A Raisin in the Sun - “Success” Essay Example for Free

A Raisin in the Sun â€Å"Success† Essay Success. Webster’s dictionary defines it as â€Å"The achievement of something desired, planned, or attempted; the gaining of fame or prosperity.†Although to truly understand the meaning of success, one needs to understand the relationship between success and goals. Success can simply be accomplishing your goals, but can also have a deeper meaning, such as personal growth. In the book A Raisin in the Sun, by Lorraine Hansberry, the Younger’s, Walter and Lena especially, are portrayed as a typical African American family in the 1950’s, trying to fight the prejudices that haunt every aspect of their lives. Lorraine Hansberry takes us through the journey of the Younger’s as they attempt to accomplish their dreams and achieve success. Overall, despite the obstacles they face such as racism, sexism, and dishonesty, Walter Lee and Lena â€Å"Mamma† Younger achieve success to certain extents; Walter achieves complete personal success and Mamma is completely successful in her goal to buy a house for her children and Travis. Walter Lee Younger reaches personal success by achieving personal growth and improvement. In the beginning of this book, Walter is irresponsible and selfish which is shown through many occasions such when Mama tells Walter â€Å"Ruth is thinking ‘bout getting rid of that child.† (75) And later â€Å"Walter†¦ has obviously been drinking.† (pg. 77) Essentially, Walter learns that his wife is pregnant and thinking of getting an abortion, and being the irresponsible selfish man he was, he went out and got drunk. Additionally, we learn that Walters’s investment did not work out and Mama asks him about his sister Beneetha’s money and he says â€Å"Mama†¦ I never†¦ went to the bank at all† (pg. 129) This quote indicates how utterly conceited he really was, to throw all of his sister’s money laid out for her tuition just for his own investment. It also shows that he no longer has any self worth or pride in himself or his family, which is obviously greatly valued throughout the family. At the end he ends up losing the money, for which most people would look at him as unsuccessful, but at the end of the book, he truly does he redeem himself. On pg. 148 Walter invites Linder over and intends on forfeiting any pride left and getting on his knees to beg for money, but instead something incredible happens. His intended message was forgotten when he looks upon his son and family and a renewed sense of self worth and value possesses him as he says â€Å"We have decided to move into our house because my father- my father- has earned it for us brick by brick†¦ we don’t want to make no trouble for nobody or fight no causes, and we will try to be good neighbors.† (148) Through this one quote, Walter’s self growth is apparent as he finally stands up for his family and transitions into an honest, caring man as opposed to the selfish boy he was at the beginning of the book . As a result of this personal growth, Walter Lee Younger has attained absolute personal success. Throughout the book A Raisin in the Sun, Lena Younger, aka Mama, has been portrayed as the overbearing, but caring mother and grandmother whose main goal seems to be to buy a real house for her children and grandchild. This goal is made apparent on when she finally buys the house and says â€Å"Well- at least let me tell him something, I want him to be the first one to hear†¦ Come here, Travis.† (pg. 90) This quote shows her obvious love and fondness for her beloved grandson and later on she says â€Å"You glad about the house? It’s going to be yours when you get to be a man.† (pg. 91) These quotes clarify her dreams to move into a new house to make Travis happy and they are accomplished when after Walter’s speech, Linder questions her approval and she firmly states that â€Å"My son said we was going to move and there ain’t nothing left for me to say.† (148) Lorraine Hansberry then ends her book with the Younger’s finally leaving their apartment behind, showing that in the end, Mama did accomplish her dream and was successful in her goal of moving into a new house for her family. Throughout Lorraine Hansberry’s novel A Raisin in the Sun, Lena and Walter Lee Younger face many prejudices and obstacles in the way of accomplishing their dreams, but in the end they are successful.

