Bachelor's degree obtaining Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Bachelor's degree obtaining - Research Paper Example † written by Marty Nemko and Charles Murray, they express their ideas and they believe that the aspiration to achieve a bachelor's degree is not worthwhile for all students. Their views are very contrary to my point of view. A bachelor's degree is very important and needed by everyone. It is indeed worthwhile for all students to get their bachelor’s degree because of the many advantages the degree offers to each and every individual, especially in today’s world. In the essay â€Å"America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree† written by Nemko, a career counselor, columnist, and radio host based in Oakland, he expresses the idea that the goal of obtaining bachelor’s degree is not worthwhile for all students. He claims that most of the students today are not good students, but they just want to prove to the others that they can get the bachelor’s degree. Many students take it really long time to finish their education. S ome of them are even dropouts from school. These days many students do pass the examinations but eventually they do not really understand what it is all about. Nemko has noted that nowadays 40% of freshmen do not graduate from their school even in 6 years. Eventually, the college graduates of today’s time are compelled to take up some unprofessional jobs that they really do not want to join. The job that they get is not the job that they dream of. College and universities nowadays are like businesses and the students who are study there are the cost item (Nemko). Many institutions educate their students in the cheapest way. They do not teach their students in the way they should teach them. Normally, these educational institutions have many large lecture classes, but only a handful of good teachers are available. The teachers who are appointed by these institutions are hired because of their research potential and not because they have the ability or the inclination to teach the students. It would be better for colleges to hold much higher standards for their education. This might cause them to cost much more and it will require more time for the students to get their degree. But when someone is conferred the degree, it would prove to be something of great value to their lives. Nowadays, most people who are new graduates and have been selected for jobs lack the essential skill sets required for what the job description demands from the selected candidate. This goes on to show the insignificance or the lack of true value of the degree they have been conferred on. The author has also been of the opinion that college selection should ideally be a wise choice for students and that very few students are actually currently encouraged to make such crucial considerations. He opines that it is better for someone to pursue their education and not get their degree if they are forced to take it. On the other hand, the essay â€Å"Should the Obama Greneration Drop Out?† written by Murray, a scholar at American Enterprise Institute, also expresses the same idea that the goal of obtaining bachelor’s degree is not worthwhile for all students. In his essay, he discusses Obama’s ideas. Obama’s idea is about expanding the use of community colleges and tuition tax credits (Murray). The bachelor’s degree has nowadays become one of the foremost criteria for most jobs. Again, it is imperative that making the bachelor’

Managing Diversity Essay Example for Free

Managing Diversity Essay Various literatures indicate that managing diversity within today’s labor force has become a primary concern for companies and organizations today. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012), compared with the labor force of past decades, today’s labor force is older, more racially and ethnically diverse, and composed of more women. Over the next decade, the labor force will become even more racially and ethnically diverse (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Non-Hispanic whites made up 67.5 percent of the U.S. labor force in 2010 (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). Bureau of Labor Statistics (2012), projects that this group will compose 62.3 percent of the labor force in 2020, a decline of 5.2 percent. By 2020, the Hispanic, Asian, and African American labor force are all supposed to make up 18.6, 5.7, and 12.0 percent, respectively (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2012). The only way that diversity can be managed successfully is in an organizational culture that values diversity (Sidel, 2009). According to Kulik and Roberson (2009), when an organization values diversity, the people work better together. If people don’t work well together, the organization does not work well (Kulik Roberson, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to explain the difference between the terms managing diversity and valuing diversity, and the four key components that make up diversity management. Differences between Managing Diversity and Valuing Diversity In order to better understand how diversity management fits into an organizational culture that values diversity, certain distinctions must first be made. One must know the difference between diversity management and culture of diversity. Diversity management involves establishing long term goals to develop, promote, and utilize the skills of a diverse workforce (Marquis, Lim, Scott, 2008). By culture of diversity, it is meant that an institutional environment is built on the values of fairness, diversity, mutual respect, understand, and cooperation (Loden Rosener, 1991). A culture that values diversity emphasizes the importance of employees of different races, cultures, ages, genders, sexual orientations, values, beliefs, ethics, and abilities to work together effectively (Lussier, 2012). Diversity Management with an Emphasis on Valuing Diversity There are four main aspects of diversity management are the support of top management, diversity leadership, policies and procedures, and diversity  training (Lussier, 2012). There must be an emphasis of valuing diversity into each of the four aspects of diversity management: management support, diversity leadership, policies, and training. Management Support Diversity management begins with support from top management. While valuing diversity most often begins at the bottom in organizations, it