Architectural Design Proposal of Reading Space

Architectural Design Proposal of Reading Space 3.1 Historical Purpose Context If we surmise that temporary architecture is, essentially, something that is not permanent, then in one form or another as stated it has existed since antiquity, with examples traced from prehistoric wooden huts and shelters, through medieval stage sets, circuses and world fairs, to the mobile home and post-war pre-fabs, and wartime and disaster relief. Interestingly, as early as 58 B.C.E in ancient Rome, such architecture functioned as a form of revolution ancient Romans circumventing governmental opposition to permanent amphitheatres by building temporary versions with the Metropolitan Museum of Art noting that despite their impermanent nature, this architecture was a rich celebration and an expression of anti-establishment ideals. Together with other classical forms, a revival of temporary architecture was also particularly prevalent during the Renaissance; civic groups would welcome King Henry II of France to their cities with festivals showcasing the best and most elaborate in temporary design of the time, such as the specifically commissioned Fountain de Innocents (1550) a collaboration between architect Pierre Lescot and sculptor Jean Goujan. As the University of Torontos Professor of Art History, Christy Anderson, notes: for designers and architects of the Renaissance  the ephemeral nature of the installations lent themselves to design innovations believed to be too unconventional or extravagant for lasting architecture [and] afforded the opportunity for experimentation. Such events were used as tantalising opportunities for the realisation of a new style, made real perhaps for a single day; the transient enjoyably consumed, creating a taste for the permanent. In contemporary architecture, we have become more familiar with the temporary as expressed at exhibitions and pavilions; Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeannerets LEspirit Nouveau Pavilion (1925), Mies van der Rohes Barcelona Pavilion (1929), and Alison and Peter Smithsons House of the Future for the Daily Mail Ideal Home Exhibition in London (1956) each showcasing their designers stimulating philosophies and ideas on the future of architecture, and advertising these compelling forms via memorable, provocative images. Moreover, these challenges to established or conventional approaches to design were yet further inflamed by Archigram, with mobile, inflatable or temporary projects albeit resigned to paper and remaining unbuilt during the 1960s and 70s. 3.2 Academic Discourse Urban Change However, it was the aftermath of the great recession in 2008, which crippled economies with the construction, architecture and engineering sectors arguably hit the hardest and the inevitable temporary suspension of many large-scale projects that ensued which elevated small-scale, bottom-up spatial interventions from niche to mainstream practice, and subsequently exposed them to more intense levels of critical review. Though this opened up possibilities to test scenarios and subvert preconceptions of what our cities should be like, giving architects and designers, often young, the opportunity to push the boundaries of architecture and [take] the city back into their own hands, as Cate St. Hill writes in her RIBA published book This is Temporary, very soon, and perhaps unavoidably, established companies found they could make use of these strategies too, evaporating [away] any freshness, writes Douglas Murphy in his article for the Architectural Review: The Pop-Up Problem. As a consequence, it has now become utterly commonplace for food drink, fashion or design retailers, for example, to make their inaugural entrance into any given city via a succession of trendy pop-ups before the proper shop opens. Though this could be considered fairly commonplace cool-chasing, it stems from the constant procedure of reducing risk: a temporary shop doesnt require payment for a full lease, and it also has an aura of edgy cool. These types of structure therefore offer us a corporate regurgitation of anti-corporate commerce. Importantly, and perhaps more pressingly, in academic and mainstream media discourse, more original spatial intervention projects, which featured smiling locals and were so often portrayed as joyous and likeable, have also since been subject to a considerable amount of criticism primarily contemplating if the actual impact of these projects is overestimated. Though proponents of the pop-up refer to the wider impact an intervention can have galvanising local communities to change the way their public spaces and buildings are used to the benefit of everyone in practice the actual effect remains limited to the most local scale, involving or reaching out to just a handful of locals. This is due, in part, to the perceived lack of scalability, as Ella Harris highlights in her article for The Guardian: the possibility of scaling up such projects, beyond their immediate surroundings, is often minimal due to the specific local conditions. Therefore, when addressing if temporary architecture can act as a catalyst for urban change in the context of this thesis, a catalyst for urban change relates to the ability of the project or intervention to have an impact on an area wider than its immediate surroundings, stimulating local inhabitants to actively seek to utilise public spaces for betterment of society, or to at least raise the question. 4.0  Formulating a Position 4.1 Understanding Current Trends Despite such criticism into the perceived overestimated effect or corporate commercialisation of temporary architecture projects, there are a plethora of younger architects and designers that are emerging as a new generation of a subversive, socially-minded practices, each combatting these concerns by inspiring new definitions of architecture not just in terms of the physical structure, but in the process of creating them. These practices all share a concern for engaging people and enriching local communities, and their projects are well-considered and endowing ways to create animated, deeply-rooted places in the neglected, disused and sometimes inaccessible parts of a city. Therefore, before attempting to formulate my position within the field of temporary architecture, it was necessary to speak to a few of these firms in order to develop a more succinct, albeit limited, understanding of the temporary situation in this moment in time. Set up by Kevin Hayley and David Chambers in 2009, Aberrant Architecture is a London-based multidisciplinary studio and think-tank who create temporary structures backed up by rigorous research into the history of a place and the construction of whimsical narratives, inspired by the way contemporary lives are evolving, Kevin explains. Featuring projects from a tiny mobile