Friday, September 20, 2019
Women In The Geisha Society Cultural Studies Essay
Women In The Geisha Society Cultural Studies Essay When we speak about Japan we imagine a high developmet country with morden tehnology, cars, telephones so on. But the biggest industry in Japan is not shipbuilding, producing cultured pearls, or manufacturing transistor radios or cameras. It is entertainment And geisha is an important aspect of Japanese culture, and their elegant performances keep attracting many people from around the world.geisha is an important aspect of Japanese culture, and their elegant performances keep attracting many people from around the world. What do we know about geisha? In early seventeenth-century Japan (long before the word geisha was ever used), the predecessor of the geisha was a combination of actress and prostitute and worked on the stages set in the dry riverbed of the River Kamo in Kyoto. The line between actress and prostitute was blurry, as the women would perform erotic dances and skits for their audiences. This new type of performance was dubbed kabuku, meaning to be wild and outrageous. The dances were called kabuki, and this was the beginning of kabuki theater. Traditional Japanese views of sex were very relaxed. It was a society that embraced sexual delights and where men were not constrained to be faithful to their wives. In fact it was socially acceptable to be in love with ones wife, but only when she was considered a professional woman. For sexual enjoyment and romantic attachment, men did not go to their wives, but to courtesans. In order to maintain this profession, the Japanese government created pleasure quarters where the courtesans could reside and work and men could go to relax and enjoy the entertainment. These pleasure quarters quickly became glamorous entertainment centers that offered far more than just sex. The highly accomplished courtesans of these districts entertained their clients by dancing, singing, and playing music. Some were even renowned poets and calligraphers. Gradually, they all became specialized and the new profession, purely of entertainment, arose. It was near the turn of the eighteenth century that the first entertainers of the pleasure quarters, called geisha, appeared. The very first geishas were men, entertaining customers waiting to see the most popular and gifted courtesans. Around 1760, women began to join men in the art of the geisha and very quickly outnumbered the men. The first woman to use the term geisha was an Edo prostitute named Kikuya and became a full-time entertainer. Soon, many women, whether they sold sex or not, began using the term geisha. The word geisha itself means à «person of the artà » There are two basic types of geisha. One is called tachicata who mainly do traditional Japanese dance (mai). The other is called jikata who mainly sing or play instruments. Tachikata are usually maiko (young geisha) and jikata are older geisha women. The geisha districts are called hanamachi and some hanamachi were developed near temples and shrines where many ochay are located. Ochaya are small Japanese-style houses with wooden doors, tatami floors, Japanese-style gardens, and so on. They are different from those tea houses that merely serve tea. Its a sort of banquet house which rents rooms for dinner parties, and geisha entertain customers in ochaya rooms. Within the complex world of geisha, there is a strict ranking system. At the very top of the rank are the grand dowagers of the Gion district of Kyoto. These women consider themselves far above even the lower-ranking geisha of the same city. In Kyoto there are, in total, five geisha districts, also known as hanamachi or flower towns. The geisha of these districts are visited by powerful businessmen and politicians and are very expensive. At the opposite end of spectrum are the hot-spring geisha. These geisha work in the spa resorts and are viewed by most Japanese as no bette r than a common prostitute. Traditionally, Geisha began their training at a very young age. Some girls were bonded to geisha houses (okiya) as children. These girls were referred to as hangyoku and were as young as nine years old. This was not a common practice in reputable districts and disappeared in the 1950s with the outiawing of child labour. The students are called maiko. A maiko is essentially an apprentice and is therefore bonded under a contract to her okiya. The okiya supplies her with food, board, kimonos, obis, and other tools of her trade. Her training is very expensive and her debt must be repaid to the okiya with the earnings she makes. This repayment may continue after the maiko becomes a full-fledged geisha and only when her debts are settled is she permitted to move out to live and work independently. A maiko will start her formal training on the job as a minarai, which literally means learning by watching. Before she can do this she must find an onee-san older sister. They should sit and obse rve as the onee-san is at work. This is a way in which she will gain insights of the job, and seek out potential clients. From her, they would learn techniques such as conversation and gaming, which would not be taught to them in school. This stage lasts only about a month or so. After a short period of time the final of training begins. Maiko learn from their senior geisha mentor and follows them around to all their engagements. Since the onee-san teaches her maiko everything about working in the hanamachi, her teaching is vital. The onee-san will teach her proper ways of serving tea, playing shamisen, dancing, casual conversation and