Small Wins Steps Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Small Wins Steps - Essay Example Achievement of gender equality in the workplace is largely dependent on the corporate strategies. However, adopting approaches that base on gender equality is a major problem for organizations. In the work place, gender inequality mainly affects women. Long ago, women were victimized in the job market, and their entry was highly restrictive. Although this situation has been alleviated by policy changes in companies and at the national level, there still exist cases of gender inequality, which to a higher extent are embedded in the organizational cultures and are hard to detect (Meyerson and Fletcher 127). In the small wins strategy, the identification of gender inequality problem is crucial in the rectification process. Failure to identify a problem will lead to its persistence. As a leader, I realize there is a gender inequality situation that needs to be addressed. The second step is to diagnose the gender inequality problem. Here, a company establishes the specific gender inequality problem, whether it lies in salary remuneration differences, or bias in managerial positions. As a new leader, I realize that the face of gender inequality in my company is manifest salary remuneration. Women are paid less as compared to men. Third is patterns and consequences identification of gender inequality aspect. Here, we establish the organizational culture, and how it promotes gender discrimination. The final step is experimentation. Managers take the initiative of replacing company practices, which promote gender inequality, with better ones. This is through talks with the company employees to brainstorm possible solutions (Meyerson and Fletcher 133-134). Additionally, I would consider the impacts of external environment on company policymaking. These include institutional framework, external labor market, and relations with other companies. This closely fits in Meyerson and

Self-Evaluation and Pay Discrimination Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Self-Evaluation and Pay Discrimination - Essay Example However, the employer may be asked to make some modification in his self evaluation program incase it does not meet the general standards. The third step is that OFCCP reviews the documents that the contractor keeps to undertake the self-evaluation program. After the review of the documents, a technical team is employed by OFCCP to determine whether the contractor self-evaluation program complies with the general standards as speculated by the voluntary guidelines provided by OFCCP (Rosen 19). This is followed by treating the information provided by the contractor as confidential. This implies that the information cannot be released to the public as long as the contractor is in the business. To ensure that the contractors self-evaluation program is effective, OFCCP allows the contractor to certify the compliance of his program with 41 CFR 60-2.17(b) (3) in order to avoid legal disputes. However, this is undertaken when the contractor produces the results of the self evaluation progra m to OFCCP. To conduct an evaluation, our company must maintain documents that indicate justification of its decisions with respect to Similarly Situated Employee Groupings (SSEGs). Additionally, statistical data that depicts the results of the two years statistical analyses must be provided to OFCCP. In case of disparities, the company must retain the documents that were used in any follow-up investigation. Such documents must be retained for two years. For an effective self evaluation program, the company should form a SSEGs that involves 30 employees with extra 5 members representing non-minority/ minority or male or female. With an all inclusive employees groupings, Rosen 26 argues that an employer will effectively undertake a self evaluation program that will ensure adoption of motivation factors focused at improving the performance of the

Ambition to Become a Doctor Essay Example for Free

Ambition to Become a Doctor Essay Everybody has an aim in life. Aim or ambition is the inner desire of man. No man can do anything in the world if his aim is not fixed. So, all of us should be very clear about our aim in life. We may face many difficulties in reaching our desired target, but we have to go ahead at any cost. Ambitiousness is a dynamic make. Desire is your psychical susceptibleness to apply your knowledge, surround, relationships, and personality to accomplish happiness. What is felicity? Compartment that can only be driven by the someone and there are a countywide ranging scenarios and ideals that delimit felicity. We as humans want healthiness. Many dream on being rich, noesis and resplendence among their ambitions, but for me, to deliver humankind through treat is the maximal ambition of all. Aspiration is that desire that pushes us to usefulness at maximum level in the confronting of obstacles or challenges. I have already fixed the aim of my life and I want to be a doctor. A doctor lives a noble life.He is always at the service of suffering people.A sick man looks at him with the only hope of getting cured.The smiling face of a doctor makes the patient cheerful. A good doctor is respected everywhere. If I become a doctor I will be kind to the poor and the needy people. I will not charge any fee from them.Helping the helpless will be my duty and practice. I have studied biology and I will seat for the competitive tests for admission to a good and reputed medical college.I shall try to be a good and sincere student and then a qualified doctor. I will do whatever it takes to be a good doctor and and will be sincere to it. After becoming a successful doctor, I have plans of setting up a clinic in a village. I never had any desire to narrow and to metamorphose as a specialist, a physician, a gynecologist or an ear, search and throat specialiser. To be a intellectual unspecialised practitioner here, in my own base is the end of my imagination and, though not a specialiser in any peculiar area, I shall bang enough to raft with the ordinary ailments of vivification and to play in the ethical specialists formerly if they are required. Although knowing the fact, the income from here would be pretty less, but making money will not be my main aim. Also interpretation all these consequential services, I shall also  acquire the capital of subsistence. I vow that I would be loyal to my duty and will give full respect to my job. Days are not far off, I am trying hard to realize my ambition and I wish this dream of mine would be fulfilled.

