Sociology

Nichiren Buddhism is one of the many sects in Mahayana Buddhism. Like any other sects of Buddhism, practitioners follow the teachings of the historical Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama. What differentiates Nichiren Buddhism from other types of Buddhism is the teaching and practice that enables people to tap their inherent Buddha nature in the depths of their lives. Hochswender et.al. (2001), in relation to the origin of the Nichiren Buddhism, explained that

Nichiren, born in Japan in 1222 gave concrete and practical expression to the Buddhist philosophy of life that Shakyamuni or Siddharta Gautama taught. He expressed the heart of the Lotus Sutra, and therefore the Buddhas enlightenment, in a form that all people could practice. He defined this as the invocation of Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo, based on the title of the Lotus Sutra (p. 22).

This also have their church services just like other religions. But they dont call it a church activity but a World Peace Meeting. They gather at their Culture Center every first Sunday of the month. Before they start their activities and discussions, everyone, regardless of color, race, age, nationality and gender, all chant together the phrase Nam-Myoho-Renge-Kyo. Renge in this phrase literally means Lotus Flower, which is the only plant that seeds and blooms at the same time, thus representing the law of cause and effect or karma. Lotus flower plays a significant role in the Buddhist tradition that is why one can often see pictures of the beautiful Lotus flower in their culture centers.

Taylor Cox is a lecturer at the University of Michigan Business School who has made major contribution in coming up with Creating the Multicultural Organization A strategy for Capturing the Power of Diversity (Cox, 2001).  Recently, he has majored his work in human resource management. He provides various strategies that can be used by various organizations for them to be successful and to improve their efficiency. He provides ways of turning an organization that is so much rooted in monolithic culture into a multicultural organization. Taylor emphasizes that a company that employs people from different races and sexes is able to be more productive than that which specializes in employing only a certain race or gender of people. He defines this as the business case for diversity. He continues to say that a company that supports diversity in its employing strategy consequently improves production due to the employee satisfaction got from the same.

For these strategies to be effective, Cox emphasizes on seven steps that should be taken in consequence. First of all, he outlines the various challenges of managing diversity. The management should determine the various challenges that will occur in the organization once they establish multicultural in their organization. By so doing, the organization will be able to know what to do in case these challenges occur. They will also be in a position to determine the policies that need to be abolished or improved for an improved performance. This is defined by Cox as the second step for meeting the challenge. The third step explained by Cox regards leadership the first requirement of change. The leadership of the organization should be well organized in preparation of the multicultural strategy.

The forth step that Cox emphasizes on is leverage research which is the development of change. The concerned management should have the basic knowledge in determining the fate of the multicultural organization. The next step should be to create an effective education. The staff should be taught on the merits of multicultural organization and be encouraged to appreciate it. The second last step should be to align the organization systems and practices. This will ensure that the multicultural organization will start and run smoothly. The last and the most important step should be following up the strategys results to determine the weak and strong points of the same.

My own analyses are that for the Coxs strategies to work out, the set sequence should be followed in order from the first to the last. There should be no skipping of any step to the next. By following the sequence systematically, the company is assured of getting the required outcome. The strategies are workable for both the organization as it will benefit from having a wide range of people, age and gender while the community will also benefit as they will get employment opportunities in a multicultural organizations to cater for their daily needs.

Cox in his book The Multicultural Organization divides organization in three diverse ways which are the multicultural organization, monolithic organization, and the plural organization (Cox, 2001). The multicultural organization contains various cultural groups. These groups come from various parts of the world and are of different genders. In this kind of organization, diversity is very much valued and emphasized. Hence, it can be defined as one of the most successful organization of the group.

In the monolithic organization, the number of white men is more than that of the women. This means that white men take the majority places in the organization while the women only take a few laces that require little and less critical work. This kind of organization therefore discriminate the women. Even if a woman has the required experience, the chances of being employed in such an organization are very minimal. Cox defines this organization to be less effective as it does not integrate women who have the required experience and yet they are capable of providing more quality wwo0rk than the men in the organization.

In the plural kind of organization, it is almost similar to the monolithic kind of organization. However, the difference is that its more heterogeneous in its membership. This means that it takes a more long process for a member from a different race to be integrated in the organization. A member from a different race therefore may require much time before getting to the top and acquiring one of the top rank in the organization. Just like the monolithic organization, the plural organization has various demerits. A person from the different race may take a long process to acquire the top management seats despite him or her having the required experience and much higher than those in the top management. Consequently, this leads to low production as compared to when the person was in the top rank. Hence, there is an unrealized potential that will come out only when the person acquires the top rank.