more. There are three major elements of a maikos training. The first is the formal arts training. This takes place in special geisha schools which are found in every hanamachi. The second element is the entertainment training which the maiko learns at various teahouses and parties by observing her onee-san. The third is the social skill of navigating the complex social web of the hanamachi. This is done on the streets. Formal greetings, gifts, and visits are key parts of any social structure in Japan and for a maiko, they are crucial for her to build the support network she needs to survive as a geisha.Around the age of 20-22, the maiko is promoted to a full-fledged geisha in a ceremony called erikae . This could happen after two to five years of her life as a maiko or hangyoku, depending on at what age she debuted. She now charges full price for her time. Geisha remain as such until they retire. Though geisha begin their study of music and dance when they are very young and continue it throughout their lives. They could be as old as sixty and still learning the art of their profession. The dance of the geisha has evolved from the dance performed on the kabuki stage. The wild and outrageous dances transformed into a more subtle, stylized, and controlled form of dance. It is extremely disciplined, similar to tai chi. Every dance uses gestures to tell a story and only a connoisseur can understand the subdued symbolism. For example, a tiny hand gesture represents reading love letter, holding the corner of a handkerchief in ones mouth represents coquetry and the long sleeves of the elaborate kimono are often used to symbolize dabbing tears. The dance sends a message of femininity but the small steps and the limited range of movement. The dances are accompanied by traditional Japanese music. The shamisen, originating in Okinawa, is a banjo-like three-stringed instrument that is pl ayed with a plectrum. It has very distinct, melancholy sound that is often accompanied by flute. It takes years to master and only a very experienced geisha can play with the precision and passion of a master. All geisha are required to learn to play a shamisen. Along with the shamisen and the flute, geisha also learned to play a ko-tsuzumi, a small, hourglass-shaped shoulder drum, and the taiko, a large floor drum. Some geisha would not only dance and play music, but would write beautiful, melancholy poems. Others painted pictures that gave glimpses into the mysterious lives of the geisha, and even others would compose music. The art of the geisha is her main entertainment and is most important in her training. A geishas appearence changes throughout her career, from girlish, heavily made-up maiko, to the moresombre appearence of an older established geisha. Today, the traditional makeup of the apprentice geisha is one of their most recognizable characteristics, though established geisha generally only wear full white face makeup characteristic of maiko during special performances. The traditional makeup of an apprentice geisha features a thik white base with lipstick and red and black accents around the eyes and eyebrows. Originally, the white base mask was made with lead, but after the discovery that it poisoned the skin and caused terrible skin and back problems for the older geisha towards the end of the Meiji Era, it was replaced with rice powder. The application of makeup is hard to perfect and is a time-consuming process. Makeup is applied before dressing to avoid dirtying the kimono. First, a wax or oil substance, called bintsuke-abura, is applied to the skin. Next, white powder is mixed with water into a paste and applied with a bamboo brush starting from the neck and working upwards. The white makeup covers the face, neck, and chest, with two or three unwhitened areas left on the nape, to accentuate this traditionally erotic area, and a line of bare skin around the hairline, which creates the illusion of a mask. After the foundation layer is applied, a sponge is patted all over the face, throat, chest, the nape and neck to remove excess moisture and to blend the foundation. Next the eyes and eyebrows are drawn in. Traditionally, charcoal was used, but today, modern cosmetics are used. The eyebrows and edges of the eyes are colored black with a thin charcoal; a maiko also applies red around her eyes. The lips are filled in using a small brush. The color comes in a small stick, which is melted in water. Crystallized sugar is then added to give the lips lustre. Rarely will a geisha color in both lips fully in the Western style, as white creates optical illusion s and colouring the lips fully would make them appear overly large. The lower lip is colored in partially and the upper lip left white for maiko in her first year, after which the upper lip is also colored. Newly full-fledged geisha will color in only the top lip fully. Most geisha wear the top lip colored in fully or stylized, and the bottom lip in a curved stripe that does not follow the shape of the lip.The geisha round the bottom lips to create the illusion of a flower bud. Miako who are in their last stage of training wil sometames colour their teeth black for a short period of time. This practice used to be common among married women in Japan and, earlier, at the imperial court, but survives only in some districts, or even families. While this sounds unsavoury to Western ears, it is again at least partly because of the optical illusion generated by white makeup: in contrast, teeth seem very yellow; colouring the teeth black means that they seem to disappear in the darkness of the open mouth. This