My First Year Of Elementary School - 977 Words

As a child, I always struggled in the area reading and writing. I was in the first grade when I came face to face with the issue. I wasn’t prepared like the other kids were in my class, they all seemed to thrive more and more each day in the subject. I didn’t, and nothing the teacher was doing with the subject would stick with me nor did it make me understand better. I felt out of place and different from everyone else in class because I couldn’t do what seemed to be easy for the rest of them. Struggling wasn’t an option for me, I was determined to find a way to catch up with all the others. I wanted to excel and understand reading and writing clearly because I realized that this was very important to have for myself later in the future. By my determination then I changed the way I see reading and writing now. During my first year of elementary school, I came to realize that reading and writing were a challenge for me. Understanding how these skills were w as making me want to learn even more. My teacher, Mrs. Baker, noticed how I was falling behind from the rest of the students. She wanted to help me, so she told me to ask my mom to help me at home. She offered me books in her classroom to take home to read, which I did. Allowing me to take books from her classroom allowed me to have access to many genres that I would like. I read every night with my mother who helped me expand my reading and writing. I told my mother how I wanted to work harder to get better at myShow MoreRelatedKindergarten And Elementary School Teacher1358 Words   |  6 PagesKindergarten and Elementary School Teacher Imagine going to work every week day to be greeted by a group of young, wonderful children. As a kindergarten and elementary school teacher, I would get to do that. Kindergarten and elementary school teachers educate young children for their bright future. Kindergarten and elementary school teachers are in the career cluster of education and training. Careers in education and training help people in certain areas by teaching or instructing them. In thisRead MoreLet Me Teach You About My Career Essay1470 Words   |  6 PagesSummer Kaylor Mr. Howard DE COMP 1 Essay 4 6 Oct. 2016 Let me TEACH you about my career As a child, I had always contemplated the career I would choose when entering college. When I begin my first years of Elementary school, I knew I had a passion for sharing my knowledge with teachers as well as fellow classmates. I was always eager to do tasks for my teachers. I would voluntarily take papers to the office, make extra copies of assignments, or easy things, such as scolding students to stay onRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading And Writing On My Life1376 Words   |  6 Pages Reading and writing are two of the most important tools in my life, because without them I would not have an education. They form the basis of a class; for example, completing a lab in chemistry would not be possible without following a written lab procedure. These two skills are taught at such a young age, and as education advances students must continue to strive to reach a higher level. I can remember in elementary school, we were always pushed to reach the next reading level once we had succes sfullyRead MorePersonal Narrative Rough Draft : Choosing A Career Is Not An Easy Task864 Words   |  4 Pagesto grow up to be, but in the back of my mind I would always say a teacher because I come from a long history of teachers in my family. One of my grandpas was a high school math teacher along with coaching the football team. My aunt is an elementary school substitute teacher specializing in special needs students, while my uncle is a high school history teacher. While, my father is a physical education teacher who has taught at both the elementary and high school level. Growing up around so many teachersRead MoreAutobiography Essay642 Words   |  3 Pagesvery small county style town. I attended Seville Public School from K-6 grade. Seville Public school was a very small school with great teachers. One of the teachers was Mrs. Stevenson who was a third grade teacher; Mrs. Stevenson inspired me to become a teacher. Her students were always first and she made learning fun. On e day I will be a great teacher has Mrs. Stevenson. My name is Nancy Perez. I was born on May 24, 1980. I was raised by my grandparents who I truly appreciate for all their hardRead MoreVolunteer in a Elementary School Essay600 Words   |  3 PagesMildred Rivas 11-29-2010 Social Justice Volunteering in an elementary school Volunteering is a fulfilling experience. Many people do not take the opportunity to volunteer in their children’s school for a variety of reasons. In fact, volunteering at your child school give you a lot of opportunity and experiences. Personally, I began my volunteer experience this year at Irving Elementary School, ever since that first volunteering opportunity available to me. From helping young studentsRead MoreThe Importance Of Reading1303 Words   |  6 Pageswas heavily influenced by my parents and my elementary school teachers. Learning to read became a crucial part of my life because reading helped me learn more vocabulary, know more about what is right or wrong, and it helped me become more confident in conversations. When I first got a glance at what it is like to read, I was not interested. Most of the books that my parents bought me seemed boring. There were many words in the books and scarcely any pictures. Even though my parents read to me everyRead MoreReflection Paper About Literacy1154 Words   |  5 Pagestable with my grandmother going over my lines. Being only five at the time, receiving the lead role was a huge achievement, and even though it seemed like such an important part of my life, I only remember one segment of a line: â€Å"...cut the wheat†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Although preschool built the foundation of my road to literacy, to reach the reader and writer I am today I had to work hard throughout my academic career, mainly in elementary, middle, and high school. After preschool, elementary school seemed likeRead MoreSchool Teacher Role1154 Words   |  5 PagesThe role of an elementary school teacher is an important role because they are one of the first role models that young children can look up to. They are the first few individuals that have the opportunity to shape a child’s life, and they may sometimes inspire their students to follow up in their footsteps. To begin with, the general duties of an elementary school teacher is to create daily lesson plans and instruct students on subjects such as science, literature, and math. More specific job dutiesRead MoreElementary School Is An Absolute Ball1233 Words   |  5 Pagesof those photographs my parents forced me to smile and â€Å"say cheese† for—I actually kind of like them now. They remind me of all the fun I’ve had, all the friends I shared memories with at recess, sports games, dances, award assemblies, pep rallies, or anything related to school really. Actually, really looking back I loved elementary, middle, and high school all for the reason that it made me who I am today. If it were not for all the classes, extra curriculars, and other school-related activities

Paleolithic Societies Free Essays

Although the San and the Chumash were both hunter-gatherers, their culture and lifestyle had significant differences. Many cultures around the world had their fair share of differences. If you look closer though, you can find certain patterns that occur in many of the first societies that emerged in the world. We will write a custom essay sample on Paleolithic Societies or any similar topic only for you Order Now Even these days, you can find the same types of patterns in people. The San lived in Southern Africa. They are also known as Bushmen, Sho, Barwa, Kung, or Khwe. Their lifestyle consisted of much leisure time, and the children did nothing but play. Women were greatly respected and admired in the San culture. The women would take part in both gathering and hunting, but mainly gathering. They used everything very wisely, including parts of ostrich eggs to hold fluids. Overall, the San were your typical hunter-gatherer society of the Paleolithic era. The Chumash lived in Southern California. They were also a hunter-gatherer society. They also were very good fisherman. They painted on cave walls and some of the drawings are still there today. Some of the Chumash settlements are believed to be over 10,000 years old. They were visited by the Spanish, which brought many diseases to the Chumash. They were also believed to be visited by Polynesians. Comparing these two cultures, we can see some similarities and many differences. They were both hunter-gatherer people. As their main food sources migrated, they followed along with them. Some differences would be that they lived in completely different parts of the world. The San did not fish, yet the Chumash did. They both have many more similarities and differences. The cultures I have compared and contrasted are only two of the many Paleolithic societies out there. They all can be recognized by their hunting and gathering ways. They followed their food, and obviously made it work for themselves. I think it would be an interesting journey to go back in time and see how they lived and interacted with each other before the emerging of some of the technology that is common to us today. How to cite Paleolithic Societies, Papers

Encountering Conflict free essay sample

Encountering Conflict Conflict can both crush people and inspire people to greater heights. Conflict presents itself in various forms; it can occur in different places, can be intentional or unexpected and affect people in diverse ways. To survive people then need to develop coping mechanisms to overcome or at least begin their Journey of recovery. If they cannot do this, then they will not be able to move on. Conflict is a subject that everyone in the world faces on a day to day basis, but at different levels and emotions. Conflict can be exceptionally heart wrenching, by tearing people and amilies apart. But these wounds motivate many inspiring people who then make a difference. Conflict is a part of life; it cannot be avoided or put on hold. People from all around the world deal with conflict, in various ways and it affects people to a different extent. Throughout life, people may experience many conflicting situations, some are built by little ongoing problems, some explode and are left to dissolve, others are blown apart the pieces scattered, never to be put back together again. Conflict has been exposed and expressed in many films, novels and songs over the ears. The documentary Omagh by Pete Travis is an example of the devastation that conflict can wreck on lives. The film explains how conflict can affect innocent lives. For hundreds of years there has been tension between the Catholic Irish and Protestant English. This began as Ireland divided as a country due to religion but the tension increased with British interference in Northern Ireland. The documentary focuses on one specific event within the conflict which was the bombing in the Omagh high street. This caused 29 deaths and 220 injuries, of innocent people. The result left amilies crushed, broken hearted and dealing with their own conflict for a long time. The root of this devastation was religion; the Catholic Irish and Protestant English have fought for many years. Ironically the purpose of religion is to create peace, where as in Omagh it was the primary cause and branch of all the conflict. A very similar ongoing religious conflict is the fight for homeland between the Jewish and Zions (Israel and Palestinians conflict). The Jewish were sent from Israeli homelands many hundreds of years ago, but since have suffered persecution in Europe and now ish to return to their religious homeland of Israel. This however has been met with aggression by Palestinians and the Arab nations who now inhabit the area. Like the tension in Northern Ireland, peace is a long and painful patch to find. Conflict that has dwelled upon innocent lives has an impact on others who believe it should be brought to Justice. 1. 2 the Irish band wrote a song to express their feelings of their anger in response to the devastation in Omagh. One verse that stands out is: And the battles Just begun Theres many lost, but tell me who has won The trench is dug within our hearts And mothers, children, brothers, sisters torn apart. This particular verse links with the concept that conflict can devastate innocent people and their families, which are then being torn apart by the religion and also politicians in Omagh they did nothing. Thus people, like 132, stand up so hopefully the politicians can see that the conflict that has happened is still wounding many people lives, and that only they can bring it to Justice. So, conflict is a piece of everyones lives, even though you may shun conflict, it can come up unexpectedly. Omagh is an example of how conflict can be unexpected and totally crush lives. Conflict can also inspire people to create better lives for themselves and those around them. Kate Miller-Heidke wrote the song Caught in Crowd about a real story of lingering childhood regret. She wanted to raise awareness to people across the world, especially adolescents, of how bullying and peer pressure are causes of conflict. The song is about a relationship growing between a teenage girl and an outcast boy who is often bullied. It discusses how both had similarities, for example they both dealt ith conflict at home. Towards the end it talks about the boy getting thrown to the ground and him shouting out to her to help him. But she turned her back, and Just walked away. Kate Miller-Heidke encountered conflict and regrets the decision she made. Now she is motivated to make sure people of the younger generation do not make the same decision she made. Like Kate Miller- Heidke, Michael Gallagher, the father of Aidan Gallagher who was killed in the Omagh bombing wanted create a more satisfying life for himself, but also wanted to raise awareness that murders ere not being brought to Justice. He set up an Omagh Support and Self Help Group, which since 1998 have not stopped their fght. They have protested outside IRA meetings, written to the English Prime Minister and have talked to numerous newspapers but nothing has happened in relation towards the terrorist. In 2002, Michael Gallagher stated what happened in Omagh is still capable of happening in other towns. Because of him he has taught the world many lessons; the most important is never to give up on a Just cause Traumatic conflict can motivate people o immense heights, which can make an inspiring difference to our world today. Like Michael Gallagher, Glen McGrath lost a loved one and has not stopped fighting for what he believes in since his personal conflict. His wife, Jane was diagnosed with breast cancer. Jane McGrath had a passionate belief that every woman diagnosed with breast cancer in Australia should be able to benefit from the support of a specialist breast care nurse. Therefore, together they started up the McGrath Foundation in 2002. An additional aim of the project was to increase the awareness f breast cancer in younger women. Jane passed away at the age of 41 . Glen McGrath is more determined and devoted to the McGrath foundation by the inspiration of his loving wife. This proves that conflict can really touch people which motivates them to make a change, encouraging them to greater heights. These people have so much strength, their experiences power them on. Encountering painful conflict can bring out the best in people such as the old saying What doesnt kill us makes us stronger suggests people acknowledge they ave made a difference in the world and become satisfied. This is the beginning to the start of their Journey to recovery or acceptance. In the movie Omagh, Michael Gallagher, his wife and two daughters have not stopped fghting for the loss of their son, who was killed in the bombing. This tragedy caused conflict between the family, but they have learnt that they need to stick together to succeed their mission of family close, them standing up for what they believe in has helped them start their journey of recovery with each other. Another inspiration for making something out of terrible situation is in the novel Triage by Scott Anderson, the character Joaquin Morales managed to escape his village that was invaded. Joaquin lost his family dealing with the conflict of losing his family and survivors guilt. Joaquin become a psychologist for war criminals, hoping to change them and make them realise what monstrosities they caused. This would save many lives and hopefully bring peace to Spain. This experience helped Joaquin to begin his Journey of acceptance of what had happen to him. Joaquin quoted Im still here. Im still smiling meaning that he has learnt to live with himself after encountering conflict, which motivated him in saving many lives. Conflict is a subject that everyone in the world deals with everyday, from light issues to vigorous intensities. Conflict is incredibly powerful, it can tear people apart but it also brings the best out of many inspirational humans. Conflict can motivate people to extreme lengths which can make a huge difference in the world. These differences also help the individual to deal and maybe even overcome their own conflict.

