Marriage in Al

Introduction The current world order and its inherent values are largely contrary to traditional cultural values. Many of the traditional values are under scrutiny with youths advocating for redefinition of what was formerly taken for granted. Globalization as a phenomenon means there is higher interaction between cultures.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marriage in Al-Khobar specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The traditional cultures and values that characterized societal norms are under great pressure. In many people’s eyes, some values advocated by our forefathers are archaic and not practical in our time. Alkhobar is largely Islamic; Islamic teachings, just like the teachings of other many religions, are threatened with corrosive effects of a liberal global culture. The institution of marriage has not been spared; the youths’ approach or attitude to marriage is largely different from traditional conceptions. This report explores issues related to marriage in Alkhobar City. The report is based on observations I made after questioning fellow students, friends and relatives. I strongly relied on social networks to gather the data that informs this report. The report is also informed by secondary sources on marriage that I went through to clarify certain observations. Definition of Marriage Marriage is generally defined as union between a man and a woman. Two people of different sexes come together in a formally recognized union. In the western countries, some legislation recognizes the union of same sex people as marriage. This is highly questionable and is overly condemned by religious leaders. Purpose and Importance of Marriage The main purpose of marriage according to Islamic teaching is widening the Islamic nation through building family or procreation (Cornell, 57). It is believed that marriage brings peace and tranquility as it enables meeting of one’s physical, s ocial and psychological needs. Therefore, marriage is important because it is a precondition to the formation of a family. Moreover, it contributes in a big way to man and woman finding peace and tranquility in this world (Garry, 13). The family is the basic unit or society around which society takes shape. Without marriage, family would not be possible and consequently society. In marriage, man and woman properly channel their physical needs. In this institution, they are able to take responsibility for their actions. The greatest responsibility that comes with a man and a woman coming together is the possibility of offspring. When biological needs of men and women are channeled within the context of marriage, in case of offspring, proper care is possible.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Secondly, in marriage, men and women find emotional as well as mental support. Within the context of marriage, man and woman become family and support each other as one unit. Through worse and good, they share and stand by each other. They share and discuss issues thus coming up with better ways of responding to challenges in this world. Companionship is a great aspect of marriage life. A marriage partner is a companion that one shares with and works with on given life assignments. It has to be noted that avoiding marriage often leads to bad ills in society. Some people die of loneliness especially once they begin to age. For example, a lady who has been living a high life and avoiding marriage is likely to find self not attracting much attention once she is in late thirties or forties. Living a single life may appear cool and full of freedom but it has its consequences (Garry, 20). It often means dealing with people who are only interested in fulfilling their lust and moving on. It also means not having any committed partner to rely on in hard times. Modern Attitudes to wards Marriage In the traditional days, marriage was a given and men and women married as they wished as long as they had enough wealth. In our times, some people seem not to be very keen on marriage. I posed the question to fellow friends on whether marriage is cool and I got very mixed reactions. From the responses, it appears like many young people are not very enthusiastic about getting married or marrying. Young people think that marriage is too demanding and does not work. The liberal ideologies of the west seem to have found way into our colleges and universities. People are beginning to tend to think that freedom is an absolute. Can man or woman be totally free? Can we think of freedom without responsibility? Unfortunately, freedom always goes hand in hand with responsibilities. Types or forms of Marriage Most marriages in Alkhobar tend towards a one man, one woman kind of setting or relationship. It is not just in Alkhobar, it is generally accepted around the world that one man, one woman is the most desirable kind of marriage. However, it is interesting to note that there are also many polygamous families here in Alkhobar and around the world. I understand very well that Islamic teaching does not prohibit polygamy. There are some people that believe polygamy is a solution to many unfaithfulness related problems in marriages. However, the young people I interacted with are not by any chance interested in polygamy. Among youngsters, polygamy is understood as being degrading for the women. Secondly, due to many life challenges due to changing socio-economic factors, polygamy is untenable.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Marriage in Al-Khobar specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The anti-polygamy wave is largely understood by traditionalist thinkers in Alkhobar as being a western influence. Those who support polygamy understand monogamous arrangements as mere perpetuations of western val ues. The pro-polygamy campaigners argue that the ratio of women to men is high. Through polygamy all women can find a husband. Secondly, pro-polygamy campaigners argue that by such an arrangement, extra-marital affairs will be reduced. In response to this assertion, the anti-polygamist point out that not all men can attend satisfactorily to many wives. If the women’s needs are not fully met, they turn to other men thus perpetuating unfaithfulness. The pro-polygamist also argue that through such like an arrangement, widows and orphans can find maintainers and provider. Such an argument relies on the thinking that men are supposed to be providers and protectors in the family. Unfortunately or fortunately, in the modern family, the gender roles have undergone significant transformation. The roles of providing and protecting are no longer, solely, a man’s roles. Many women can work and thus provide for their families. Dating Dating is a new phenomenon in the Arab world whi ch is widely accepted and approved by younger generations. In traditional days, individuals did not engage in any form of romance until when married. In some instances, individuals only came to know of their spouses on the