illusion is of course more pronounced at a distance. For the first three years, a maiko wears this heavy makeup almost constantly. During her initiation, the maiko is helped with her makeup either by her onee-san, or older sister (an experienced geisha who is her mentor), or by the okaa-san, or mother of her geisha house. After this, she applies the makeup herself. After a maiko has been working for three years, she changes her make-up to a more subdued style. The reason for this is that she has now become mature, and the simpler style shows her own natural beauty. For formal occasions, the mature geisha will still apply white make-up. For geisha over thirty, the heavy white make-up is only worn during special dances which require her to wear make-up for her part. The hairstyles of geisha have varied through history. In the past, it has been common for women to wear their hair down in some periods, but up in others. During the 17th century, women began putting all their hair up again, and it is during this time that the traditional shimada hairstyle,f type of traditional chignon worn by most established geisha, developed. These hairstyles are decorated with elaborate hair-combs and hairpins. Geisha were trained to sleep with their necks on small supports (takamakura), instead of pillows, so they could keep their hairstyle perfect. To reinforce this habit, their mentors would pour rice around the base of the support. If the geishas head rolled off the support while she slept, rice would stick to the pomade in her hair. The geisha would thus have to repeat the tiresome process of having her hair elaborately styled. Without this happening, a geisha will have her hair styled every week or so. Many modern geisha use wigs in their professional lives, while maiko use their natural hair. However, either one must be regularly tended by highly skilled artisans. Traditional hairstyling is a slowly dying art. Over time, the hairstyle can cause balding on the top of the head. Geishas life changed during all the time. World War II brought many changes to the world of geishas. In 1944, everything in the geishas world was forced to shut down, including teahouses, bars, and houses. About a year later, they were allowed to reopen, after the women had been working laboriously in factories every day. The very few women who returned back to the geisha areas decided to reject western influence and revert back to traditional ways of entertainment and life. The image of the geisha was formed during Japans feudal past, and this is now the image they must keep in order to remain geisha World War II resulted with most of the laboring geisha not returning to their previous occupation. It was up to the few women who did return to change the thwarted view of geisha back its traditional ways. Because of the devastations of the war, people post-war wanted to bring nationalism back to the country through a reinvention of traditional values and the arts. Another major change after World War II was the absence of a young geishas mizuage, or selling her virginity to the highest bidder. This reform was also in the form of a feminist movement, because the girls wanted control over their bodies, especially sexually. There is no doubt that coerced sex and bidding on a new geishas virginity occurred in the period before WWIIà ¢Ã¢â ¬Ã ¦After Japan lost the war, geisha dispersed and the profession was in shambles. When they regrouped during the Occupation and began to flourish in the 1960s during Japans postwar economic boom, the geisha world changed. In modern Japan, girls are not sold into indentured service, nor are they coerced into sexual relations. Nowadays, a geishas sex life is her private affair In her book, Geisha, a Life, Mineko Iwasaki said, I lived in the karyukai during the 1960s and 1970s, a time when Japan was undergoing the radical transformation from a post-feudal to a modern society. But I existed in a world apart, a special realm whose mi ssion and identity depended on preserving the time-honored traditions of the past. Women in the geisha society are some of the most successful businesswomen in Japan. In the geisha society, women run everything. Without the impeccable business skills of the female teahouse owners, the world of geisha would cease to exist. The teahouse owners are entrepreneurs, whose service to the geisha is highly necessary for the society to run smoothly. Men are also needed, but in contingent positions such as hair stylists, dressers, and sometimes accountants. In an interview with the Boston Phoenix, Mineko Iwasaki, reportedly the most successful geisha of all time, stated, The geisha system was founded, actually, to promote the independence and economic self-sufficiency of women. And that was its stated purpose, and it actually accomplished that quite admirably in Japanese society, where there were very few routes for women to achieve that sort of independence The majority of women were wives who didnt work outside of their familial duties. Becoming a geisha was a way for women to support themselves without submitting to becoming a wife. The geisha women live in a strictly matriarchal society. Women dominate. Women run the geisha houses, they are teachers, they run the teahouses, they recruit aspiring geisha, and they keep track of geishas finances. The only role that men play in the society is that they are the people being entertained. Sometimes men work as hair stylists or kimono dressers, but their jobs are hardly ever long-term. Men arent meant to see the behind-the-scenes workings of geisha to ensure the mystery behind the women.