must involve those at the top if it is to succeed long term (Loden Rosener, 1991). Fostering the right organizational culture is one of the most important responsibilities of a chief executive (McDermott, 2001). Billings-Harris and Anderson (2010) state: The CEO’s understanding and willingness to engage and challenge the organization’s leaders with respect to the vision, business strategy, financials, goals, and objectives are critical for survival. This is no less true for the CEO’s involvement with the inclusion and diversity strategy. When led effectively, these initiatives are embedded in the overall strategy and can act as one of a few powerful people-focused catalysts that drive business results. (p.28) Cox (2001), asserts that to ensure management support in diversity initiatives, an organization should create a separate senior executive position focused on diversity objectives. This diversity director should be involved in all aspects of the firm and should attempt to make diversity an overall business requirement (Cox, 2001). Loden and Rosener (1991) state that once diversity is accepted as an organizational value, a new set of assumptions begins to operate within the organization, and that these assumptions are based on the positive contributions that diversity is perceived to offer. As part of a long-term strategy aimed at changing the corporate culture, many executives participate in team building sessions and other activities designed to encourage open dialogue among employees about diversity issues (Lod en Rosener, 1991). Diversity Leadership The second key aspect to diversity management is diversity leadership. Leaders should be able to influence employees to work toward the organization’s objectives (Lussier, 2012). The organization’s leadership should cultivate a mindset that acknowledges that diversity requires long-term cultural change and interprets diversity to include all people (Loden, 1996). Loden (1996) states that rhetorical statements advocating  diversity will not by themselves motivate change, and extensive leadership involvement is needed to help diffuse the principles of diversity throughout the organization and into the attitudes of employees. This involvement requires time and energy on the part of senior leaders and is the most significant sign that diversity is a high priority in an organization (Loden, 1996). Policies and Procedures Policies and procedures of an organization regarding diversity make up the third aspect of diversity management. â€Å"EEO is a legalistic response to workplace discrimination originally mandated by law. Affirmative action programs are outgrowths of equal employment law.† (Loden Rosener, 1991) Loden and Rosener (1991) conclude that while these programs have led to changes in the composition of the labor force, they have not been linked to an organizational culture change. They state that valuing diversity builds on the basic premise of equal employment law and affirmative action, and that by focusing on the quality of the work environment, valuing diversity moves beyond affirmative action (Loden Rosener, 1991). It acknowledges that hiring and promoting diverse people does not automatically lead to mutual respect, cooperation, and true integration (Loden Rosener, 1991). Diversity Training The last aspect of diversity management is diversity training, also sometimes referred to as awareness training. Diversity training programs aim to make people more aware of the issues and the opportunities that exist in reducing differential treatment, including awareness of attitudes behaviors, and biases (Morrison, 1992). According to Morrison (1992), focusing on theories, principles, demographic changes, and organizational benefits of increased diversity is common in diversity training, but it is unlikely to cause individuals to examine their personal values, attitudes, and behaviors. Diversity education is not achieved by one or two workshops, but requires a consistent, continuous effort to understand diversity concepts (Thomas, 2005). Diversity or awareness training for most organizations should consist of three major steps: (1) Begin with leadership education. (2) Follow up with general manager and employee education about stereotyping and the dimensions of diversity. (3) Continue with ongoing seminars in  managing diversity as a vital resource, understanding the dimensions of diversity, career development/efficacy of training for diverse employees, and so on (Loden Rosener, 1991, p. 204). Accountability for Diversity Even though it is not one of the four main aspects of diversity management, it is important to talk about rewarding behavior that values diversity. As efforts to create the culture of diversity evolve, Morrison (1992) states that the three most commonly revised administrative procedures to hold employees accountable are performance evaluations and resulting financial rewards, succession planning, and promotion systems. Employees and management at all levels should be held accountable for nurturing a culture that values diversity, and responsibility must be distributed throughout the organization if diversity goals are to be achieved (Morrison, 1992). Even in cases where employees do not personally endorse the philosophy, their workplace behavior should still be expected to support this change (Loden Rosener, 1991). Conclusions In conclusion, diversity management does not focus on recruitment and hiring practices. Recruitment and hiring polices, such as Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action, are short term objectives and do not address organizational growth and development (Marquis, Lim, Scott, 2008). Diversity management is a long term focus on developing and utilizing the skills of a divorce labor force and focuses on striving to achieve organizational objectives while creating a positive work environment (Marquis, Lim, Scott, 2008). However, diversity management is only effective if the culture of the organization values diversity (Sidel, 2009). An emphasis on valuing diversity needs to be implemented and supported by top management, and the leaders of an organization need to cultivate the belief and value of diversity (Loden, 1996). Programs and policies must go above and beyond the minimum legal requirements for recruitment and selection (Loden Rosener, 1991). Training and awareness pr ograms should include education about differences in beliefs, cultures, and opinions (Morrison, 1992).

