Introspection in A Complicated Kindness and The Catcher in...

Miriam Toews’ A Complicated Kindness and J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye are two novels in which characters reflect on their attitudes and experiences as a source of emotional growth and maturity. Salinger and Toews show the importance of this reflection through the evolution of their characters’ – Holden Caulfield and Nomi Nickel – similar attitudes towards their schools, communities, and lives. Though Nomi and Holden both do poorly in school for various reasons, Nomi overcomes her obstacles by working to identify the source of them. Both characters also resent their communities because of the hypocrisy found within them. However, Nomi manages to find good within the East Village through self-reflection, while Holden completely†¦show more content†¦Though Nomi escapes these negative feelings using drugs and her imagination, she expresses to her guidance counsellor that she feels a need to change her views on the educational system a nd learn to love it. The novel’s convoluted plotline does not show step-by-step, how Nomi goes about changing her attitudes. However, Nomi engaging her environment in deeper thought is evidenced in her coming to realize that she does poorly in school because she is: â€Å"already anticipating failure.†(Toews 2) With this new insight, Nomi writes her story as an assignment for submission to Mr. Quiring as an attempt to gain his approval and achieve academic success. A disparate situation is presented to readers in The Catcher in the Rye. Early in the novel, Holden expresses the reason for his difficulties in school as his being: â€Å"always surrounded by phonies.†(Salinger 13) Holden is correct; he is completely incapable of relating to his peers. However he takes no time to consider potential solutions to his problem. During his conversation with Mr. Spencer, Holden communicates that he deals with his troubles by simply quitting; putting minimal effort into academics and socialization. Since Holden never addresses his emotions directly, he fails to realize

10 Effects of Smoking in Health Free Essays

10 Effects of Smoking in Health Are you aware about effects of smoking habit? Scientific studies reveal that smoking causes short-term as well as long-term effects on health. American Lung Association says smoking affects around 9 million people in U. S alone, and it causes the death of approximately 450,000 individuals per year. We will write a custom essay sample on 10 Effects of Smoking in Health or any similar topic only for you Order Now Cancer is a common serious threat of smoking. It also causes several aesthetic problems, cardiovascular problems, respiratory problems and reproductive health problems. This article discusses about various negative effects of smoking. 1. Respiratory Health Effects – Tobacco contains several toxic substances that damage our lungs and other respiratory organ while inhaling. It seriously affects larynx and trachea which in turn result in the permanent killing of lungs. Long-term smoking causes harsh side effects like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, lung cancer, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. 2. Cardiovascular Health Effects – Smoking causes the narrowing of blood vessels and arteries by depositing several toxic substances. This affects their normal functioning, and causes high blood pressure. Prolonged smoking gradually leads to nerve problems blood clots, which may result in heart attacks or strokes. 3. Vision Health Effects – Smoking causes vision problems like macular degeneration and cataracts. Researches show that long-term smoking causes incurable vision problems that may even result in blindness. 4. Reproductive Health Effects – Smoking causes less production of estrogen  hormone that is linked to infertility in women. Premature birth, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), under weight problems, and early menopause are common reproductive effects in women. Long-term smoking causes impotency in men. 5. Skin Health Effects – Premature aging, yellowish skin and wrinkles are commonly found side effects of smoking. Skin damage is directly linked to smoking since it restricts the adequate blood flow in skin. Majority of addicted smokers lose their appetite and reduce the intake of food. Inadequate nutrition and food habits result in serious health effects on skin. 6. Psychological Effects – smoking has addictive side effects since it contains Nicotine. Majority of smokers believe that smoking makes them feel relief. However, truth is that smoking causes several addictive problems, which may result in depression and anxiety. 7. Digestion Problems – Smoking causes heartburn problems, liver damage, reduced appetite, crohn’s disease and ulcers. Long-term smoking results in the damage of esophagus, and that causes acid reflux heart-burn problems. Crohn’s disease is a severe intestine disease that causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, etc. 8. Respiratory Alignments – Health and Human Services of U. S reveals that smokers are more prone to respiratory alignments like flu, pneumonia, cold, bronchitis, etc. They also take longer recovery time compared to normal persons. 9. Athletic Performance Issues – Smoking affects the physical fitness of an individual. Long-term smokers are more prone to injuries and accidents. Smokers have reduced capacity to generate sufficient muscle cell collagen to generate muscles. 10. Other Effects – Smoking causes awful body odor and bad breath as well. Since smokers have reduced smell sense, they may not consider it as an issue. There are about 5 million people in the world die in each year from the effects of smoking. Smoking is an unnecessary health hazard that causes serious effects. Quitting this habit is not easy. However, when you quit smoking you not only save your health but also our environment! How to cite 10 Effects of Smoking in Health, Essay examples