theatre towed by a campervan, to an interactive instillation built in collaboration with local community groups, their work is playful, provocative and interactive. Interestingly, both Kevin and David agreed on the two most prominent driving forces between each of their projects specifically setting and reusability. First is the idea of historical heritage, or setting we always approach a project with attention to the history-we look to engage people, perhaps through participation events, in a way that connects them to a story or history, Kevin stresses, as it is this side of the projects which the public are increasingly embracing, and really enjoy. Also, and equally as importantly, is their desire for temporary projects to have a lasting effect: if something is there for three days or 30 years, does it matter? Surely its about measuring the effect it has on a community. However, though they both agreed that the actual physical thing is temporary but the activity or use should be very permanent, they also stressed that being able to reuse the structure was important if something stays in one place for a long time, weve found it can lose its appeal really quickly. With mobile structures, as soon as you move it to a different context it becomes new again. Contrastingly, Assemble a multidisciplinary collective founded in 2010 and comprised of 16 members each under the age of 30 champion a self-initiated style of building that engage communities in the making process, and rely on collaborative teamwork, as Amica Dall joyfully explained. Fascinatingly, Amica and Jane Hall revealed that this preference of such projects stems from a desire to involve the community in a more holistic way, as habitually, they only participate in a small part of the process of creation, [usually via consultation groups] and involvement often only starts after most of the more critical decisions have been made. Self-built projects such as the Granby Workshop in Liverpool, built in collaboration with local artists and craftspeople afford the chance for everyone involved to be part of the whole life of a project. By collectively working out how to make it possible in the first instance, having to fabricate them ourselves, and then living and working with the outcome whilst running the projects, this method allows them to understand the consequence of our design decisions. This approach to temporary architecture allows the physical structure to underscore some doubts in some areas and give confidence in others, affording a continuously evolving understanding of what a community needs. Ultimately, both Jane and Amica agreed that working with people and for people brings extraordinary opportunity to learn from them, to grow sensitive to new things, and most importantly, to find things you werent already looking for. 4.2 Addressing Systemic Societal Issues Undoubtedly then, pop-up architecture can offer something rare: design that is undiluted. Permanent, traditional architecture often needs to serve multiple purposes and changing surroundings the Shard, for example, is at once an office building, transit hub, hotel and retail space. Contrastingly, temporary architecture, as exemplified by Aberrant and Assemble, can advance a singular purpose and concentrate its impact. However, in completing further research, what also became evident, and highly significant, was that the singular purposes very rarely address some of the real-world systemic challenges we face in society, especially in major cities, with just a handful of examples responding to challenges like social inequality, youth unemployment or public health and wellbeing, for example. Moreover, in the few instances where projects do address such issues, services are regularly provided by unpaid, well-meaning volunteers instead of professionals, often filling the gaps left negligent (local) governments. With pop-up interventions providing services for free, local governments might well be pleased to see that they can get away with formerly expensive services. Further still, as Ella Harris writes for The Guardian, in celebrating these projects, are we simply distracting from the lack of structural public provision in these areas and worse still, normalising, even glorifying, its absence? 4.3 Formulating my position Therefore, as discussed, in conducting interviews with specialised practices, there were several reoccurring key themes which became immediately apparent, and naturally proved decisive in narrowing my research scope chiefly, involving the public in an aspect of building or completing the structure, and using a specific element(s) of a sites historical heritage as a way of engaging the public in a larger story. However, following further research, the noticeable lack of projects, events or constructs attempting to address some of the systemic societal issues we face in modern society and the possibility that even the minority that do may simply be masking the absence of appropriate structural public provisions in those areas was highlighted, again adding to a more refined research scope which could look at the possibility of using architecture to address one such challenge directly. As a consequence, formulating my position came as a direct result of twinning these two key themes, and attempting to address them simultaneously. Firstly, building forms expressive of context styles that embrace the environment they inhabit have always stimulated my interest, so in meeting Aberrant and Assemble and understanding that the uniqueness of a design can be found in the particular embedded in the lives, the people, and in the history of a city the first theme lay in a specific alchemy of Architecture; using the combination of distinctive physical, societal and/or cultural contexts to produce innovative, site-responsive design. The second, in identifying a lack of contemporary projects addressing real-world societal challenges, lay in endeavouring to understand if temporary architecture could be used to do just that, or to at least promote such issues into the public domain. The more defined scope for this thesis therefore became an investigation into if/how Temporary A rchitecture can act as a catalyst for urban change by specifically addressing real-world problems through a contextual approach to design. 