Cox bases his argument in setting up a truly multicultural organization by laying down various steps that need to be followed to ensure that then organization is fully multicultural. He mentions that in managing a diverse workforce, individual awareness regarding gender, race, age, social class, physical ability and sex orientation should be considered. Cox continues to say that language training should be emphasized in a multicultural organization for it to work effectively and reach its target. Since various people in the organization come from diverse language speaking nations, they should be trained so that they can appreciate that the other languages are as well valued just like English. This will also lead to an improved performance in the organization due to good communication among the employees. He continues to say that bias-reduction training, focus groups seminars, and task forces are some of the basic tools that a multicultural organization has found useful in reducing discrimination and culture-group bias (Cox, 2001).

For these elements to work out effectively, they should be carried out from time to time. The organization should also consider people from the different genders who have many responsibilities outside the work place. For example, the single mothers who have kids to take care of all by themselves, the organization should consider coming up with a strategy of setting up flexible working hours. This will allow the single mothers to work at ease and when they are away from their domestic responsibilities. This is an important tool in improving the production of the organization. In conclusion, a multicultural organization should be encouraged in all parts of the world for a stable and improved production.

Sociology is a wide field that deals with the day to day aspects of our lives starting from how we relate with ourselves, our families and the society at large. Every society has its own customs and standards that every member of that society is expected to uphold. This research paper is going to analyze the movie Billy Elliot using the concept of gender and class from a sociological perspective. The concept of gender and class has been chosen since they are well illustrated in the movie and also because they many communities in this current world. To bring out how the concept of the gender and class relates to the movie, the movie will be reviewed and then analysed on the basis of gender and class.

Sociologically, gender can be described as the roles and responsibilities that a certain group of people men or women are expected to play in a society. Every society has set aside certain duties that women and men are supposed to play (WHO) (McCampbell).  The film Billy Elliot describes the story of eleven years old boy that lives with his father, brother and grandmother in the mining village after the death of his mother. His father and brother work in the mining company as coal miners and are involved in the 1983-1984 workers strike. Billy comes from a working class family and they are living among working class people in brick houses. The whole village is filled with paramilitary antiriot police. Villagers are left secluded and the only spirit they have is fighting. Boxing has become a male tradition in this society all men must learn boxing as a way of protection or self defense. Billys father takes him for boxing classes but Billy found them not interesting and he is strongly attracted to music (Mahon 2004).

His passion for music is manifested when he attempts to play the old piano that belonged to his mother. Music being meant only for women, his father closes the lid of the piano whenever he sees him playing. His father sacrifices fifty pence every week so as to pay for Billys boxing classes fees. He is also given old gloves that belonged to his grandfather. The family is going though very tough moments since the workers in the mining company are on strike and Billys father and brother are working there (Mahon 2004, p. 14). Having been brought up in a society in which really men never mingle with women, Billys father and brother rather die than watch their own blood get spoilt and become the village talk. His father, who is already frustrated by the financial repercussions resulting from the strike and the recent death of his wife, gets disappointed and frustrated after learning that Billy has dropped the boxing classes. Mrs. Wilkinson, his ballet teacher, however encourages him to continue and helps him to get an opportunity to go for auditions in the Royal Ballet School. Upon realising that Billy is a good performer, father gets involved and even offers to pay fees for Billys ballet try-out that is to be held in London (Mahon 2004, p.28). Having been on strike for a long time now, father and brother have no money and they resolve on selling Billys late mother jewellery so as to raise the money. The conflicting aspect of the whole issue is the dilemma that Billy faces. While he wants to become a ballet dancer, his father wants him to become a boxer. He is not shy in getting involved in a girls activity and he puts all his strength in dancing. He finally becomes the best dancer and makes his family proud (Mahon 2004).

Sociologically, the whole story brings out the aspect of gender and role. There are role and responsibilities that are specifically meant for women and those that are meant for men. In this society, men in the 1980s were not allowed to be involved in any activities that betrayed masculinity. Activities such as music and dancing were exclusive for women. On the other hand, men were expected to protect the society being the family breadwinners and perfume other duties were specifically meant for them (Connell 2005).

