What Is Western Influence? Amartya Sen’s Take

What Is Western Influence? Amartya Sen’s Take

What is Western influence? How does Westernization affect traditional cultures in the East? Westernization is the idea of non-Western societies adopting certain aspects of American and European cultures and values. Amartya Sen discusses the concept in Development as Freedom, where he explains that traditional cultures aren’t necessarily at risk because of Western influence. Read below to learn more about Westernization, and determine if it’s as influential as many people say it is.

How to Beat the Competition in Business: 8 Strategies

A chess board representing organizational conflict

Are you looking to grow your business? Do you want to know how to beat the competition in business? When selling a product, you’re going to have more than a few competitors out there. Luckily, William M. Luther’s book The Marketing Plan has advice on how to succeed in competitive markets. Here are Luther’s four strategies to beat the competition, plus four more strategies from other business experts.

Working as a Housekeeper: Stephanie Land’s Struggles

Working as a Housekeeper: Stephanie Land’s Struggles

Is being a housekeeper an easy job? What were the hardships Stephanie Land faced working as a housekeeper? When Stephanie Land was working as a housekeeper, she often got sick and made only minimum wage. However, she did have some positive moments while working on the job. Read more about the struggles and the bright side of working as a housekeeper, as told by Land in Maid.

The Stanford Prison Experiment Ethical Issues

The Stanford Prison Experiment Ethical Issues

What was the Stanford Prison Experiment? What were the ethical issues of the experiment? In 1971, Philip Zimbardo turned the basement of Stanford University’s psychology building into a simulated prison, paying undergraduate male volunteers to act as prisoners and guards. Zimbardo detailed his findings in The Lucifer Effect, which discusses the nature of human evil. Keep reading to learn more about the ethical issues of the Stanford Prison Experiment.

Niklas Luhmann: Zettelkasten’s Origin Story

Niklas Luhmann: Zettelkasten’s Origin Story

What is the Zettelkasten note-taking system? How is Zettelkasten superior to the traditional note-taking methods? The Zettelkasten (also known as the slip-box) system was invented by Niklas Luhmann, an incredibly productive German sociologist. Not only did Luhmann publish nearly 60 books within his lifetime, but he also has several posthumously-published books to his name—thanks to the ideas he collected within his slip-box.  Keep reading to learn about the origins of Luhmann’s Zettelkasten note-taking method.

What Could Have Prevented the Irish Potato Famine?

What Could Have Prevented the Irish Potato Famine?

What was the Great Famine? What could have prevented the Irish potato famine? Between 1845 and 1849, Ireland experienced mass starvation and disease after most potato crops got infected. Amartya Sen uses the example of England’s lack of support during the potato famine to demonstrate how easy it is to prevent famines. Keep reading to learn what could have prevented the potato famine and how famines can be prevented today.

Why the Minimum Wage Should Be Raised (Maid Book)

Why the Minimum Wage Should Be Raised (Maid Book)

Why should the minimum wage be raised? How does Stephanie Land’s life story support the idea of the minimum wage being raised? In her memoir Maid, Stephanie Land talks about her time working as a maid. She made minimum wage, which was $8.55 an hour in Washington in 2009. Because she was in poverty and government assistance rarely helped her, the minimum wage wasn’t enough to cover her essential needs. Keep reading to learn more about why the minimum wage should be raised.