Sex Education Essay Example

Sex Education Essay The Role of Sex Education in Opposing the Effects of Pornography Agramon, Krizia Anne Enriquez, Astro Jake Galang, Gino George Ocampo, Soleandrea 4CLM Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements In English 04 (Research Methods and Application) College of Arts and Sciences San Beda College Mendiola, Manila APPROVAL SHEET The thesis attached hereto, entitled â€Å"The Role of Sex Education in Opposing the Effects of Pornography†, prepared and submitted by Krizia Anne Agramon, Astro Jake Enriquez, Gino George Galang, and Soleandrea Ocampo, in partial fulfillment of the requirements in English 04 (Research Methods and Application) is hereby accepted. Carissa C. Cabaysa Thesis Adviser DEDICATION ACKNOWLEDGEMENT The researchers wish to extend their heartfelt gratitude to the following persons: ABSTRACT TABLE OF CONTENTS Approval Sheetp. 2 Dedicationp. 3 Acknowledgementp. Abstractp. 5 Table of Contentsp. 6-8 List of Tables and Figuresp. 9 CHAPTER I: Introductionp. Background of the Studyp. Statement of the Problemp. Significance of the Studyp. Scope and Delimitation of the Studyp. CHAPTER II: Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworkp. Review of Related Literaturep. Sex Educationp. Philippine Sexualityp. A Brief History of Sex Education in the Philippinesp. Recent Legislation and Related Current Eventsp. Stand of Parents in Implementing Sex Educationp. Stand of the Church in Implementing Sex Educationp. We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Education specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Stand of Educators inImplementing Sex Educationp. Pornographyp. Conceptual Frameworkp. Research Hypothesisp. Definition of Termsp. CHAPTER III: Methodologyp. Research Designp. Sources of Datap. Data Gathering Instrumentsp. Data Gathering Proceduresp. Data Analysis Procedurep. CHAPTER IV: Presentation, Analysis and Interpretation of Datap. Introductionp. CHAPTER V: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendationsp. Summaryp. Conclusionp. Recommendationsp. Referencesp. Appendicesp. LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES Chapter I INTRODUCTION Background of the Study In light of the talks and debates in 2010 about the Reproductive Health Bill and the action of the Department of Education to adopt sex education in school curricula, people have been clamoring various actions to enforce the ideals of this bill, to protest the bill itself, and prevent the implementation of sex education classes. According to Rep. Edcel Lagman (2010) in his article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the aims of the Reproductive Health Bill is to provide sexual education. The effect of these sex education classes on adolescent’s view of the morality of pornography is the primary concern of the research. Pornography, as far as the researchers know, is an actuation that is present in the life of adolescent males and females. Pornography is rampant in media (print and electronic), and thus gains wide audiences and adolescents are able to obtain such pornographic materials easily. Media is increasingly getting more space in the lives of our youth. Children these days learn sex on media. Most children are already knowledgeable about sex through various print and electronic media. (Calasagsag, 1996) This finding is supported by the YAFS 3, which reported mass media as the new surrogate parent (2000 State of the Philippine Population Report 2nd Edition : PINOY YOUTH: Making Choices, Building Voices ,Commission of Population). The McCann-Erickson study (2000) found that the media has become the determining factor to what is perceived as right, wrong, and important. Among the youths from and living in the NCR are those who show highest prevalence of exposure to pornography. Statistics reveal that 69 percent have been exposed to pornographic materials; while 49 percent have read printed pornographic literature. There has been an alarming growth in the rate of teenage pregnancies over the past years. In response to this, sex education has been implemented in schools. According to Department of Education (2010), sex education covers topics such as â€Å"reproductive systems and cycles, hygiene, pre-marital sex,  teenage pregnancy  and sexually transmitted diseases. However, the government, through the Department of Education is taking a drastic step by introducing the sex education program to public school pupils. The sex education modules are to be pilot tested in some 79 public secondary schools and 80 elementary schools (Grades V and VI) across the country. This action has met opposition in the form of the Church which believes that sex education promotes promiscuity among children† and that it â€Å"should strictly remain a family affair. The Church is the most vocal about its dissent in the implementation of the latest sex education module released by DepEd in 2006. It is to be noted that sex education has been part of the curriculum of some Catholic schools during the past years but it does not dwell only on the human reproduction system. The opposition of the Church is not sex education per se but the contents of the latest module. Released in June 2006, Quitorio said the new module focused on reproduction and not on the totality of sexuality, which makes a bad impression (Sex Education Long Been Taught in Catholic schools: Prelate, Manila Sun Star). Furthermore, he said that the module advocates and promotes the use of contraceptives among the youth. DepEd, on the other hand, maintained that the module only seeks to educate the students on sexuality and to guide them so as to prevent early pregnancy and the possibility of acquiring sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) through unprotected sex. If sex education can be effective in battling the negative implications of exposure to pornography to adolescents, then as such the morality and the sacredness of the sexual intercourse will be strengthened and will redound to the benefit of the educated person. Yet there is still a need to prove that sex education is beneficial in preventing the negative effects of exposure to pornography. There are already some private educational institutions who have included in their curricula sex education or some of its integral topics in their GMRC and Theology classes. Some of the schools which included sex education in its curricula are San Beda College – Mendiola, Manila, and U. P. Integrated School – Diliman, and Arellano University High School. However, conservatist schools such as O. B. Montessori School have already removed sex education in their curricula after having it in their curriculum for a year, or are hesitant in including sex education in their curricula. The Arellano University has the rationale that they will train students to be effective teachers by: familiarizing them with problems relative to teaching and their solutions; providing direct and vicarious experience through in-campus and  off-campus teaching; and acquainting them with the worthwhile values of the Filipino culture and the strategies and  means by which these may be implemented on children and the youth. They also have the objectives of developing students who may be future leaders not only in the academe but also in the community and the nation through: experience in curricular and extra-curricular activities; involvement and participation in organization, workshop,  conferences, seminars, etc. ; contribution to national development goals, through self help  and social service projects; and transmission, preservation, and enrichment of the national heritage (Arellano University website, 2010). The O. B. Montessori School has rationale of a high school student definitely equipped with a stable and strong foundation of education. In most cases, â€Å"graduates† happily succeed in college life and adapt easily to the demands of college workload. Unlike other graduates who tend to be dependent and inhibited, Montessori students enter college with confidence, concentration, and strong values and spiritual beliefs. The third stage of development from 13-18 years is the adolescent stage when valorization of personality occurs as the individual prepares to enter adulthood by acquiring confidence. This is the period when emotion, no longer intelligence, becomes operational in his preparation for adult responsibility. It is characterized by great physical, emotional, psychological and social transformation when self- consciousness is heightened and requires the performing arts, sports and para-military training to transform timidity to self-confidence. The adolescent Filipino is filled with creative energy and intensely seeks economic independence. The O. B. Montessori Professional High School program not only provides academic preparation for college but also training skills in business reinforced with leadership and civic consciousness. One of the topics included in the program is sex education (O. B. Montessori website, 2010). It is assumed by the researchers that the following facts are true: First, that sex education exists in the Philippines. There are programs and topics that are directly related to sex education that are being discussed in parts of the curricula of different schools. Second, that sex education is being implemented in private educational institutions, through topics included in the institution’s curricula. There are many private schools who have topics correlated to the ideals of sex education and the sex education per se, who have been influential in developing the mental psyche of a moral and just citizen. Third, that sex education is beneficial to Filipino teenagers. Sex education’s aim is to inform the adolescent youth about the human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior. Fourth, those Filipino teenagers are exposed to various media involving pornography. There are a plethora of various materials in media that promote pornography, be it either pictures, literary works or videos. Fifth, that the knowledge of pornography is prevalent among Filipino teenagers. It is a fact that almost all adolescent Filipinos know about pornography. Many of the youth have knowledge or a basic idea of what pornography is and where and how to access it. Sixth, that most parents are against it despite its current implementation and are actually keen on keeping â€Å"sexual topics† taboo. Many of the news articles and opinions on the current legislative actions concerning the topic of sexual education have already surfaced, and mostly all of these articles are against sex education. Seventh, that sex education is perceived society as â€Å"immoral† and actually worsening the problems it is meant to solve. Since time in memorial, religion has abhorred sex education as â€Å"its teaching actually gives the desire to act on those actions that were taught in sex education classes†. Lastly, those Filipino adolescents who have undergone sex education and are knowledgeable about pornography have used this knowledge to divert sexual activities and urges to a positive outlet. As the Filipino idea of sex education seems to be in the negative, the actual implication of the youth who have undergone sex education and have already basic knowledge about pornography is promising on the individual itself. It also harbors the idea that once a person who is educated and is knowledgeable about sexual issues, he is can distinguish what is morally correct and incorrect on how he acts. The research paper will investigate the effectiveness of sex education programs in preventing the negative effects of exposure to pornography. Its aim is to educate and guide students and other concerned people like parents and educators. It also aims to provide useful information in relation to this topic, provide meaningful analysis of the current effects of sex education to preventing pornography, and strengthen the morality of sex as an act and as a sacred rite of passage or vocation. Statement of the Problem This research paper aims to answer the following problems: 1. Is sex education effective in regulating the negative effects of exposure to pornography among Filipino teenagers in the Arellano University High School in 2010? 2. Does sex education strengthen their view of the morality of sex? 3. Is sex education effective in diverting sexual urges? 4. Does sex education generate curiosity among Filipino teenagers to engage in sexual intercourse or any other sexual activities? Significance of the Study The research will benefit mostly – the students, who are the main concern of the study and whose well-being is at stake due to the implementation or non-implementation of sex education. Secondary concern of the study are the parents and educators who are entrusted with the overall responsibility of honing the Filipino youth – intellectually, morally, and spiritually through their enforcement and implementation of certain measures which will uphold the well-being of the youth. Tertiary concern of the study are the Department of Education and the Philippine society as a whole who are the primary leaders of change and pro-activity, which can or may affect the society as a whole and thus affect the youth itself. The information that this research paper will yield is primarily beneficial to the students who will know about: a. hat are the benefits of sex education they can benefit from, b. the immorality of pornography, and c. the different viewpoints of different sectors of sex education and pornography. Their being informed of sex education, its aim, its content, its implementation and its good and bad effects will consequently benefit the students. The results that this study will yield will help parents in determining the effectiveness of sex education. It would help the parents, with teachers, in formulating the best solution for issues regarding sexuality. Also, it seeks to provide parents with a basis for critical and sound judgments regarding the issue. Relying on opinions and beliefs which are not founded on concrete evidence should not be the sole basis of parents and educators in determining whether sex education does more harm than good. They should be informed and equipped with facts in order to weigh the pros and cons of sex education. The research will help them understand the effectiveness of sex education in helping to a. reduce risk behaviors such as unprotected sex, and equip individuals to make informed decisions about their personal sexual activity, b. ontrol the body and liberation from social control, c. provide individuals with the knowledge necessary to liberate themselves from socially organized sexual oppression and to make up their own minds. It will also be helpful to administrators and educators of sex education classes and similar classes linked to sex education and its topics, to know a. if sex education curri cula break down pre-existing notions of modesty and encourage acceptance of practices that those advocating this viewpoint deem immoral, such as homosexuality and premarital sex, b. nd to teach that sexual behavior outside of marriage is immoral, so their adherents feel that this morality should be taught as part of sex education. The Department of Education may also find this material useful as a reference for the improvement of sex education. This study will help them point out the weak aspects of sex education which has already been implemented in the past. Consequently, the findings could be utilized to provide them with additional information with which to compare data from the currently implemented program. The study will help them determine what makes sex education successful or unsuccessful. Society as a whole would be able to make an informed stand based on actual data and observations. This would help them decide whether or not to support the steps taken by the government. This would help them determine whether the Church’s contention has basis. This would help society refine its current understanding of sex education that would help them cultivate updated solutions to the issues plaguing the country. Scope and Delimitation This research paper is a descriptive research paper. The main problem to be tackled is the effectiveness of sex education to counteract the exposure of Filipino teenagers to pornography. The scope would also cover some moral issues about sex education from the viewpoint of the society of the Philippines, of the government of the Philippines, and of several religious institution, more specifically the Catholic Church, using a sample of adolescent students from Arellano University High School and O. B. Montessori High School. The researchers would base their research through one-on-one interviews, random survey questionnaires and observation, the population of which are thirty students per class, totaling one hundred fifty (150) students in O. B. Montessori High School and forty students per class, totaling two hundred (200) students in Arellano University High School and the sample size of ninety (90) students in O. B. Montessori High School and one hundred twenty (120) students in Arellano University High School. The participants or the respondents are those who have and have not received sex education and are knowledgeable on pornography. They are Filipino teenagers aged 14 to 18 years of age, male or female. The scope of the paper would be limited to the Arellano University High School and the O. B. Montessori High School, Greenhills Branch in the Philippines, more specifically in Metro Manila. Data gathering for this research paper will take approximately one month. Chapter II THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Review of Related Literature This chapter will provide useful information about sex education, pornography, and the status quo of the issues of the implementation of sex education in the Philippines. Also provided here are the concepts of sexuality for Filipinos, recent legislative laws and bills regarding sex education, and recent news articles and stories concerning sex education. Sex Education Prior to discussing sex education, as the prime matter, sexuality must be delineated in a broad-spectrum. Sex education is a broad term used to describe education about human sexual anatomy, sexual reproduction, sexual intercourse, reproductive health, emotional relations, reproductive rights and responsibilities, abstinence, contraception, and other aspects of human sexual behavior. Common avenues for sex education are parents or caregivers, school programs, and public health campaigns (Sex Education, en. wikipedia. org, 2010). It is an integral part of education in most developed countries, like the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea, India and China. It is stressed in these countries that the idea of sexual education encompasses â€Å"education about all aspects of sexuality, including information about family planning, reproduction (fertilization, conception and development of the embryo and fetus, through to childbirth), plus information about all aspects of ones sexuality including: body image, sexual orientation, sexual pleasure, values, decision making, communication, dating, relationships, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and how to avoid them, and birth control method† all that is stated above, not only focusing on the physical aspect of sex nor is that sex education only talking about the totality of the sexual intercourse as an act (Sex Education, en. wikipedia. org, 2010). In Asia, the state of sex education programs is at various stages of development. Indonesia, Mongolia, South Korea have a systematic school policy framework for teaching about sex. Here in Southeast Asia, countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand have assessed adolescent reproductive health needs with a view to developing adolescent-specific training, messages and materials. Sex education, as a whole subject matter in the Philippines, is practically non-existent. Except for discussions of parents with their children regarding the â€Å"birds and the bees† and of theology and GMRC teachers with their students, the idea of sex education being implemented here in the Philippines is farfetched. Sex education, as said by Guerrero, should not be imparted with all the do’s and don’ts instead proper guidelines must be strictly implemented for the child to determine his or her own responsibilities. (Sariling Paturuan, 1982) With sex education, Guerrero posits that people who are addicted to having sex education may avoid their promiscuousness by understanding the danger and other effects of it. It is unproven whether the knowledge of sex will pollute the child’s mind. Sexual ignorance would only result to indecisiveness and even wrong decisions. As such, reproductive systems and other important sexual issues and topics are taboo and always are met with opposition. It is mainly caused by our own culture’s conservatism and being traditionalists. (Georpe, 2002. Being conservative Roman Catholics, often Filipinos think of sex education as morally incompatible with the beliefs and ideals of the Catholic Church. Sexual liberalism, often caused by sex educat ion classes makes a Filipino think that a certain individual is sexually promiscuous. While the influence of globalization became dominant, numerous Filipinos remained conservative with their sexual values. Philippine Sexuality According to Guerrero, â€Å"a part of one’s total personality is human sexuality†. It refers to the sum total of man’s animated feelings. Not only as a sexual part but as male and female. It is a life-long process commencing at birth. Basic knowledge of sex may be attained when the child grows either to manhood or womanhood (Sariiling Paturuan, 1982) Philippine Sexuality refers to the sensuality of man as professed, expressed, and respected by the Filipino people. This encompasses sexual behavior, practices, and activities exhibited by Filipino men and women of history and of current. Filipino Sexuality seems to have been affected by education, media and even by technological advancements. But despite its immediate dispersion, legislative procedures primarily involving regulations were promulgated to grant prominence that sexual acts should happen only within the framework of marriage between a man and a woman, because this personal human expression is sturdily associated with the family unit and with the society as a whole. As a predominantly Christian country, the Philippines considers that the only sexual behavior morally and legally acceptable and appropriate is heterosexual intercourse within a monogamous marriage, with the exception of polygamous marriage as practiced by some Filipino minority groups and by Muslim communities in the Mindanao, southern, and southwestern regions of the Philippines, as long as the men of these population are financially capable of supporting their multiple wives. Sex Education in the Philippines: A Brief History Long before the arrival of the first group of Spaniards in the Philippine islands on the shores of Cebu, under the leadership of Ferdinand Magellan, ancient native Filipinos already had their own sexual and relationship practices. One of them is the carrying out of polygamy. Early Filipino tribal men had five or more wives, a marital ethnic norm of the archipelago at the time. In addition to this, about more than one thousand years ago, the Filipino Ifugao people of northern central Philippines already had well-established values on marriage and sexuality. Prior to 1969, sex education in the Philippines was non-existent. Instructions were limited only to discussions on pregnancy and childcare within the confines of the family unit, specifically between female members of the home. Outside the family or the home setting, available informal information – in the form of television and radio programs, illegal adult or sex publications, and the like – was imprecise, flawed, or deficient. After the World Health Organization and the Philippine governments introduction of programs on family planning and birth/conception control in the past years, suburban and rural Philippine communities received training in these programs, with instructions on basic biology, pregnancy, and contraception that focused on the use of birth control pills. This program was clandestinely sustained by the Roman Catholic Church to reduce the familys burden of child rearing because of poverty It was only in the late 1970s when Philippine high schools and colleges began to include teachings related to public health, sexually transmitted diseases, and limited information on human reproduction and human sexuality in the curriculum for science courses, such as biology. The limitation was truncated by the Filipino tradition of not explicitly mentioning or showing images of the male and female sex organs even for educational purposes. In 1972, DepEd already had a module for sex education aimed towards teaching sex education and population development concepts to elementary and high school students. These were integrated into the curricula of appropriate year levels. The module was adapted as a model by other Asian countries which includes Thailand, Japan and China. The 1994 sex education module was revised into â€Å"Lesson Plan of Adolescent Reproductive Health. † It tacked premarital sex and STD. In the year 2000, a review and revision by DepEd was conducted for the purpose of adapting to the changing times. This was done together with the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines. During the Arroyo administration in 2006, the trial run of a sex education program in Metro Manila did not prosper due to the objection of CBCP which argued that its introduction to public schools will encourage teenagers to engage in sex. (DepEd Set to Launch Sex Education in Public Schools, www. inquirer. net, 2008). Recent Legislation and Related Current Events In 2004, Rep. Lagman’s bill on Reproductive Health Bill was a hot topic, pushing for mandatory implementation of sex education among students from grade 5 to 4th year high school. Critics of Lagman, especially Dr. Junice Melgar said that â€Å"You can’t just teach and push for abstinence before marriage. It might send a wrong signal to the youth and increase the incidence of premarital sex if you use reverse psychology. † (Barrinuevo et al, 2004. ) In light of the recent talks and debates about the Reproductive Health Bill, people have been clamoring various actions to enforce the ideals of this bill. The Reproductive Health Bill is a conglomerate of House Bill No. 17 authored by Rep. Edcel Lagman, House Bill No. 812 authored by Rep. Janette Garin, Senate Bill No. 40 authored by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon and Senate Bill No. 43 authored by Sen. Panfilo Lacson who are members of the House of Representatives and the Senate of the 14th Congress of the Philippines (senate. gov. ph, 2010). According to Rep. Edcel Lagman in his article in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, one of the aims of the Reproductive Health Bill is to provide sexual education (Philippine Daily Inquirer, Jan. 16, 2010). â€Å"Reproductive health education in an age-appropriate manner shall be taught by adequately trained teachers from Grade 5 to 4th year high school. As proposed in the bill, core subjects include responsible parenthood, natural and modern family planning, proscription and hazards of abortion, reproductive health and sexual rights, abstinence before marriage, and responsible sexuality. † Moreover, â€Å"Sexuality education will neither spawn â€Å"a generation of sex maniacs† nor breed a culture of promiscuity. Age-appropriate RH education promotes correct sexual values. It will not only instill consciousness of freedom of choice but also responsible exercise of one’s rights. The UN and countries which have youth sexuality education document its beneficial results: understanding of proper sexual values is promoted; early initiation into sexual relations is delayed; abstinence before marriage is encouraged; multiple-sex partners are [sic] avoided; and spread of sexually transmitted diseases is prevented. † According to the DepEd, from implementing Memorandum No. 261, which integrates sex education in the curriculum for private and public schools, adopting the sex education plan will fast-track moral decay among young people who are exposed to sex at an early age. While curiosity is normal for young people, it is still the primary responsibility of the parents and families to inform their children about sex. † (DepEd Memorandum No. 261, 2010). Discussions will focus on the science of reproduction, physical care and hygiene, correct v alues and the norms of interpersonal relations to avoid premarital sex and teenage pregnancy. The topics integrated into the modules will be scientific and informative and are not designed to titillate prurient interest. In Science, sex education topics will cover the reproductive system, parts of the body, reproductive cycle, and puberty. Under Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP), proper behavior among and between peers of different genders will be discussed. In Health classes under MAPEH (Music, Arts, PE and Health), personal hygiene and reproductive health will be part of the lessons. In Heograpiya, Kasaysayan, at Sibika (HEKASI) classes, discussion will include the position of religion on premarital sex and the norms when people of opposite sex interact. Finally, in Math classes, data on issues like