Strategies for a University and Strategies for an Organization free essay sample

It is important for representatives from all areas of college or university t9o identify and discuss alternative strategies that could be benefit faculty, students, alumni, staff and other constituencies. As you complete this exercise, notice the learning and understanding that occurs as a people express different opinions. Recall that the process of planning is more important than the document. STEP 1 Key External Factors of University Opportunities 1. Provide education to women 2. Offers a wide range of courses . New campus 4. Day care centre 5. Number of permanent faculty members 6. Offers online university degree Threats 1. Transportation 2. Technolgy advances required innovation 3. Lack of faculty 4. Increase in number of universities Key Internal Factor of University Strength: 1. First aid facility 2. Well Reputation 3. Many computer labs 4. Increasing Revenues 5. Construction of new departments 6. Mosque for student’s prayers 7. First women bank limited branch Weaknesse s 1. Administration is not efficient 2. Un availability of multimedia . Management not solves the problem of students. We will write a custom essay sample on Strategies for a University and Strategies for an Organization or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page 4. Availability of class room. 5. Problem in submission of fee. 6. PCO (Public call office) does not provide full time service to students. STEP 2 Alternative Strategies that could benefit my university: 1. University should arrange their own busses and to provide pick and drop service to the students 2. Allow the students to submit their fee in other branch of first women bank limited located outside the university to over come the load and save the time of students and staff. 3. Construct separate new labs for all the departments with the availability of all required instruments. 4. Atleast one new campus of the university should be located in different provinces of Pakistan. 5. Increase in number of permanent faculty member to make the administration more efficient. 6. New interns should also provide with a facility to teach in the university with their new ideas and capabilities. 7. Make a separate department which not only listen the problems of student but also sort out these problems. 8. Introduce M. phil department with a wide range of courses. 9. To arrange all activities on time, management staff should give all necessary information according to their work. 10. Student should given a chance to participate in more events held outside the university. 11. Teachers should not allow taking classes after 4. 00 pm. 12. Every class has its own multimedia to teach the students in more efficient way. 13. New technology should introduce which help the administration to do their work in more efficient way. 14 Duties of workers on PCO should divide into two shifts which will help the student to take the benefit of full time service. Now a day’s educational institutions are using strategic management techniques and concepts more frequently. This process could enable them to enhance their performance. Through involvement in strategic management activities staff members of the university achieve a better understanding of university’s priorities. Strategic management allows organization to be efficient and allows them to be more effective the strategic planning does not guarantee organizational success it allows the organization to make proactive decision. It also needs the full cooperation and support of all the staff members working in the organization, this can represent a new beginning to a firm. I have share the class result with the administrator of our university and he say that this is a good procedure to identify those factors of university which has negative impact on our organization and they are working on some of those top scoring strategies and trying to implement them as soon as possible, and they’ll also think about the remaining strategies. This exercise focus on how risky various alternative strategies are for organization to pursue. Different degrees of risk are based largely on varying degrees of externality, defined as movement away from present business into new markets and products. In general, the greater the degree of externality, the greater the probability of loss resulting from Un expected events. High risk strategies generally are less attractive then low risk strategies   Number vertically from 1 to 10. DiversificationAdding new or un related products or services 2Horizontal diversificationAdding new or un related products or services for present customers. 3 Backward integrationSeeking ownership or increased control of a firm suppliers 4Product developmentSeeking increased sale by improving present products or services or developing new ones 5liquidationSelling all of company assets, in parts, for their angible worth 6Market penetrationSeeking increased market share for present products or services in present markets through great market efforts 7Market developmentIntroducing present products or service into new geographic area 8Joint ventureWhen two or more companies form temporary partnership for the purpose of capitalizing on some opportunity 9Forward integrationGaining ownership or increased control over distributors or retailers 10 Horizontal integrationSeeking owner ship or increased control over competitors

How and Why Guinea Pigs Were Domesticated