Communications Strategy for Bihar Tourism

Communications Strategy for Bihar Tourism Executive Summary Places must decide on not only how many tourists they want and how to balance tourism with other industries or strategies but also what kind of tourists they want. The choices will be constrained, of course, by the places climate, natural topography and resources, history, culture and facilities. Like any other business, tourist marketers must know the actual and potential customers, their needs and wants, determine which target markets to serve, and decide on appropriate products, services, and programs to serve these markets. Once they have defined a target group they must strategically devise a communication mechanism which attracts that tourist in the most cost effective manner. This study aims to look at Bihar as a tourism destination, understand its potential in light of its history, both cultural and political along with the way it is perceived by the world outside, especially the traveler. It aims to synchronize the objective of the state with regard to increasing tourist inflow and that of the demands of the contemporary traveler both domestic and foreign. In that view research has been carried out to understand the factors that affect tourism growth on the demand and supply side. And with the help of that analysis recommendations for a communication strategy have been given. Introduction Tourism is a major social phenomenon of the modern society with enormous economic implications. Its importance as an instrument for economic development and employment generation, particularly in remote and backward areas, has now been well recognized all over the world. It is also an important activity for cultural interaction, social uplift and environment conservation. Tourism is now one of the worlds largest industries and one of its fastest growing economic sectors. Tourism may have a positive economic impact on the balance of payments, on employment, on gross income and production, but it may also have negative effects, particularly on the environment. Unplanned and uncontrolled tourism growth can result in such a deterioration of the environment that tourist growth can be compromised. . This is especially true with regard to tourism based on the natural environment as well as on historical-cultural heritage. Thus new word which is being used very often these days is ‘sustainable tourism. Sustainable tourism has three interconnected aspects: environmental, socio-cultural, and economic. Sustainability implies permanence, so sustainable tourism includes optimum use of resources, including biological diversity; minimization of ecological, cultural and social impacts; and maximization of benefits for conservation and local communities. It also refers to the management structures that are needed to achieve this. The following lists down comprehensive benefits of tourism especially in India: Social Benefits * Promotes national integration and social equity * Helps survival of traditional art forms * Promotes international understanding Economic benefits * Nearly 8% of employment worldwide is tourism dependent * The latest study by World Travel and Tourism Council predicts that the highest real growth of tourism demand worldwide at 9.4% will occur in India * Comparison of the IT and Tourism sector worldwide o Size of Industry  § IT: $500 billion Tourism: $4.6 trillion o Jobs generated  § IT 20 million jobs Tourism 250 million Literature Review Tourism and hospitality industry in India India is known worldwide as ancient and mysterious civilization and the second most populated country of the world after China, with a population of one billion. With increasing worldwide tourism and travel for leisure, business and cultural purposes are on the rise, India attracts only 2.4 million visitors annually of the 600 million who travel. India can develop a sound policy to attract tourism and travel to generate jobs at the lowest cost of investment per job in this industry as well as promote sustainable development and cultural heritage, which has been so precious to India. India needs to shed its reluctance of encouraging tourism by affluent Westerners. Tourism, if properly planned and promoted can provide 20+ million jobs in next ten years and foreign exchange in excess of 30 billion dollars. What India needs is a firm policy and commitment to expand tourism as a source of sustainable economic development with value for the tourists and enhancement of Indias cultural herit age. (P, 2005) Understanding the concept of ‘Destination Branding Destination marketing involves using tourism as a means to an end rather than an end in itself for reasons including: improving the image of an area to attract industrialists; increasing the range of facilities and amenities available to the local community; giving local residents more pride in their local area; providing a rationale and funding for improvements to the local environment; and trying to make the destination politically more acceptable to outsiders. Thus we see that due to the multiple stakeholder nature of a destination, there lies a need for a concerted effort to achieve any goal set forth. This can be explained by the diagram below: The Dynamic Wheel of Tourism Stakeholders One of the key problems have been difficulties associated with marrying the objectives of profitability and sustainability, and co-ordinating the activities of the various stakeholders associated with a tourism destination. Destination marketing should occur not only on the demand side to increase visitor numbers, but also on the supply side to market the destination to intermediaries and to increase the numbers of sellers through investment in accommodation, entertainment and infrastructure, etc. The Requisites of a Successful Tourism Marketing Plan o The main competition is identified o Tourism trends are identified o A long-term orientation is adopted o The importance of competitiveness is recognized o The need for infrastructure improvements is highlighted o The need for integration with national/regional tourism plans is recognised o Residents attitudes to tourism are considered o Local cultures, values and lifestyles are considered o Wealth and job creation and quality of life for residents are primary aims o The issue of environmental problems is addressed o The issue of seasonality is addressed o The benefits of tourism to the destination is quantified (Cameron, 2008) * Destination identity and image o The need to develop brand identity is recognised o