Crisis and Expansion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Crisis and Expansion - Essay Example As new modes of communication arrived on the scene, they allowed faster and more secure ways of sending and receiving information. It is also the time when various stratified groups of citizens started realizing their rights, particularly the African Americans and women. This gave rise to several black and women’s rights movements demanding greater rights for the minority or neglected group. The 19th century is also important due to the numerous expansions, exterminations, and exclusions took place. The Gold Rush also occurred during the same century when a great number of people flocked into California in order to find gold, but the incident also resulted in the death of several hundred Native Americans. Further activities during the century included the American Civil War and the rise of capitalistic ideas which influenced its own following. Thus, the nineteenth century was characterized by geographical expansion, industrial development, and activism. A significant portion of the 19th century was occupied by the westward territorial expansion of American settlements. Following the American independence from the colonization of Great Britain, the US was a free land which faced the problems of rising inflation and a weak economy (The significance of the frontier in American history pg 1). However, it is also during this time when American settlements sprawled further westwards in order to find suitable dwellings that met their need for sufficient resources. The American population kept growing and expanding in numbers and the American society found itself to be sharply extending to western continents as they went through the societal development process. The society and the people were also subject to the rapidly changing external environments which spurred them to expand to places where they could conquer the â€Å"wilderness†. Thus, in response to the changing social, economic,

My adult learning style Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

My adult learning style - Research Paper Example This is why it was highly important to take the learning styles inventory to understand what factors involved with learning are most effective at helping the individual to comprehend. The results of the study indicate that I tend to be an aural learner, scoring a 13 on the inventory. Closely behind was logical with a score of 12, physical scoring 11, and verbal learning with a nine score. Largely, based on the inventory, I am considered to be a balanced learner who is able to comprehend information from many different learning activities. As an aural learner, music and sound are often quality methods in the learning process. Aural learners learn by hearing information and the student fitting this profile would generally â€Å"like class lectures and small group discussions, listening in class more than taking notes† (Korybut, 2009, p.1). From a personal reflective standpoint, I have always found considerable value in classroom environments with teachers who are strong lecturers without really ever having a personal need for note-taking in order to be engaged with the teacher’s discussions. This type of presentational teaching helps me to stay focuse d on what is being taught orally where comprehension is simply a matter of recalling what has been heard. Further, having the balance between different learning styles would also give me the ability to explore many different learning methods to find which one is best-suited to long-term comprehension. For instance, logical learners â€Å"prefer using logic, reasoning and systems† (learning-styles-online.com, 2009, p.1). Though I have not always had a knack for statistics or the use of complicated systems, logic is a very large part of how I absorb information. For example, if a lecturer provides information which is not very relevant or seems to be stemming from opinion rather than experience, I find myself rejecting the information and can no longer focus on what is

Importance of employee satisfaction in an organization

Importance of employee satisfaction in an organization In the beginning, we are looking for the factor that influences job satisfaction among the workers/ front liner in SingTel. After that in the following chapter is about the review of the relevant literature. In chapter 3, we will looking for the method been use for this study and followed by chapter 4 is about the result and discussion from the analyses of data and findings of the research. And for the last chapter which is chapter 5, it summarized and recommend according to the finding and result. Job satisfaction is about the feeling of the nature of the job. In order for an organization to be successful, it must continuously ensure the satisfactorily of their employees (Berry, 1997). The happier the workers, the more satisfied they are. Besides, satisfied worker also a productive worker. Organization with more satisfied employees tends to be more effective (Robbins Judge, 2007). In todays world, organization realize that is it important to keep their worker satisfied as human recourse is the important assets for the organization to keep their business running. With satisfied workers, they will deliver the better quality service to the customer which indirectly will increase customer satisfaction. Customer satisfaction is important as it is essential in building long-term, profitable relationships ultimately leading to customer loyalty and repeat business. As for the workers, job satisfaction is important for the employees mental health (Smith, Kendall and Hulin, 1969). Upon study on job satisfaction, factor that influences the level of job satisfaction is vital to be addressed. They are many factors that influence level of job satisfaction such as the organization factor which may include working condition or anything that related to the working condition. For example: leadership style and pay. Besides working condition, personal factors such as health issue and family conflict. 