Free Will in Shooting an Elephant and Antigone :: Comparison Compare Contrast Essays

Free Will in Shooting an Elephant and Antigone Free will can be defined as: â€Å"The right, given to humans by God, to make their own decisions.† A mans free will cannot be destroyed by any power other than God. Humans can always exercise their free will when making decisions. However, when their decisions come in conflict with the laws set by a higher power, they might face consequences based on how they choose to use their free will. The more restrictions imposed upon someone’s free will the more restricted their ability to make decisions become. The extent to which someone may exercise their free will can be defined as their â€Å"freedom.† Therefore, the more laws imposed upon someone’s free will the more restricted their freedom. Although no power, save God, can destroy free will, they can limit and even destroy someones freedom. In the essay Shooting an Elephant George Orwell argues that, â€Å"when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys† (Orwell, 704). Fr ee will is indestructible; an example of Orwell’s destruction of freedom but preservation of free will is given in his essay. In Antigone an example of how even though higher powers can limit your decisions they cannot stop you from exercising your free will. According to Orwell his freedom was destroyed when he took on the role of the tyrant. His job was that of a sub-divisional police officer in Lower Burma. A crisis arose in which he was faced with a hard decision to make. An elephant had gone on a rampage in the village and had destroyed countless huts and killed a man. When Orwell came upon the elephant it was clear to him that it had calmed down and that the elephant would cause no more harm to anyone. Orwell was faced with a decision: he could either shoot the beast or wait until his master came to get him. However, this decision was made much more complicated. Orwell was surrounded by two thousand Burmans who, as Orwell said, â€Å"were watching me as they would watch a conjurer about to perform a magic trick.† Although the Burmans were all underneath him and subject to him, he was very concerned about what they thought he should do. He was so concerned in fact he concluded that he had to do as they wished of him.

