Take These 6 Steps to Become a Travel Nurse -The JobNetwork

Take These 6 Steps to Become a Travel Nurse -The JobNetworkIf you love the idea of supplying patients with quality medical assistance but arent crazy about working in the same environment every day, then you may want to consider becoming a travel nurse. Travel nurses work at temporary jobs in locations all over the country, usually for periods of a dozen weeks or so. googletag.cmd.push(function() googletag.display(div-gpt-ad-1472832388529-0) ) Since being a travel nurse comes with its own particular set of challenges, you may need some extra direction when pursuing this particular career. Here are some tips that should help you achieve your goal of becoming a travel nurse.1. Become a registered nurse.To become a travel nurse, you must first become a nurse. That means you have to graduate high school or get your GED, complete an accredited nursing program at the college level, and pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX). Some hospitals might also require a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), and if its relevant to your area of specialization, Basic Life Support (BLS) or Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) certification. Before becoming a travel nurse, you also need a minimum of one year of specialized nursing experience. For travel nurses, those specializations include ER, PEDS, TELE, and Home Health. If ICU or OB is your area of specialization, you may need more than one year of experience.2. Consider your goals.In what kind of environment do you want to work? To where do you want to travel? You should consider such goals to pin down your ideal position since all travel-nursing agencies are different. You must also think the salary and benefits you expect to earn. Since moving around is involved in your work, such benefits as housing, travel stipends, and rental cars might be considerations along with more standard benefits such as medical and 401k packages. Make a list of your ideals so you know what to look for when viewing job listings an d deciding where to apply.4. Compare agencies to find the one for you.Travel nurses get jobs through agencies, and all agencies are different. If you have specific goals, you will want to find an agency most in line with your particular ones. Consider these agencys online ratings as well. A great online tool is BluePipes, which is like LinkedIn for healthcare professionals. If you know trustworthy travel nurses, perhaps they can refer you to a quality agency.5. Prepare your paperwork.Theres quite a bit of paperwork involved in securing a travel nurse position. An application, skills checklist, and clinical references will be included in your submission profile. Your nursing agency will provide you with these documents and expect you to complete them. However, if you use BluePipes to prepare your submission profile, you may not have to fill out a new one every time you visit a new agency. Also be sure to have all required licenses and certifications, as well as recently obtained medi cal records, in order.6. Establish a tax home.In order to qualify as a travel nurse with tax-free stipends, you will have to establish and maintain a tax home. In order to qualify, you must work far enough away to have to stay overnight in a place other than your residence when working. You must fill out a form to qualify for tax-free stipends. The good news is that even if you fail to qualify for tax-free stipends, you can still work as a travel nurse.

