Learning and Memory Applied :: Essays Papers

Learning and Memory Applied Learning and memory are fascinating. The world could not function without either. They both are used in many different fashions in a wide variety of places. Learning and Memory have been carefully studied by professionals but are also well known and used by the common people on a daily basis. I am one of those common people, a student who is constantly learning and making the most of my memory. Since enrolling in The Psychology of Learning and Memory class I have come to the realization that I encounter situations in my life that exemplify the very concepts I have studied. I have also learned that it is beneficial to apply the lessons learned in class to my everyday life. Positive reinforcement, learned helplessness and serial recall are a few among many of the learning and memory models that have come to action in my life and in my final reflections surrounding the course. First of all, I was highly interested in the concept and various factors that together make up positive reinforcement. I had a premise that I could do some experimental work on the three children for whom I baby-sit during the week after school. They leave school full of energy and it is my job to get them to complete a series of tasks before the end of the evening. I imagined that some positive reinforcement might get them on their way to handling their responsibilities in a timelier manner. My first step was to come up with a specific instrumental response that would produce reinforcement. This took no time at all because by far the most painfully difficult thing for me to do is get the children to sit down and do their homework. I then spoke specifically to each child and asked them what they would rather choose as an after school activity. They named video games, television, and going to play with other neighborhood children. I had expected these types of answers from the children and made them into the positive reinforcers that would be contingent on the children’s performance of the instrumental response; namely completing their homework. I explained to the children that if they behaved and finished their homework, then directly following they could spend an hour doing an activity of their choice.

To Obey or Disobey

Obedience is an age old expectation that rulers, priests, and government officials have required for years from their subjects. Most of the time individuals follow their leaders without question. This is the case because the population from which obedience is required believes that they continue to have a choice. When, for whatever reason this belief is lost, some individuals will begin to exhibit an increasing disobedience to the requirement. This often increases to the point of violence or, the case of a country, war. While there are all types of disobedience, this paper will discuss civil disobedience and the social pressure often associated with it. A good example of this type of cycle can be found in the historical background of the United States. When the United States was first populated by Europeans it was a colony of Great Britain. Over the course of several decades, the British king imposed a series of taxes on the colonists. Most colonists felt that they were being taxed without any representation. Over the course of approximately 15 years the protests against the taxes became increasing violent until the Continental Congress was formed in 1775 (History Central). With Thomas Jefferson serving as the writer, the Declaration of Independence was drafted by the Congress and sent to the King of England. In it, Jefferson wrote, Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security (Ushistory) The Revolutionary War was fought and freedom from British rule was won. Today the population of the United States is expected to pay taxes. The difference is that people believe the choice is theirs because of our representative form of government. In the mid 1800s, Henry David Thoreau introduced a new concept that has greatly influenced individuals and groups desiring change since then. Thoreau spent several years living in a simple cabin near Walden Pond in Massachusetts. During this time the United States still allowed slavery. Thoreau was opposed to this. He refused to pay taxes as a form of protest. His explanation evolved into an essay entitled â€Å"Civil Disobedience†. Basically Thoreau felt that an individual should not support by any means a government that was engaging in acts of which the individual did not agree. He felt that the individual should be willing to suffer the consequences of his disobedient act, however he/she should never take a violent stand in defense of his/her belief (Williams). Today â€Å"Civil Disobedience† is considered to be the basis of several modern nonviolent resistance movements. â€Å"It is known to have been an inspiration to Mohandas Gandhi, who led the passive resistance movement for the liberation of India from British colonial rule. Thoreau’s ideas also influenced Martin Luther King, Jr. s Civil Rights movement and the American struggle to end the Vietnam War† (Williams). During the fight for equal rights for Black Americans that took place in the 1950s and 60s, Martin Luther King Jr. relied on the principle of civil disobedience written a century earlier by Thoreau. While incarcerated in the Birmingham, in a letter known as the â€Å"Letter from the Birmingham Jail†, King wrote, â€Å"Over the past few years I have consistently p reached that nonviolence demands that the means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek. I have tried to make clear that it is wrong to use immoral means to attain moral ends. But now I must affirm that it is just as wrong, or perhaps even more so, to use