5.0 Project narrative alchemy 5.1 City + Site Specific Investigations Embracing Aberrants view that temporary architecture projects can lose their appeal if they remain in one place for an extended period of time, and our joint view that such projects can, and should, be representative of, or embrace their local historical heritage, the decision was subsequently made for the project to move around a selection of sites in Canterbury with each site located in appropriate open public spaces, or pockets of disused, inactive, space to test the structures relative success in various locations (as outlined on the site locations map, left). Therefore, in order to conceive a design taking a combination of Canterburys distinctive historical, physical, societal and/or cultural contexts as its inspiration, studies were conducted into each of the prospective sites so that it could appropriate itself in each site, whilst also being representative of Canterburys heritage as a whole to produce a holistic theme for the project. Following these investigations, one overriding theme became immediately apparent Canterburys vast, enduring, and continuing affinity with literature. Throughout recent centuries, Canterbury has proved home to several authors, poets and playwrights, and the city has been an inspiration to the writers of English literature. Playwright Christopher Marlowe, after whom the Marlowe Theatre is named, was born in a house in St Georges Street, Canterbury in 1564, and despite being a contemporary of Shakespeare, was the most popular playwright of his day, and is often acknowledged as the Father of English drama. Furthermore, Charles Dickens also regularly visited Canterbury, and the protagonist of one of Dickens most loved novels, David Copperfield, has strong connections with the city. Canterbury is also incredibly famous for Geoffrey Chaucers Canterbury Tales collection, which have stood the test of time for more than 600 years and are known throughout the world. Additionally, the instantly recognisable Rupert Bear (which features in the Canterbury Heritage Museum), and Ian Flemmings James Bond book You Only Live Twice, were both conceived in Canterbury, whilst Flemmings Chitty Chitty Bang Bang was based on Canterburys colourful, local character, Count Zborowski. Moreover, Canterburys Buttermarket situated directly opposite the Cathedral entrance in the heart of Canterburys historical town for more than 800 years features in the wartime classic film A Canterbury Tale. In addition to current and historical contextual ties, it was also important to consider links which may have been lost especially those concerned with the built environment a collection of which are remembered in Paul Cramptons Canterburys Lost Heritage. In Canterbury, numerous buildings disappeared in the twentieth century a century, of course, of vast changes and technological progress. However, though the famous Blitz of Canterbury is one of the main tributaries of this, it has now been widely accepted that the City Councils ruthless post-bombing clearance policy accounted for many more properties than the Luftwaffe, as the city fathers were seduced by the ideas of Corbusier and the contemporary styles exhibited at the Festival of Britain. Interestingly, though there was no special reason why they should disappear one of the most lost building typologies was Schools (and School Buildings). Demolished, with the site sold for other uses such as the Simon Langton Boys School which occupied the current Whitefriars site in 1959 or in more recent years, closed and amalgamated with adjacent schools the majority of Canterburys principal Schools are now located on the outskirts of the city. This prompted teachers like Frances Bingham to initiate her own one-room schoolhouse, which has since been converted into a family home. Teaching children from the ages of 4-10, Frances taught 32 students over a period of 6 years in Canterbury, achieving the same results as students who were educated in separate classrooms, with some of her students going on to become lawyers, engineers, teachers and nurses. Therefore, given the citys, and each respective sites, respective affinity with literature expressed in all forms and education, via the loss of School building and the resulting captivating story of Frances, the contextual narrative of the project was to draw on Canterburys historical literature and educative ties as a way to draw activity to a space. 5.2 Identification of Associated Real-World Problem Upon identifying a contextual narrative, sequentially, the next step was to identify a real-world problem associated with both literature and education, and, naturally, the logical bridge between these two themes is reading. Interestingly, though reading is a pleasurable pastime for many, following further research into current discourse around reading in schools, in recent years the UK has seen a serious decline in the number of parents reading with their children, as the headlines in Figure XX demonstrate, to the point where several studies have found the situation to be one of the fastest growing systematic societal challenges faced in the current climate. In a survey conducted by the Oxford University Press, it was found that more than half of primary school teachers have seen a least two children begin formal education with no experience of being told stories at home, whilst another study managed by YouGov found that only 51% of children said they love or like reading books for fun, compared to 58% in 2012, and 60% in 2010. Moreover, according to the report, only 54% of children up to the age of five are read to at home at least five days a week, with this declining to 34% of six to eight-year-olds, and drastically, just 17% of nine to 11-year-olds. The studies also discovered that the main causes of this issue stem from the home-life, with parents often finding a lack of available space at home, being too busy with other commitments, unable to afford appropriate literature, or simply feeling embarrassed at their own inability to read to their children. However, Pie Corbett, an educational advisor to the government, stated that: This isnt just an economic thing its not just people who come from poor backgrounds, its across the whole of society. You get a lot of children coming from very privileged backgrounds whove spent a lot of time in front of the TV and not enough time snuggled up with a good book. The TV does the imagining for you and it doesnt care whether youre listening or not. This is despite research clearly demonstrating that children who are read to on a regular basis before, and after, they start school are most likely to succeed its a key predictor in terms of educational success, Corbett continued, as children who are told stories are the ones who first form abstract concepts across the curriculum- [and though] parents may have lost faith with this idea, education is the way out of poverty. Furthermore, these studies have shown that regular access to books has a direct impact on pupils results, irrespective of parents own education, occupation and social class, as keeping just 20 books in the home can boost childrens chances of doing well at school, it was claimed. Finally, YouGovs study of over 17,000 young people also revealed a strong correlation between childrens literacy and what goes on outside school specifically that being raised in a household with a large amount of literature would result in a child remaining in education for an average of three years longer than those with little or no access, which could be the difference between leaving school at 18 and going to university, which can be worth up to  £200,000 more in lifetime earnings. 