Diversity in the Workplace Of Breaking the Glass Ceiling †Free Sample

Question: Discuss about the Diversity in the Workplace Of Breaking the Glass Ceiling. Answer: Introduction Human resource management plays a crucial role in the success of any organization. Managing human resources effectively involves efficient recruitment of employees, fair compensation of these employees, managing employee performance, managing diversity in the business and ensuring employee satisfaction (Hendry, 2012). Workplace diversity refers to a variety of different people that work together in the same organization. This diversity encompasses gender, ethnic group, age, personality and even educational background. Diversity in a workplace is leading issue that has been gaining importance lately. This is because organizations are recognizing the need for diversity among human resources of an organization (Madsen Nielsen, 2017). Increasing globalization has created a free flow of human resources from one part of the world to another. However, this flow of employees comes at an expense. This report throws light on various advantages associated with a diversified workforce in an organization. At the same time, there are various challenges that managers face while ensuring effectiveness of a diverse team. Strategies to ensure competent coordination within a team and overcoming problems of a diverse workforce have also been highlighted in this report. Why diversity There are various reasons behind organizations shifting focus towards enhancing diversity in the workplace. A diverse workforce has been known to deliver better results and demonstrate improved performance in the longer run (Barak, 2016). Various advantages associated with a diverse workforce are as below: Exposure Working with people coming from different cultural and educational backgrounds gives employees an exposure to the other culture. This exposure enhances their growth as an employee and helps them widen their horizons (Hunt, Layton Prince, 2015). In the current scenario of increasing globalization, this exposure plays a vital role in helping employees break geographical barriers and work in different parts of the world. Learning When a diverse workforce comes together, every employee learns something from the other. This is because people coming from different backgrounds have varied working styles. This includes different leadership styles, communication styles and conflict resolution styles. Working with different people therefore involves improved learning of employees and in turn enhances the entire team performance. Organization branding A diverse workforce also positively impacts the organizations positioning in the minds of its stakeholders. It depicts that the organization supports equality in unemployment and has a wider presence in the market. Such a workplace atmosphere reflects positively on the organization and helps in attracting competent recruits from across the globe. Improved effectiveness When different people with varied backgrounds come together and work towards a single goal, it is likely that the effectiveness of the team would be much higher (Roberson, Ryan Ragins, 2017). The team would be able to look at the same problem from different perspectives and this in turn would widen their horizons about the same. Challenges of a diverse workforce There are various challenges associated with a diverse workforce. These challenges arise as a result of a varied group of people working together who may or may not have sufficient knowledge about each other. The problems associated or the challenges faced by employees working in a diverse team are as below: Lack of Coordination The first major issue associated with a diverse team is that employees feel a lack of coordination among each other since they come from different backgrounds. Every employee has a different style of work and it is difficult to achieve coordination among all the employees (Festing Schafer, 2014). Therefore it makes it difficult for the team to remain coordinated. Language barrier Another challenge faced by a diverse team especially including people coming from different geographical areas is that of a rather solid language barrier. This language barriers makes it difficult for people to communicate in an efficient manner leading to reduced effectiveness of the team. Language barriers also adversely impacts coordination in the group making it difficult for the team members to work together. Increased cost of training Working with a group of diverse people requires organizations to provide additional training to the employees in order to understand different cultures, different perspectives and establish common channels of communication within the team. This increases the overall cost incurred by an organization on the training of employees. Glass ceiling in the workplace Glass ceiling problem in any organization refers to the drawback faced by women or other minority groups in the workplace which slows their growth in the organizational system. These barriers to growth are often unacknowledged. The major reason behind these barriers are an implicit prejudice on the basis of age, ethnicity, caste, sex or religion (Cook Glass, 2014). Inequality in the workplace is illegal but is often practiced in most organizations across the globe. This inequality may be experienced through a genuine lack of growth opportunities within the firm. These obstacles hamper growth and act as a driver for demotivation among grieved employees. There are various organizations that create a clear distinction between men and women despite having similar qualifications (Lynch, 2017). There are various ways in which glass ceiling can manifest in the workplace. Some of these ways are as listed below: Sexual harassment Harassing women verbally or physically are both approaches to creating a glass ceiling. Organizational policies must include sexual harassment as a zero tolerant practice in the business. Cultural jokes Cultural jokes cracked in an organizational setting with an intention to insult or make fun of any minority group working in the organization is an evident way of manifesting the glass ceiling in the business. Lack of sensitivity Glass ceiling can also be created by demonstrating a lack of sensitivity towards women or any minority group in the business (Ezzedeen, Budworth Baker, 2015). This insensitivity can be reflected in the form of not giving flexibility of work during a womens menstrual cycle or allowing her enough time to take care of a family. Prejudice Prejudice can be seen in workplaces when men with similar qualifications as women are promoted faster than women. This can be seen in any industry including hospitality, manufacturing or even medicine. Resistance to women leadership Certain organizations show a resistance towards giving a leadership role to women. This could be because thetop management believes that a women is