moral means to preserve immoral ends† (King). Others followed Dr. King’s example of non-violent protest. One evening in December, 1955, on her way home from her job in downtown Montgomery Alabama, a woman, Rosa Parks, was asked to give up her seat to a white passenger on the bus she was riding. She refused. She was arrested and fined. This simple action inspired the Montgomery Bus Boycott. By June of 1956, the court declared Alabama's racial segregation laws for public transit unconstitutional. The city appealed and on November 13, 1956, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's ruling. . . The city of Montgomery had no choice but to lift the law requiring segregation on public buses† ( Bio. True Story). Groups of individuals, when convinced that it is no longer acceptable to conform to the expectation of the ruler can make historical changes in the world in which they live. What causes one individual to become disobedient and another to remain obedient to the group rules? Most people want to believe that they think for themselves; however, when an individual is part of a social group that person will began to assume the group’s ideas and rules. Individuals may then find themselves engaged in a struggle in which they do not believe because of the social pressure to fit into a group. Additionally they may fear being an outcast. This is especially true if friends or family belong to the same group. Doris Lessing wrote â€Å"When we’re in a group, we tend to think as that group does: we may even have joined the group to find â€Å"like-minded† people. But we also find our thinking changing because we belong to a group. It is the hardest thing in the world to maintain an individual dissident opinion, as a member of a group†. (724) Universities over time have done a lot of research trying to understand why people obey and disobey. Most people believe they are good and trustworthy. These individuals feel no matter what occurs they will always try to do the right thing in their day to day life. In The Perils of Obedience, Milgram tells of a woman â€Å"that the last shock she administered to the learner was extremely painful and reiterates that she did not want to be responsible for any harm to him†. 695). Despite her desires she still administered the shock, thus being obedient to the person in charge and not to what she believed. Individuals who still believe in the concept called into question by the disobedient group, often feel intense pressure to maintain loyalty to the old ruling entity. In Doris Lessing’s article, Group Minds, she states â€Å"But the majority will continue to insist-speaking metaphorically-that black is white, and after a period of exasperation, irritation, even anger, certainly incomprehension, the minority will fall into line†. Pressure to conform can manifest itself in another way as well.. Individuals may feel compelled to follow the ideas and rules of someone else and follow that group of people no matter what path it my lead them down or where those ideas and rules may take them. Social pressure comes from everywhere; family, church, friends, jobs, co-workers, and etc.. During the height of the segregation movement in many of the minds of the south there are only two sides in this fight; for segregation or against segregation no fence riding. This concept is also apparent during times of conflict. For examples, during the Revolutionary War many colonists remained loyal to Great Britain. British sympathizers were called Tories. They often â€Å"agreed with the patriots about â€Å"no taxation without representation. † But they wanted to solve the dispute in such a way as to remain in the British Empire† (US Anabaptists). Following what you believe to be right will have consequences. For example, those wanting freedom from England formed a new country and enjoyed many rights and freedoms. All those remaining loyal to the king were considered traitors. â€Å"Most of the new states passed laws taking away the loyalists' property. Patriot mobs attacked prominent Tories. Those found helping the British were imprisoned† (US Anabaptists).. Most people want to believe that they think for themselves; however, when an individual is part of a social group that person will began to assume the group’s ideas and rules. Individuals may then find themselves engaged in a struggle in which they do not believe because of the social pressure to fit into a group. Additionally they may fear being an outcast. This is especially true if friends or family belong to the same group. Doris Lessing wrote â€Å"When we’re in a group, we tend to think as that group does: we may even have joined the group to find â€Å"like-minded† people. But we also find our thinking changing because we belong to a group. It is the hardest thing in the world to maintain an individual dissident opinion, as a member of a group†. (724) In conclusion, it appears that a person is either obedient or disobedient based on the group to which he/she belongs. Inclusion in a particular group may be based on family culture as in the case of those loyal to the King in the Revolutionary War or those engaged in keeping in tact the segregated nature of the South before 1965. Other groups include religious groups, political groups, and special interest groups. While as a people we may like to believe that we think for ourselves, the facts point in a different direction. It would take a brave person indeed to stand on principles in the face of objections from the group to which he is most closely associated. Work Citied http://www.historycentral.com/revolt/causes.html http://abacus.bates.edu/admin/offices/dos/mlk/letter.html http://www.anabaptists.org/history/rev-war.html

Managing Organizational Structure Change - 1903 Words