wedding day. Times have changed and young people these days have access to all sorts of information. From adolescence onwards, teens are keen on love related stories and episodes. Most of the young people I interacted with while investigating this subject understand fully well what dating is. My observations from general society are that Alkhobar is still conservative in its values about marriage, family and the expression of love. However, new conceptions of love are surely taking root. The new conception stipulates that love is something to be explored before it matures. The old conception was that love is ordained by God. When it comes to marriages, love was not emphasized but rather the purpose and divine ordination of the institution. Slowly, marriage as a co venant ordained by God is giving way. Many young people do not take marriage as being covenantal or as binding as it was traditionally believed; marriage is seen more as a mere contract that can be broken if it is not working. In our world of today, youths tend towards exploring and experimenting before settling down. As Jones and Wilson (350) explain, dating is taken as a crucial aspect or stage leading to marriage. Dating has also changed gradually all over the world. A date for young people is not just about going to some movie together or playing together or reading together.Advertising Looking for essay on cultural studies? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Due to proliferation of romantic literature, even youngsters want to play prince and princess charming with each other. From my interactions with fellow friends, I realize that many youths want to go all the way and even explore sex on dates. The trend is a little alarming for those who believe in sex outside marriage being a sin. It is also very discomforting because all caution is thrown to the wind by people who fear responsibility; the reason why they do not want to commit to marriage. Are premarital relationships necessary or unnecessary? This is a question for debate and it is a hot debate among scholars and religious leaders. Jones and Wilson (355-380) describe dating scenarios across the globe. From what they present it is clear that dating is accepted and encouraged worldwide. My interaction with fellow young people in Alkhobar city informs me that some engage in premarital relationships and a majority support dating. What is crucial is for each individual to understand wha t difference dating makes. Personally, I am convinced that dating has many benefits if approached responsibly. Responsible dating would mean individuals knowing their boundaries and appreciating need for respecting each other. Forced and Early Marriages A report based on a research by Dr. Shawky Milaat (1) indicates that 27% of marriages in Jeddah are early marriages. The report relates that early forced marriages are not just an exceptional case but a common practice in Saudi Arabia. I am sure, among us, we know many individuals who have been married off before their sixteenth birthday. Early marriage refers to the marrying off of young girls before at least age sixteen. It is a pity that some traditionalist parents still force their children into marriage. Arranged marriages are still a norm across the Arab World (Makki, 115). Here in Alkhobar there have been many cases of forced marriages. An arranged marriage is not necessarily a forced marriage. If a marriage is arranged and t he boy and girl consent to it as adults, it makes sense. What doesn’t make sense is case where against a child’s will (especially the girls) parents marry them off, sometimes to older men in society. In Islamic tradition, it is taught that a man has to seek the agreement of both the parents and the girl to a marriage (Cornell, 58). It is taught that silence from a girl whose consent has been sought implies acceptance. The teaching makes sense; it does not permit the forcing of a girl to get married if she has reservations and has communicated them. Many parents force their children into marriage so that they are paid dowry. This is against Islamic teaching because a parent is not permitted to use dowry paid on a child without the child’s permission or authorization. Temporal Marriages Come we stay or temporal marriages have for long been practiced around the world. In this kind of marriage, two individuals agree to live together exercising roles of husband and w ife for some time. Many agree to such an arrangement to gauge if they can live comfortably live as husband and wife or not. From the people I have interacted with, this kind of marriage is not practiced in Alkhobar. However, some of the visitors that come to Alkhobar are not formally married. Moreover, with social change due to western influence sweeping over most cultures around the world, it would not be surprising that future generations may tend towards this kind of arrangement. Temporal marriages were practiced among Arabs before conversion to Islam (Cornell, 127). Islam, like Christianity, aims at removing any ancient practices that do not serve the common good or the interest of individuals in the long run. Islam forbid temporal marriages and stipulates that men should marry a girl only after receiving the blessings of the girl’s parents (Nasr, 87). In any marriage there ought to be a trustee and at least two witnesses. Sex as per the Islamic faith is only permissible with ones duly or properly married wife. Sex in temporal marriage would be interpreted as fornication. The major factor that makes people to tend towards temporal marriages is expediency. People want to loose their cake and have it at the same time. Fear of commitment due to economic and general lifestyle issues lead people into preferring temporal arrangements. Unfortunately, the temporal arrangements end up not serving the needs of both partners. In often cases, it is the women that end up used and dumped by the men. Rather than treating each other with the respect that befits husband and wife, people in temporal arrangements treat each other as experimental objects. Their transitory nature means that individuals are not able to seriously focus on developmental issues as a couple. Why would one want to involve the partner fully if the arrangement is only temporal? Recommendations and Conclusion It has been established that there are general changes on perceptions or conceptions on marriage. The shift has been occasioned partly by globalization and changing economic circumstances (Nasr, 17). Globalization has facilitated closer interaction between cultures. The western culture which is more liberal is most appealing to youths than the traditional Arabic culture that is based on Islamic teaching. The shift to more liberal outlooks is both positive and alarming. There is a general perception among young people that traditional values are primitive and archaic (Nasr, 8). However, a closer inspection reveals that the traditional view points have some logical rationale that grounds them. Therefore, I would recommend creation of forums and programs that enable youths to discuss issues to do with family and marriage openly. The youths seem not to be keen about marriage. Rather than looking at marriage as a burden, people in authority should devise ways of educating young people about the purpose and beauty of marriage. Old customs that are not supportive to general wellbeing of individuals in this century ought to be revised. To identify the old customs that are not longer serving a good purpose, I recommend more tolerance and dialogue in the populace of Alkhobar city. Tolerance and dialogue can be nurtured and developed, if our leaders develop the will and interest. Works Cited Cornell, J. Vincent. Voices of Islam: Voices Of Life: Family, Home, and Society Greenwood Publishing Group, 2007. Dr. Shawky, Sherine, and Milaat Waleed. Cumulative Impact of Early Maternal Marital Age during the Childbearing Period. 