Eastern Airlines Facing Bankruptcy :: essays research papers

Eastern Airlines Facing Bankruptcy In 1986, Eastern Airlines was in a tough situation. The fourth quarter of 1985 had demonstrated a $67.4 million misfortune, and monetarily specialists had told Frank Borman, president and CEO, that the carrier had three options: 1) a 20 percent pay cut for all association and noncontract workers. 2) Filing for Chapter 11 (liquidation) or 3) Selling the carrier. On February 23, 1986, Eastern's top managerial staff met to choose the destiny of the organization. Forthright Borman, immediately left his home in Coral Gables to Building 16 at Miami International Airport that Sunday evening, to examine plans on sparing the aircrafts. The governing body had recessed for supper following evening meeting and was booked to assemble at 7:30 p.m. At the prior meeting, Wayne Yeoman, senior VP for money, had burned through the vast majority of the time laying out the subtleties of Texas Air's proposal to purchase Eastern. Straight to the point Lorenzo and Frank Borman had been talking since December initially about solidifying the mechanized reservation frameworks, at that point , as Eastern's issues extend, about a potential deal. As Frank entered his office, he discovered his devoted excutive aide; Wayne Yeoman; and Dick Magurno, Eastern's senior VP for lawful issues. For around 20 minutes the three talked about the fourthcoming gathering what's more, the possibilities for sparing the carrier. Arrangements were going to come around for ALPA and TWU however no break from the IAM. The IAM would not move since Charlie Byran, leader of the mechanical engineer's association, stood firm against a 20 percent wage cut. At 7:30 the executive gathering started with the conversation of the Texas Air offer, focusing on a portion of the conditions appended to the purchasing of the organization. More talk and hours delayed. At last word got out that ALPA was approaching an understanding. The gathering recessed for 60 minutes. During the break Frank expected to get Charlie's surport on the 20 percent pay cut, in any case the organization was going to sold. He advised Charlie to come up to his office. Plain told Charlie, " we've been at this since 83' and you need to remember it can't go on. I have each motivation to accept that the pilots and airline stewards are going to give us what we need. I know it's increasingly hard for you on the grounds that your agreement isn't open. Be that as it may, I know you have a feeling of history. We have a generally excellent chance to fix this carrier, also, in the event that you simply get this, over the long haul you'll come out a more grounded, progressively praiseworthy individual. Pick the harder right rather than the simpler wrong, and

Free Essays on Noah And The Flood

The Great Flood or Just Scattered Showers? â€Å"So God said to Noah, â€Å"I am going to stop all individuals, for the earth is loaded up with brutality as a result of them. I am most likely going to demolish both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out† (Genesis 6: 13-15). â€Å"You are to bring into the ark two of every single living animal, male and female, to keep them bursting at the seams with you. Two of each sort of winged animal, of each sort of creature and of each sort of animal that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive† (Genesis 6: 19-20). â€Å"Seven days from now I will send downpour on the earth for forty days and forty evenings, and I will wipe from the substance of the earth each living animal I have made† (Genesis 7: 4). For different reasons, numerous individuals today discover the tale of Noah’s Ark very hard to accept. From the two professors in God and non-adherents, there have be en numerous issues with the believability of the narrative of Noah and the Ark. For whatever length of time that the Bible has been in print, creationists and doubters have discussed the issue of a disastrous flood. Authentic records from such antiquated human advancements as the Chinese or the occupants of the Indus valley show no timeframe where these civic establishments were unexpectedly cleared out by a worldwide flood, to be gradually repopulated later. There is essentially no proof at all from paleohistory, geography or history, which show an overall flood that cleared out everything except eight individuals. For some reasons the record of Noah given in the book of Genesis basically can't be actually or generally obvious. One clear issue results from the structure of the pontoon itself. As indicated by the Bible, the Ark had measurements of 300 cubits by 50 cubits by 30 cubits tall. This is multiple times the size of any wooden boats developed during the timespan and is generally the size of today’s oil big haulers. It was not until the year 1... Free Essays on Noah And The Flood Free Essays on Noah And The Flood The Great Flood or Just Scattered Showers? â€Å"So God said to Noah, â€Å"I am going to stop all individuals, for the earth is loaded up with savagery as a result of them. I am most likely going to devastate both them and the earth. So make yourself an ark of cypress wood; make rooms in it and coat it with pitch inside and out† (Genesis 6: 13-15). â€Å"You are to bring into the ark two of every single living animal, male and female, to keep them bursting at the seams with you. Two of each sort of fledgling, of each sort of creature and of each sort of animal that moves along the ground will come to you to be kept alive† (Genesis 6: 19-20). â€Å"Seven days from now I will send downpour on the earth for forty days and forty evenings, and I will wipe from the essence of the earth each living animal I have made† (Genesis 7: 4). For different reasons, numerous individuals today discover the narrative of Noah’s Ark very hard to accept. From the two devotees to God and non-adherents, there have been numerous issues with the validity of the account of Noah and the Ark. For whatever length of time that the Bible has been in print, creationists and cynics have discussed the issue of a disastrous flood. Chronicled records from such old human advancements as the Chinese or the occupants of the Indus valley show no timeframe where these civic establishments were out of nowhere cleared out by a worldwide flood, to be gradually repopulated later. There is essentially no proof at all from prehistoric studies, geography or history, which demonstrate an overall flood that cleared out everything except eight individuals. For some reasons the record of Noah given in the book of Genesis basically can't be actually or verifiably obvious. One evident issue results from the structure of the pontoon itself. As per the Bible, the Ark had measurements of 300 cubits by 50 cubits by 30 cubits tall. This is multiple times the size of any wooden boats built during the timespan and is generally the size of today’s oil big haulers. It was not until the year 1...

Kate Chopins novella, The Awakening Essay -- English Literature

Kate Chopin's novella, The Awakening In Kate Chopin's novella, The Awakening, the peruser is brought into a general public that is carefully male-ruled where ladies fill in the cliché job of viewing the youngsters, cooking, cleaning and keeping up appearances. Essayists regularly feature the estimations of a certain general public by presenting a character who is distanced from their culture by a characteristic, for example, sex, race or belief. In Chopin's Arousing, the peruser meets Edna Pontellier, a wedded lady who endeavors to conquer her destiny, to dodge the cliché job of a lady in her period, and in doing so she uncovers the encompassing society's suspicion and virtues about ladies of Edna's time. Edna assists with uncovering the suppositions of her general public. The individuals encompassing her every day, especially ladies, accept their jobs as housewives; while the men are allowed to go out, go out at night, bet, drink and work. Edna shocks her partners when she takes up painting, which speaks to a working activity and freedom for Edna. Leonce doesn't value this. The peruser perceives how he expect what she ought to do from this statement on page 57: Mr.Pontellier had been a fairly affable spouse insofar as he met a specific unsaid accommodation in his better half. In any case, her new and unforeseen line of lead totally befuddled him. ... At that point her outright dismissal for her obligations as a spouse irritated him. Leonce says himself, It appears to me the most extreme habit for a lady at the leader of a family, and the mother of kids, to spend in an atelier [meaning a studio for painting] days which would be better utilized inventing for the solace of her family. This statement is somewhat emblematic as it utilizes the word emplo... ...men encompassing her surrender to throughout everyday life. By opposing these laws Edna clarifies the ethics that the various ladies esteem; the fulfillment of their significant other, the acknowledgment of society, and the adjustment to cliché jobs of a lady. In The Awakening, Edna is utilized as an apparatus to accentuate the encompassing society's suppositions of a lady and the ethics that they esteem. Frequently, a character is separate from their way of life for this sole reason, to emphasize a point the creator needs to make. For this situation, Chopin needs to show the peruser how male overwhelmed society has been, how immediately ladies surrender to their jobs, and how effectively individuals can be molded to consider an alternate and very pointless arrangement of ethics. Edna is deliberately distanced in the novella so as the peruser can find society's suspicions and virtues of the period furthermore, up until today.