How and Why Guinea Pigs Were Domesticated Guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus) are small rodents raised in the South American Andes mountains not as friendly pets, but primarily for dinner. Called cuys, they reproduce rapidly and have large litters. Today guinea pig feasts are connected with religious ceremonies throughout South America, including feasts associated with Christmas, Easter, Carnival, and Corpus Christi. Modern domesticated adult Andean guinea pigs range from eight to eleven inches long and weigh between one and two pounds. They live in harems, approximately one male to seven females. Litters are generally three to four pups, and sometimes as many as eight; the gestation period is three months. Their lifespan is between five and seven years. Domestication Date and Location Guinea pigs were domesticated from the wild cavy (most likely Cavia tschudii, although some scholars suggest Cavia aperea), found today in the western (C. tschudii) or central (C. aperea) Andes. Scholars believe that domestication occurred between 5,000 and 7,000 years ago, in the Andes. Changes identified as the effects of domestication are increased body size and litter size, changes in behavior and hair coloration. Cuys are naturally gray, domesticated cuys have multicolored or white hair. Keeping Guinea Pigs in the Andes Since both wild and domestic forms of guinea pigs can be studied in a laboratory, behavioral studies of the differences have been completed. Differences between wild and domestic guinea pigs are in some part behavioral and part physical. Wild cuys are smaller and more aggressive  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹and pay more attention to their local environment than domestic ones and wild male cuys do not tolerate each other and live in harems with one male and several females. Domestic guinea pigs are larger and more tolerant of multi-male groups, and exhibit increased levels of social grooming of one another and increased courtship behavior. In traditional Andean households, cuys were (and are) kept indoors but not always in cages; a high stone sill at the entrance of a room keeps cuys from escaping. Some households built special rooms or cubby holes for cuys, or more typically keep them in the kitchens. Most Andean households kept at least 20 cuys; at that level, using a balanced feeding system, Andean families could produce at least 12 pounds of meat per month without decreasing their flock. Guinea pigs were fed barley and kitchen scraps of vegetables, and the residue from making chicha (maize) beer. Cuys were valued in folk medicines and its entrails were used to divine human illness. Subcutaneous fat from the guinea pig was used as a general salve. Archaeology and the Guinea Pig The first archaeological evidence of the human use of guinea pigs dates to about 9,000 years ago. They may have been domesticated as early as 5,000 BC, probably in the Andes of Ecuador; archaeologists have recovered burned bones and bones with cut marks from midden deposits beginning about that time. By 2500 BC, at sites such as the Temple of the Crossed Hands at Kotosh and at Chavin de Huantar, cuy remains are associated with ritual behaviors. Cuy effigy pots were made by the Moche (circa AD 500-1000). Naturally mummified cuys have been recovered from the Nasca site of Cahuachi and the late prehispanic site of Lo Demas. A cache of 23 well-preserved individuals was discovered at Cahuachi; guinea pig pens were identified at the Chimu site of Chan Chan. Spanish chroniclers including Bernabe Cobo and Garcilaso de la Vega wrote about the role of the guinea pig in Incan diets and ritual. Becoming a Pet Guinea pigs were introduced into Europe during the sixteenth century, but as pets, rather than food. Remains of one guinea pig were recently discovered within excavations at the town of Mons, Belgium, representing the earliest archaeological identification of guinea pigs in Europeand similar in time to the 17th-century paintings which illustrate the creatures, such as the 1612 Garden of Eden by Jan Brueghel the Elder. The excavations at the site of a proposed parking lot revealed a living quarter which had been occupied beginning in medieval times. The remains include eight bones of a guinea pig, all found within a middle-class cellar and adjacent cesspit, radiocarbon dated between AD 1550-1640, shortly after the Spanish conquest of South America. The recovered bones included a complete skull and the right part of the pelvis, leading Pigià ¨re et al. (2012) to conclude that this pig was not eaten, but rather kept as a domestic animal and discarded as a complete carcass. Sources History of the Guinea Pig  from archaeologist Michael Forstadt. Asher, Matthias. Large males dominate: Ecology, social organization, and mating system of wild cavies, the ancestors of the guinea pig. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Tanja Lippmann, Jà ¶rg Thomas Epplen, et al., Research Gate, July 2008. Gade DW. 1967.  The Guinea Pig in Andean Folk Culture.  Geographical Review  57(2):213-224. Kà ¼nzl C, and Sachser N. 1999.  The Behavioral Endocrinology of Domestication: A Comparison between the Domestic Guinea Pig (Cavia apereaf.porcellus) and Its Wild Ancestor, the Cavy (Cavia aperea).  Hormones and Behavior  35(1):28-37. Morales E. 1994.  The Guinea Pig in the Andean Economy: From Household Animal to Market Commodity.  Latin American Research Review 29(3):129-142. Pigià ¨re F, Van Neer W, Ansieau C, and Denis M. 2012.  New archaeozoological evidence for the introduction of the guinea pig to Europe.  Journal of Archaeological Science  39(4):1020-1024. Rosenfeld SA. 2008.  Delicious guinea pigs: Seasonality studies and the use of fat in the pre-Columbian Andean diet.  Quaternary International  180(1):127-134. Sachser, Norbert. Of Domestic and Wild Guinea Pigs: Studies in Sociophysiology, Domestication, and Social Evolution. Naturwissenschaften, Volume 85, Issue 7, SpringerLink, July 1998. Sandweiss DH, and Wing ES. 1997.  Ritual Rodents: The Guinea Pigs of Chincha, Peru.  Journal of Field Archaeology  24(1):47-58. Simonetti JA, and Cornejo LE. 1991.  Archaeological Evidence of Rodent Consumption in Central Chile.  Latin American Antiquity  2(1):92-96. Spotorno AE, Marin JC, Manriquez G, Valladares JP, Rico E, and Rivas C. 2006.  Ancient and modern steps during the domestication of guinea pigs (Cavia porcellus L.).  Journal of Zoology  270:57–62. Stahl PW. 2003.  Pre-columbian Andean animal domesticates at the edge of empire.  World Archaeology  34(3):470-483. Trillmich F, Kraus C, Kà ¼nkele J, Asher M, Clara M, Dekomien G, Epplen JT, Saralegui A, and Sachser N. 2004. Species-level differentiation of two cryptic species pairs of wild cavies, genera Cavia and Galea, with a discussion of the relationship between social systems and phylogeny in the Caviinae.  Canadian Journal of Zoology  82:516-524.