1.2 Problem statement Human resources are the most valuable assets in an organization especially those high performing employees and it will be a trouble to company if those employees leaving or deliver bad service to their customer. One special issue is the low level of employee job satisfaction that brought difficulties in increasing service quality (Yi, 1993). Seta, Paulus and Baron (2000) pointed out that knowing the factors contributing to the employees satisfactions; the organization can plan properly and take appropriate step to increase positive behavior among employees. It means that organization or management need to prepare proper training or program such as reward, growth opportunities or job security in order to increase job satisfaction among the employees. According to malhotra Mukerjee (2004), Call centers facilitate flow of information and communication between firms and their remote customers via the telephone. According to Prahabkar, Sheehan, and Coppett (1997), call centers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.allow a company to build, maintain, and manage customer relationships by solving problems and resolving complaints quickly. Front liners who work in call centre have to answer call from customer 24 hour a day throughout 365 days in a year. As a front lines, this job full with challenge and stress. They need to manage their emotion very well in order to deliver good services to customer. Therefore, it is important to make sure that the workers are satisfied with their current job scope. Holman et al.s (2007) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.number of call center employees stood at 450,000. This is quite a huge amount in this communicating field. According to Zeithml Bitner (2000), since the customer contact employees or popularly known as the call center agents are the link between the entire organization and the external customer, so they are able to influence the perception of the customer to the organization. From the previous study, there was evidence in between job satisfaction and performance deliver by the front liners. Therefore, the research tries to find out the link between the job satisfaction and organization factors and also the personal factor. 1.3 Research Questions The research questions will be: 1.3.1 To what extent is the influence of work conditions on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel? 1.3.2 To what extent is the influence of promotion on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel? 1.3.3 To what extent is the influence of gender on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel? 1.3.4 To what extent is the influence of age on job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel? 1.4 Research Objectives Based on the above research questions, this study intends to achieve the specific research objectives: 1.4.1 To determine the influence of work conditions on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. 1.4.2 To examine the influence of promotion on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. 1.4.3 To investigate the influence of gender on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. 1.4.4 To determine the influence of age on employee job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. 1.5 Significance of the study There are many studies revealed the factors that may affect job satisfaction but they are related to all aspect for the job satisfaction. The employee satisfaction theory (Vroom, 1964) and (Herzberg, 1966) employee satisfaction measurement tools, as well as Maslows Hierarchy of Needs (Abraham Maslow, 1943), but there are rarely study regarding factors that may contribute to job satisfaction in call centre in Malaysia. In Malaysia, call center are growing in a rapidly rate. There are many communication company increases the intake of the call center agent or in the other ways knows as front-liners. From this point of view, it is important for us to study on the front-liners job satisfaction. Since the number of employed for the front-liners are growing, through the study, it help the organization to understand what is the need for the entire front-liners, what is their basic request. Through this study, it help organization to knowing better on what is the benefit that they can provide for them for satisfaction and at the same time organization can deliver a good services to the customer. Apart from that, this is a way to send out the messages for those who desire to work in this field. It is also information to the public who always complaining or disputing about the customer services staff without knowing their sacrifice. 