premarital sex, teenage pregnancy, and sexually transmitted infections will be used in studying mathematical analysis and statistics. Starting this year 2010, sex education will be integrated in regular subjects including science, health, English and physical education, said Assistant Education Secretary Teresita Inciong, who is heading the project funded by the U. N. Population Fund. (Teves, Boston News. 2010) The World Health Organization, UNICEF, and UNESCO also had worked on guidelines about sex education, with the aim of improving awareness of sexuality. They suggest for example that masturbation be discussed between 5 to 8 year old and in detail between 9 to 12 years old. (Editorial: Sex education, 2009) The Stand of the Parents in the Implementation of Sex Education As O’Brien said in his book Sex Character Education, â€Å"instructions which are formal should preferably be given privately and must in furtherance be supplemented by providing proper exercise. All the ways, by which a child can be taught, nothing compares in effectiveness with the personal example of the parents. Among all the ways of indirect instruction good literature is the most effective. Any sex instruction which ignores the education of the emotions is considered defective and useless. Since it cannot absorb nor have deep intellectual interest, enthusiasm and proper knowledge could not be gained well. † (1980) O’Brien continues by adding that â€Å"parents have the primary and fundamental obligation of explaining sex to their offspring. Having to neglect it means having robbed from their children an important part of their birthright. Hence, it could also lead to confusion and misconceptions that are detrimental to their psychological being. They are first to explain the meaning of sex because their child trusts them as they trust no others. † He posits though, â€Å"the law of nature are as clear as crystal, that parents are naturally circumstanced to talk about the given matter, only a few could fulfill this primary duty. † Guerrero continues this thought by saying that â€Å"parents tend to be embarrassed when faced with problems related to sex lives of their children. They show much fear and anxiety over such topics and as such punish their children for acts they thought were innocent. † (Sariling Paturuan, 1982) Guerrero then states that parents must avoid seeing sex as a way to control and suppress sexual expression. Sex education should be concentrated on providing necessary information to avoid confusion and ignorance. Parents must never give the impression that they deprive their children the right to sexual knowledge or the proper sexual activity. Parents who are against the implementation of the sex education program launched petitions against DepEd Memo No. 261 which is â€Å"a sex-ed initiative in the Philippines supported by the U. N. † Their argument was that â€Å"the legislation is unconstitutional as it violates the primary rights of parents to develop the moral character of their children. † Furthermore, they argued that â€Å"it was unnecessary for children as young as nine to be taught about reproductive health† (Parents in Philippines Objecting to Sex Education Program Targeting Children, www. catholicnewsagency. com, 2010). Even parents in the U Sex Education Essay Example Sex Education Essay When thinking of education, many people automatically think of going to school and learning math, English, history, and science, but education Is more than Just going to school. According to www. Webster. Com, the website for the Miriam-Webster dictionary, education is defined as the action or process of educating or of being educated. Webster describes educate as 1 a: to provide schooling for 2 a: to develop mentally, morally, or aesthetically especially by instruction b: to provide with information. By looking at these definitions people can be educated on many Ideas ND subjects, not Just those that are standard to school. When people think of sex education, some believe It Is the act of teaching how to have sex. In some cases this may be true depending on the literature someone reads or by the person doing the educating. If peers are doing the teaching, they may learn the act of sex and the sensations. If parents are doing the teaching, they may focus more on the moral and relig ious aspects of having sex. But, when looking at sex education from a scholastic approach, schools teach youth about the other things that are associated with sex. Sex education in school is designed to help teach youth about the other aspects of sex not the actual act of having it. This type of education teaches youth about the process of puberty, such as how the body visually changes and how a person emotionally changes. It also teaches, depending on the school and instructor, about checking the body and asking questions when something seems unusual. Sex education may delve more Into different diseases, such as cancer and sexually transmitted diseases, that a person may get and how to spot them. Sex education Is also designed to talk to youth about the effects of having sex, such as getting pregnant. It may also get into the idea of how to cope with peer pressure, which may help not only with sex, but also when youth are approached about drugs and alcohol. There are many views regarding who should teach sex education tooth. We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Education specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Many people feel this should be left completely up to the parents to teach, and others feel this type of education should be a collaborated effort from both parents and schools. By allowing schools to assist In educating youth about sex education, they will learn ore than just what parents teach, and may help dispel any myths about sex. Schools are designed to research and receive information based more on what physically happens and the different types of changes that happen to the body, whereas parents may not do the research and perhaps will only talk about their experiences. Schools should be Involved In teaching youth about sex education. Schools decided to start teaching sex education to youth many years ago, not only in the united States, but in many other countries. Schools offer health classes to teach youth about the human body in general. At some point a decision was made that schools should teach sex education to make sure youth received proper information about their bodies, both male and female, and how their bodies change over time. Schools teach students about puberty, which the Miriam-Webster online dictionary describes as the condition of being or the period of becoming first first occurrence of menstruation in the female. Additionally, Miriam-Webster states that the ages for boys and girls to reach puberty is legally construed as ages fourteen and twelve respectively, which is when youth are going into Junior high school. At the time in youths lives when their bodies are changing and they have questions on why, some youth have a hard time talking to parents about what is happening to them. Some parents may have a hard time discussing all the changes their child is going through, because they are not sure of the information, are unsure about how to talk about it, or do not have time to talk to their children. Youth may come up with questions that parents may not know the answer to or may not want to discuss. There are many people who feel No one can talk clearly about a subject if theyre not sure of the facts. And faced by their childrens questions, many parents find theyre not quite sure of the facts as they thought they were (Keener 37). When youth are entering Junior high, they need information about their changing bodies and a school classroom is a great place to get this information. Schools are designed to research subjects of all kinds, and have instructors who are familiar and are able to answer different types of questions, or if they are not sure of the answers, are knowledgeable enough to find answers for their students. Many schools try to build their sex education curriculum to discuss the changes in the body, such as: the increasing amount of hair on the body, more sweating, and certain aspects of their body getting bigger. Many teachers try to get the students to ask questions about what is happening and what may happen to them as they age, both physically and mentally. Youth also go through many psychological changes during puberty, such as mood swings. If youth are not given the proper information and enough information about their bodies, they may feel that what they are going through is strange and not supposed to happen at all. When schools teach about body development, they are able to teach students bout checking themselves for anything unusual. When students learn about how their bodies should change and look as they age, they are then able to check themselves. One thing that some sex education courses may get into is cancer. When they discuss cancer, they talk about how students need to check their bodies, either on their own or with a doctor, for any unusual bumps. Many young girls are already aware of breast cancer from television, but most boys are not aware of testicular cancer. Sex education courses can get more in depth about the different places cancer can occur and how to check for them. Unless a parent is familiar with different cancers, how is a child to learn about them? As youth go through their lives they experience many types of peer pressure, from friends and other people trying to get them to drink alcohol, do drugs, or even steal. One thing that most youth go through is pressure about having sex. Sex is an overpowering force in society; sex is portrayed on television, in music, and in books. Ann Chairman says Childrens culture, once surrounded only by comics, and radio, now is inundated with sexual images and messages many of which suggest that the ore casual, reckless, and even exploitative sex is the more pleasurable (CTD. N Learn 136). Since sex is everywhere, some youth feel they have to participate in sex to be cool. Both adults and youth may be pressured into having sex, or participate in the saying if you love me you will sleep with me. The people being pressured go through feelings of if I dont have sex with this person then they may not stay with me or if I do have sex with this person everyone may think that I am easy. Government, a nd many parents, think that all that a child needs to do is say no, but they forget what peer pressure was like at a young age. Adults have a hard enough time saying no to sex and sexual activities, but adolescents who are not taught that it is K to say no, and the different ways to say no, will struggle to do so. People of all ages want to be liked and accepted with the in crowds, and will do many things to be classified in that crowd, things such as drinking, doing drugs, smoking cigarettes, and even having sex. When talking to youth about peer pressure, teachers are able to advise youth about counselors and people they can talk to should they need assistance. Schools also try to teach youth to respect themselves and their feelings, ND that if they are not comfortable in having sex, whether it is with that specific person or Just not ready at all, that it is K to say no; and when someone says no to respect the other persons wishes. When people choose to have sex there is a possibility of the female becoming pregnant. When teachers discuss pregnancy during sex education they generally start by talking about the ways to prevent pregnancy. The first and most common prevention method is abstinence. Many parents and lawmakers prefer that abstinence be the only method discussed, while others prefer the abstinence plus or impressive method. Abstaining from sex is the only one hundred percent way to keep from becoming pregnant; but there are other ways to help minimize the risks should a person choose to have sex. If teachers are teaching the abstinence plus method, they would then discuss the different types of contraception that can be used to keep from becoming pregnant. Teachers would discuss the pros and cons of each type of contraception with the students. The abstinence only program usually just discusses the failures of the different types of contraception, which does not give dents complete and correct information (Sex Education Programs). Schools also discuss what the body goes through during pregnancy, such as the visual changes, the physical changes that are not seen, and the emotional side as well. They also delve into the kinds of life changes that may happen, like the responsibilities of parenthood. Schools talk about what social changes a person has to make when they have a child, such as not being able to go out whenever that person may want to, having to find a babysitter that is trustworthy, and the money that will need to be diverted to childcare. Although parents may cover pregnancy with children, they may over exaggerate what may happen, whereas a teacher will give the facts to students. When a person chooses to have sex there is a risk of contracting a sexually transmitted disease or SST, also know as a sexually transmitted infection or SST. Schools tend to do research and obtain information on the many different types of Studs, and can teach more of that information to students than some parents. Youth will learn the different ways of contracting the diseases, what symptoms a person may get when they contract one of them, and what kind, if any, cures exist. If youth are taught comprehensive information about Studs, there will be a decrease in Studs being spread. In Lorans book Safer Sex: The New Morality, it is stated that significantly lowered their SIT rates because of their pragmatic approach to sexuality. They have educated the public through schools and through mass media campaigns (152). If European countries have been able to lower SST rates by education than so can the United States by allowing schools to teach comprehensive sex education. By allowing schools to teach sex education they will be able to stop some of the youths associated with sex. Some myths associated with sex are that a female cannot get pregnant the first time having sex, without penetration, having sex in a hot tub, if have not started menstruation, if douche after sex, or if a female is raped. Other myths include premarital sex will cause infertility; condoms either do not work at all or can be twice as safe if uses more than one, condoms do not provide any protection from sexually transmitted diseases; or that a person can not contract diseases through anal sex (Grant; Learn 142). According to Planned Parenthood, allowing schools to teach comprehensive sex education will help students confront the realities of sexual behavior since it is able to cover topics like abstinence, contraception, and sexually transmitted diseases (Sexual Values 177). Schools may teach more than Just puberty, pregnancy, Studs, and peer pressure. Unfortunately, there is no standard on what a school teaches. One group, the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States or CUSCUS, suggests that schools teach the comprehensive method of sex education. CUSCUS has developed a large document that gives suggested guidelines for schools to build heir curriculum on. They have six key concepts which are human development, relationships, personal skills, sexual behavior, sexual health, and society and culture; each of these with six to seven topics. Some of the topics include puberty, reproduction, body image, sexual orientation, family relationships, friendship, love, romance, marriage, children, values, decision making, communication, negotiation, sexuality throughout life, abstinence, sexual fantasy, contraception, abortion, sexually transmitted diseases, HIVE and AIDS, gender roles, and diversity (Guidelines for Comprehensive 18). If schools are able to follow the guidelines set by CUSCUS, then students will be taught more than Just sex before marriage, but a myriad of information that will assist them in multiple types of relationships for the rest of their lives. Although sexual education courses are good and very informative, there are still many people who oppose those types of classes. Some people feel that schools will end up sending mixed messages to adolescents when teaching sex education. These people feel it is a mixed message because a school will try to teach youth to abstain room sex, but then include information about safe sex (Sexual Values 183). People feel that by including both types of messages, youth will not be able to distinguish which method is the better of the two and will choose to have sex. Some parents feel that schools should stay out of teaching sex education and leave it up to them. There are parents who feel that the only people who should be teaching youth about sex or anything associated with sex, are parents. One reason why some people feel this way is because when teaching children about sex, youth are also being taught bout morals and values which are designated as parental responsibilities not scholastic. Many parents want their children to have certain values, which are often through parents or religious leaders only because they can teach youth those values. Some religions and countries believe it is taboo to talk openly about sex. There are parents whom feel that schools should not be teaching sex because it is against their specific values or religion to talk about sex openly. Some parents also feel that by schools teaching sex education to youth, they are promoting teen sex. Parents feel hat giving youth the knowledge about contraceptives and how to use contraceptives properly will encourage them to have sex. When talking about condoms some people feel Teach them how to use them? Why not teach them how to have sexual intercourse right in class? Thats what youre encouraging (Learn 144). During sex education courses, adolescents are sometimes exposed to videos about sex and the body parts that are generally associated with sexual activities. Many parents do not like the idea of their children being exposed to these types of imagery and thus do not approve of sex education being taught in school. Some people believe that sex education courses that have already been introduced into the schools are the cause of the increase in number of teens that have sex and the increase in teen pregnancy (Humility). Even though there are parents and other people who feel that sex education should be left up to parents, there are still good reasons why a school should be involved as well. Even the American Medical Associations (AMA) website acknowledges that both parents and schools should be involved in youths sexual education experiences (Abstinence-only). There are parents who believe that schools would be interfering with their beliefs and values if the schools were to teach sex education, but sex education courses are more about facts and allowing the students to make their own decisions when it comes to sexual relationships. There are some cultures and religions that feel talking openly about sex is taboo, take China for instance. China has had a long standing belief that sex should not openly be discussed. According too Chinese newspaper called Peoples Daily, China has decided to start teaching sex education in middle schools. This article states that Lie Handing, who is the deputy director of the Family Planning Association of China, believes it is time to stop teaching their ideal moral standards, and allow the youth to learn and be able to choose the right lifestyle choice on their own (Beijing Publishes). So even though it has been taboo in China to talk about sex, they have decided that it is in the best interest of their youth to have the schools teach sex education. There are some people who feel that by teaching sex education to youth, schools will be sending mixed messages. Schools advocate abstinence but also teach about interception to give youth adequate information for when they choose to engage in sexual activities, whenever they choose to do so. According to a book titled Sexual Values: Opposing Viewpoints, Planned Parenthood feels that instructing youth on abstinence and contraceptives is not sending mixed messages. Planned Parenthood states that by teaching both, schools will be teaching a balanced message not a mixed message. They give a few examples of similar messages: Drive safely so you can avoid accidents; and wear your seat belt Just in case. Candy tastes good, but eating a lot of it isnt good for you. Its best to avoid too much sun exposure; but if youre going to be in the sun a lot, wear sunscreen (Sexual Values 183). So society is already sending these types of messages without them being construed as being member in Texas, Teachers should teach both because thats what education is teaching students about the pros and cons and helping them make the best possible choice for themselves (Thomas). So teaching both abstinence and contraception to youth is a good idea because they receive complete information. Although there are people who feel that by teaching sex education to youth, schools will be promoting sex, there are statistics that contradict this theory. When the World Health Organization (WHO) reviewed 35 sex education programs they found that comprehensive programs were effective in promoting the delay of first intercourse and safer sex practices. The WHO says that none of these programs increase sexual activity levels (Learn 126). Even Avert. Org, an international AIDS charity, agrees that sex education programs push the average age of first sexual intercourse back and also reduces the risks associated with sex (Sex Education that Works). By giving youth complete and correct information on sex and the risks associated with sex, youth are able to make their own responsible decisions on whether they are willing to take those risks. There are other countries that teach sex education, and their rates of teen sexual activity are no higher than Americas, and their rates of teenage pregnancy, childbearing, and abortion are two to seven times lower (Sexual Values 178). In a 1986 report from the National Research Council, it was found that the information given on contraceptives did not influence their decision to participate in sexual activities (Sexual Values 183). According to Debra Huffier, who wrote Abstinence-only education Isnt Enough, there was a government report that found as the comprehensive sex education courses increased the number of teenage females participating in sex has decreased and so has the birthrate among them (CTD. In Francoise and Tavern 80). Although parents and other people will still have the belief that instructing youth on sex education will increase their chance of having sex, there are many people who say that it does not increase the amount, but it does assist those who are already having sex to make good decisions about protecting themselves. When looking at different statistics for teen pregnancy and Studs comparing the United States to other Countries that have extensive sex education courses, there are tremendous differences. Youth in the United States are experimenting in sexual activities at younger ages than they have in the past. According to the book Sexual Values, One-fourth of all girls and one-third of all boys have had intercourse by age 15; 75% of females and 86% of males by age 19 (181). This is an alarming amount of youth participating in sexual activities. An article written in a youth magazine in Australia says The U. S. Pregnancy rate is 53 per 1000 teenagers. Holland, which has had explicit sex education for decades has a rate of 5 per 1000, as is Australias. Only 6% of the births in Queensland are to teenagers (Divided Opinion). Many youth that are participating in sexual activities are doing so unprotected, and according to some research young people 1 5 to 24 account for about half the new cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States each year (Sherman). According to the book Safer Sex: The New Morality, Teens in the United States contract about 3 million Stys each year. Chlamydia is n the rise, with severe consequences. Our generator rate is 25 times higher than Germany. In the general population, the United States rate of AIDS is ten times more than four times higher than the rate in France. One in five people in the United States has an SST. About 25 percent of sexually experienced adolescents are infected. (Learn 153) These other countries listed include sex education in their school curriculum and their statistics are better than the United States. Of course parents should be teaching their children sex education, but schools play a vital and long-standing role in adolescents lives. Many parents find talking about sex education difficult, and that they are not sure of all of the information that youth may want to discuss. Schools have been designed to provide youth with complete information in order for them to be better informed and be able to make their own educated Judgments. One person has been quoted as saying: I ask those who oppose sex education: How could education ever be wrong? How could ignorance ever be right? What good is reading, writing and arithmetic to a student who will die of AIDS because he or she was denied education by our schools? There are many reasons why schools must educate students on life issues like protective sex education. Ignorance is not bliss. (Sexual Values 179) No parents would want their children to be uneducated, and when it comes to sex education, there should be no difference in that belief. As previously mentioned, there have also been studies which have shown that other countries whom include sex education into their curriculum may not have less teen sex, but teens wait anywhere from a year to two years longer than here in the United States, have less teen pregnancies, and lower rates of sexually transmitted sissies. By looking at this kind of information, what better way to have youth educated on issues that are discussed in sex education, than to have it taught by schools? Schools may not get into the religious views on sex, but schools can at least ensure that youth have correct information. Very few people will choose to abstain from sex until marriage, so youth need all valid information to be able to make informed choices when they choose to participate in sexual activities, whether before or during marriage. The only way to make sure youth received complete information s to have schools teach sex education as well as the parents. Sex Education Essay Example Sex Education Essay Something thats being overlooked is this situation: Whether students are taught sex education in elementary school or not, those students will most likely learn about sex through some other means anyways. However, sex education should not be taught in elementary school. First of all, if schools were to teach sex education at the elementary level, it would only make children more curious about sex and we all know what curiosity did to the cat right? Furthermore, what would be accomplished by teaching students sex education in elementary school? Lastly, there are other subjects that we could be putting more emphasis on instead of sex at the elementary level. So no, elementary students should not have sex education classes. When dealing with the topic of sex, it is a great idea to know who youre dealing with when trying to explain it. As good as teachers know their students, the parents of the students are better off trying to explain sex to the students. Especially at the elementary level. It would take someone who the students saw as an authority figure to teach them about sex and sorry to say, all students do not feel as if their teachers have authority over them. We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Education specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Sex Education specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer To make matters worse, since students would not feel like the teachers could tell them what they could and could not do, they might actually decide to try it. It is the same as telling children not to play with fire. Ever notice how many children still end up with burns? Curiosity did indeed kill the cat. Something else to consider when thinking about whether students should be taught sex education in elementary school: What are the benefits and do they outweigh the potential problems that could come with it? Yes, students being aware of sex and all of its problems would help them. But it could potentially hurt them as well. If schools are going to teach sex education, they should focus on abstinence and not just the intercourse part. Polluting the minds of children at that young of an age, you also want someone who is TRAINED to teach children about sex. That way they do not include their own morals or beliefs into teaching it. The final con to teaching to sex education in elementary school is this: Reading, writing and math need to improve. So instead of putting more time (and money) into a different subject, we SHOULD be putting more effort into those core subjects to see improvement. When looking for a job, sex education is inferior to arithmetic and english skills. Thats why those subjects should be our main concern. Putting sex education above these only deprives us from learning skills that will actually help us to become successful in life and not just when dealing with sex.