Thursday, September 19, 2019
environment & public policy :: essays research papers
Environmental Policy and the Government The purpose of the United States' public policy law is to implement restrictions in an effort to solve problems, which is shown with the Clean Water Act and employed to reform the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The United States government is noble in its efforts to preserve the environment through these acts, but the internal structure of public policy often retards these acts' effectiveness. This essay will explore ways in which factors such as horizontal implementation and the divided government affects the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Before one can discuss how these policies affect environmental legislation, a brief description of each must first be lucidly explained. When our government was created, a system of checks and balances was implemented to make sure that no one part of government acquires more power than others. Although this limits the power of anyone person in government, it often slows down the ability of government because a consensus can be hard with a g reat number people collaborating. Horizontal implementation pertains to the implementation with the federal government. There are specific concerns that exists which includes: the breakdown of coordination due to the largest structure of the federal government, language difficulties, the lack of control due to the threat of success by one particular agency, different perspectives, and direct change of intention due to factors such as voter pressure. It's astounding that in the heart of all this madness that anything can be accomplished at all, but thanks to the determination to be re-elected, things have work their way down the federal level or else the person in power will be impeached. Now the question is, what exactly is the Endangered Species Act? An animal is endangered if it is in danger of becoming extinct throughout all or most of its natural range in the wild. An animal is threatened if it is very likely to fall into the endangered category in "the foreseeable future". Endangered species have the possibility of generating boundless resources for the human race including medical uses, research purposes, and atmospheric contributions- namely oxygen as a by-product of photosynthesis. The act also sets aside land to protect endangered species. For example, many acres of old growth forest have been set-aside in an effort to preserve the Northern spotted owl. So far, the act has been successful in helping to re-establish populations of the American alligator, the California condor, the Black-footed ferret, and many species of endangered sea turtles.
Wednesday, September 18, 2019
An Evolutionary Ethical Theory of Social Risks and Opportunities Essay
An Evolutionary Ethical Theory of Social Risks and Opportunities ABSTRACT: Social standards guide us in what to do and what to refrain from doing. But can social ââ¬â moral or legal ââ¬â standards be trusted? This paper presents an evolutionary ethical theory that generates trustworthy ethical norms. Each norm is assigned a demonstrable risk, called an ethical risk, that depends on both human behavior and danger to the survival of society. The assigned risk is minimal if and only if everybody obeys the norm. The higher the risk assigned to a norm, the higher the normââ¬â¢s rank (an empirical quantity depending on the evolutionary status of society). An ordered finite set of ethical risks and ethical norms allows the settlement of ethical problems arising in society. Subsets of existing moral and legal standards all over the world are compatible with norms being elements of these ordered finite sets of ethical norms. Like all standards, ethical norms are often violated. A single violated norm suffices to activate correlations between ris ks, resulting in an ethical conflict. The more often a high-ranking norm is violated, the poorer the society in question. Ethical conflicts can be resolved by responsible persons or groups advancing higher-ranking norms involved in optimization at the expense of lower-ranking norms. Examples are given to support the theory. "Moral predigen ist leicht, Moral begrà ¼nden schwer" (Arthur Schopenhauer) I. The Primacy of an Empirical Ethic of Risks In the West, ever fewer people respect moral standards because the influence of religion is decreasing rapidly. In addition philosophical ethics, "inventing right and wrong" [Mackie], is unable to contribute essentially to the trustability of moral norms,... ...men, Saetze; Stuttgart 1980 Patzig, G.: Ethik ohne Metaphysik; Goettingen 1983 Platon: Saemtliche