1999. Wiley and son, Inc. 30th December, 2009. Web. Gary, Thomas. Sacred Marriage: What If God Designed Marriage to Make Us Holy More Than to Make Us Happy? Michigan: Zondervan, 2002. Jones, Judy, and Wilson William. An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned But Probably Didn’t. 3rd Ed. New York: Ballantine Books, 2006. Makki, M. S. Medina, Saudi Arabia: A Geographic Analysis of the City and Region  UK: Avebury , 1982. Nasr, Hossein, Seyyed. The Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity  UK: Harper Collins, 2004. This essay on Marriage in Al-Khobar was written and submitted by user Esteban Henderson to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Domestic Violence Assessment Report Social Work Essay Example

Domestic Violence Assessment Report Social Work Essay Example Domestic Violence Assessment Report Social Work Essay Domestic Violence Assessment Report Social Work Essay Mrs. Chan has been married to Mr. Chan for more than 20 old ages. Her hubby is a food market shop proprietor and he is really busy with his concern. Every month, Mr. Chan gives her adequate money to back up the household. They have two kids, a 11-year-old boy and a girl of 8 old ages old. Genogram Showing jobs The client came to confer with the declining father-son relationship and her boy s behavioural jobs. She perceived it as a consequence of witnessing bridal force that she had been enduring for several months. She said her hubby had a bad pique, demoing no attention or regard to her and he frequently beat her in forepart of the kids after rummy. She remained tolerate and silent until the battery shifted to life endangering danger late. Worker s perceptual experience of the jobs Harmonizing to what Mrs. Chan has said and worker s observation, there are three chief jobs in the household as listed below. Spousal Violence Mrs. Chan has been enduring from her hubby s choleric pique and violent Acts of the Apostless over a long clip. The domestic force caused dangerous injuries to the client both physically and mentally. Empirical grounds shows that after physical maltreatment, the effects of psychological maltreatment can be even more detrimental. Women subsisters of domestic force have greater possibility to demo Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms, along with dissociation, depression, anxiousness and terror, with lowered self-esteem and self-efficacy, and low quality of life. The Son s behavioural job The two kids have been exposed to their male parent s opprobrious behaviour to their female parent. Witnessing a violent event, peculiarly one affecting parents, is likely to ensue in kids s serious accommodation and behavioural jobs. Witnessing is a stressor comparable in impact to the direct experience of a violent act. The symptom becomes stronger when the force is 1 ) long permanent, 2 ) human designed,3 ) in which the attacker and victim are close to them. Child are likely to bring forth PTSD reactions such as backdown, aggression and trouble in concentration after exposure to force. Thus school public presentation of the boy deteriorated and his pique worsened. He went so far as to conceal some arms to assail his male parent in instance to protect Mrs. Chan. Family Relationss Family is a particular societal system which performs certain maps and certain duties. It performs the indispensable map of go toing to the societal and educational demands, wellness and wellbeing, and common attention of its members. The Chan s household is in a dysfunctional position. Missing communications in both spousal and parental relationships leads to blockings in giving attentions, meeting demands, establishing maps and executing duties. Mr. Chan is busy on concern every twenty-four hours and the whole household rarely have activities together. A nerve-racking household environment under force restrains looks of feelings. Besides, kids who witnessed domestic force ever face a job of trueness. Choosing either side to back up will convey jobs in household dealingss necessarily. These three jobs are non separated from each other. Alternatively, they are someway in causal relationships. Spousal force caused kids s behavioural jobs and hapless household interactions, so in the intercession procedure, we have to turn to the jobs one by one harmonizing to this order. Intervention stage In order to acquire the household back to operation, we devised an intercession program for the above-named jobs based on informed consent to the client and ethic codifications of societal worker. Aims Short-run aims: To maintain the safety of Mrs. Chan and her kids To measure and to retrieve the injury of Mrs. Chan and her kids To quash Mr. Chan s aggressive behaviour and excite his motivation to alter Long-run aims To forestall any physical and mental maltreatment in the household To better parenting accomplishments To reconstruct the communicating and to advance harmonious and healthy relationship in the household Scheme and principles PTSD Assessment The Keane MMPI ( MMPI2 ) -PTSD Scale As Mrs. Chan has been enduring from intimate spouse force for several months, the effects of the maltreatment on her should be detected by scientific methods. The Keane MMPI PTSD Scale has proven to be a dependable and valid step of PTSD in beat-up adult females. If any symptoms are discovered, the worker would mention Mrs. Chan to professional healer for farther intervention. Fiscal Assistance and Group preparation Due to economic independency and isolation, the victim has really small money of her ain and few people on whom she can trust when seeking aid, so the worker would help Mrs. Chan to use for some fiscal aid like CSSA. In add-on, she lacks specialised accomplishments, instruction, assurance, self-esteem, self-efficacy. Not anticipating any agencies of supports could worsen her sense of hopelessness, weakness and hence depression. Therefore, preparations are necessary to assist her discovery paid employment to back up herself every bit good as her kids. Group developing like horticulture, handcrafting, cooking etc. can non