Battle of Antietam in the American Civil War

Battle of Antietam in the American Civil War The Battle of Antietam was fought September 17, 1862, during the American Civil War (1861-1865). In the wake of his stunning victory at the Second Battle of Manassas in late August 1862, General Robert E. Lee began moving north into Maryland with the goal of obtaining supplies and cutting the rail links to Washington. This move was endorsed by Confederate President Jefferson Davis who believed that a victory on Northern soil would increase the likelihood of recognition from Britain and France. Crossing the Potomac, Lee was slowly pursued by Major General George B. McClellan who had recently been reinstated to overall command of Union forces in the area. Armies Commanders Union Major General George B. McClellan87,000 men Confederate General Robert E. Lee45,000 men Battle of Antietam - Advancing to Contact Lees campaign was soon compromised when Union forces found a copy of Special Order 191 which laid out his movements and showed that his army was split into several smaller contingents. Written on September 9, a copy of the order was found at the Best Farm south of Frederick, MD by Corporal Barton W. Mitchell of the 27th Indiana Volunteers.   Addressed to Major General D.H. Hill, the document was wrapped around three cigars and caught Mitchells eye as it lay in the grass. Quickly passed up the Union chain of command and recognized as authentic, it soon arrived at McClellans headquarters.   Assessing the information, the Union commander commented, Here is a paper with which, if I cannot whip Bobby Lee, I will be willing to go home.   Despite the time-sensitive nature of the intelligence contained in Special Order 191, McClellan displayed his characteristic slowness and hesitated before acting on this critical information. While Confederate troops under Major General Thomas Stonewall Jackson were capturing Harpers Ferry, McClellan pressed west and engaged Lees men in the passes through the mountains. In the resulting Battle of South Mountain on September 14, McClellans men attacked the out-numbered Confederate defenders at Foxs, Turners, and Cramptons Gaps.   Though the gaps were taken, fighting lasted through the day and bought time for Lee to order his army to reconcentrate at Sharpsburg. McClellans Plan Bringing his men together behind Antietam Creek, Lee was in a precarious position with the Potomac at his back and only Botelers Ford to the southwest at Shepherdstown as an escape route. On September 15, when the lead Union divisions were sighted, Lee only had 18,000 men at Sharpsburg. By that evening, much of the Union army had arrived. Though an immediate attack on September 16 likely would have overwhelmed the scrambling Lee, the ever-cautious McClellan, who believed Confederate forces to number around 100,000, did not begin probing the Confederate lines until late that afternoon. This delay allowed Lee to bring his army together, though some units were still en route. Based on the intelligence gathered on the 16th, McClellan decided to open the battle the next day by attacking from the north as this would allow his men to cross the creek at the undefended upper bridge. The assault was to be mounted by two corps with an additional two waiting in reserve. This attack would be supported by a diversionary attack by Major General Ambrose Burnsides IX Corps against the lower bridge south of Sharpsburg. Should the assaults proved successful, McClellan intended to attack with his reserves over the middle bridge against the Confederate center. Union intentions became clear on the evening of September 16, when Major General Joseph Hookers I Corps skirmished with Lees men in the East Woods north of town. As a result, Lee, who had placed Jacksons men on his left and Major General James Longstreets on the right, shifted troops to meet the anticipated threat (Map). The Fighting Begins in the North Around 5:30 AM on September 17, Hooker attacked down the Hagerstown Turnpike with the goal of capturing the Dunker Church, a small building on a plateau to the south. Encountering Jacksons men, brutal fighting began in the Miller Cornfield and the East Woods. A bloody stalemate ensued as the outnumbered Confederates held and mounted effective counterattacks. Adding Brigadier General Abner Doubledays division into the fight, Hookers troops began to push the enemy back. With Jacksons line near collapse, reinforcements arrived around 7:00 AM as Lee stripped his lines elsewhere of men. Counterattacking, they drove Hooker back and the Union troops were forced to cede the Cornfield and West Woods. Badly bloodied, Hooker called for aid from Major General Joseph K. Mansfields XII Corps. Advancing in columns of companies, XII Corps was hammered by Confederate artillery during their approach and Mansfield was mortally wounded by a sniper. With Brigadier General Alpheus Williams in command, XII Corps renewed the assault. While one division was halted by enemy fire, Brigadier General George S. Greenes men were able to break through and reach the Dunker Church (Map). While Greenes men came under heavy fire from the West Woods, Hooker was wounded as he tried to rally men to exploit the success. With no support arriving, Greene was forced to pull back. In an effort to force the situation above Sharpsburg, Major General Edwin V. Sumner was directed to contribute two divisions from his II Corps to the fight. Advancing with Major General John Sedgwicks division, Sumner lost contact with Brigadier General William Frenchs division before leading a rash attack into the West Woods. Quickly taken under fire on three sides, Sedgwicks men were forced to retreat (Map). Attacks in the Center By mid-day, fighting in the north quieted as Union forces held the East Woods and the Confederates the West Woods. Having lost Sumner, French spotted elements of Major General D.H. Hills division to the south. Though only numbering 2,500 men and tired from fighting earlier in the day, they were in a strong position along a sunken road. Around 9:30 AM, French began a series of three brigade-sized attacks on Hill. These failed in succession as Hills troops held. Sensing danger, Lee committed his final reserve division, led by Major General Richard H. Anderson, to the fight. A fourth Union assault saw the famed Irish Brigade storm forward with its green flags flying and Father William Corby shouting words of conditional absolution.   