incapable of a leadership role or they believe that other employees would demonstrate resistance in working beneath a female leader. Either way this resistance is a glass ceiling which is observed in many organizations. Breaking the glass ceiling Despite the fact that we continue to talk about gender equality and equal rights to both men and women, it is disappointing that our glass ceilings still remain rock solid. In 2016, only 16.3% of leadership roles were held by women. Globally, in 2015, women earned 77% of what men earned. These statistics are a reflection of the inequality and the prejudice that a women is encountered with on a regular basis. Breaking the glass ceiling is the need of the hour and it is imperative that this generation of working class puts efforts in ensuring an equal working environment for both men and women (Betrand Black, 2015). Creating an atmosphere of support Themanagement of the organization must instil policies that allow women to flexibly cater to their responsibilities at home and at work place. Lead by example The value system held by the topmanagement of the organization flows to the bottom. It is therefore important that the leaders of the business lead by example and put efforts in breaking the glass ceiling by creating an atmosphere of equal rights and opportunities of growth. Take a stand Besides the efforts put in my the seniors of the business, women and other minorities of the organization who are directly affected by the glass ceiling must also put efforts in ensuring that they take a strong stand for breaking the glass ceiling (Newman, 2016). They must voice their opinion, demonstrate their hard work, build a strong network and establish open channels of communication in order to do their bit in fighting for their rights in the business. Recommendations for building a diverse organization Inclusivity Inclusivity of an organization is the degree to which the organization is open to anyone who can perform the job regardless of differences in their race, age, gender or sexual orientation. Organizations must work towards become more inclusive by enhancing pluralism and integration of people (Luthans Doh, 2018). Organizations must also focus on eradicating prejudice and discrimination from the very core in the workplace. Affirmative action This action involves hiring a diverse workforce, creating an atmosphere of equality and taking strict actions against those who are creating a glass ceiling within the business. Valuing diversity Organizations must value diversity by conducting training sessions and enhancing employee knowledge about different cultures. Managing diversity This is a comprehensive approach which requires organizations to create an environment where diversity is respected and everyone is given an equal opportunity of growth and development. 360 degree Feedback and open communication Diversity can also be maintained in the organization by creating a 360 degree feedback system where every employee is provided a feedback from his or her peers, seniors as well as juniors (Tee Ahmed, 2014). This would help people in addressing the issue of glass ceiling and diversity in the workplace would be maintained. Trainings Trainings must be given to employees which highlight different cultures, working styles and leadership styles of people coming from different cultures. These trainings would assist people in fostering a genuine respect and deeper understanding of each other. Conclusion Organizational diversity refers to a varied group of people coming from different parts and sections of the society in the same organization. A diverse workplace setting is highly beneficial for an organization as it reflects positively on the organization as well as provides its employees opportunity for advanced learning and growth. Creating a diverse organization is not an easy process and does not happen overnight. It requires consistent efforts in creating coordination and establishing effective communication channels within employees coming from varied backgrounds (Kumar, 2015). Despite the increasing acceptance and presence of diverse organizations, glass ceiling still continues to affect various minority groups within the business especially women. These glass ceilings are created by unethical, illegal and often unacknowledged barrier that adversely impacts the growth and advancement of these groups within the business. These glass ceilings exist because of pre-existing prejudices, lack of sensitivity and an evident resistance towards growth of these minorities. Given the advancement of globalization and an evidently increasing diversity in the organizations, it is high time that efforts are put in the right direction to break these glass ceilings. This can be achieved by respecting and valuing diversity in the workplace, adopting zero tolerance policy for inequality in the system and ensuring that women and other minorities in the workplace are given a fair platform to grow, learn and address grievances through open communication. References Barak, M. E. M. (2016).Managing diversity: Toward a globally inclusive workplace. Sage Publications. Bertrand, M. Black, S, (2015). Breaking the glass ceiling. SSRN. Chicago. Cook, A., Glass, C. (2014). Above the glass ceiling: When are women and racial/ethnic minorities promoted to CEO?Strategic Management Journal,35(7), 1080-1089. Ezzedeen, S. R., Budworth, M. H., Baker, S. D. (2015). The glass ceiling and executive careers: Still an issue for pre-career women.Journal of Career Development,42(5), 355-369. Festing, M., Schafer, L. (2014). Generational challenges to talent management: A framework for talent retention based on the psychological-contract perspective.Journal of World Business,49(2), 262-271. Hendry, C. (2012).Human resource management. Routledge. United Kingdom. Hunt, V., Layton, D., Prince, S. (2015). Diversity matters.McKinsey Company,1, 15-29. Kumar, G. K. (2015). Diversity in workplace: Benefits, challenges and solutions.International Journal of Physical and Social Sciences,5(7), 149-164. Luthans, F., Doh, J. P. (2018).International management: Culture, strategy, and behavior. McGraw-Hill. Lynch, F. R. (2017).The diversity machine: The drive to change the white male workplace. Routledge. Madsen, M. B., Nielsen, V. L. (2017). Does Gender Diversity in the Workplace Affect Job Satisfaction and Turnover Intentions?International Public Management Review,1(18), 77-115. Newman, B. J. (2016). Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Local Gender?Based Earnings Inequality and Women's Belief in the American Dream.American Journal of Political Science,60(4), 1006-1025. Roberson, Q., Ryan, A. M., Ragins, B. R. (2017). The evolution and future of diversity at work.Journal of Applied Psychology,102(3), 483. Tee, D. D., Ahmed, P. K. (2014). 360 degree feedback: an integrative framework for learning and assessment.Teaching in Higher Education,19(6), 579-591.