5.3 Project Narrative Construction Therefore, given the systemic societal issue currently faced in the UK with the number of children reading with their parents being in sharp decline, and that several studies have repeatedly, and explicitly, identified that reading at home and access to books has a proven, positive impact on a childs future life, the project would aim to address this issue specifically either by attempting to solve the issue directly, or simply raising awareness of it via a contextual approach to design which would use Canterburys historical, and continuing, affinity with literature and education as its main source of inspiration. 6.0 Design response and realisation 6.1 Design Response Out of this defined project narrative and a subsequent series of design iterations and developments (for which Kevin from Aberrant kindly provided assistance and advice, and are shown in the Appendix), and scale and structural models was born the Fun-Size Story Box of Canterbury, as shown. The final design was a 2.5 meter cube, constructed entirely of softwood and corrugated cardboard (as they are low-value, easy to source and condition materials), featuring both recessed and projecting volumes inspired by stacked books, and the nature of Canterbury High Streets various building facades. The structure was also to open up to the public, much like a book opening along the spine, to reveal the interior performance and open reading spaces. Via a series of these fun and colourful reading corners, story creation + performance spaces, and open seating areas, the design aimed to provide parents and children with a safe and fun architectural intervention in which to read together. The projected volumes were also to be transparent, so as to make the bookshelves visible from the exterior, creating a sense of intrigue, and the selection of books available would be free for children to take home, donated from local retailers and charity shops, such as the Demelza Childrens Hospice, and HMV. The recessed reading corners and story creation + performance spaces come as a direct result of twinning classroom reading techniques with brain development in children research data, outlining where, why and how children like to read. According to the Centre on the Developing Child at Harvard University, traditional reading corners employed in schools do not conform to childrens actual reading habits, with most spaces tailored instead to improving scores in assessments. Alternatively, children actually prefer smaller, more interesting and inviting reading spaces a small space, often hidden away, where children can enjoy a book therefore, the Story Box features recessed areas where children can do just that with their parents. Furthermore, in early years, children learn best through active, engaged, meaningful experiences, and research suggests that learning is easier when experiences are interconnected rather than compartmentalised into narrow subject areas. This is echoed by ground-breaking kindergarten architect, Takaharu Tezuka, who states in The Guardian that designing for children involves recognising their right to play as well as learn, as from these experiences, they construct their own knowledge and apply their taught knowledge by interacting with their environments. Therefore, rather than having all reading material collected in one space, the Story Box has books arranged throughout the structure, with the provision for interconnected interior and exterior story creation + performance spaces, where children can imagine their own story with their parents, and then act it out, engaging them in a playful experience. 6.2 Council + Legislative Influence In addition to research data, council guidance and legislation were hugely influential on the design. Prior to any formal discussions with representatives of the council, a Planning Analysis was conducted to identify any legislative and/or planning requirements which the project may or may not have to adhere to forming a paper trail. This study found that as this projects Temporary Structure would be classed within the Building Regulations Exemption as a Class 4 Temporary Building, it would subsequently be exempt from several, if not all, regulations, providing it did not (amongst other possible objections) remain where erected for more than 28 days, and the floor area did not exceed 30m ². The project was subsequently designed following these requirements, however, the design continuously evolved following feedback from council representatives David Kemp (CCC Property Asset Manager), and Andy Jeffery (CCC Emergency Planning Events Officer) all of which is collated in the appendix Council Correspondence. This correspondence tackled many issues, such as; ensuring children didnt get their fingers caught in hinges, impeding pedestrians or emergency services vehicles, proximity to any highways, gaining relevant liability insurance, and proving the projects structural integrity. Once these issues were satisfied, and all required documentation was completed and accepted (Event Application Form, Events Policy Terms + Conditions, Event Management Plan, Events Risk Assessment and Public Liability Insurance Certificate) permission was granted to stage the event in the Buttermarket and Marlowe Theatre Forecourt on the weekend of the 11th-12th February 2017. 7.0 Implementation and feedback 7.1 Placement Despite a fully designed and rationalised scheme, like many temporary architecture structures, the project was affected by time and financial constraints, and as a result, only one of the two sides to the Story Box project was fully realised and constructed as outlined in the appendix Construction + Realisation. Yet, despite the unfortunate inclement weather conditions, the project was implemented on site (in the Buttermarket, between 11th-12th February 2017), acting as a prototype to test the validity or relative success of each part of the design, and project. Furthermore, though the event only lasted for two days (running from 10am to 5pm both days), and adverse weather ultimately hampered opening times and the possibility to set-up in more than 2 of the prospective sites, there was sufficient opportunity to engage with members of the community, and to receive valuable feedback. 