Brand associations are identified o The need for image development is recognised o Positioning is discussed o The need for coordination of industry promotional material is recognised o Recognition to ensuring the promises made in marketing communications are conveyed to visitors o New and innovative forms of communication channels are addressed o The need to improve branding and brand awareness is recognised o The importance of experiences to tourists as opposed to tangible propositions is recognised * Stakeholder involvement o National government agencies are involved in planning o Local government agencies were involved in planning o The area tourist board/area tourist office was involved in planning o Local residents were involved in planning o Local businesses were involved in planning o The need to improve communication between stakeholders (public, private and residents) is o recognised o Leadership is addressed to give greater guidance to stakeholders. * Implementation, monitoring and review o The timescale for each task is included o The need for monitoring and review is established 12The absence of a structured approach requires the study of destination marketing under theoretical lenses. Here a white paper which throws light on the existing theories which address the area has been studied. The crux of which is: As a consequence of globalization, the marketing of places has grown in importance as countries, regions and individual destinations compete with one another to attract investment and visitors. In order to compete effectively, it is essential to identify the critical success factors and ensure these are incorporated into ones strategic planning. An extensive review of the literature covering place and destination marketing indicates that image and identity play an important role in differentiating between objectively similar alternatives. Accordingly, the branding of destinations has become of major importance and is analyzed in depth. (Halkier, 2008) Place Branding A Case Study: Denmark In order to observe a structured approach to Destination Branding the case study of Denmark has been reviewed. It proposes how theoretical models have been applied successfully in real life scenarios. This paper examines the area of cross-sectoral branding where tourism is combined with other international economic activities in order to construct a common national umbrella brand. From a theoretical perspective the article contributes to the study of cross-sectoral place branding by developing a coherent analytical framework, drawing on recent contributions to the study of Other images and inter-organizational relations. On the basis of this, an empirical case study of the prospects for establishing a cross-sectoral umbrella brand is undertaken, focusing on Danish national tourism and inward investment promotion bodies. Having analyzed both the rationales behind and the image profiles of current branding efforts, it is concluded that while disagreement exists at the strategic level with regard to the potentials of umbrella branding, the differences between the current image profiles are of a more manageable character. In the case of Danish tourism and investment promotion, barrier s to inter organizational cooperation, in other words, seem to be founded on unfavorable assumptions about potential alliance partners in view of own future aspirations rather than the present branding actions of the actors involved. Why Bihar? Bihar had once been the seat of the golden age of the Indian empire but now has shrivelled into one the most backward states of India. Some pockets in Bihar now exhibit one of the lowest living conditions the world over. Bihar post its bifurcation into two smaller states has lost most of its natural resources and the state has failed to catch the IT train which has left it with small scope of riding the ‘India Rising bus. The youth of Bihar are leaving its motherland and doing so the great state is losing its heritage. It is in the interest of not only the people of Bihar but also the nation to protect its cultural heritage. An approach for Bihar can be based on the ‘Appreciation of Frames study by Schon wherein he demonstrates alternatives to approach in dealing with the housing problem within the social policy. One perspective frames slum areas as diseased, the other frames them as natural communities. When viewed as diseased, the problem becomes one of eradicating the diseases, with the implied solution of urban renewal and regeneration. This involves tearing down slums in order to stop the cycle of decay and relocating the inhabitants of the areas to newly planned and sanitized developments. In contrast, when viewed as natural communities the problem becomes one of dislocation. Natural communities should be preserved in order to maintain the beneficial outcomes of established patterns of interaction and informal networks which characterize them. The Current State of Bihar o Negative Brand Equity o Change in local government o Renewed faith of residents of the state in the system o High rise in migration from the state o High worth of Non residents o Disparity in documented and actual state of tourist sites o Lack of any dedicated communication focused on tourism o Unorganized and fragmented efforts in maintenance of crafts and culture o Tourist activity concentrated in pockets (e.g. Buddhist Circuit) The notion of Bihar â€Å"When Delhi newspapers publish articles on Bihars disorders and atrocities, they tend to make a point of emphasizing the states ‘backwardness†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"The first ballot-rigging recorded in India took pl ace in Bihar (in 1962)†¦ the first instance of criminals being awarded parliamentary seats also took place in Bihar (in 1980)† William Dalrymple in Caste wars and At the court of the fish-eyed Goddess The above quotes, summarize the general impression that the public holds about Bihar. From Laloo Yadav to corruption to crime This is one state that has perpetually been in the news, and for all the wrong reasons. In the days immediately prior to the fodder scam, the media had a field day reporting Laloo and his antics, people were quoted saying that â€Å"Laloo was the most entertaining item on television†. (Nambisan, 2000) The extensive reporting, in the last few years with the explosion of the news media, has played an significant role in shaping public opinion and view about Bihar, its culture, and its citizens. Laloo Yadav has, in a way, come to symbolize Bihar to the audiences. So, Bihar, to a ordinary citizen, is a state full of rowdy, dishonest politicians, and heavily accented, non-English speaking, primitive simpletons. I am often told, in a manner of considerable disbelief, â€Å"But you dont sound like a Bihari at all!