Werke, Band I; Heidelberg 1982 Popper, K.: Die offene Gesellschaft und ihre Feinde; Tuebingen 1992 Rawls, J.: Eine Theorie der Gerechtigkeit; Frankfurt 1979 Rawls, J.: Die Idee des politischen Liberalismus, Frankfurt 1992 Schmidt, H.: Zeit von den Pflichten zu sprechen, S. 17, Die Zeit Nr. 41, 1997 Schrader, W.H.: Norm II, Ethik; J. Ritter, K. Gruender (Hg.): Historisches Woerterbuch der Philosophie, Band 6, S. 910; Basel 1984 Sueddeutsche Zeitung Nr. 43 vom 22. Februar 1994 Vorlaender, K.: Immanuel Kantââ¬âDer Mann und das Werk; S. 170; Hamburg 1992 Weber, M.: Politik als Beruf; M. Weber, Gesammelte Politische Schriften, J. Winkelmann (Hg.); Tuebingen 1971 Wickert, U.: Der Ehrliche ist der Dummeââ¬âÃÅ"ber den Verlust der Werte; Muenchen 1996
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
Pros and Cons of Drugs
The Pros of Illegal Drugs Many countries along with the United States have laws forbidding the possession, sale, and use of certain drugs ranging everywhere from marijuana to heroin. Though many countries classify these drugs as illegal, I believe certain ones are not as bad as people portray them as. In my mind, the illegal drug cannabis, also known as marijuana should be legalized since it can not only improve the economy but its side effects are not that foreign to other legal drugs. I believe marijuana should be legalized considering its side effects are not too extreme.Drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine should not be legalized. These drugs carry strong side effects and are damaging to the body, resulting in damage to the human body. A debatable point on the matter is the money these drugs produce. Some believe that legalizing these certain drugs will in turn help the suffering economy we are now facing. Though this may be true in some aspects, it is an awful idea in others. Yes, legalizing these drugs would bring in a large profit considering how pricy they are, however it also would be very harmful to the people using them.These drugs can be overdosed on very easily, and if so it can result in severe harm or even death. Marijuana on the other hand can also produce a large profit without those severe consequences. Side effects of marijuana are quite minor compared to other illegal drugs. It speeds up the userââ¬â¢s heart rate and causes physical impairment. The worst of its side effects are breathing difficulties and the increase in chances of getting lung cancer. These side effects are exactly the same as those of cigarette consumers.Smoking tobacco cigarettes carries the same side effects plus even more due to the buildup of tar it causes in the lungs and yet the sale and consumption of such a product is still legal. I see the use of marijuana as a combination of the consummation of alcohol and cigarettes at the same time. These side e ffects are not that bad compared to those of more potent drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine. The sale of an illegal drug such as marijuana could really boost the already struggling economy.If the government were to contribute to the sale of marijuana by adding a sale tax to it, it could provide the government with much needed money. The legalization of such a drug would create a high supply and demand for the product, which would allow the government to modern its sale and production. It would also provide the economy with more jobs. It would open up more employment for those suffering from the economyââ¬â¢s state considering the product would need to be produced and grown in large amounts.Along with the help the sale of marijuana could produce towards the economy, it would also eliminate the ââ¬Å"forbidden fruitâ⬠variable. Young adolescents tend to be drawn into actions that they are forbidden to do. Legalizing marijuana would end that and would in turn e ven keep the use to a minimum for many individuals. There are many pros to legalizing certain illegal drugs within the United States. Legalizing marijuana would help more than it would do harm.Other drugs such as heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine should not be legalized due to their harmful side effects, even though they would bring in a large profit. Though marijuana would not produce quite as much profit as those more potent drugs, it would still contribute greatly to the economy. It would not only provide the government with money if it was taxed, but it would also contribute to the work force. The high demand for the product if legalized would create jobs for unemployed persons. The legalization of a drug such as this would contribute to the U. S. ââ¬â¢s struggling economy.
Monday, September 16, 2019
What exactly is an ageing population?
