Gay, Lesbian and Bisexual Issues - Same-sex Marriage Laws Violate Gay R

Laws Violate Gay Rights When I was in third grade, I learned that there are certain "inalienable rights"-- the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness -- all of which the United States government is committed to protecting for every human. Last week, I learned this government feels that these human rights are limited to some people, based on how they choose to practice sex. In two separate legislations last week, the United States Senate sanctioned discrimination against homosexual Americans. The issue recently surfaced in Hawaii when the state denied marriage privileges to a lesbian couple. In May 1993, the State Supreme Court ruled in a 3-1 decision that the state's exclusion of same-sex marriage was sexual discrimination and thus unconstitutional unless there was "compelling evidence" for it. In 1995, a governor's commission recommended the state grant marital rights to homosexuals. The "full faith and credit" clause of the U.S. Constitution says that states must accord reciprocity to laws (and contracts) of other states. Thus a couple could get married in Hawaii, move to another state and demand that the state recognize their marriage contract unless laws in the new state conflict directly with laws in the former state. This led the House to pass the Defense of Marriage Act (DoMA) this July with the Senate concurring on Sept. 10. Social Security, Veter-an's and other federal benefits such as married tax status will simply be denied to Americans who do not conform to a sexual pattern preferred by others in society. I don't know where in the Constitution Congress is permitted to legislate the morality that a man must marry a woman. Furthermore, DoMA permits states to... ... other may make some people uncomfortable. But their union does not infringe on anyone else's life, liberty or pursuit of happiness, and they have a claim to pursue their human rights and marry each other. What has Congress to gain by passing this restrictive law? It is only election-year politics to woo the radical right. The United States government is unfairly discriminating against a portion of the United States population and we should not stand for this public "gay bashing." Discrimination is still legal because the measure failed 50-49. Senator Pryor (D-Ark.) was attending his son's cancer surgery; otherwise, he would have supported the bill. Vice President Al Gore had promised to break the tie in support of the bill, but the motion failed. Now it is legally OK to not hire someone based on his or her sexual preference.

Pest Analysis of Sainsburys in a 3rd World Country

Introduction of the Company : Sainsburys is the third largest chain of super markets in the United Kingdom. It was founded in 1869 and has been growing all over the United Kingdom ever since, and today operates over 1000 super markets and convenience stores and employees over 150,000 employees and captures more than 16% of the market share. It is also listed on the London Stock Exchange and is the constituent of the FTSE 100 index.Sainsburys not only provides products to its customers but also services to some extent. The products and services offered by Sainsburys have a wide range from food and drinks to energy providing, clothing to insurance, appliances to banking facilities. Sainsburys has been a growing entity at a growing rate. Though TESCO has overtaken Sainsburys to become the market leader and has expanded not only in United Kingdom but also outside the United Kingdom such as Europe, Asia and North America.Since TESCO has always been a strong competitor of Sainsburys so Sai nsburys also has this intention to expand outside United Kingdom, too. It is necessary for a firm or company to carry out a PEST analysis either as a new entrant or to exist and survive in the market to keep it’s self updated with the influence of the macro environmental factors. Introduction of PEST Analysis : PEST analysis stands for â€Å"political, economic, social and technological analysis†. PEST Analysis focuses on analysing the macro-environment in which a business or a firm operates.Each of these factors play a vital role in the overall business environment and one should consider these factors and have vital knowledge of them as they can either make you a success story or may end up shutting down the business. Political factors refer to the economic policy given by the government and the government intervention the economy. This includes areas such as tax policy, labour, law, tarrif and trade restrictions. Political stability is also quite important for the e conomic growth. While, governments have great influence on health, education and infrastructure of the nation.Interest rate, economic growth, monetary and fiscal policy, inflation and the exchange rates are the important economic factors. These factors play a vital role in a firm’s business strategy and decision making. Every country has it’s own culture and the nation has a strong impact on their living. The social and cultural influences on business vary from country to country. Social  factors include the cultural aspects and