Roles And Responsibilities Of The Project Manager Construction Essay

Roles And Responsibilities Of The Project Manager Construction Essay As defined by Field and Keller (2007) Project management is the discipline of planning, organising, securing, managing, leading and controlling resources to achieve a specific outcome or outcomes during a defined time period and given resource constraints. It is a temporary endeavour which has a defined beginning and end which is aimed at achieving a set of specific goals and objectives. Elenbass (2000) has showed that achieving the project goals and objectives within the given time, schedule and cost constraints are the primary challenge of the project management. Hence the project managers must attempt to utilise the resources efficiently and effectively to meet the pre-defined standards of performance and to optimise the productivity of the resources. The aim of this assignment is to identify certain projects to achieve two main business objectives for the financial year of a large manufacturing organisation which has employed over 1250 employees including the office staff and factory workers; to reduce the movement of staff from the premises during the lunch break and to help the staff to develop a healthy life style as a part of the CSR of the entity and to reduce the absenteeism accordingly. Hence at the beginning of the paper several projects will be identified that are suggested to be feasible to implement to achieve these particular objectives. Then a specific project was selected and carried out the fundamental project management functions such as elaborated the and assess it for feasibility, cost and time management, select appropriate project methodology, establishing an appropriate management, administrative structure and etc. Task 01: Identifying Specific Projects There are two main objectives of that have to be achieved during the current financial year; Reducing the movement of staff from the companys premises during the ,lunch break which has created an issue overcrowding the local area Assist the companys staff to develop a healthy life style as a part of the policy of the organisation In order to achieve these objectives following factors should be considered before determining suitable projects; There are more than 1250 office staff and factory staff who have been employed in the company The staffs has been assigned with the range of different roles The offices and factory buildings are spread across an extensive area The is no existing catering services for the office staff or the factory workers Accordingly the company has been faced with the need for developing a proper plans and programs to reduce the matters relating to the movement of the employees during the lunch break and overcrowding the premises and closure area (Case Study). Hence author suggested that following alternative projects can be considered to address these issues and to achieve the above mentioned objectives; Setting up a separate building to providing catering services for the employees of the company Setting up a separate building to take the lunch and tea without providing the catering services at the premises Setting up a separate building and buy-in the external catering service Arrange lunch rooms in every separate building in the premises and setting small building to buy the meals from an external catering service A Chosen Project From the above mentioned alternative projects the first alternative (Setting up a separate building to providing catering services for the employees of the company) due to following reasons; This alternative provides a long-term solution for the problem The employees will be happy about the employer since they feel that the company care their needs This solution can be built and develop healthy relationships among the various staff of the company The objectives of CSR can be easily achieved As a pre-requirement of planning the project has to be sub-divided into major divisions. Accordingly following sub-divisions can be identified with the high level estimates of time, resources and costs. Project Sub-Division Description Time Estimates Resources Cost Estimates Constructing the Building This includes, Planning the building Estimating the costs and purchasing requirements Calling for tenders from the suppliers Selecting suppliers Constructing the building 2 months External Architectures Engineering Division and Top Management involvements including Budgetary committee Tender board Construction people and material Land  £5000 Arranging the Interior facilities This includes, Arranging the seating facilities Arranging the canteen including fixed assets such as fridges, cashiers, delivery tables, etc 1 month Financial resources Labour Clerical staff Fixed assets Management and coordination  £3000 Establishing the catering service This includes, Recruiting kitchen and canteen staff Purchasing fixed assets, equipments and goods for the kitchen and the canteen 2 months Clerical staff Human resource Division Financial resources Purchasing procedures Fixed assets  £2000Table 01: Project Plan Project Methodology PRINCE 2 Having identified the above fundamentals of the main project a suitable project methodology should be selected. There are several project methodologies can be identified in the Project Management literature such as the traditional