7.2 Representative Data Movement Firstly, due to the stated limitations, it is important to note that the data collected doesnt represent a statistically significant number, therefore cannot be wholly accurate (this data was recorded by myself, and the 2 other staff members present throughout the day). However, one of the main ambitions of the project was to attempt to attract people to (or activate) pockets of often neglected or disused space, to highlight that these spaces can be re-invented and used for something more and in this sense the project was successful. Due to the weather conditions on the first day, the project was set up under the arcade of arches on Burgate Road, and though this was not envisaged, it meant that the project was truly located in dead space as, on average, only 20 people pass this location every 10 minutes (throughout the day), and of that number less than 10% (2 out of 20) stop in the immediate area for more than 30 seconds. However, whilst the event was held, though the people traffi c remained fairly constant, the amount of people stopping for more than 30 seconds trebled to 30% as people stopped to inspect, or engage with, the structure. On average, parents and children who stopped spent 17 minutes with the structure a significant increase. On the second day, when set up in the more exposed Buttermarket Square (in considerably better weather), on average, the amount of people passing through the site was much higher, at around 120 every 10 minutes, whilst people stopped for around 13 minutes. Again, though traffic remained constant, persons who stopped at the structure spent an average of 37 minutes there almost a 300% increase in time spent in the site. 7.3 Community Engagement + Feedback Aside from statistical data, the design featured tell us what you think message boards and Post-it notes, whilst several interviews were video recorded (stills of which can be found in the appendices) affording parents and children opportunities to express their opinions, either written or verbally. As shown in Figure XX, the written feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with parents agreeing that in attempting to raise awareness of declining reading levels the structure was a good idea-[and] interesting for architecture. One user wrote that she though the project was a really creative idea, imaginative and engaging- [with] fairy tales brought to life before your eyes, before, interestingly, adding that it captures your dreams with your child which may be lost on a busy shopping day, and stating that nothing is more important than a parent seeing their childs imagination grow. Similarly, a mother, Jane, who took the time to read with her 6-year-old daughter, Emma, stated that the structure was a really great use of space showing that you can create engaging and creative spaces for public engagement without costing loads! This sentiment was also echoed in the video interviews, with one mother stating that its nice to have somewhere to sit and read because they [her children] get fed up around the shops, giving a little bit of time for them before adding that its such a simple idea, but no-one else has ever thought of it before. In another interview, Adam, a father of two girls added: Its very homely and cosy. We took the girls to visit the Cathedral, but they got a bit bored, and kept talking about coming back to the Story Box the whole way round. As you can see, theyre having a whale of a time drawing all over the walls. I think the durability of it, and the fact you can just scribble all over it is great because they cant do that at home! Fascinatingly, though blank create your own story pages were placed on the interior walls as a place for children to draw and write, most children drew directly onto the cardboard walls, an unintended feature that another parent appreciated: Great portable pop-up s pace ideal to give kids somewhere to be free and creative to draw on the walls (like they cant do at home!) Moreover, during the event, I had the opportunity to observe if the project was actually attracting parents who werent necessarily reading wi

National-state: Realism, Liberalism, and Constructivism Theory

This paper seeks to analyse and discuss whether national-security paradigm` is a thing of the past, or is the basis of current international politics. This will also attempt to explain whether there is basis for realists, liberals and constructivists have to rethink the place of the state as the primary units of analysis and whether there is basis recognize the fact that non-state actors have played an increasingly important role in international politics. This will also explain whether these non-state actors do diminish the importance of the nation-states as the primary units of analysis.Analysis and DiscussionThis paper believes the ‘national-security paradigm` is not yet a thing of the past, as it is the still the basis of current international politics. Every nation will always be there valuing its state security despite the continuing and further evolving globalization.Waltz (2000) concluded that realism does not die every time peace breaks out. He just saw the change as i nternational politics has having the appearance of being transformed. He did argue that the world,   however, has not been transformed as the author view the structure of international politics to have simply been remade by the disappearance of the Soviet Union, and for a time nations live under the concept of unipolarity.Waltz (2000) also viewed the revolution in Soviet affairs and the end of the Cold War to have nor been brought by democracy, interdependence, or international institutions was just still realism and which called structural realism.The fact there was just transformation therefore did not make national-security paradigm irrelevant. The paradigm will still be there as long as there as states that exist for it may be argued that state must have security in its territory in the real sense for it to claim itself a state under political law principles, for then without security could imply lack of sovereignty.It may now be asked: Do realists, liberals; constructivists h ave to rethink the place of the state as the primary units of analysis? Is there basis to recognize the fact that non-state actors have played an increasingly important role in international politics? Do these non-state factors diminish the importance of the nation-states as the primary units of analysis?This paper believes that realists, liberals and constructivists have to rethink the place of the state as the primary units of analysis as non-state actors have actors have played an increasingly important role in international politics.Current developments provide evidence for non-state actors playing these types of roles.   Ã‚  Badie (2001)   concluded that   the â€Å"current globalization process reinforces the transnational paradigm that focuses on individuals as international actors, with a new configuration emerging in which politics loses the hierarchical position implied by realism.