Social and Economic Impacts of Globalization Term Paper

Social and Economic Impacts of Globalization - Term Paper Example This research will begin with the statement that in the past, most nations carried out their trade and other operations separately and within their boundaries. However, the development of globalization in recent decades has led to more, economic, social and political integration between nations. The author has rightly presented that globalization has brought with it various benefits to individual nations and communities in terms of economic growth and social development. However, it is evident that globalization has also caused various negative effects, especially to developing nations, for instance, social and economic inequality. This essay discusses that globalization refers to the free movement or transportation of goods, capital, and people whereas liberalization is the elimination or reduction of barriers to enhance free movement of these goods and capital. Due to the swift expansion that has occurred in trade and capital movements, globalization has led to both positive and ne gative impacts. The present research has identified that the main movers of the large increase in global trade and investment, which to most individuals happens to be the chief expression of globalization, have been the global accords to reduce trade restrictions and the instant reduction in the transportation costs, especially the costs of transporting data. These factors have led to the fragmentation or disintegration of industries, a new aspect of globalization.... In this case, some assert that globalization is a contemporary emerging phase while others deem that it has occurred for a long time. Other people argue that whether it occurred in the past or lately, the order and speed of global transformation is exceptional and necessitates an active restructuring of the global institutions of governance (Beall, 2002). To all countries that participate, globalization will continue to have great benefits to them. However, globalization creates pressures causing inequalities in some countries and the need for structural changes in all. In addition, globalization has left some nations more susceptible to the upsets that may occur externally. Therefore, globalization brings forth risk management challenges, which remains unaddressed (Duncan, 2000). Most countries lay the blame on globalization for causing a wide range of problems. Some of the adverse effects that have occurred due to globalization on the social welfare include social problems, which r ange from famine to floods, rural to urban migration leading to overcrowding in urban areas and from pollution to poverty. This means that when two or more countries join together, the social welfare of the two countries will be vulnerable to negative effects leading to decline in the social welfare of the country. For instance, relocation of most industries to the urban areas will cause most rural residents to migrate from the rural areas to the urban leading to overcrowding, pollution and poor disposition of the waste products. However, globalization has brought vital developmental successes. Some examples of these developmental successes include poverty reduction, better services, increasing

Peer Pressure and Teen Sex Essay Example for Free

Peer Pressure and Teen Sex Essay One in five teens reported having sex before they were 15. One in seven sexually active 14-year-olds also said they have been pregnant. The National Campaign to Prevent Teen Pregnancy 2003 It has long been known that teens are heavily influenced by peer pressure, especially when it comes to sex. The question is not if they are influenced, but how they are affected by peer pressure and what decisions they make as a result. This paper will outline the main issues surrounding this controversial subject with the goal of dispelling popular myths while also providing an understanding of how to most effectively educate teens about this phenomenon so that they will make the best and most informed decisions in whatever circumstances they find themselves. The teenage years are full of changes, from biological transitioning into adulthood to social changes occurring at school and beyond. Peer pressure intensifies during this period as teens begin to become sexually interested and active. According to a project done by the University of Michigan, â€Å"The desire to be popular and fit in is so great, that some people will resort to partaking in behaviors deemed outside of their normal comfort zones, possibly disregarding certain morals and values† (Pressures). The pressure to fit in and to stay ahead of the social vanguard places teens in an awkward and challenging environment because they have scarce background knowledge from which to base their decisions and very few people with whom to discuss these changes with, besides their peers. Teens are very hesitant to approach their parents, teachers and counselors for fear of getting in trouble or for fear of embarrassment and discomfort. In our popular media culture, much of the knowledge teens have about peer pressure and sex comes from the movies and television. This presents another complexity to their already hectic lives as they try to weigh their personal character against the stereotypes and myths laid out through these mediums. Hugely popular movies such as American Pie and Dazed and Confused lead students to believe that having sex is just what people do at this age. While this may in fact be true, the message that teens take away is that everybody is already doing it and that if they want to be cool they will too. According to an article published in Psychology Today, 33% of teens ages 15-17 say they feel pressure to have sex, often from male friends. Interestingly, only 23% of teen girls reported feeling pressure to have sex (Allen). That being said, no matter what kind of peer pressure teens are confronted with, they must figure out how to balance the value of going along with the crowd against the importance of making their own decisions. This is the toughest part for teens to handle because they have so many conflicting emotions and perspectives influencing their behavior. For this reason, innovative approaches to sexual education need to be integrated into the traditional abstinence only education that has proven to be ineffective. Today federal spending on abstinence education, with all funding sources combined, exceeds $1. 