include health consciousness, language, population growth rate, age distribution, career attitudes.Trends in social factors affect the demand for a company's products and how that company operates. For example, the roles of men and women in the society. Furthermore, companies may change various management strategies to adapt to these social trends Technological  factors have vital place in PEST analysis. Some markets are labour intensive an d some are capital intensive. Technological factors determine  barriers to entry, minimum efficient production level and influence  outsourcing  decisions.It is one of the major drivers of globalization and is the base for competitive advantage. Innovation is offered to the customers or consumers through technology for example internet banking, smart phones etc. It also enables the firm to produce a product cheaply and to a better quality in standard. Pakistan is the sixth most populated country in the world with over 180 million people. It is estimated that the 25% of the population belongs to the middle income class. It is also estimated that 55% of the Pakistani population is in the 10-40 years age bracket.The upper middle-income class is estimated at 17 million with relatively high per capita income which favours more consumer spending. The average Pakistani consumer spends 42% of his income on food related products. The upcoming changes in demographic will create opportun ities and challenges for businesses in Pakistan. Pakistan’s food retail sector is unorganised and highly dominated by independent small stores. Over the past few years, some large European food retailers have opened stores in all major Pakistani metropolitan cities like Makro, Metro and Carrefour (Hyper star).Pakistani families are attracted towards these stores due to their strategic location, multiple product range and imported processed food. Studies also show that there has been a significant shift to organized format of shopping from traditional format, in urban areas. This provides a challenging and profitable opportunity to other food retailers to enter the market. Sainsburys provides convenient shopping under one roof, has wide range of products, consumer friendly environment, large storage and discounted prices.These factors give Sainsburys an advantage over other food retailers currently present in Pakistan. If Sainsburys decides to enter in food retail sector then it has to perform a PEST analysis. PEST Analysis of Sainsburys in Pakistan : Political Factors : The political factors revolve around the current government in a country. Currently, in Pakistan, the ruling party is Pakistan People’s Party which was democratically elected in 2008. Though it is backed by western powers but still is considered to be a weak government.The basic questions arise such as how stable is the political or is there any government intervention in the economic policy making or laws and legislation protecting the businesses. Unfortunately, due to weak governments in the past, the security and corruption has been the key issues Pakistan has been facing over the the last decade. Which certainly is not a good sign for any foreign investors. However, giants in food-retail sectors like Metro and Carrefour ( hyper star) have set an example with an increasing growth in profit and expansion even in such circumstances.Sainsburys may enter in the Pakistani market wit h it’s variety of products which are available under one roof, as the increasing trend in urban areas shows, there will be high demand for it. Political factors may also include the goods and services which the governments want to provide or be provided. Sainsburys collects much of it’s revenue by selling it’s wide range of wines and spirits. Pakistani law prohibits the sale or consumption of any type of wines and spirits within its geographical boundaries, Sainsburys will not be allowed to sell it in their stores which may negatively affect their sales.Government of Pakistan ensures that there is foreign investment in Pakistan and it has signed a few trade agreements too. It also provides foreign investors the incentives to invest here. Partial ownership by the Pakistan government usually serves as an insurance policy for the share holders and the investors. Economic Factors: Extremely volatile oil prices are the root cause of global financial crisis in Pakista n which has also worsened the energy crisis. These two factors increase the cost of production.High inflation is a key resultant of it As Sainsburys produce much of it’s products in stores so they may go beyond their feasible region in producing a product. Interest rates are at their peak, economic growth is quite slow and this is due to the low level of lending and purchasing power of the consumer is weak. Though it is a labour intensive country and labour supply is quite high and also available at low cost than most other countries but unemployment is rising regardless of the above mentioned fact. The gap between rich and poor continues to expand and the percentage of poor is increasing everyday.However relatively quite cheaper labour may do a significant impact in Sainsburys production. It