The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd - Questions

The Invention of Wings is Sue Monk Kidds third novel. Her first, The Secret Life of Bees, was a book club favorite that gave groups a chance to discuss race issues in the South in the 1960s. In The Invention of Wings, Kidd returns to issues of race and a Southern setting, this time tackling slavery in the early nineteenth century. Kidds novel is fiction, but historical fiction where one of the main characters is based on a true historical figure -- Sarah Grimke. These questions seek to get at the heart of the novel and help book clubs discuss the many facets of The Invention of Wings. Spoiler Warning: These questions contain details from throughout the novel, including the end. Finish the book before reading on. The novel is presented as a story about two characters, Sarah and Handful. Do you think their relationship with each other is central to how they developed? Or was the chance to read two perspectives more important than the actual relationship?This is also a novel about family relationships and history, particularly as seen through the women in the story. Discuss Sarahs relationship with her mother and sisters and Handfuls with her mother and sister. In what ways did these other women define who Sarah and Handful became?Charlottes story quilt is her greatest treasure. Why do you think that is? How does the ability to tell ones own story shape ones identity?Sarahs familys story relies on slavery. Why was it necessary for Sarah to leave all the things dear to her mother and family -- Charleston society, beautiful ornamentation, reputation and even place -- in order to live with her personal convictions? What was the hardest for her to break with?Religion is important throughout the nov el, and Kidd gives readers the chance to see many sides of the early nineteenth century church: the white high church in the South, which defended slavery; the black church in the South with its liberation theology; and the Quaker church, with its progressive ideas about women and slaves along with its denial of beautiful clothes and celebrations. Slavery is one of the keys to understanding the complex history of the church in America. Discuss how the novel brings that to light? What did the book make you think about the role of the church?Were you surprised to learn that even among abolitionists the idea of racial equality was radical?Were you surprised by the reactions in the North to the Grimke sisters speaking tour? Were you aware of how strongly women were limited?Even the Grimkes allies suggested they hold back on their feminist views because they thought it would hurt the cause of abolition. Indeed, it did split the movement. Do you think this compromise was justified? Did yo u think the sisters were justified in not making it?Were you surprised to hear about any of the punishments that were common for slaves, such as the Work House or the one legged punishment? Were any other parts of the history of slavery new to you, such as the information about Denmark Vessey and the planned revolt? Did this novel give you any new perspectives on slavery?If you have read Sue Monk Kidds previous novels, how did this one compare? Rate The Invention of Wings on a scale of 1 to 5. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd was published in January 2014It was chosen for Oprahs Book Club before publicationPublisher: Viking Adult384 pages

The Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment - 1188 Words

Due to recent climate change the environment has been impacted in many ways. Climate Change is a change in global or regional climate patterns attributed largely to the increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels (Oxford Dictionary). Scientists have studied the impacts it s having on the environment such as temperature rising, sea level rising, and increase in natural disasters. Climate change has only affected us in the 20 years due to the increase in factories cars, and CO2 we produce. Climate change has caused many problems with the waters environment. Spikes in water temperature are causing a massive decrease in species population globally. All marine life is impacted by climate change in many†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬ËœOnce a tropical fish species arrives in a new area, it can quickly mow down vegetation and algae and destroy the lush habitat that protects other species. For instance, parrot fish are capable of eating a lot of seagrass per individual, said marine scientist Joel Fodrie of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. These types of fish are hurting these ecosystems and hurting other species. â€Å"The shrimp, crab, and other species that often spend the first year of their lives hiding from predators in the protection of the grasses disappear when their cover is gone, leaving a void for the creatures that depend on them. The loss of vegetation can completely change the community of species that live there†(Vergà ©s). Climate change has also affected the land in every aspect from coastal communities to the farms worldwide. â€Å"Droughts in the Southwest and heat waves everywhere are projected to become more intense, and cold waves less intense everywhere. Summer temperatures are projected to continue rising, and a reduction of soil moisture, which exacerbates heat waves, is projected for much of the western and central U.S. in summer. By the end of this century, what have been once-in-20-year extreme heat days (one-day events) are projected to occur every two or three years over most of the nation†(NASA).summertime temperatures in the United States that ranked among the hottest 5% in 1950-1979 will occur at leastShow MoreRelatedThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment Essay1268 Words   |  6 PagesOCEAN ACIDIFICATION Smog, contaminated water, melting of snow packs. These are some of impacts that Climate Change has had on the Earth over the past years. All of these are product of the increase in carbon dioxide emissions by humans and their polluting activities. Since the Industrial Revolution, these events have escalated and, they have been becoming more noticeable and prolonged across the globe. Some of these events are more palpable and pronounced