2 billion (Lew). This program has failed to include other types of sexual education that would be beneficial to teen’s education because it preaches that the only safe method to having sex is to not have sex. This is of course true, but it is not applicable to our contemporary society. Teens have access to all kinds of sexual information on the internet and through television and movies. This is not to say that all of the information they find is true to life, but it tells teens that the education they are getting in schools about sex is limited and outdated. This is not an engaging or for that matter a useful method of instruction because it ignores issues such as contraceptives and safe sexual practices. Peer pressure begins to take hold and gain force at this juncture as the curiosity of teens is not being met through their formal sexual education. Because of this failure, teens turn to their peers for additional knowledge who in turn are facing their own forms of peer pressure. This creates a cycle of myths surrounding sex. Much of the knowledge peers pass on to each other revolves around either second-hand information or from whatever television show or movie they identify with. From here, clusters of teens, or cliques, form around these myths and interests in a process that creates a certain structure of knowledge based around assumptions and stories as opposed to the facts of research and experience. It is not surprising that teens have sex. It is surprising that school systems continue to form short-sided sexual education programs focusing on abstinence only. If our country wants to improve our sexual health and knowledge, sexual education programs need to diversify their teaching lessons to include contraceptives, sexually-safe practices, and the effects of peer pressure. Works Cited Allen, Collin. (2003). Peer Pressure and Teen Sex. Psychology Today. Retrieved December 10, 2008, from http://www. psychologytoday. com/articles/pto-20030522-000002. html Lew, Irene. (2008). Teens Learn to Apply Peer Pressure for Safe Sex. Women’s E-News. Retrieved December 10, 2008, from http://www. womensenews. org/article. cfm/dyn/aid/2988/context/archive Peer Pressure and Emotions. (2008). Cool Kids and Losers: The Psychology of High School Students in Peer Groups and Cliques. The University of Michigan. Retrieved December 10, 2008, from http://sitemaker. umich. edu/356. tran/peer_pressure_and_emotions

Why Do Some People Modify Their Bodies and What Light Does Sociology

Body modification has been prevalent in society for centuries. It is defined as "the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancements, a rite of passage, and religious reasons, to display a group affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression." (Wikepidia.org). Put in its simplest term body modification is defined as â€Å"deliberately alter one’s physical appearance† (St. Leone, 2012, para.2). Throughout history, people have modified their bodies to follow certain traditions or as a way of identifying with their culture. There are many reasons why people modify their bodies and these reasons are viewed differently depending on several factors. Body modifications can be carried out purely for aesthetic reasons to create the ‘perfect body’ or one in which the individual believes will make them socially accepted within their group or society. Some forms of body modification involve legitimate practices and are considered to be perfectly acceptable in certain cultures. However, other modifications are said to involve the violation of moral boundaries and overstep social boundaries. This essay will identify some of the different ways in which people modify their bodies. It will also consider the sociological concepts that are related to body modification to provide answers as to why people carry out these changes. In recent decades there has been a greater focus on body modification practices in society and the reasons why people change their bodies. Body modification involves the deliberate altering of one's physical appearance. Although body modification is often associated with piercing and tattoos there are a number of other methods and practices so... ... Sage. Ferrante, J. (2013). Seeing Sociology: An Introduction. London: Cengage Learning. Fixers. (2014). Body Modification Fix. Retrieved fromhttp://www.fixers.org.uk/news/9479-11226/body-modification-fix-on-itv.php Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Cambridge: Polity. Langman, L. (2003). Culture Identity and Hegemony: The Body in a Global Age. Current Sociolgy 51(3-4) 223-247. doi:: 10.1177/0011392103051003005 Patterson, S. (2001). Tattoos and Women. [Weblog] Retrieved from http://www.indiana.edu/~urbanflk/body_art/patterson1.html Shilling, C. (2003). The Body and Social Theory. London: Sage Publications. St. Leone, L. (2010). The Art and History of Body Modification. Lightspeed Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/the-art-and-history-of-body-modification/ Why Do Some People Modify Their Bodies and What Light Does Sociology Body modification has been prevalent in society for centuries. It is defined as "the deliberate altering of the human body for any non-medical reason, such as aesthetics, sexual enhancements, a rite of passage, and religious reasons, to display a