merely equip her with some basic professional accomplishments but besides provide her with more interpersonal web and societal support. Additions in self-pride are due to the chances for societal interaction, creativeness and self-expression ( Parker, 2004 ) . Solution-focused intervention There are a batch of theories to explicate why persons get violent behaviours in intimate relationships. The societal acquisition theory suggests that the wrongdoers learn by sing or witnessing force and intergenerational transmittal of force exists in domestic force. Others focused on abnormal psychology and personality features. Biological and physiological factors can besides assist to bring forth force. Substance maltreatment such as intoxicant and drug ingestion may besides account the state of affairs in some manner. However, every bit far as we know at the minute, we can non state the ground why Mr. Chan beats his married woman. The lone thing we are certain for the minute is that Mr. Chan should do a alteration to halt the opprobrious Acts of the Apostless and reconstruct the household operation. The solution-focused intervention deemphasizes jobs and emphasizes the building of solutions. Rather than inquiring the wrongdoer to be responsible for the job, the intervention requests the wrongdoer to be accountable for solutions. The twosome have been married for 20 old ages and Mr. Chan has ever been difficult working on concern to back up the household. Out of this love, plus the worker s stimulation and counsel, Mr. Chan is expected to determine motivations, set meaningful ends to extinguish force and develop new behaviour to work out the jobs step by measure. Assessment interview, single, twosome and household solution-talks and offender group developing workshops will be carried out with the furthering of the intercession. Harmonizing to the self-changing procedure theory, there are five phases in the procedure of an person s alteration pre-contemplation, contemplation, finding, action and care, while backsliding is likely to happen at all phases. Therefore, the procedure would take a long clip and it needs worker s forbearance and encouragement wholly along. Art therapy In the Chan s instance, the boy has likely shown some mild symptoms of PTSD. Without intercession, it will take to impossible effects. The miss s status should besides be followed up although there is still no obvious symptom on her. Sing the age of the two kids, the worker would follow art therapy in the intercession. Children shows greater decrease in PTSD symptoms through originative look such as drawing, picture, drama, or storytelling. We plan to utilize this attack to help kids to place and alter destructive belief forms, identify and express emotional residue, exercise personal control, make programs for future and interrupt down the sense of isolation. Family Gathering Interactions and communications are indispensable to household operation. The worker suggests Mr. and Mrs. Chan form more household activities that can affect the whole household to advance the household relationship. Harmonizing to parent-child interaction therapy, such activities can modify manners between the parent and kid, diminish kid behaviour jobs and advance positive parenting. Furthermore, household assemblages can give Mr. Chan a opportunity to cognize how his married woman takes attention of the kids every twenty-four hours, which can advance love and esteem between the twosome. It is hoped that these activities can be held at least one time per hebdomad.

Sociological Definition of Degradation Ceremony

Sociological Definition of Degradation Ceremony Historically, a degradation ceremony is the process by which to lower a persons social status within a group or within society in general, for the purposes of shaming that person for violating norms, rules, or laws, and to inflict punishment by taking away rights and privileges, as well as access to the group or society in some cases. Degradation Ceremonies in History Some of the earliest documented forms of degradation ceremonies are within military history, and this is a practice that still exists today (known within the military as cashiering). When a member of a military unit violates the rules of the branch, he or she may be stripped of rank, perhaps even publicly by the removal of stripes from ones uniform. Doing so results in an immediate demotion in rank or expulsion from the unit. However, degradation ceremonies take many other forms, from the formal and dramatic to the informal and subtle. What unifies them is that they all serve the same purpose: to lower a persons status and limit or revoke their membership in a group, community, or society. Sociologist Harold Garfinkel coined the term (also known as status degradation ceremony)  in the essay Conditions of Successful Degradation Ceremonies, published in  American Journal of Sociology  in 1956. Garfinkel explained that such processes tend to follow moral outrage after a person has committed a violation, or a perceived violation, of norms, rules, or laws. Thus degradation ceremonies can be understood in the context of the sociology of deviance. They mark and punish the deviant, and in the process of doing so, reaffirm the importance and legitimacy of the norms, rules, or laws that were violated (much like other rituals, as discussed by Émile Durkheim). Initiation Ritual On some occasions, degradation ceremonies are  used to initiate people into total institutions like mental hospitals, prisons, or military units. The purpose of a ceremony in this context is to deprive people of their former identities and dignity in order to make them more accepting of external control. The perp walk, wherein a person suspected of committing criminal acts is publicly arrested and led into a police car or station, is a common example of this kind of degradation ceremony. Another common example is the sentencing to jail or prison of an accused criminal in a court of law. In cases like these, arrest and sentencing, the accused or convicted loses their identity as a free citizen and is given a new and lower criminal/deviant identity that deprives them of the social status they previously enjoyed. At the same time, their rights and access to membership of society are limited by their new identity as an accused criminal or a convict. Its important to recognize that degradation ceremonies can also be informal but still quite effective. For example, the act of slut-shaming a girl or woman, whether in person, within her community (like a school), or online produces similar effects to the formal kind. Being labeled a slut by a cohort of peers can lower a girl or womans social status and deny her access to her peer group. This kind of degradation ceremony is the modern-day version of the Puritans forcing people who were thought to have had sex out of marriage to wear AD (for adulterer) on their clothing (the origins of Hawthornes story  The Scarlet Letter). Updated  by Nicki Lisa Cole, Ph.D.