approach, PRICE 2, Event Chain Methodology, Process Based Management, Critical Chain Project Management, etc. Among these the PRINCE 2 project management methodology is the best suit for the project under concern. As explained by Hutchings (2011) this method is a structured approach to project management which provides a clearly defined framework for project management. It describes how to coordinate people and activities of the project, how to design and supervise the project and what actions should be taken if the project reflects some deviations from the plan and planned outcomes. Accordingly each activity is structured with clear input and outputs allowing the automatic control of the project processes and efficiency of the resources. The following figu re shows a typical PRINCE 2 methodology. Figure 01: PRINCE 2 Methodology [Source: http://www.projectmanagement.net.au/prince2] Feasibility Assessment Feasibility Criteria Assessment Weighing Technical Feasibility The technical expertise for several aspects of the project should be made available from the external sources. Accordingly following services are available for the project; The project planning staff 100%The clerical staff Engineering and designing Budgetary committee And following technical skills should be outsourced; 80%Building architecture Construction engineering Cooking staff There are reliable sources to obtain these technical requirements for the project without greater difficulty. 90% Schedule Feasibility Schedule should be subjected to proper control (85%). 15% risk assessment is allowed. The expertise of the external constructors and technical services is assured 100% by the top management 92.5% Human Resource Feasibility The members of the corporate project staff are newly appointed. Therefore they should be subjected to proper guidance, controlling and monitoring procedures in order to get their full potential for the project work. In the catering services field and building construction their knowledge and experience are significantly lack and therefore effective consultation is required. Required labour for the project should be externally fulfilled since there are no idle labours that can be allocated for the project. 20% Financial Feasibility The financial for the project can be sourced in following ways; Welfare fund: 12.5% CSR Budget allocations: 25% Company Bank Accounts: 50% Employee Contribution: 12.5% 100% Operational Feasibility Since the project is to be carried out utilising the external labour is can be operated without disrupting the normal manufacturing and business operations. 90% Sharing best practices The project team is prepared to utilise the lessons in the past and to obtain information further from the external sources personally to make the project a success. 90% Table 02: Feasibility Assessment Nicholas (2009); Warner (2010); Borow (2010) Administrative Structure Based on the PRINCE 2 Project Methodology following structure can be developed for the management and administration of the project (Hartl, 2006). Project Planning Committee Site 01 Site 02 Site 03 Catering Service Arrangement Interior Facilitation Building Construction Construction Purchasing Arrangement Purchasing Recruiting Staff HR Division Purchasing Corporate Project Manager Budgeting CEO/ Director Board Steering Committee Figure 02: Administrative Breakdown structure Roles and Responsibilities of the Project Manager Haughey (2011) has pointed that the role of the project manager is to plan, approval, implementation, control, monitor and execution of the project. The execution involves the accumulating resources and coordinating the people and physical resources in order to perform the tasks effectively and efficiently to the standards of performance. Accordingly followings are the responsibilities of the project manager; Team leadership Documentation Developing schedules Activity planning and scheduling Planning and define scope Risk analysis Monitoring and reporting the progress Manage the risk issues Control the quality Realise the benefits Project Plan Based on the PRINCE 2 project methodology adopted the project plan should be prepared. Accordingly each process should be clearly defined with inputs and outputs and necessary performance standards and controls. Methodology should be inclusive of remedies for the potential deviations from the planned process. Accordingly following project plan is outlined for the project under consider (Frese, 2003). Order Task Name Start Date Duration End Date Resources 1 Building Construction 9/1/2012 60 10/31/2012 2 Planning the building 9/1/2012 7 9/8/2012 Architecture 3 Estimating the costs and purchasing requirements 9/9/2012 7 9/16/2012 Budgetary committee 4 Calling for tenders from the suppliers 9/17/2012 12 9/29/2012 Purchasing Dept 5 Selecting suppliers 9/30/2012 10 10/10/2012 Purchasing Dept 6 Purchasing procedure 10/11/2012 7 10/18/2012 Purchasing Dept 7 Constructing the building 10/19/2012 17 11/5/2012 Contractors 8 Preparing Interior facilities 11/6/2012 30 12/6/2012 9 Planning the interior arrangement (following the plan of the building) 11/6/2012 2 11/8/2012 Project planning team 10 Estimating the costs and purchasing requirements 11/9/2012 2 11/11/2012 Project planning team 11 Calling for tenders from the suppliers 11/12/2012 7 11/19/2012 Purchasing Dept 12 Selecting suppliers 