group affiliation, to create body art, shock value, or self expression." (Wikepidia.org). Put in its simplest term body modification is defined as â€Å"deliberately alter one’s physical appearance† (St. Leone, 2012, para.2). Throughout history, people have modified their bodies to follow certain traditions or as a way of identifying with their culture. There are many reasons why people modify their bodies and these reasons are viewed differently depending on several factors. Body modifications can be carried out purely for aesthetic reasons to create the ‘perfect body’ or one in which the individual believes will make them socially accepted within their group or society. Some forms of body modification involve legitimate practices and are considered to be perfectly acceptable in certain cultures. However, other modifications are said to involve the violation of moral boundaries and overstep social boundaries. This essay will identify some of the different ways in which people modify their bodies. It will also consider the sociological concepts that are related to body modification to provide answers as to why people carry out these changes. In recent decades there has been a greater focus on body modification practices in society and the reasons why people change their bodies. Body modification involves the deliberate altering of one's physical appearance. Although body modification is often associated with piercing and tattoos there are a number of other methods and practices so... ... Sage. Ferrante, J. (2013). Seeing Sociology: An Introduction. London: Cengage Learning. Fixers. (2014). Body Modification Fix. Retrieved fromhttp://www.fixers.org.uk/news/9479-11226/body-modification-fix-on-itv.php Giddens, A. (1991). Modernity and Self-Identity: Self and Society in the Late Modern Age. Cambridge: Polity. Langman, L. (2003). Culture Identity and Hegemony: The Body in a Global Age. Current Sociolgy 51(3-4) 223-247. doi:: 10.1177/0011392103051003005 Patterson, S. (2001). Tattoos and Women. [Weblog] Retrieved from http://www.indiana.edu/~urbanflk/body_art/patterson1.html Shilling, C. (2003). The Body and Social Theory. London: Sage Publications. St. Leone, L. (2010). The Art and History of Body Modification. Lightspeed Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.lightspeedmagazine.com/nonfiction/the-art-and-history-of-body-modification/

Leadership Task

Analysis of my own leadership skills is a difficult task, and requires me to address my own leadership attitudes and behavior as well as my strength's and weakness's. As I have learned in my readings about the different types of leadership styles I would say that my style of leadership is more off Participative approach. In my work I run a small department of five and to accomplish tasks I must work side by side with my staff. We all are active participants, but outcomes and production is ultimately my responsibility.I like to think that my team is an accumulative effort and by encouraging each person to come up with ideas and to share their opinions is our recipe for success. I have created a group atmosphere that has been productive and consistent over the last 2 years. More importantly in my absence my team functions just an efficiently as if I were present. Much like how I run my office is how I run my family. We too are a group of five and as the kids have gotten older they too have become an active participant in goal achievements. I see a lot of similar traits of how I run my office to how I run my home.It is a collaborative effort. One of my strength s a leader would be my communication skill. I always try to take the time to listen. I feel that hearing what my employee's say is crucial in leading them. Our workspace is setup in a circle where we all work together. I could have one of the large offices one floor up, but instead of taking an office away from them I'm right in the trenches with them. I want them to know that I am always available for them. It is not always easy but by eliminating distractions and focusing my attention on my employees needs, demonstrates to them that I am listening.Another strength that I practice is Leading by Example†. I am the first person in the office every morning, and the last person to leave every night. I want them to know that I am present and available to them whenever they need me. I do not take 2-hour lu nches, play computer games, or sleep at my desk. When a new project comes along I am the first person to take an assignment and my assignments are ALWAYS completed on time. I practice what I expect from them, and always try to lead by example. For a complete self-analysis of my leadership skill I must also address my weakness.For one several people have old me that I am too nice. Part because of my personality and part because I think people are happier working for a manager that they get along with. But because of this trait I may sometimes come off as a pushover and people can be tempted to try to take advantage of our relationship. It is sometimes difficult to find the balance between being a friend and being a boss. I can be tough when necessary and I am working on setting better boundaries with my employees. Another weakness I have is taking on too much myself and not delegating. Some tasks I feel no-one can do as well as I can.For example we have this one large report on a sha red drive that needs to be updated on a regular basis, my team provides me all the numbers, and I enter all the numbers. I think to myself that I must be the most handsomely paid data entry person in the world. This is only one example of my lack of delegating skills. This weakness can sometimes create a bottleneck of work for me whereas I should be spending my time on more pressing matters. Additional it demonstrates lack of confidence and fails to develop my team into future leaders. I have been in a position tenure were a