Managing Organizational Structure Change LDR 531 Managing Organizational Structure Change Smith Falmouth (SF), a mid-sized phone and mail order product company, has expanded into the online product market. SF created S;F Online as an independent business unit while it proves the strategic viability and value of online as a sales channel. SF Online is made up of a small team that has been successful, and is now working to increase sales and diversify their online offerings to add health and beauty services. As SF Online grows, it needs to determine the best organizational structure to support its business strategy and builds on its current organizational culture. Current Organizational Structure SF Online is currently a†¦show more content†¦Considerations. In order to successfully design a matrix organization, though, a few key considerations need to be planned for. First, informal communication channels need to be developed and leadership needs to watch for any signs of organizational silos. Effective communication among the dimensions of the matrix structure is essential for a successful implementation. A great deal of this communication is informal in nature, leading to voluntary coordination among employees. Informal communication relies on personal networks and relationships built on trust. One barrier to informal communication is organizational silos. Leaders must break down these silos whenever possible (Galbraith, 2010, p.6). Next, it is important for cross-departmental goal achievement that the rewards be aligned for all areas. â€Å"The goals of the different matrix dimensions must be aligned to work together. The more dimensions that exist, the more likely it is that fragmentation will occur† (Galbraith, 2010, p.6). Lastly, since the unity-of-command is no longer in existence, i.e., there are essentially two bosses (functional and product managers) there needs to be absolute clarity in the work priorities. â€Å"When you dispense with theShow MoreRelatedThe Issue Of Managing Organizational Change1335 Words   |  6 Pages Abstract The issue of managing organizational change is important within management theory and practice. A number of cases have shown that attempts to manage organizational change had frequently failed. Therefore the objective of this paper is to find why does the failure almost occur in an organisation? Additionally, this papers objective is to provide discussion and find reply on the following questions: 1) Which specific aspects of change are currently impacting most on practicingRead MoreOrganizations: Managing Life Cycles Essay1529 Words   |  7 PagesOrganizations: Managing Life Cycles Early theories and empirical studies have identified various organizational life cycles. Many authors who have addressed the topic of developmental phases have presented different models. As a result, when researching this topic one will find differentiations between the numbers of phases within an organizations life span. Some models identify three stages, others four or more. However, regardless of the number of life cycles, what we know is that theseRead MoreHow Organizational Size and Structure Influences Control1375 Words   |  6 PagesHow Organizational Structure, Size and Control Determine Culture Abstract The agility of any enterprise and its acuity in recognizing new opportunities while averting risks are critical skills that need to be continually improved if any business is going to survive the increasingly turbulent economic conditions of many industries today. Of the many concepts, frameworks and initiatives for making an organizational culture more agile, responsive and capable of dealing with opportunity, uncertaintyRead MoreNASAs Incompetence: The Challenger and Columbia Shuttle Disasters1530 Words   |  7 Pagesdisaster. Although mechanical failure of an O-ring seal in one of the rocket boosters was identified as the physical cause, the investigation revealed something much more disheartening; organizational deficiencies at NASA had allowed potential safety hazards to be disregarded. The disastrous consequences of NASA’s organizational failure prompted calls for the organization to restructure its management to provide for better control and appoint a team dedicated to identifying and tracking potential shuttleRead MoreImplementing The Organizational Structure, Design, And Challenges Associated With The Strategy For Expansion And Innovation1435 Words   |  6 PagesFacilitating Change Amazon, a United States-based international company, is the world’s largest e-commerce business. The organizational leaders want to expand into China but doing so requires them to evaluate their organization structure to determine if it aligns with the consultants’ recommended strategy for expansion and innovation. This paper begins with an evaluation of Amazon’s existing organizational structure, design, and challenges associated with the existing design. There is a reviewRead MoreOrganizational Management Essay973 Words   |  4 Pagesto the Boeing situation is the 7 –S Framework. 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Core and Peripheral Changes with Regard to Hospital Re-organization Found in the organizational structure and studied in hospital re-organization is the core and peripheryRead MoreValley National Bank ( Vnb )1063 Words   |  5 Pagesheadquartered in Boca Raton with 21 branches in southeast and central Florida. 