Having been brought up in such a society, Billy was not expected to be involved in any activities that were feminine. Before Billy joins the ballet class, we find that there are no boys in that class only girls train dancing. At the same, time there are no girls in the boxing class and only boys are practicing boxing. So when Billy sells his boxing gloves and buys ballet shoes, people especially those from his family fail to understand him. (Connell 2005). The issue of identity is very important in this society. Identity here refers to the individuals physical appearance such as nationality, gender, age, beliefs, dreams, personality among others. Thus the story explores identity as something that can be refined, changed or shaped through social interaction and life experiences. Dancing has not only been used as a means of expressing himself but also as a sing of freedom. Billy struggles to find his identity since he fights between doing what his heart desires and what the society expects. While he is very much aware that he can excel in dancing, he fears that the society will criticise him (Connell 1998, p. 474)

We therefore find out that at the end of the film, Billy identity has shifted from the expected men roles and duties and he is supposed to be involved in to doing female roles. From a sociological point of view, Billys way of life and behavior changed because of the way he was brought up. Being the last born in that family and he spent most of the time with his mother, he got attached to his mother more than any other member of the family. She is the only person who can give him the comfort he needs as a small boy. After the death of his mother, we find that the Billy is left with his father, brother and grandmother. Apparently all these are not as close as the mother. Therefore something is missing and needs to be replaced in Billys life. His strong affection to his mother is illustrated when he wakes up in the night to drink milk from the kitchen when his mother appears and talks to him (Mahon 2004, p.40). The loss of his mother creates a vacant in his heart and he needs someone of the same gender as his mother to replace the love and comfort he got from the mother.

Thus when he sees the girls dancing in the ballet school, his desire for love by from the opposite sex crops up. He thus resolves in joining the dance and forgets about the boxing lessons since the boys could not help him recover the lost love. When he joins the ballet lessons, he practices will all the passion not because he loved the dancing too much but because that is where his heart belonged. We find him having a very close relationship with his ballet teacher Mrs. Wilkinson, who later finds for him an audition opportunity with the dance school (Mahon 2004, p.30). Billys close relationship with the girls and the female teacher is a clear indication that he is finding maternal love from the opposite sex. His excellent performance is brought about by his consciousness which does not allow him to disappoint the people he values

Another sociological aspect that the story tries to bring out is that of class. Sociologically, people of a certain class have something in common. Living among working class people, Billy is expected to behave in the same way the members of that society behave (Weber 1977). Thus when Billy deviates from the traditions of his class, then it shows that he is physiologically challenged. He does not want to go by what the traditions and customs of his society, but wants to live by what he feels comfortable doing.

In conclusion gender is the role that different people play in the society depending on their sex while class is the social status of a society within which a certain group of people live. The aspects of gender and class have been well illustrated in the movie Billy Elliot and we find that there are contradictions on how the society has designed these aspects to be and how the movie has pictured them. This is illustrated when Billy the young boy, deviates from the gender roles that he is expected of by the society and gets involved in activities that are meant for women.  However according to some sociologists such as Weber, gender roles can change depending on the environment in which one has been brought up. Men can perform roles that are meant for women and vice versa, but they fail to do so because of the fear of what the society will say about them.

Proposition A persons adaptation to a new society is explained in view of social and cultural change
One idea that caught my interest in the readings is the distinction made between social and cultural change. The argument provides the readers of the basic understanding what categorizes social or cultural changes and what factors contribute to those changes. Basically, both terminologies involve a unique process that takes place in each of changes but both are observable and perceived as important towards understanding of the society, and most importantly towards understanding of a persons adaptation to his new society or community.  

As the argument goes on, it is well explained that both categories may be identified as one because of the presence of factors attributed to both changes  in turn, people will recognize it as socio-cultural change. Specifically, social change according to Ryan is the modification in the relationships among persons or groups, and thus focuses on human interaction patterns cultural change on the other  hand is modifications in the creations of interacting men, including such things as norms, symbolic meanings as in language, technologies and artifacts, knowledge, and value orientations (p. 4).  Thus, in the process of change that takes, there are actually two modifications that need to be studied upon that will result to the change of self and its adaptability to become more functional and valued (p. 4).  One good example that can be used in this argument is the case of foreign students who experience changes of self as influenced by many factors in the new society where they are in.

Changes in self likewise is influenced by various factors as cultural and that the self before the adaptation to the cultural change receives or experiences conflicts within and without which test his value orientations and role expectations. Conflicts therefore as discussed in the reading is something to be appreciated because it is one way of helping individual person in his interaction with his environment and with other people in the community to survive all the challenges as well as threats.  Thus, the concept of accelerated socio-cultural change views the fast-paced changes brought by technology, innovation, and many others as the causes of sudden changes in the value orientation and role expectation of the people.