Religion in Chronicle of a Death Foretold - Literature Essay Samples

The novel â€Å"Chronicle of a Death Foretold† takes place in the 1950s in a small Colombian village near the sea. The narrator is investigating the murder of Santiago Nasar, a rich Arab. He was murdered by the Vicario brothers, who believed took away the virginity of their sister, however there is not enough evidence of this. The book is written in journalistic style, as the narrator always mentions the full name of each person he is interviewing and always offers as many points of view as possible. An emerging theme in the novel is the theme of religion and specifically the Catholic religion. The first encounter the reader has with religion is in the first chapter, where the villagers are awaiting for the bishop’s arrival. They made numerous preparations to honor the bishop, hoping he would get off the boat this year. Their hopes were crushed, as once again he did not get off to greet them and appreciate the gifts. The bishop’s moves while on the boat are described as â€Å"mechanic†, showing his indifference towards the small town. This goes against the beliefs of love and forgiveness of the Catholic religion. Moreover, Marquez foreshadows the fate of Santiago, as he mentions, â€Å"the people were too excited with the bishop’s visit to worry about any other news†, meaning that even though most of the villagers knew about the Vicario brother’s intentions, they were too busy preparing for the bishop’s arrival, hoping that he would prevent this murder from happening. The second religious figure in the novel is Father Carmen Amador, whose role is very ironic. He choses not to intervene and stop the two brothers, even though he was aware of the entire plan. Later on, he even forgets to warn Santiago, because he was distracted by the bishop’s arrival. Father Amador even says that the Vicario brothers are â€Å"innocent†¦before God†. His name is ironic, as in Spanish it means lover, however his name is very contradictory, as when he is performing the autopsy on Santiago’s dead body, he does it with no love at all, in a very violent way. Since his name means lover, he could have been the one who took Angela’s virginity. This could be why he welcomed the Vicario brothers and forgave them in the name of God after the murder. Moreover, being Angela’s lover could have been the reason why he did not warn Santiago or why he performed such a violent autopsy on his body. One of the most striking portrayals of religion in the novel is the similarity of Santiago to Jesus Christ. Firstly, Marquez has chosen Santiago’s name very thoughtfully, as in Spanish Santo can be translated to â€Å"Saint†, immediately making the first connection of his death to Christ. Moreover, Nasar sounds similar to Nazareth, the birthplace of Jesus. Santiago being an Arab was seen as an outsider to the Colombian society around him, like Jesus. Some parts of the novel seem similar to Christ’s story according to the Bible, for example, the cocks that began to crow in their baskets. This is similar to the cocks that crowed three times before Jesus death. According to the title, Santiago’s death was foretold, which is similar to Jesus’ prediction of his own death. Another way that makes Santiago comparable to Jesus, is through his death, as it resembles the crucifixion of Christ. Pedro Vicario mentions â€Å"we killed him openly†, this is a similarity between the two, as Jesus was also killed openly. Even though Santiago’s murder did not take place in front of everyone, it can still correspond to Jesus, as the whole town was aware of the murder, they were all spectators, but nobody was willing to act to defend Santiago. The most direct connection to Jesus is where it is mentioned that â€Å"He had a deep stab in the right hand, it looked like a stigma of the crucified Christ†. Another similarity between Christ’s crucifixion and Nasar’s death is where Marquez mentions: â€Å"the knife went through the palm of his right hand and then sank into his side up to the hilt. Everybody heard his cry of pain†, this is very similar to the moment where the Roman soldiers are nailing Jesus on the cross. Moreover, when the two brothers were attacking Santiago, it is mentioned that the knife he was being attacked with kept coming out clean, which is an example of magic realism that shows Santiagoâ €™s magical talents. Santiago was â€Å"mortally wounded three times†, the number three can be linked to religion as it could symbolize the three times Jesus was denied by Saint Peter. In this case, Saint Peter would be the people who refused to stop the Vicario brothers. Another interpretation of the symbolism behind the number three and religion is that the devil tempted Jesus three times. Angela could be the devil, as she might have tempted Santiago to take away her virginity, indicating that maybe he is guilty in the end. During the murder, Santiago seemed like he was being nailed to the wooden door, this relates closely to Christ’s nailing on the wooden cross. Many people heard Jesus last words on the cross, and realized their wrong doings, similarly many people heard Santiagos screams and realized their mistake of being impassive. Moreover, both Christ and Santiago showed no resistance during their death. Pedro Vicario also mentions that Santiago knew why the y were going to kill him, which makes his death parallel to Jesus, as He also knew why He was going to be killed. Additionally, Marquez points out that Santiago had a magical talent, which is similar to Jesus’ talents. Another similarity of the two is that they both wore white at the day of their death. This symbolizes purity and may suggest that Santiago, similar to Jesus, was not guilty in the end and was simply paying for other people’s sins. Santiago died for Angela’s sin and Christ for the people’s sins. This is a criticism for the decision of the two brothers, as they refused to investigate Angela’s claim further and only cared about the honor carried by their family’s name. In the novel it is ironic how all the townspeople are very respectful towards religion and that it plays a big role in their lives. Firstly, Angela’s name means angelic, which is ironic as she was no angel. She was the reason for Santiago’s murder. Most of her qualities, mainly the fact that she had pre-marital sex, show that she was the opposite. This links to the Bible’s interpretation for the creation of the world, where Eve gets tempted by the snake, in this case Angela may have been tempted by Santiago to have pre-marital sex. Moreover, it is ironic how the Vicario brothers’ way of restoring their honor is through murder, as they are breaking one of The Ten Commandments that states, Thou shalt not murder. Right after the murder the two brothers run to the church to confess, justifying their act as a matter of honor and the Church accepts this, thus it fails to see that one of the Ten Commandments that they live by is broken. This shows that honor is s o important in their society that they fail to act morally and according to God. To conclude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez uses various examples of religion throughout the novel, to criticize the society’s acts. In the novel Santiago Nasar is seen as a figure with characteristics similar to Jesus. This indicates that maybe he was innocent in the end and he had to die for Angela’s sins, just like Jesus died for the people’s sins. Moreover, the fact that the Catholic Church may pardon murder if it is a matter of honor is very ironic and judgmental, as it is a breakage of the Ten Commandments, thus it should not be justified. The bishop acts as a symbol showing how biased the church is and that it does not want to concern itself with unimportant matters, like the small Colombian town, even though it accepts all the gifts and preparations. Lastly, similar to the bishop, Father Amador could be a biased religious figure, as he could potentially be Angela’s lover and he was the one to justify and accept a murder as a matter of honor.

James Weldon Johnson Essay - 654 Words

James Weldon Johnson James Weldon Johnson (1871-1938), was a highly talented and celebrated African American writer. He was a poet, songwriter, novelist, literary critic, and essayist. Along with his wide-ranging literary accomplishments, Johnson also served as a school principal, professor of literature at Fisk University, attorney, a diplomatic consul for the United States in Venezuelaand Nicaragua, and secretary for the NAACP from 1920-1930. He is considered one of the founders of the Harlem Renaissance and the first modern African American. Johnsons primary concerns were with the black writer. This included what the black author needs to know and what he must do in order to produce quality work. Johnsons ideas on blackness†¦show more content†¦Along with this viewpoint, he stessed black distinctiveness within notions of spirituality and creativity. In much of his works, this idea of black distinctiveness was paralled with the legitimacy of black literary independence, another concept of which he was a proponent. While Johnson was a highly celebrated and versatile literary figure, his most well known work is The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man . Even though this title suggests that this work was his own story, it was actually a novel, the first African-American one to mask itself as an autobiography. In this novel, the illegitimate son of a southern white man and his mulatto mistress struggles to find his identity and place in the world. Being light-skinned, he does not discover his black blood until he is segregated from the white students in his school. As he ages, he leaves the south to discover his identity. His travels lead him to New York City as well as Europe. The narrator, who is never named, struggles with his mixed heritage and concludes that he must decide whether to embrace his African-American self and or pass for white and devote his life to accumulating wealth. His first attempt is to be a proud black man and adopt the struggle for racial justice. After witnessing a devasta ting lynching, however, he reverses his original course and focuses on passing for white. In doing so, he travels andShow MoreRelatedThe White Witch By James Weldon Johnson964 Words   |  4 PagesEnglish 11 2/17/17 The White *itch â€Å"And back behind those smiling lips, / And down within those laughing eyes,.../ The shadow of the panther lurks, / The spirit of the vampire lies† (25, 26, 29, 30). The supernatural poem â€Å"The White Witch† by James Weldon Johnson gives us an insight to what lay behind the curtains during the Harlem Renaissance. The poem takes a real life situation of the era, white women luring black men to their death via false blame, and portrays it as a fairy tale. Using symbolismRead MoreThe Harlem Renaissance By James Weldon Johnson Essay1885 Words   |  8 PagesRenaissance began years earlier with African-American genre of literature. James Weldon Johnson was one such writer who sifted through the roughage to promote great writers. Johnson was a reckoning force behind the great push for the Harlem Renaissance. According to The Norton Anthology of American Literature, Johnson favored the memories of his students from the rural South but, he did not condone the use of black dialect. Johnson challenged African-American writers to, â€Å"express the racial spirit fromRead MoreOf An Former Colored Man By James Weldon Johnson Essay2163 Words   |  9 PagesIn James Weldon Johnson’s â€Å"Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man,† the is written narrator to be perceived at face first as an average white male, when in fact he is inherently of colored descent. Consequently, in regards to society s principle of the one-drop rule, the narrator then faces an identity complex in understanding whether he is black since society has categorized him on the account of his bloodline, or white because of his external appearance. For at the end of the novel, he makes the consciousRead MoreThe Autobiography Of An Former Colored Man By James Weldon Johnson Essay2267 Words   |  10 PagesThe Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man, James Weldon Johnson James Weldon Johnson’s novel The Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man was first published in 1912. This novel is one of the highly celebrated works during the Harlem Renaissance although it was published prior in 1912. Johnson graduated from Clark Atlanta University in 1894. He was appointed by President Theodore Roosevelt as United States consul to Venezuela and Nicaragua. He also was highly involved in the Harlem Renaissance with hisRead MoreThe Road That Led African Americans986 Words   |  4 PagesLaws were enacted and in effect in the South, which led to the mass migration to the North, and even in the North, Blacks still experienced some indifference, though not on the same scale as they had in the South. In Lift Every Voice and Sing, Johnson uses rhyming which of course is standard of most poetry. He also uses simile in line five with his comparison of how the sound of joy should be loud like that of the rolling sea. Lift Every Voice and Sing is both carefully and craftily composed, andRead MoreAmerican Architecture : Constructing An Identity1434 Words   |  6 Pagesracial and female identities have been at the epicenter of many works of art throughout American culture as can be seen in: Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Stephen Crane, film â€Å"Modern Times,† Bessie Smith’s â€Å"T’ain’t Nobody’s Bizness If I Do,† and James Weldon Johnson’s Autobiography of an Ex-Colored Man. For starters, both Maggie: A Girl of the Streets by Crane and â€Å"Modern Times† describe a woman with a lack of agency. Cranes novel focuses on the central figure of Maggie. Maggie exemplifies a womanRead MoreRemembering the Harlem Renaissance646 Words   |  3 PagesFund, which gave Savage $1,800 to study in Paris. Savage returned to the United States in 1931, during the Great Depression. 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His runaway father offered to pay for his college education only if he attended Harvard University, not Atlanta University the college that his mother â€Å"had a half desire for [him] to go† (Johnson 33). Since his mother died, he was the only person left to make the decision and ended up deciding where he and his mother wanted him to go: Atlanta University. While finding a unique identity, a person must be careful who he trusts. Giving valuable