1st United Bank, which has grown both organically and through opportunistic acquisitions, shared VNB’s conservative underwriting standards, and perhaps more importantly, an organizational culture that despite its multiple origins along several acquisitions, worked successfully as one Bank. In 2009, 1st United had acquired Republic Federal Bank after it failed (FDIC Press Release). Soon after in 2010, it took control of Bank ofRead MoreTraditional Team Essay927 Words   |  4 Pages Organizational Teams Teams are an integral part of the success of organizations today. There are various types of teams found within today’s companies, and some teams perform at higher levels than others. The performance of a team can depend largely on its structure. To understand what makes a team operate be effective and productive requires looking at the various types of teams. Organizations typically developing the following types of teams: manager-led, self-managing, self-designingRead MoreOrganizational Structure: Google Case Study1601 Words   |  6 PagesIntroduction An Organization structure shows how people and jobs are arranged in an organization to perform a given task and to meet the objectives of the goals. Formal structures are unnecessary where there are small work group and frequent face-to-face communication, however, it may be useful to larger organizations in terms of decision making regarding the delegation of different tasks. Because of that, there are several of established procedures in assigning the responsibilities for different

What Is a Global Manager - 2649 Words

The answer is a network of specialists, not a individual. What is a Globai iVianager? by Christopher A. Bartlett and Sumantra Ghoshal In the early stages of its drive overseas. Corning Glass hired an American ex-ambassador to head up its international division. He had excellent contacts in the governments of many nations and could converse in several languages, hut he was less familiar with Corning and its businesses. In contrast, ITT decided to set up a massive educational program to globalize all managers responsible for its worldwide telecommunications husiness-in essence, to replace its national specialists with global generalists. Corning and ITT eventually realized they had taken wrong turns. Like many other†¦show more content†¦The global business managers overall go, is to capture the full henefit of integrated worl wide operations. To be effective, the three roles at the core of a husiness managers joh are to serve as the strategist, for his or her organization, the architect of i worldwide asset and resource configuration, and the coordinator of transactions across national borders. Leif Johansson, now president of Electrolux, the Swedish-based company, played all three roles successfully in his earlier position as head of the household appliance division. In 1983, when 32-year-old Johansson assumed responsibility for the division, he took over a business that had been huilt up through more than 100 acquisitions over the previous eight years. By the late 1980s, Electroluxs portfolio included more than 20 brands sold in some 40 countries, witb acquisitions continuing throughout the decade. HARVARD BUSINESS REVIEW September October 1992 Zanussi, for example, the big Italian manufacturer acquired by Electrolux in 1984, had built a strong market presence based on its reputation for innovation in household and commercial appliances. In addition, Arthur Martin in France and Zoppas in Norway had strong local brand positions hut limited innovative capability. As a result of these acquisitions, Electrolux had accumulated a patchwork quilt of companies, each witb a differentShow MoreRelatedWhat Are The Criteria That HR Should Look For When Selecting Global Expatriate Managers?758 Words   |  4 PagesWhat are the criteria that HR should look for when selecting global expatriate managers? The need for expatriate managers is increasing and â€Å"80% of midsize and large companies currently send professionals abroad—and 45% plan to increase the number they have on assignment.† (Gregersen, 1999) The cost for sending expatriates abroad is generally a costly venture for the organization with an expatriate employee package costing the organization two to three times the equivalent of a domestic positionRead MoreA Global Supply Chain Manager1036 Words   |  5 PagesThe work of a global supply chain manager is ever changing. These global supply chains must be fluid and responsive to keep with the changing landscape that is global business. Risk factors, consumer expectations, political change, and environmental concerns are many of the things that they must overcome. Planning, communication, and strong relationships can aid these managers in doing what the need to stay on top of all these challenges. The main goal of the supply chain is to provide the customer sRead MoreThe Success Factors Of Multinational Corporations1272 Words   |  6 PagesOne of the most essential success factor in multinational corporations is related with the organization’s group of extremely competent international leaders and managers who have the global knowledge of consumer demands for services as well as products in a world scale, the knowledge of production and service capabilities, and also who can influence others in spite of diverse cultural or political backgrounds that make them think, analyze, decide, act and communicate in a different way than the leaderRead MoreNew York Times Columnist Thomas Friedm The Inexorable Integration Of Markets, Transportation Systems, And Communication Systems849 Words   |  4 Pagesever before.† (Friedman, 2002). Corporations can no longer operate exclusively in one or two countries. Today’s markets are far too complicated and interdependent for that. 