The stalemate was finally broken when elements of Brigadier General John C. Caldwells brigade succeeded in turning the Confederate right. Taking a knoll that overlooked the road, Union soldiers were able to fire down the Confederate lines and force the defenders to retreat. A brief Union pursuit was halted by Confederate counterattacks. As the scene quieted around 1:00 PM, a great gap had been opened in Lees lines. McClellan, believing that Lee had over 100,000 men, repeatedly refused to commit the over 25,000 men he had in reserve to exploiting the breakthrough despite the fact that Major General William Franklins VI Corps was in position. As a result, the opportunity was lost (Map). Blundering in the South In the south, Burnside, angered by command rearrangements, did not begin moving until around 10:30 AM. As a result, many of the Confederate troops that had originally been facing him were withdrawn to block the other Union attacks. Tasked with crossing the Antietam to support Hookers actions, Burnside was in position to cut off Lees retreat route to Botelers Ford. Ignoring the fact that the creek was fordable at several points, he focused on taking Rohrbachs Bridge while dispatching additional troops downstream to Snavelys Ford (Map) Defended by 400 men and two artillery batteries atop a bluff on the western shore, the bridge became Burnsides fixation as repeated attempts to storm it failed. Finally taken around 1:00 PM, the bridge became a bottleneck which slowed Burnside advance for two hours. The repeated delays permitted Lee to shift troops south to meet the threat. They were supported by the arrival of Major General A.P. Hills division from Harpers Ferry. Attacking Burnside, they shattered his flank. Though possessing greater numbers, Burnside lost his nerve and fell back to the bridge. By 5:30 PM, the fighting had ended. Aftermath of the Battle of Antietam The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest single day in American military history. Union losses numbered 2,108 killed, 9,540 wounded, and 753 captured/missing while the Confederates suffered 1,546 killed, 7,752 wounded, and 1,018 captured/missing. The next day Lee prepared for another Union attack, but McClellan, still believing he was out-numbered did nothing. Eager to escape, Lee crossed the Potomac back into Virginia. A strategic victory, Antietam allowed President Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation  which freed slaves in Confederate territory. Remaining idle at Antietam until late October, despite requests from the War Department to pursue Lee, McClellan was removed command on November 5 and replaced by Burnside two days later. Selected Sources CWSAC Battle Summaries: AntietamAntietam on the Web

Construction Procurement and RIBA Plan of Work Assignment

Construction Procurement and RIBA Plan of Work - Assignment Example Separated & Cooperative System This system is one of the most widely used system where each party of the project namely client, designer and contractor are different and work separately. In this system each party completes it work and then project is transferred to next sequential predecessor. The system initiates with a feasibility study then detail design, tendering, contracting for construction along with construction supervision. The main advantages include the fact that it is one of the most practiced systems that’s why there are lesser problems encountered and general protocol procedure have been developed and well versed in case of problem. Another advantage of the system is that every aspect is done by an expert, hence every drawing, design and detail is developed to its maximum. Hence this produces a high quality of work done. The figure below shows each process that exists in a traditional procurement system. The disadvantage is that the system requires a lot of input and attention of the client, as his involvement in each step is detrimental. In addition due to the sequential nature of the system, extra time is required and wasted while transition from one step to another, as qualification and bids invitation for each party has to done for each step. Hence a variation is made in the systems processes which are now called as accelerated system, where feasibility, detail design, tender documentation and construction supervision, all the three works are given to single consultant. The whole construction process is assigned to single contractor, who selected from a prequalified contractors list. As a quantity surveyor I believe the system is well established and all system bugs have been eliminated. This system has better cost control as the client has to pay and perform the whole project piece by piece. But the time consumed is more hence the cost increase with time due to price escalation s. In my understanding, the system can be improved if the strong effective timeline of the project is created in the planning phase which will highlight the key dates of transition of different phases and review the whole timeline for free floats and critical activities to optimize the time allocation. An accurate time allocation can be only done if the correct quantity of work is known. 2. Integrated Procurement System The reason for creation of this system was to eliminate the disadvantage of the traditional procurement system. Rather than having several parties engaged in single project, in integrated procurement system the complete project is assigned to one firm that means the firm has to design as well as construct the project. The â€Å"Design & Build† system is comes under this procurement system. The starting process of this system is that a client gives an invitation to EPC (Engineering procurement construction) firms for a project and then these firms submit the te chnical and financial proposal for both design and construction. In addition the contractor along with consent of the client generally come into contractual bidding of completion of project with a certain agreed duration and in a negotiated price normally lump sum. There are some modification made to the integrated procurement systems which have resulted into newer and efficient systems for both the client and the contractor. The first among which is the â€Å"Turn key† project type. In this system the client will be handed over the keys