will also bring employment opportunities for young and skilled labour. Heavy loans from financial institutions like IMF and world bank has made the government in debt upto neck and there are no significant changes in sight. However financial aid packages in the name of war on terror and from the friends of Pakistan has kept the economy from collapsing. Pakistan has integrated with global economy and has brought positive impact on economy with increase in GDP.Despite of the worse conditions, Investing in such a country where cheap labour is available and more than half of the country’s population lies in the labour force, targeting middle-income class-keeping the fact in mind that government provides support to private investors would not be a bad decision. Social Factors : The culture and religion are very close to each other in Pakistan. As mentioned above this will affect the sales of wines and spirits of Sainsburys as it is not only prohibited by the dominant religion and prohibited by law but the targeted class does not accept it too.Health and Education are the two important sectors for any developing nations and Pakistan lack both of them and governmen t of Pakistan fails to allocate the required budget in both the sectors. However, people like to shop and come with families to the big retail stores. There has been a significant shift from traditional to organized format. The studies show that 11% of the population tend to buy long life food related products in advance for a month. Sainsburys provides a healthy and safe environment to work with,which for a change would attract the people to work and shop here.In comparison to the past, women have also started to contribute in the labor force. Language will be a barrier for the citizens of Pakistan as english is not the first language in Pakistan. Buying imported products is considered a status symbol in Pakistan so there is a high demand for foreign products in Pakistan and is appreciated in the local market. According to studies people spend 42% of their income on food related products. So there will be high demand for a food related products provided by Sainsburys. Technological Factors :Technological expertise is overflowed in Pakistan as the labour supply and demand for IT professionals is high. There has been an improvement in the industrial sector but still the country’s imports are higher than exports. Since it is a labour intensive area and not capital intensive so use of technology higher the cost of production but shift to focus more on labour may help Sainsburys to produce it’s products relatively cheaper. There is also a trend of buying products online seen. Sainsburys already provides the service of buying it’s products online which saves much time so the typical â€Å"9-5† workforce can also be targeted.

The Percepciont of Death on the Play Everyman Essay

Everyman is a Christian morality play written during the 1400s. No one yet knows who wrote this play. It is said that Everyman is the English translation of similar Dutch morality play of the same period called Elckerlijc. Everyman is generally represented as the best and most original example of the English morality play. â€Å"Like other morality plays from the late medieval period, it is meant to communicate a simple moral lesson to both educated and illiterate audiences† (Gyamfi Schmidt, 2011). â€Å"Everyman† is about a man who is content with his life when Death calls and tells him about his end. The author has used metaphorical names for characters to show up the moral of the play. â€Å"Everyman† is a metaphorical story that shows the value of†¦show more content†¦In Everyman, death is just a messenger for God. From the beginning of the play, it can be seen that Death is set below God. â€Å"The very opening of the play makes it clear that this messenger of Gods is an agent of correction rather than of punishment; God tells the audience that he is sending Death, not to slay evildoers, as in Herod and the Castle, but rather to call people to a reckoning, an explanation of what they have done with the lives lent to them† (Spinrad, 1987). Everyman did not want to go along with Death because life’s most disturbing power is death, death is so unfair, once one has tasted life death does not seem natural at all. â€Å"When Death explains that he is here to take Everyman on a â€Å"longe iourney† to make his â€Å"rekenynge †¦ before God,† Everymans incomprehension is humorous even as it reveals him to be deeply unread y for Deaths summons: he asks Death, â€Å"Sholde I not come agayne shortly?† Everymans inability to recognize the permanence of Deaths â€Å"journey† raises the question for the audience of what might constitute such recognition.† (Paulson, 2007). God finds that Everyman is not living in a right way so he asks on Death to let Everyman know that he has to give up his life. The author asks question in the play, what happens when you die? Everyman looks back into his life and tries to find a time that he can give up but he is not ready to do so. Throughout the play, Everyman begins to realize the things he thought were important

Essay on K3D210- How Current Theories of Play Can Inform...