The concept that individual person learns to adapt to his environment is a kind of interaction that goes on with him as the adapting individual and the environment. A change takes place when there are changes in the environment that challenges both his value orientation and role expectation. However, it is clearly stated that adaptation is the starting point of shift because it goes towards stability of self (p. 4).  In a laymans term, man changes as his environment changes. He has the ability to adapt and adjust to his new environment after a period of time of conflicts and struggles.

Going back to the distinction between the social and cultural change, my interaction with people around me which is influenced by the governing norms and values is an example of social change while the factors for the changes in my interaction with people are the example of cultural change.  Both take place simultaneously and interchangeably. Thus, a persons chances to adapt to the new society having a different set of norms and values will require a lot of consideration which include time and space while the ability of a person to adjust depends on the perception of need or desire of the person to adaptation and growth in contemporary society (p. 7) which help him to the rediscovery of self to become a healthy individual. Therefore, adaptation to a contemporary society through social and cultural change is a need of any individual to grow as a person  to meet criteria to become highly functional and valued.

The mutable self in relation to the issue of adaptability is more than a help to a person than to a society because it is one way of helping oneself to find his balance with the changing society. The society may benefit from this mutation of self because they can help in the pursuit of change in the society.

Validity of this argument based on my own and of other peoples experience
I should say that the authors discussion is valid regarding a persons adaptability to a society since nothing remains permanent in this world and yet people learn to adapt to changes in the society and become contributors to those changes. Globalization is a good example of this change by which all people and all races in the world have faced a tremendous challenge to becoming actors performing interplay with the world. The change may have presented economic and political benefits, but the fear of losing in the end for not being able to comply with the requirements of change, keeps every player in doubtful condition. In this kind of global interrelationship that was established, even the smaller countries were given the opportunity to improve its condition. Many more businesses were open, while many of them ventured in other countries to accelerate what they call global competition.

Similarly, the reason for the peoples adaptation is because they need and desire to become functional and valued in the society where they live in order to survive. In this condition, not every occurrence gives agreeable or desirable outcome for instance, the minority remains minority in this interplay, but to sacrifice is a must for a larger benefit of the majority.

Furthermore, the technological advancement that enhances globalization has affected every individual and every group of people in terms of language, lifestyle, and set of values. Social networking for instance brought people close to each other and that social networking is the latest in the list of popular cultures. Because of this and other factor in the environment, people have to learn one language to use in global communication. In effect, people almost share the same experiences new norms and mores become standardized as they begin to have exposure to the latest events. It is true therefore that globalization through technological advancement provides everyone access to global changes which affect their individual culture.

Similarly, this scenario can be best explained in my case as a foreign student in this country.  America is a country full of promise and also uncertainty because of its culture characterized by multiplicity of norms, social values, and mores.  Its language is diversified its technology is superb and its people are diverse. Its history that enriched the value orientation of the people living here is overwhelming that made me a bit confused of what behaviors are acceptable and not acceptable in this country. It is really amazing that the countrys hegemony runs through its political, economic, and social system.

Thus, for a Taiwanese student like me, where I have only one cultural orientation practiced for so many centuries by my own people, living in America is not easy.   Despite that American people are interesting to be with, sometimes language is a hindrance to a healthy communication especially that I need to execute competence using the language in classroom discussions or in simple conversation with my other foreign classmates.  It requires a lot of patience and diligence before assimilation to a new culture acquired. In my case, aside from technical changes that occur, the value orientation and role expectation are the two powerful forces that trigger social change to take place. I could say that it is not only me who adjust to the society but also the rest of the people who interact with each other.  Every one of us does everything to discover what is common among us and how we can achieve harmony, through which create a new culture as a result of adaptation and assimilation.

My attitude towards the issue of adaptation is strengthened by the fact that I need to learn another culture and be able to adapt it because it will make me a better and competent person. Adaptation to my new environment that leads to my stability in the future will bring me to another level of success.  However, there are many challenging experiences that may involve in the process of adaptation that gradually alter my perception, values, lifestyle, and many others. When all these things take place, I will begin to gain stability emotionally and socially.

The mutable self, as sociologists call it, may occur for a period of time in the adaptation process before stability attains because a person has to alienate himself and be somebody accepted by the society.  I may lose self-confidence or self-esteem but if I focus on my objective, adaptability and stability of self is possible in the new society.