Strategy for growth for a student's society Coursework

Strategy for growth for a student's society - Coursework Example In the same perspective, the student organisations will always aim at facilitating ideas that influence a relatively large number of students (Collins, 2001). Student societies have come to gain great command since universities are the highest entities of learning, endorsed with a huge number of people from various parts of the world. The fact that any student, in a particular university, regardless of their age or current situation will always be in a position to join their preferred organisations, calls for a lot of members all the same. Nevertheless, the situation is getting even better as more and more university-based student organisations continue to incorporate members of non-university background (Goldsmith & Robertson, 2003). Such kinds of allowances have called for the development of various types of student organisations. This can be in the range of faculty societies that orient on a particular university faculty in the perspective of uniting current members. Aspects like taekwondo have come to amalgamate various students of similar ideologies with science fiction calling for the opportunity to unite students with interests on film and television. On the other hand, academic aspects like study organisation have also played an important role in bringing together various students of similar study years at a particular university. ... The equivalent can be related to the music and film societies that handle cheap film and music shows within the university. The students’ societies have widespread influence opportunities that affect almost every aspect related to students. For instance, the international student societies will always seek to unite various students from different backgrounds at a university. In the business perspective, students with similar ideas in production and commerce will come up with related groups, for instance the Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). This organization has amalgamated students with leadership quests in the business world, especially those seeking higher education (Shankman & Allen, 2010). Commonly known as Enactus, this organisation is among the few students’ societies that have come to foresee a lot of development. With reference to the global nature of business, almost every university around the globe has several faculties related to business and its aspects. Everything happening everywhere from rural areas to urban centers in any country happens to be business-based. Companies are developed with a quest of making profits. Governments gain their operational capital from taxation-based on business. The buying and selling of property around any retail and wholesale shops is an idea of business. The travelling of people from one place to another, be it by planes, vehicles or ships, involves the exchange of money. Business affects everyone, not only on the directly practical aspects mentioned above, but also in the virtual world of the Internet. Today, people are setting up companies and institutions online. The selling of products is today based on the Internet as people advertise the various products they possess, quoting their prices

Movie Review Shawshank Redemption Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Movie Review Shawshank Redemption - Essay Example He accepts the punishment with dignity, not bothering about the social stigma associated, for he knows he is innocent. The Shawshank Prison reflects the drudgery and slowness of prison life, as is visible in most prison movie. The striking difference however, is the portrayal of Andy’s free and hopeful spirit, and how one free spirit can bring about a radical change in the environment. Andy has his shares of troubles in prison. The Shawshank prison reflects some of the rawest forms of human rights’ violation including â€Å"the Sisters† attempting to get Andy to perform oral sex for them. The movie is about a determined, hopeful human being with an unbending spirit breaking free from the shackles of misery. Andy, slowly but steadily, inches his way through the walls using a rock-hammer over a period of decades until he finally breaks free. Even during his stay in prison, Andy improves the quality of life of his inmates by helping establish a small prison library. His knowledge of Banking and Taxation help him to initially work with the corrupt warden, finally expose his misdeeds in public and leading him to commit suicide in the end. The movie perhaps trudges along a trifle slowly in the middle. That could well be a reflection of the leaden passage of time, the years of redemption one has to undergo before achieving salvation and experiencing freedom. The cinematography is near excellent. The damp blue, green, and grey walls, which at times seem like shades of black and white, reflect the characteristic dullness of prison life. The Shawshank Redemption is also a story of friendship between two souls – Andy and Red (Morgan Freeman). It is a story of how two individuals from contrasting backgrounds – one guilty of murder and the other innocent, come together to help each other. While Red, â€Å"the man who can get you anything in prison,† helps him get hold of a rock-hammer – the tool that helps him achieve his goal of

Contemporary Issues In Human Resource Management Commerce Essay

Contemporary Issues In Human Resource Management Commerce Essay The impact of the recession upon human resource management activities of HM activities The paper provides an overview on Hennes Mauritz (HM), analyzing the industry environment and the position in the retail market. The paper also explores the impact of the recession upon the human resource management activities, based on publicly available details of HM, which has been analyzed and presented within the context of the perspective. Introduction The retail industry is usually a very dynamic, and a fast changing sector in the market. It represents one of the main sectors in the UK economy, in terms of employment, transactions and turnover, so that as a consequence, it is a highly competitive and a sophisticated industry. Thompson(2002) argues that economic conditions are an important element in the industry and he states that they may affect the way, weather easy or difficult, a business runs the activity successfully and profitable .Furthermore he claims that economic conditions may affect both capital availability, cost and