K3D210- How current theories of play can inform practice There are many theories into how children develop and how they learn. These are extremely important as they can be applied to modern strategies used for child behaviours. Presently, learning theories are placed into 3 categories: Behaviourist approaches – children learn as a result of what they see and what happens to them. Constructivist approaches – children learn actively rather than passively. Information processing- children learn cognitively. There have been many theorists who have opposing views on how and why children behave and how they learn. I will discuss 4 theorists, their theories and how they have influenced and shaped work with children. JEAN PIAGET was†¦show more content†¦Children can classify and order, as well as organise objects into series. The child is still tied to the immediate experience but within these limitations can perform logical mental operations. For example, can solve mental problems using counters and objects. STAGE- Formal Operational APPROXIMATE AGE- 11-15 years CHARACTERISTICS- Abstract reasoning begins. Children can now manipulate ideas, can speculate about the possible, can reason deductively and formulate and test hypothesis. Piaget developed a workable theory that has had considerable implications for education, most notably for child-centred learning methods in nursery and infant schools. Piaget argued that young children think quite differently from adults so therefore the teacher should adapt the teaching methods to suit the child. For example, nursery school classrooms can provide children with play materials that encourage their learning. Using sets of toys that encourage the practice of sorting, grading and counting. Play areas, where children can develop role-taking skills through imaginative play. Materials like water, sand, bricks and crayons that help children make their own constructions and create symbolic representations of objects and people in their lives. A teacher’s role is to create the conditions in which learning may best take place. As Piaget’s theory of child development is put into practice in nurseries and infant schools today I

Obesity And Its Effects On Children - 1500 Words

Obesity can affect everyone and anyone and affecting nearly 25% of all North American children. It can affect one during childhood or adulthood and sometimes their whole lives if their illness is never treated during childhood. Childhood obesity has tripled in the past 30 years. In 1980, the obesity rate of 6-11 year olds was 6.5%, in 2008 had tripled to 19.6%. For toddlers and preschoolers aged 2-5, the obesity levels have risen from 5% to 12.4% in the same amount of time. (Spark, 2010). Children are very vulnerable and can easily be prone to many illnesses because they are greatly dependant on their parents. Therefore, when a child suffers from obesity it is usually in the hands of the parents to help the child recover and better their†¦show more content†¦Children in the 85th percentile and above are considered to be suffering from obesity. Meaning 85 percent of other children have a lower body mass index (Parenting.org, 2016). A physician would also take in your childâ⠂¬â„¢s growth development. For example, BMI does not take into account a child’s height or muscularity. When diagnosing a child with obesity a physician takes many other factors into account before fulling diagnosing and referring treament. Misconceptions There are some misconceptions of obesity. It may often be mistaken for being overweight, meaning weighing more than you should. Instead, obesity is a chronic illness that refers to having too much body fat. Although, both concepts mean that your child has exceeded what is considered to be healthy for his or her age and height. Another misconception is that a child carries an ‘obese gene’.(Cohen, 2013). Where it is believed that children were born to be obese because there are obese people in their family. Although that it is not true, it is true that children with obese parents have a higher chance of being obese as well. It is not because of the ‘obese gene’ though, it is because they follow the same unhealthy lifestyle behaviors as their parents. Also, another misconception is that the lack fruits and vegetables is the reason for the obesity epidemic. Rather, this epidemic comes from the choices people make. People may head to the

Social Policy and Concept

Question: Discuss about theSocial Policy and Concept. Answer: Even though there are various types of theoretical perspectives, this essay will make a comparison between social democracy and neo-liberalism. It makes an analysis between the influences of these two perspectives on the chosen aspects of employment legislations in New Zealand since the year 1990. The essay will among other issues, address the debates regarding the role that is played by the State in a given society as well as the individualistic verses the collectivist approaches. The essay will also discuss the impact of various views on the most recent employment and social policy developments (Gearty, 2016). Based on the following commentary, it can genuinely be asserted that despite the fact that there has been dominance of Neo-liberalism in the most recent economic and politically history, some elements of social democratic ideologies can be regarded as