† Because it appears that all Biharis are supposed to talk in heavily accented, wrecked English. Evolution of Bihar over the Ages The history of Bihar can be effortlessly traced back into ancient times. Bihar appears in the earliest mythology and legends of ancient India , as far back as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Sita, the partner of Lord Rama, was a princess of Bihar. She was the daughter of King Janak of Videha. The present districts of Muzaffarpur, Sitamarhi, Samastipur, Madhubani, and Darbhanga, in north-central Bihar, mark this ancient kingdom. It is in fact, known that the author of the Ramayana, Maharishi Valmiki, lived in Ancient Bihar. Not only Hinduism, but Jainism and Buddhism have roots in Bihar. It was in here that Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment, and it was in the modern town of Gaya that the religion of Buddhism was born. It is here also that Lord Mahavira, the initiator of another great religion, Jainism, was born and attained nirvana. That site is located at the current town of Pawapuri, south east of Patna, the Capital of Bihar. It was also in Bihar that the tenth and last Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Gobind Singh was born and became a Guru. A beautiful Gurudwara (a temple for Sikhs) built to commemorate his memory the Harmandir- is located in eastern Patna. Known reverently as the Patna Sahib, it is one of the five holiest places of devotion (Takhat) for Sikhs. Kautilya, also known as Chanakya, the author of Arthashastra, the first discourse of the modern science of Economics, resided here. He was also the adviser to the Magadh king, Chandragupta Maurya. Another Mauryan king, Samrat Ashok, around 270 B.C., was the first to formulate firm doctrine for the governance of a people. He had these doctrines, the so called Edicts of Ashok, inscribed on stone pillars which were installed across his empire. The pillars were crowned with the sculpture of one or more lions atop a pedestal which was inscribed with symbols of wheels. As the lion denoted might, the wheel denoted the never-ending nature of truth (dharma), hence the name Dharma Chakra. This of lions, atop a pedestal, with writing of a wheel, was adopted as the Official Seal of the independent Republic of India (1947). The dharma chakra was, also incorporated into the national flag of India, the Tricolor. (Biharinfoline, 2009) In medieval period Bihar lost its stature as the political and cultural hub of India since the Mughal era was a period of national administration from Delhi. The only notable person of these period in Bihar was Sher Shah, or Sher Khan Sur, an Afghan. Based at Sasaram which is currently a town in the district of the similar name in central-western Bihar, this jagirdar of the Mughal Emperor Babur defeated Humayun, the son of Babur, not once but twice, first at Chausa and then, again, at Kannauj (in the present state of Uttar Pradesh or U.P.) In the course of his conquest Sher Shah became the monarch of a territory that extended till Punjab. He was not only a ferocious warrior but also a dignified administrator in line with the tradition of Ashok and the Gupta kings. Numerous acts of land reforms are attributed to him. The remains of a grand crypt that he built for himself can be found at todays Sasaram (Sher Shahs maqbara.) During British India, Bihar was a division of the Presidency of Bengal, and was managed from Calcutta. As such, this was a region very much dominated by the citizens of Bengal. All leading learning and medical hubs were in Bengal. Throughout the 20th century, Bihar saw a great deal of geographical division. When divided from the Bengal Presidency in 1912, Bihar and Orissa were a single province. (Kumar, 2007)At that time, an region in the south-east, primarily the district of Purulia, was separated and incorporated into West Bengal as part of the Linguistic Reorganization of Indian States. Yet another dissection of Bihar occurred in 2000, when after years of political hassle, the state of Jharkhand was carved out of the state of Bihar. The region of Jharkhand now includes southern districts of Bihar, and has the city of Ranchi as its capital. The Politics of Bihar Bihar played an significant role during the freedom resistance and it was from Bihar that Mahatma Gandhi started his civil-disobedience movement. It was at the unrelenting request of a cultivator, Raj Kumar Shukla, that Gandhiji visited Champaran, saw the sad predicament of the indigo farmers and the domination of the Biritsh. Many people from Bihar consequently became leading partakers in Indias struggle for freedom. The most distinguished was Dr. Rajendra Prasad, who went on to become Independent Indias first president. Another was Jay Prakash Narayan, also warmly called JP. JPs considerable contribution to contemporary Indian history continued up until his demise in 1979. It was he who persistently and unwaveringly opposed the dictatorial rule of Indira Gandhi and her younger child, Sanjay Gandhi. Fearing peoples response to his opposition, Indira Gandhi had him detained on the eve of declaring nationwide Emergency beginning June 26, 1975. He was jailed in Tihar(near Delhi). The m ovement started by JP, nonetheless, brought the Emergency to an end, led to the colossal defeat of Indira Gandhi and her Congress Party at the elections, and, to the putting in place of a non-Congress government -The Janata Party at Delhi, for the first time. With the approval of JP, Morarji Desai became the fourth Prime Minister of India. JP continued to be the Conscience of the Janata Party and of post-Gandhi post-Nehru India. He called upon all Indians to work tirelessly towards removing dictatorship in favour of democracy and bringing about independence from slavery. Sadly, shortly after attaining power, internal strife among the leaders of the Janata Party led to the resignation of Shri Desai as the Prime Minister. JP persisted with his call for total revolution, but he succumbed to kidney failure in 1979. Subsequent internal strife in the Janata Party led to the creation of a breakaway political party the Janata Dal. It was also from this party that Laloo Prasad Yadav, the Chief Minister of Bihar was elected. A new party led by Mr. Yadav was shaped as the Rashtriya Janata Dal which went ruled for about 