An ageing population id one in which the proportion of older people is increasing. This group of elderly people are those who have passed the age of retirement and depend on pensions as their main source of income. The old age dependency ration is calculated by (Elderly Population 65+ / Working Population 15-64) x 100. Ageing populations are a factor of reductions in both birth and death rates due to technological and economic progress. An ageing population means the proportion of older people is increasing, which causes an increase in the dependency ratio. Social Impacts: 1. Increased pressure on public services ââ¬â Greater demand for services such as hospitals and hospices, and therefore more are needed to care for the elderly, so more carers and nurses will need training. Some families will choose to care for their own relatives, putting pressure on the, socially and financially. 2. Unequal distribution of the elderly ââ¬â e.g. Eastbourne has a high proportion of older people and may have inadequate facilities for young people as a consequence, such as bars and youth clubs. 3. Reduced population growth or population decline ââ¬â The working population may have fewer children as they already have older dependants, leading to a reduction in birth rate. 4. Longer working life- The state pension is low because there are so many retired people, so therefore some may have to work beyond normal retirement age to build up personal pensions or savings, or to add to their income from their state pension. Economic Impacts: 1. Reduced work force- Smaller proportion of the population is working, which may slow economic growth 2. Increased taxes ââ¬â A greater proportion are claiming pensions and support paid for by taxes, therefore this could mean higher taxes for the working population. 3. Spending ââ¬â The elderly often have savings and pensions to spend within the economy. Strategies to Manage Ageing Populations: 1. Encouraging larger families ââ¬â Should result in a larger future working population to provide taxes for better pensions and services 2. Raising retirement age ââ¬â The working population is made large, so more people contribute to the state pension fund and to personal pensions. People will also claim the state pension for less time. 3. Encouraging the immigration of working-age people ââ¬â This increases the working-age population; this helps to support the ageing population by paying taxes. 4. Increasing health care provision ââ¬â Helps to easy the problem of poor health in the elderly. UK Case Study The UK has an ageing population where people over 65 make up a large part of the population. Reasons: 1. Increasing life expectancy ââ¬â Currently 81.3 for women and 76.9 for men. 2. Baby Booms ââ¬â Lots of babies were born during 1940ââ¬â¢s and 1960ââ¬â¢s and as this generation is beginning to retire and there are an increasing number of elderly people. 3. Falling birth rate ââ¬â There are few younger people, so the proportion of older people is greater. Problems: 1. Pressure on the pension system ââ¬â Today 60% of the working population are paying taxes to support a 16% retirement age population, but by 2030 there will be 56% of the working age population to support a 27% retirement age population. 2. More elderly people living in poverty ââ¬â The state pension is not very large, and many to do not have other savings but the working population isnââ¬â¢t large enough to provide a larger pension. 3. Pressure on the health service ââ¬â Older people need more medical care than younger people. East Devon: It is an attractive settlement for the elderly due to climate, low crime rates, scenery, other elderly people, with a population of 125,000 and a dependency ratio of 53.8%. The elderly are however putting pressures on more pension payments required, housing needs and health care. East Devon is a dispersed settlement and therefore limited public transport causes isolation amongst the elderly who are unable to travel privately for whatever reason. The elderly do however make large contributions economically (the grey pound where in 2005 à £215billion was spent for particular needs paid by the elderly, such as for travel and leisure), and socially in terms of as volunteers and as carers for relatives who would be unable to afford child care otherwise. To manage this ageing population the East Devon council has put management strategies in place: 1. Housing ââ¬â Maintained secure accommodation, warden care, adapted housing (e.g. plugs and taps as hip level to avoid having to bend over), and sheltered housing for the opportunity for socialising. 2. Health Services ââ¬â Cost effective to keep the less sick at home for many deteriorative type illnesses (which puts additional pressures on care staff who do low paid work), and there has been some need for sheltered accommodation/therapy created. 3. Services and Amenities ââ¬â New leisure facilities to keep the elderly healthy in terms of physical and mental wellbeing, and new social environments/clubs. Charities are also vital to supporting this. 4. Transport Services ââ¬â New buses in rural environments that personally pick up individuals from their homes to take them into town to go shopping.
