cannyben

The family is the oldest and most enduring human institution. We have no choice over the family we are born into, and many of us go on to create and shape a family of our own which may mimic our family of origin or differ from it in startling and substantive ways. Because of the ubiquity of the family in all societies, the lock of one is considered so significant that attempts are made in many societies through law, culture and social policy to provide some form of substitute. Because of the centrality of the family to human societies, and the role it plays in socializing each subsequent generation and transmitting genetic inheritance, it is of interest to many. The family is where human needs are first expressed, and across   the world and even within societies it comes I many shapes and sizes. This very diversity is often the source of sharp philosophical, political and legal dispute. So much is expected of the family that when lives go wrong, it is often the fa...

There is this story of a lion cub and fox cubs. A lion cub got separated from its mother and was nurtured by a female fox along with her cubs. One day, the lion cub was in the jungle with the fox cubs. They saw a large number of huge elephants with big tusks. Immediately, the fox cubs started running away, but the lion cub true to its basic instinct roared at the elephants. The elephants looked at the lion cub and walked away in another direction. The mother fox realizing that the lion cub had become an adult lion,   asked to leave to get its true identity. Many a times, in life we are subjected to a variety of circumstances and influences which try to prevail upon us and alter our core and fundamental personality, values, beliefs and attitudes. It is at such juncture that like the lion cub, one has to assert oneself. It is quite right that one should not offend others to please oneself, but at the same time one should not offend oneself to please others.

To get the most out of their workforce, today’s bosses may need to look at their own role and their subordinates --- a bit differently than superiors did decades ago. A strong and effective leader certainly stands at the top of a hierarchy, but great bosses today don’t act hierarchically. While people thrive under great bosses, in today’s business world they are also looking for a safe haven work environment where trust , and encouragement are bedrocks of the work culture. Here are three ways a boss can get people to follow, and do so without being punitive and domineering: A.       Don’t treat employees like children : The level of complexity and the pace of change that leaders at all levels face today is unprecedented. The pressure for achievement is intense and when mistakes are made, or when staff show up disengaged, tempers can flare. Frustration and anger are powerful emotions, and when leaders get flooded with these feelings they typically fa...

Perspectives on the aging life course and the role of the elderly within society have undergone massive change in the past decades. Once the later stages of aging were seen as period of withdrawal from social interactions as the elder reflected on a life lived and prepared for and inevitable death. This viewpoint has changed dramatically in recent years as new opportunities for enhancing their quality of life, better medical care, support services and life extension technologies. Similarly, changing demographic composition of many low fertility nations have made the elderly more essential to maintain the workforce and offer opportunities for older adults to remain economically active long after traditional retirement ages. The growth of the elderly population has also encouraged growth in the institutional and home care industries, often creating a growing demand for immigrants to provide services to the growing number of elders who require assistance to maintain an independent lifest...

A manager binds himself to the nitty-gritty of job specifications for the position he holds. He will have specific inputs and resources to deliver specific results within certain constraints. The delivery parameter is all that he works for and this is his goal. Organizational culture with such a focus and discipline is good, but not sustainable for the business because of impending challenges, viz., market competition, technology up-gradation and employee motivation and retention. And to meet such challenges, business need leaders, not managers, who will have a long term vision for growth and ability to foresee threats. The leader is neither symbolic nor designated a leader. He comes from the ranks of managers and is a manager himself, but   by virtue of his leadership qualities he stands taller than the rest. Here are some noticeable differences between leaders and managers. Leaders have a vision that transcends organization’s boundaries whereas managers limit themselves to...

Why are we in teaching and learning if not to be able to help enrich the lives of our students? Educational institutions at all levels, and of all types, should continue to strive for social change in today’s world. Beyond the seeming simplicity of our conference theme, however, is great scope for wide-ranging responses to just how we go about educating for change by examining the inherent challenges and responsibilities faced by educators the world over. Education, too frequently, is the victim of politics, and worse, sometimes ideologies. Politicians and bureaucrats devise and implement policies to effect change ranging from curriculum structure and goals to manipulating budgets on behalf of interest groups and their lobbyists. Questions relating to accountability, transparent governance and community relations are too frequently avoided. Within the classroom itself, bridging the gap between policy, theory, and practice, whether traditional or virtual, teachers and professor...

Supporters of Open Access to scientific literature often portray it as the definitive and inevitable model for scientific publishing, but it is far from being the last word on new modes of access. In reality, stakeholders in scientific publishing are in the midst of adjusting to the revolutionary new possibilities offered by the Web and the online journal article for scholarly communication. In this Nature forum, a range of stakeholders in scientific publishing have made their cases at length, and often persuasively. Agreement in the industry on the best route forward remains distant, however, and the level of emotion behind the debate has served in some cases to obfuscate discussion. This article aims to provide an independent assessment of the key arguments, and to flag up areas where questions remain unanswered. Proponents of a move to open access argue that this will benefit science and society in general. A report published by the UK Wellcome Trust   assumes that “the...