15 years in Bihar. The Janata Dal at first came to power in the state in 1990 on the support of its victory at the national stage in 1989. Laloo Prasad Yadav became the chief minister after winning the battle of legislative party leadership by a slim margin against Ram Sundar Das, a former chief minister from the Janata Party. Later, Laloo gained fame with the masses through a succession of populist measures. The honorable socialists, including Nitish Kumar, slowly left him and Laloo was the uncrowned king by 1995 as both Chief Minister as well as the President of his party, Rashtriya Janata Dal. He was a magnetic leader who had the peoples support and Bihar had got such a person as the chief minister after a long time. However, he derailed programs for the development of the state. When corruption charges got serious, he relinquished the post of CM but anointed his wife as the proxy CM. All through this period, law and order and management grew steadily poorer. In 2005, as hostility reached a crescendo among the masses, middle class included, the RJD was voted out of control and Laloo Prasad lost the legislative elections to a coalition headed by his earlier partner and now rival Nitish Kumar. Bihar How much in the eye of the Beholder? ‘Bihar is in the eye of the beholder says Vijay Nambisan in his book of the same title. He attempts to paint a more positive portrait of Bihar at least in the opening chapters, attempting to be unlike those who trash everything about Bihar completely, and believe it beyond hope at any point. He states that Bihar is the richest among Indian states in terms of natural and mineral wealth, and only its political stat sets people thinking about it in a negative way. However, as we read on, the state of Bihar and its citizens that Nambisan explains starts becoming similar to, more and more, the typecast that he was trying to shatter. Its true that the tome is peppered with optimistic images, people and events, but overall, the picture that Nambisan paints is as dismal as any other. The stories and tales are mostly about corrupt politicians, gang lords getting the better of the community and the killings, extortions, and adversity that the ordinary man faces. In between, we have tales about devoted teachers overcoming caste discrimination, innovative women trying to make a living for themselves and their children, and intelligent young minds harassed against a system that otherwise fetters them. An entire section deals with the high occurrence of violence in the state and how it is taken as everyday phenomena a scary situation. Has Nambisan also fallen victim to the typecasting of Bihar? Or is the reality of Bihar so bleak that even the most optimistic picture that is painted of it shows more despair than hope? â€Å"What is happening in Bihar is happening all over India. But Bihar is a microcosm of the whole; laboratory specimens, as it were, most easily brought under the microscope of analysis†. (Nambisan, 2000)The rest of India has a propensity to become self virtuous and holier than thou, and look down upon Bihar and Biharis as a pollutant. Politicians shake their heads and mumble, journalists condemn the collapse of democracy and the general public remains contented with just shuddering at the mere mention of it. What people do not want to admit is that the ills that plague the state are festering everywhere, in varying degrees and different stages of development. Such is the inclination to look upon Bihar and Biharis as a expression of all that is bad, that there have been reported cases of people accommodation to Bihari students in cities like Delhi, simply because they were scared to have Biharis beneath the same roof, thinking no doubt about probable robbery, rape and murder . (palgrave-journals, 2008) Previously, there were a little half hearted attempts to industrialize the state: an oil refinery in Barauni, a motor scooter factory at Fatuha, and a power generation unit at Muzaffarpur. However, no continued effort had been made in this way, and there was little achievement in its industrialization. Historically, sugar and vegetable oil were prosperous industries of Bihar. Until the mid fifties, 25% of Indias sugar production was from Bihar. Dalmianagar was a large agro industrial region. However, these were required to shut down due to flawed central policy which negated the strategic advantages of Bihar. Recently the dairy trade has picked up very well in Bihar. Sugar industry is another one which has started to improve with 25 new sugar factories committed in Bihar between 2006 and 2007. Since 2005, the state government has taken the major task of creating a business friendly environment and investment opportunities and leverages the resources there for all big and small industrial houses. There was a partition of Bihar in 2000, when the industrially superior and mineral-rich southern-half of the state was carved out to outline the separate state of Jharkhand. Since then, the main economic activity of Bihar has been crop growing. The new Bihar state produces about 60% of the yield of the old Bihar state. There is a tendency now, amongst politicians, to hold responsible the separation of Jharkhand from Bihar as a reason for the majority of the problems surrounding the growth of the state. Biharis and Non-Biharis : Perceptions and Opinions Respondents were asked to name anything that came to their mind when they thought of the â€Å"Bihar†. The top of the mind recollection is the strongest connection that a persons mind makes among two things and it was fascinating to see the diverse things, people or places that respondents linked with Bihar. The respondents were then additionaly probed on other stuff that they linked with Bihar, how the connection came about and why. Respondents in both cases were also asked about famous places or people that they associated with Bihar. This kind of factual information gave a few insights into how much authentic knowledge the respondent had regarding the state, and whether knowing more concerning Bihar, its history and culture changed the opinions and perceptions of the people at all. As was anticipated, people from Bihar possessed significantly more factual knowledge about Bihar. What was exciting was that though there were distinct disparity between Biharis and Non Biharis c oncerning perceptions about Bihar, there were still some expected threads. As a youthful housewife from a small town in Bihar put it, â€Å"Jab tak rahega samose mein aaloo, tab tak rahega Bihar mein Laloo† . The line is a