in certain parts of the hemisphere. For exampleRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment1445 Words   |  6 Pagescooler climates all are impacts of increasing temperatures that are happening right now. Within the next century, sea levels will rise 7 - 23 inches, Storms will become much stronger, floods/droughts will become more common, and many, many other negative environmental changes (Cook). These changes in the environment have been the topic of debate for decades, but has become more and more common over the past few years. On one side of the debate, there are the people who believe climate changeRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment1506 Words   |  7 Pagesthe amount of damage that has been done to the environment is due to this current generation and the problem I will be focusing on is climate change. Climate change is an issue that has been present for many years, but we are just now deciding to stand up and try to fix things. The problem at hand is whether or not it’s too late to undo the destruction that’s already been done. Is this damage too critical that it cannot be corrected? Climate change is an environmental issue that is reversible, theRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment1217 Words   |  5 Pagesrisks of climate change, but many others are unaware of the problem, unsure of the facts or what to do, do not trust experts or believe their conclusions, think the problem is elsewhere, are fixed in their ways, believe that others should act, or believe that their actions will make no difference or are unimportant compared to those of others. II. †¢ An individual level of analysis is relevant for understanding the impacts of climate change and the ways individuals adapt to climate change becauseRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment1055 Words   |  5 PagesClimate change has become a major issue in today’s society. Coming from the rise of Greenhouse Gas emissions and changing temperature caused human developments, world leaders and organisations are working on ways to combat the problem. This includes taking steps towards renewable energy and a cleaner future. Although, human activity is not the sole cause to the rising earth’s temperatures. Besides are use of greenhouse gases and fossil fuels, natural Influences including the current El Nià ±o periodRead MoreClimate Change And Its Effect On The Environment Essay1348 Words   |  6 Pages Tying this back to climate change, it the levels of these salt marshes are affected by the rise in seawater. However, if the cordgrass and marsh hay experience more or less stress from higher or lower tides than they are used to, the soils within each area will be disturbed. The higher the sea level rises, the more tides increase in number as well as speed. If the tides speed up and become more frequent, it is possible that this could dislodge newly planted seeds and disturb the populations increasingRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment906 Words   |  4 PagesClimate is consistent behavior of temperature, precipitation, humidity, atmospheric pressure and other related environmental factors. Around the globe, temperature a re climbing, sea levels are rising, and season are changing, which means that climate change is transforming our Earth. Climate change indicates negative consequences on the impact to humanity and on the factors of the climate system. By climate change the most endangered is atmosphere, because it changes the composition of uncontrolledRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Enviro nment Essay954 Words   |  4 Pagesthat the reason for the heat range change is man made pollution. The alleged cause of this climatic change is the development of carbon dioxide, which blocks solar heat and keeps it from radiating out of the weather. Carbon footprint is a way to evaluate the effect that human actions have on the surroundings through the exhaust of green house gas, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbon are associated with environment changes and have an effect on the entire atmosphere. SpecificallyRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment Essay1916 Words   |  8 PagesBarack Obama and other World Leaders secured a global agreement to fight against climate change. President Obama strives to lessen global emissions by the end of the century and to alleviate the amount of fossil fuels that are being burned in our atmosphere. Society has been affecting our environment by burning fossil fuels and decreasing the amount of greenhouse gases. The changing climate has affected the environment in many ways. The Earth’s water systems have been thrown off balance, there areRead MoreThe Effects Of Climate Change On The Environment3459 Words   |  14 PagesIntroduction â€Å"If international climate policy is to prove effective, government policy-makers will unavoidably need to take all business actors on board, not the least of them the multinational oil corporations. The oil industry is one of the most powerful and global business sectors today and its activities and products are directly linked with rising greenhouse gas emissions. Understanding its climate change strategies and actions is of utmost importance to those policy-makers aiming at constructive

A Ready and Modern Army, a Strategic Priority Free Essays