Pros And Cons Of Alcan Technology - 1253 Words

The pros and cons of the current Alcan technology infrastructure seemed to be heavier on the con side than the pro side. While the intent was to better the organization with the functions that were required on the IT side, however the result was something much different than what they anticipated. â€Å"Should you spend most of your technology budget on infrastructure, hosted applications, custom line-of-business applications, or what? It depends on the industry that the business is in. Generally, most businesses spend around half of their technology budget on infrastructure—computers, networking equipment, and Internet Service Providers† (I.T. in Business, n.d.). Mistakes were made in decisions concerning the technology infrastructure of†¦show more content†¦The issues that Alcan was facing were numerous to say the least. The fact that the leadership in the IT side had been vacant for more than a year was very problematic. Another large chunk of the infrastruc ture issue revolved around how decentralized the business groups that made up Alcan were. â€Å"Every business group was completely independent, with its own strategic IT plan, infrastructure choices based on its specific needs, and IT applications and services. Each group had its own IT organization that pursued its objectives based on the group’s needs and orientation. Groups’ needs, like their activities, were highly diversified. Over the years, this culture of autonomy had been reinforced by mergers and acquisitions† (Bernier Dube Roy, 2009). Another issue that was identified was that Alcan had more than one thousand information systems, and many of these systems managed information that was financial. It completely makes it difficult to comprehend how you would even attempt to be able to work with over 1,000 systems within Alcan. Another identified issue was that there was a problem with accessible skills which were insufficient, and crudely positioned to meet requirements of the information technology infrastructure. This also resulted in these needs not being evaluated, identified, or even compensated in a similar way as other various business groups. Instead the outsourced providers instead minimized the deficienciesShow MoreRelatedAlcan Case Study1414 Words   |  6 PagesAlcan Case Analysis Executive Summary Like many of its competitors and comparable manufacturers in the discrete and process metal production, process metal and service-related businesses, Alcan is continually challenged with how to unify their diverse business units and processes to gain competitive advantage. The dynamics of many process-related industries include growing through mergers and acquisition, which has also been an area that continues cause Alcan challenges from an IT perspectiveRead MoreThe Alcan Case Study1642 Words   |  7 PagesAlcan Case Analysis Executive Summary One of the most critical success factors for Alcan, the global leader in discrete and process metal production, selling and service-related businesses, is their supply chain. Sourcing the right materials, from approved suppliers, at the most economical price and having them delivered at the right time is a continual challenge for Alcan and members of the industry it participates in. Bauxite is one of the most critical raw materials there are to the productionRead MoreAlcan IT: Implementation Case Study1447 Words   |  6 PagesAlcan IT Implementation Case Study Introduction: Alcans success and enormity are singular in its industry. As a highly vertically integrated textiles and industrial materials manufacturer, the Montreal based firm is markedly profitable and diffusely networked. In spite of its highly enviable track record and profitability, the firm finds itself at a crossroads where its Information Technology (IT) solutions are concerned. With the appointment of Robert Ouellette as Chief Information OfficerRead MoreAlcan Application Management: Case Analysis1487 Words   |  6 PagesAlcan Case Analysis Having grown quickly through a series of mergers, acquisitions and strong financial performance of its divisions, Alcans IT infrastructure has evolved into being decentralized and inefficient. The inherent advantages of a decentralized IT infrastructure continue to fuel the companys growth, which makes the task of changing its structure all the more difficult for Robert Ouelette, acting CIO. As with most decentralized IT operations, each division continues to excel at theRead More3pl Report6517 Words   |  27 Pagesfor your company †¢ Top tips on RFQs and industry advice on tackling the selection process to ensure the best 3PL for you! †¢ Setting incentive schemes and remuneration - profitable contracts and ROI †¢ The benefits of using a 3PL for supply chain technology and tips for smooth integration †¦and much more! Learn from special, exclusive presentations and executive panels and join in the discussions at intimate round table sessions. Attend the Chicago e vent to benchmark your current 3PL contracts againstRead MoreStrategic Human Resource Management View.Pdf Uploaded Successfully133347 Words   |  534 Pages......................................... 74 STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT Table of Contents SECTION TWO .............................................................. 93 The Human Resource Environment........................... 94 TECHNOLOGY AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE ............................................................ 96 WORKER VALUES AND ATTITUDINAL TRENDS ........ 109 MANAGEMENT TRENDS ......................................... 116 DEMOGRAPHIC TRENDS ..................Read MoreContemporary Issues in Management Accounting211377 Words   |  846 PagesProfessor of Management Accounting in the Department of Accounting and Finance at Monash University, Australia. Prior appointments were at La Trobe University, the xiv CONTRIBUTORS universities of Melbourne and Tasmania, and University of Technology, Sydney. Prior to academic life, she worked as an accountant in several commercial organizations. Kim has a B.Ec. from the University of Sydney, an M.Ec. from Macquarie University, and a Ph.D. from Monash University. She is a fellow of CPA, AustraliaRead MoreStrategic Marketing Management337596 Words   |  1351 PagesTottenham Court Road, London, England W1T 4LP. Applications for the copyright holder’s written permission to reproduce any part of this publication should be addressed to the publisher Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science Technology Rights Department in Oxford, UK: phone: ( 44) 1865 843830, fax: ( 44) 1865 853333, e-mail: permissions@elsevier.co.uk. You may also complete your request on-line via the Elsevier homepage (www.elsevier.com), by selecting ‘Customer Support’ and thenRead MoreStrategy Safari by Mintzberg71628 Words   |  287 Pagescasually i gnore perspective. (Anyone for McDuckling a l Orange?) Changing position within perspective may be easy; changing perspective, even while trying to maintain position, is not. (Just ask Swiss watchmakers about the introduction of quartz technology.) Figure 1-4 illustrates examples of this. Thus, we have four different definitions of strategy. A fifth is in common usage too: strategy is a ploy, that is, a specific maneuver intended to outwit an opponent or competitor. A kid may hop over

Training at Changi Airport Casino

Question: Case study:Training at the newly open Changi Airport Casino (CAC) Singapores newly opened 3rd casino, CAC caters to the needs of travellers, tourists, and thrill-seekers on transit or holiday in Singapore. Situated at Changi Airport and directly connected to all terminals via Sky train, CAC employs around 3,000 staff, including 2000 full-time casino dealers, also known as croupiers. Margaret Chan, CAC's Director of Gaming Operations, read the email she had just received from Caleb Tan, the companys Director of Training Development, and mumbled to herself angrily. Not again. Im not going to let Caleb have his way this round. Last month, he insisted that I must send 100 of my croupiers on a five-day course in customer service, leadership and team building. I had my objections but I sent them anyway. I had to activate croupiers from other shifts just to cover their duties, which caused them unhappiness, higher level of fatigue and a few resignations. This has resulted in more customer complaints and costly mistakes in pay-outs to the players. I would not allow him to tarnish our companys image in the industry. We need to compete with the other two existing Casinos for a larger pie of the business. After all, many of our croupiers had already been interviewed and selected based on their experience from other regional casinos, so why is there a need for further training? On their return from training, they grumbled constantly about what a bore it was, and how their time had been wasted because they felt that some of the content was totally irrelevant to their jobs. They had no opportunity to practice those skills anyway due to their working schedules and the nature of their current job. There is no immediate need for the type of training that Caleb has arranged. Now he wants another 100 participants. Well, I am not going to support it anymore. He can just forget about it! Part 1In your own analysis, what possible errors were being made by CACs Training Director fro m the perspective of training needs assessment, transfer of learning and training evaluation? MistakesError made by director Caleb did not conduct a proper need assessment. Did not ensure that there is a transfer of learning. He did not gather feedback from the participant. He did not carry out training evaluation.What are the consequences?What will happen?Part 2What kinds of recommendations would you propose to the Training Director to ensure that the errors you identified are eliminated? SolutionsHow can he correct the error (recommendation) What is involve in need assessment 3 level of assessment: Organization, person and task analysis (This is how he correct and should conduct)What must he do? Talk to senior management as able to tell what company need. Talk to line manager Formative Summative Of all croupier are ready to train (Motivate) Need to learn skill to transfer Google Casino operation.Part 3What effective strategies could the Training Director use to win over the Ga ming Operations Director so that she would be more supportive of training for his staff? Effective strategy to win Gaming Operations Director. Explain the purpose of the 3 training programs to Gaming Operations Director. Ask Gaming Operations Director for inputs what kind of training is suitable for croupiers. Caleb - Must request the CEO to appoint the gaming operations as trainer. We sent in small batches reduces from 100 to 20 per class Answer: Introduction People are considered the most precious assets of an organisation thus huge amount of investment is made to ensure their training and development needs are met (Wilson, 2005). Training and development also referred to as human resource development and learning and development is a function of human resource management that focuses on enhancing the performance efficiency and effectiveness of an individual or group by planning and implementing required activities (Saks, et al., 2010). This report analyses the case study of training at the new opened Changi Airport Casino (CAC) to identify the mistakes conducted by the companys director of training and development, recommend appropriate solutions and implement effective training strategies in order to make the training program successful. Part 1: Mistakes conducted by CACs Training Director The process of designing a training and development program can be divided into five main stages namely, analysis, design, development, implementation and evaluation also referred to as ADDIE model (Evans, 2008). This model is the most common model used