review of A Dolls House essays

review of A Doll's House essays My initial impression of the play started when we walked in to the theatre space. The space was small and more intimate than other plays I had recently seen. The furthest seat from the stage was perhaps only 15 feet away. There was no curtain and the set was fixed with a large apron and the stage was not raised but was at floor level with the first row of seats. I immediately got the impression of being in someones living room. This production of Henrik Ibsens groundbreaking play, The Doll House was staged in a black box theatre which was converted from an old warehouse. The Great Canadian Theatre Company (GCTC) lends itself well to this type of intimate performance where the audience can get close to the action on stage and make a connection with the characters. The stage and set design used a proscenium arch design combined with a somewhat large apron which extended the acting area out past the proscenium area giving the audience a feeling of more intimate involvement. Ibsen utilizes a writing structure similar to that of classical Greek theatre, and uses psychological insight that reflects his own position in theatre history. The play is considered to be the first in the genre of Realism, which valued real portrayal of life. The staging of this production play was a very naturalistic drama combined with production elements of normal and selective realism. Props and costumes were realistic interpretations of period pieces. Doors and windows are used and sound is used to imitate reality outside of the apartment, such as the sounds of a party upstairs or the sounds of people in the street. Initially the set design worked at creating the expectation of a small towns or villages that were typical during the late 1800s prior to the major impact of industrialization and urbanization. The set was painted to resemble wooden walls and wooden floors, which gave it a warm feel. The wooden floors where painte...