Planning Guidance, the Army will focus on five strategic priorities to meet the Nation’s strategic imperatives. Although all of these priorities are significant, the strategic priority â€Å"A Ready and Modern Army† is the most important because it directly impacts the Army’s ability to respond when called upon. â€Å"A Ready and Modern Army’ strategic priority affects the Army’s personnel, equipment, supplies, and training. We will write a custom essay sample on A Ready and Modern Army, a Strategic Priority or any similar topic only for you Order Now One thing is non-negotiable: Americans expect and trust that their Army is properly trained and deployment ready at any given time. It is important to note that in a time of budget cuts and manpower reduction, balancing readiness and modernization will continue to be an issue across the entire Department of Defense. Nevertheless, the Army will need to continue to scale its forces into scalable, well-equipped, and highly trained force in order to maintain readiness in an unpredictable world where modernization is absolutely necessary for the Nation to address future global trends. Additionally, it is crucial that the Army continues to conduct rigorous and practical training at home stations at multi-echelon levels and leverage modern technologies such as virtual and emulation capabilities. Finally, the Army needs to capitalize more on the skills and knowledge of the Army National Guard and Army Reserve as well as having the right mix of capabilities in order to establish and maintain a globally responsive and regionally-engaged force. Overall, â€Å"A Ready and Modern Army’ means that the Army will need to holistically look at Its personnel, equipment, supplies, and training and determine the best way to Integrate operations where It makes sense to provide the most efficient and effective solution. The need for Integration Is even more critical In the context of the foreseeable fiscal environment. How to cite A Ready and Modern Army, a Strategic Priority, Papers

Responsibilities of International Human Resource †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Responsibilities of International Human Resource. Answer Introduction The human resource is a very compulsory department in every organization that is responsible for overseeing the different employment aspects in that organization. Some of these aspects include the performance appraisal, staff induction, career management, occupation health and safety, recruitment and selection, law abidance and employment standards. This function of an organization is responsible for activities of an organization that is revolving around employee recruitment, their management, and everything that is a concern to the people within a given organization.(kramer, 2017) In todays business world, many HR departments have been given the responsibilities to ensure positive organization growth and development that generates the organization's culture. These departments are also charged with oversight obligations of ensuring that this organization appropriately manages team building and employees inspiration and motivation as well. An effective HR department leads to an effective employee contribution and productivity towards the overall organization direction and the attainment of the organization set goals. As stated earlier, each organization has its HR department and all practices of HR are almost the same. This means that every activity that is concerned with employees and their welfare in every organization is taken care of by the HR department; however, the results of different human resource department from the different organization have never been the same. This can be explained by the fact that every company or organization works under a different set of values and culture to attain a certain objective. According to (kennedy, 2000) culture is the way things are done. We can also define cultural context as all the existing set of beliefs, assumptions, values and the interaction ways that give rise to the distinctive social and psychological organizations environment. Moreover, the organization culture also entails the expectations that the organization has, the experiences they have, set of values that guide the code of conduct of the members which can be expressed by the member inner image and the interactions with the external environment and future expectations. According to the business dictionary, Culture can be based on attitudes, customs, written and unwritten rules that are developed as time goes by. In these essay, its an attempt to explain with a relevant example, explanation and theoretical illustration of how the HR practices stated above, may not produce same results in different cultural context. Performance appraisal Performance appraisal is a systematic process of evaluation of the organization employee performance as a way of understanding individual employee capacities and skills to facilitate further growth and development. Most of the organizations conduct these processes annually as a way of accessing the contribution each employee may have to the organization. The results of the performance appraisal can, therefore, lead to staff salary increments, promotion in terms of leadership and responsibilities, provision of bonuses and sometimes leads to the demotion of none performing employees.(dictionary, defination of performance appraisal, 2007) Despite all tools that have been put in place concerning performance appraisal, conducting performance appraisal by the organizations is one of the complex and challenging activities of the human resource department. There are lots of challenges that the department may come across and this ends up interfering with the results, which may lead to a perception that leads to conclusions that the process is ineffective and also unfair more so when it's contracted at an international level. One of these challenges is the cultural difference and the relationship to leniency psychometric error. In todays business world, globalization has been one of the major trends. Therefore, research on the human resource management practices is done at an international level, and this makes the researchers be in a position to conduct cross cultural comparisons.