† He identified and described the three kinds of actors to include the state, tr ansnational actors, and identity entrepreneurs to be promoting a special type of commitments. Badie (2001) therefore see a civic commitment to the state, a utilitarian and pragmatic commitment to transnational networks, and a primary commitment to identity entrepreneurs.At the other extreme, a counter argument may be posed about apparent non-application of the theories of realism, liberalism and constructivism (Checkel, 1998).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mearsheimer, John (1995) discovered the fact that many policymakers and academics believe that institutions hold great promise for promoting international peace. In finding this belief as optimistic, Mearsheimer, (1995), he argued the assessment of institutions is not warranted, but attributed mainly to the three institutionalist theories underpinning the same that are flawed.He asserted the presence of serious problems with the causal logic of each theory, and little empirical evidence for any of them.   Ã‚  As he found little independent ef fect do institutions have on state behavior, he recognized a very important paradox that   Ã¢â‚¬Å"although the world does not work the way institutionalist theories say it does or should, those theories remain highly influential in both the academic and policy worlds.† (Mearsheimer, 1995)He could only surmise that with the limited impact of institutions on state behavior, observers would expect considerable skepticism, even cynicism, when institutions are described as a major force for peace, while the same institutions are still normally described in capable terms by scholars and governing elites.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Mearsheimer, (1995) explained his basis on the fact in the academic world, the pervasive impact of realism found itself amply demonstrated in the institutionalist literature.To reinforce the paradox found, and despite the theories’ influence, the author cited the seriously-thinking Americans about foreign policy issues but still disliking realism intensely, due to conflicts their basic values. By citing Shimko (1992), he was able to show how the theory is opposed on Americans way of thinking about themselves and the wider world. (Mearsheimer, 1995)In the absence therefore of convincing declaration that the theories are inapplicable there is still basis to uphold the use of the same in practice. Perhaps anew approach for assessing the worldviews may into the situation. In such context,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mowle (2003) claimed that to have developed a new approach for assessing such worldviews that motivate the decisions of state leaders.   He argued that problem representations found in official statements give us the information we need to be able to infer worldviews in a wide number of cases. In arguing that method can yield useful information across a larger number of states and decision-makers than would be provided by constructing a full cognitive map of all relevant persons and assessing how they interact as a group-although the inf requent situations where we have such full models, he recommended that use of the same to supplement studies conducted with this approach.He further argued the possibility of extending this approach to other issue areas and other worldviews but he warned to be careful in two areas. One is that â€Å"it must be possible to define criteria that would be observable in problem representations in the issue area while the other is that must be reasonable to assume that the ideal worldviews setting a baseline for inference bear some resemblance to elements of the actual worldview.Put simply, the argument and evidence of Mowle, (2003) are still poised to still support some view of realism and liberalism, albeit with some problems.With the given dynamism in international relations, other authors even saw a dilemma in some of the state theories. Sorensen (1996) in discussing the core of Hobbes's dilemma found that the state needs to be both strong and weak. He argued that the state needs to be strong in order to be able to create domestic order and security and the same state also needs to be weak in the sense of being responsive to society. With his support for realism and liberalism, he argued for necessity of the disciplining instruments as contained in the realist and or the liberal approaches, for without, he believes that state elites will most likely turn predatory.By seeing that predatory state elites are part of the development problem, Sorensen (1996) argued that in no way are they part of the solution. Similarly be still believed that a state which provides for security and order is needed for the promotion of development. In appreciating also Hobbes's dilemma has provided helps for observers focus sharply on the problem of predatory state rulers, he was more convinced that the solutions provided by the realist and the liberal approach will required further development in order to work in the context of weak states in the post-cold war world as he is prepare d to see the working of possible ways out of the current problems in a manner described earlier.ConclusionIt may be concluded that national security is still a basis of current international politics. While it is true that   realists, liberals; constructivists have to rethink the place of the state as the primary units of analysis as non-state actors have played an increasingly important role in international politics, there is no enough evidence to warrant removal of the concept of nation-states as part of the units of analysis. It must be admitted however that there have been changes that have happened which must taken into consideration which has the effect of diminishing the importance of nation-states as primary units of analysis. It may be further declared that it is hard to detach the concept of national-security concept or paradigm so long as the concept a state exists in the books.References:Badie, Bertrand (2001), Realism under Praise, or a Requiem? The Paradigmatic Deba te in International Relations , International Political Science Review ,Vol22, No. 3,253-260Checkel (1998) The Constructivist Turn in International Relations Theory   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  World Politics Vol.50, No.2 (January 1998)Mearsheimer, John J.   (1995) The False Promise of International Institutions, International Security, Vol. 19, No. 3. pp. 5-49.Mowle, T. (2003),Worldviews in Foreign Policy: Realism, Liberalism, and External Conflict, Political Psychology, Vol. 24, No. 3., pp. 561-592.  Shimko, Keith L. (1992) â€Å"Realism, Neorealism, and American Liberalism,† Review of Politics, Vol. 54, No. 2, pp. 281-301Sorensen, George (1996)   Development as a Hobbesian dilemma, Third World Quarterly, Vol 17, No 5, pp 903-916Waltz, Kenneth (2000) Structural Realism after the Cold War, International Security, Vol. 25, No. 1. pp. 5-41.