1.6 Scope and Limitation of the Study The scope of the study is to study the link between the job satisfaction and organization factors and also the personal factor in Sing Tel. These include work condition, leadership style, promotion, gender, personality and individual experience. The study limited only to the front-liners in Sing Tel. 1.7 Organization of the Research Project This study consists of five chapters which are introduction, literature review, methodology, result and discussion followed by conclusion and recommendation. Each chapter will discuss in depth later. In chapter 1, we are looking for the factor that influences job satisfaction among the workers/ front liner in SingTel. After that in the following chapter is about the review of the relevant literature. Chapter 3, we will look for the method been use for this study and followed by chapter 4 is about the result and discussion from the analyses of data and findings of the research. And for the last chapter which is chapter 5, it summarized and recommend according to the finding and result. CHAPTER 2 LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction This chapter will discuss about the job satisfaction in several perspectives. It is includes definition of job satisfaction, previous studies on job satisfaction and the factors that influence the job satisfaction. A part from this, it is also a brief discussion regarding the job satisfaction among the staff in call center. And it ends with a brief summary for this chapter. 2.2 Job Satisfaction According to Steyn Van Wyk (1999), job satisfaction can be formally defined as the degree to which individuals feel positively and/or negatively about their jobs. From this, when an employee meets their needs or expectation, then they will feel the accomplishment and from here the degree of satisfaction can be determine. Gordon (1999) claims that job satisfaction occurs when a job meets the expectations, values and standards of an individual and will influence their commitment and performance. So from here, it is how an organization gets satisfied their workers in order to get their commitment to performed well. Maslows Hierarchy of Needs was proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943 from his paper A Theory of Human Motivation. According to Maslow, people are not satisfied with what they have and will always request for more. From the hierarchy, they are five level can be found in each individual which is physical, security, social, ego and self-actualization. Physical needs are the base from the hierarchy. It includes the basic human needs such as the need for air, water, food, exercise and freedom form diseases. It is commonly achieve by the human being. Once this basic is achieved, then they will go for the other level which is the security. This level includes the need of safety, shelter and stability. In term of the working environment, it means that an employee may demand for the job security, they can have a stabile job, being treated fairly and have a good pay for their job. The third phase is the social, it includes the need of being loves, and they experience the feeling of belonging and inclusion. In the work place, the employee need to feel the sense of belonging and acceptance, once they have this feeling, it helps them to achieve the satisfaction on this level. Let say ones cannot fulfill this level, for example maybe he or she facing problem in their marriage; it will lead to fail on this level. After fulfill this level, it comes to another level which is the ego or known as self-esteem and follow by the highest level which is the self-actualization. Figure1. Maslows Job Hierarchy of Needs Model 2.3 Work Condition According to Stallworth and Kleiner (1996) increasingly an organizations physical layout is designed around employee needs in order to maximize productivity and satisfaction. Employee would prefer to work in an organization which can provide better physical comfort and convenience. With a better environment, it can reduce the unsatisfied feeling of the employees. According to Robbins (2001), working conditions will influence job satisfaction, as employees are concerned with a comfortable physical work environment. 2.4 Promotion A study conduct by Ellickson and Logsdon (2002) claim that with municipal government workers where satisfaction with promotional opportunities was found to be positively and significantly related to job satisfaction. The chances to get promotion have a strong effect on the employee job satisfaction. From the study, the management can take notes that promotion can always be a motivation tools for them to ensure the employee can achieve their goals. 2.5 Gender Gender is one of the demographic characteristic that researchers always investigated the relationship with the job satisfaction. Shahri (2001) found that male managers were more satisfied with their jobs than female managers in upper level management. From the study of Tang and Talpade (1999), it found that men tend to have higher satisfaction with remuneration in relation to females, while females tended to have higher satisfaction with co-workers than males. From the previous study, it shows that the job satisfaction effected by the gender. 2.6 Age Most of the studies found the existing relationship between age and job satisfaction. According to the study done by Drafke and Kossen (2002), it shows that older employee with more working experience are more satisfied compare with younger employee, the study also claim that job satisfaction increase with age. Greenberg and Baron (1995) claims that generally older employees are more satisfied with their job compare with younger employee. From the reviews, it shows that age play a role in the employees job satisfaction. 