presenting a level of social policy equality or balance right from the introduction of centralist politics that was being led by the government of Clark since 1999. However, it is prudent to note that even though there were significant differences which were attributed to policy changes in each of the perspectives above in regard to changes in policy, none of them can actually be linked or associated to tremendous enhancements in the social welfare of the concerned populations (Skinns, 2016). To effectively compare between Neo-liberalism and Social Democracy, a clear outline about them regarding their major characteristics should be made. On the part of Neo-liberalism, Belgrave, OBrien, and Chenye (2008) asserted that it was capable of gaining fame as a basis for the attainment of social well being during the 1980s. This was attributed to the fact that neo-liberalism was deemed as being an endeavor to effectively reinstate the conventional liberal free market principles which had been highly compromised as a result of heightened socialist movement which occurred between 1930s to 1970s. According to Hayek who was a renowned neo-liberal theorist (Duncan, 2007, Chenyne et al, 2008), it was asserted that the availability of uncontrolled markets presented people with an opportunity to not only have the freedom, but also the relevant freedom to attain the well being that can help them to seek for their own relevant and preferable interests (O'Malley, 2016). This argued is found ed on the assumption that people are always in a better position to both identify and pursue outcomes which are deemed to be desirable or preferable to them. According to views held by neoliberals, they strongly hold the belief that a free market presents individuals with the most effective channel for generation of economic growth in a country. They argue that this is because buyers and sellers use price signals in relaying preferences as well as the scarcity of resources across the available products and services in a market. As a result, this makes it easier for people to use such data and information in making informed choices about their specific needs. Producers on their part are known to attain monetary rewards when it becomes apparent that their services and products help the human population. As a result, individual pursuits that are capable of satisfying personal needs also have the ability of benefiting the entire society (Humpage, 2016). Based on this model, it can truly be expressed that it is the responsibility of the state to both develop and implement the relevant legislation that can enhance the effective functioning of t he market. The state is also tasked with the responsibility of not only guaranteeing equal opportunity for all and sundry in market involvement, but it is also tasked with ensuring that private property is well protected. One of the most important distinctions that should be highlighted in this research paper is between equal outcomes and equal opportunity (Schmidt, 2016). For instance, even though all people ought to have equal opportunity of pursuing their self interests, some people may have skills which are unique or even robust abilities in entrepreneurial skills. It thus becomes apparent that individuals having such skills having such knowledge or skills will have added advantage which will make them achieve higher returns at the expense of others in the market place. Owing to the fact that the market cannot essentially yield certainties and sureties in the outcomes, unequal outcomes become natural instead of being intentional. In addition to that, individuals who reap more benefits as opposed to other should never be victimized for succeeding on life (Dryzek, 2016). This is because their success can motivate other people to also work hard towards the achieved of more success. It has been asserted that the intervention of the state in market processes is known to greatly impinge upon the exercises of individual freedoms. This is because taxation is capable of undermining the rights of private property via neo-liberal perspective while on the other hand, service delivery and provisions which are controlled centrally are paternalistic and thus removes the freedom of people to freely make choices regarding the services that are required. As a result of such assumptions, a mandatory safety net ought to be given to individuals who are not able to meet or satisfy their needs and requirements. The ability of the market to fully maximize social well being is less convinced through social democracy. Social democracy, which is known to be a key critic of industrial capitalism, depicts an increase in the inequalities that are class-based due to unregulated or uncontrolled functioning of the market. Social democrats usually put more emphasis on not only equitable outcomes, but also provision of vulnerable members in the relevant societies (Upchurch Taylor, 2016). This can be achieved through intervention of the state through market regulation and redistributive taxation. As a result of this concern, most of the union movements which are well organized prefer social democracy because it caters for the general well being of the society and it also prefers to have collective responses to both economic and social disparities that exist in the society. Right from time immemorial, social democracy has been