Steps Towards An Ecosociety: Dealing With Air Pollution Essay -- essay

Steps Towards an Ecosociety: Dealing with Air Pollution This essay identifies and explains the problem of pollution facing humanity today. It will also propose one of the first ideas which could more effectively limit air pollution, Emission Credit Trading. This can be seen as one of the first steps in the development of an ecosociety. The notion of a viable ecosociety has created considerable problems in terms of deciding the most effective and efficient policies to be implemented. Air pollution has become one of the most serious environmental problems here at home, and throughout the rest of the world. Air pollution is also perhaps one of the more politically sensitive problems because of the numerous economic, environmental and health implications involved. A key step in the policy-making process is to define the problem to be remedied. If we can not understand the problem, how are we to know what needs to be fixed. Unfortunately, implementing policies on air pollution has the politically undesirable effect of having extensive economic consequences on all sectors of the economy. Therefore, those policies which lead to the development of an ecosociety must be aimed at having the greatest environmental impact while creating minimal economic distortions. For the purpose of this essay, pollution shall be identified as follows "...the deliberate or accidental introduction to the environment of contaminants, in the form of either wastes or products " (Bryner, 10). This essay will deal with the problem of air pollution. Air pollutants come from heavy industry, fumes from automobiles, jet planes and the like. When speaking of the automobile alone "...each gallon of gas burned releases 22 pounds of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere...the car is the single largest contributor to global warming " (Rifkin 179). Although the majority of the problem areas are in the developing world, these areas can affect the entire world. The atmosphere is not confined to borders like the land. Pollution spreads beyond the borders of any country, and as such, no one region can solve the problem alone. In some developing nations, there are areas that people and animals cannot live in for extended periods of time. One visitor to the Romanian 'black town' of Cops Mica noted that "the trees... ...eved, and the initial steps toward the ecosociety taken. Obviously this is not the ideal, having to put a price on the air we breath so as to ensure it's quality, but unfortunately it is the most viable option considering the social system in which we all live. Works Cited 1. Arnopoulos, P. Political Dimensions of an Information Society: A General Overview. Montreal: Gamma, 1982. 2. Bryner, G. ed. Global Warming and the Challenge of International Cooperation: An Interdisciplinary Assessment. Provo UT: Bringham Young University Press, 1992. 3. Gore, A. Biotechnology: Implications for Public Policy. Washington DC. : Brookings Institution, 1985. 4. Keller, E. Environmental Geology. Columbus: CE Merrill Publishing Co., 1985. 5. Mitchell, B. Canadian Resource Policies: Problems and Prospects. Toronto: Methuen, 1981. 6. Rifkin, E. Proteases and Biological Control. New York: Cold Spring Harbour Laboratory, 1975. 7. Saunders, DA Reintegrating Fragmented Landscapes: Towards Sustainable Production and Nature Conservation. New York: Springer-Verlag, 1993. 8. Vig, N and Kraft, M. Environmental Policy in the 1990's. Washington DC: C.Q. Press, 1990.