Jose Rizal, National Hero of the Philippines

Jose Rizal, National Hero of the Philippines Josà ©Ã‚  Rizal (June 19,  1861–December 30,  1896) was a man of incredible intellectual power and amazing artistic talent. He excelled at anything that he put his mind to- medicine, poetry, sketching, architecture, sociology, and more. Rizals martyrdom by the Spanish colonial authorities, while he was still quite young, was a huge loss to ​the Philippines and to the world at large. Today, the people of the Philippines honor him as their national hero. Fast Facts: Josà © Rizal Known For: National hero of the Philippines for his key role inspiring and leading the Philippine Revolution against colonial SpainBorn: June 19, 1861 at Calamba, LagunaParents: Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonzo y QuintosDied: December 30, 1896 in Barcelona, SpainEducation: Ateneo Municipal de Manila, studied medicine at the University of Santo Tomas and medicine and philosophy at the  Universidad Central de Madrid (1884); ophthalmology at the University of Paris and the University of HeidelbergPublished Works: Noli Me Tangere, El FilibusterismoSpouse(s): Josephine Bracken (married two hours before his death)Children: None Early Life Josà ©Ã‚  Rizal was born on June 19, 1861, at Calamba, Laguna, the seventh child of Francisco Rizal Mercado and Teodora Alonzo y Quintos. They named the boy Jose Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda. The Mercado family were wealthy farmers who rented land from the Dominican religious order. Descendants of a Chinese immigrant named Domingo Lam-co, they changed their name to Mercado (market) under the pressure of anti-Chinese feeling among the Spanish colonizers. From an early age, Jose Rizal Mercado showed a precocious intellect. He learned the alphabet from his mother at the age of 3 and could read and write at age 5. Education Josà ©Ã‚  Rizal Mercado attended the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, graduating at the age of 16 with the highest honors. He took a post-graduate course there in land surveying. Rizal Mercado completed his surveyors training in 1877 and passed the licensing exam in May 1878, but he could not receive a license to practice because he was only 17 years old. (He was eventually granted a license in 1881 when he reached the age of majority.) In 1878, the young man also enrolled in the University of Santo Tomas as a medical student. He later quit the school, alleging discrimination against Filipino students by the Dominican professors. In Madrid In May 1882, Josà ©Ã‚  Rizal got on a ship to Spain without informing his parents of his intentions. He enrolled at the Universidad Central de Madrid after arriving. In June 1884, he received his medical degree at the age of 23; the following year, he also graduated from the Philosophy and Letters department. Inspired by his mothers advancing blindness, Rizal next went to the University of Paris and then to the University of Heidelberg to complete further study in the field of ophthalmology. At Heidelberg, he studied under the famed professor Otto Becker. Rizal finished his second doctorate at Heidelberg in 1887. Rizals Life in Europe Jose Rizal lived in Europe for 10 years. During that time, he picked up a number of languages- he could converse in more than 10 different tongues. While in Europe, the young Filipino impressed everyone who met him with his charm, intelligence, and his mastery of an incredible range of different fields of study. Rizal excelled at martial arts, fencing, sculpture, painting, teaching, anthropology, and journalism, among other things. During his European sojourn, he also began to write novels. Rizal finished his first book, Noli Me Tangere, while living in Wilhemsfeld with the Reverend Karl Ullmer. Novels and Other Works Rizal wrote Noli Me Tangere in Spanish; it was published in 1887 in Berlin. The novel is a scathing indictment of the Catholic Church and Spanish colonial rule in the Philippines, and its publication cemented Jose Rizals position on the Spanish colonial governments list of troublemakers. When Rizal returned home for a visit, he received a summons from the Governor General and had to defend himself from charges of disseminating subversive ideas. Although the Spanish governor accepted Rizals explanations, the Catholic Church was less willing to forgive. In 1891, Rizal published a sequel, titled El Filibusterismo. Program of Reforms In both his novels and newspaper editorials, Jose Rizal called for a number of reforms of the Spanish colonial system in the Philippines. He advocated for freedom of speech and assembly, equal rights before the law for Filipinos, and Filipino priests in place of the often-corrupt Spanish churchmen. In addition, Rizal called for the Philippines to become a province of Spain, with representation in the Spanish legislature (the Cortes Generales). Rizal never called for independence for the Philippines. Nonetheless, the colonial government considered him a dangerous radical and declared him an enemy of the state. Exile and Courtship In 1892, Rizal returned to the Philippines. He was almost immediately accused of being involved in the brewing rebellion  and was exiled to Dapitan City, on the island of Mindanao. Rizal would stay there for four years, teaching school and encouraging agricultural reforms. During that same period, the people of the Philippines grew more eager to revolt against the Spanish colonial presence. Inspired in part by Rizals organization La Liga, rebel leaders like Andres Bonifacio began to press for military action against the Spanish regime. In Dapitan, Rizal met and fell in love with Josephine Bracken, who brought her stepfather to him for a cataract operation. The couple applied for a marriage license but were denied by the Church (which had excommunicated Rizal). Trial and Execution The Philippine Revolution broke out in 1896. Rizal denounced the violence  and received permission to travel to Cuba in order to tend victims of yellow fever in exchange for his freedom. Bonifacio and two associates sneaked aboard the ship to Cuba before it left the Philippines and tried to convince Rizal to escape with them, but Rizal refused. He was arrested by the Spanish on the way, taken to Barcelona, and then extradited to Manila for trial. Josà ©Ã‚  Rizal was tried by court-martial and charged with conspiracy, sedition, and rebellion. Despite a lack of any evidence of his complicity in the Revolution, Rizal was convicted on all counts and given a death sentence. He was allowed to marry Josephine two hours before his execution by firing squad on December 30, 1896. Jose Rizal was just 35 years old. Legacy Mariano Sayno / Getty Images Josà ©Ã‚  Rizal is remembered today throughout the Philippines for his brilliance, courage, peaceful resistance to tyranny, and his compassion. Filipino schoolchildren study his final literary work, a poem called Mi Ultimo Adios (My Last Goodbye), and his two famous novels. Spurred on by Rizals martyrdom, the Philippine Revolution continued until 1898. With assistance from the United States, the Philippine archipelago was able to defeat the Spanish army. The Philippines declared its independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. It was the first democratic republic in Asia. Sources de Ocampo, Estaban A. Dr. Jose Rizal, Father of Filipino Nationalism. Journal of Southeast Asian History 3.1 (1962): 44-55.Rizal, Josà ©. One Hundred Letters of Josà ©Ã‚  Rizal. Manila: Philippine National Historical Society, 1959.Valenzuela, Maria Theresa. Constructing National Heroes: Postcolonial Philippine and Cuban Biographies of Josà © Rizal and Josà © Martà ­. Biography 37.3 (2014): 745-61.

Direct Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Direct Marketing - Essay Example This stored data may include such information about the customer that ranges from demographic information, age, gender, profession, purchase history, and personal characteristic. A plethora of companies is drastically adopting this mode of direct marketing to promote their products and services to customers. Some of the examples of such companies include banks and insurance companies as the leading entities on this direct marketing business. According to Pearson (551), direct marketing has emerged as an important tool to both buyers and marketers. The current trend shows that direct marketing is slowly turning to be web-based, and presently the internet marketing accounts for a bigger share of direct marketing. Based on the figures that were published by the interactive advertising bureau of Canada (IAB), the internet is one of the leading modes of direct marketing in Canada. In total of percentage of how direct marketing is conducted, it is thought that about 23% of advertisements d irect to customers reach to customers on a weekly basis (Pearson 552). In fact, direct marketing is drastically turning out to be the major player of marketing in most sectors of business. According to information by the IAB, it is projected that by the year 2016, direct marketing will emerge to be the number one mode of business in the world. This paper will highlight the different forms of direct marketing, and then highlight some of the ethical issues cited against this form of business. Then provide opponents of this form business. Finally, this paper will critically argue against these criticisms and show how direct marketing is ethical. Further, it will demonstrate it as a good practice that brings about more advantages to all parties involved. Direct marketing can take a myriad of forms. Direct mail marketing is one form of direct marketing that is used by both business-to-business and

Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 2

Research - Assignment Example In the Title VII, different religious observances comprise head or face coverings, clothes, jewelries as well as other religious items. Hence, it can be recognized that wearing headscarf or other religious clothing has been considered as religious observance for purposes of Title VII (42 U.S.C.  §2000e-2) (The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., â€Å"Questions and Answers: Religious Discrimination in the Workplace†) Answer: The religious provisions that are mentioned in the Title VII considerably engages undue hardship defense in terms of providing required religious accommodation provisions for the employees. The defensive initiative for an employer in the Title VII is provided in order to grant exceptional provisions for the religious beliefs of the employees working under the employer in the workplace (The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., â€Å"Questions and Answers: Religious Discrimination in the Workplace†) Answer: The factors relevant to proving undue hardship can be recognized as the type of the workplace, nature and roles of the workers, relevant accommodation cost with respect to operating cost and size of the employer as well as the appropriate accommodation requirements of the employees (The Bureau of National Affairs, Inc., â€Å"Questions and Answers: Religious Discrimination in the Workplace†) Answer: The major issue within the case can be determined as a major concern related to the employment discrimination with regard to the Title VII and its religious observances. According to the case of employment discrimination, the issue rose as an appeal for religious consideration in the police uniform of any Muslim women police officer in the City of Philadelphia. The issue was appealed by Kimberlie Webb to allow wearing of religious garb with her uniform (Third Judicial Circuit, â€Å"United States Court of Appeals

Technology Making Our Lives Easier Essay Example for Free

Technology Making Our Lives Easier Essay As we are raised in a society where everything is simply handed to us, we tend to take many things for granted that others in the world do not have. Things like GPS, phones, credit cards, cameras, and insulin pumps help us live a qualitative and productive life and NASA has played a very key role in developing many technologies like these. From invisible braces to long-distance communication devices, NASA has brought up inventions that we consistently use every day in our lives. A device that many people in the world rely on everyday and something that has made a huge difference in peoples lives is the water filtration system(s). NASA first made it to be used on the space station or in a spacecraft, and since then the water filtration system is a must-have in any place in the world. NASA showed amazing ingenuity to control bacterial contamination in space, and because of that, we have learned how to control pollutants in water here on earth. We see water filtration systems more than we think, and it allows us to enjoy a healthy lifestyle. Whether its through swimming pools or manufacturing processes, the water filtration systems affects our lives every day in a positive way. There are many different types of water filters and you can classify them by the way they work, but they all need to do one job and thats effectively filter and purify water. One type of a water filtration system is the reverse osmosis, which is the process of removing dissolved inorganic solids out of a solution (water). This type of system involves using many different filters and membranes in order to purify and improve the drinking quality of water. There are also ultraviolet systems which do a remarkable job at disinfecting water. Ultraviolet systems can destroy 99. 99% of harmful microorganisms in the water very effectively and they do this by using a lamp or bulb which emits UV light which is then used as energy to attack the microorganism in the water and essentially destroy it, thus making the water free of future bacteria. There are many other type of systems like the Carefree Clearwater systems (which are based on NASAS late 1900s technology) which are not only used for drinking water in the home, but also for pool and shower water. These type of large-scale systems clean the water in a pool or hot-tub by using the same type of strategy as the UV systems. They release ions like copper and silver to destroy bacteria and algae in the system. These type of systems would work better than cleaning with chlorine because they have less nwanted side effects like burning eyes and bleached skin or hair (due to the copper and silver ions not dissipating from heat and sunlight, unlike chlorine) and they are more stable and productive to work with. Water filtration systems affect our lives everyday throughout everything we do. Without them, clean and purified water would be difficult to come across, and civilization would eventually come to a halt. Whether its the water that we drink or the pool that we love to sw im in, systems like the reverse osmosis and the Carefree Clearwater are at work and doing an incredible job in order to make our daily lives healthy and enjoyable.

buddhism :: essays research papers

Buddhism is a major religion, founded in northeastern India. Buddhism was based on the teachings of Siddhartha Guatama, who is known as â€Å"Buddha† The Enlightened one. Buddha is divided into two major groups known as â€Å"The way of the Elders† and â€Å"Mahayana† the great vehicle.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Siddhartha Guatama was born in 563 BC in Kapilavastu near the Indian-Nepal border. The young prince withdrew all his luxury and went on a quest for peace and enlightenment. When he attained the enlightenment he had been seeking, Buddha began to preach. Going from place to place, getting more and more disciples for his ministry called the â€Å"Sangha†. Buddha did not leave a written scroll or a book of teachings. So as a result later followers wrote his beliefs. At the center of Buddha enlightenment was the realization of the four noble truths. 1) Life is suffering 2) all suffering is caused by ignorance of the nature of reality and the craving, attachment and grasping the result 3) suffering can be ended by overcoming ignorance and attachment 4) the path to the suppression of suffering is the â€Å"Noble Eightfold path†, which consists of right views, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindedness and right contemption. Also according to Buddhism a person is only a temporary combination of aggregates that include the material body, feelings, perception, predisposition or karmic tendencies and consciousness. Buddhism spread rapidly throughout India. Missionaries introduced the religion to southern India, to the northwestern part of the land and to Sri Lanka. Buddhism had reached Myanmar by the 5th century AD. It was adopted by the Thai people between the 1100s and 1300s, and then moved into Laos and Cambodia, about the beginning of the Christian era. Buddhism was carried to Central Asia, from there it entered China by the early 1st century AD, influencing Chinese culture and, in turn, adapting itself to Chinese ways.