Sunday, September 15, 2019
Responsibility of the Teacher in Lifelong Learning Sector Essay
What is the role and responsibility of a teacher in the lifelong learning sector? The roles and responsibilities of a teacher in the field of lifelong learning sector that covers all publicly funded post-16 education outside universities are extremely varied and diverse. When examined closely the diverse roles of a teacher, trainer, assessor or tutor, seem to be associated a multitude/body of expectations. Ideally the teacher should have the ability to combine roles and responsibilities in a way, which firstly benefit the pupil, the education system but also the community and ultimately the state and its economy. Teachers in (LLLS) must provide significant assistance in training people, either after completion of compulsory schooling or as first contact with the education system, and thereby contribute to the national effort to remain competitive in the world economy, and thus maintain indirectly the basis of a welfare state. Professionalism is an important and essential feature of the teacher in the field of lifelong learning. This includes responsibilities for example keeping knowledge up to date, CPD, but also diligence and enthusiasm in oneââ¬â¢s work as well as probity. Basically one could say that the teacher of lifelong learning supports the efforts not only of those of with post degree levels but also of people who only have come in contact with basic education, to learn, even in old age, to write, to read, to be able to express themselves, think in a structured manner, with the ultimate aim to involve the individual learners in all aspects of economic and social life. In this way it is possible to integrate diverse social elements and structures. This can include understanding about different needs of the Elderly, ethnically diverse groups, various nationalities or religious identities which until recently lived completely separate. This in turn helps individuals to understand and acknowledge differences and thereby ensure the peaceful coexistence of all these people living in the UK. The teacher of lifelong learning supports the expansion of knowledge, not only of people who are aiming for specialized university education, but also of those aiming to further/advance their general and specialist knowledge. In this context it is important to note that currently more students are in Further Education than at university. One in five adults now is studying in FE, 3/4 of the students are 19 years or older. The teacher lifelong learning contributes to the transformation/ââ¬Å"creationâ⬠of students aiming for them to become active citizens. As a result this will expend the number of people who work socially and ethically responsible towards those in authority but also amongst individuals. This contributes to the creation of social cohesion. This process also encourages students to actively participate in community issues and thus engages them critically on a wider base on a national level. The students for lifelong learning, with the help of their teachers, become aware of how to effectively engage in public life, acquire appropriate knowledge, develop specific skills, acquiring values, upon which they can build their lives. It is important that teachers of lifelong learning keep up to date within their professional field through continuing professional development, aiming to evolve and develop their own teaching skills. A teacherââ¬â¢s duties involve a multitude of responsibilities. Amongst others, monitoring and reporting their pupils achievements in order to document studentââ¬â¢s progress. The tutor is obliged to treat all students in a fair and equal manner, give the opportunity to all students to participate on an equal footing with equal expectation of success, to try to meet the needs of each student, to remain updated with subject development. Tutors must be well prepared, return the control to work at reasonable times Teachers must be aware of both their professional commitments and their personal limits and boundaries, knowing when and whom to recommend students for further support. There are some significant difference between roles and responsibilities amongst teachers for lifelong learning (after compulsory education) and those working at state or public schools. Particularly in light of recent changes that have taken place in the field of lifelong learning which have led an increase in numbers of students who now study at FE colleges, and access to funding (loans to finance their higher education) and resulting increased demand for professional teachers in schools etc. In conclusion, the role and responsibilities of teachers for lifelong learning are summarized as follows: 1. Teachers must be committed to their students and their learning. 2. The teachers know the subject they teach and how to teach this subject to students. 3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning. 4. Teachers think systematically on their practice and learn from experience. 5.The teachers are members of learning communities.
Saturday, September 14, 2019
Methodologies
Human resource development is one of the most challenging tasks of running any business in the present world of competition and globalization. The level of motivation depends greatly on how much focus company gives to understanding the need and the demographics of the company. It is very important to have well-motivated employees, because the motivated employees will probably work harder, and likely produce a higher quality of work; especially for a retail company. Motivation comes from heart and mind; it is an internal process which determines the success and adaptability of an employee within the business environment. It is very important that steps should be taken to strengthen this within the staff. This would require effort on the part of the organization to come up with steps to find out and research about ways in which employees a can be motivated. An organization needs a systematic methodologies based on sound research philosophy. A good research philosophy should be based on positive- scientific approach where analysis is based on factors which can be verified by statistics. Another, aspect of the research could be based on exploring the circumstances or the situations. Based on these two philosophies information should be gathered. The purpose is to research the different motivational factors that affect sales people in the client organization. The research approach should be selected to suit the nature of the company. The research approach can be deductive- based on testing the theory or inductive ââ¬âbased on building the theory. The inductive theory with emphasis on qualitative research should be the focus of research. The environment and the demographics of the company should be considered. The study should use qualitative research. In qualitative research the events could be studied in their natural surroundings. The data