worldwide by training designers. An in-depth analysis of the case study reveals that the CACs Training Director has made some errors while designing the training and development program. In order to develop an effective training program it is essential to identify the who, what, why, when, where and how to training. Lack of effective training needs assessments: Needs assessment is the first and the most critical activity involved in the creation of a training and development program (Noe, 2013). Training needs assessments involve gathering as much information as possible about organisations objectives, learning needs, competencies and skills that are needed to enhance performance efficiency and learning styles of individuals who are to be trained. Needs assessments phase of training and development involve identifying gaps between what exists and what is desired currently and in future (Beebe, et al., 2012). The outcome of needs assessment helps the training developers in finding answers to two most important questions, that is who needs training and what training is actually desired. In case of CAC the Training Director has not conducted a needs assessment and is assuming that all the employee need the training related to customer service, leadership and team building. Without conducting a needs assessment he is unable to identify who needs the training and in what area. As a consequence of lack of needs assessment the Training Director is unable to understand the exactly learning needs of the employees. He is wasting their productive hours and also creating a negative perception in their minds. Failure to ensure that there is transfer of learning: Transfer of learning occurs when learning from one context enhances or undermines a related performance in other context (Perkins Salomon, 1992). The Training Director failed to ensure that the employees who are trained are actually getting enough chances and support to transfer their learning to real life work situations. As a consequence almost all employees will actually forget the concepts learned with few months after training. Failure to gather feedback from participants: Effective and frequent feedbacks help improving productivity and performance in a continuous manner (Armstrong, 2011). In case of training programs is it essential to ensure that regular feedback is provided as well as received from participants. Effective feedbacks help enhancing employee motivation that then tend to deliver high performance (Bhatia, 2007). In case of CAC the Training Director made no attempts to either provide or receive feedbacks from participants. As a consequence he could not determine the learning experience of the trainees. Employee feedback would have greatly helped him in improving the training and development program in a manner that is fulfilled learners needs. Lack of training evaluation: Evaluation is simply defined as the assessment of worth or value (Dahiya Jha, 2011). It involves planned collection, collation and analysis of information in order to determine the value and worth. Evaluation is not only required at the end of the program but must be performed as an ongoing process throughout the program. It helps ensuring that the program meets its desired goals and objectives at all stages. It can also be referred to as a quality control measure (Miller, 2007). Evaluation at each stage of training program helps ensuring that all requirements are fulfilled. In case of CAC the Training Director lacked focus on training evaluation. There was no formative or summative evaluation. No assessments were conducted to check that the trainees have actually learned the concepts taught during training. As a consequence he was unable to identify whether the training program was actually meeting learning needs of the employees. He was unable to judge whether or not the training had helped in enhancing employee performance and achieve desired organisations objectives. Due to a lack of effective evaluation process in place the Training Director was unable to understand that he actually needed to improve his training program in order to meet the learning needs of the employees. Part 2: Recommended solutions to eliminate errors made by CACs Training Director In order to ensure that the errors made by the CACs Training Director is eliminated it is important to ensure that he conducts proper needs assessments, ensure there is transfer of learning and have an effective evaluation system in place. Needs Assessment: The Training Director of CAC must ensure that he conducts all the three levels of needs assessment namely, organisational analysis, individual analysis and task analysis (Aspin, 2008). Organisational analysis will help him identify the level of effectiveness of the organisation and determine its training needs and how the training will be conducted (Boud, et al., 2006). Organisational analysis helps identifying the environmental impact, economical stability and its impact on operations cost, impact of technological changes, impact of changes in workforce demographics and whether or not the organisation is meeting its desired goals and objectives. Individual analysis will help the Training Director in identifying individual learning needs that can help them improve their work performance and also determine what kind of training will be needed to meet individual learning needs.(Snell Bohlander, 2012). Performance evaluation, observation, surveys, questionnaires are s ome of the source that can help the training director collection information needed for individual analysis. Task analysis help gathering information about a job or set of jobs and identifying skills, knowledge, attitude and abilities needed to achieve high performance efficiency (Truss, et al., 2012). Job description, KSA analysis, performing the job and analysis of literature related to job are some of the ways that can help the training director in performing task analysis. By performing these three level of assessments the training director will be able to effectively analyse the who, what, why, when, where and how of a training program. Transfer of Learning: Before the training starts the training director should make proper arrangements in order to ensure that trainees are provided with enough opportunities to use the concepts they have learned during training hours (Evans, 2008). Training Director must ensure that a positive transfer climate is created within the workplace which helps creating a strong alignment between organisational goals and training program. He should ensure that the employees are motivated enough to transfer their learning to their workplace. In order to motivate employees and ensure their readiness the training director should provide complete and realistic information before training, should ensure proper feedback system is in place to get employees input and should effectively communicate companys expectations to the employees (Armstrong, 2011). He must ensure the training is relevant and a culture of learning is created. He should speak to the senior management and the line managers in or der to ensure that trainees receive complete support from the management team. He must ensure that trainees have enough skills to transfer their learning to casino operations. Evaluation: Evaluation should happen as an ongoing process and not only at the end of the training program (Dahiya Jha, 2011). He should focus on both formative and summative evaluation in order to ensure the training program is improved continuously to meet employees learning needs. He should take employee assessments on regular basis to ensure they are actually understanding the concepts and benefiting from it. All these measures will help the Training Director ensure that all the errors he made in first training session will be eliminated form future ones. Part 3: Effective Strategies to be used by CACs Training Director in order to win support from the Gaming Operations Director In order to make the training and development program a success it is important that the Training Director gets support from the Gaming Operations Director. He should effectively communicate the need for training related to customer service, leadership and team building to the Gaming Operations Director. He should clearly inform her value of such trainings and how they can help improving employee performance at the casino. The Training Director should make ask the Gaming Operations Director to provide feedback as to what kind of training, knowledge and skills are needed by the employees in order to enhance their productivity and performance. He can also try if the CEO can ask the Gaming Operations Director to become the trainer for her employees which will further motivate them to transfer their learning in day to day operations. The Training Director can also try conducting the training within small batches of 20 employees instead of 100 employees and also reduce the number of train ing days to 3 instead of 5. Doing this will not disturb day to day operations of the casino due to shortage of workforce and the Gaming Operations Director will not have that much trouble substituting for small number of employee for less days. The training Director can also try using e-learning as a way for training the employees. With e-learning facility employee will be able to learn at their own pace. To do so the Training Director can set up training committee and also ask the Gamings Operations Director to be a part of it. He should focus on creating awareness about training department by applying marketing strategies. He should ensure that the role of training department is clear to other departments and to employees. Conclusion Effective training and development programs help ensuring that the available resources possess the needed skills and competences to help the organisation remain competitive in todays dynamic marketplace. It is a complex process and must pass through a set of steps in order to ensure that it is beneficial for the individual and the organisation as a whole. Effective needs assessments, transfer of learning and evaluation help the trainer ensure that the trainees are engaged enough and their actual learning needs are met. References Armstrong, M., (2011) Armstrong's Handbook of Strategic Human Resource Management. London: Kogan Page Publishers. Aspin, D. N., (2008) Philosophical Perspectives on Lifelong Learning. Hamburg: Springer Science Business Media. Beebe, S. A., Mottet, T. P. Roach, K. D., (2012) Training and Development: Communicating for Success. New York: Prentice Hall PTR. Bhatia, S., (2007) Strategic Human Resource Management : Winning Through People. New Delhi: Deep and Deep Publications. Boud, D., Cressey, P. Docherty, P., (2006) Productive Reflection at Work: Learning for Changing Organizations. New Jersey: Routledge. Dahiya, S. Jha, A., (2011) Review of Training Evaluation. International Journal of Computer Science and Communication, 2(1), pp. 11-16. Evans, C., (2008) Learning styles in education and training. Bingley: Emerald Group Publishing. Miller, A., (2007) How to Manage Human Resource in Organizations. Maitland: Xulon Press. Noe, R. A., (2013) Employee Training and Development. Boston: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Perkins, D. N. Salomon, G., (1992) Transfer of Learning. [Online] Available at: https://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/thinking/docs/traencyn.htm[Accessed 2015]. Saks, Saks, A. M., Haccoun, R. R. Belcourt, M., (2010) Managing Performance Through Training and Development. New York: Cengage Learning. Snell, S. Bohlander, G., (2012) Managing Human Resources. New York: Cengage Learning. Truss, C., Mankin, D. Kelliher, C., (2012) Strategic Human Resource Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Wilson, J. P., (2005) Human Resource Development: Learning Training for Individuals Organizations. London: Kogan Page Publishers.