Dissertation: Employment and Workplace Design

[Impact of Workplace Design] Institute of Hotel Management Aurangabad The Impact of Workplace Design â€Å" A study of the Employee on the Job Performance in Taj Palace, Delhi† Varun Sahgal (H-18095) Submitted in fulfillment of the requirement of B. A (Hons) in Hotel Management University Of Huddersfeild United Kingdom March 2013 [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 1 [Impact of Workplace Design] Declaration I declare that this Dissertation is the result of my own individual efforts and that it confirms to university, departmental and course regulations regarding cheating and plagiarism.No material contained within this Dissertation has been used in any other submission, by the author, for an academic award. Varun Sahgal (H-18095) Third Year Hotel Management Course Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad Date: 19. 3. 2013 [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 2 [Impact of Workplace Design] Acknowledgement Every professional endeavor requires the hard work of many worthy minds and this work is no different. I would begin by thanking my Dissertation guide ‘Mr. Ananad Iyengar’, his patience and support, were instrumental in accomplishing this task.I thank my year tutor ‘Mr. Rakesh Katyayani’ and my dissertation coordinator ‘Mr. Saurabh Krishna’ for their amazing organizational skills that kept me focused on my work. Many of the arguments and facts mentioned in this work were sourced from books, journals, newspapers and websites. Though I have tried to acknowledge most of the sources to the best of my abilities, there were certain sources whose roots were not available making it absolutely impractical and difficult to provide accurate acknowledgement.Regardless of the source I would like to show my gratitude to these anonymous works as they may have contributed greatly towards my endeavor. Last but not the least I would like to thank my college ‘Institute of Hotel ManagementAurangabad’ for providing the necessary guidan ce and resources and I would also like to extend a vote of thanks to the ‘Summons’ online library of the ‘University of Huddersfield’. This work would have been incomplete without their academic support. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 3 [Impact of Workplace Design] Table of Contents 1. Introduction 1. Research Questions 1. 2 Subsidiary Questions 1. 3 Aim of the study 1. 4 Purpose of the study 1. 5 Limitation of the study 1. 6 Dissertation structure 6-8 8 8 8 9 9 9-10 2. Literature Review 2. 1 Introduction 2. 2 Ergonomics 2. 3 Workplace Motivation 2. 4 Supervisory support 2. 5 designing the new workplace 2. 6 Flexibility at workplace 2. 7 Health factors and wellness programs affecting on the job behavior 2. 8 The impact of technology on, on the job behavior 2. 9 Environmental concerns regarding workplace design 2. 10 Managing underperformance 2. 11The people involved 1 11-12 13-14 15 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 21-22 21-22 22-23 23 3. Research Methodology 3. 1App roach 3. 2Research Question 3. 3 Research design 24 24 24 24 4. Results and discussion 4. 1 Interview 4. 1. 1Mr, Avijit Sen, G. M. , Vesta Hotels, Jaipur 4. 1. 2 Mr. Akesh Bhatnagar, G. M. , Golkonda Hotel, Hyderabad 4. 2 Structured Questionnaire Analysis 25 25 25-27 28-30 30-40 [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 4 [Impact of Workplace Design] 5. Conclusion and recommendation 5. 1 Summary 5. 2 Major Findings 5. 3 Scope for future research 41 41 42 42 6. References 43 LIST OF TABLESFIGURE 1 ATTRIBUTES AFFECTING EMPLOYEES†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 31 FIGURE 2 ATTRIBUTES AFFECTING MALE EMPLOYEES †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 32 FIGURE 3 ATTRIBUTES AFFECTING FEMALE EMPLOYEES †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 33 FIGURE 4 COMPARITIVE STUDY OF ATTRIBUTES AFFECTING MALE AND FEMALE EMPLOYEE †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 34 FIGURE 5 ATTRIBUTES AFFECTING EMPLOYEES AGED 18-25 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 35 FIGURE 6 ATTRIBUTES AFFECTING EMPLOYEES AGED 26-35 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 6 FIGURE 7 ATTRIBUTES AFFECTING EMPLOYEES AGED 36-45 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 37 FIGURE 8 ATTRIBUTES AFFECTING EMPLOYEES AGED 46-55 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 38 FIGURE 9 COMPARITIVE STUDY OF ATTRIBUTES AFFECTING ALL AGES †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 39 [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 5 [Impact of Workplace Design] Chapter 1 â€Å"All work is seed sown. It grows and spreads, and sows itself anew† Thomas Carlyle Abstract Workp lace design in the hospitality sector has become a very important phenomenon; people do not only wish to see a luxurious front of the house but also an amazing back office.Workplace does not only imply to external and architectural design, it also in its folds covers the topics like motivation, wellness, supervisory support, environmental concerns, learning and development etc. This project deals with understanding proper workplace design as a tool for improving on the job performance of an employee. The researcher plans to conduct a research on some of the employees working in the food and beverage department of Taj palace Delhi to understand which attribute of workplace affects them the most and till what extent.The project also involves semi structured interviews with professionals at high designation in the industry and what is their take on the importance of work environment as an overall change maker. The objective is to completely understand workplace modeling and how innovat ions in the same can make it better in the future. 1. Introduction In the changing world of today where luxury and fashion make up for eighty to ninety percent of emotional content in an individual, people look for fashionable and comfortable work places also.The researcher aims to study workplace attributes in the hospitality industry and its affect on, ‘on the job behaviour’ of the employees The researcher while working will adopt ‘contingency orientation’, he will aim to understand that organizational behaviour/on the job behaviour is complex and is driven by a lot of factors. No two employees are alike and different situations means different to each and every individual. Managers therefore must learn to adopt workplace policies that answer not only the grievances of few but provides solutions for the problems of the many. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 6 Impact of Workplace Design] The researcher aims to follow a three point approach while achieving obj ectives for the given topic. ? Identifying the causes of current behaviour through a questionnaire analysis on work and its attributes ? ? Sidelining strategies that would help mitigate current causes of disengagement Studying the impact of change implemented for the same Managing workplace and workforce in the twenty first century is all about embracing a change. In many ways the job of the workplace is to perform the same functions as it performed earlier which is to manage, motivate and influence employees.Current scenario is that, the workplace’s expectation from the employee is the same but the employee’s expectation from the workplace has changed drastically. The complex variety of social, personal, environmental, recreational and technological changes that have taken place recently makes the task of managing workforce and designing workplace even more challenging. Someone rightly quoted ‘Managing on the job behaviour today is like pushing water uphill usin g a rake’ (Anonymous, n. d. ). Time is short and stakes are high. Corporate are running a race to achieve perfect face value amidst their competition.Companies that manage their workforce well get higher returns on productivity. After all, a lot depends on the produce of a company. Recently many companies have focused their attention towards IT; they feel technology gives them an added advantage since it evolves rapidly. Managers forget that technology can only seldom provide an organization with a competitive advantage but in the end, it is the people that matter. Research has also shown that investment in IT workers pays greater dividends than investment in hardware or software.When employees quit they are not leaving their jobs, they are leaving their workplace. Therefore a great workplace atmosphere creates a better on the job performance thereby creating a cadre of the finest productive workers. Products can easily be aped but not the workplace on which the productivity and behaviour of the human resource depend so an organizations greatest competitive advantage is its own workplace and the behavior of its [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 7 [Impact of Workplace Design] employees in the workplace.Implementing methods for the improvement of a workplace should be the first and foremost decision of any company. This is why companies like CISCO, Harley Davidson and Merek are different they invest in manpower more than any other attribute. They understand the importance of work and workplace systems alike. One must know that implementing a straightforward management strategy is easy but what really counts is what the management does in difficult times when on the job behaviour is not good and there are high rates of employee attrition and abseintism. . 1 Research Question ? Is On the Job Behaviour influenced by workplace design? 1. 2 Subsidiary Questions ? ? Would a better on the job performance affect organizational productivity? Why have no strong laws in workplace design been implemented in the past twenty years? ? Will factors like goal setting, performance feedback, role congruity, defined processes, workplace incentive, supervisor support etc influence ‘On the job behavior’ of an employee? ? Have there been improvement trends in workplace design? 1. Aim of the study The aim is to analyze the effect of the Workplace attributes on the employees ‘On the job behavior’ by performing a structured research in the Food and Beverage department of Taj Palace Delhi. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 8 [Impact of Workplace Design] 1. 4 Purpose of the study Workplace and jobs have become a complex phenomenon in today’s times. Employees today have a large number of alternatives and selections at their disposal and hence workplace becomes a crucial factor for keeping or leaving the job.It is imperative that an Employees working environment is well kept and maintained because ultimately the workplace environment is what defines on the job behaviour and employee motivation. How well an employee adapts to his psychological, psycho motive, desire and health factors at his workplace will determine his workplace behaviour, productivity and errors. Through this research the researcher aims to prove the relation between workplace factors and on the job behaviour of the employee thereby being able to prove that workplace design factors definitely impacts on the job performance of an employee. . 5 Limitations and scope of the study: Broad research in this field would bring about data collection complications. The research only analyses the data collected from a few employees in the food and beverage department. The semi structured interviews will also not show the bigger picture as different people have different opinions about their own workplace, to some the workplace seems perfect to others it may require a lot of change.Although the study covers only a small department in one business unit of the h ospitality sector research on this subject in the near future on a macro level would provide managers with an all new level of understanding in employee motivation and workplace design. The research can be extended to hotels resorts or even company policies. 1. 6 Dissertation Structure: The 1st chapter, the Introduction essentially covers the topic of the research and a brief on its relevance to the industry today.The chapter summarizes the approach of the researcher and the hypothesis and other objectives. The chapter speaks of limitations and scope of this dissertation in the next decade. It also covers some of the questions that the researcher will analyze during the course of this project. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 9 [Impact of Workplace Design] The 2nd chapter, the literature review forms the basis of the dissertation. It carries a vivid description of each of the workplace attributes, their current scenario in the industry, prior research and the researcher valuable critiq ue.The literature review provides a structure to the dissertation and also helps to prepare a structure for the data analysis and research methodology. The Literature review also decides the scope for future research on the given topic. The 3rd Chapter, the research methodology deals with the steps the researcher has taken to obtain the desired data to conclude his hypothesis. It also gives a comparative understanding of how the researcher has composed the models for analysis and what was the approach.The 4th Chapter, the data analysis contains the conducted interviews and the analysis of the data collected from the employees in the form of a structured questionnaire, the chapter has the analysis of the data which proves the researchers hypothesis and also answers the subsidiary questions as given on the first chapter The 5th Chapter, conclusion and recommendation summarizes the dissertation and the results of the analysis. It has the critique of the researcher on the existing proce dures and how they can be changed in the near future to achieve outstanding results.The chapter also provides a valuable insight into how future research can be conducted for the same [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 10 [Impact of Workplace Design] Chapter 2 (Literature Review) â€Å"When people go to work, they shouldn't have to leave their hearts at home. † -Betty Bender 2. 1 Overview It has always been argued that distraction, lack of interest, poor decisions and high absence are the major causes of employee disengagement; but what organizations actually forget are that these factors might be just the symptoms; – the root cause may be very different (Slade, 2010).Recent scenarios also indicates that subtle productive changes in the workplace environment today actually reduce employee absenteeism and attrition, which in turn improves on the job performance thereby impacting productivity in a very positive way (Roeloefsen, 2002). Today it has been proven that employee sa tisfaction is directly proportional to job satisfaction, which is directly dependent on the working environment. Workplace factors are a major catalyst in productivity and on the job performance of an employee.In fact, research has focused on ergonomics or biomechanics because of workers’ demands for more comfort at the workplace (Wells, 2000). Theorists believe that everyone seeks a balance between what one puts into his work and what one expects to get out of it. Most of the time one tends to compare his own situations with that of other employees in the market place, before he actually decides to work with a particular organization (Adams, 1963). In the recent past the nature of employee and employer relations has actually been distorted because of the changes in job structures and way of living.There are a number of companies in the market and therefore not only employees but employers also need to focus on their conduct to make a mark in the business. Higher salaries and better perks may seem the most obvious way of increasing an employee’s on the job performance but this is influenced by other important factors that include work motivation, training and development opportunities, physical, psychological and psychomotive factors (Leblebici, 2012). [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 11 [Impact of Workplace Design]Maslow’s hierarchy of needs’ theory argued that the measure of anthropogenic attitudes to work was slowly and steadily being extended to workplace and work environment as well for understanding human psychology and motivating factors. The study involved synthesizing success stories of exemplary people like Einstein, Roosevelt, Douglas and Adams rather than studying the so called neurotic or mentally ill. The model involved looking at human psychology from scratch – basic needs like food, water, lifestyle, love etc. Going step higher, needs evolved to less basic ones like security, employment, morality, family etc.At f urther higher levels, needs were more exclusive and included a need for creativity, belonging, selfesteem, motivation and culture. It was realized that if all these factors were well taken care of in a workplace environment, they would boost the on job performance of the individual , which would reflect on the team thereby boosting productivity on a whole (Janet A Simons, n. d. ). McGregor’s theory on the contrary involved classifying workers as X or Y elements, where the X elements are idle, destructive and redundant and require motivation and training to bring them up to speed with work and business.Elements Y on the other hand, are selfmotivated workers flushed with creativity, who actually make up the strong pillars of the business and require less support as compared to the element X. McGregor’s theory differs from Maslow’s theory where he states that it is the worker who should be motivated. According to him, the workers should have a positive relation wit h the workplace to ensure all psychological and self actualization needs are being fulfilled for better performance and productivity. Stuart, 2010) Finally differing from all other theorists Herzberg found out that factors that were cause for concern were company policy, relation with the boss, working conditions, salary and relationship with peers. On the other hand , the factors that kept them motivated were achievement, recognition, business as usual, responsibility , advancement and growth, which again linked the theory of Herzberg to Mcgregor and Maslow (Anonymous, n. d. ) Therefore it may be said that a workplace is the result of various decisions, feelings and emotions working together in a close and cohesive work environment.So to actually determine what is it that actually impacts on the job performance of an employee. The researcher will look into biomechanics which has been a very recent breakthrough in research better termed as Ergonomics at workplace. [Varun Sahgal (H-1 8095)] Page 12 [Impact of Workplace Design] 2. 2 Ergonomics: Today ‘Ergonomics’ or innovation in workplace procedures has become the hip word in the United states of America as the workplace is going through major changeovers during this particular era.The Modern Office Procedure Council has even moved up to publish an article fashionably, entitled ‘Ergonomics; the outbreak of a newer discipline’ (Anonymous, n. d. ). The article though not very acclaimed has covered: work-stations, work-environment, behaviors at work and many other minute issues that are generally overlooked while discussing on the job performance. The research brought together problems that had been collected and researched over a period of thirty years to prove that employers could actually boost employee on the job performance through workplace design.Thi research is mainly being focused on the employees’ reaction to workplace and workplace design. Working all day at a desk in an office takes its toll on the eyes, neck and hands which are sometimes termed as Musculo Skeletal disorders or simply (MSDs) (Anonymous, 2010). Workplaces have today initiated Healthy Work Practice Programs (HWPP), these programs provide a proper checklist for office ergonomic design and also help develop strategies to implement the same (Anonymous, 2010).A study conducted in 2000 also states that in the workplace today where technology has taken over a lot of the workplace space there should be supplementary breaks in between to reduce eye strain and over exertion of the eye muscles (Anonymous, 2007). Theorists have argued that the rate of production per industry per day has been increasing daily to maintain a competitive advantage in the market place. Technologies are being upgraded, work lifestyle is changing and most importantly, recreation time is being diminished. In such an environment, where humans are actually becoming synonymous to machines, the importance of rgonomics is p aramount. If the principles of Ergonomics are not applied to the work task and tools, workers might go through undue stress and mental strain, which in turn decrease on the job performance and have a negative impact on productivity as a whole. Recognizing the ergonomic factors in a workplace is the first step to recognizing the hazards related to workers on the job conditions. Engineers believe that removing physical stress from the working environment could actually eliminate many serious work related injuries each year.Employers should learn to understand employee mindset and work design to make the workplace safer. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 13 [Impact of Workplace Design] Ergonomics can help reduce many (MSDs) while working in operations like hotels, as the work involves giving more than eight hours a day to operations. The process also helps increase the productivity as it provides safer working conditions that motivates the workers to work better in an environment. Ergonomi cs would also help decrease the absenteeism rates due to less MSD’s and more energy among the work force.A workplace can substantially reduce turnovers if new recruits find their workplace properly designed to suit their mindset. Reduced expenses, resulting from a decrease in the rate of (MSDs) would require less cost for covering illness and reduced organization and personal medical costs (OSHA, 2000) OSHA also agues that Reducing Ergonomic Hazards at a workplace is probably the easiest of operations to perform. If one is an employer and his employees frequently complain of ergonomic hazards, all he has to do is incorporate an ergonomics program in the foundation of his organization.The program should motivate employees to participate and should provide scope for valuable feedback to supervisors. The program should be checked regularly by the executive in charge to ensure transparency and productivity. The program at the end of the day should be successful and should be a pr oper training and development task for employees as well as employers (OSHA, 2000) Though from personal work experience it is strongly believed, Employees in the Hospitality ndustry have an inner belief that it is the organizations outlook to provide them with safe, healthy and balanced working conditions. Over a period of the past two years the researcher has completed successful working hour within the premises of three Hospitality establishments and has nowhere experience a proper Ergonomic design program in place. Apart from workplace design 58% of the employees strongly agree that the motivation factor is a major discipline if one wishes to measure the relation between job performance and workplace.Each and every employee feels that to sustain and work happily in a working environment there are only two things of paramount importance, the first being workplace design which has been explained above by the researcher in great detail and the other is Motivation factor. [Varun Sahg al (H-18095)] Page 14 [Impact of Workplace Design] 2. 3 Workplace motivation Motivation recently has been a keen area of research among industrialists and psychologists as it impacts on the job performance of an Individual. It is being taken as a very serious process in a workplace.The beginning of motivation for any personnel in any field of work is very simple, ‘he deserves to be treated fairly and with respect’. On the job behaviour is a pure reflection of how one is treated within the organization. The second step to why motivation is an important fact is because ‘motivation leads to a change in behaviour, which in turn decides changes in the productive aspect of the employee at workplace’. Slowly but steadily managers in many concerns have started taking the concept of motivation seriously.The assessment of satisfaction in the workplace has been a very common occurrence in the recent times and has been used as a tool to measure employee well being and satisfaction in a particular department (Spector, 1997). General Research has shown that out of twenty candidates, seven prefer to go to work happily i. e. They are the category X employees according to the X and Y theory. Ten employees have a feeling that they wish to remain neutral some days can be happy and well other could be boring. The remaining three who are the Y candidates feel that their orkplace requires drastic improvements. There was a similar answer from all the candidates when they were questioned about appreciation, belonging, scope of improvement, salary, supervisor support goal setting and feedback. Therefore as gathered from work experience at a diverse number of workplaces, the general feeling is that workplace motivation is a very important aspect. If the behaviour of the supervisor or the senior does not motivate the employees at work then the employee tends to abhor their work leading to increased abseintism and attrition.The researcher feels that out of a ten hour work shift an employer must at least spend thirty minutes with his employees to evaluate what they have done and what they should do in the near future to establish success in their working methods. An employer should be able to successfully develop a sense of confidence and optimism in his employees. The employer should also once in a while allow the employees to volunteer for tasks that are beyond their abilities so that even the failure can help generate self learning through a method of retrograde training.Apart from this the researcher also feels that an employer must successfully be able to map his employee’s goals and aspirations to help them achieve the same through directed learning and development opportunities. Apart from all this the general feeling is that beyond motivation a good supervisor at the workplace is also an important factor for retaining and satisfying employees. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 15 [Impact of Workplace Design] 2. 4 Supervisory Supp ort Today Supervisors are a very important factor in the workplace.They are epitomes of knowledge and mediums of effective feedback for employees who are working under them (Durham CC, 1997). The level of supervisory support is directly proportional to the teams introduced in workplace today. A supervisor today should be able to comprehend the mood of the individual and the team and work accordingly. With increasing number of team members under a supervisor the need for traditional support reduces. Today a supervisor is expected to possess the qualities for performing diverse roles as with changing scenarios the rolls of different teams.With the drastic changes in the environment it is necessary that the supervisor is chosen before the contingent team is prepared and his behaviour and attitude towards his work must be assessed before-hand so as to give a complete sense of satisfaction to all employees as theorized by (Tannenbaum SI & JA, 1996). A supervisor’s major focus shou ld be on the job enhancement practices for his subordinates, feedback and training. This will help bring about a change in the employee’s behaviour, motivating him to redesign the workplace.A supervisor must allow an employee to learn from mistakes rather than spoon feeding and directing each and every time as there is a line of research that states that ‘autonomy without doubt is the best form of learning’ (Parker Sk, 1998). Sometimes theorists do say that leadership and supervision have a lesser impact on satisfaction but that does not mean it has no impact at all. Supervisory support has critically been recognized as an imperative process for continuous development of new teams on the aspects of satisfaction. BM, 1997) The effect of supervisory support on employee satisfaction is an attribute which has scarcely been researched over time. What really matters is the ability of the supervisor to stay within a team and work as an equal and at the same time being a ble to stand out from the rest in some unique way or the other such that, he is successfully able to motivate and supervise the employees he has to lead. No supervisory support is complete without a super workplace design. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 16 [Impact of Workplace Design] . 5 Designing the new workplace Today ‘on the job behaviour’ is becoming an important aspect of workplace productivity, architects and interior designers have been working hard to provide employees with the most exquisitely modeled workplaces possible. But the time has come to look beyond architectural innovation because (Jusko, May,2000) says that a study conducted in office design and workplace survey in some of the best offices in the US states that most of the managers gave working conditions a grade ‘c’.Hence, it was proved that there are some things beyond architectural design that prompted workers to do well, which were none other than ‘wellness and recreation desi gn’ Healthcare expenditure is soaring high, there is a definite need for reducing hospital and sickness costs in each and every organization. The United States of America and the European nations have adopted structured wellness programs in their office design (Kutler, 2010). Research widely shows that prevention of injury and disease decrease working cost by $3. 47 per employee per day.This average return on investment clearly highlights the fact that incorporation of wellness programs within an organization would help profits greatly and would positively influence on the job performance with reduced health concerns, injury and cost of treatment Theorists’ believe a key factor of human resource is to promote employee satisfaction thereby promoting customer satisfaction. Referring to ‘Maslow’s triangle’ , it can be easily seen that a sense of belonging, friends, culture, team work, co-worker support and supervisor support, games and recreation make an important part of an employee’s ‘self-actualization’ needs.Workplace recreation and design is very evident in organizations that bring together people and processes and its introduction into the hospitality sector is a highly necessary evil. The question to ponder over is why again is a recreational design required at a workplace? The answers though are pretty simple. Today Recreational activities provide a form of intrinsic reward, a sense of self satisfaction from within, which boosts employee motivation. Participation in recreational activities and retreats, help put a balance between work and life.Recreational activities that require participation of staff teams provides scope for individual behaviour and attitude feedback. Recreation in a way helps an employee connect his aspiration to his organization and last but not the least, recreation provides the best forum for self development (Mokaya, february,2012) [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 17 [Impact of Wor kplace Design] So, when it comes to linking recreation and health with on the job performance it has been well seen that both help in strengthening the social bond between customer and employee.They help in developments of skills like leadership, team work and communication, which are invaluable assets for the service industry. The activities also provide a good social forum for discussion and understanding of topics like goals, vision and mission of the organization and future endeavors; it also provides scope for innovation and brain storming at work, coupled with increased friendship and cohesiveness among the staff.Other than wellness and recreation Work stress is also a major cause of not liking ones workplace so to provide a better relationship among staff and employers it is necessary also to act upon the concept of workplace flexibility. 2. 6 Flexibility at workplace Today flexibility means defining how and when a work is done and how does one organize his career in such a c ritical way that there is improved workplace effectiveness. Companies use workplace flexibility as a major tool for managing, customizing, recruiting, retaining and strategizing workforce load as said by (E. Friedman, 2002).There have been several studies in this field that have successfully been able to prove that flexibility has a major role in reducing stress, increasing effectiveness and improving performance. Flexibility at workplace can be of many types depending on what the work demands and how the superior wants to maximize the amount of work done by a particular employee. Today Traditional flextime at a workplace allows employees to choose their own times of coming and leaving the office such that their times will be surrounding the time of core operating hours and the work meted out to them should be done.Employees are given a certain amount of time in a week to complete their work for e. g. ; the employee is to work ten hours a day for four days a week or has to complete eighty hours of work over a period of nine days and so on and so forth (E. Friedman, 2002). Many companies also do offer a concept better known as summer hours, i. e. , increasing an hour per day and completing the time allotted before the designated day, to apply for an extra off. Theorists believe that Flexibility is many times wrongly termed as an employee perk whereas it is only a tool to successfully manage employee on the job behaviour/performance.Its importance is such that it can be used over a range of managerial jobs and at different levels of the hierarchy. Most importantly it is a precise tool and should only be applied only [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 18 [Impact of Workplace Design] where the management feels apt to do so, everyone cannot ask for flexibility and not all jobs can be given flexibility. There are instances wherein on a permanent job an employee can be provided flexibility for a temporary period to boost his morale so as to help him change his outlook tow ards his work (E.Friedman, 2002). It is imperative that a company realizes the problem it wants to deal with, using the tool of flexibility. It is wise always to look into flexibility issues of comparable companies before such a step is taken to boost employee esteem. The company should conduct internal studies and should actually be completely sure about the attitudes of the personnel for whom they are allowing flexibility as the company’s entire working schedule will be centered on flexibility.Going by what theorists say, coping with flexibility is also not an easy factor so it is always better if the supervisors of a company are better trained to monitor staff that are flexible and are trained to calculate output from a flex oriented workforce and last but not the least, a company should make its staff well aware of the continuing improvements and should regularly appreciate staff who have done well on a flexi schedule through accolades and newsletters.Though flexibility i s not a very common answer to problems in the Hospitality sector as it is a very human oriented industry, what can actually become the solution is concentrating on improving the health of an employee. 2. 7 Health Factors and Wellness Program affecting on the job behaviour Today a workplace is viewed from the health perspective, research so far has looked into workers health in two aspects, the former being – do organizations today promote wellness and health programs for workers?And the latter being – Are healthy workplaces also the ones which are more productive? The first question generally covers human resource, employee motivation, hazard free environment, wellness programs, supervisor support, training and development. The latter question though here is significantly more important for this particular research as it is looking into improvements in ‘on the job performance’ of a worker in the organization. Looking at a very three dimensional view of the situation, the answer to the latter appears to be more qualified and complex.Organizations are slowly incorporating workplace wellness programs in their work schedule but actually translating the measure of wealth to on the job productivity is a very difficult task that is required to be accomplished. The research on this front appears to be very weak because in the service industry where work is supposed to be inconspicuous, the industry has shown graphs of deteriorating worker [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 19 [Impact of Workplace Design] health and wellness because of the amount of hard work required and less time available for one’s own self.One must identify the gaps in the health environment of a workplace and should aim to understand the synergistic effects of certain health promotion exercises by combining psychology with job behaviour to research factors like motivation, productivity , sickness ,absenteeism , leave and other psycho social outcomes that can be measure d through wellness studies conducted on the job. Organizations must invest in a healthier working environment and employee care as it will no doubt increase productivity and will be a smart investment in terms of future returns.It is highly imperative that employees coordinate with employers for such programs and understand the effects of team related, work related and family related healthcare. But then again by incorporating better technology also, one can reduce the stress on the Human workforce of the industry. 2. 8 The impact of technology on, ‘on the job behaviour’ Technology has not only changed the workplace today but has also become the lifeline of success of any company. The world has changed after the advent of fax, internet, Wi-Fi, e mail and holograms. Technology is upgrading itself each minute and will continue upgrading itself at a fast rate.Imagining work without access to technology is unimaginable. Technology has not only changed the lives of the physi cally able but has also given equal power to the disabled to compete and even be more productive than normal. With the advent of technology, more and more physically challenged people are entering the business today that probably earlier, just had one or two options. Before technology the differently abled could only earn from supplement programs of the government or could attend ‘training and retraining’ in schools for the challenged, but their life was neither challenging nor productive.The knowledge of assisting devices – how they work and how easily they can be serviced, has empowered the physically challenged to reach newer heights, today even they can be workers, coworkers, self-earning individuals and most importantly with technology boosting their self-esteem, they have become successful and productive employees of today. Theorist believe Whether disabled or not , technology will continue to assist individuals in a job where precision and time management are required, and before joining a job the employer [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 20 [Impact of Workplace Design] s often riddled with questions about what technology will the employee be using and can the technology be remodeled as per his convenience of use (Cohn, 2000). Therefore it is imperative that technology keeps changing so that work becomes easier as ease of work is another incentive/tool to improve on the job performance and quality of service. Before we close the topic of technology, we must not forget that a very simple technology that has been around for the past few years is the one on which the foundation of every successful business industry is based is the e-mail, which is viable proof that technology is a burning need.Though technology is indispensable, policy makers in every country should take an important stride to maintain on the job wellness and a healthy workplace environment. A healthy environment is the first installment of better and greater future return s and for that technology must go hand in hand with the Environmental concerns of Today. 2. 