Indian Women Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Indian Women - Essay Example Studying on Indian women (1) means to study the variety of women oriented cultures and values that the Indian women are distinguished for. There is not only one typical cultural aspect associated with the term, "Indian Woman", but there are rather diverse cultures and values that have become the ethos of the varied types of womanhood found in the country. The Indian woman can be classified into various categories such as a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wife and even in the professional sector as a working lady and a housewife. All of these diversities are maintained in a streamlined manner and as India is a vast as a country, similarly, the cultures also vary. There are places where patriarchal society exists and there are also certain areas, such as some parts of Kerala, where there exists matriarchal society. Patriarchal society is one which is dominated by the male members of the family whereas the matriarchal society is dominated by the female counterparts. The role of the wome n in both the societies has lots of differences and this adds to the variety of the cultural diversities of the women in India. But keeping apart all the above said things it can be said with great certainty that whatever diverse forms the Indian woman may have but there is one national culture which is almost the same and found throughout the country. It has been the concern of many thinkers that the Indian woman not only devotes her precious time in the performance of the regular domestic chores but rather succumbs to the egoistic pleasures of her master and even for her own pride (2). It is now high time that our womankind should be freed from this barbaric act of forcing them to give up all their time in the kitchen. There has been certain revolutionary change that has taken place in the recent times and one of them is that of the growing status of the women. It is for the contribution of many factors that such a revolution has taken place freeing the modern woman from the fetters of the worn-out traditions, ignorance and prejudice. Talking about the culture, along with the growth of the British system in the 19th century, a varied cultural change could be felt. Towards the end of the decade, the change in the culture of India had taken a strong grip in the urban cities like Bombay, Chennai, Calcutta etc, and the world of restr icted domestic life and the most intimate relationships became subjects of public issues and topics of debates. India's (3) culture is implanted in values and virtues so deeply that even the British colonialism couldn't move even a single piece of it during their reign of change. But today, India is going through a change which is no less awkward. The change, however, is being determined by all such things: education, opportunity and development. My Interviewee, Sheetal, has been staying in India and she has two children. She stays in a joint family system where all the members of a family stay under a single roof and share everything within them. They follow the rules of a Hindu joint family. According to her in the joint family system, the head of the family deals with all the problems of the house that comes up and thus nothing goes out of the house to become a public issue. This has been found embedded in the Indian

Benefits of Teaching Culture and Language

Benefits of Teaching Culture and Language Definition of culture Culture (from the Latin â€Å"cutura† stemming from colre meaning â€Å"to cultivate†) generally refers to patterns of human activity and the symbolic structures that give such activities significance. â€Å"Farhang†, meaning culture, has always been the focal point of Iranian civilization. Values (the ideas about what in life seems important), norms (expectations of how people will behave in various situations), institutions (the structure of a society), and artifacts (things or aspects of material culture, which derive from values and norms) are four components of culture (Wikipedia, 2009). The culture of a people refers to all aspects of shared life in community. Children growing up in a social group learn ways of doing things, ways of expressing themselves, ways of looking at things, what things they should value and what things they should despise or avoid, what is expected of them and what they may expect of others. We can define culture from different points of view. But the most common definition of culture among several scholars is what Haddley (2003) have in his book â€Å"Teaching Language in Context†. She tries to classify aspects of culture into two groups. The first group is the best in human life. This is what is called Big-C culture. Literature, music, art, etc. fall into this category. The second group is everything in human life. This is called the small-c culture. This category includes the way people eat, dress, and behaves in their society. The importance of studying culture There are many benefits that people can obtain from studying culture. It is useful for understanding the people of other cultures and also one’s own culture (Kitao, 1991). It can also help us to be more tolerant (Saz as cited in De Gordon, 2007). Dominant thoughts in the societies during the history, the way people look at the world, living manners and different forms of socializing, enculturation