known to value collectivism as opposed to individualism. It thus holds the view that the human population is a social group as opposed to a composition of creatures that are detached. It also holds the opinion that membership in the community and nuclear families aid in shaping the identity of individuals. Another strong belief that exists is that cooperation and coordination strongly enhances social bonds and competition is deemed to be destructive because it is divisive in nature (Donzelot, 2016). Major industries that have significant national interests ought to be kept under public control as opposed to private control. Based on this, the state has a vital role to implement especially regarding decision making in the regulation or control of the economy and the distribution of resources. As from the year 1930 to the 1970s, the use of social democracy was known to uphold a theory which had been earlier created by John Maynard, an economist who was not even a socialist in the provision of credibility towards the argument. According to the economist, it was believed that governments or streets could easily intervene with the major aim of supporting instead of replacing and that that capitalism was a tool that could be used in reducing the volatility of the global market (Dawes Flew, 2016). This is because the system depended on total employment and the spending of the government on welfare, education infrastructure as well as education in the provision of goods and services which were unable to be produced by the markets. The conflict which exists between social democratic and neoliberal ideologies have led to the transformation of the current employment social policies in different ways (Morgan, 2016). Some of the major policy areas is the contrasting approaches towards relations in employment and the value of judgments that are attached in provision of help or support for individuals who search for employment. The implementation of the Employment Contracts Act 1991 resulted in major changes in the employment relations legislations to the objectives of neo-liberalism. This is because the act was the final stage in overturning of the industrial relations system which had existed since the late nineteenth century. On the other hand, the introduction of the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1894 was aimed at the creation of enhanced efficiencies in the labor markets through the use individualized competition, contracts, and even industrial stability that was coerced instead of being enhanced via employment relations (Langille, 2016). Based on the above information, it can truly be concluded that even though neo-liberal political perspective or ideology had a significant impact on the transformation of social policy in New Zealand as from the 1980s, the use of social democracy should never be underestimated. This is because social democracy has over a long period of time evolved significantly and made positive contributions in the 21st century on its own. It has been asserted that Neo-liberalism is characterized with its preference for free markets as being the tool for the achievement of economic growth and distribution of resources in the entire society. It is also marked with placing people in positions that can be used to pursue and determine the life courses that they prefer. Modern social policy on its hand is more concerned with achievement of social justice as well as collective well being using a missed economy. References Cheyne, C., OBrien, M., Belgrave, M. (2008). Social policy in Aotearoa New Zealand (4th ed.). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press. Dawes, S., Flew, T. (2016). Neoliberalism, voice and national media systems: An interview with Terry Flew. Networking Knowledge, 9(5), 1-10. Donzelot, J. (2016). City, Insecurity and Citizenship: The Emergence of Social Cohesion Policies. Dangerous Others, Insecure Societies: Fear and Social Division, 23. Dryzek, J. S. (2016). The Forum, the System, and the Polity Three Varieties of Democratic Theory. Political Theory, 0090591716659114. Gearty, C., 2016. Neo-Democracy:Useful Idiotof Neo-Liberalism?. British Journal of Criminology, p.azw010. Humpage, L. (2016). A Common Sense of the Times? Neoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ liberalism and Changing Public Opinion in New Zealand and the UK. Social Policy Administration, 50(1), 79-98. Langille, D. (2016). Follow the Money: How Business and Politics Define our Health. Social determinants of health: Canadian Perspectives, 470. Morgan, G. (2016). New actors and old solidarities: institutional change and inequality under a neo-liberal international order. Socio-Economic Review, 14(1), 201-225. O'Malley, P. (2016). Neoliberalism, Crime and Criminal Justice. Sydney Law School Research Paper, (16/10). Schmidt, V. A. (2016). The roots of neo-liberal resilience: Explaining continuity and change in background ideas in Europes political economy. The British Journal of Politics and International Relations, 18(2), 318-334. Skinns, D. (2016). Neo-liberalism and Austerity, Outsourcing and Punishment. In Coalition Government Penal Policy 20102015 (pp. 201-228). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Upchurch, M., Taylor, G. (2016). The Crisis of Social Democratic Trade Unionism in Western Europe: The Search for Alternatives. Routledge.