Peer Pressure Research Paper free essay sample

A Research Paper Good Friends and Not†¦ In Partial Fulfillment of the Course Requirements in COMM101 Expository Writing DEDICATION The researcher would like to dedicate this research to her family who had inspired her and supported her in making the research. She also dedicates this not only to her friends but also to all of the teenagers who are experiencing peer pressure. Good Friends and Not†¦ I. Peer Pressure A. Definition B. Types of Peer Pressure 1. Positive Peer Pressure 2. Negative Peer Pressure a. Spoken or Direct b. Unspoken or Indirect C. Where does Peer Pressure come from 1. Peers a. Definition b. Functions c. Statuses c. 1. Popular c. 2. Neglected c. 3. Rejected c. 4. Controversial 2. Adolescent Groups a. Functions and Formation a. 1. Norms a. 2. Roles b. Cliques and Crowds b. 1. Nerd b. 2. Beauty Queen b. 3. Sportsman b. 4. Hippies b. 5. Perfectionist b. 6. Addicts D. effects or Influence of Peer Pressure 1. Positive 2. Negative a. Alcohol another drug case EPIGRAPH â€Å"The only people who are worth being friends with are the people who like you as you are. We will write a custom essay sample on Peer Pressure Research Paper or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page † -Charlotte Levy INTRODUCTION In the stage of being a teenager there are times when they are trying to find their identity and the way to find out is by joining groups or clubs. It can be really lonely having no peer groups. The enjoyment of a group that can form a personality that they will might carry for a long time or even through their life. In some ways a teenager’s life can be influenced in the way his group behaves. It depends on how each one cooperates with each other. Although there’s a need to be accepted, it doesn’t mean that a teenager could just join a group just to say that he is accepted which can cause harm to his life. This is where peer pressure enters. It doesn’t really means that peer pressure goes along in a negative way. There are just some chances that teenager are pressured to do something that they don’t really want to do or sometimes they doesn’t even know that they are being pushed to do it. They can’t sometimes realize that they are already doing dumbest and senseless things for the only reason of being accepted. In different peer groups, they have different ways that they know that they will be recognize and this is called as their image. Because of this image hey will be forced in doing things that this certain group does that they really wouldn’t want to do. But for the sake of being in a group and being accepted they just follow the trend. It can really be hard to be in a group, most of all if they’ve join the wrong one. There they would feel like they are uncertain of themselves thinking if this is what they really are as they try to deal wi th different pressures and changes in the group. Having friends or peers of the same age and with the same interest can sometimes be really difficult and serious. What really is peer pressure? How can it affect you? Would be in a negative or positive way? Or maybe even both? Have you been doing things that you don’t like just because of it? Can it be because it had already influenced you? Is peer pressure a good thing or a bad thing? I. Peer Pressure A. Definition (Figure 1. 1) Peer Pressure The need to be accepted by others formulates the idea of â€Å"peer pressure†. Teenage friendships can be very strong, with this strong bond they remain unbroken for rest of their life. Teenagers also try seeking to find their self-identity and to do so they join groups and clubs. It would be an ever lonely world having no peer groups. The wonders and enjoyments of group identity can form personality that they might carry on through their life. Since friendships are about loyalty and trust, they will find it hard to break away from their friends. However, too much adherence to loyalty may or may not later ruin their life. It is all because their life is influenced by the way their group behaves. It really depends entirely on their friendship and how they would cooperate with one another and mix cultures, ways and attitudes until they form one unified core. All there is an understanding in being accepted, it wouldn’t mean you just have to join a group that later might harm you. It is because usually peer pressure goes along the negative. Peer pressure refers to the influence that a peer group exerted in encouraging a person to change his or her attitude, values or behavior in order to conform to group norm. It is considered one of the ironies of teenagers that in the urge on to separate and individuate from the family. It is also the feeling that someone your own age is pushing you toward making a choice which may be good or bad. B. Types of Peer Pressure . Good Peer Pressure Mostly people think that peer pressure is only negative what they do not know is it can also help in some ways. Teenagers are influenced in both negative and positive way. It is how they chose to react to peer pressure that defines who they are as an individual. When peer pressure is making a person act in generally appropriate way, to do the right thing whe n he or she may not otherwise, or to do more good than harm this is a positive peer pressure. Good peer pressure is being pushed into something that you didn’t have the courage to do or just didn’t cross your mind to do. However, as they think about it, it seems like a good thing to do. Some examples are encouraging a person to join sports team because they know that he or she is good at it. Good peer pressure can also be a situation when friends convince one not to do something because it wasn’t his or her interest. It is said that good pressure is when a person get pushed into something that he or she didn’t want to do and it turned our well. If one of them talks about getting good grades all the members of the group will be pressured to do their best to get good grades. Also if one of them likes doing volunteer work and joining clubs, they would influence each other and go with the flow. The good things friends can pressure each other to do is be honest, avoid alcohol, avoid drugs, not smoke, be nice, work hard and respect others. 2. Bad Peer Pressure Most people think of peer pressure as influence to do negative things. This is because peer pressure usually goes along the negative way like smoking, taking illicit drugs, drinking alcohol, having promiscuous sex, engaging in criminal behavior, involvement in violence, joining gangs, and so on. Bad peer pressure is being forced into doing something a person didn’t want to do because his or her friends said that you should. Friends have a tendency to think that they know what is best for you. Bad peer pressure is broken down into two: a. Spoken or Direct Negative Peer Pressure â€Å"We are going to have a party tonight. Come with us! Don’t just sit here studying. You never do anything fun! † Direct, spoken, negative peer pressure puts a teenager on the spot through direct confrontation. The teen’s peer wants to convince him to something that he shouldn’t do. When peers resort to a direct peer pressure, it’s quite difficult to find an excuse to do the right thing because he knows that it would be possible that his peers would mock him. For instance if one of his friends offered him a cigarette, he might say no, but being able to say no may not be the problem. The real problem arises when his friends ask him repeatedly to do something. This is where he has to be able to say himself that he had made his decision and he feels that it’s the correct one. Then be able to express that repeatedly to all of his friends and have enough respect for him to stand up and not give in. Though it might sound easy doing it needs tremendous amount of will power to be able to stand up to people that you know, trust and respect and that is your friends. b. Unspoken or Indirect Peer Pressure When a teenager feels out of place or not accepted whatever reason, they may give in into peer pressure to fit in and have friends. Teenagers worry about what others think, even if they say they don’t. They don’t want to be the joke of the school having others make fun of them, so they give in and skip school, or they will be mean to someone for no real good reason. When it seems like everyone is doing something like dressing a certain way or acting a certain way, teens feel pressure to go along with the crowd and be like everyone else. Most of teenagers don’t want to stand out as being different from others that is the reason that they want to fit in. There is no need for someone to tell them in doing this but just observing their peers and the people surrounding them will create pressure to be like them. They might try that cigarette or a sip of alcohol, just to have fits and fit in. C. Where does Peer Pressure come from? 1. Peers a. Definition (Figure 1. 2) Peers Everyone’s world is not confined only within family. In reaching teenage life, teenagers are bound to extend themselves to other people. In this way, most of people who have lots of friends are the teens. No man is an island, that’s what they say. It is true that you cannot be alone in this world and cannot work without even a single friend around. Youth is the time when teens want to make friends. All teenagers feel that their home life and their family don’t give them enough. This is a time when they will want to broaden their interests, meet people of different types and backgrounds, try out new. Peers are persons or group people who are about the same age group and also close to one another. Peers are powerful forces in the life of a teenager. Sometimes, teenagers feel that their friends understand them better than their parents and relatives do. More importantly, peers make you feel you belong. b. Functions of Peers Peers are very important in assisting with the process of separation and individuation. The reasons are because peers act as mirror. Teenagers’ peers provide reinforcement of their growing identity. Teenagers discover, through their peers, that their likes, interests and ideas are shared. Furthermore, this shows them that these things have value and by extension, that they themselves have values as people. Peers act as testing ground. Teenagers can test out ideas, jokes, and behaviors and so on with their peers that they wouldn’t feel comfortable doing with their parents – or indeed, that wouldn’t be appropriate to do with their parents. Just as a family develops its own ‘story’ that has morals, codes, things that are OK and things that aren’t, so too does the peers. Peers provide social support and safety. ‘First times’ are more fun celebrated with peers than being alone. It might be that first illicit cigarette, getting into the cinema underage, that first can of beer. Peers provide the opportunity for a teenager to celebrate new things and new experiences and sympathized first failures. Peers don’t live in the same house. Teenagers are starting to separate from their family and sometimes, even in the most harmonious of households, peers act as an escape from the stresses and strains of family life. Also, it is something separate and private from the family that the teenager has built up by him/herself. It is therefore precious and important and criticism of the peers can be a big mistake as it suggests that the teenager hasn’t got the ability to create things for themselves away from the family. c. Statuses Most teenagers have probably thought about popularity a lot. There are times that they have racism with others just because of their statuses. Teenagers commonly think how would others like them? How would they be popular on both boys and girls? Because of this there are different statuses of teenagers which are: c. 1. Popular Every teenager wanted to be one of the popular ones in school. Well who really doesn’t want to be known by others? Isn’t it that when a teenagers is popular they wouldn’t have a hard time making friends? The popular ones are frequently chosen as best friends. Even if they say that it really doesn’t matter who their friends are as long as they are accepted it can’t be denied that there’s still a moment that teenagers want to have friends who are popular. A teenager can be popular because of two reasons. These reasons are certain physical and cultural factors. Teenagers who are attractive are more popular than those who are not and, different from what others believe, brighter teenagers are more popular than less intelligent ones. It has been found out that teens who are popular give out reinforcement, listen carefully, maintain open lines of communication with peers, are happy, show enthusiasm, and concern for others and also self-confident. Because of these factors the popular ones are frequently chosen as a best friend and rarely dislike by their peers. c. 2 Neglected There are times that when teenagers are left by their peers just because they are neglected. Some of the reasons why they are neglected is their peers have found someone else to be friends with. The neglected ones though even left by their friends and infrequently chosen as a best friend because of some factors though when they have peers they are not disliked by them. c. 3 Rejected Teenagers can’t avoid being rejected even though how much they like to be friends with others. The status of a rejected teen may be because of some of the factors like physical features, cultural differences or may be because of himself. There are teens that just don’t have the skills to socialize with others and make friends with them which results to being rejected by others. The ones who are rejected are infrequently chosen as someone’s best friends and are actively disliked by their peers. They are dislike by their peers because of some of their attitudes. Rejected teenagers often have more serious adjustments in their later life than those who are neglected. Most teens that had been rejected in their early life were engage in delinquent behavior or rebelling or drop out of school. Not all rejected teens are aggressive. Although being aggressive is related to impulsiveness and disruptiveness, they are times that rejected teens are shy. c. 4 Controversial There is no really exact description on what controversial teenagers are. Their status of being controversial teenagers is quite confusing and has conflict because they are frequently chosen by someone as a best friend but as the same time being disliked. 