disaster. I had a high turnover rate and a low production rate.I would say that early in my position I used an autocratic approach that Just did not work for me. These types of leaders keep close supervision of employees and have a purely professional relationship with their staff. They make decisions on their own without input from others. They dictate the who, how and when of work assignments. When I think about Autocratic leadership I equate that too micro- m anager. When it was me, I spent more time watching them then working on my own assignments. Not very productive and it was too stressful for me. Another type of leadership style is the delegated.As previously stated this would be very difficult for me to be. This leader assigns work and leave's an employee to their own talents and resources to complete tasks. The employee can come and go as they wish as long as assignments or tasks are completed and turned in on time. Because outcomes are my responsibility I need to be involved in tasks, I need to know that things are on schedule and getting done. By being an active participant helps me to reduce my stress and be more in control. By having a better understand of different types of dervish styles helps me to be a more productive leader in a couple different ways.By taking away qualities from other styles of leadership help me to become a better- rounded leader. First it reminds me how I use to feel earlier in my position. I was stres sed out, tense, abrupt, and totally ineffective. I realize that the autocratic style of leadership definitely has its place and may be effective for others; however it is not the approach that works for me. I am much happier by having a relationship with my employee. I feel it is important to connect personally with those that you spend 40 lust hours every week with. I like to work with people and not have people work for me.Different leadership styles can cause conflicts in the workplace. For example a problem that can arise in the work place could be a personality conflict. An example of this is when new management comes on board and different personalities and leadership styles are introduced. Change is never easy; establish if it is thrust upon you. Another conflict that can occur is often due to emotion and perceptions about somebody else's intentions. This can occur for example when a leader showing favoritism for one employee over another. One of the worst things you can do t o lose the respect of your subordinates by not being fair.Respect is paramount to achieve success. There are a couple of ways to overcome personality conflicts in the workplace. For one is to take the time to get to know your employees. By getting to know them, you are letting them get to know you. It is a win, win situation. Another way to avoid conflict especially if you are a new manager coming into a situation is by being clear about the direction and changes you have planned. Honesty and immunization are key to conflict resolution. An always remember the best way to prevent personality conflict in the workplace, is to not take things personally.It is Just business, not personal. Fairness is of the utmost importance when dealing with teams. Favoritism has no place at work and if a manager demonstrates that they will not have the trust of their employees. Trust is a major issue, and to build trust you must be impeccable with your word. By again communicating clearly goals and obj ectives and being consistent with your follow through is a good start to build trust. But if it needs to be said, I'll say it, don't show any favoritism! It will be detrimental to the success of a team and all should be treated equally.Although we are all different, there are potential advantages that may be created between different leadership styles. An effective manager will recognize when to use which leadership style in order to produce results. An autocratic leader makes it own decisions without any input from others and this could be beneficial when a new direction or a drastic change is necessary. When timing is crucial and decisions need to be made this leadership style has its advantages. A delegating approach to leadership is the polar opposite and will assign task, provide necessary resources, and guidance, but backs off and let the team work at their own pace.This style would be advantageous if you work with a group that is highly effective, experienced, and motivated. Then there is the participative approach to leadership that is somewhere in the middle of autocratic and delegating styles. This leader is very hands on and works with the team by building morale and most effective if demodulating is an issue. By empowering them to be part of the decision making recesses the employee feels important and can motivate them to go above and beyond what is expected of them.To increase productivity you can capitalize on the different styles of leadership based on the individual situations. If you are in a position where decisions have to be made quickly, use the autocratic style of leadership. This style of leadership can also be a benefit if your work is particularly stressful. This can allow a person to concentrate on doing their Job and not worry about making decision. Utilizing a delegating approach allows a leader to capitalize n individual employee's strength and talents to increase productivity.This style allows for flexibility and better collabora tion. In a participative style of leadership this encourages employees to share or participate in the decision making process. Which gives the employee a vested interest in their work and can benefit productivity. Rather than sticking to one type of leadership approach evaluate the circumstances and adjust your style. The best leaders can adjust their thinking to how it is most beneficial at different times, remembering that productivity depends on effective leadership.