This Is the Group Most Likely to Be Harassed at Work, Study Finds

This Is the Group Most Likely to Be Harassed at Work, Study Finds Sexual harassment in the workplace is a pervasive problem plaguing workplaces across all industries, not just in Silicon Valley or Hollywood. A recent poll of over 200,000 workers by Comparably revealed that 26 percent of women say theyve been sexually harassed at work and young black women get the brunt of all types of harassment. But their voices are largely left unheard.The Comparably poll found that a notable 33 percent of female executives and engineers, 28 percent of women in tech and 34 percent of women in IT say theyve been sexually harassed at work. In fact, 61 percent of women in IT say that being a woman has even held them back in their careers.When it comes to verbal abuse and non-sexual harassment from bosses, both women (24 percent) and men (21 percent) say theyve been harassed 30 percent of all workers between 18 and 25 years old experience this type of harassment from higher-ups, but the biggest victi ms are women in communications (40 percent) and men in finance (35 percent).For workers of color, however, harassment hits harder. According to the Comparably poll, 23 percent of African-Americans say they have been sexually harassed at work, followed by 20 percent of Latinx workers. Thirty-three percent of African-Americans reported verbal abuse or non-sexual harassment from bosses, too.This is nothing new, though. A 2009studypublished in theJournal of Interpersonal Violencefound that minorities experience the highest levels of harassment and discrimination in the workplace, andanother paperfound that black women are more likely to report post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms than their white peers following harassment and assault.For example, according to the Center for American Progress, industries that disproportionately employ women of color in low-wage jobs report some of thehighest levelsof sexual harassment. A2016 study on workplace harassment in the fast food industrythat 33 percent of black women and 32 percent of Latinas in fast-food restaurants experience sexual harassment, compared to 25 percent of white women. Likewise, according to a 2008 study, home healthcare workers, who areheavily women of color, aresubject to exploitation (like assault and rape) and instability. But women of color and recent immigrants often find reporting abuse or seeking legal protection too risky.Of course, sharing these statistics is not to discount the experiences of white women rather, its to exemplify just how much women of color are adversely affected. Their experiences have been largely left out of the conversation surrounding workplace harassment, despite mounting evidence that they face disproportionately high levels of sexual violence in general.They have been relegated to the sidelines, but intersectional feminism is the missing ingredient we need to create change.Though the MeToo movement has made clear the insidiousness and prevalence of sexual harassment a nd assault, it has also been centered mostly on the experiences of white, affluent, and educated women, explained The Atlantic writer Gillian White in her aptly titled piece, The Glaring Blind Spot of the honigwein Too Movement.The Nation writer Collier Meyersonalso begged the question, Can we all say MeToo? Meyerson explained that missing from the bulk of the conversations around rape culture are all people on the margins women of color, poor women, undocumented women and trans men and women who are uniquely impacted by sexual assault and harassment. She wrote, To effectively combat sexual harassment, we must understand how a survivors identity shapes his or her ability to tell a boss, sue a company, or even join the hashtag MeToo.More recently, Vox writer P.R. Lockhart has pointed out that women of color shaped sexual harassment policy, and now theyre more likely to slip through its cracks. In fact, MeToo was started by a black woman a decade ago. Activist and founder of youth or ganization Just Be Inc., Tarana Burke, launched the movement as a way to connect with survivors. Alas, after actress Alyssa Milano tweeted a call-out for followers to share their stories of sexual harassment and assault using MeToo, manymedia outletscreditedher for originatingthe movement.Lockhart warned, Seeking systemic change in how we absprache with workplace sexual harassment without acknowledging these groups threatens to keep progress limited to a subset of women, perpetuating a system in which minorities, especially poor women of color, are left without many options.Fortunately, despite their experiences, the majority of women that Comparably surveyed (63 percent) believe the TimesUp movement will lead to progress in the workplace.Sixty-five percent of African-Americans of all genders and 68 percent of Latinx workers agree that times are changing.--AnnaMarie Houlis is a multimedia journalist and an adventure aficionado with a keen cultural curiosity and an affinity for solot ravel. Shes an editor by day and a travel blogger at HerReport.org by night.

Monster Resume Writing Review Tips

Monster Resume Writing Review Tips The Advantages of Monster Resume Writing Review The purchase was delivered punctually. The review is going to teach you all you will need to understand and then its possible to place your purchase confidently. If youre looking for redeeming a coupon code, weve got awful news for you. Youre able to change the resume format to some other pre-made resume template at any moment on the way. Our reviews contain details like the score of the clients, our rating, starting prices, Discounts, and grade of the papers. Independent reviewers should provide help. Writing is a present that comes naturally. 1 day it can be the very same in the US but as of now there is truly no indication of change coming soon. Youve got to compose several academic papers over the duration of a year. For the very first and the second, youve got to wait around for five days to find the resume and cover letter. Getting the Best Monster Resume Writing Review For instance , if youre trying to find the monster resume writing tafelgeschirrs specifically, you are going to have to visit the Career Resources sections and after that decide on the Resume Writing Services. The organization is truly running a work portal, and they offer monster resume services below the Career Resources section of the site. If it is possible to partner with a local job fair, you might be in a position to have a whole booth that provides free resume critiques. My team will work hard to locate candidates having the skillset you are searching for and which are interested in your opportunity, but were not able to guarantee the hire. The sole thing youre able to get is to secure you available resume reviewed at no cost by their experts. So, the choice is left up to you whether you would want this type of service or not. Yes, resume builders are very helpful in regards to creating a resume in a jiffy, but could never provide you with the satisfaction of true resume where you are able to make thing personalized. Staying in contact with your clients is among the most important elements to cultivating an active resume-writing enterprise. The One Thing to Do for Monster Resume Writing Review The ideal way to figure out about the character of the services offered by a website is to test it by placing a little order on it. When you have placed an order, the degree of customer service seems to remain over the norm. Offering free resume reviews is one method to locate clients. Ultimately the decision is yours. The Honest to Goodness Truth on Monster Resume Writing Review So for those who have an essay assigned that you will need help with, you can purchase essay online cheap from us. If youre thinking that you will need a person to compose my essay at the moment, you can just rely on our honest reviews. The sort of essay youre looking for will be offered to you within the deadline provided to you. Now you can purchase genuine college essay online, one that is going to fit your financial plan and get your work done too. Ask yourself if Monster is best for you. He or she is different kind of resume service available in the market. At the very first glance, the monster resume website is apparently professionally designed.