and like that lead us to a better understanding and appreciation of economic affairs. According to various developments in the world we can say that although the content and form of culture may change, it never fade away. (Pahlavan, 2003). Culture has been studied under different sciences and fields of study and this can show the importance of culture by dealing with this phenomenon. Culture and language In this section we will come to a wider area and look at the culture with respect to the relation it may have to the concept of language. As usual in this section we will divide these relationships into different sections according to what different scholars believe. There are three kinds of relationship determined between culture and language. The structure of a language determines the way in which speakers of that language view the world. The culture of a people finds reflection in the language they employ. Cultural requirements certainly influence how a language used and perhaps determines why specific bits and pieces are the way they are. A neutral: there is little or no relationship between language and culture (Wardaugh, 1993) Culture and L2/FL Teaching and learning Although some teachers think that the present of culture in current writings is relative recent, a review of the L2/FL literature shows that this is clearly not the case. The early ages were the time people learned an L2/FL for the purpose of reading and studying its literature. Literature is categorized as the high culture or the best in human life (brook, 1975, as cited in Haddley 2003, p.361). The next stage of concerning with culture is the era of Audio-lingual. This is the era of communication goals in language teaching and the time the emphasis is on the â€Å"little c culture†. In 1970s, the communicative competence replaced the audio-lingual method. In this new paradigm a more natural integration of language and culture takes place through a communicative approach than a more grammatically base approach (Lessard-Clouston, 1997). Why teach culture In the previous section we saw that the relationship between language and culture is undeniable. Despite this certain fact we should think of the implication of this reality in a real situation. Therefore, we raise another question regarding the importance of teaching culture and why a teacher should teach culture in the classroom. In order to fully learn a foreign language, an individual needs to understand the culture that goes along with it. What follow are some of the reasons for teaching culture in the classroom. Giving the students a reason to study the target language. Help in teaching grammar: relating abstract sounds and forms of a language to real places and people. In achieving high motivation, culture classes does have a great role because learners like culturally based activities such as singing, dancing, role playing, doing research on countries and people, etc. It gives learners a liking for the native speakers of the target language. Culture studies have a humanizing and a motivating effect on the language learner and the learning process. They help learners observe similarities and differences among various cultural groups. Teaching culture (intercultural learning) Many people have shown their own contribution to the issue of relation between culture and L2/FL learning as well as the role of culture in learning/teaching a language in the classroom. Almost every book in the area of language learning has a chapter in teaching culture. Chastain (1987) maintains that language is used to convey meaning, but meaning is determined by culture. One of the major hurdles to the successful implementation of culture goals in language classes revolves around attitudes. Brown (2000) also has some points in this area: It is apparent that culture as an integrated set of behaviors and modes of perception, becomes highly important in the learning of an L2. The two are intricately interwoven so that one cannot separate the two without losing the significance of either language or culture. Dimitrios Thanasoulas (2001) says that the teaching of culture should become an integral part of foreign language instruction. Culture should be our message to students and language our medium. Teachers should present students with a true picture or representation of another culture and language. Baker (2003) believes that culture has become an increasingly integrated component of English language teaching in recent years. He argues that the root of integrating culture in language learning processes come from the theory of communicative competence delivered by Hymes (1972, as cited in Haddley, 2000, pp.3-5). In this theory communicative competence involves an understanding of the norms of social interaction of one socio-cultural community. This concept of communicative competence is called intercultural communicative competence. Central to the notion of intercultural communicative competence is cultural awareness. Culture and language teaching methods From the early stages of teaching language a lot of methods have been discovered by methodologists and researchers with different points of view towards second language teaching and learning. I’ll investigate several methodologies and their approach to culture and its relationship with language teaching and learning. Grammar-translation method: a fundamental purpose of learning a foreign language is to be able to read its literature. Direct method: culture consists of more than the fine arts (students study cultural values). Audio-lingual method: culture consists of the everyday behavior and lifestyle of the target language speakers. Language cannot be separated from culture. Silent Way method: they believe that culture, as reflected in students unique world view, is inseparable from their language. Suggestopedia: it says that the culture which students learn concerns the everyday life of people who speak the language. The use of fine arts (music, art and drama) enables suggestions to reach the subconscious. Community