Conclusion
As people say, change alters change. Change is inevitable especially in a society where people interact actively with each other. This interaction brings about growth and development that also cause changes in the culture of a society and later to the way people interact with each other. This process is cyclical because the change initiated by people will also cause transformation to peoples lives. The accelerated socio-cultural change sometimes brings unpleasant experiences to a mans life but, a persons ability to adapt to cultural change will save him from these unpleasant experiences.

Therefore, the constant change in the society is explained in terms of both social and cultural change and the socio-cultural changes. In a sense, change is really inevitable.

Gini Sikes 8 Ball Chicks A Year in the Violent World of Girl Gangsters is a provocative look at girls in gang life.  The author, a one-time Mademoiselle Magazine contributor, spent a year hanging out with girl gang members in San Antonio, Milwaukee and Los Angeles, learning details of their complex lives and sharing them with the world in her disturbing, yet emotionally gripping, 1997 narrative.

In many ways, 8 Ball Chicks speaks to a universal theme that goes way beyond the topic of girl gangs. Like Sanyika Shakurs enormously successful memoir about gang life, Monster, Sikes book addresses the desperation, fears, social conditions and very human need to fit in.  The need to belong is a theme which especially resonates here, because it is a need which affects every gender, every ethnicity, every social class and, indeed, every age.  However, there factors which make particular individuals especially vulnerable to these feelings, since the very details of their identity (i.e. being female, young, poor, or of an ethnicracial minority) make them feel even more marginalized and shut out of the world.   It is no wonder then, that Sikes sassy, attitudinal and often aggressive subjects in 8 Ball Chicks (i.e. the memorable Shygirl, SadEyes, TJ and Coco) often reflect the pain of not belonging.  Like Lucia and Celia, the edgy protagonists of Loca, a novel about gang violence written by Yxta Maya Murray, the adolescent girls of 8 Ball are perfect candidates for gang life because the details of their very existence causes them to feel ostracized and often, deeply isolated.

Where would a young girl turn if she felt alone in the world For many of us, the horrific and bloody realities of gang life make it almost incomprehensible that anyone, especially a young girl,  would willingly sign up for such an experience. Who in her right mind, we wonder, would want to live a life of murder and mayhem, carry razor blades in her mouth and a gun on her person  Who would willingly want to have to deal with looking over her shoulder for the next bullet and worry if the next drive-by shooting would leave her or her child in a grave  The realities of gang life for girls, which Sikes illuminates in 8 Ball, realities which include the heartbreak of abortion, gang beatings, sexual violence and teenaged pregnancy, hardly make it seem like an appealing life choice.  But, when youre talking about adolescents, like the ones Sikes interviewed for her powerful narrative, many of whom come from homes with missing or no parents, the deep need and longing they feel to create a sense of family becomes a little more easy to comprehend.  The need for love and a sense of belonging is one that is central to humanity and, if your circumstances are such that this need is not readily met, you are going to find a way to seek it out, no matter what the cost.  

Sikes clearly blames, at least in part, societys glorification of gang culture saying, Known for setting many of the countrys trends, perhaps no California cultural export has found greater success than ganger-inspired clothes, music, slang and graffiti, moving beyond the ghetto and into the suburbs. (Sikes, 1998, p.4). It is a common argument that Sikes is making here.  Any time the subject of children and violence comes up for discussion, there are often whispers about rap music, rock n roll music, hip hop culture and the influence of music videos on the bad behavior of our youth.  If little Billy acts up in class or starts mouthing off to his parents and teachers, somehow artists like rappers Kayne West, 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg or Eminem make their way into the conversation. The argument may be a little too easy. So many interwoven and complex social factors go into influencing an individuals behavior that its hard to tease out something like a rock song using a few profane words and point the finger at the culprit. However, although pop culture cannot take all the blame, Sikes argument, however clich, seems to have at least some merit. When Sikes first travels to South Central Los Angeles to meet with a girl gang-banger named Coco, she comes face to face with a sweet, tiny pigtailed girl (Sikes, 1998, p.6) named Tasha who is singing along with Snoop, lyrics tumbling out of her ice-cream-rimmed mouth about doing it doggy style (Sikes, 1998, p. 6).  At the very least, anecdotes such as this, a story which we all can relate to, gives credence to the notion that our young, impressionable children are being highly affected in a detrimental way by the images and messages they are seeing in movies, hearing on the radio and emulating from popular music videos.   We know that, in addition to highly sexualized images of young women, strong, often corrupt messages about violence and wealth are also coming through these various media.  It is difficult to image that a child in todays society, even one with the most protective parents, would not somehow be harmed by some of the sexist, racist violence-glamorizing messages in pop culture.  Again though, Sikes argument here doesnt tell the whole picture.  Yes, the story she shares about 4-year-old Tasha quoting dirty Snoop Dogg lyrics is an upsetting one, but it definitely doesnt tell the whole story about pop culture.  If the risqu lyrical messages of an artist like Snoop Dogg can influence a young girl in this way, who is to say that she couldnt also be internalizing many of the positive messages from songs and videos out there  Songs like Alicia Keys A Womans Worth and Superwoman are also a part of todays pop cultural landscape that Sikes is taking to task here, and they promote uplifting and empowering messages that many young girls like Tasha and her mother, Coco, could also be internalizing.