9 Environmental concerns regarding Workplace design Environment issues at workplace should be a growing concern for any company today after the green laws and threat to the ozone layer.Apart from all this it also affects employee performance and on the job behaviour. Who would like to work in an office with bad ventilation and the smell of asbestos around? An infected work environment is a health issue; it not only decreases productivity but also has a direct impact on employee health causing diseases like asthma, claustrophobia and lung infections. This in turn again increases employee absenteeism and health costs of the company. The Employers should take necessary steps to ensure a healthy work environment.The organization should maintain and keep to the guidelines provided by OSHA and EPA to maintain cost effective ways of managing work environment and reduce absenteeism and attrition to i nfluence on the job behaviour and employee productivity. Theorists argue that employees should also understand greater concerns related to the environment when they are working in a service industry where 75 to 80 percent of the waste generated is biodegradable and can be managed simply by doing CSR initiatives and nonprofit work.Restaurants generate around seventy to eighty kilos of edible waste per day. If a company plans successfully, the food waste can safely be disposed off to NGO’s for the poor as a CSR initiative which would give employees a sense of belonging and goodwill and [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 21 [Impact of Workplace Design] would motivate them to innovate on better and unique methods of waste disposal for the greater good and environmental concern.The reason for bringing in environmental concerns while studying employee productivity is the simple fact that â€Å"waste should be eliminated in the surroundings where it is generated’ then only is it said that the company follows a policy of successful waste management. Therefore, every company should have a method of connecting with the experts for complete understanding of environmental concerns relating to a guest service industry. Proper training and development sessions on how to manage cleanliness and environment around and in the workplace should be well followed by employers.The employees should be trained in the art of environment management by their given organization. After discussing every aspect of workplace design one must not forget that an Employees reason for discord may also be underperformance which also sadly makes up a large part of the workplace design. 2. 10 Managing underperformance Workplace is marked by unsatisfactory work performance or the failure to comprehend and act on the tasks which are to be done by the individual in the position of power he holds.The reasons clearly stand to be; a high degree of non compliance with workplace policies and/or rul es, unacceptable behaviour from peers at workplace and disruptive or attitude clashes with bosses or superiors. Apart from this the reasons that are more importantly missed while carrying out a feedback are an employee’s problem in understanding what is expected, his incapability to perform in the given position due to a mismatch between job profile and skill set, lack of regular counseling thereby paralyzing the employee technically, family issues, drug abuse and work culture.It has been frequently argued that dealing with underperformance has always been challenging for employee and employer alike. Managers with formal education require the 5Cs to deal with underperformance which relatively are character, commitment, conviction, courtesy and courage (Khera, 1998). It is crucial to resolve underperformance problems in the location where they arise. Not necessarily does every underperformance issue require a structured approach but the mind must always be free to explore addi tional options.Employers must remember in all contexts that underperformance affects a work environment adversely. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 22 [Impact of Workplace Design] There exists certain incapability among managers to identify the source of underperformance and then assess it successfully. Never has one seen all companies perform at the same level and if they would have, the existence of competition would not have been a paramount feature hence it is important to understand who controls the situation and who manages the workforce. 2. 1 The people involved After discussing all the attributes involved in a workplace design that lead to positive on the job performance, one must not forget the major question of who should be involved in the major processes. An article published by (Frenburg, 1985) stated that flexibility, health, environment, recreation and motivation impacted on the job performance as it involved a sense of well being and belonging in an employee. The resear cher also found that whatever gaps were left in progressive work design was the lack of consultation between employee, employer and workplace designer.It is undoubtedly very clear that a workplace benefits more from staffs who are motivated and trained and understand who the boss is. Effective performance management individuals can create better employees and better effectiveness at workplace. Non compliance with workplace issues, negligent behaviour and hostility in the workplace environment leads to leadership, teamwork and managing the workplace issues. It is rare that an employee knows what is expected from him. Many a times it has been seen that for all the processes mentioned above, there are as such no ground rules laid down by the department to help employees with the same.Unless employees are made to understand that they are underperforming, it is very difficult for them to actually understand that they are underperforming (government, n. d. ). It is essentially required th at the head HR managers and executives , properly look into the tasks mentioned above so that proper coordination is maintained and all the processes followed very closely and carefully†¦ [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 23 [Impact of Workplace Design] Chapter 3 (Research Methodology) 3. Approach The researcher has adopted a mix of â€Å"quantitative† as well as â€Å"qualitative† approaches to carry out this particular study. The Qualitative analysis involves the primary research which draws inferences from the working environment and its effect on the employees in the food and beverage department of the Taj Palace Delhi. The secondary research of this analysis involved conducting literature reviews through thorough study of journals, books and websites to get a global understanding of employee and employee workplace to substantiate the primary research.The quantitative approach involved conducting a survey of thirty employees in the food and beverage department of the hotel, the questionnaires were distributed to equal number of men and women and were spaced over a span of different age groups to understand how employees today feel about their workplace and what is the change they would like to see in that particular department or their working conditions in the near future.After which the researcher conducted semi structured interviews of certain industry personnel who have given sufficient amount of years to the industry and who can successfully compare and contrast the difference between workplace scenarios then and what change they have undergone now. 3. 2 The Research Question/Hypothesis Do workplace attributes affect on the job behaviour of an employee? 3. 3 Research design The primary design of the research is an empirical deductive research. The questionnaire data has been collected from thirty employees belonging to different societies and spread over different ages and genders.The qualitative data involves deducing data from semi st ructured interviews of hospitality industry professionals with sufficient experience of the topic. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 24 [Impact of Workplace Design] Chapter 4 (Results and Discussion) 4. 1 Interview 4. 1. 1 Mr. Avijit Sen, General Manager, Vesta Hotels Jaipur How critical is the physical work environment to office space designing today compared to when you began your work in the industry? Things were indeed very different when I began in the hospitality sector. The industry was still going through a phase of metamorphosis and things were very new.Then, every HM student was considered to be a waiter and a culinary guy a ‘bawarchi’. There was no defined workplace design as such, people were staunch followers of the phrase work is worship and no matter whatever be the condition work is our livelihood so good or bad pleasing or not so pleasing it did not matter. But yes things are very different now. People are being judged on their overall efficiency more and m ore jobs are being replaced by technology and a small number of highly qualified individuals are required in a business unit. Workplace or the so called physical environment of the employee has become an epicenter of change.Innovation and efficiency are today’s mantra and are the keys to employee motivation. Everyone wishes to have an environment with his own physical space. There has been more stress on scientific design lately to suite the body and physical needs of employees and with labor becoming more and more costly, one has to design to retain. When did you first begin to realize that the work environment or the workplace itself has started affecting your on the job behaviour? Well to be very honest, it was not very tough to realize that. When you are at the level of assistant managers you are young in the industry and the world seems to be a gift of Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 25 [Impact of Workplace Design] unlimited possibilities. At that time when you are in the p eriod of frequent transfers and property changes you seem to notice designs and patterns I am from a food and beverage background for me at least I knew that the design of the bar or the restaurant definitely mattered. Better ambience better origination would not only please customer but also employee alike. The major difference always will be that some places the organization would have designed well at other places it would have not shown much interest so the working attitude really differs from place to place.I preferably found the Private hotels and their designs better and hence changed over from ITDC. Why do you feel that the industry is taking so long to incorporate workplace innovations even after realizing that it has a significant impact on the on the job behaviour? Unlike all other product oriented businesses which have been there from time immemorial the hospitality industry is relatively knew and mapping all aspects of its production is very difficult.Plus recent insigh ts show that the hospitality industry is still in need of a lot of qualified professionals Workplace design though essential is a very hi-fi concept, the education system in India is definitely not equipped to produce out of the box thinking individuals and that is why there are very few. It is not that the workplace engineering concept has not been introduced, the fact still is that hospitality professionals are still not mentally prepared to embrace the realities of the concept. If you wanted to create the ideal workplace environment, what would you envision it to be if you were an employee?Honestly, if I were to view workplace as an employee, India is far from achieving the vision I have seen. Improvements are not only required in staff line motivation but also infrastructure [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 26 [Impact of Workplace Design] Life in hospitality is fast paced, the job is demanding and work hours are eerie. In a scenario like this, employees are forced to come and chang e in a changing rooms cramped with lockers that would not even hold two pair of suits. The washrooms of the back area are cramped and employees literally have to bend to accommodate.The bunk beds placed for employees on night parole too are rough and uncomfortable When I began as an hotelier we had a few prestigious properties of hospitality scattered in the regions of Delhi Madras and Bangalore and sadly when today hospitality is growing its staff sector is still underdeveloped. The resources are not proper and the facilities are scarce. What do you feel have been the most repetitive complains regarding workplace issues in the industry? Being a manger you face those complains in abundance, you can never categorize these complains as important or non important.Many of them are linked to issues I have already discussed with you in previous questions. I often get complains like the environment smell rancid, the cleaning in the back areas are, not proper. Technological failure, softwar e’s not working. Then you will also not be surprised to find complains like space in washroom is not sufficient or the staff rooms are too claustrophobic. Lack of basic amenities and training programs and less motivational factors related to work. Office innovation or workplace change is actually the development of technological social and personnel aspects, what are your comments on this statement?It is definitely that but a lot more is what I would like to say as I have mentioned every aspect in my answers above. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 27 [Impact of Workplace Design] 4. 1. 2 Mr. Akesh Bhatnagar, General Manager, Golkonda Hotel, Hyderabad How critical is the physical work environment to office space designing today compared to when you began your work in the industry? Interesting Question, you see physical work environment or office design now is like the rotation of the earth, there is day and there is night. Some changes occurred for the best and well others were no t that successful.Office design was critical then and is critical now the only difference today is that people are more aware of what is expected of them. In the 1980s when I was still in my twenties I remember the laws of transparency at work and overtime were not strict. People could get away with anything and everything and honestly we did not bother much we did what our elders had done, we were told work was for a living and it had to be done come what may. Today though things have taken a drastic turn with people today aping the west and with more flexibility in laws and awareness employees tend to choose their own workplace.If it is good and up to their level of comfort they will do the job and if not ‘it’s not their cup of tea’, so today office space design has actually become a mirage of what the employee wants to see. It is his job and his way. When did you first begin to realize that the work environment or the workplace itself has started affecting you r on the job behaviour? Well it is actually hard to recall but if you ask me personally, I would say I realized it when I was training with ITDC on a banquet operation. I remember I had a very grumpy supervisor who would snap at us every time we moved a glass from here to there.It was actually intimidating the way he would actually direct us in each and everything how to walk, how to talk and how to serve, what to say and what not to say. One must understand that people do not like that. They prefer an environment that gives the ease of working not overstress them From there on I started judging my workplace by how my peers were, how my colleagues were, how well kept my workplace was and most importantly whether I can expect to get back what I put in. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 28 [Impact of Workplace Design]Why do you feel that the industry is taking so long to incorporate workplace innovations even after realizing that it has a significant impact on the on the job behaviour? We ll Varun, I do not know if you realize this or not but hoteliering is not the most happening profession in the world today. You will actually be surprised to know how many people keep this as a second option, honestly hoteliering was my second option too it was much later when I came face to face with my work that I realized it is not that bad after all. If you see figures the industry is actually in need of more than twenty thousand educated professionals but alas!People with brains either become engineers or doctors or join other professions with other noble roots. There is a shortage of skilled personnel in this industry and people knock on the doors of this profession when they have realized that they do not stand a chance elsewhere. People like you that is if hotels was your first option are really hard to come by so you know bringing in an innovation which few seem to understand feels like a waste of time so the process of workplace change though slow seems even more redundant because of the lack of skilled people for its execution.If you wanted to create the ideal workplace environment, what would you envision it to be if you were an employee? Well if I were to envision my work place I would see myself sitting on a chair that floats above the ground and be able to move in an out through walls unnoticed eat sleep work and enjoy when I want. Jokes apart, I am just trying to say that there can never be one vision. The vision of workplace for every person changes with the change in his seniority and his mindset.When I was at the Front office manager I wanted a bigger desk today when I am a General Manager I want a bigger and much more technologically improved office What one envisions to see will always be steps away from reality, so if you wish to sum up what each and every one of us in this industry wants it would just be ‘paradise’. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 29 [Impact of Workplace Design] What do you feel have been the most repetitive c omplains regarding workplace issues in the industry? Well when you talk of complains in this industry they are more like tantrums of kid.It is like when the kid wants something he wants it without even realizing whether or not the company would actually be able to provide him with the same. I get complains like ‘the staff washroom is to small’ or ‘ we need better lockers’ or ‘the work hours are killing’ or ‘sir, I did not get my designated of’ and last but not the least ‘ my supervisor and colleagues do not respect me’. This world is a battlefield of conflicts, people strive to achieve better and better. To people there will always be a scope for change so workplace design or change is like polishing a diamond with each intricate cut it shines better and its value doubles.Maybe many of the complains do not have a solution but many also do but the irony is if you solve one they come up with upgraded versions of previous complains so you have got to keep improving yourself so that you can face the challenges of the future. Office innovation or workplace change is actually the development of technological social and personnel aspects, what are your comments on this statement? Definitely, very truly spoken because work and its outcomes depend mainly on personal social and technological aspects, enhancing all of the above would definitely enhance productivity. . 2 Structured Questionnaire Analysis A structured questionnaire was provided to thirty staff members selected randomly from the food and beverage department of Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi. The questionnaire involved ranking workplace as an important attribute affecting job satisfaction and on-job performance on a scale of one to five, with one being the lowest and five being the highest. After the data was collected, it was analyzed for the importance placed to different attributes with regards to the employees’ job satisfaction and on-job p erformance.An average of the [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 30 [Impact of Workplace Design] data submitted by all participants of the study was calculated and a bar chart was generated as follows. Attributes of Job Satisfaction 5 4. 5 4 3. 5 3 2. 5 2 1. 5 1 0. 5 Attributes 2. 6 2. 6 3. 7 4. 4 4. 1 3. 9 3. 6 3. 6 3. 7 3. 7 4. 1 4. 2 4 4. 5 3. 8 4 4. 5 0 Figure 1 The analysis of this questionnaire presented to employees of different ages and working at different levels in the Food and Beverage Department of The Taj Palace Delhi yielded very interesting results.Looking at the bar chart from the average of all attributes of work and workplace design , it is naturally seen that Learning Opportunity, Promotion, Motivation and Workplace Architecture play a major role in employee satisfaction, which in turn is known to be directly proportional to the on the job behaviour of the employee. Many employees have also marked Wellness Programs and Job Security as important reasons for retaining a j ob. The analysis also included ideas collected from, The Restaurant Manager, supervisors, the stewards and also management trainees working in the department.The questionnaire by design was circulated to an equal number of male and female employee’s in the study. [Varun Sahgal (H-18095)] Page 31 [Impact of Workplace Design] Next, the researcher segregated the study findings by gender to see if any deviations occurred in the result. It was realized that different workplace attributes motivated male and female employees differently. Given below is a Bar chart of the attributes that the male employees considered essential for job satisfaction. 5 Job Satisfaction Attributes for Male 4. 7 Employees 4. 1 3. 4 3. 8 3. 7 3. 4 2. 8 2. 5 4. 1 4 4 4. 2 4. 2 4. 2 4. 1 4 4. 5 4 3. 5 3 2. 5 2 1. 5 Attributes(M) 1 0. 5 0 Figure 2 It was clearly noticed that for male employees working in the Food and Beverage department of The Taj Palace Hotel, Delhi that what motivates them the most is the physical attribute of workplace, which includes working desk and back area design. Workplace architecture is closely followed by job security, training and development, motivation while attr