2.7 Research Framework The purpose of this study is to determine the factors affect the job satisfaction in call center. This part is regarding the discussion that forming the theoretical framework. It is based on the previous studies that had been review. There are two independents variables, which consist of the personal factors and the organizational factors. The personal factors includes gender and age, meanwhile the organizational factors includes work condition and promotion. Figure 2 shows the theoretical framework for the study. Organizational Factors Work condition promotion Job satisfaction Personal Factors Gender Age Figure 2 Theoretical Framework 2.8 Summary This chapter has discussed about the factors that influence the job satisfaction. This was discussing clearly with different researchers and theorist. The Maslows Hierarchy of Needs also reviewed as this theory related with the research topic. It is good for management to understand the factors that influence the job satisfaction. It helps organization to indentify those factors and avoid the mistake. . CHAPTER 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Hypotheses statement Hypothesis 1 Ho: There is positive relationship between work condition and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between work condition and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Hypothesis 2 Ho: There is positive relationship between promotion and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between promotion and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Hypothesis 3 Ho: There is positive relationship between gender and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between gender and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Hypothesis 4 Ho: There is positive relationship between age and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between age and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. 3.2 Research Design There are a lots of research method to use to analyze job satisfaction. There is no single method or the most appropriate on it. According to Punch (1998) each approach has it strength and weaknesses. When we understand each of the strength and weaknesses, we can select or combine the approach. This study used quantitative methods involving survey questionnaires to collect the quantitative data. The purpose is to determine whether there is a correlation between the personal and organizational factors with the job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. The Job Descriptive Index (JDI) was used to measure the level of job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. The Job in General (JIG) also used to measure the overall job satisfaction. 3.3 Research Sample The present number of all the front liners in Sing Tel consists of 210 employees. Therefore, the sample was selected randomly from a total of 50 respondents that able to facilitate the objectives of the study. This sample size was according to the Roscoes rule of thumb (cited in Sekaran, 2003) which is stated that sample larger than 30 and less than 500 is appropriate for most research. 3.4 Research Instrument The Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and Job in General (JIG) were used to measure the job satisfaction. The job descriptive index (JDI), created by Smith, Kendall, Hulin(1989), is a specific questionnaire of job satisfaction that has been widely used. It measures ones satisfaction in five dimensions such as: pay, promotion and promotion opportunities, relationship with coworkers, supervision, and the work itself. The General Job Index is an overall measurement of job satisfaction. It was an improvement on the job descriptive index because the JDI focused too much on work 33 satisfaction. The questionnaire consists 3 parts. The first part related to the personal factors in Sing Tel, the second part is regarding the job satisfaction of the front liners in Sing Tel and last part is about the organizational factors that affect job satisfaction. 3.5 Data Collection Procedures As this is my previous company, so I will distribute the questionnaire to my ex-colleague. The questionnaires were answered by the respondents by following the instructions for each section. The questionnaire will be collected after all the respondents had answered it. 3.6 Data Analysis Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) computer software program (version 12) was use to analyzed all the data that collected from the respondents. Descriptive analysis was used to explore the data collected as well as summarizing and describing the data. For this study, it was use to describe the gender and age. CHAPTER 4 RESULTS AND FINDINGS 4.1 Introduction This chapter reveals and reports the findings from the study of job satisfaction among workers/ front liner in SingTel. Fifty sets of questionnaire were distributed as mentioned in the research methodology. They were processed and analyzed using SPSS Package Program (Version 12) and the results are presented in tables. The first section will provide the background of the respondents. The second section will then provide the reliability of the variables. The third section will present the correlation analysis with regards to the relationship of the independent variables in influencing the dependent variable. 4.2 Frequency Analysis 4.2.1 Gender Statistics Gender N Valid 50 Missing 0 Gender Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid male 24 48.0 48.0 48.0 female 26 52.0 52.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Table 4.2.1: Gender Table 4.2.1 shows the frequency distribution for gender composition. As stated previously, the total respondents for this study was 50. From the total respondents, 26 (52%) respondents were female while 24 (48%) of the respondents were male. 4.2.2 Age Age N Valid 50 Missing 0 Age Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid 19-29 14 28.0 28.0 28.0 30-39 21 42.0 42.0 70.0 40-49 12 24.0 24.0 94.0 50-60 3 6.0 6.0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Table 4.2.2 Age By referring to the table 4.2.2 above, the majority of the respondents were between 30 to 39 years old (42%), the second highest of the respondents were in the range of 19 to 29 years old (14%) followed by the respondents in the range 40 to 49 years old (12%) and finally the least was 50 to 60 years old group with 6%. 