to death so the village and its people could prosper. Some underlying themes include: the idea that faith and tradition are often followed blindly, and those who veer away from tradition are met with punishment, as well as the idea of a herd mentality and bystander apathy. What the author manages to do successfully is that she actuallyRead MoreThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson757 Words   |  4 Pages succeed but many fail just like the main character Tessie Hutchinson in Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery†. When someone hears the word â€Å"lottery†, he or she may think that someone will be rewarded with prize. But â€Å"The Lottery† By Shirley Jackson is different than what one thinks. In the story, a lottery is going to be conducted not like Mega Million or Powerball one play here. In the story, the person who wins the lottery is stoned to death instead of being rewarded with the prize. TessieRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson931 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1948 Shirley Jackson composed the controversial short story â€Å"The Lottery.† Generally speaking, a title such as â€Å"The Lottery† is usually affiliated with an optimistic outlook. However, Jackson’s approach is quite unorthodox and will surely leave readers contemplating the intent of her content. The story exposes a crude, senseless lottery system in whi ch random villagers are murdered amongst their peers. Essentially, the lottery system counteracts as a form of population control, but negatives easilyRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson1504 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson In The Lottery Shirley Jackson fills her story with many literary elements to mask the evil. The story demonstrates how it is in human nature to blindly follow traditions. Even though some people have no idea why they follow these traditions. The title of the story plays a role in how Shirley Jackson used some literary elements to help mask the evils and develop the story. The title â€Å"The Lottery† serves as an allegory. When people think of the lottery majorityRead More`` The Lottery `` By Shirley Jackson894 Words   |  4 Pagesshort story â€Å"The Lottery†, author Shirley Jackson demonstrates Zimbardo’s concepts in three different areas: Authority figures, Tradition and Superstition, and Loyalty. The first concept Jackson portrays in â€Å"The Lottery† is the authority figures. Jackson indicates that the lottery is being held in the town center by one authority figure, Mr. Summers, annually on June 27th. Every June 27th, without fail, townspeople gather in the town square to participate in the annually lottery even though mostRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson1510 Words   |  7 PagesShirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† illustrates several aspects of the darker side of human nature. The townspeople in Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† unquestioningly adhere to a tradition which seems to have lost its relevance in their lives. The ritual that is the lottery shows how easily and willingly people will give up their free will and suspend their consciences to conform to tradition and people in authority. The same mindless complacency and obedience shown by the villagers in Jackson’s story are seenRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson8 11 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† was published by Shirley Jackson. The story was true expression of Jackson’s genuine thoughts about human beings and their heinous competence in an annual village event for corn harvest . First, her used to word symbolized main point of the story. Second, Jackson was inspired by few historical events happened in the past and a life incident in her life. Lastly, She was able to accomplish the connection between historical and biographical with the story. Therefore, Shirley Jackson’sRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson934 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson signifies the physical connection between the villagers and their unwillingness to give up their tradition. â€Å"The Lottery† is very unpredictable and quite misleading. The black box has no functionality, except every June 27th. Shirley Jackson depicts the black box as an important and traditional tool. Although the villagers in â€Å"The Lottery† are terrified of the goal of the lottery and the black box, they are unwilling to let go of the tradition. Shirley Jackson portraysRead MoreThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson799 Words   |  4 Pagesthe mood and to foreshadow of things to come. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a story in which the setting sets up the reader to think of positive outcomes. However, this description of the setting foreshadows exactly the opposite of what is to come. In addition, the theme that we learn of at the end leads us to think of where the sanity of some human beings lies. The story begins with the establishment of the setting. To begin, Shirley Jackson tells the reader what time of day and what time ofRead MoreThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson1764 Words   |  7 Pagesfilled with excitement and eeriness, leaving the reader speechless. The Lottery , a short story written by famous writer Shirley Jackson, created an uproar on June 26, 1948, when it was published in the magazine The New Yorker (Ball). The gothic thriller, set in an unknown time and place, shares the tradition of a small town, a little larger than three hundred people, in which a drawing is held once a year. In this â€Å"Lottery,† each family’s husband draws a slip of paper from a black box. The husband

High performance organizations free essay sample

A High Performance Organization is an organization that achieves results that are better than those of its peer group over a longer period of time, by being able to adapt well to changes and react on these quickly, by managing for the long term, by setting up an integrated and aligned management structure , by continuously improving its core capabilities, and by truly treating the employees as its main asset. We can also define High Performance Organization as the combination of self-managing work teams, employee involvement, total quality management, flexible production practices, and a learning orientation. The following summarizes all the definitions: (1) Creating flexible, high-performing, learning organizations is the secret to gaining competitive advantage in a world that won’t stand still. (2) Self-managed teams and decentralization of decision making as the basic principles of organizational design. (3) Employee involvement, participative management, democratic management, and total quality management. (4) Extraordinary capable people, working in teams, equipped with proper technology, focused on satisfying the customer and improving work processes. In today’s age of extreme competition and increasing demands, managers of modern organizations are expected to excel. As it is the task of every manager to realize the goals of the organization by achieving outstanding performance in the organizational unit he or she is responsible for, managers are under great pressure to deal effectively with trends and developments. The management of organizations is primarily interested in those factors that are important for achieving consistently good results. Characteristics with regard to the organizational design, structure, processes, technology, leadership, people, and culture, and the external environment which seem to influence the ability of organizations to achieve high performance ,can guide managers as to which actions they need to take to lead their organizations to superior results. By identifying the characteristics of HPOs, organizations hope to be able to improve themselves in a focus way so they can start achieving sustainable performance. The Characteristics are: 1. ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN A HPO stimulates cross-functional and cross-organizational collaboration by making teamwork and collaboration top priorities of management. A HPO simplifies and flattens the organization by reducing boundaries and barriers between and around units, thus getting rid of bureaucracy and organizational complexity. 2. STRATEGY A HPO balances long-term focus and short term focus in order to safeguard the long-term continuity of the business and its contribution to the world. A HPO sets clear, ambitious, measurable and achievable goals which raise levels of aspiration and thereby create a sense of stretch by new innovations , processes and services thus constantly creating new sources of competitive advantage by rapidly develop new products and services to respond to market changes. 3. QUALITY OF MANAGEMENT A HPO maintains trust relationships with people on all organizational levels by valuing employees’ loyalty, treating smart people smart, showing people respect, creating and maintaining individual relationships with employees, encouraging belief and trust in others, and treating people fairly. Managers of excellent organizations are honest, decisive, action-oriented, performance-oriented, effective, self-confident and have a strong leadership style. 4. CULTURE A HPO establishes clear ,strong and meaningful core values and makes sure they are widely shared within the company. Only make commitments that are aligned with the core values as it is essential to achieve sustainable high performance. Celebrate successes daily. 5. INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR ROLES A HPO creates a learning organization by continuously investing in training and upgrading of skills, identifying and accessing new competencies. The more training given to employees, the more committed they will be to the organization. Effective training program can lead to greater employee commitment and less employee turnover and hence more stable workforce. 6. LEADERSHIP Leaders of a HPO develop an effective, focused and strong management style by communicating the values and by making sure the strategy has been received and embraced by organizational members. Employees of HPO believe their senior leadership team goes out of their way to acknowledge and thank people for their contribution. 7. EXTERNAL ORIENTATION By External orientation we mean the relation with the clients , stakeholders and customers. A HPO should have a level of commitment with their customers, if they did not, they would not survive. They understand their customer’s needs and deliver services that meet those needs, they build loyalty and eventually build advocacy. Those customers then become vocal supporters which breed new customers and further success. EXAMPLES OF HIGH PERFORMANCE ORGANISATIONS Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts, explained that the company believes its people to be its strength and has a top-down approach to training. The strategy is that all operations should be defined, the work very clearly distributed and the team member’s job should be made simple and easily visible. MindTree Consulting: There are no ready-made recipes for attracting and retaining talent. MindTree learnt in the six years of its existence in the knowledge industry was that they were in a people’s business and hence they had to listen to people and understand their aspirations. MindTree’s employees are its brand ambassadors, with 50% of the organisation’s recruitment coming through employee referrals. SASKEN: Sasken decided that the three most important aspects of the organization were competence, commitment and character. The organization ensured competence by hiring the best talent. To build affective commitment, it worked on its purpose of creating brand India and unleashing Indian creativity by harnessing technology potential and demonstrating its concern. The character of the company, which was defined as consistency of behavior across time, was put to the test during the downturn when all employees took a 20% cut in their salaries, demonstrating an equal sense of ownership. IBM Global Services India : Elaborated on the trends emerging in the global market. Believes in giving attention to customer focus, ‘value-adding’ growth, innovation, the key ‘people’ factor, and building scale, branding and communication. CONCLUSION People are our most important asset and the human resource management (HRM) is an essential function in organizations that affects the quality of organizational performance (OP). Most of the high performance companies such as Apple, Toyota, General Electric (GE), IBM and Google have proved that management systems that encourage commitment and competence of people achieve greater productivity. The HPO study shows that there is a direct relation between the HPO factors and competitive performance. Organizations which pay more attention to HPO factors and score high on these consistently achieve better results than their peers, in every industry and sector . The difference between HPOs and non-HPOs is particularly significant in the case of HPO factor Quality of management: HPOs pay considerably more attention to the designated aspects of long-term commitment than non-HPO organizations, and are therefore able to improve their performance significantly. All HPO factors are interrelated. It should be kept in mind that, because organizations and environments are continually evolving, improvement in ideas and practices need to be adapted to the times. HPO managers are flexible and creative enough to not let such a downfall happen so that they can make and keep their organization world-class. Challenges that A HPO can face could be: Need to be aware that outputs include not only the product or service provided, but also impact on quality of life of organizational members, impact on society through activities. Smooth integration of all components needed might not be easy because of the following: Resistance from employees (e. g. , prefer individual work) Resistance from managers (fear loss of traditional role; uncomfortable with move to being facilitators and coaches) Training development of middle managers, whose roles are drastically changing and who may resist.