Small Business Web Design that Works

Small Business Web entwurf that WorksSmall Business Web Design that WorksSmall Business Web Design that Works Campbell, co-author of Visual Marketing (Wiley, 2011)Designing your website to be all things to all people can be difficult. But the best website plans successfully target the big three customers, job seekers and employees and create a small business web entwurf that connects to each of these groups in its own way.Website Design Tips that Appeal to CustomersWhile a good website conveys helpful information, is easy to use and meets your business goals, many business websites look and sound alike. They lack personality.Stand out Differentiate your business and brand. Images can play a huge role. Two Leaves and a Bud Tea Company, one of the case studies in our book Visual Marketing, does this by using stunning images of tea farms in exotic places. Lush landscapes and colorfully dressed tea farmers are splashed across the background of the site.The sites images help you instant ly recognize that this company prides itself on bringing customers tea so fresh it tastes like its been plucked and steeped directly from the gardens. The site makes you want to buy tea.Gearing your website design to your customers will enable you to sell more. It also keeps site visitors engaged, rather than turning them away with too many graphic elements or text that tires the eyes.My book co-author, David Langton, shares these website design tipsSimplify, simplify, simplify Keep your website offers as direct and minimal as possible and let your users go deeper as they self select the information that they want to learn more about. We call this progressive disclosure.Best Website Designs to Attract Qualified Job SeekersAs you set your business apart as one thats attractive and memorable to customers, it will likely stand out in the candidates mind, too.Your site is the representation of your company brand to potential new hires. You have an opportunity through your website to sel l these visitors, who may someday be your customer, on your company.Your site is also a way to communicate your hiring needs. Many sites simply say Were hiring. Contact us. For most job seekers, this sounds like a waste of time. The more information you can provide about the specific job skillsyoure looking to fill, the more youll attract the right candidates.Alert job seekers that you are hiring, what positions you are hiring for, and how to apply. A good way to do this is to create a hiring page on your site with an enticing message and some basic information for job seekers. In turn, this page can link to job listings you have open on job sites.David says its important to know what your audience is looking for. Dont bury the link to job listings under three layers of pages people simply wont find it.To direct visitors to the hiring page, add a link in your site footer or in a box on your homepage or include it as a tab in your About section something like Were hiring or Work for Us or even Jobs. Job hunters quickly figure out where to look for such pages.The website Klout.comis an interesting example of these practices. Theres a link to Careers in its site footer, which takes you to a page with a gruppe photo that says Get a Job and a short paragraph suggesting that working for Klout is so much fun its like, well, not having a job. The image and the copy give the impression that its a rewarding and fun place, where important game-changing work is happening.Dont forget to write about hiring on your company blog. Amplify your hiring needs on social media, too. For example you can tweet out the link to your Careers page or share it on your companys Facebook page from time to time.Your next employee could be a social media follower.Web Design and Employee EngagementMany businesses forget to include their employees as an audience of their website. By connecting to your employees on your site, you can make them feel more valued. If you have a small company, you can include team members photos and short bios on your website. This will increase employee engagement by showing that theyre part of the team in a visible way.The Karcher Group,a Web design firm, does this well by including a link to Meet the Group on its website. It includes employee photos you can click over to a dedicated profile page for each employee. Employees can have a little fun by personalizing their information with hobbies, little known facts about themselves and their favorite websites.I-Site, another website example from our book, also takes a fun approach to employee engagement. Each team member is dressed as a soccer player (the company is in England). Clicking on the images animates them.Focus on Whats ImportantYour company website will never fully appeal to everyone who visits it. The best you can do is hit the high points and focus on good design and appealing images. I agree with DavidWebsites that try to be everything to everyone lose out. Successful websites designers and website owners spend a lot of time discerning the most direct route for organizing and digesting their content in accessible ways.Look at other websites to get a sense of what works well design-wise and for ideas to use on your own sites design.Author BioAnita Campbell and David Langton are the authors of the book, Visual Marketing (Wiley, 2011.)Anita Campbell (Cleveland, Ohio) is CEO and founder of Small Business Trends, an award-winning website reaching over 3 million small-business owners annually. She also is the CEO of BizSugar, a small-business social media site.David Langton (New York, NY) is a visual communication designer, blogger, and author on visual design. He has more than 20 years experience providing conceptual direction for Fortune 500 companies and small businesses. He is cofounder of Langton Cherubino Group, a communications design firm, based in NYC, dedicated to improving the way that businesses and their audiences interact.