But, in fairness to Sikes, she doesnt hold pop culture exclusively accountable.  Mostly, she is suggesting that the society at large has much to answer for when it comes to the fate of the young girls in 8 Ball.  It isnt Snoop Doggs fault, for example, that many of our nations schools are failing our children and teenagers.  Speaking about the educational system she has witnessed in  Los Angles, Sikes argues, In some schools, where spending for education has fallen from first to forty-second in the nation, children practice duck-and-cover drills to protect against gunfire from other children. (Sikes, 1998, p. 4). In the preceding quote, Sikes invites us to question where the fault actually lies.  Shes not even really blaming the schools themselves, but focusing on the lack of spending for education.  The implication is clear. The reader must ask herself, as a member of the society which is breeding these girl gangs, How am I contributing to this problem

If there is any real criticism to be made about the book, it is this  that the portraits of the young women are often too sympathetic.  On the one hand, it is commendable that the reader is given so much detail and insight into the struggles and the dreams of these young women, but one cannot wonder if they are judged less harshly than their male counterparts, by both Sikes and the reader, because of their gender.  It is a societal assumption, one which Sikes seems to have also bought into, that women and girls are, by nature, good. Although, the tragic details of the trauma in the lives of the young women of 8 Ball are sometimes incomprehensibly heart-wrenching and key to understanding their decisions, barely any suggestion is made that there could be young women attracted to gang-banging for less noble reasons than looking for love and belonging. Could there not be some female gang members who prime motivation for joining gang life is that they actually enjoy violence, enjoy inflicting pain on other human beings, enjoy the power it gives them without an underlying motivator of feeling disempowered.  Sikes touches upon the power issue, at times, but ultimately 8 Ball seems more of an apologia for young women in gang life, an argument which, in large part, excuses their heinous behaviors because they themselves were the victim of pain. Sikes work might have been stronger if she placed more emphasis on the idea of accountability.  Even with such tragic life circumstances, personal choice plays a major role in the acts committed by these young women. Portraying them as mostly victims of circumstance, in fact, robs young women readers of a more empowering interpretation where personal choice holds more sway.

Net immigration  i.e., total number of immigrants minus the total number of emigrants  is considered to be a chief factor contributing significantly to UKs expanded population. The beginning of 1990s saw UKs net immigration figures posting an influx of less than 100,000 people per year. By 2006 however, the same has exceeded an influx of 300,000 persons. Without net immigration, UKs population will decline. This pattern is, in fact, already observable in many western countries nowadays.

This essay explains why the advantages of immigration do not outweigh its disadvantages. Specifically, the study shall be narrowed to focus on employment rates and job vacancies as indicative of an economys present standing. Focus will be given on highlighting the effect of net immigration in UK. Yet similar incidences palpable in EU and the United States shall be cited as well, if to show that a long history of immigration can provide reliable statistical data on the effect of immigration to an economy.

Net Immigrations Impact on Economy
Legrain (2007) believes that the primary benefit of net immigration lies in most immigrants willingness to take the jobs which natives are unwilling to do. Yet it appears that the most powerful contribution it renders in an economy is the creation of newer jobs, owing primarily from an increased demands of goods and services because of an increased population. That is to say, these immigrants will make use of public transportation, buy food for daily consumption, go out and dine in restaurants perhaps, or not buy clothes, as well as a decent shelter. Business enterprises are thereby necessitated to produce goods and services demanded by immigrants, and thus are able to employ high-, mid- and low skilled workers in the process. In simple terms, immigration stimulates a countrys employment rate  i.e., the percentage of labour force that is employed (TheFreeDictionary 2010).