11/20/2012 7 11/27/2012 Purchasing Dept 13 Purchasing procedure 11/28/2012 7 12/5/2012 Purchasing Dept 14 Arrangement 12/6/2012 5 12/11/2012 Labors, Project planning team 15 Establishing the catering service 12/12/2012 30 1/11/2013 16 Planning the Human Resource requirements 12/12/2012 7 12/19/2012 HR Division and Project Planning Team 17 Recruitment procedures 12/20/2012 7 12/27/2012 HR Division 18 Recruitment and Selection 12/28/2012 2 12/30/2012 HR Division 19 Estimating the costs and purchasing requirements 12/31/2012 7 1/7/2013 Project planning team 20 Purchasing procedure 1/8/2013 7 1/15/2013 Purchasing Dept 21 Closure of the project 1/16/2013 7 1/23/2013 22 Post project evaluation 1/16/2013 3 1/19/2013 Steering committee, Project manager and the team 23 Reporting 1/20/2013 2 1/22/2013 Project manager 24 Hand over the documents and project to the management 1/23/2013 1 1/24/2013 Project manager 25 Opening for employees 1/25/2013 1 1/26/2013 Project planning team, management and employees Table 03: Project Plan Task 02 Alternative Project Team Structures Team Structure Assessment Pure Project The project manager has the full authority over the project Every member reports to a one boss Line of communication is shortened Decisions are made quickly Motivation, team spirit and commitment are high The teams have not a sustainability after the project is completed due to ignorance of the organisational goals and objectives (Baguley, 2003) Functional One team member may be working on several projects The projects have been established within a certain functional division Motivation, team spirit and commitment are weak Project mangers role may not be defined clearly The aspects of the project that are not directly related with the functional area may be ineffectively achieved Matrix Project Project team composed of people from different functional areas so that all aspects of the project are equally fulfilled and considered Project manager has defined roles and responsibilities Communication among the functional divisions is improved and enhanced There would have two bosses; project manager and the functional manager There is a high risk for failure of the project unless the project manager possesses strong negotiating skills (Mullins, 2007) Table 04: Alternative Project Team Structure Interpersonal Skills for Project Manager According to Yeong (2011) following interpersonal skills are crucially important for the project managers in order to successfully manage the progress and people of the project. Leadership and influencing skills Team building Motivation Communication Decision making Negotiating Political and cultural awareness Quality Management Process According to Borow, (2010) the quality management process for the project under concern is as follows; Quality planning: The goal of the project: To establish a canteen for the employees of the company including office staff and factory workers in order to reduce the overcrowding in the local area and to promote healthy foods Expected deliverables: The building: spacious sufficiently to gather employees, clean, proper waste and water disposal methods, Catering service: established within the company premises, clean and healthy foods, affordable prices for all staff, availability of choices Measuring the success: Post project evaluation, questionnaire survey among the employees, physical performance of the building, water and waste disposal systems Quality Assurance In order to assure the quality of the deliverables, following steps will be followed; Building: utilise the best materials, get the services of the well-known constructors, utilise the service of the recognised and assured architectures and designers Catering service: employ most skilled and well-experienced cooking staff, set the conditions for service relating to quality, clean and healthy foods, ensure tidy environment Quality control In order to control the quality of the deliverables, evaluations and suggestions of the following persons will be considered. The physical tests of the engineering heads Assurance of the HR division relating to the competency of the canteen staff Physical verification by the project team and the management of the waste disposal systems The employees of the company Managing Project Change Proposals Changes are possible in course of the projects due to various implications of the project management and stakeholder influences. Following typical change management procedure will be followed to ensure the changes are properly managed during the project ensuring the success. Figure 03: Change Management during the Course of the Project [Source: http://product-ivity.com/project-change-management/] Possible Issues and Risks As shown by Viney (2004) following project risks and issues should be encountered. Risk / Issue Description Business/ Inherent Risk Culture and politics that are prevailing within the organisation may affect the project execution, monitoring and controlling. Project specific risk The skills of the project team, as discussed earlier are considerably insufficient for this project. Hence there is a high need for proper control, execution and supervision of the project leadership during the work Stage risk Risk associated with the each sub-division of the project Table 05: Possible Risks Monitoring and Evaluation In order to monitor and