Critical Thinking Doesn’t Mean Just Criticizing

Sound thinking in every realm of life is more practical than poor thinking. When an individual is skilled in their thinking it pays off by saving time and energy. When an individual uses sound thinking they are able to control life circumstances whether good or bad. Halpern, D. (2003) states, â€Å"Critical Thinking is the use of those cognitive skills or strategies that increase the probability of a desirable outcome. † (p. 6). Critical thinking can be also considered as teleological in nature. As well critical thinking concerns the attainment of goals and the desired outcomes from achieving them. Critical thinking is not meant just for criticizing. It is the ability to effectively evaluate evidence and use intellectual tools to avoid being gullible to highly questionable or absurd ideas. The development of critical thinking skills is vital because the skill enables people to operate in a capacity to participate effectively in society, make complex choices, commit to social justice, and reflect on beliefs and actions. Advances in technology have placed an abundance of information at the world’s finger tips. Without critical thinking a person will be unable to separate what is valuable from information that is useless. Critical thinking can be compared to strenuous movement because thinking is hard work. For example at the end of ones day if that person stayed open minded and grasped onto different ideas, that person must now evaluated the evidence supporting those ideas. The National Science Foundation surveyed public attitudes and knowledge about science, they found that 70% of American adults said they were interested in science, but fewer than 30% could give a passable definition of a scientific experiment or hypothesis. Therefore even if a person has general knowledge of critical thinking it will not ensure they will be able to recognize the difference between true and false teaching if they do not have an understanding of what constitutes scientific evidence. With proper instruction a humans thought process can become broadly applied, spontaneously generated, precisely focused, intricately complex and more insightfully divergent. To develop these skills will take practice, concentration and coaching. Critical Thinking must include critical reflection on what passes for critical thinking. However critical thinking can restrict a person to the use of criticism to approved topics and can cause one to wonder into unconventional fields of criticism. Critical thinking is not essentially a negative enterprise but should maintain the kind of criticism which is not aimed at rejection, but considers apparent knowledge on its merits, retaining whatever survives critical scrutiny. Being critical has its positive and negative sides. A writer can compose a review of an article that may or may not agree with the readings presented. The writer’s response to the material will depend on their attitude and what type of approach they are trying to bring out of the material. Therefore critical thinking is not to be taken as simple criticism. In order for a person to be an effective critical thinker they cannot accept information at face value in a non-critical or non-evaluating way. In order for critical thinking to have a positive impact in a person’s life they must have the skills of logical analysis and understand how to apply these skills. According to Passmore (1967), being critical is not simply a habit, a skill, or mastery over the art of logic. Passmore goes on to describe critical thinking as more of a character trait that causes one to ask questions about information received. A critical thinker knows how to consciously apply tactics to discover facts and understanding there meanings. The Stanley Milgram Obedience study successfully shows how a higher authority figure can use their position to encourage others under their authority to perform inhumane acts to cause harm to others. The Milgram study showed that 65% of his subjects which where residents of New Haven, were unknowingly willing to give false electric shocks of 450 volts to protesting victims. These victims were faultless for the pain that was apparently inflicted upon them however because of the authority commanded to the subjects, the subjects whether against or for the experiment continued as commanded. When put in this type of position one must have a strong sense of critical thinking to up hold what it right. This experiment surprises me at how many people will engage in activities knowing they are going cause someone else harm. It makes one wonder how people in authority who use their power to cause others harm gained such a position. One would think that this person’s superior would pick up one such an act and bring it to a stop. Not only that but why would the subordinates allow such activities to continue without reporting the situation to the proper authorities. One can only assume that fear for losing their job or level of respect would cause them to continue to adhere to authority figures whether the action being asked to perform is right or wrong. In the economy we live in today one can only assume to these actions are becoming more prevalent and people are obeying the commands given to the just to keep their careers. No one can afford to lose their job and expect to live comfortable. Instead of using critical thinking to overcome the inhumane request the subordinate just goes along with the order being given to remain in good