(Bailey, 2000) Different organizations conduct their activities in different localities that have different cultural practices. This factor should also be considered when conducting performance appraisal since not each aspect of the society, culture, and belief favors the activities of a given society within a region. According to Bailey, culture can be subdivided into two groups; the individualist culture and the collectivist cultures. The individualists culture is the culture whereby the major objective and focus of the members is the self-concern and the concern of their immediate families and for instance, Bailey gives the US and UK as good examples of these culture practitioners. On the other hand, collectivist culture is the type of culture where individuals view themselves as part of a group which also includes the work unit and the practitioners of this culture are more concerned with the needs of the group more than the personal needs. An example of this is china and japan. Therefore, from the above, its clear that international human resource management conducting organizational performance appraisal in these four countries, be it under one organization but having branches in the four countries, will not get same results due to the existence of the already established two types of culture. A study conducted by Mohyeldin and Suleiman 2002, on the Arabic organization performance appraisal in relation to culture, considering the fact that this was individualist culture practicing country, showed that the Arabic employees have adopted a culture whereby they tend to rate their performance evaluation higher than their immediate supervisors. Other cultural practices portrayed were that married people got better performance appraisal than unmarried people and the married people did not want to lose their position in the organization and this, therefore, forced the supervisor to be lenient when conducting their performance evaluation on the married people as a way of avoiding cares with the married people. Taking an instance of an organization in an Arabic country and has some branches in UK and US, therefore the HR department in these two branches will not give the same appraisal results due to the different subcultures in the two different states.(Mohyeldin, 2002) we can therefore conclude that, the process of performance appraisal is important in the identification and the development of people with their levels of performance but at the same time, the process in the cultural contest can cause implications in cases where the employee performance is interpreted or even valued in very different way because of cultures, beliefs, and values that are different from what the given organizations terms as right. (Groeschl, 2003) Therefore, its true that performance appraisal as an HR practice gives different results under different cultural context. Recommendations concerning performance appraisal under different cultures For an organization or the human resource management to address to satisfaction the issue of cultural and legal differences that concern the performance appraisal process, every manager should be ready for the task an d should be in a position to recognize and respect the existing cultural differences and also approach the process in a manner that fits with the culture. The departments should train its personnel on a global basis The information concerning the employer should not be obtained from the individual employee but form the society who gets in touch with the service from the employees.(Bartlett, 2000) Recruitment and selection The enrollment and selection process is essential for new and built up organizations alike. HR division has the help and mastery of work pros that help to procure managers with the strategies to guarantee the organization pioneers are settling on insightful enlisting choices. With a specific end goal to build proficiency in enlisting and maintenance and to guarantee consistency and compliance in the enrollment and selection process, it is suggested the accompanying strides be followed. There are a few pieces to the recruitment and choice process: sourcing candidates, reviewing and tracking applicants, carrying out interviews and selection for employment.(Barber, 2000) According to Hofstede 1980, cultural dimensions are divided into four generic groups which are largely independent of each other: Large vs. small power distance Individualism vs. collectivism Strong vs. weak uncertainty avoidance Masculinity vs. femininity Considering this subdivision, the HR department, before selecting a recruitment and selection criteria, they have to determine who is supposed to be fit for what position and if there is any culture which they may be conflicting which may end up turning down the achievement of the set objectives. Taking for instance in the case of the masculinity vs. femininity, where masculinity is termed as male associated values like high wages, challenging job groups and personal recognitions while the feminine represents employee well-being and the satisfaction, a positive personal relation and nurturing as well as sharing. Accompany that wants to conduct considers if the type of employees they want will fit in this cultural diversification depending on the vacancies available. If the organization is situated in a region that practices the femininity culture the results of the recruitment will be different from that of recruitment of organization in masculinity culture in that they in the femini nity one, both male and female will share set of values unlike in the masculine culture context.(Hofstede, 1988) Conclusion From the essay above and sources indicated, its true that the results of the human resource practices are different and this difference comes about due to the different cultural context that exists in the areas where the HR practices are conducted. References Bailey, J. C. (2000). Conceptions of self and performance-related feedback in the US, Japan, and China. Journal of International Business Studies, Vol. 28 No. 3, 605-25. Barber, A. (2000). Recruiting Employees. In A. Barber, Thousand Oaks (p. 34). CA: Sage. Bartlett, C. a. (2000). what is a global manager? Harvard business review journal, 124. dictionary. (2007, 08). definition of performance appraisal. Retrieved 08 2017, from business dictionary: https://www.businessdictionary.com/ dictionary. (2017, 08). definition of organizational culture. Retrieved 08 2017, from business dictionary: https://www.businessdictionary.com/ Groeschel, s. (2003). Cultural implications for the Appraisal process, cross cultural management. An international journal, 67-7779. Hofstede, G. a. (1988). The Confucius connection: From cultural roots. In G. a. Hofstede, Organizational Dynamics (pp. 4-21). Kennedy, d. a. (2000). corporate culture: The Rites and Rituals of Corporate Life. Harmondsworth: Penguin Books, 1982; reissue Perseus Books, 2000. Kramer. (2017). the balance. Retrieved 08 21, 2017, from what is human resource management: https://www.thebalance.com/ Mohyeldin, A. a. (2002). Self and supervisor ratings of performance: evidence from an individualistic culture, Employee Relations, Vol. 25 No. 4, pp. 371-88.