4.2.3 Overall Satisfaction Overall Satisfaction N Valid 50 Missing 0 Overall Satisfaction Frequency Percent Valid Percent Cumulative Percent Valid Not Satisfied Slightly 0 0 0 0 Satisfied 12 24.0 24.0 24.0 Moderately Satisfied 32 64.0 64.0 88.0 Satisfied 6 12.0 12.0 100.0 Very satisfied 0 0 0 100.0 Total 50 100.0 100.0 Table 4.2.3 Overall Satisfaction From the result of table 4.2.3, there are 32 respondent out of 50 is moderately satisfied with the overall satisfaction (64%), there are 12 respondents who are slightly satisfied with the overall satisfaction (24%) and only 6 respondents are satisfied with the overall satisfaction (12%). From this result, it concludes that most of the Sing Tel Front-liner only moderately satisfied with their current condition. 4.3 Level of Job Satisfaction Job Descriptive Index (JDI) and Job In General (JIG) are used to measure job satisfaction in this research. The level of JDI and JIG and also others variable are measured by using the mean. The levels of perception to all variable are group into two categories as per below: Mean Std. Deviation JDI JIG 3.67 0.48 Work Condition 3.51 0.69 Promotion 3.21 0.69 Table 4.3 Level of Job Satisfaction, Work Condition and Promotion Table 4.3 shows that the level of job satisfaction of the respondents is high with mean=3.67 and sd=0.48. Respondents also perceived that their level of work condition is also high with a mean=3.51 and sd=0.69. However, there was a moderate level of perception towards promotion with a mean=3.21 and sd=0.69. 4.4 Relationship between Job Satisfaction, Age and Gender Pearson correlation (r) was used to test the relationship between job satisfaction, age and gender. The results are shown in table 4.3 below. Correlations tjs gender age tjs Pearson Correlation 1 .138 -.152 Sig. (2-tailed) . .338 .292 N 50 50 50 gender Pearson Correlation .138 1 -.004 Sig. (2-tailed) .338 . .980 N 50 50 50 age Pearson Correlation -.152 -.004 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .292 .980 . N 50 50 50 Table 4.4 It can be seen in the table 4.4, there is a positive relationship between gender and job satisfaction. but it is not significantly related to job satisfaction (r=0.138, p for gender is 0.138). Based on the result, it can be seen a negative relationship between age and job satisfaction at r=-0.152 but again it is not significantly related to job satisfaction (p for age is 0.292). 4.5 Relationship between Job Satisfaction, Work Condition and Promotion Table 4.5 shows the correlation matrix output of job satisfaction, work condition and promotion. Correlations tjs twc tp tjs Pearson Correlation 1 -.137 -.499(**) Sig. (2-tailed) . .343 .000 N 50 50 50 twc Pearson Correlation -.137 1 .620(**) Sig. (2-tailed) .343 . .000 N 50 50 50 tp Pearson Correlation -.499(**) .620(**) 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 . N 50 50 50 ** Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Table 4.5 It is found that job satisfaction is not significantly related to work condition but with a negative relationship(r=-0.137, p for work condition is 0.343). While for the promotion, the result shows that promotion is significantly related to job satisfaction and with a negative relationship(r=-0.499, p for promotion is 0.000). 4.6 Relationship between Job Satisfaction and Gender T-test was used in the analyses of statistically significant gender. Group Statistics gender N Mean Std. Deviation Std. Error Mean tjs male 24 3.7262 .28546 .05827 female 26 3.7692 .27724 .05437 Independent Samples Test Levenes Test for Equality of Variances t-test for Equality of Means F Sig. t df Sig. (2-tailed) Mean Difference Std. Error Difference 95% Confidence Interval of the Difference Lower tjs Equal variances assumed .157 .694 -.541 48 .591 -.04304 .07960 -.20309 Equal variances not assumed -.540 47.417 .592 -.04304 .07970 -.20333 Table 4.6 There were no statistically differences in the overall perception between the respondents group according to gender as for male, mean=3.72 and for female, mean=3.77. From the result, it shows that gender is not statistically significant in the perception of affecting front-liners in Sing tel. Regression Analysis Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. Correlations Collinearity Statistics B Std. Error Beta Zero-order Partial Part Tolerance 1 (Constant) 4.622 .422 10.965 .000 twc .199 .135 .232 1.473 .148 -.137 .214 .178 .591 tp -.443 .104 -.677 -4.283 .000 -.499 -.538 -.518 .586 tgender .012 .068 .021 .172 .864 .138 .026 .021 .953 tage -.068 .039 -.217 -1.743 .088 -.152 -.251 -.211 .944 a Dependent Variable: tjs Table 4.6.1 Based on the result from table 4.6.1, it shows: Job Satisfaction= 4.622+0.199(twc)-0.443(tp) +0.012(tgender)-0.068(tage) From this equation, it shows there is a positive relationship between work condition, gender and job satisfaction but not significant while relationship between age and job satisfaction is negative and significant. Only promotion is significantly related to job satisfaction with negative relationship. 4.7 Summary of Hypotheses Test Hypothesis 1 Ho: There is positive relationship between work condition and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between work condition and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Therefore, accept Ho reject H1. Hypothesis 2 Ho: There is positive relationship between promotion and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between promotion and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Therefore, reject Ho accept H1. Hypothesis 3 Ho: There is positive relationship between gender and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between gender and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Therefore, accept Ho reject H1. Hypothesis 4 Ho: There is positive relationship between age and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. H1: There is negative relationship between age and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. Therefore, reject Ho accept H1. 