Outlook on Work and Vocation an Example by

Outlook on Work and Vocation It all started when a man is fertilized to become man. Of the million sperm cells that fought its way to the awaiting egg ready for fertilization work commenced. Work is the ransom paid for the sake of keeping alive. Man is condemned to labor because he must expiate the original sin. Nevertheless it should not be thought that labor suffices to restore man's lost status or dignity before God. Holy Scripture says that: All the labor of man is for his mouth, and yet the appetite is not filled (Ecclesiastes 6:7).. (The Dictionary of the History of Ideas) But way above the ethical consideration surrounding the principles, value and meaning of work time, man and his life are encapsulated within those four letters. Any menial or grandiose kind labor or work gives meaning to the dignity and entirety of man and his life. It is through labor that he attains his initial respect and thus, reconcile that, part and parcel of his waking up everyday is to stretch his muscles; sweat his brow and dwell on his responsibilities. Need essay sample on "Outlook on Work and Vocation" topic? We will write a custom essay sample specifically for you Proceed Work endows man with all kinds of reward and recognition that every aspect of his being need and deserve: physically, economically, emotionally, psychologically, spiritually. It is the ultimate destination of the contribution of parental breeding; environmental influences and pursuits of formal and informal education: all to prepare man to work. Ancient thought, however, does not lack various expressions of a certain appreciation of human labor, apart from any prejudice that others may have had. In general such assertions are found among authors belonging to the school of Sophists and other minor schools. For example, Antiphon proclaims the harsh necessity of work insofar as life is accepted for what it is. This life is certainly not easy or sweet, but it nevertheless acquires meaning when it is crowned with success (Stobaeus, IV, 22.2.66; a fragment translated in I sofisti, ed. M. T. Cardini, Bari [1923], p. 126; also in Minor Attic Orators, Loeb Library, Vol. I). But Prodicus of Chios, in the circle of the Sophists, states the definitive thesis about work in his apology, Herculesat the Crossroad. Referring to Xenophon's Memorabilia (II, 1, 21-34), Prodicus insists on the virtue of labor which gives dignity to the life of man. (The Dictionary of the History of Ideas) So, time and civilization moved on immersed within the normal calling of work and labor. And man saw with the development of the times; the growth of civilization; the development of discoveries and invention; the challenging and competitive society he himself brought forth that work and labor can redound to newer light, complicated light, cynical light, inspiring light, challenging light, imperative light, robotic light. Now, work is a complex of and a paradox of moral and practical values. The conflict may start within himself. He may for a moment be in a driven position. He is confident of his qualification; the employment he is enjoined; the work objectives he shares. Along the line, he might transpire to be confused, angst ridden, even betrayed, even threatened. Conversely, there is an awakening as to how positive perspective of work can come about. Today we are experiencing a revolution in the workplace. Not only are institutions and huge conglomerates crumbling around us, our traditional ideas about work itself are dissolving. As a society we are undergoing a radical change in the way we think of work. We are starved for meaning and purpose in our lives, and with the breakdown in job security in the corporate world, we are no longer willing to separate our values from our work. There is a yearning to align life purpose with work to make it meaningful. The Buddhists call this Dharma, spiritual work, the vehicle for Spirit to express its blessing. It is both inner work, remembering our true Self, and outer work, the expression of our unique talents and role in the evolution of humanity. Work is meaningful when we add to the quality of life to those around us. Work is a vehicle for our creations to be a blessing to the world. (Naiman 1998) A modern day, celebrated American author, Louis Studs Terkel took into contemplation as to what workers have to say about their calling and their lives. He went and interviewed a great number and wide variety of workers, professionals, employees, career persons. All of the synopsis on their work and the meaning it correlated to their lives were all encapsulated in the book Working.. The subjects of the interview reflected in introspection on the wide spectrum of their daily lives vis--vis their jobs. There were the good and the bad. There were the innocent times and the knowing times. There were the abuse and there were the respect. There were times of job searching that resulted to either being accepted or rejected. And there were the experiences of transition in modernization of work: with the aid of mdoern machines and technology. And work as exemplified in the interiews of Mr. Terkel was for purposes of both achieving their meaning as human beings and ensuring their food on the table everyday. But there are many attributes that came about and around the workplace, the every changing demands and expectations redound to the likewises changes in demands and expectations of the worker from his work and his life. The infusion of different models of work pattern and expectations can create confusion. Work to have transcended for the better firstly went through raw stages, through infantile stages of trial and error. In the past, in the mass-production model, simple, narrowly defined jobs filled by people whor equired neither technical nor educaiton sophistication led to the need for complex, sometimes arcane processes in which employees has no sense of the big picture and the