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To beRead MoreAcer, Inc. – Taiwan’s Rampaging Dragon1432 Words   |  6 Pagesindustry changed from high profit margins to low profit margins almost overnight. This made it difficult to make a profit from the completed products. Shih expanded and setup Regional Business Units (RBU) which developed global brands in order to turn the company around. Shih’s global expansion included joint ventures â€Å"in less hotly contested markets in Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. By 1995, it was the top-selling computer brand in Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, Panama, Uruguay, ThailandRead MoreThe Global Economy Has Changed The Way The Corporations Do Business Today1622 Words   |  7 PagesLeaders hip in a globalizing world. The global economy has changed the way the corporations do business today. The melting of trade barriers among nations and their increasing inter connectedness, accelerated by technology has brought a profound impact on global business. 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Managers need to be able to make informed decisions that can have financial or personnel impacts, they need to fully understand and implement all organizational policies, and they need to manage and drive employee performance. Managers are in a state of perpetual assessment. Performing these tasks in one country and one culture is challenging enough, but from an ethical point of view, there is a pretty

Short Story - 998 Words

There we were: a dilapidated bench in Parc Bryn Cegin, myself only a haircut and a hip transplant from my eighteen-year-old self, and Kenny, portly and bald from head to toe, resembling the Michelin man or maybe an alopeciac. Both of us were still in our all-blacks, with matching hand-carved oak boxes clenched between our thighs. â€Å"Might as well start from the beginning.† Out came the same boyish squeak I remembered crying for help during an amphetamine-fueled dip in the Thames one shrill night in the Spring of 1962. â€Å"8 October, 1978: ‘My dearest Kenny, so happy you’ve finally caught up with our old arses and made the jump across the pond. Someone has to keep the music alive, eh? Rolfe and I decided today the name for our second daughter:†¦show more content†¦I’m sure his heart would’ve given out on him eventually, the way he was. But the shite he got himself into with the crown†¦who knows. Lou says he was on some diplomatic trek to the Ukraine. My youngest brother thinks he offed himself after Clara left him and the feds can’t stand the embarrassment, a well-standing air marshal. I’m sure I won’t live to see the truth, so I’m trying not to dwell.† â€Å"That’s a bloody leap from heart failure.† â€Å"And a bloody lot of interest from a man who missed his funeral for a concert.† Kenny looked at the ground and took a breath of cold Welsh air. â€Å"Look, Rolfe. Truth is†¦I couldn’t have made it out there. Believe me, I wanted to.† After a good few moments choking on the hair of my beard, I yanked a crumpled ball of parchment from the depths of my box. As was her nature, Shobana hardly matched Kenny in his dedication to organization. Until this point, I’d accounted his tremors to the Bangor weather. As happens at my age, I had quite a circle of friends and acquaintances stateside suffering from some degree of MS. I should have pinned it out in Kenny from the moment he took stage at the chapel. I guess my mind was occupied. We sat in silence until the nicotine once more got the better of me. â€Å"I’ll tell you, Shobana spoke holy hell about you taking the job with the Bangor Philharmonic, but she never could figure out why. Now it’s all coming together. Can you play anything?†Show MoreRelatedshort story1018 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Short Stories:  Ã‚  Characteristics †¢Short  - Can usually be read in one sitting. †¢Concise:  Ã‚  Information offered in the story is relevant to the tale being told.  Ã‚  This is unlike a novel, where the story can diverge from the main plot †¢Usually tries to leave behind a  single impression  or effect.  Ã‚  Usually, though not always built around one character, place, idea, or act. †¢Because they are concise, writers depend on the reader bringing  personal experiences  and  prior knowledge  to the story. Four MajorRead MoreThe Short Stories Ideas For Writing A Short Story Essay1097 Words   |  5 Pageswriting a short story. Many a time, writers run out of these short story ideas upon exhausting their sources of short story ideas. If you are one of these writers, who have run out of short story ideas, and the deadline you have for coming up with a short story is running out, the short story writing prompts below will surely help you. Additionally, if you are being tormented by the blank Microsoft Word document staring at you because you are not able to come up with the best short story idea, youRead MoreShort Story1804 Words   |  8 PagesShort story: Definition and History. A  short story  like any other term does not have only one definition, it has many definitions, but all of them are similar in a general idea. According to The World Book Encyclopedia (1994, Vol. 12, L-354), â€Å"the short story is a short work of fiction that usually centers around a single incident. Because of its shorter length, the characters and situations are fewer and less complicated than those of a novel.