2. Peer Groups A. Definition Youth is the time to try new activities and belong to a group whose members dress and act the same way and groupthink. In schools, there are usually sport centers and clubs where they can meet new friends. Being a teenager is like being a member of a club. They want to stick close to others who wear similar clothes, hairstyles, accessories. They also follow the latest trends, fad and craze and also share common values, ideas, and interests. In this way they feel accepted and secured. These groups can be formal and informal group which has the same age, status, ability, interest, etc. Some of the formal groups are basketball team, hockey team, Boy Scout or Girl Scout, student council and so on. A more nformal group could be group of peers, such as cliques. B. Functions and Formation A group satisfies a teenager needs, reward them, provides them information, raise their self-esteem, and give them identity. Teenagers might join a group because they that it is enjoyable and exciting and would satisfy their need for affiliation and companionship. They might join a group because will have the opportunity t o receive rewards. Groups are also important source of information. Any group has two things in common: b. 1. Norms Just like what had been said peer group share common values, ideas, and interests. In a group there are these rules that members should follow. It may not be formally said but still you still have to follow it in some way because this is what the group wants and these are norms. Norms are rules apply to all members of the group. b. 2. Roles Roles are the certain positions that you play in a group. These roles can also be act as a group. All of the members may also be like these. C. Cliques c. 1 Definition Cliques are small groups ranging from two to about twelve individuals and average about five to six individuals. The clique members are usually of the same gender and are similar in age. Cliques can form because teenagers are engage in similar activities like being in sports team. Some cliques are also form just by purely friendship. Several teenagers form a clique because have spent time with each other and enjoy each other’s company. What a clique does is share their ideas, hang out together, and often develop an in-group identity in which they believe their clique is better than the others. D. Crowd d. 1. Definition Crowds are a larger group than cliques. Teenagers are usually members of crowd based on their reputation and may or may not spend much time other crowd member. Good examples of crowds are what you see in teenage movies where there are different kinds of characters like the popular ones who always well almost get what they want, the nerds who are intelligent but are just ignored and so on. There are so many crowds that a teenager can chose for him to join. But it’s not always that way. There are times when others are the ones who choose for you. It is how they look at him or in what way they recognize him and then refer to him as a member of a crowd which he didn’t really choose. Just like if you are intelligent even though for you, you don’t consider yourself as a nerd others think that you are. . 2. Nerd (Figure 1. 3) Nerd So they are shy, wear unflattering clothes, and have a congestion problem, so what? They got the brains! Who cares what everyone thinks, they still have their friends, and their more successful future. They dream of dating Beauty Queen, but face it, its never going to happen. She might be scared off by their affinity for Star Wars. Not to fret, they have established a good group of friends you can do math problems with on the weekends. No moment is ever a dull moment! Teenagers, who are in this type of crowd, pretend to be someone who is genuinely moral and true. They do everything more than what is expected, as if everyone else goes wrong. They are someone who never misses any class, homework or project. They are always â€Å"up-to-date† of things. For other they consider a person as a nerd when he or she is smart and knows a lot about different things. They are really great when it comes to academics but they don’t really get into some activities besides that. They don’t know other words besides â€Å"study†. They are expected to get high grades and they are also the ones who always grab the awards and I mean by grabbing them it is like as if they have taken all of them. . 3. Beauty Queen (Figure 1. 4) Beauty Queen Teenagers who are members of this crowd is a total socialite. For them, life is full of contests. If they don’t join in, they are losers. In fact, being a socialite is already a loser because you are climbing a status that you are not and admit it, you can’t. They long for popularity beca use they believe that their beauty have won the hearts of many. Daddys favorite little girl! They are spoiled rotten, but hey, its okay, they get whatever they want, whenever they want! They are the most popular girl in school also known as feared by all. Everyone knows who they are because they are involved in almost everything. All their teachers love them, but all their friends secretly hate them. Their best skills are their interpersonal skills, especially when it comes to gossip, but it can definitely be applied in many other ways. They are outgoing and must always look like they love what they are doing. d. 4. Sportsman For these people, sports is always the name of the game, even inside the classroom. They spend their entire life doing their latest in sports and sports hobbies and outfits. They memorized every good athlete in the world duplicating such career to their own extent, forgetting that life has other tasks to do. (Figure 1. 5) Sportsman There would be no school spirit if it wasnt for these guys. They tend to be those star athletes that have that confidence that certainly boarders on cockiness. They have a high sense of self-esteem that gives them the right to be popular. They love what they do, but definitely feel a pressure to be extremely good at it, after all, the entire school is counting on them to get that title! But they feel lucky to be who they are because there are definitely perks to being an athlete. If youre good enough, your bad grades wont matter because they will be going to college on an athletic scholarship. d. 5. Braggart (Figure 1. 6) Braggart These people always complain that it is not their fault. They feel cheated and that the world was unfair to them. Braggarts are misled because they believe that the world has something to say sorry for their losing attitude. d. 6. Hippies These people do nothing in life but hang around and let loose. It shows to their dress that as if they are the coolest guys who are not responsible for anything. Homework? Oh, there’s no home and work. So what if they repeat? (Figure 1. 7) Hippies They are the epitome of laid back, but its something you have to try to be. Talk about the anti-trend. They are environmentally conscious and have a free spirited. They even love maps! The only music they listen to is underground, and the second it goes mainstream, they swear to never listen to it again. They dont have many friends, but the friends they do have are very close to them. d. 7. Perfectionist (Figure 1. 8) Perfectionist As what they are called they are more likely to think of them as, perfect. These are people who lived before the land of time. For them, everything must be organized. One little mistake, oops, you’re out of their system. If they ever commit mistake in a test, it’s a total protest because they can’t accept the fact that sometimes in life, a little rain must fall. They want things to go in the way they like it to turn out to. d. 8. Addicts Who are these? Yes, they are the drug addicts. All they know are to get high and drink beer all night. Have a good time for tomorrow he dies. Yes, he never grows old because he dies young. Their lives are too short to enjoy other great opportunities ahead. But as they feel addicted to party, there’s no tomorrow to enjoy it. (Figure 1. 9) Addict They are the cool friends that teach teenager where a person should belong. Teenagers are being forced to do acts, like smoking, drinking, wild dancing, drugs, premarital sex, loose conduct and carefree living which internally, teenagers would not want to do. d. 9. Conclusions about teenage crowds Crowds emerge to provide youth with provisional identities they can adopt, well at least temporarily, on their way to more integrated identity later in development. Crowds not only vary in terms of dress, grooming style, musical tastes, and hang outs in school but also in terms of more-consequential activities such as effort in school or deviant behavior. Thus, whether crowds are â€Å"friend† or â€Å"foe† depends largely on the particular crowd with which the teenager is associated. D. Importance of Peers 1. Companionship. Peers provide teenagers with a familiar partner, someone who is willing to spend time with them and join collaborative activities. In this way each of them will enjoy each other’s companionship. 2. Stimulation Teenagers don’t want to have just any peer who’ll just be there. They want to have peers who will provide them with interesting information, excitement, enthusiasm and amusement. 3. Physical support Teenagers want they peers to support them in a physically which is providing them resources and assistance. 4. Ego Support Teenagers have personalities or self-image. They have the need and also the expectation of support, encouragement, motivation and the feedback that helps teenagers to maintain impression o themselves as competent, attractive and worthwhile individual provided by their peers. . Social Comparison. Teenagers needs the information about where they stand face-to-face others and whether they are doing is okay. In this they will be inform socially by their peers from others that are surrounding them. 6. Intimacy/Affection Teenagers are not only about the companionship. They also need the warm, closeness, understanding, trusting with another individual, relation ship that involves self disclosure. This intimacy or affection is provided by peers. E. Effects of Peer Pressure 1. Positive Effects (Figure 1. 10) Peers studying together Peer pressure is not always a bad thing. It can help teenagers analyze their selves and reflect on their ways of life. Some of the practices that the masses follow may actually teach them in their ways of life. They may be able to change their selves for the better. Looking at what others do, can help them bring about a positive change in their way of thinking. If they pick selectively, peer pressure can actually result in a positive way which may change their way of life. Knowing what others follow exposes them to the world outside their home. They would be able to understand the things that are going around them. They are exposed to wide varieties in human behavior. Exposure or the experience of peer pressure gives them the chance to choose the best from what the others do. (Figure 1. 11) Peers socializing If only teenagers would be fortunate to get a good peer group, their peers can play a vital role in shaping their personality. Others’ way of looking at life may influence them to change for betterment. Some of their peers are their close friends, who do not pressurize them to do things that you wouldn’t want to but instead inspire them into changing their selves. Their peer group may actually persuade or influence them to bring about a constructive change in their personalities. Peer pressure can lead them to make the right choices in life but it would be their decision to make. Peer pressure may result in improvement in their academics. Like improving in their grades, this is the result of being pressured by their peers because they were determined to get good grades so they were all influence by it. It can also improve teenagers’ confidence. If teenagers have chosen a peer group that has all the confidence there is no way that they wouldn’t be influence by it. They would also be confident and be positive in doing a lot of things. Peer pressure may also result in to trying more things or getting involved at school. They would join their peers in getting involved with different activities in school. Peer pressure does not only have effects outside home. It can also help relationships, result in more time with the family and improve communication. In helping relationships, they may be thinking that their family might be the only one like that but as soon as they meet others who as well have families they would realize that they are not the only ones who have that kind of family and they would be understand the different situations about their family. If only people think for awhile they would realize that peer pressure has so many positive effects on them. They might just not notice it. The pressure to respect the property of others, being in a peer even though there is already the closeness of each other there are still limits to it. The pressure to join in a service group, if one joins then the others joins too. The pressure to get into college, of course there would be a time when a teenager would think that he would just want to take a break from studying and don’t go to college. But because of the pressure of others going to college and he would be left by them he would just follow them and enter college. Of course there are always rules in schools or in different groups and because of the fear of one in going against the rules would influence or pressure others and would result to following the rules. Being quiet during exams or not cheating, others might think that just because friends help one another. It doesn’t mean that it would also apply during their exams. There are still rules that should be followed and doing what is right. 2. Negative Effects (Figure 1. 12) Negative Effects of Peer pressure When teenagers do not like a particular idea or when they have no inclination towards a particular field, it is too obvious that they won’t like to go by it. For sure, they won’t like to go that way. But it is their peer group, which may force them on doing something that you do not like or hate. In such situations, there are chances that they won’t do well in those things. Things they do not enjoy doing cannot bring them success. They cannot appear successful in something that they have never liked doing. Maybe there would be a chance that the result would be good but how can it be good if they are not really willing to do it. Meaning they aren’t giving any efforts in doing it so how would it result well? So, it is important that they do not lose happiness of their life succumbing to peer pressure. Many a time, it so happens, those teenagers are forced to lead certain kind of lifestyle due to peer pressure. They may not like partying on every weekend, they may not like night outs with friends, and they may hate drinking and smoking. But peer pressure may make them do all that they had never wished to do or even experience. There are many teenagers who experience great pressure from their peer group that forces them to take to drinking. They may take to something as grave drug use, and that too, only because of peer pressure. In such cases, being overly pressurized by their peers can be detrimental to their living. Some teenagers literally spoil their lives by giving in to peer pressure. (Figure 1. 