4.8 Conclusion This chapter presents the results of the statistical analysis of the hypotheses. Correlation analysis was used to test the relationship among the variables of interest provided in the study. This study revealed that: There is positive relationship between work condition and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. There is negative relationship between promotion and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. There is positive relationship between gender and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. There is negative relationship between age and job satisfaction among the front liners in Sing Tel. CHAPTER 5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 5.1 INTRODUCTION In order for an organization to be successful, it must continuously ensure the satisfactorily of their employees (Berry, 1997). In todays world, organization realize that is it important to keep their worker satisfied as human recourse is the important assets for the organization to keep their business running. In this study, employee satisfaction is pivotal to Sing Tel in order to deliver good services to their customer and also become more competitive. From the finding of this study, it is revealed that the job satisfaction of the employer is high. Promotion is the most influence factors compared to others. It is also revealed that the relationship between gender and job satisfaction is no significant. 5.2 Discussion of the Research Findings This study is about factors that influence job satisfaction in Sing Tel front-liner. A satisfied employee will deliver good service to the customer and increase company image. Based on the results, it shows that work condition and promotion are the key factors that influence a employee satisfaction. 5.2.1 Research Question One The first research question of this study was to identify what is the relationship for the organizational factors such as work condition and promotion influence the employee job satisfaction. Based on the results, it shows a positive relationship between work condition and job satisfaction. Arnold and Feldman (1996) promoted factors such as temperature, lighting, ventilation, noise, working hours, and resources from all types of working conditions. Since their job is mentally demanding, so a poor working condition will influence Sing Tel front-liner to perform their job. Besides, the physical design of the work place also has certain impact on job satisfaction. A better working environment and work condition can increase employee job

Characterizing the Religious Encounter between Moravians and Saramakas

Characterizing the Religious Encounter between Moravians and Saramakas When Moravians in Germany sent three missionaries to Suriname in 1765 to witness to the Saramakas, two groups with unique and fundamentally different cultural, social, and religious beliefs and structures met. During the course of their stay, the Moravians were hounded by disease and disappointed by the poor reception of the gospel; meanwhile, the Saramakas were plagued with inter-tribal rivalries and poor relations with the white government officials and plantation owners, with whom they maintained an unsteady peace. These circumstances, as well as the many ways in which Moravian and Saramaka expectations and social behavior differed, created a barrier between the two groups. Because the Moravians entered Saramaka society in small numbers and with no pretense of using political force or monetary bribery (the latter of which the Saramakas would likely have accepted) to force conversions, the extent of their influence on Saramaka religion and culture was limited. Though there was s ome cultural exchange, including the adoption of European manufactured goods into Saramaka life and the adoption of some Saramaka medical treatments by the Moravians, for the Moravians and for the majority of Saramakas, the religious encounter was a meeting of mutually closed worlds. For a handful of Saramakas, including Alabi, an apparently true conversion took place. In addition to the few converts, there were a small number (Brother Wietz reports twelve in 1779) of Saramakas who came to Christian services regularly, and thus were interested in and perhaps persuaded to some degree by the missionaries’ message, but made no commitment to or identification with Christianity and c... ...vian presence certainly changed the lives of a few Saramakas, but did not make a great impact on Saramaka society as a whole. The missionaries who died or returned to Germany did not manage to build relationships with the Saramaka community as a whole and could not count Suriname as one of their fruitful mission endeavors. Conversion was rare, and the syncretism formed after the Moravians introduced Christianity was admonished by the Moravians themselves and short-lived in any case. The current presence of Christianity, or some syncretic form, among a minority of Saramakas is probably not derived from the Moravians. Though Christian stories and the Moravian presence will never be forgotten because of their importance in the life of the gaama Alabi, the importance of the encounter with Moravians is restricted to a specific place and time in Saramaka history.