† In the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s DictionaryRead MoreShort Stories648 Words   |  3 Pageswhat the title to the short story is. The short story theme I am going conduct on is â€Å"The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ by James Thurber (1973). In this short story the literary elements being used is plot and symbols and the theme being full of distractions and disruption. The narrator is giving a third person point of view in sharing the thoughts of the characters. Walter Mitty the daydreamer is very humorous in the different plots of his dr ifting off. In the start of the story the plot, symbols,Read MoreShort Stories1125 Words   |  5 PagesThe themes of short stories are often relevant to real life? To what extent do you agree with this view? In the short stories â€Å"Miss Brill† and â€Å"Frau Brechenmacher attends a wedding† written by Katherine Mansfield, the themes which are relevant to real life in Miss Brill are isolation and appearance versus reality. Likewise Frau Brechenmacher suffers through isolation throughout the story and also male dominance is one of the major themes that are highlighted in the story. These themes areRead MoreShort Story and People1473 Words   |  6 Pagesï » ¿Title: Story Of An Hour Author: Kate Chopin I. On The Elements / Literary Concepts The short story Story Of An Hour is all about the series of emotions that the protagonist, Mrs. Mallard showed to the readers. With the kind of plot of this short story, it actually refers to the moments that Mrs. Mallard knew that all this time, her husband was alive. For the symbol, I like the title of this short story because it actually symbolizes the time where Mrs. Mallard died with joy. And with thatRead MoreShort Story Essay1294 Words   |  6 PagesA short story concentrates on creating a single dynamic effect and is limited in character and situation. It is a language of maximum yet economical effect. Every word must do a job, sometimes several jobs. Short stories are filled with numerous language and sound devices. These language and sound devices create a stronger image of the scenario or the characters within the text, which contribute to the overall pre-designed effect.As it is shown in the metaphor lipstick bleeding gently in CinnamonRead MoreRacism in the Short Stor ies1837 Words   |  7 PagesOften we read stories that tell stories of mixing the grouping may not always be what is legal or what people consider moral at the time. The things that you can learn from someone who is not like you is amazing if people took the time to consider this before judging someone the world as we know it would be a completely different place. The notion to overlook someone because they are not the same race, gender, creed, religion seems to be the way of the world for a long time. Racism is so prevalentRead MoreThe Idol Short Story1728 Words   |  7 PagesThe short stories â€Å"The Idol† by Adolfo Bioy Casares and â€Å"Axolotl† by Julio Cortà ¡zar address the notion of obsession, and the resulting harm that can come from it. Like all addictions, obsession makes one feel overwhelmed, as a single thought comes to continuously intruding our mind, causing the individual to not be able to ignore these thoughts. In â€Å"Axolotl†, the narr ator is drawn upon the axolotls at the Jardin des Plantes aquarium and his fascination towards the axolotls becomes an obsession. InRead MoreGothic Short Story1447 Words   |  6 Pages The End. In the short story, â€Å"Emma Barrett,† the reader follows a search party group searching for a missing girl named Emma deep in a forest in Oregon. The story follows through first person narration by a group member named Holden. This story would be considered a gothic short story because of its use of setting, theme, symbolism, and literary devices used to portray the horror of a missing six-year-old girl. Plot is the literal chronological development of the story, the sequence of events

The Great Depression Essay Research Paper by free essay sample

The Great Depression Essay, Research Paper by steve Carson AMERICAN HISTORY THE Great DEPRESSION Though most Americans are cognizant of the Great Depression of 1929, which may good be # 8220 ; the most serious job confronting our free endeavor economic system # 8221 ; , few know of the many Americans who lost their places, life nest eggs and occupations. This paper briefly states the causes of the depression and summarizes the huge jobs Americans faced during the 11 old ages of its span. This paper chiefly focuses on what life was like for husbandmans during the clip of the Depression, as portrayed in John Steinbeck # 8217 ; s The Grapes of Wrath, and tells what the authorities did to stop the Depression. In the 1920 # 8217 ; s, after World War 1, danger signals were evident that a great Depression was coming. A major cause of the Depression was that the wage of workers did non increase at all. Because of this, they couldn # 8217 ; t afford manufactured goods. We will write a custom essay sample on The Great Depression Essay Research Paper by or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page While the mills were still fabricating goods, Americans weren # 8217 ; t able to afford them and the mills made no money ( Drewry and O # 8217 ; connor 559 ) . Another major cause related to husbandmans. Farmers weren # 8217 ; t making to good because they were bring forthing more harvests and farm merchandises than could be sold at high monetary values. Therefore, they made a really little net income. This deficient net income wouldn # 8217 ; t let the husbandmans to purchase new machinery and because of this they couldn # 8217 ; t produce goods speedy plenty ( Drewry and O # 8217 ; connor 559 ) . A new program was created called the installment program. This program was established because many Americans didn # 8217 ; Ts have adequate money to purchase goods and services that were needed or wanted. The installment program stated that people could purchase merchandises on recognition and do monthly payments. The one major job with this thought was that people shortly found out that they couldn # 8217 ; t afford to do the monthly payment ( Drewry and O # 8217 ; connor 559 ) . In 1929 the stock market crashed. Many Americans purchased stocks because they were certain of the economic system. Peoples started selling their stocks at a fast gait ; over 16 million stocks were sold! Numerous stock monetary values dropped to fraction of their value. Banks lost money