GM Powertrain Essay

Joe Hinrichs, a recent Harvard Business school graduate, was hired in February 1996 to run the General Motors’s the Fredericksburg Torque Converter Clutch (TCC) manufacturing plant. At 29 years old, Hinrichs was GM’s youngest plant manager. Hinrichs was inheriting a poor performing plant that continually underachieved, losing money year after year. Improvements were desperately needed to increase the efficiency of the manufacturing process and reduce operating costs. GM had considered shutting down the plant; however, when a new bonding process, using carbon fiber, for the TCC was approved in 1995, GM instead invested thirty million dollars into the Fredericksburg plant to incorporate the new process. From the beginning, Hinrichs faced a difficult situation. The previous plant manager committed the plant to ambitious budgetary goals. Hinrichs was also tasked with preparing the plant to use the new TCC manufacturing process and attaining QS-9000 certification. If that weren’t enough, Hinrichs still had day to day emergencies to handle; the latest being the 1500-ton press breaking down, an important machine in the production process. Despite his situation, Hinrichs met the challenges head on, impressing both GM management and plant staff. Workforce Management Hinrichs knew that in order to be successful, he needed to rally the plant staff around him, gaining their trust and respect. Being an outsider at a small town plant and also being so young, Hinrichs knew accomplishing this would be a huge challenge. During the first month on the job he started to show that he could be the capable leader this plant needed. Hinrichs had just received word that a UAW strike at two Dayton area plants would shut down all of GM’s automatic transmission production plants, leaving him without customers. The standard procedure was to lay off the plant workers until the strike was over, instead Hinrichs used the lay off as an opportunity to show his workforce that he would take care of them. As an alternative to laying them off, he worked with the staff to get as many people as possible to take vacation during the time or mandatory training. The remainder worked on some of the improvements he wanted to make. Not only did this improve his relationship with the plant workers, it also gave him a way to start bring efficiency improvements to the plant. Historically, the Fredericksburg plant saw little gains from efficiency improvements. While not stated in the case, this was most likely due to the highly-skilled staff’s resisting change, preferring the comfort of their undocumented processes that they had been using for decades. Hinrichs knew that he wouldn’t be successful unless he could ease them into the changes and frame the changes in a way the staff would see as beneficial. In addition, Hinrichs had to overcome the fact that improvements meant less overtime, a disincentive for the staff. First, Hinrichs used the guise of necessary process changes to produce the new TCCs in order to bring in process improvements without upsetting the workers. By framing the changes as improvements to get the plant prepared for producing the new high tech part, the staff would be more open to changes. Second, Hinrichs eased the workers into change by first meeting with the union weeks before the changes were implemented in order to get their feedback and buy-in as well as time to come to terms with the changes. Third, Hinrichs spread change throughout the facility, so that no area would experience too much change all at once, giving the staff more time to adjust. Finally, Hinrichs kept the workers very involved in the installation of new cells, encouraging them to examine them and provide him with feedback. This approach got some of the more senior workers to take a closer look and get excited about the changes, some actually applying to work in the new cells. Hinrichs realized that he had to give the workers new incentives to overcome the disincentive of a lack of overtime. He knew that if he could reconfigure the plant away from assembly lines and into individual work stations, workers would be able to take more ownership of their work, producing better quality parts and be self-motivated by being able to measure their individual output, increasing job satisfaction. The new cells turned out to be a hit. Workers were excited about having more control over their output and being part of the new process. Hinrichs’s active management of change within the factory and focus on worker satisfaction and buy-in resulted in a lot of small victories that he used to win over the workforce’s trust and respect. In the process, Hinrichs transformed the plant from one that was resistant to change to one that embraced and was excited for change. Process Improvements One of the biggest needs for improvement was the assembly process. Although several changes were made throughout the years, quality and efficiency still fell below expectations. Hinrichs implemented the newly developed assembly which consists of two separate work stations that allowed operators in the adjacent stations to share the expensive balancer machine. These assembly cells were much more efficient as workers were no longer forced to wait for another person or machine in the process. Each cell was built like the other with quick turn set-up which created flexibility in the process while also reducing tooling inventory by almost a half. Now cells could be activated to meet demand for different models. Likewise, each cell was designed to handle 1 to 3 operators to accommodate changes in volume. For increased quality, engineers designed machines that would use the information documented in the PFMEA to check and reject any faulty units at any stage in the assembly process. This increased yields by ten times that of the original inspection method which was performed once at the end of assembly. These changes to the assembly process not only reduced down time, allow for dynamic line balancing and scalability, it also created a sense of worker empowerment. Each worker now controlled their own output therefore giving them a better understanding of their contribution towards the plant’s production goals. This was an extremely successful improvement that Hinrichs could now work off of. The new bonding machines installed for the new process also fell in line with increasing efficiency and operational costs. These new machines would now only required one worker instead of two. These machines also signaled when a problem occurred saving ample amount of time and wasted material. Employee job satisfaction increased as well with the new machines. Even older senior employees who currently hold desired jobs in the plant were applying for the bonder positions. Even if this change was a necessity forced on by the process change, it was overly successful and beyond their expectation. Workforce efficiency was another area that needed to be improved. The installation of the QS 9000 system helped do just that. It helped maintain high standards of quality and reliability as well as continuous improvement and cost reduction. This stringent process was basically absent from this plant. Documenting your process and continually monitoring it through a quality system gives one the ability to understand and uncover inefficiencies in the manufacturing process. For example, Hinrichs noticed, in particular, the Heat treat area did not utilize its workers effectively. There were employees that loaded and unloaded the ovens while three separate inspectors waited until parts came out of heat treat. There was significant idle time for all of the employees in the process. By teaching the operators the techniques needed to inspect their own parts, their idle time is significantly reduced while completely freeing three employees to serve higher demand processes within the plant. This change in job responsibilities is a good example of utilizing resources to increase throughput not just activating a resource just to keep it working. 1500-ton Press Analysis Hinrichs’s current challenge is how to deal with the broken 1500 ton press. This press is the only one in the plant. The press is the first step in the process and also the bottleneck. If this machine is down, the whole system is down. There are three options Hinrichs has considered: (Appendix A presents the information in data form needed to make a decision. ) Given the information in Appendix A and carefully analyzing it, we have decided to move forward with Option 1 while continuing ideas to more effectively implement the new Die into the process if purchased. By choosing option 1, the plant would be able to continue operating without loss of throughput or added unit cost due to outsourcing. To reduce system breakdown, a preventative maintenance procedure would be enacted. Currently, the relationship between Hinrichs and the union is good and furthermore, by repairing the press with existing parts, the plant cannot afford to eliminate a union job if option 2 were selected. Hinrichs also needs to be aware of his spending for the year as well as delivering a known return on his investments. Neither option 2 or 3 will allow Hinrichs the ability to show any return on investment this fiscal year. Option 2 seemed to be an expensive route to take just to add some reliability with little reduction in costs. While Option 3 sounds appealing, the new die is still unreliable and could have a significant impact to unit costs if additional outsourcing were needed while bringing it up to speed. Hinrich should continue to work on the new die offline and only incorporate it once the technical challenges have been overcome.

The Hidden Curriculum, And The Way That Social Classes...