control the project work successfully the stakeholder analysis can be adopted. As claimed by Kerzner, (2004, pp 358). The stakeholder analysis helps to identify the persons or the groups that should be involved in the decision making process of the project and to whom, what and how to disseminate the information about the project. Additionally the stakeholders would affect and involve in the change management and control procedures. By identifying and defining their needs the project manager can effectively determine how should the project be monitored and on what bases or criteria the project should be evaluated. Accordingly following analysis can be used for the monitoring and evaluation purposes of the project. Stakeholder type Parties may included Requirements Critically affect the success of the project Budgetary committee Top management External services Project team Comply with the organizational policies, practices and system procedures Effective Reporting Proper coordination and availability of resources Legally required to participate The local government officers To ensure the construction of a building in the local area Have specific expertise on project The project planning team Steering committee Project team including the project manager Building constructors and designers Engineering HR Division The right quality and standards of performance of the relevant deliverables Beneficiaries The employees The company The improved and quality environment Healthy and clean foods Affordable prices Continuous maintenance System to detect and manage issues As Frese, (2003) explained, the project charter can be used as a source document in order to detect and manage issues of the project. This document includes all of the following details; Deliverables Constraints Risks Resources Acceptance criteria Cost and man-hour estimations Risk management policy Resources requirement Benefits and impacts Link to the corporate business and CSR strategy Conclusion Project management is dealt with managing projects effectively within the given triple constraints of cost, time and schedule. In order to manage a project successfully the project managers and team members should possess a range of skills, experience and competencies. If the project team armed with necessary skills and competencies or has the quick access to reliable sources, the project can be achieved successfully. Further interpersonal skills are highly important for the project managers. Since, especially in the matrix team structure the project manager plays a significant role by effectively negotiating with the functional managers and the employees assigned from various functional areas to discharge the project tasks. There are main three types of team structures that can be used to organise the project team. The project must be subjected to properly established quality control processes and the outcomes should be benchmarked in order to ensure the expected deliverables. Stake holder analysis can be used to monitor and evaluate the project based on the nature and purpose.

The World of Retail :: Consumerism Shopping Stores Essays

The World of Retail As a consumer, I have often wondered how stores keep everything neat, while other consumers always seem to dirty everything in the store. There are many attributes to a store that customers do not understand. It wasn't until I started working in the retailing community that I realized how much work is involved and the process by which everything is done. Charlotte Russe is a women's clothing store, located next to Victoria's Secret and across from American Outpost between district one and nine at the Great Lakes Crossing Mall, in Auburn Hills, Michigan. As you walk into the store you feel like it's a store for just for just teenagers, but when you look around there are casual clothes as well as suiting for older women. We carry sizes 0-13 in pants and S-L in shirts, so there is a very large selection of clothing in the store. Whether you're out for a night on the town, or just a quiet night at home in your pajamas, we carry everything from boots right down to your underwear. The store is fairly large- bigger than most of the other stores in the mall. When you first walk in you see boots on display on a table. You walk in front of the store and you see mannequins under bright lights wearing the latest fashions. The store is very well lit and not very many shadows are cast- there are lights all over the ceiling. Behind the boots are the racks of clothing that are constantly being straightened. To the left and right of the middle of the store are aisle-ways that lead back to the "cash wrap" and the back of the store where the fitting rooms are. The sides of the store are walls filled with clothing. Along the walls there are mirrors placed between certain types of clothing (for example, there is a mirror between the club clothing and holiday ware). Located in the very center of the store is where the "cash wrap" is located. The cash wrap consists of five registers that are inlayed in the countertops so people can look down and see what is being wrung up. Rig ht next to the register is a Sensormatic machine that takes the theft tags off of the clothing. Under the register is a drawer that is filled with bags. Behind the register is a closet where we put the clothing that people want to put on hold.