language learning: it believes in integrating the culture with language. Total Physical Response: says that culture is the life style of people who speak the target language natively. In Communicative Language Teaching: culture is the life style of people who use the language natively. The cultural-communicative learning paradigm: â€Å"learning a language is learning a culture. Intercultural competence Intercultural competence is an enormously popular concept nowadays, its content being discussed in a great variety of contexts. It is not possible to arrive at one particular definition of the concept it is always contextually determined, colored by the latest discourses on competence, culture, communication, language, etc (Risager, 2000). Looking for a comprehensive definition of this phrase, we encounter a lot of different ideas and various definitions. By Alvino E. Fantini (1997) a basic definition of intercultural competence includes: The fundamental acceptance of people who are different to oneself outside one’s own culture. The ability to interact with them in a genuinely constructive manner which is free of negative attitude (e.g. prejudice, defensiveness, apathy, aggression etc.) The ability to create a synthesis, something which is neither â€Å"mine† nor â€Å"yours†, but which is new and would not have been possible had we not combined our different background and approaches (www.kwintessential.co.uk, 2009). Penn State (2009) has also â€Å"A simple definition†: â€Å"the abilities to perform effectively and appropriately with members of another language-culture background on their terms. And finally, In essence intercultural competence can be summed up as the ability to work well across cultures. Culture in Foreign Language Curriculum A major goal of foreign language instruction is to increase students’ literacy in languages other than their own, thereby also increasing literacy in that culture. The concept of literacy encompasses the students ability to read with understanding, to write with clarity and accuracy, to understand what is heard, and to speak comprehensibly with accurate grammar and pronunciation. To communicate successfully in another language, students develop facility, with the language, familiarity with the culture that use the language, and awareness of the ways in which language and culture interact in society. Reaching this point is central to developing literacy in any language. Two aspects of culture appropriate to be included in the foreign language curriculum are: first, the society’s production of art, music, and literature, and second, the social conventions of that society’s members. Culture in the classroom Now it is the time to come to the classroom and investigate culture related to the requirements of the class: Foreign Language Teachers and Foreign Language Learners. Culture and language teachers Traditionally, language teachers have listed culture as one of the five principal objectives of second language study. Attaching the same value to culture as to each of the four language skills is no surprise because of its importance in the development of global awareness and international understanding, in being able to function in the second language society, and in stimulating and maintaining students’ interests and motivation. The primary goal and dominant focus of attention in most classes continues to be language, to the detriment of achieving desirable cultural objectives. As conclusion to this, the teacher ought to be able to describe and assess his or her own intercultural competence. A foreign language teacher should be able to: Understand the contributions and lifestyles of the various cultural groups Recognize and deal with dehumanizing biases, discrimination, and prejudices Create learning environments that contribute to the self-esteem of all persons and all positive interpersonal relations Respect human diversity and personal rights (Lafayette, 1979, p. 132). Some authors do recommend placing the greater emphasis on culture. What these authors are advocating is an organized, systematic presentation of the major characteristics of the second language culture that will lead students to an understanding and an appreciation of the culture. In many regards, culture is taught implicitly, imbedded in the linguistic forms that students are learning. To make students aware of the cultural features reflected in the language, teachers can make those cultural features an explicit topic of discussion in relation to the linguistic forms being studied. It is important for a language teacher as an influential figure in the class to be interculturally aware and responsive. Teachers should be aware of and sensitive to the cultural differences (Valdes, 1986), and its influences on students’ growth and learning. They should also be aware of their own cultural values and beliefs (Wang, 2006). Culture and language learners One of the principal reasons for stressing culture in language classes has to do with the students. They are extremely interested in the people who speak the language they are studying (Chastain, 1987). A program which seeks to develop systematic progress in cultural understanding side by side with growing mastery of the language will ensure that the language learners are able to communicate with the speakers of the language in the fullest sense of the word. Intercultural contact is both a means and an end in second language studies. It is impossible to identify the specific ethnic and cultural groups that represent native speakers of the language. As a result, in order to investigate the role of the intercultural contact in foreign language learning environments, we first need to explore what kind of contact students of foreign languages have with home and how frequently, what attitudes they display and how they see the role of contact in language learning. It appears that favorable contact leads to the discovery of cultural similarity and of our common humanity. Then, contact will improve attitudes (Piage R. M., et al., 1998).