famous one, from a speech by the great politician himself. Almost all the respondents thought of Laloo Yadav first when asked to name celebrities linked with Bihar. In one case, a young university student of Delhi University was unable to think of any other renowned person or place that she knew of, from Bihar. Among Non Biharis, Laloo unquestionably enjoyed top of the mind recall, as every respondent, with no exception named him. Even amongst my Bihari respondents, a number of them reflected of Laloo Yadav as one of the eminent people associated with Bihar. An interesting incident that I observed here was that respondents from the younger age bracket could think only of Laloo when it came to associating eminent personalities with Bihar. Some of the older age bracket remembered Jai Prakash Narayan, even smaller number remembered Ra jendra Prasad. Despite being the present Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar was not recollected as frequently as Laloo by the respondents. There was hardly any talk about of personalities from fields other than politics. One or two respondents recollected Prakash Jha for his films and the stand-up comedian Shekhar Suman, but it seemed that the lone people from Bihar that had achieved any fame at all were politicians. There was one interesting case where I interviewed an elderly lady, who had spent almost her whole life in Bihar, save for a period of few years in Delhi. She had no complicatedness naming famous personalities connected with Bihar, right from ancient times. She also had a authentic tourist guides list of the famous places of Bihar, for historical or cultural importance. This was in bare contrast to the younger age bracket, who knew moderately little of Bihars history, despite having lived there. This led me to consider that media had clearly played an extremely important role in formation of even the level of factual information that people possessed, apart from determining their opinions .Laloo Yadav yet again was the chief image that came to peoples minds when asked about their observation about Bihar. Though, the awareness of Bihar was not limited to just the image of Laloo. Having named Laloo as the foremost thing that came to mind on hearing â€Å"Bihar†, most of the respondents and interviewees went on to talk about the corruption and disorder that had become widespread in the state during his rule. (bstdc, 2009). The above quote from my interview with a lecturer in Ahmadabad summed up a what Non Biharis as well as Biharis felt about Bihar. The view is that the state has been devastated by dirty politics, and not allowed to build up in any fashion over the time, and the overpowering emotions were those of bleakness and sadness at the state of affairs. While talking of opinions and associations with Bihar, there was marked disparity between respondents from inside and outside Bihar. Almost all Biharis spoke affectionately of memories of their childhood and youth spent in Bihar, and had some sort of a sense of belonging to the place, which obviously came from having spent a long time in the state and having fond memories to look back upon. Even when they spoke of the ills that plague the state, the manner in which this was spoken about was one of sorrow that the situation had turned out to be so bad. In contrast, Non Biharis spoke in a manner that implied a sense of almost disgust from the state and the state of affairs there. A 2o year old college undergraduate from Delhi University summed it up when she said (bstdc, 2009) The same response, in not so many words, echoed across other interviews of Non Biharis. Overall, the awareness of people about Bihar was related to Laloo. In one way or the other, roughly all respondents were of the view of Laloo while answering this inquiry. The biggest substantiation that suggested this came from an interview with a young college student from Ahmedabad, who spoke of Biharis as primitive, and speaking in a typical dialect. (Halkier, Contemplating Place Branding Umbrellas. The Case of Coordinated National Tourism andBusiness Promotion in Denmark, 2008) Bihar Tourism Amongst all the states of the country, Bihar is in all probability the one that enjoys a distinctive history. It is here that religions followed the world over, Buddhism and Jainism were born, even as Hinduism flourished. It is here that an important advocate of a fourth religion Guru Gobind Singh of the Sikhs was born. And it is here that the worlds first institution of higher education at Nalanda was established. And if all that is not sufficient, it was in Bihar that Gandhiji launched his Satyagraha movement in opposition to the British rule. (Cameron, 2008) Bihar without doubt bears the profound weight of history, but bears it with much warmth and awareness. For both Buddhists and Jains, the land is sprinkled with monuments and sacred pilgrimage centers, while the Hindus have no fewer temples. However, it has not shied away from accepting the modern. The old learning centers continue in the structure of newer centers of excellence, the olden day trade hubs have paved way for the fresh economy and even newer technologies. Bihar is a land sanctified with beauty both spiritual and physical. Its vast lands, fed by some of the countrys most important rivers, have ensured prosperity. It has a rich traditions and legacy and its people are meticulous and fun loving. Places of Int

Freud Meets World Essay -- essays research papers

Sigmund Freud, physiologist, medical doctor, psychologist, and father of psychoanalysis, is recognized as one of the most influential thinkers of the twentieth century. Freud articulated the concepts of the unconscious, of infantile sexuality, and of repression. He proposed a tripartite account of the structure of the mind, as part of a radically new therapeutic reference for the understanding of human psychological development, and the treatment of abnormal mental conditions. Freud is also known as the â€Å"Father of Psychoanalysis.