can be obtained by exploring the circumstances or the situations. The data for this research comes from the secondary sources. Secondary data is more accurate than the primary data, and is also most economical and easy way of accessing information. The process requires the past and the recent researcherââ¬â¢s studies including books and journals, the internet, newspaper as some of the main sources for secondary data research. This information is very useful and provides comprehensive understanding of the issue. The research analysis is conducted after gathering and analyzing data. The emphasis is on the size and the nature of the respondents. The respondents were randomly selected. All the salespeople from different brands were asked to participate in the survey. The primary source of the survey is through interview. Ten shops have been chosen as target interviewees in different districts. The interview is designed to be done face to face. The time selected for interview is lunch hour. The questionnaires have been put together, which are to be collected after the interview. All data which is collected is confidential. The method employed in this research is through the questionnaire survey. A comprehensive list of question is prepared which could target the employeeââ¬â¢s personal information aspect as well as the motivation aspect. The targeted intervieweeââ¬â¢s are the staff below manager level. The aim is to evaluate relationship between pay and motivation. The question is prepared in simple and clear language, Chinese version is also made available to help in understanding. Every effort is taken to avoid misunderstanding. The first part of the questionnaire gives personal information of the staff. The personal information related to the employees will reflect that information which gives information about them like, age, sex, education level and years of service with a particular facility or organization. This personal information is very essential for the selection of the right person for the right job. If the person is selected to perform a particular job for which he is suitable, this will lead to the growth of the company as well as the employee. His education a level and his experience plays a key role in determining the nature of his job. His age should be considered in deciding if he can take the amount of work related stress and strain. His gender would give him/ her a certain way of thinking which may help or hinder the kind of commitment. It requires careful selection based on these factors, to really find the right person with good motivation who can work with the company for the long-term. The second part of the questionnaire focuses on the motivational factors or preferences based on eleven questions. These questions are ranked as highest to least desirable as far as motivation is concerned. They take into account he factors which determine motivation. It is important to understand what offer can the company make to raise the motivation level of its employees. If everyone feels that they are equally treated as far as company policy is concerned with regard age, sex, ethnicity, and disability. If the employeeââ¬â¢s are well compensated with benefits, holidays, allowances and health benefits determined by their personal qualification. They will be happy to work for the company. The company should make an effort to find out through survey about How the Employeeââ¬â¢s feel about working for the company. It is very important to have a motivated workforce with proper training, education and development for success in the present economy. This part of the survey has been evaluated in the following survey done to address the employeesââ¬â¢ response. It is very important to have authentic data, which can help research and analyze the motivation factors existing in the retail industry. Data should be collected from the literatures, journals, newspapers and the internet. The research is also aimed to analyze the internal motivation factors with information collected from staff interviews, official website and the staff handbook. The research and the analysis of the survey results combined with the statistical applications allow for the researcher to draw conclusion based on the objectives of the study. Ethical issues regarding the confidentiality of the information should also be carefully observed. The information should be well guarded. The participants should trust the source of their survey. Then only can one obtain authentic and honest information. There are certain limitations to this method of survey; the information may change from day to day. In the process of research it is difficult to update the information on a continuous basis, until the final study is finished. Thus this kind of research imposes that there be date beyond which information cannot be used. This can be a handicap. Some of the information which has been collected is found in Chinese, this will require time for translation. Sometimes the meaning can get lost in the process of translation. Though the study tries itââ¬â¢s best to translate the original meanings from the original meanings. These surveys are critical to the analysis and the discussion of the motivation level of the people working for the retail company. This beautifully classifies the personal qualification which determines the level of their position within the company. Once the employees and employers know each others strength, they find where the right person can be placed for the right kind of job. Even an employee can be trained if interested for a particular job to which he may have better liking. If employer treats every employee with equal opportunity, the employee will work hard and with sincerity. It is very important to maintain that balance and motivation to keep a well trained workforce. If the employees are asked to respond to particular question as mentioned in the survey, they will feel they have important role and participation within the company. This will make them more confident about their future and make them more motivated. So accurate personal evaluation, good benefits and reward system will keep the motivation level high. These methodologies help the company to find clear and defined ways to find suitable employees and also to retain them for long term. They can be a guideline for future decisions made by the company. It can also help company cone up with a reward system for positive consequences and penalties for negative consequences. The internal and unseen aspect of motivation can be developed with good training, proper developmental setup and secure future. The competition and the benefits can be planned in the light of the information gathered. This will further improve understanding between the employers and the employees for better teamwork. Works cited Human Resource Management, HR354, Professional Competence, The Management Report, Student Handbook, 2006/07 à à Ã
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