13) A teenager being force to try smoking by his peer. Peer pressure can lead to a loss of individuality, Extreme peer pressure may lead them to follow what their peers feel right. Peer pressure may compel them to go to by everything they think right. They tend to blindly imitate the masses. They adopt their taste of fashion, clothing, hair, music, craze, fad and general living. Peer pressure can actually lead them to lose their taste of life and force themselves to begin liking what they like. Peer pressure is the human tendency to join the bandwagon, in which, the person loses his/her original way of looking at life. Cool friends teach them where they should belong. They are being forced to do acts, like smoking, drinking, wild dancing, tattooing, drugs, premarital sex, loose conduct and carefree living, which internally, they would not want to do. But for the sake of the â€Å"group†, they follow the trend. They are just doing it because they want to belong. Be warned, these friends are fake. They just want to include them because they simple want to hang aound and shout to the world how cool they are. They let the need to belong overcome common sense and good judgment. And teenagers as devoted followers are vulnerable to the possible influences because they deny what may go wrong. They are fooling themselves into believing that they really want to do and act the way they do. In other words, they are abandoning their selves and putting down their own self-esteem. True, loyalty is a deep commitment when it comes to friends. But if they will let their loyalty get in their way it will ruin them for worse, they will fall entirely for nothing. F. How to deal with peer pressure Before dealing with peer pressure first try to recognize if it’s bad or good. In choosing what to do, they need to take charge here. First they need to stop and think. They should ask themselves these questions first: * Could this be trouble? Will it break the law? Will it break the school or home rules? * Will people in authority be angry with me or disappointed with me? * Will someone be hurt their body or their feelings? * Will I be safe? * Do I feel good about this? If it is determined that it is a bad peer pressure, one way of dealing with it is learning to say no. * Just say No! Keep on saying it. * Leave, so that you cant be persuaded. * Pretend you havent heard and walk away. * Make an excuse. Cant stop now, got to go.. * Talk about something else that they are interested in and dont let them change the subject. * Laugh. I thought you said†¦ Youve got to be joking! Then change the subject or leave still laughing. * Laugh. I thought you said†¦ Youve got to be joking! Then change the subject or leave still laughing. * Pretend to be shocked or amazed. Have a better idea. * Give friendly advice: That could be a dumb thing to do. Whose idea was it? Youre too smart to get into that. * Say, Im not doing this because Im your friend and I dont want to see you get into trouble. * Say, Thats a bit unkind. How would you feel if someone did [said] that to you? * Say, Everybodys different, even you. * Say, Youre entitled to your opinion , Im entitled to mine. SUMMARY Majority of teenagers experience peer pressure. Peer pressure is the feeling that someone your own age is pushing you toward making a choice which may be good or bad. Mostly people think that peer pressure is a bad thing but one thing that they don’t know is that peer pressure can also be a good thing. Peer pressure is good when it affects a person in a good way but when the result of peer pressure already harms the person it is already bad. There are two kinds of bad peer pressure and those are direct or spoken and indirect or unspoken. Peer pressure obviously is cause by peers or peer groups. Peers are persons or group people who are about the same age group and also close to one another. Peers are powerful forces in the life of a teenager. Peers also have different statuses. Peer groups are most likely the same with peers but the only difference is if peers have statuses peer groups have different kinds of cliques and crowds. Even though sometimes peers or peer groups can cause negative peer pressure they still have the importance in the life of teenagers. The companionship, stimulation, physical support, ego support, social comparison and intimacy or affection which are coming from peers or peer groups. If peer pressure can be good or bad of course its effect will also be negative or positive. It will just depend on how teenagers make their decision or how will they let peer pressure affect them. Peer pressure results into positive peer pressure when teenagers have chosen the right people that they want to experience their life while they are on their youth. When they have chosen the right people they would surely be pressured to do the right things but if in some cases if teenagers have chosen the wrong people they are just making their life turn worse and let their life fall. If they determined that the peer pressure that they are experiencing will result to something bad that will harm them, there’s a way in trying to avoid it. And that way is learning to say no to others. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSION A. Respondent’s Profile The researcher conducted a survey having 100 college students that have been in a peer group and might have experienced peer pressure. The total number of the respondents is 100. 22 out of the 100 respondents are males. 18 out of 22 are around the age of 16 to 17 years old, while 4 out of 22 are around the age of 18 to 19 years old. There are 78 out of the 100 female respondents. 72 out of 78 are around the age of 16 to 17 years old while 5 out of 78 are around the ahe of 18 to 19 years old and 1 out of 78 is at the age of 20 and above. B. Findings Q. 1 Have you ever been in a peer group? Gender| Yes| Percentage| No| Percentage| Total| Male| 22| 100| 0| 0| 22| Female| 78| 100| 0| 0| 78| Total| 100%| 100| 0| 0| 100| 100 % of both male and female respondents have been in a peer group. Q. 2 Have you ever experience peer pressure? Gender| Yes| Percentage| No| Percentage| Total| Male| 21| 95| 1| 5| 22| Female| 67| 86| 11| 14| 78| Total| 88| 88| 12| 12| 100| 21 out of the 22 male respondents answered that they have experienced peer pressure and only 1 out of 22 answered he hasn’t. 7 out of the female respondents answered they have experienced peer pressure and 11 out of 78 answered they haven’t. Q. 3 Have you ever been pressured to do something that you know is bad? Gender| Yes| Percentage| No| Percentage| Total| Male| 10| 45| 12| 55| 22| Female| 43| 55| 35| 45| 78| Total| 53| 53| 47| 47| 100| 45% of the male respondents answered that they have been pressured to do something bad while 55% answered they haven ’t. 55% of the female respondents answered they have been pressured to do something bad while 45% answered they haven’t. Q. Have you ever lied of liking something just because your friends like it? Gender| Yes| Percentage| No| Percentage| Total| Male| 13| 59| 9| 41| 22| Female| 41| 53| 37| 47| 78| Total| 54| 54| 46| 46| 100| 59 % of the male respondents and 53 % of the female respondents answered that they have lied in liking something just because their friends like it while 41 % of the male respondents and 47 % of the female respondents answered that they haven’t. Q. 5 Have you ever lied to your parents because your friends told you so? Gender| Yes| Percentage| No| Percentage| Total| Male| 7| 32| 15| 68| 22| Female| 31| 40| 47| 60| 78| Total| 38| 38| 62| 62| 100| 32 % of male respondents and 40 % of female respondents answered that they lied to their parents because their peers or friends told them so while 68 % and 60 % of the male and female respondents, respectively answered they haven’t. Q. 6 Do you think that you were influenced by peer pressure? Gender| Yes| Percentage| No| Percentage| Total| Male| 16| 73| 6| 27| 22| Female| 52| 67| 26| 33| 78| Total| 68| 68| 32| 32| 100| 73 % of the male respondents and 63 % of the female respondents said that they were influenced by peer pressure while 27 % of the male respondents and 3 % of the female respondents said they weren’t. Q. 7 If you answered Yes in Q. 6, How do you feel it affected you? Gender| In a positive way| Percen-tage| In a negative way| Percen-tage| Both, depends on the situation| Percen-tage| total| Male| 2| 13| 1| 6| 13| 81| 16| Female| 5| 9. 6| 2| 3. 9| 45| 86. 5| 52| Total| 7| 10. 3| 3| 4. 4| 58| 85. 3| 68| Among the respondents who ans wered yes in question no. 6, 13 % of the male respondents and 9. 6 % of the female respondents answered that they were influenced and affected in a positive way. 6 % of the male respondents and 3. % of the female respondents answered they were affected in a negative way while 81 % of the male and 86. 5 % of the female respondents answered that they were affected in both ways depending on the situation. Q. 8 Do you think peer pressure is a good thing? Gender| Yes| Percentage| No| Percentage| Both, good and bad| Percentage| Total| Male| 0| 0| 7| 32| 15| 68| 22| Female| 3| 4| 6| 8| 69| 88| 78| Total| 3| 3| 13| 13| 84| 84| 100| 0 out of 22 male respondents and 3 out of 78 female respondents answered that they think peer pressure is a good thing. out of 22 male and 6 out of 78 female respondents answered that peer pressure is not a good thing while 15 out of 22 male and 69 out of 78 female respondents answered that peer pressure can be sometimes good and bad. ng? Q. 9 Looking back, are t here choices you made that you don’t think you would have, if you weren’t pressured into them? Gender| Yes| Percentage| No| Percentage| Total| Male| 11| 30| 11| 30| 22| Female| 53| 68| 25| 32| 78| Total| 64| 64| 36| 36| 100| 50 % of the male and 68 % of the female respondents answered that they have been pressured in making some of their choices 50 % of the male and 32 % of he female respondents answered they weren’t. C. Conclusion 1. Basing on the findings all of the respondents both male and female have been in a peer group and majority of them have experience peer pressure that is 88 % of the respondents. 2. The male respondents have been pressure to do something that is bad less than the female respondents. They said that male respondents avoid doing everything that their peers tell them to do. 3. In pretending or lying about liking something just because their friends or peers said they like it. Majority of both male and female answered yes. They said that it is because they don’t want to upset their friends into not liking it and also pressured in liking it. 4. In lying to parent just because their friends told them so majority answered no. But even though majority of them answered no there are still others who answered yes and they reasoned that it’s because they were pressured into it and they just do it in a situation where they really need to. 5. In answering the question whether they were influenced by peer pressure majority of them answered yes. And after they answered yes they were questioned in what way they were affected. Again majority of them answered that they were affected in both negative and positive way depending on the situation. 6. 84 % of both male and female answered that peer pressure can be both good and bad while 13 % said that it is bad and only 3 percent that it is good. They said that peer pressure cannot be only bad or cannot only be good. There are times that it really depends on the situation they are in. 7. On the last question they were asked if some of their answers were pressured or influence to them. In male respondents the results were the same, it was 11 %. While in female 68 % of them answered yes. They said it because in some way they want to have the same answer as others. This reason may give the idea that it’s because of peer pressure. RECOMMENDATION The researcher has finished conducting and presenting the findings and conclusion. The researcher would like to share the following recommendations to teenagers: * Teenager should remember that in entering the adolescence they should be ready because this is the common point in time where they might experience excessive peer pressure. * Teenagers hould remember that in having peers they should choose the right ones. Because if there’s a case where they have chosen the wrong people as their peers the result might just harm them or would be bad for them. * Teenagers should be aware if their friends are putting peer pressures to them. But they should not be confident if they can determine if they are experiencing pressure. They should also be aware if the peer pressure that they are experiencing is a good one or a bad one. * Whether the peer pressure is good or bad, teenagers are the ones making the decision. If they want peer pressure to influence them it’s them who have decided to let it affect them. * If they don’t want to be influence by peer pressure there is a way to avoid them and that is by saying â€Å"NO†. GLOSSARY 1. Cliques. A group which is small and exclusive consisting people who share interests, views, purposes, patterns of behavior, or ethnicity. 2. Craze. A style or fashion which is popular for a brief period of time. 3. Crowd. A group of people according to their status. 4. Deviant. A person that differs from a norm, especially a person whose behavior and attitudes differ from accepted social standards. . Fad. A fashion that is taken up with great enthusiasm by a group. 6. Gang. A group of people who are band together, especially a group of delinquents. 7. Norm. A pattern for an organization especially in the way of behaving. 8. Groupthink. The act or practice of reasoning or decision making by a band or an organization. 9. Loner. A person who avoid s the company of others. 10. Outcast. A person that has been ejected or excluded from a society. 11. Peer. A member of a group of people of the same age, ability, etc. 12. Peer Group. A social organization consisting of people of the same age, status, ability, etc. 13. Pressure. An act to strongly persuade someone to do something they do not want to do. 14. Racism. A behavior that is discrimination or prejudice. 15. Rebel. An act to resist or to fight against something that they don’t like. 16. Roles. The characteristic and expected social behavior of an individual. 17. Self-identity. The awareness of and identification with oneself as a separate individual. 18. Socialite. A person who is or seeks to be prominent in fashionable society. 19. Trends. A style which is current or latest. 20. Values. Beliefs of a person or social group in which they have an emotional investment, either for or against something. BIBLIOGRAPHY Acero,Victorina O. , Javier, Evelyn S. , Castro, Herminia O. â€Å"Adolescence Stage†. Human Growth, Development and Learning. First Edition, Rex Book Store, Manila: Philippines, 2004. Brown, Bardford. â€Å"Adolescent Relationships with Peers†. Handbook of Adolescent Psychology. Second Edition, Skeinkopff, New York: United States of America, 2004. Fong, Dr. David. â€Å"Who’s Afraid of the Evil Dead? †. Surviving Teenagers. Geddes Grosset, New Lanark: Scotland, 2007. King, Jenny. â€Å"My Friends†. Teenager Life. Wordline Books, Manila: Philippines, 2002. Morris, Charles C. , Maisto, Albert A. â€Å"Relationship with Peers†. Understanding Psychology. Fourth Edition, Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River: New Jersey, 1996. Nairne, James S. â€Å"Group Conformity†. Psychology: The Adaptive Mind. Second Edition, Wadsworth, California: United States of America, 2000. Santrock, John W. â€Å"Exploring Peer Relations†. Adolescence. Tenth Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York: United States of America, 2005. Sferra, Adam, Rice, Louis A. Wright, Mary Elizabeth. â€Å"Group Activities†. Personality and Human Relations. Second Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York: United States of America, 1961. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/peer_pressure http://www. buzzle. com/articles/negative-and-positive-effects-of-peer-pressure. html http://www. thecoolspot. gov/peer_pressure3. asp http://candymag. com/m agazine/features/how-to-deal-with-peer-pressure http://sitemaker. umich. edu/356. tran/true_clique APPENDICES Appendix â€Å"A† Sample Questionnaire Appendix â€Å"B† Sample of Answered Questionnaire Appendix â€Å"C† The Respondents