Legrain also mentions that several studies point to the fact that that immigrants contribute very less harm on the economy, specifically in the allocating jobs for natives. Even in a recession, argues Legrain (2007), immigrants do not cost jobs. They are still consumers who create jobs for others, and they will still do work that others refuse to do (p.139).The author claims that several immigrants act as entrepreneurs in creating jobs for other people. One example which can be cited is the Silicon Valley in the United States, where approximately 40 percent of the companies are either owned or operated by immigrants of Chinese and Indian origins. From such standpoint, one can clearly argue that net immigration does not spell negative effects on employment rates. To the contrary, it delivers positive implication, especially when one considers its ability to bring different skills and educational background to complement, and not to supplant, native workforce. Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, having quoted by Best, Griffiths, et. al (2008), expresses the same sentiment in 2004, when he said that there is a need for labours to cover available job positions in the market. There are half a million vacancies in our job market, say Best, Griffiths, et. al., and our strong and growing economy needs migration to fill this vacancies (2008, p 33). The table below indicates the job vacancies, measured in thousands, in UK during a period of six years (Best, Griffiths, et. al. 2008).

Herein, two propositions can be raised. First, the graph challenges the idea of Tony Blair in saying that recent immigration in the UK has reduced the amount of job vacancies in the job market. Second, the table strengthens the idea that the number of job vacancies in the market has remained relatively unchanged despite an increase of nearly 300,000 in net immigration recorded in 2006, further showing that vacancies are merely indicative of exceed in demands against availability of workers who are willing to perform the job. Whilst therefore net immigration may be considered as an issue, Best, Griffith, et. al. nonetheless argue that this is a sign of healthy economy (2008 p 5).

Coleman and Rowthorn (2004), for their part, claim that the employment rate of locals in the entire UK has decreased as a result of immigration. As a matter of fact, the authors argue that a 10 increase in immigration causes local unemployment of 2-6. In particular, Coleman and Rowthorn (2004) believe that a wider flexible job market  i.e., where it is easier to hire-and-fire workers independent of ethnic background, as well as, without reprisals from unions or job defenders  can result to a significant reduction in unemployment among locals. This contention stems from an observation that, in some countries, where flexible job market is not observed, and immigrants are said to be fired easier rather compared to locals, there is a tendency to hire immigrants instead of natives. Whilst immigration may generate insecurity from among the local people, owing from the completion of employment positions up for grabs, UK has, just the same, sustained job vacancies over the years.
Furthermore, Coleman and Rowthorn (2004) clarify that the commonly held view that immigrants are needed insofar as they take the jobs which locals are unwilling to take is misleading, if not all together false. The reality is that there are very few unskilled immigrants in UK nowadays they can be employed side-by-side the locals. Local people therefore, as a result, are more unlikely to resist concerning themselves with low-levelled jobs, characterized by far-from-ideal working conditions and low salaries. Herein, the issue is not that employers must hire immigrants instead of locals, but that they must improve working conditions so as to fill the gaps generated by vacancies in employment.

Kemnitz (2003), meanwhile, makes mention that a percentage increase in net immigration effectively decreases UK  specifically in 2002  unemployment by 1 percent. This is, by far, a better indication compared to the data of other countries. The table (Coleman and Rowthorn 2004) below presents the point being contended.

The table shows the relative changes being effected in respect to the employment of the natives when a percentage increase in immigrants share in labour force is observed. But as a general observation, Kerr and Kerr (2008) maintain that immigrants have lower employment rates in most of Europe than natives, and that the employment rates of immigrants seldom reach the same levels with that of the natives the exception being UK immigrants, as well as Nordic immigrants in Sweden who are more likely to be assimilated within the workforce than any country outside Europe.
In view of the foregoing, it would appear that despite the promise which immigrants bring into the economy of a country, particularly UK, there is still an enduring discrepancy between the employment as against the unemployment rate between natives on the one hand and immigrants on the other hand. This is given evidence by the table below, which presents the relatively high unemployment of immigrants compared to locals in UK.

It is palpable, based on the table presented hereinabove, that the unemployment rate of immigrants in UK, in juxtaposition with that of the natives, manifests striking discrepancies. And yet, this figure fare considerably well than the figures in other countries outside UK. Kerr and Kerr (2008) illustrate the point in reference to the table below.