from the stock market and from Americans who couldn # 8217 ; t pay back loans. Many mills lost money and went out of concern because of this great calamity ( Drewry and O # 8217 ; connor By the 1930 # 8217 ; s, 13 million workers lost their occupations which is 25 per centum of all workers. The inkinesss and unskilled workers were ever the first to be fired. Farmers had no money and weren # 8217 ; T capable of paying their mortgages. Americans traveled throughout the state looking for a topographic point to work to back up themselves and their household ( Drewry and O # 8217 ; connor 560-561 ) . John Steinbeck, born in 1902, grew up during the Depression near the fertile Salinas Valley and wrote many books of fiction based on his background and experiences during that clip and country of the state. One of his great plants would be the Grapes of Wrath In this book, Steinbeck describes the husbandmans predicament during the Great Depression and drouth. When the rains failed to come, the grass began to vanish. As the husbandmans watched their workss turn brown and the soil easy turn to dust they began to fear what was to come. In the water-cut gullies the Earth dusted down in dry small watercourses. As the crisp sun struck twenty-four hours after twenty-four hours, the foliages of the immature maize became less stiff and vertical ; so it was June and the Sun shone more ferociously. The brown lines on the maize foliages widened and moved in on the cardinal ribs. The weeds frayed and edged back toward their roots. The air was thin and the sky more pale ; and every twenty-four hours the Earth paled. ( qtd. Steinbeck 2-3 ) . The husbandmans worst frights were realized when their maize and other harvests began to decease. The dust became so bad they had to cover their oral cavities with hankies so they could breath ( Steinbeck 3- When the drouth hit the Great Plains and the dirt turned to dust, many husbandmans moved to California because they could no longer farm their land ( Drewry and O # 8217 ; Connor 561 ) . The drouth began to impact other parts of the state. In 1930, Virginia # 8217 ; s belt of fertile land dried up. Ponds, watercourses, and springs all dried up and the great Mississippi River H2O degree sank lower than of all time recorded. Small husbandmans every-where began to experience the drouth. Their little gardens were ruined and their maize harvest was cut about down to nil. The hay and grass needed to feed their farm animal was no longer available. They now faced a major job -how to feed their farm animal. The silos were quickly emptying and the barns in many instances were empty. The husbandmans were terrified that the authorities provender loans wouldn # 8217 ; t be available to maintain the farm animal from deceasing. In many instances, the Red Cross was doing allowances for provender to maintain alive farm animal ( Meltzer 121 ) . The little husbandmans of fruit trees and vegetable workss depended on others who ran canneries to bottle and can their green goods. The people they depended upon were the same people that hired scientists to experiment on the fruits and veggies to come up with better tasting and giving green goods. Therefore the little husbandmans were dependent on these same rich landholders for about everything. They couldn # 8217 ; t harvest their green goods on their ain so they sold it to the rich landholders and therefore made really small money on their green goods ( Steinbeck 444-447 ) . The husbandmans found themselves in debt caused by the purchase of land, tools, animate beings and other points bought on recognition. This recognition was due to the bank and when the husbandmans found them- egos unable to refund the debts the bank took off everything they had # 8211 ; their land, places, animate beings and equipment. When the Bankss took over, they went in with tractors and destroyed everything on the farms which included their places and barns. This is best por- trayed in Steinbeck # 8217 ; s description of how the tractors destroyed everything in its manner. # 8220 ; The Fe guard spot into the house corner, crumbled the wall, and wrenched the small house from its foundation, crushed like a bug ( 50 ) . # 8220 ; In the small houses the renter people sifted their properties and the properties of their male parent and of their grampss # 8221 ; ( Steinbeck 111 ) . This describes how after many coevalss of farming on their land these people had to garner their belongings and memories and so seek to sell whatever they could. The husbandmans were so desperate for money that they had to sell for literally pennies.Steinbeck describes the despairing conversation of a husbandman to a persepective purchaser # 8220 ; Well, take it-all junk-and give me five dollars. You # 8217 ; rhenium non purchasing merely debris, you # 8217 ; re purchasing junked lives # 8221 ; ( Steinbeck 112 ) . The despair for work and money became so bad that they were willing to work for every bit small as was offered merely so they could hold some kind of occupation and do any sum of money. Soon it was a battle for life or decease ( Steinbeck ) . In a despairing hunt for a occupation husbandmans moved themselves and their households all over the state. As people wandered the state looking for work they were unable to populate in one topographic point. Large Numberss of stateless people led to Hoovervilles. The husbandmans and their households had to construct places out of anything that they could get as Steinbeck describes # 8220 ; The South wall was made of three sheets of rusy corrugated Fe, the east a square of moldy rug tacked between two board, the North palisade a strip of roofing paper and a strip of tatterdemalion canvas, and the west wall six pieces of burlap plundering # 8221 ; ( Steinbeck 