The Adaptation of Transcendentalism

The Adaptation of Transcendentalism None of the transcendentalist thinkers were very popular during their lives. Their Ideas were all thought to be wild and barbaric when really they were Just ahead of their time. Today, those same ideas that were thought to be too free and wild are actually seen as fairly tame and mild. Writers such as Walt Whitman, Ralph Emerson and Henry David Thoreau were all misunderstood by society during their lives.The typical lifestyle during the time of the early transcendentalists was very slow and the hlnklng was traditional; therefore, when Whitman, Thoreau, and Emerson started sharing their Ideas that went against the traditional way of life, they were seen as unclvlllzed and outspoken. Now, we can look back on the history of America and see how the people who fought the popular way of thlnklng or questioned why things were the way they were have caused seminal movements and changes In the way of life. Now that we recognize change as a good thing, we en courage others to be different and question society.We encourage people to stand up and fight popular hinking because those kinds of people are what have made America the way it is. But before they were seen as great minds, the early transcendentalists were considered wild and their ideas unthinkable. Ralph Emerson, for example, wrote, â€Å"A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do† (â€Å"Self-Reliance† 47-49, Emerson). By this Emerson is saying that people who want to keep things the same Just because that's the way hey have always been are wrong and ridiculous.Without questioning your way of life, great minds cannot rise and be great. At the time that he wrote this people did not feel the same way. Society pushed to keep everything unchanged because that's the way it had always been done and it worked that way. Henry David Thoreau also wrote something along the same lines but about government. He wrote, â€Å"This American government- what is it but a tradition, though a recent one, endeavoring to transmit itself unimpaired to posterity, but each instant losing some Integrity (â€Å"Resistance to Civil Government† 25-27, Thoreau).Thoreau, like Emerson, talks about how enforcing tradition is a ridiculous notion. Thoreau points out that even the young government is trying to make sure that through future generations the system would still be â€Å"unimpaired† and consistent. Again, the Ideas provided by the two were not popular with the majority of society at the time but became very popular with future leaders. All of the leaders In the past who have made a difference have given something new. As Whitman says In one of his many poems, â€Å"l hear America slnglng, the varied carols I hear ? , .Each singing what belongs to him or her and to none else† (â€Å"l Hear America Singing† land 9, Wh itman). Every leader who stood up against society, against the crowd, was singing their own song. Popular leaders such as Martin Luther King Jr. and Gandhi sang the songs of true justice and equality. Their â€Å"songs† or ideas, though their own, were heavily influenced by those of the people who came before them. They used the ideas expressed in Thoreau's famous essay â€Å"Resistance Government†. wnen Martln Lutner King Jr. pent tne nlgnt In Blrmlngnam Jall he wrote about what made laws Just and unjust and questioned if the laws made by the majority were truly fair. That notion was inspired by the line in Thoreau's essay, â€Å"After all, the practical reason why, when the power is once in the hands of the people, a majority are permitted, and for a long period continue, to rule, is not because they are the most likely to be in the right, nor because this seems fairest to the minority, but because they are physically the strongest† (Thoreau 57-61).By this e i s saying that Just because things may be voted for by the majority, doesn't necessarily mean it's fair to everyone and when Martin Luther King Jr. saw this it stuck and he then wrote similar ideas expanding on the thought. Gandhi then did the same thing when talking about nonviolence. He used Thoreau's example of his one night in Jail to say that instead of fghting with our fists, use quiet actions to gain people on your side. These are Just two examples of the impact the transcendentalists made on history.Once thought to be wild and outspoken, the early transcendentalists are now onsidered the start of what we are encouraged to do every day. They were different and spoke their minds Just as we are encouraged to do now. They were the start of a domino effect in America where one great leader got their ideas from a great leader before them, who somewhere down the line got their ideas from one of the early transcendentalists. Now considered mild and tame, Walt Whitman, Henry David Tho reau and Ralph Emerson will forever go down in history as the men who lived on through the ideas of great leaders.