† Psychoanalysis refers to the method of investigating unconscious mental processes, and is also a form of psychotherapy. Not regarding the multiple manifestations of psychoanalysis as it exists today, it can, in almost all respects, be traced directly back to Freud’s original work (Brome 12). Sigmund Freud was born on May 6, 1856, at Freiberg in Moravia, which is now a part of Czechoslovakia. He was born into a family full of enough complexity and confusion to give him significant material for his ruminations on the individual mind and its connections with others. His mother, Amalia, an assertive, good-looking woman, was twenty years younger than her husband Jacob. Freud’s father was Jewish, and was said to be a wool merchant. His siblings were two half-brothers, who were already grown-up, which provided a constant reminder of the oddity of his position. His own confusions, hatreds, loves, and desires from this period appear to have had significant impact on his later work on development. The decline of the textile market, and an increase of anti-Semitism in the city, forced his family to relocate to Vienna, the capitol of Austria when he was four. While in Vienna, Freud developed a liking for the medical field, especially the nervous system, and the works of the mind. He graduated from the medical school of the University of Vienna in 1881. Freud later decided to specialize in neurology, the study Kevin Mechtley 2 and treatment of disorders of the nervous system (Brill V). He left the University, secretly engaged, and found a job at the Vienna Hospital in hopes of earning enough money to get married. While at the hospital, he concentrated on the study of cerebral anatomy and also conducted research on the possible clinical uses of cocaine. In September 1886 he married Martha Bernays after a... ...He is at once the principal writer and the principal thinker of our century. If one seeks the strongest authors in the West in our time, most readers would agree upon the crucial figures; Proust, Joyce, Kafka, Yeats, Mann, Lawrence, Eliot, Rilke, Faulkner, Valery, Stevens, Montale, Beckett certainly would be among them. The essential thinkers might constitute a shorter and more controversial canon, whether of scientists or philosophers, and I will not venture to list them here. Freud is unique in that he would dominate the second group and successfully challenge even Proust, Joyce, and Kafka in the first. Nor can one match him with any of the religious figures or scholars of the century. His only rivals indeed are Plato, Montaigne, Shakespeare, or even the anonymous primal narrator of Genesis, Exodus and Numbers, called the â€Å"J† writer of Yahwist in biblical scholarship. Sigmund Freud is generally recognized as one of the most influential and authoritative thinkers of the twentieth century. Even today, a century after Freud lived, all of his theories are debated and discussed, and some are still practiced in the psychotherapy field.

High School and Everyday Pressures Essay

The topic sentence of the paragraph Is, a trip to the ocean can be a relaxing escape from everyday pressures of life. b. What sentence is unrelated to the topic and can be eliminated? The sentence that is unrelated to the topic is, you should always be careful to avoid overexposure to the sun at the beach. 2. List four things to look for when you’re proofreading. Four things you should look for while proofreading are, grammar, spelling, correct punctuation, and proper capitalization. 3. Complete the following two steps: a. Define the term cliche. The term cliche is a word, phrase, or idea that is over used. b. Write one sentence that contains a cliche. The mother said to the daughter angrily, â€Å"you’ll never get through school unless you get your act together. † Get your act together is the cliche. 4. Name and explain two types of prewriting. Brainstorming, make a list of every idea that comes to mind. Free writing, you fill a piece of paper with any idea that comes to mind about your topic. 5. Choose one of the topics listed below and write a five-sentence paragraph using chronological order To arrange the details of the paragraph. . Signing on to my homepage is simple. Signing on to my home page is simple. First, what I do when I turn on my computer, is click on the internet. Second, I go to the favorites tab and click High School Courses. This automatically pulls up the homepage. Then I go to the top left and click student login. Last, I type in my information and get to work. 6. Choose one of the followin g topics. Write an eight-sentence paragraph that fully develops the topic. d. A high school diploma is important to my future. I feel you can’t be successful in life without some form of education. For example, over the summer I attended a volunteer program at a Homeless shelter. My experience was not bad at all. In fact the people there were really nice. Every person I talked to had either dropped out of high school or did not apply themselves. Discussing with the people at the shelter made me realize my life wasn’t so bad and how having a education is a must in today’s society. After that experience I decided that I needed to get my high school diploma so I do not have to struggle for the rest of my life. By writing this essay I have finally accomplished my goal.

American Genocide essays

American Genocide essays According to the U.N., genocide occurs when at least one of the following occurs: killing members of the group; causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part; imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. In the case of the Native Americans, all of these have occurred. The genocide of the Native Americans started when Christopher Columbus came to the new world, and it did not end until the 20th century. When Christopher Columbus came back to America in 1493, he brought 17 ships full of white men. He forced slavery upon the Taino people, and the many who refused were executed. After merely three years of slavery and mass-executions, five million Taino were dead. Fifty years later, in the 1540s there were only about 200 of the Taino people left living in the Caribbean, according to a Spanish census. The Spanish historian, Las Casas, wrote that the Taino people were hung in masses, roasted on spits, and some of the children were hacked up into pieces and given as dog food. Biological warfare was also used to wipe out the Native American population. British Agents recovered blankets that had been used by smallpox victims and handed them over to members of the Mingo, Delaware, Shawnee, and other Ohio River nations. Over 100 thousand members of these tribes died in direct correlation with the contaminated blankets. The U.S. army saw how well these worked, and used the same method on the Plains tribal population, and were just as successful as the British. The colonists and settlers of America saw the Native Americans as inferior compared to themselves. Most believed that the only way they could live together was if the Natives assimilated to their own culture. Boarding schools were set up where they forced you...