Historical Perspective of the Philippine Educational System Essay

Education in the Philippines has undergone several stages of development from the pre-Spanish times to the present. In meeting the needs of the society, education serves as focus of emphases/priorities of the leadership at certain periods/epochs in our national struggle as a race. As early as in pre-Magellanic times, education was informal, unstructured, and devoid of methods. Children were provided more vocational training and less academics (3 Rs) by their parents and in the houses of tribal tutors. The pre-Spanish system of education underwent major changes during the Spanish colonization. The tribal tutors were replaced by the Spanish Missionaries. Education was religion-oriented. It was for the elite, especially in the early years of Spanish colonization. Access to education by the Filipinos was later liberalized through the enactment of the Educational Decree of 1863 which provided for the establishment of at least one primary school for boys and girls in each town under the re sponsibility of the municipal government; and the establishment of a normal school for male teachers under the supervision of the Jesuits. Primary instruction was free and the teaching of Spanish was compulsory. Education during that period was inadequate, suppressed, and controlled. The defeat of Spain by American forces paved the way for Aguinaldo’s Republic under a Revolutionary Government. The schools maintained by Spain for more than three centuries were closed for the time being but were reopened on August 29, 1898 by the Secretary of Interior. The Burgos Institute in Malolos, the Military Academy of Malolos, and the Literary University of the Philippines were established. A system of free and compulsory elementary education was established by the Malolos Constitution. An adequate secularized and free public school system during the first decade of American rule was established upon the recommendation of the Schurman Commission. Free primary instruction that trained the people for the duties of citizenship and avocation was enforced by the Taft Commission per instructions of President McKinley. Chaplains and non-commissioned officers were assigned to teach using English as the m edium of instruction. A highly centralized public school system was installed in 1901 by the Philippine Commission by virtue of Act No. 74. The implementation of this Act created a heavy shortage of teachers so the  Philippine Commission authorized the Secretary of Public Instruction to bring to the Philippines 600 teachers from the U.S.A. They were the Thomasites. The high school system supported by provincial governments, special educational institutions, school of arts and trades, an agricultural school, and commerce and marine institutes were established in 1902 by the Philippine Commission. In 1908, the Philippine Legislature approved Act No. 1870 which created the University of the Philippines. The Reorganization Act of 1916 provided the Filipinization of all department secretaries except the Secretary of Public Instruction. Japanese educational policies were embodied in Military Order No. 2 in 1942. The Philippine Executive Commission established the Commission of Education, Health and Public Welfare and schools were reopened in June 1942. On October 14, 1943, the Japanese – sponsored Republic created the Ministry of Education. Under the Japanese regime, the teaching of Tagalog, Philippine History, and Character Education was reserved for Filipinos. Love for work and dignity of labor was emphasized. On Fe bruary 27, 1945, the Department of Instruction was made part of the Department of Public Instruction. In 1947, by virtue of Executive Order No. 94, the Department of Instruction was changed to Department of Education. During this period, the regulation and supervision of public and private schools belonged to the Bureau of Public and Private Schools. In 1972, it became the Department of Education and Culture by virtue of Proclamation 1081 and the Ministry of Education and Culture in 1978 y virtue of P.D. No. 1397. Thirteen regional offices were created and major organizational changes were implemented in the educational system. The Education Act of 1982 created the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports which later became the Department of Education, Culture and Sports in 1987 by virtue of Executive Order No. 117. The structure of DECS as embodied in EO No. 117 has practically remained unchanged until 1994 when the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and 1995 when the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) were established to supervise tertiary degree programs and non-degree technical-vocational programs, respectively. The Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM) report provided the impetus for Congress to pass RA 7722 and RA 7796 in 1994 creating the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), respectively. The trifocal education system refocused  DECS’ mandate to basic education which covers elementary, secondary and nonformal education, including culture and sports. TESDA now administers the post-secondary, middle-level manpower training and development while CHED is responsible for higher education. In August 2001, Republic Act 9155, otherwise called the Governance of Basic Education Act, was passed transforming the name of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) to the Department of Education (DepEd) and redefining the role of field offices (regional offices, division offices, district offices and schools). RA 9155 provides the overall framework for (i) school head empowerment by strengthening their le adership roles and (ii) school-based management within the context of transparency and local accountability. The goal of basic education is to provide the school age population and young adults with skills, knowledge, and values to become caring, self-reliant, productive and patriotic citizens. DepEd Management Structure To carry out its mandates and objectives, the Department is organized into two major structural components. The Central Office maintains the overall administration of basic education at the national level. The Field Offices are responsible for the regional and local coordination and administration of the Department’s mandate. RA 9155 provides that the Department should have no more than four Undersecretaries and four Assistant Secretaries with at least one Undersecretary and one Assistant Secretary who are career service officers chosen among the staff of the Department. (See DepEd Organizational Chart.) At present, the Department operates with four Undersecretaries in the areas of: (1) Programs and Projects; (2) Regional Operations; (3) Finance and Administration; and (4) Legal Affairs; four Assistant Secretaries in the areas of: (1) Programs and Projects; (2) Planning and Development; (3) Budget and Financial Affairs; and (4) Legal Affairs. Backstopping the Office of the Secretary at the Central Office are the different services, bureaus and centers. The five services are the Administrative Service, Financial and Management Service, Human Resource Development Service, Planning Service, and Technical Service. Three staff bureaus provide assistance in formulating policies, standards, and programs related to curriculum and staff development. These are the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE), Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE), and   Bureau of Nonformal Education (BNFE). By virtue of Executive Order No. 81 series of 1999, the functions of a fourth bureau, the Bureau of Physical Edu cation and School Sports (BPESS), were absorbed by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) last August 25, 1999. Six centers or units attached to the Department similarly provide technical and administrative support towards the realization of the Department’s vision. These are the National Education Testing and Research Center (NETRC), Health and Nutrition Center (HNC), National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), Educational Development Projects Implementing Task Force (EDPITAF), National Science Teaching Instrumentation Center (NSTIC), and Instructional Materials Council Secretariat (IMCS). There are four special offices under OSEC: the Adopt-a-School Program Secretariat, Center for Students and Co-curricular Affairs, Educational Technology Unit, and the Task Force Engineering Assessment and Monitoring. Other attached and support agencies to the Department are the Teacher Education Council (TEC), Philippine High School for the Arts, Literacy Coordinating Council (LCC), and the Instructional Materials Council (IMC). At the sub-national level, the Field Offices consist of the following: 1. Sixteen (16) Regional Offices, including the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM*), each headed by a Regional Director (a Regional Secretary in the case of ARMM); 2. One hundred fifty-seven (157) Provincial and City Schools Divisions, each headed by a Schools Division Superintendent. Assisting the Schools Division Offices are 2,227 School Districts, each headed by a District Supervisor; 3. Under the supervision of the Schools Division Offices are forty-eight thousand, four hundred forty-six (48, 446) schools, broken down as follows: 1. 40,763 elementary schools (36,234 public and 4,529 private) 2. 7,683 secondary schools (4,422 public and 3,261 private) Legend: * ARMM is included in the budget of the Department on the following: Creation of teaching and non-teaching positions; Funding for newly-legislated high schools; Regular School Building ;Certain foreign-assisted and locally-funded programs and projects. Issues and Problems in the Philippine Educational System: A Challenge Towards the Attainment of Quality Education Our country has gone through many changes and development for the past few years. The continuous process made great impacts in the lives of millions of Filipinos. Relatively, the changes have given us advantages not to mention the disadvantages it brought causing downfall to many people. There are numerous questions concerning the issues and problems existing in the Philippine Educational System as to how we can resolve it the best way we could to attain that kind of quality of education we have been searching and longing for. Where do we begin and how do we respond to such? Public schools are the building blocks of our societies. They can be considered our foundational instruments. Although these venues of learning play significant roles, they are unable to provide the best they can, due to their numerous flaws. As I’ve gone through different readings and researches, questions were arising in my mind as to what solutions are applicable in addressing the problems about the quality of education, affordability, budget, mismatch, integration of sex education in the curriculum, R.A. 9710 (Magna Carta for Women) and other concerns which are somehow related to it. I will always stand for what I believe in according to my observations that we have good guidelines and policies on education but what is lacking is the ability to implement such in accordance to the needs of every school, majority of which belong to the public education system. Generally, Philippine Education aims to provide quality and free education both for the elementary and secondary public schools but again this have not been observed and understood well causing it to be a burden most especially to the students and parents. Declining standards in public schools is one of the most controversial education issues today is the c ontinuing decline in student learning†¦