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Essays

The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Essays The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Paper The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster Paper Essay Topic: Invisible Monsters â€Å"In the beginning there was the Word, and the Word was ‘Arrrgh! ’†. These famous lines taken from Piraticus 13:7 are the first words you will see in the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Many do not know what exactly Pastafarianism is, and so I am here to spread the Word! Pastafarians stand for all that is good, and are against all that is bad. What more could someone ask for? The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, while having existed in secrecy for millions of years only recently came into the mainstream in May of 2005. But what do they stand for, and what exactly are their beliefs? In May of 2005, an open letter to the Kansas School Board from concerned citizen Bobby Henderson sparked the mass intro of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster into our society. Some claimed that the church is purely a thought experiment, satire, illustrating that Intelligent Design is not science, but rather a pseudoscience manufactured by Christians to push Creationism into public schools. But Bobby knew better, and wrote his letter to express his concern. In the words of Bobby Henderson himself, â€Å"With millions, if not thousands, of devout worshippers, the Church of the FSM is widely considered a legitimate religion, even by its opponents – mostly fundamentalist Christians, who have accepted that our God has larger balls than theirs. † A lot of people can’t bring themselves to understand this religion. Before I delve farther into what exactly this religion is, I would like to share what they consider the basic beliefs that they all share. By design, the only dogma allowed in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster is that there is no dogma allowed. There are absolutely no strict rules and regulations, there are no written rituals and prayers that must be abided by, and every single member gets a say in what the Church is and what it becomes. Due to this, the religion is actually quite difficult to clearly define what the religion is. According to them, they have a set of general beliefs that are as follows. First, they believe that pirates, the original pastafarians, were simply peaceful explorers and that due to Christian misinformation, they received an outlook of outcast criminals. To them, this is completely untrue. Next, they are extremely fond of beer and other alcoholic beverages. To them, this is basically the equivalent of holy water. Every single Friday is a religious holiday and is to be treated as such. Another belief is that they should never take themselves too seriously. This religion wasn’t founded by a group of â€Å"uptight† individuals. Finally, they embrace contradictions. These aforementioned aspects are considered the core beliefs of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The central belief is that an invisible and undetectable Flying Spaghetti Monster created the  universe  after drinking heavily. According to these beliefs, the Monsters intoxication was the cause for a flawed  Earth. Furthermore, according to Pastafarianism, all evidence for evolution was planted by the Flying Spaghetti Monster in an effort to test Pastafarians faith- parodying certain  biblical literalists. When scientific measurements such as  radiocarbon dating  are taken, the Flying Spaghetti Monster is there changing the results with His Noodly Appendage. The Pastafarian conception of  Heaven  includes a  beer  volcano and a  stripper  factory. The Pastafarian  Hell  is similar, except that the beer is stale and the strippers have  sexually transmitted diseases. According to Pastafarian beliefs,  pirates  are absolute divine beings and the original Pastafarians. Furthermore, Pastafarians believe that pirates image as thieves and outcasts is misinformation spread by Christian theologians in the  Middle Ages  and by  Hare Krishna’s. Instead, Pastafarians believe that they were peace-loving explorers and spreaders of good will who distributed candy to small children, adding that modern pirates are in no way similar to the fun-loving buccaneers from history. In addition, Pastafarians believe that ghost pirates are responsible for all of the mysteriously lost ships and planes of the  Bermuda Triangle. Pastafarians celebrate  International Talk like a Pirate Day on September 19th. The inclusion of pirates in Pastafarianism was part of Hendersons original letter to the Kansas State Board of Education, in an effort to illustrate that†correlation does not imply causation†. Henderson presented the argument that global warming, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters  are a direct effect of the shrinking numbers of pirates since the 1800s.   A chart accompanying the letter shows that as the number of pirates decreased, global temperatures increased. This parodies the suggestion from some religious groups that the high numbers of disasters, famines and wars in the world is due to the lack of respect and worship towards their deity. In 2008, Henderson interpreted the growing pirate activities at the  Gulf of Ade n  as additional support, pointing out that  Somalia  has the highest number of pirates and  the lowest  carbon emissions  of any country. There are 7 occurrences of celebration within the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. The first is Pastover, in which pastafarians around the world are encouraged to eat copious amounts of pasta which is cooked â€Å"in his image† by family members dressed as pirates. A common practice on this day is the passing of the eye patch, in which each family member takes turn wearing the eye patch and explains why he/she is happy to have been â€Å"touched by his noodly appendages†. Next is Ramendan, in which pastafarians are encouraged to eat only ramen noodles and remember their times of eating quality pasta. Then there’s Halloween, a time of remembrance of when Pirates walked the earth freely. A little known fact is that pirates were well known for passing out candy on this day but the practice dwindled as they became more and more persecuted. Next, on September 19th, is International Talk like a Pirate Day, in which pastafarians everywhere are encouraged to return to their pirate ancestor’s native tongue. Another important holiday is Friday. Every Friday, to be exact, is a holiday to the Pastafarians. On this day, they are to pay homage to their beer volcanoes and stripper factories. Finally is Holiday, which basically covers all the commercial holidays. To be a world religion, there are seven things that generally must be met. The first is the experiential aspect in which you look at what that started it all. Although the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has existed for â€Å"millions, if not thousands† of years, the main point that brought it into the mainstream was Bobby Henderson’s letter to the Kansas School Board expressing his concern about their denial of his alternative theory. From that point on, Pastafarianism exploded into the mainstream, and since then it has only expanded and grown. In fact, according to them, you don’t even have to actually believe in the FSM to be a member. In their own words, â€Å"For the same reason that many in other religions don’t literally believe their scripture, you can be a Pastafarian without being a True Believer of our scripture. In other words, do you know Christians who don’t take the Bible literally – but who consider themselves True Christians, nonetheless? So do I. In fact, True Belief is not often a requirement of religion. Most religions are comprised of a group of people with similar – but not exact – world views. Pastafarianism is no different in that regard. † Next is the aspect involving myth. Here, we examine the storied that aren’t necessarily true scientifically, but convey important truths about life. One example of this is the FSM story of creationism. The story begins with the creation of the universe by an invisible and undetectable Flying Spaghetti Monster. On the first day, the Flying Spaghetti Monster separated the water from the heavens; on the second, because He could not tread water for long and had grown tired of flying, He created the land- complemented by a beer volcano. Satisfied, the Flying Spaghetti Monster overindulged in beer from the beer volcano and woke up hung over. Between drunken nights and clumsy afternoons, the Flying Spaghetti Monster produced seas and land for a second time, accidentally, because he forgot that he created it the day before along with Heaven and a midget, which he named Man. Man and an equally short woman lived happily in the Olive Garden of Eden for some time until the Flying Spaghetti Monster caused a global flood in a cooking accident. This gives us a clear and understandable way to interpret how something as large as the Earth was made. Next is Doctrinal, which involve creeds, gospels, and things of that nature. One way in which the Church of the FSM meets this standard is in its adaptation of the 10 commandments. This gives the pastafarians a clear list of things to do in order to get into Heaven. The story goes that Captain Mosey ascended Mount Salsa and received 10 pieces of advice from the Flying Spaghetti Monster. These pieces of advice are contained in the book known as â€Å"The Eight ‘I’d Really Rather You Didn’ts. † The reason there are only eight is due to the fact that on the way back down from Mount Salsa, Captain Mosey ropped two of them. This event partly accounts for Pastafarians flimsy moral standards. The Flying Spaghetti Monsters commandments address worship of Him, the treatment of people of other faiths, sexual conduct, and nutrition. The fourth aspect is ethical. In this, we examine what the religion says is good or bad. Here, we can again look at the wonderful story of Captain Mosey. Again referring to the â€Å"Eight I’d Really Rather You Didn’ts†, we can get a better picture of their moral code. The first says that they are not to â€Å"act like sanctimonious holier-than-thou people when talking about His Holy Goodness. He goes on to say that if someone doesn’t believe in Him, it is okay. The second says not to use His Noodly Goodness as a means to oppress others. In His words, â€Å"Purity is for drinking water, not people†. Third, he talks about not judging people for the way they look, talk, dress, or choose to live their life. If they want to engage in homosexual relations, let them. â€Å"One is not better than the other, unless were talking about fashion and Im sorry, but I gave that to women and some guys who know the difference between teal and fuchsia. I am not going to go over all eight of them in this paper, but the point is that they do indeed have a set of commandments much like another well-known religion. Next is ritual, in which we look at the varying rituals involved in the Church of the FSM. Actually, there are no mandatory religions involved in the Church of the FSM. However, there are rituals that are encouraged to be practiced during events such as holidays. One o f which I mentioned earlier, in which the passing of the eye patch takes place. Here, each member of the family takes turns wearing the holy eye patch and sharing why he or she is blessed to have been touched by His Noodly Appendages. The fifth aspect is the social aspect. Here, we look at the communities involved within the religion. The Church of the FSM does not have a set, established church anywhere. Instead, they believe that the Earth is their â€Å"church† and that wherever they happen to meet is okay with them, as many of them are â€Å"too lazy to be bothered to get up at seven in the morning and go to some building to be told what to believe†. They do however hold things uch as parades in order to unite together as â€Å"one under His Noodly Appendages†. Finally, there is the material aspect. In the Church of the FSM, one of the Eight I’d Really Rather You Didn’ts is that they are not to spend billions of dollars erecting statues, cathedrals, and other items of worship when the money could go to â€Å"stopping world hunger, healing the sick, helping the homeless, and lowering the cost of cable. † However, there are many pieces of art created by a slew of talented ten year olds that serve to allow His Noodly Appendages to continue to touch those around us for millions of years to come. As we can see, this religion has actually had a huge impact on our society since it went mainstream in 2005. People all over the world are changing to better serve his Holy Goodness and help those around them. If you look at the Church as a whole, not one death has occurred due to it, and â€Å"certainly no wars and slaughters were caused by it, much like another religion†. The FSM has allowed us to take a step back and look at what we believe in, and determine what actually makes sense. By creating a religion completely based off of one guy’s imagination and determination for people to open their eyes and look at what they preach, the Church of the FSM has helped many to become better people, and it will continue to do so throughout the years as more and more people become aware of his Noodly Goodness. 1. www. venganza. org. 2. The Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Author: Bobby Henderson Published: 2005. 3. http://politics. gather. com/viewArticle. action? articleId=281474976877085 4. http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/The_Gospel_of_the_Flying_Spaghetti_Monster#Pastafarian_Creation_Myth