The table provides the high rate of unemployment rate of immigrants compared to locals. EU(27), in fact, suffers an 8.3 unemployment rate in 2009 (The European Commission 2010) UK, on the other hand, maintained the same within the 7.1 level. Thus, whilst there is a need to further strengthen governmental efforts to bring down unemployment in UK, the fact that UK still maintains a respectable level of unemployment rate for both immigrants and natives, is an accomplishment in itself.

Brief Summary and Conclusion
In sum, this paper delved on the issue of net immigration in a positive light. First, it was argued, along with Legrain, that immigration creates new jobs on account of rising demands for goods and services. Legrain was moreover quoted in arguing that, despite the heavy influx of immigrant in 2006, job vacancies have remained virtually the same. Next, it was also contended by Coleman and Rowthorn, that immigration may improve working conditions, but can also sparks fierce competition in favour of the natives. It was also seen that immigrants are likewise skilled inasmuch as the native workforce. Local unemployment however, Kerr and Kerr argue, tends to increase by 2-6 in direct proportion to a 10 immigration rate. But it was argued in the end that, whilst there is a discrepancy in employment rate in favour of the natives, UK has nonetheless kept the unemployment rate of immigrants at a measly 12.

It is therefore concluded that, after having presented the facts and arguments hereinabove, the advantages of net immigration in UK do not outweigh its disadvantages.

Micheal Ungar (2006) in Chapters 3  4 of the book Strengths Based Counseling with At-Risk Youth proposes six strategies that parents and counselors could use to facilitate the development of healthy identities among the youth.  These strategies are helpful for the youth to explore ways to nurture their own resilience. Ungar (2006) by devoting a whole chapter to the first strategy is emphasizing the need to get this process right because it paves the way for easy transition into the succeeding strategies.  The first strategy involves allowing the youth to speak their truth without any judgment from the counselor or parent. Instead, the counselor or parent expresses curiosity in seeking to understand the behaviour and why it makes sense to the youth.  Ungar (2006) demonstrates through a transcript of a counseling session how the approach decreases the likelihood of resistance and therefore, increasing the future likelihood of cooperation from the youth in exploring opportunities.

The remaining strategies two to five are discussed in a separate chapter while the last strategy, substitute rather than suppress, was discussed in another separate chapter since as Ungar (2006) emphasized, this last strategy is the fulcrum or really the core of bringing all these strategies together.  These four middle strategies deal with how to help the youth explore their behaviour which is goal of strategy 2.  The challenge of the adult is to maintain tolerance for the youths behaviours so they are encouraged to let the adults understand their lives.  Usually behaviours are reactions to the current opportunities that they have. In strategy 3, counselors help the youth identify what opportunities are available and the more important part is how to discuss these opportunities such that they do not feel they are controlled.  Ungar (2006) presents an excellent list of examples about how to express ones ideas without threatening or being misinterpreted by the youth in the fourth strategy.  Highlighting ones differences from the stereotypes created is the focus of strategy 5 where Ungar (2006) vividly relates his own personal experience with a bully during his elementary years.  All these strategies are preparations or ways of setting the stage so that the counselor or parent will be able to present the substitutions smoothly.

These two chapters are indeed very informative and find relevant application in my current work.  Ungar (2006) has detailed instructional approach for the strategies to develop resiliency.  Among the high school students that I work with, there are a number that can be considered at-risk.  Resistance is a common characteristic among those who are sent for counseling and they will most likely not offer helpful information for the counselor. The books discussion of strategy 1 will be very helpful in engaging these youth in the communication process.  Unlike traditional counseling approaches where the counselor takes on a more authoritative stance, this one invites the counselor to adopt an attitude of curiosity and imbibe that sense of genuine interest towards the client.

Strategies two to three outlines the helpful attitudes and skills that the counselor must have to bring the youth to become interested of some unrecognized inner capacities and acknowledge the opportunities that hisher environment can offer.  In the first strategy, the counselor is able to submerge himherself into the life and world of the youth devoid of biases and judgment.  The succeeding strategies are meant to let the counselor use what he has learned from the youth and reconstruct these into more positive elements which will comprise as the options that will be presented.  However, beyond this technique of building on the strengths to create alternatives for the youth, the more important insights gathered from this chapter are the ways to make the youth think about his or her behaviour and make him or her acknowledge the strengths and the opportunities.  In youth work, there are different types of programs that may be given however, the approach matters.  Only when the youth is able to embrace the intervention can she be engaged in finding solutions and alternatives.  This is what Ungars (2006) approach is able to address and one that can be very helpful in nurturing a positive relationship with the youth.