Modern and Traditional Families

Have modern families changed over the past few generations, or have people remained the same in playing each of their own leading gender role responsibilities in modern families? Some statistics show that times have now changed in spite of the man’s perception of women being stay at home mothers to their children. In addition, women can also be the breadwinner in their families rather than the father going to work. In fact, traditional families in contrast with modern families have exponentially changed as time has passed.To better understand the context of this paper I will discuss the differences and similarities between modern and traditional mothers. In my opinion I believe there are three key important responsibilities in a traditional and modern family childcare, education, and healthcare. In addition, there are various things to consider when taking care of child. For example, in the article of â€Å"The Men We Carry in our Minds,† by Russell Sanders, realizes as a young lad that hard working men like his father would have to go to work leaving his mother to stay at home and take care of young Russell.Secondly, in the story Russell talks about men and realizes that men can sometimes be overbearing and view power, competency, efficiency and achievement more importantly (Sanders, R. 1984). To cite another example, in early human history women were frowned upon to tend to their kids because of the high death rate which consequently led mothers to take the task of nurturing their children at home. (Henslin, J. M. 2009). In contrast, there are some moderate differences between modern and traditional mothers in childcare and education.Even though, we live in a modern time there has been a 16% percent increase in traditional mothers still taking care of their children. In addition, studies done in a class group together found that younger parents, as opposed to older parents, were placed in the 73 percent and placing traditional mothers at 86 perc ent. On the other hand, educating a child is equally important so the parents must decide how they will educate their children; in traditional families it is usually the mother who tends to educate the children.For example, one of the parents  may feel more strongly about supervision, discipline, and education to the child, In particular, the same cannot be said about modern parents. In fact, the reason being is because there has been a 13% percent decrease in modern mother taking care of their children because of work related problems. (See Appendix, in Figure 1). Furthermore, healthcare is another major form of responsibility for the mothers. In most households it is usually the mothers that are left behind to fend for their child throughout the first forty days of the baby being born.Moreover, this may sometimes abrupt verbal disputes, misunderstandings, and communication problems about how they want to raise their child. In Addition, one of the parents may feel stronger about the habits and health of the child. (Neuman. F, 2013). In the same way, modern mothers are taking the leading role in taking care of the child’s health. In comparison, between modern and traditional mothers people are still see a declining percentage in modern parents in regards to caregiving and healthcare. So people can conclude that there are some negative changes in modern families even though women still tend to the children.There are two more additional factors in a household that must be decided when it comes to providing for the family. This leads to the second question in the matter of who will work, and who will be in charge of balancing the books as well as paying the bills. Modern and traditional mothers have always had the capability of working, paying bills, and balance check books, but because of the plain definition and meaning of the word â€Å"gender† has some biological adherence, and has resulted in mothers being socially deemed incapable. (Henslin, J. M. 2009) Whereas today, modern mothers are now less likely to be stay at home mothers.In contrast, modern mothers today, rather than traditional, have drastically changed and can now multitask just as well as fathers. For example, mothers today can now pay bills, work, and balance check books without the help of the father. In fact, people are now seeing mothers today playing the role of the breadwinner a lot more. Lastly, families are still seeing traditional and modern mother cleaning and doing most of the household duties around the house. Modern and traditional families are now noticing a slight differential change in mother helping outside of the home.Although, there has been a small change in modern and traditional mother helping their families outside of the home. For instance, cutting the grass, or fixing the fence, and repairing things around the house. As a result, mothers today are more open to the meaning of household duties. In conclusion, to the discussion presente d in this paper people can conclude that traditional mothers in comparison with modern mothers today have a higher percentage rate in childcare, wage earnings, and household duties rather than modern mother.All in all, I truly believe that it is very important for families to have equality in order to have functional family. In addition, I still believe men should strive to do more for their other half’s. In my opinion there has been a greater significant change over the past generations in mothers, Ultimately, it seems that modern families have relatively remained the same, and traditional families have continuously increased over the past generations.