In this study I will be comparing the 2 poems, To Autumn and Ozymandias

In this study I will be comparing the 2 poems, To Autumn and Ozymandias. I have chosen these two poems because out of the four that we have looked at, I have found these to be the most interesting. In this study I will be comparing the 2 poems, To Autumn and Ozymandias. I have chosen these two poems because out of the four that we have looked at, I have found these to be the most interesting. Ozymandias revolves more around time than nature, whereas To Autumn revolves around nature more than time. Ozymandias is on the surface a nice little tale of a big bad man who made a statue that has been destroyed. However if you probe at it, you realise that it is actually all about time and nature destroying everything. I shall go into this further later. To Autumn would, at first glance, seem to be simply about Autumn and how it is the "close-bosom friend of the maturing sun" but if you look in detail at the words used you can see that there is an underlying tone that is far more grim. Both poems have both rhyme and rhythm. In Ozymandias, there are 10 syllables per line, except one, where there are 11. In To Autumn, there are also, about 10 syllables per line. As a result the rhythm in both is pretty constant. As well as rhythm, they have rhyme. In Ozymandias, the rhyme is the end of lines 1 & 3 & 5, 2 & 4, 6 & 8, 7 & 10, 9 & 11 & 13, and 12 & 14. In To Autumn the end of all lines in each stanza do rhyme with at least one other, in this way: 1st & 3rd, 2nd & 4th, 5th & 9th & 10th, 6th & 8th, 7th & 11th. This pattern is repeated in each stanza. Ozymandias is simply a big single stanza; To Autumn however is a poem with 3 stanzas. But these do not really seem to flow together. They rather seem to be almo... ...zymandias talks more about the strength of time, whereas To Autumn talks about how Nature, and in particular, Autumn are forces that provide much in the world. If you are someone who doesn't class a poem as a poem unless it has rhyme, rhythm, poetic language, sound patterns etc, then you are far more likely to prefer To Autumn, because it is much more the poet's poem than Ozymandias. I personally prefer Ozymandias, because it has great power. Although it doesn't have much in the ways of standard poetic tools, it does have rhyme and rhythm, as well as a deep and strong message. Self-Criticism - Not enough actual comparison, too much just talking about the poem. - Used the words 'think' and 'believe' to often Is that even a word? - It doesn't read well, it jaws, I have obviously just looked at what to write and written about it just like that.