I’m very interested in the hidden curriculum, and the way that social classes work within the school system. There are schools that are more privileged depending on distribution, areas and boards. I’m interested in the idea that the values that are represented to students can be effected by the social class; not of the students, but of the over-all school. In this article, personal experiences are discussed and the schools are â€Å"rated† by classes. It is an interesting concept and the correlation was one that I never considered before, especially when the school system seems so regulated in regards to budgeting. Obviously, this is a larger concern than what I believed and this article informed me in that sense. The main points in this article that are touched on include budgeting, the author’s personal experience with the social classes of schools and the impact of the curriculum being effected by the class of the institution. In class, we’ve yet to touch strongly on the topic of Special Education, and this field is one that intrigues me as the styles and types of communication that are used are different than what I personally have experience with. A lengthy text at 55 pages, the document walks through the different resources that are used for students with Special Education Needs in regards to conflict resolution and conflict management. It connects to my current interests in conflict resolution, and the needs that individuals require to feel secure and safe toShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Jean Anyons Social Class And The Hidden Curriculum Of Work1369 Words   |  6 PagesSocial class is based on the relationship one has to the elements of society, and as children in the American education system grow and develop, it is a plausible query that these education systems might be the starting point to where social class based relationships such as people, ownership, and productive activity are fostered. In social activist and American professor Jean Anyon’s essay â€Å"Social Class and the Hidden Curriculum of Work†, the relation to social class and the established cycle ofRead MoreComparing the Marxist and Functionalist Views on the Role of Education in Industrial Society1300 Words   |  6 PagesMarxists both believe that the education system benefits everyone, but both have different views on society. The Marxist views of the education system are that there are conflicts because there is an inequality between the working class and the higher classes. They believe that there are two different classes which education produces, and that is the working class and the ruling class. The people who dont achieve good grades in school and who arent very bright, will be knownRead MoreHidden Curriculum and Processes Within Schools Produce Inequalities Between Children of Different Social Classes709 Words   |  3 PagesHidden Curriculum and Processes Within Schools Produce Inequalities Between Children of Different Social Classes Through many different researches, it has been shown that working class students are underachieving compared to that of their middle class peers. Middle class pupils are obtaining better grades, and more of them are staying on in education past the compulsory age. The difference that is noticeable is that they are from different social class backgrounds, and thereforeRead More Social Class and Quality of Education Essay1197 Words   |  5 PagesOne of the concerns regarding social justice in education is that there are marginalised groups within society do not having equal access to the learning and life opportunities that they deserve. The concept of social justice stresses that every individual within society is entitled to have equal rights and opportunities. This means that an individual from a lower class background deserves the same opportunities as a person from a wealthier background. It is about becoming aware and recognising thatRead MoreEducation, Change, and Society1305 Words   |  6 Pagesachievement and participation at school are not simply a matter of intelligence or ability. Discuss this statement with reference to the concepts of cultural capital, hidden curriculum, class and socioeconomic status. Since the beginning of education there have been many forms, which have been passed on from one generation to the next. Over the years education has evolved and is now seen as the education system all over the world. Today the education system is seen to be much more complex, butRead MoreAssess the view that the main function of the education system is to reproduce and legitimise social inequalities930 Words   |  4 PagesThe education system has faults and many inequalities throughout it. The inequalities can be seen in many different areas including, meritocracy, different social classes, gender and ethnic inequalities, racism, cultural capital, and repressive state apparatuses etc. Various sociologists have different views about the education system and what the inequalities consist of. The neo-Marxist Althusser (1971) disagrees that the main function of the education is the transmission of common values. HeRead MoreVideo Games : An Educational Institution1481 Words   |  6 PagesVideo games. School. One is an entertainment platform while the other is an educational institution. At first glance, they appear to standing obsoleted in a spectrum. One might even claim the video games like hinders the education process or cause the younger generation socially isolated. However, couldn’t the same be said out the core curriculum place in the majority of school? Schools and video games like Papers, Please might even share similar structure and lessons. Papers, Please is an integrativeRead MoreThe Problem Of Poverty Stricken Schools1257 Words   |  6 PagesStricken Schools Education is defined in our book as â€Å"the process through which academic, social and cultural ideas and tools, both general and specific, are developed† (Conley 497). In America children and young adults get an education through schools, either public or private. The focus of this paper will be on the public school system, but mainly the lower class public schools. Many problems with schools can be traced back to social concepts such as social values and norms. The hidden curriculumRead MoreDifferences Between Common Sense And Sociological Explanations Of Everyday Life1538 Words   |  7 Pages(arasite.org, 2017). Common sense would tell us that single parenting may not be as effective as a family with both a mother and a father who were married. This idea had been passed down through generations, we accepted that marriage is seen as a ‘social good’ and to the large part conformed to this. In other countries however marriage to many women is seen as the norm . Now many people may just live together without marriage or mothers live alone with a child, this is largely accepted in Britain theseRead MoreEssay about Hidden Curriculum of Hegemony and Capitalism3274 Words   |  14 PagesHidden Curriculum of Hegemony and Capitalism The Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus, defines education as, the field of study that deals with methods of teaching and learning in schools, (Elliott, 1997:237). In contrast, the Oxford Dictionary of Sociology, defines education as, a philosophical as well as a sociological concept, denoting ideologies, curricula, and pedagogical techniques of the inculcation [instilling/persistent teaching] and management of knowledge and