What to Do About Analytic Essay Topics Before It Is Too Late

What to Do About Analytic Essay Topics Before It Is Too Late More creative suggestions on how to receive your essay graded here. As a writer, you should realize that an analytical essay isn't a summary. Put simply, an analytical essay focuses on a single idea or thought and supplies an informative bit of writing on the discipline. Clearly, writing an essay on this issue of marijuana is too general. There's an endless number of different essay topics that may be analyzed. After all, there may be a number of diverse angles to one and the exact issue, and you need to pick yours before you get started writing. Deciding upon the most suitable essay topic can at times be rather challenging. Deciding upon a subject in the event of a police essay is extremely crucial. After all, the GRE Issue isn't a test of knowledge as much since it is a test of how you are able to use knowledge however confined to back your position. There is, in addition, the dilemma of grammar. A strong thesis statement is likely to make your reader want to find out more and help him understand what things to anticipate from the rest of your essay. Deciding upon a powerful and arguable thesis is the most significant step in writing any kind of essay, including an analytical one. Whatever method you use to select your analytical research topic, be certain that you don't let ambition carry you apart. Each individual paragraph should concentrate on a specific element of the thesis. Guarantee the body of the text contributes to the conclusion logically. Both test your capacity to compose a cogent thesis statement which you must defend over the plan of many paragraphs. In essence you're interpreting the info. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Analytic Essay Topics Categorizing people using the features of our very own similar and distinct believes is typical for a normal citizen. To make a very long story short, there's an amazing number of topics that may be considered in a police essay, but choosing one you always need to keep in mind your audience. Education is among the more important foundations of the society which promotes realization of financial objectives and at exactly the same time ensuring that different individuals wind up living better lives. Another aim of the analytical essay is to assess thinking and that which you would do in various circumstances. A sui table education system may also be established which favors everyone so the best of education is delivered. You are able to also talk about the issues that arrive with having a football program. College students should base their selection of an area of study on the access to work in that area. One of the most frequent kinds of analysis that college and higher school students perform. Write a list of ideas you've got or a list of things you're interested in. Luckily, there are tons of great places to seek out inspiration and the subsequent list contains only a few suggestions to help get you started. If you wish to be certain that your ideas are clear enough, ask another person to read your paper. Your very first idea is nearly always very likely to be too significant. The paper further examines the mitigation measures that are in literatures to deal with the inequality. There are a lot of issues which play an important function to the promotion of inequality in education. The ideal way to address environmental problems due to consumer-generated waste is for towns and cities to impose strict limits on the quantity of trash they'll accept from every household. Social problems faced in various areas of the world also point to a particular level, the inequality in education.

Diverse Workplace and Its Problems - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1863 Downloads: 9 Date added: 2019/08/16 Category Society Essay Level High school Tags: Diversity In The Workplace Essay Did you like this example? Diversity and Cultural Issues in the Workplace The effectiveness of a diverse workplace depends on the openness of the staff and leadership to accept change, as well as how they engage others from different backgrounds. Whilst todays workforce is no longer made up of one single race or gender.   It is made up of many different races with different cultural beliefs. In an essay I read called Diversity of Race and Ethnicity Sociology it states that better decisions are made with ethnically diverse groups, than those of the homogeneous teams (Diversity of Race and Ethnicity Sociology, 2017). Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Diverse Workplace and Its Problems" essay for you Create order Diversity can be complex, and is not defined as one specific thing. It is loosely defined as the understanding and acceptance of others that are different than you. Diversity is categorized into two separate categories. The first category covers the basics such as race, age, gender, and sexual orientation. The other category is a little more complex and it covers everything from cultural values, religious beliefs, income, location,   and of course ethnicity (Min, 2017). The effects a diverse workforce can have on a company and the challenges they face, can vary from place to place, and can be dramatically different in the United States compared to other countries? Diversity, or the lack thereof can also affect a companys revenue stream. By not having a the best and the best, companies take the risk of losing out to competitors. Therefore, having a larger pool of candidates to choose from becomes critical if they want to retain the talent. This is also important to companies because they fill positions quicker. If a company is not structured to handle diversity, that pool becomes smaller and smaller. One component is to have diverse leadership that can recognize the importance of diversity, and hire candidates based on talent and experience, and not on race and gender. Origin of Diversity In 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802, which allowed blacks to be accepted into job-training programs in defense programs, which established Fair Employment Practices Commission. FEPC was subsequently abolished after the war.   In 1943 Congress first introduced equal employment legislation, and it was not until 1948 that President Harry S. Truman signed in to law Executive Order 9981. Executive Order 9981 was to abolish segregation in the Armed Services. This order allowed minorities to be housed, as well as fight alongside their white counterparts (Feng, 2015). Because of this order, 95% of African American Army soldiers were serving in units integrated with whites by 1953. In the 1960s, when the civil rights legislation was passed, due primarily to social and political changes. This legislation prohibited discrimination based on color, religion, race, national origin, and sex. This legislation is known as Title VII, Civil Rights Act of 1964. Age would later be added to the list. According to McCormick (2007), a study was conducted in 1987 by the Secretary of Labor, William Brock. The study highlighted five demographic factors that would have significant effect on the labor force in the US. This study later became the book, Workforce 2000 -Work and Workers in the Twenty First Century. The five factors include; the slow growing workforce and population, young workers coming into the workforce will shrink, while the average age of the population will rise, women will enter the workforce more rapidly, the labor force will see that minorities are the larger share of workers, and the largest increase of population in the workforce since WW1 will be by legal and illegal immigrants. With diversification becoming imminent, companies would have to diversify their workforce in order to stay competitive. Many companies started to focus on a diversity effort and they created a business case (McCormick, 2007, p. 5).  