demand. Companies in the fashion sector have to keep all the time the attention on monitoring the market, and should try to identify any new trends as soon as possible and, above all, they have to keep up with the customers increasing expectations, needs and changing tastes. As the paper shows above, the analysis will be on the HennesMauritz fashion business which is considered one of the worlds favourite and preferred designers of clothes and accessories for man, women, teenagers and babies. In addition, HM its also known not only for the fashion cosmetics and accessories but also because of the quality of the clothes ,using sustainable materials like organic cotton, wool and organic denim, all being environmental friendly ( HM website(1), viewed 20 October 2010). According to the Datamonitor (2010, p.4) HM is a large clothing retailer with its operations primarily set in Europe, North America, and Asia, owning in 2009 1,988 stores worldwide and reaching sales of 119 billion Sweden Kronor. (HM website (2), viewed 20 October 2010). The companys main office is based in Stockholm, Sweden and employs almost 76,000 workers out of which more than 53,476 are on full time employment as of November 2009. HMs strategic approach is to offer designer clothes to general population at affordable prices, the company working with such brand names as Stella McCartney, Karl Lagerfeld, Roberto Cavalli and Lanvin (Capell Beucke 2005, p. 16; Kroll 2004, p. 71; Zimmerman 2009, p. D1; WWD 2010, p. 2). RECESSION IN RETAIL SECTOR Nowadays almost all kinds of industries are willing to maintain their competitive position in the market during the recession period. Most of the challenges that the retail market faces are related to the economic and the financial aspects. The fashion industry faced unfavourable situation due to the reduction of the money spent on clothes, but also due to the change in consumers behaviour. According to Kambil (2009) recession should last less than 2 years, and managers should take full advantage of this in order to rethink and renew their strategies and their competitive positions in the UK retail market. The UK retail market was just one of the industries hit by the global economic downturn, as shoppers were forced to limit their spending and consumer confidence was shaken by the failure of important retail giants like Woolworth. With the retail market getting back on its feet in 2010 particularly the online sales segment, where UK web sales grew by 18% in August 2010 (BBC website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11034030 ), compared with the same month a year earlier one of the most pressing concerns is whether there will be long-term effects on consumer confidence or spending. The retail industry has been an excellent contributor to the UKs economy. According to the British Retail Consortium, the retail sector is one of the second largest employers in the UK, employing 11% of the UK workforce, some 2.9 million people as of March 2009. Historical evidences depict that the UKs economic development has been dominantly fuelled by the successes in the fashion industry especially because of the existence of 286,680 retail outlets in the UK (British Retail Consortium website). Over all these years, industrial success in textiles and fashion goods component have been significant and can be attributed to the continuous change and improvements in the lifestyle of the shoppers and the increasing value being placed to such products. Consumers constantly experimented different looks, styles, fabrics and ideas and their interest in fashion accessories has been stimulated by high media exposure, which have been growing over the last few years. This assiduous rise in the consumer spending on fashion products led to practically unchallenged growth in the industry. Despite the crisis in this sector of the economy, some of the organizations managed to grow their market share. According to Kambil (2008) companies need to focus their attention on the market share and in addition they had to launch new products and adjust the existing ones in order to improve their relations with the customers. Using HM as a company example, they tried to beat the effects of the downturn, by launching designer clothes in partnership with well-know designers like Jimmy Choo, Roberto Cavalli and Lanvin this November (HM website, viewed 21 October 2010). Moreover the economic recession has affected many HR Processes and they needed to be adapted to the new economic environment and furthermore they had to be ready to face the new reality. The impact of the recession is not the same and many HR Processes can continue their regular operation without any adjustment. Even if recession has affected many fashion organisations, closing stores or slashing prices, one of the big retailers operating on the UK market, HM ,was keeping quite well, in addition they were opening stores, entering new markets, and adding new brands (Spiegel website, April 9 2008, ). Another major effect of the recession in the retail industry is the staff redundancies. According to The Telegraph website there is an important downsizing in this sector, which may affect retail organisations in many ways. The article shows that at the beginning of 2009 economists were announcing massive staff reductions between 100,000 and 135,000 jobs due to the severity of the slowdown. Moreover the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development predicted at that time more than 600,000 jobs will be lost and many companies will be forced to freeze their workforces pay. Sales have been also suffering by the economic downturn, reporting a volume of retail sales lower with 0.1% than October last year (National Statistics Online website, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=256). Among the factors that should be taken into consideration is the current economic growth rate in the nation. This directly refers to an economys rise in value of services or goods produced. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) in the case of United Kingdom, the economic growth rate in 2010 grew by 1.1% in the second quarter of the year (BBC website, National Statistics Online website, http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=256 ). Another economic factor that may influence retail business in the fashion industry is the inflation. According to the BBC newspaper, the Consumer Price Index (CPI), inflation increased to 3.2% in October from 3.1% per cent in the previous month (BBC newspaper, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11784775, Appendix A) . SWOT Analysis of HM According to Armstrong (2004) SWOT is defined as (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) and is a popular framework for developing a marketing strategy. SWOT analysis is basically done to find out if they have sufficient resources to cover their weakness and still achieve their objective. Strength Hennes Mauritz AB build its strengths by operating through complementary retail channels stores, Internet, and printed catalogues. According to Datamonitor (2010) one of the significant strength of HM Company is the request for its products which rise up the inventory turnover and enables low price cut. Customer express their preference for HM product especially clothes because of its quality at the best price but also because of the stores which are refreshed and reordered daily with new garments products. Moreover, collaboration with designer like Karl Lagerfeld, Stella McCartney, Roberto Cavalli and Lanvin this November, which are very well know worldwide, will improve the desire for their garments ,but also will accelerate sales growth ( Business week website, viewed 19 October 2010) . Another major strength of HM is the presence on different markets such as Europe, North America and Asia with almost 2000 stores (HM website (4), viewed 20 October 2010). This fact is a positive aspect for the company because they can diversify their risk, but also be sustainably- financially, socially and environmentally (CSR Report 2009). Weaknesses One of the most important and noticeable weakness that HM encounters is the segment that the fashion company targets. HM designs clothes for young customers offering them the HM Divided and HM L.O.G.G collections. Second fact that can be taken into consideration as a weaknesses is the shoppers base which is influenced by the macro economic environment in a negative way (Datamonitor 2010).The article claims that HM focus on the young segment of the market, which is one of the worst hit by the recession, with 21% rate of unemployment for teenagers under age of 25. Opportunities First of all, one of the most important opportunities that HM faces is the e-commerce. According to Datamonitor (2010) HM online sales grew by 22% with 4.7% of the total retail online sales in Europe. Moreover the online sales within more 17 European Countries (such as France, UK, Germany) are estimated to grow by 11% each year over the next five years. Even if the recession affected the retail industry, Hennes Mauritz opened in 2009 250 stores worldwide with 25 more than they planned. (HM website (3), viewed 21 October 2010) Second of all, the expansion plans 2010-1011 for HM intend to reach a 10-15 % each year. The Company tries to focus on markets like Asia where the sales double over, China Japan and South Korea. (Financial times website October 20, 2010). Another opportunity that HM takes full advantage of is the use of organic cotton which classified the company in the top twelve global brands and retailer using organic cotton. Threats Threats of the company are also related to the economic recession because shoppers spend less money on clothes. Over the year 2010 employment were expected to become worse, peaking towards the end of the year at approximately 10.3% and consumers were expected to apply for benefits. Second major threat for the organisation is the VAT which has been reduced in the UK in 2008 by 15% and in January 2010 has been changed again do 17.5%. Apart of this change the cost for cotton has been modified as well with almost 60-75 % by the end of 2009 and with 20-30% during 2010 (Datamonitor 2010 , http://web.ebscohost.com/bsi/pdf?vid=20hid=7sid=4b01c02d-b8cf-414f-b787-7f93a0b69865%40sessionmgr113 ). Human Resource Management in a recession The retail sector is one of the most hit by the global economic recession, so that managers should handle the effects of recession as professionally as possible in a downturn. But since when human resource management is dealing with the implementation of the strategies and policies relating to the management of individuals, the department become one of the most responsible to bring the organisation on the right track during recession time. According to Kambil (2008) there are some important steps that a business should follow in order to maintain their competitive position on the market. Some of these vital steps are the improvement of prices in order to grow margins, the increase of the financial and operational efficiency, but also the concentration on the market share. According to Armstrong (2009, p.5) the purpose of the human resource management is to make sure that an organisation is able to perform well through its staff, but also to increase the efficiency and the capability of the business. Furthermore, it also helps the business to reach it goals by using the resources available to their best use. One of the first processes affected by a recession is the recruitment selection policies which have been massively affected by the recession. Newell and Shackleton (2000) argues that recruitment and selection process involves making anticipation about what will happen, so that decisions are made about who is the most suitable person for a certain job that can increase the performance of an organisation. Now managers and recruitment agencies are being extra careful who they bring in, and they prefer to rethink and implement new strategies in order to improve their relations with the customers. In addition, companies are even more demanding than before, making sure that they recruit the best candidate that can bring real value to the company. Another significant effect on human resource management which impact an organization in recession time is the cost cutting. Retailers are conscious about the situation of the business and try to do everything to maintain their competitive position on the market. They started to cut working hours, holidays, labour costs, and travel expenses and they dont offer long-term benefits anymore. According to Retail Week website (http://www.retail-week.com/cost-cutting-the-lean-machine/1923604.article ) organizations needed to reduce its cost not only to their store level, but also to their head offices. The career and development process have been also affected by the recession, so that managers offer limited trainings to their staff. Selecting and training employees with