Case Study on Recruitment

A case study on recruitment can serve as a useful source of applicable informations for those entrepreneurs, who are concerned about the efficiency of their recruitment methods and consequent employee satisfaction. The following paper presents an example of recruitment case study and includes background information, problem statement, implementation of a new solution and the outcome. Luminal is one of the leading cosmetic retail brands on the global market, and it has been maintaining this position for over half a century. It offers a wide selection of male and female beauty products, including personal hygiene products, bath goodies and decorative cosmetics. Luminal has collaborated with the world’s leading singers and actresses, such as Jessica Locrez and Penelopa Cues, involving them in Luminal’s advertisement campaigns. For a while, the company has been using traditional methods of targeting employees. However, with the advance of media technologies in general and the Internet in particular, sticking to the old-fashioned routine of announcing vacancies and stocking on CV’s left them at risk of staying behind their competitors in talent hunting. Although this might not sound like a considerable risk, one should not underestimate its long-term effects: failing to target and hire the best professionals on the market in the swiftest way possible will diminish the whole team’s professional level in the end. Luminel pursued talent hunting through social media. Currently, they have several Facebook pages. Apart from their official Facebook page, they have Luminel Friends page for their small-stock clients and Join Luminel! Page. Join Luminel! gives regular updates on the openings and enables HR managers to look through Facebook profiles of the applicants and contact those potential candidates, who have not applied, but whose experience listed on their Facebook pages fit the criteria for Luminel openings. Also, Luminel offered small gifts and bonuses for those users, who shared their updates and advertisements on their personal Facebook pages. This way the company managed to reach out to the global audience working in different professional areas. Recruitment procedures had to undergo significant changes. Implementation of social media meant that, instead of pursuing a â€Å"reactive† model, the company had to switch to a â€Å"proactive† model. Instead of merely processing the incoming applications for any position, Luminel’s recruiters choose to plan ahead an act ahead. They use Facebook to target the candidates and send them invitations to apply for the position without waiting for the news about the opening to reach them first. A timely reorganization of recruitment process resulted in a smooth transition from one model to another without any losses in income and team professionalism. For now, Luminel remains of the leaders on the cosmetic retail market. Their biggest competitive advantage lies in budget make-up sector due to their unique ability to balance the price and quality of their products. It would be reasonable to claim that this kind of success would be impossible without the involvement of a huge team of young and ambitious professionals. Considering the success of Facebook Join Luminel! project, the company plans on expanding to the rest of the famous social platforms, such as Instagram, Twitter and MySpace. References Ibrahim, S. Sidani, S. (2013). Strategies to Recruit Minority persons: A Systematic Review. Journal Of Immigrant And Minority Health, 16(5), 882-888. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10903-013-9783-y Ã… opaciuk, A. Ã… oboda, M. (2013). Global Beauty Industry Trends in the 21st Century. In Management, Knowledge and Learning International Conference. Zadar, Croatia. Retrieved from http://www.toknowpress.net/ISBN/978-961-6914-02-4/papers/ML13-365.pdf Madia, S. (2011). Best practices for using social media as a recruitment strategy. Strategic HR Review, 10(6), 19-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/14754391111172788 Shen, B. Bissell, K. (2013). Social Media, Social Me: A Content Analysis of Beauty Companies’ Use of Facebook in Marketing and Branding. Journal Of Promotion Management, 19(5), 629-651. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10496491.2013.829160 Xu, S. (2014). Thoughts about Further Standardizing and Developing Model of Labor Dispatch Market. In International Conference on Global Economy, Commerce and Service Science. Shenyang, China: Shenyang Aerospace University Press.