left hand rarely knew what the right was doing; whats more, no one seemd to care. While designed to meet the needes of companies, not customers, and short on overall efficiency, these processes provided control over the workforce, made all but the most basic training unnecessary, and enable the easy and inexpensive replacement of one worker with another. Employer were, in fact, frequently the least critical, least considered element in the process. In the mass-production model and its antecedents forcus was on compliance, not commitment; on doing what youre asked, not what you think; on money and trinkets as motivators rather than the work itself; on the accomplishments of the individual laborer, not the work group; and o n internal competition rather than internal cooperation.and this wont work. Nor will the practices that underlie it. (Heil, Parker, Stephens 182-183) A steelworker interviewed by Terkel said: I am a dying breed. A laborer. Strictly muscle work.pick it up, put it down. (Terkel xxxi). This can lead to reckoning that workers have the impression of being imposed upon, of being forced into responsibilities, of being dragged. But on the other hand, there is light at the end of the tunnel towards mans outlook on work. There is the reality of fast moving modernization of technology. Management principles have evolved into better and better heights. Between issues of economics and purchasing power and inflation and employment rates and growth indicators, man is still capable of viewing his work with a sense of vocation. The modern day worker can still find inspiration somewhere to elevate his sights; aim high; dream on; work hard. Social augmentations in the form of retirement plans; work incentives; recognitions have been put to place. This is apart from instilling in the worker, the professional, that he is the ultimate value in a workplace. The overall result of Terkels interview in Working.. regrettably may seem defeatist. But there is still a focal workforce that can see the better of light. They are now exposed to a more positive attributes of the workplace and the other members of the community of man that augment and are the beneficiaries of their labor. Understanding the nature of creativity and how to develop it at the personal and organizational level will help us create the world we want. . Understanding the cycles of creation will help us thrive in change, rather than to fear it. Developing our imagination, the language of the soul, allows Spirit to work through us as we answer our calling. The industrial revolution spawned the Information Age. With technology as king, it was supposed to save us from the drudgery of work and allow more time for leisure. However, the system itself had not changed. Work was still based on the old model of masculine values: logic, linear time, and linear thinking. Work was about consumption, security, status, domination, and control. Work was based on fear. The problem with the old model of work was that it had no heart, no soul, and no connection with human values. We are now moving from the Information Age into the "age of brainware" or "creation intensification," according to the Nomura Research Institute of Japan. Microsoft is an example of creativity in action. Like many companies born in the Information Age, it is constantly reinventing itself, dissolving old ideas and creating new models and new forms. "Microsoft's only factory asset is the human imagination," declared The New York Times in 1991. (Naiman 1998) One present-day work professional is interviewed to share views on her job and the result is definitive of how work has now evolved. Work can be viewed with positive attributes, wherein commitment is shared. It can thus come to pass that work can be a vocation wherein values that are priceless can be seen and even breed. I believe am aptly rewarded. Management in general values me. (Personal Interview 2007) There is of course the reality that work and vocation are exemplified at an extreme end of the spectrum. The case of the workers in China producing the Barbie Dolls have been put on the center of controversy. The workers described in Barbie's Betrayal saw their jobs as a demised sense of torture. They felt that they were discriminated against and that they had no true enjoyment or satisfaction for the works and toys that they helped to create. Mattel treated their employees as if they were criminals and humiliated them in front of other employees and management. There was no consideration for the rights of the workers or the conditions that they were being made to work in. (WebCT Discussions 2007) Conversely, the undertakings of a group towards to society and mankind truly illustrate the ideals and profound intentions of service. The Catholic Worker Movement focused on people working as a community. Dorothy Day, Founder of The Catholic Worker Movement believed people should help one another as a family. She wanted people to have a sense of belonging. People working together throughout the community would make a better way of life. (WebCT Discussions 2007) Therefore, work can be a vocation and answering a vocation requires work. There are heroes and there are also the deprived that can come about from the workplace and the work principles of modern day. The mystery of such paradox and cynicism can only be managed and handled on the personal level of the worker. Works Cited Page: Work. The Dictionary of the History of Ideas. Naiman, Linda. Creativity and the Meaning of Work Perspectives on Business and Global Change. World Business Academy and Berrett-Koehler. March, 1998, Heil, Gary; Parker, Tom; Stephens, Deborah C. One Size Fits One: Building Relationships One Customer and One Employee at a Time. Van Nostrand Reinhold International Thomson Publishing Inc.1997, p.182-183 Terkel, Louis Studs. Working: People Talk About What They Do All Day and How They Feel About What They Do. New Press. New Edition. 1997, p, xxxi