Ã‚   Current Trends in Diversity Research has found that multicultural environments are linked to positive outcomes, whether it be intellectual, or social. Although major focal points in diversity are still based on gender and ethnicity, many organizations are starting to put greater enfaces on other areas of diversity. Based on a recent HR survey by Harney Nash, organizations are currently pursuing the following areas of diverse; 80% gender, 41% ethnicity/cultural, 38% age, and 14% LGBT. Another way companies can avoid bias, is by using artificial intelligence when sourcing its candidates. AI can be beneficial because it can be programmed to avoid and ignore information such as demographics on candidates resumes (Min, 2017). According to Forbes, Five Trends Driving Workplace Diversity in 2015 one-fifth of participants indicated that their companies dedicate a very small percentage to diversity efforts. Their reasoning is because they are just too busy. Some of the trends according to Forbes are: the involvement of more CEOs. Some of the top Fortune 500 companies are being ran by females. Companies such as GMC, IBM and Lockheed Martin. Many companies are making diversity even simpler by looking for talent that have a strong problem-solving background, as well as have different ways of viewing complex issues (Rezvani, 2015). Maintaining a competitive advantage is of high importance to companies. To stay one step ahead of their competitors, companies are hiring the most qualified talent possible. But this goes much further than just recruiting candidates with a diverse background, it is having a diverse leadership that understands the importance of inclusion within an organization. While a great deal of large corporations have adopted diversity programs and implemented changes in the way we view differences, the training and development of diverse groups does not always lead to retention of such employees. Often there are organizational barriers that affect implementing successful diversity programs. Many things change in companies when you introduce diversity. Such as cultural difference, which if not managed appropriately, can and will cause discomfort to any that are perceived as different. That in which we are not familiar with, can cause unwanted discrimination and prejudice. Some organizations are t aking it a step further and creating atmospheres that cultivate innovation and productiveness through communication and collaboration (Williams, n.d). This type of environment leads to abundance of tolerance for those that are perceived as different. Cultural issues can also become somewhat of an issue for some companies. Therefore, proper training of employees on the differences in backgrounds is beneficial to avoid cultural issues. For example, in places like Argentina it is customary to hug people when you meet them. While places like Italy, Spain, and Portugal kissing on the cheek is customary. However, in other places like Japan and China no contact is made at all. They simply bow as a show of respect. When a new employee is hired and people are unaware of their culture, you may find that what is normal in one culture may make people very uncomfortable for other cultures. That could pose a serious issue for HR to deal with. The challenge is to implement the proper training to avoid any misunderstanding. Policies should be put in place that protect employees rights, as well as follows guidelines and is compliant with regulations. Companies would also benefit from having sensitivity training. Which will help employees become m ore aware, as well as help them to understand any cultural biases they may possess and how to best handle these biases. Some benefits to this training include: appreciating the views of others, what actions can be perceived as offensive, and conflict resolution (Dyson, 2017). Some companies are assembling focus groups made up of staff and leadership of all different backgrounds, to research and address the major issues. To develop strategies and provide resources to those who may have a difficult time adjusting to the differences. Around the world, countries are embracing diversity. Although, it may not necessarily mean exactly what it means in the United States, and the laws may differ some. Place like Norway require their companies to meet a 40% quota for women to serve on the boards of public limited companies. According to an article in the Diversity Journal, most countries have some sort of law that helps disadvantaged groups in their regions (Heffertvet-Aoudia, 2011).  Ã‚   Importance of Diversity in my Career The company I currently work for has over 80,000 employees and is in over 100 different countries. Which means diversity and inclusion is an integral part of the success of our company. One of the ways our company fosters diversity and inclusion is by having very large network groups. Groups such as African-American Network Group, Hispanic Latin Business Resource Group, LGBTQ Allies, and Womens Network just to name a few. We have yearly diversity training that lasts anywhere from an hour to two hours, and is mandatory. This training is also important because the clients we meet with are from all around the globe.   Therefore, we are held to the highest standards and we take our RISE values very seriously (People and Culture, n.d).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   For instance, we have a young lady that works in the accounting department in D.C. She is from Africa and has a very strong accent. She speaks four different languages and English is one she is still learning. Because of the slight language barrier, her communication to some may come off as rude. She speaks very quickly and sometimes has to be asked to slow down just a tad. She does not get offended, she apologizes and continues the conversation at a slower pace. I also work very closely with a lady from Greece who also has a very strong accent and is extremely feisty. But this is her culture and the way she communicates in her country. It is not a case of being rude and/or obnoxious, it is strictly cultural.   Every day I am in contact with someone who is different than I am, and for me this is what makes my job pleasant. Of course, the language barrier can be extremely challenging, but I have to think that it is just as challenging to them as it is to me. Therefore, we learn together how to navigate projects. The branch of the company I work for deals with public entities such as, state and local agencies all around the United States. Therefore, we are also required to deal with a whole other set of diversity laws that are put into place by each state. I respond to Request for Proposals (RFPs) that almost always require us to have some sort of diversity group within our company. Another requirement is, if we use subcontractors, they too must have a certain percentage of minorities and women. Companies that do not show diversity are automatically disqualified from submitting a bid response. Diversity is entrenched in every part of my company, and as of now I do not plan on pursuing another career. In the future if I do leave this company, I will choose a company that has the same values as my current company. To conclude, a diverse workforce is not just something that is tolerated, or dealt with. It is a reflection of the world we now live in. Teams that are diverse, offer an elevated advantage to organizations, both collaboratively and competitively. Individual differences should be respected, as they will likely benefit and elevate a company. If a company looks to having a competitive advantage, one way to do this is to change the makeup of their employees to include others with a more robust view on the world.