great potential, contribute to the increase of the sales and organisations performance. It also leads to a more structured career path which ensures that staff has the necessary skills to improve the quality of services and products of a company. Introducing flexible working arrangements and part-paid sabbaticals is another effect of the recession that has a significant impact on an organisation impact on an organization. Managers prefer to make these changes, rather than implementing redundancy programmes, because it allows them to manage every cost. This measure eliminates the need of hiring extra staff for busy periods such as Christmas or Easter holidays. The operations are also suffering due to the recession, because managers develop different channels which imply lower labour costs, such as online sales. A number of retailers found more innovative ways to deal with cost cutting by introducing 9 day fortnights, reducing daily hours and offering unpaid sabbaticals, so we also saw an uplift in the request for interim specialists to renegotiate these new practices. Conclusion The middle of 2008 saw huge changes for the UK retail industry, with the sector suffering a very intense downturn and several well-known brands were disappearing from the high streets. But on the other hand there have been retailers that improved their performance during the recession. As seen above, HM is one of them, reaching a SEK 118,697 million turnover, and about 76,000 employments. The human resource management is one of the sectors that have been also affected by the economic downturn. According to Armstrong (2000) Human resource management is a construct largely invented by academics and popularised by consultants. So that many retailers took decisive actions, like concentrating and simplifying their operations by reducing staff numbers and costs, both through natural wastage and implementing redundancy programmes and flexible working hours. Furthermore, there is now evidence of significant change in the retail sector. In line with the drop-off in demand for goods not being as bad as had initially been feared, retailers are now re-evaluating and rethinking their HR strategies. In conclusion, the paper demonstrates that the current economic conditions have provided the opportunity for the UK retail industry to learn and deal better with HRM structures and recession, adding to what had already been in progress before the economic downturn, which in turn shows an opportunity to make the business stronger, successfully and profitable. Moreover, there is a lack of standard qualifications across retail sector which is also unfavourable.   Government policy in this area is ineffectual and needs to be improved as soon as possible.

Celeste LaClaire Learns †A Ghost In My Suitcase Essay

The title of the novel is ‘A Ghost in my Suitcase’ by Gabrielle Wang. The setting of the story is in China, a long way away from where the main character Celeste lives in Australia. The two main themes in the novel are Celeste’s sense of belonging and her family’s tradition of ghost-hunting. Celeste met many people during her travels in China and she learnt more about herself and who she really is from the people she encountered. Celeste learnt that for generations, her family have been ghost-hunters and that was what inspired her to be brave throughout her daring, adventurous journey. Celeste also discovered that you have to be smart and cunning to survive on your own and that you should never judge a person – or a book – by their cover. Celeste learnt that not everyone is as they appear. They can have deep, dark secrets hidden behind large, unopened doors. Celeste said â€Å"Learn what Por Por?† â€Å"To be a ghost-hunter† Por Por replied, â€Å"To be a ghost-hunter?!† I say shocked. â€Å"Yes. It’s what our family has been doing for generations† Por Por said – page 67 and 68. She learnt how people can appear to be totally different than what you think and even have skills they thought they never possessed. When Celeste was in China, she learnt to forgive Ting Ting for her rude behavior after she apologized. Celeste thought to herself ‘ I see Ting Ting squatting in the corner looking inside the drawer of a large cabinet. She spins around. When she sees me, her face blows up red and angry â€Å"What are you doing here?† she yells, getting up and rushing towards me. She pushes me hard and I fall out the doorway and onto the floor.’ – page 29. Later in the story, Ting Ting said, â€Å"I was thinking, we have a lot in common, you and me. You lost your mother. I lost my parents. We have the same por por and we are both ghost-hunters. We could almost be sisters.† – page 167. Celeste learnt that when people apologize for what they did, and truly mean it, then you can forgive them and mend friendships and relationships together. When Celeste was in Bao Mansion, she learnt that in frightening or scary situations, you have to be brave. She had to stand up for herself and face the evil ghost of Shen Dai Pa. Celeste thought to herself ‘I feel so helpless. But then I remember something I  still have my ghost song. Nobody can take that away from me.’ – page 156. She learnt to be brave from situations like this and she can use her skills in the future. Celeste learnt from passed events and others that life is not always fair. Celeste learnt that people abandon you when her mother died. People close to you pass away, almost without notice, so unexpectedly and that plays a major impact on your life. It leaves you so sad and depressed. She thought sorrowfully to herself ‘ Before Mama died I felt as if I could wrap up the day and put it in my pocket and know exactly what it was going to be like the next morning. But now I feel trapped, as if I’m in a giant spider web’ – page 2. When people leave you, it can often be hard to get your head around it; things that you can normally do with ease become hard, you get distracted, you can’t think straight and I know for a fact that anything that triggers a thought or memory could make you burst out crying. Celeste learnt many things about herself throughout her journey and the reason for this is that she travelled with her family to new places and got to know people better. The main knowledge that she gained from her trip is that sometimes you need to forgive, life is not always fair, you have to be brave and that not everyone is as they seem. In circumstances, you have to be brave, even if it means facing your worst fears and overcoming them.