standing with the authority figure. Had I been the participant in the Milgram study and was ordered to continue with the experiment knowing that the person I was shocking was in total disagreement and begging to stop, I would have stopped. My nature and kind heartedness would not have allowed me to continue with such an act. Not only would I have stopped with the experiment, I would have had to make the experimenter aware that what he was doing is wrong and unjust regardless of the excuse that the experiment was important. The first three questions in the think Tank self-evaluation asks you whether you believe there are right and wrong answers and authorities are those who have the right answers, there are no right answers and everyone has the right to their own opinion, and last even though the world is uncertain, we need to make decisions on what’s right or wrong. These three questions represent the three stages of cognitive development. I found myself to agree strongly with the third statement. I am at the stage in my life where I am well aware that the world is full of uncertainty but we as a society must come together and decide on what is right and what is wrong. This is the main reason we have laws, to keep control of the world. The laws give use a uniformed understanding of how our world is supposed to operate. Without laws we can expect that the world would be in chaos. Even though laws are set in place to be obeyed there are still people who set out to challenge these laws and there are others who don’t care what the law states and do whatever the will to do. However even though the laws are set in place they are not black and white. One must use there critical thinking skills to effectively apply the law in their life. This can be a shortcoming because many laws leave a lot to be interpreted as to the true meaning behind them. With this in mind if critical thinking skills are not applied one may assume they are in the right of the law and really not be because of a lack of understanding. What strengthens me at being in this position in this stage of my life is the fact that I don’t jump to rash decisions. I have learned how to take my time and evaluate each situation, weighing the facts and going with the best option available. Taking the time to do this helps to eliminate a lot of heart ache, struggle and regret. All of us have found ourselves in the position where we wished we could go back in time and change some of the decisions we have made. We all know hindsight is 20/20 and the only thing we can do is live and learn. Learn how to use critical thinking and apply to every aspect of our lives. Working a Hardee’s years ago I was placed in a position to make a decision to cook rotten chicken and serve it to the public. The manager ordered me to cook chicken that both she and I knew could be a danger to the public. Refusing in a very disrespectful manner I lost my job and was sent home with a broken heart because my intentions were good but the situation was handled in the wrong manner. I had to regroup and approach the situation from a different manner; therefore because of my beliefs I knew I could not let the situation go. Instead of remaining mad I used critical thinking to come to the conclusion that people could not suffer from eating rotten chicken and action had to be taken. At this point I called the health department and the district manager of Hardee’s and reported the situation and my concerns. By the end of day I had a call from my manager and was asked to come in for a meeting. During this meeting I was informed by the manager who fired me that if I had handled the situation in a more respectable manner she would have understood my point of view and respected it. If I had taken the time to use critical thinking and explained my standpoint for why I refused to disobey I would have never had to go to such lengths to get my point heard. Because I immediately got angry and viewed my manager as an inhumane person I criticized her and got fired. Although my initial reaction was handled in an inappropriate manner, I was able to bounce back and regain control through critical thinking and informing the appropriate authorities of the facts of the situation and regained my employment. From this I learned that critical thinking and criticism have a domino effect. One bad decision not only causes one side effect, it causes multiply until the chain is broken. In my situation the chain was broken when a thinking critical approach was taken and proper authorizes were involved. I could have been critical of what my manager had done and tried to ruin her name around the small town, but that would have only created more problems. Involving the proper authorities help to bring the situation under control, the chicken was thrown out and no one was placed in harms ways by consuming the product. I regained my employment because I stood up for what was right and changed my attitude towards the situation to gain a positive outcome. Society is often faced with the need to rapidly assess situations and make decisions under dynamic conditions and often with limited information. Sometimes the outcomes are good and sometimes they are bad. As long as humans are involved there will be injury to others in some cases which is unacceptable. Criticism can be constructive or destructive and each individual needs to evaluate themselves on which type they are using along with their critical thinking skills to gain the most positive outcomes for their experiences.