Always Running by Luis Rodriguez

Gangs, violence and drug use are realities that most people in communities where poverty proliferates. While poverty, in itself, is not the major factor, it is certainly a risk factor and leads to further complications. Those who are poor and homeless definitely have less choice in the way they live their lives. In this regard, they are forced to engage in dangerous and even criminal behavior just to win their next meal or protect themselves from other people who may be eyeing the same source of income or subsistence in the community.When a sufficient number of people within the community experience extreme poverty and they resort to extra-legal behaviors, the community will deteriorate and its citizens will have to live with the reality of gangs, violence and drugs. The book of Luis Rodriguez, Always Running, is an attempt to present the situation in East Los Angeles. Amid the splendor and the richness of Los Angeles, the community of East LA is America’s version of the third world.More than just a psychological and sociological reflection on the realities of gangs and violence, his is reflection of someone who really went through the ordeals of gangs, violence and the use of drugs in the neighborhood. By writing his memoirs, Rodriguez (1994) depicted the scenes of his neighborhood with urgency and the poignancy of someone who truly experienced the events he portrays in his book. Gangs, Violence and Drugs in East LA The prevalence of gangs, violence and drug use in any given neighborhood may be easily blamed on the adventurous spirit of young men and women who seek life outside of their families.Or to the people behind the gangs who just manipulate the lives of these young people for their own personal gain. Based on the memoir of Rodriguez (1994), however, a number of reasons may be pointed to. One is the homelessness and continuous search of protection for oneself and one’s family. The title of the book is Always Running. The status of the fami ly and one’s relationship with the family has an impact on the kids who decide to join the gang. To protect themselves from harm and to help find food for themselves and their families, gangs are an alternative for these kids.Another reason for this proliferation is the search for belonging and camaraderie they find in gangs. Gangs often function as a surrogate family, albeit a dysfunctional one, to those who choose to belong to them. Through the process of initiation, the togetherness and the invitation to â€Å"toughness,† the kids who decide to belong to gangs become caught up in a vicious cycle that becomes very difficult to break. Rodriguez (1994), himself, learned how to run away from the police, how to steal, rob, and even engage in rape and other criminal behavior.Gangs also give a semblance of order and direction for the kids who belong to them. By trusting the older and more senior members of the gangs, the young people get a semblance of direction as other g ang members tell them about the things they should do to remain as members of the gang. Through the difficulties that they face in their own lives, they can achieve a level of control through their membership in the gangs. It is a destructive process but since these gangs are available in the neighborhood, the temptation to be a part of these is too great to resist for most young people.The whole community is affected by these gangs and violence. Although most of the families in the neighborhood are fragmented by poverty, divorce and other issues, they were still a force that most kids respected. As such, to a certain level, families were heeded by gang members. Yet, the community often responds by trying to ignore these events and engaging the police and other authorities to bring order. More than that, they also live in fear of the constant fighting among gangs and the violence they leave in the wake of such fighting.Those who do not belong to the community tend to look negatively to the community and shun it. This way, the gangs may feast on strangers who happen to wander into their territories. Since gangs are territorial, they would not tolerate other gangs from wandering into their territories. Yet, as the police becomes involves, such scenario is difficult to avoid. Therefore, some gangs do get in trouble with the police and with other gangs at the same time. This scenario becomes commonplace in the community and they cease to fight it and actively go against such culture.When this happens, they simply accept the reality of gangs, violence and drug use and do their best to minimize their impact on their lives and activities. Yet, they cannot get away from these realities. There are also members of the community who feel protective of the members of the gang, but not necessarily of the gangs. This is because of the perceived way in which they contrast their situation with the situation of more affluent people in the outskirts of their community and beyon d.As such, they reason, albeit subconsciously, that the gangs are a natural outgrowth of the desire of these people to protect themselves from other groups seeking to take advantage of them. Such stance therefore justifies in their minds the existence of such gangs and the necessity for violence. Aiming for Change There are instances, however, when the community is mustered to action and inspired to spearhead some changes in the community. When the culture of the people who belong to the community is affirmed, they are moved for action.When a particular cultural group manages to prove itself, the community rouses from slumber and they respond in kind. They then affirm their collective power and empower the young people in the community to aim for their best so that their lives would improve. This also helped the young people affirm the culture that they have even if the school system did not have provisions for such. The achievements of such kids, therefore, became the achievement o f the community and became a symbol of what they can do if they choose to rise above their economic and social standing. Another important aspect of the issue of gangs is the issue of race.Cultural groups such as Chicanos would need to band together so that they would not fall prey to White kids who are intent on waging violence against those who do not belong to them. Conclusion The issue of gangs, violence and drug use is multi-faceted. As such, the solutions that would be proposed should also take into account the issues of culture, family, school, and poverty. Sociological, political and economic analyses have been made. Yet, the memoirs of Rodriguez are a stark reminder that more than just academic curiosities, the kids who belong to gangs are real people who need empowerment.Rodriguez told the story of his life with gangs, violence and drugs as a means of showing his son what it was like to live a life that was always running. By documenting his experiences, he hopes to deter his son from his foray on such a risky life. Gang members can make choices to move away from their gangster lifestyles. But they will need the economic stability and the support of the community if they were to do that. The case of Rodriguez is an example of a man who thought about his life and decided to change it for the better. Reference Rodriguez, LJ (1994). Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L. A. LA: Touchstone.