Religion in Brazil

Brazil, or  officially the  Federative Republic of Brazil is the largest country in both  South America  and the  Latin America  region. It is the world's fifth largest country, both bygeographical area  and  by population over 190 million people   It is the largest  Lusophone, or portugese-speaking,  country in the world, and the only one in the Americas. com/ways-religion-economics-influence-development-medieval-europe-japan/">Religion plays a major role in the lives of most of the people in this largest South American county. Here are some interesting Brazil facts: Around ninety percent of this population identifies with some sort of religion,   making it more religiously inclined than any other South American country.Only around 1% of its population do not believe in a God, or a supreme being in some form or another. The Brazilian Constitution of 1889 declared that there was no  official  religion in Brazil, so everyone was free to believe as they like d. That’s why, just like the USA, Brazil can practice freedom of religion according to the newest constitution that was adopted in 1988. Brazil’s religious make-up can be traced to the diverse groups of people who came in various forms – natives, invaders, immigrants, and slaves. In terms of Christian religions, the main churches in Brazil are: †¢ Catholic Protestant †¢ Methodist †¢ Episcopal †¢ Pentecostal †¢ Lutheran †¢ Baptist Its religious inclination is also extremely diverse, despite the fact that around three-quarters of the population claim to be Roman Catholics. In fact, there are more Catholics in Brazil than in any other country in the world. The Portuguese brought with them, not just the language (this  medical tourism  hub is the only  country  inSouth America  not dominated by Spanish), but also Roman Catholicism. Catholicism was introduced to Brazil when the European settlers arrived with the aim of ‘c ivilising’ the local native people.They built churches and brought religious leaders into the country to teach young and old alike the doctrines of Catholicism. During the 19th century, Catholicism was made the official religion of Brazil. This meant that Catholic priests were paid a salary by the government, including them in the political affairs of the country. As such, Catholicism became an integral part of the management and administration of Brazil and its people. Many of the Brazilian festivals are based on the Catholic religion. Protestantism is the second largest branch in Brazil religion.Those who are Christian but not Catholic are considered Protestant. Only about 15% of Brazilians claim to follow a Protestant faith of some kind. There are many branches of Christianity in Brazil. Among them the most popular are Baptist, Methodist, Neo-Pentecostalists, Old Pentecostalists, Presbyterian, Anglican and Episcopal Churches. Other Protestant beliefs and offshoots that mak e up smaller portions of â€Å"Christians† are Kardecist, Lutherans. The largest population of Protestants are found in North, Central-West and Southeast Brazil. The Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints  is the third largest Brazil religion.They boast a membership of over one million one hundred thousand with almost two thousand congregations and 309 family history centers. Five temples are stretched across Brazil. Jehovah's Witnesses  is the fourth largest religion in Brazil. They have over 700,000 members. Eastern Orthodox  makes up the fifth largest religion in the country with over 500,000 members that came over with their Armenian, Greek, Lebanese, Russian, Syrian and Ukrainian immigrants in the past one hundred years. When the Portuguese landed in Brazil, the  country  was populated by native  Indians who had their own traditional religious practices.In the regions just north of Bahia, indigenous tribes still practice the Catimbo religion; a sect that is heavily influenced by spirits, shamanism, and omens. When African slaves began to be imported into Brazil, they brought with them their religious practices, many of which involved invoking the gods through chants or dances. Over time, these Afro Brazilian religious practices began mingling with Catholic and Protestant influences to create synthetic religions. Some of the more  popular  exponents  include  Candomble, which has a huge following in urban centers like  Rio de Janeiro, and Umbanda.Spiritism is also one of the significant, although minor, religions in Brazil. Spiritistic practices are based largely on ancient Amerindian cultures as well as the influence of the African cultures and customs that were introduced centuries ago, when slaves were brought over to Brazil from the ‘Dark Continent’ of Africa. Such tribes and cultures were particularly inclined towards the worship of spirits since they had not been influenced by more structured notions of creation, which hailed from a reliance on the teachings of Bible.The religions or belief systems found in Brazil other than the ones above include: * Muslims * Methodists * Episcopalians * Buddhists * Ayahuasca * Afro-Brazilian religions – Xango, Batuque, Umbanda, Tambor de Mina * Hinduism * Islamists * Shinto believers * Judaists * Rastafarian * Brazil Religion Makes the Country Unique Every part of the country has been uniquely shaped by the religion practiced there. Celebrations, festivals, traditions, and customs are all practiced due to some religious or spiritual beginnings and purposes.For example, During the Holy Week before Easter, several Brazilian cities will celebrate Corpus Christi by artistically creating mosaics or carpets on the streets using mediums like flour, flower petals, shavings of wood, and coffee grounds. The results are stunning and a memorable way to celebrate this holy time of the year. The music, dancing, chanting, singing, or other activities all stem from one faith or another and make the people who they are. The entire culture of the Brazilian people is intertwined with religion or faith in some way. No wonder they're such an amazing, diverse, and wonderful people!