310-311 ) . The places were normally near H2O beginning so they could hold H2O to imbibe from, cook and rinse their vesture ( Steinbeck 311 ) . To cut down the figure of people seeking occupations or necessitating aid, the authorities decided to seek to come up with some kind of alleviation. Among other things, they limited in-migration, returned 100s of Mexicans life here, and sought other methods to assist the husbandmans. Hoover # 8217 ; s Federal Farm Board urged husbandmans to works less so that monetary values would travel up but at that place was no encouragement to make so.From 1920 to 1932 farm production did drop 6 per centum but monetary values fell ten times as much-by 63 per centum. Farmers watched monetary values hit new lows-15 cents for maize, 5 cents for cotton and wool, pigs and sugar 3 cents, and beef 2.5 cents ( Meltzer 123 ) . With farm monetary values so low, most husbandmans, populating under the fright of their mortgages, knew that Oklahoman or subsequently they will lose everything. In 1932 the husbandmans declared a vacation on merchandising. They picketed roads inquiring people to fall in the. They gave off free milk to the hapless and unemployed instead so allow it botch because they refused to sell it. A thirty-day vacation on farm merchandising was begun August 8 and extended indefinitely ( Meltzer 125 ) . In December 1932, 250 husbandmans from 26 provinces gathered together for a Farmers National Relief Conference. They announced that they demand alleviation from creditors who threaten to brush them from their places and land ( Meltzer 126 ) . In May 1933, the Agricultural Ajustment Act was passed. The purpose of this act was to raise the farm monetary values by turning less. The husbandmans were paid non to utilize all the land to works harvests. The money came from revenue enhancement on Millers, meat baggers, and other nutrient industries. In June of that same twelvemonth the Farm Credit Act was passed. This act helped husbandmans get low involvement loans. With this act, husbandmans wouldn # 8217 ; t lose their farms to the Bankss that held the mortgages. The husbandmans who lost their farms already would besides have low involvement loans ( Drewry and O # 8217 ; connor 569 ) . The Great Depression was the terminal consequence of World War I. It affected the rich and hapless alike, mill workers and husbandmans, bankers and stockbrokers. In short, it affected everyone ; no 1 was left untasted. But of all the people hurt, husbandmans were the worst off. John Steinbeck chose to compose about husbandmans trusting that Americans would acknowledge their predicament and rectify the state of affairs. The Great Depression is known to be the worst economic catastrophe in U. S. history. For this ground, the Depression caused many people to alter their thoughts about the authorities and economic system.

Somethingness free essay sample

It is 10:30 pm, and I have far passed my bedtime. But a magazine spread on Egyptian mummification lies before me, blocking the clock from view. All I can see is what the yellow ochre light from my nightstand has to offer. My petite fingers grasp it like a lifeline. My young eyes soak in every glossy page, every black-print word, every gold-filled photo. But as I continue, I stop thinking of the journey of the Egyptian after-life. Instead, I envision foreign hands scooping brain from my nose, soaking my skin in preservatives, and trapping my body in the tomb forever. I realize for the first time in my life that death exists, not just in stories, but for me too. Within the hour, my eyes flush red with tears. â€Å"Mommy? Mommyyy?† It takes a while, so I continue to cry. Bed-ragged and squinty-eyed, my mom tries to coax me to sleep. We will write a custom essay sample on Somethingness or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page I agree on one condition. â€Å"Throw that magazine out?† â€Å"Yes, sure, now go to sleep.† Years later, the mummy’s eyes still meet mine head-on. Though I shut my eyes to keep them away, they return to reveal that my life is finite. My young mind tries to ponder the cruel chill of nothingness. What is it? The world erases me from its surface? I am something now and nothing later? I cannot stand it. I have realized, since that one night of staying up late, that my reasoning is false. I am nothing now, and I fear the continuation of nothingness. As a child, I sometimes thought that the earth under my house would suddenly collapse in my sleep. Hardly a soul would notice I am dead. It is as if I never existed. But what if I become something now? There are no rules in death, but there are infinite rules in life. Is nothingness always the result? So what defines nothingness? What defines somethingness? Nothingness is having neither care, nor thought. It is wallowing amongst millions of others. It is playing silently along with the cycle of life. Somethingness is teaching your little sister her first multiplication tables, and later teaching the other how to count in Chinese. Somethingness is not admitting that you know nothing of the Bible, but admitting that you are willing to learn. Somethingness is exploration. It is realizing your body can dance like a machine. It is noticing that smudges on paper can resemble a human face. It is picking up on the geometry of nature with surprise on the accidental perfection. It is embracement. It is rewinding environmental history, to the point of its original richness. It is fast-forwarding cultural bigotry, to the point of its eventual extinction. It is taking years in life to learn common manners taught in kindergarten. Somethingness is staying up past your bedtime reading about dead bodies being cut and pasted and no longer fearing this fate, in favor of somethingness.