Four great success lessons from the spectacular Oscars disaster

Four great success lessons from the spectacular Oscars disasterFour great success lessons from the spectacular Oscars disasterThe world collectively gasped at the Oscars as the Best Picture award welches handed off to the wrong film last night, in a spectacle some are calling thegreatest mixup of in the history of the event.If you missed it, it was spectacular As presenter Warren Beatty was announcing the Best Picture nomination, he was confused, and handed the envelope to co-presenter Faye Dunaway - who, in an epic stumble, didnt look very carefully and confidently announced that La La Land had scooped up the prize.As pandemonium started to break loose, with staffers scurrying onstage, one man handled the disaster with grace and authority Producer Jordan Horowitz took the microphone, grabbed the incorrect announcement card away from Beatty, and said firmly that Moonlight was the real winner of Best Picture.It was a bold move in what could have been an embarrassing moment for him, b ut Horowitz turned it into a moment in which he corrected an enormous public blunder with techniques that can teach everyone at work how to handle big problems.1) Take control and be transparentFirst, Horowitz described the problem clearly and didnt dance around the issue. He also didnt wait around for someone else to figure it out. He stepped up to the microphone, announced the problem, and even offered up evidence, holding up the card with the real winners printed on it.Contrast that with Jimmy Kimmel, the host of the show, who said he was totally confused and waiting for someone else to show up to fix the problem Matt Damon says, I think I heard the stage manager say they got the winner wrong. So you just kind of figure, well, the host will go onstage and clear this up. And then I remember, oh Im the host. Later, Kimmel had to look to A-list celebrities in the front row for guidanceEventually I figured out that Barry Jenkins, the director of Moonlight, is standing behind me and D enzel wanted me to get him to the microphone to make a speech, which makes sense, Kimmel said. Thank God Denzel was there to make sense.In a situation that could have been surreal, and in which absolutely everyone seemed baffled and without direction, Horowitz knew that the audience would tend to believe the mixup was a gag, and he addressed that subtext right off. This is bedrngnis a joke Moonlight has won best picture, Horowitz said.Straight talk is a strong way for both managers and employees to handle a crisis. Radical transparency strengthens teams and confers authority on the managers who use it.2) Have empathyAfter Horowitz announced Moonlight was the true winner, he welcomed the cast of the movie to the stage and made way for them to own the moment. Horowitz seemed easily able to picture what the real winners wanted to be able to feel joy without it being diminished by the embarrassment of the mixup. He didnt just say Moonlight won, he said he was delighted that it won Im go ing to be really thrilled to hand this to my friends from Moonlight.As I said onstage, those guys are my friends, Horowitz told Good Morning America. I wanted to make sure they had their moment.That capacity for empathy and putting yourself in someone elses shoes to picture their emotional needs is a key skill for success. Empathy elend only enhanced performance, but it also makes others see you as mora effective - definitely the case for Horowitz, whose graceful moves were widely praised.3) Be humble and show generosity of spiritHorowitz did not grandstand He stepped aside when he needed to and promptly gave the golden Oscars statue to the cast of Moonlight, led by director Barry Jenkins. Impressively, he humbly declined when Oscars host Jimmy Kimmel joked about wishing both films could have won.I wanted to make sure that the right thing was done, because, you know, at that point it was not about me, he told Good Morning America. It was about making sure that Moonlight got the rec ognition it really deserves.Generosity, like many emotions, is catching Seeing a generous act causes others to adjust their behavior to meet it. That lift was visible in how warm and friendly the audience and La La Land cast became to the Moonlight winners Horowitz had set a tone of generosity and kindness, which shut down the mood of chaos and unease that could have easily taken root.4) Demonstrate sportsmanship and be a cheerleader for othersTechnically, Horowitz and Jenkins were rivals. But that didnt stop the La La Land Producer from bowing out gracefully and warmly embracing Jenkins. Horowitz did not whine about the loss or shift blame. He just gracefully handed credit where it was due, and made everyone feel comfortable afterwards.We kind of shared a moment, gave each other a hug, said, Wasnt that surreal? and congratulated each other on our work and put it all behind us, he told GMA. Well move forward and do more work together.Horowitz continued his public praise for Moonligh t on Twitter, where he wrote, And once again congrats to Moonlight. A truly beautiful picture made by some even more beautiful people.Overall, Horowitz showed strong social skills that saved a bad situation and made it, in the eyes of many, a beautiful one. Jenkins showed his appreciation and awe in a tweet Jordan Horowitz. Wow. Im slipping slowly into reflection, perspective. Much respect to that dude. If you follow Horowitzs lead, your colleagues can say that of you, too - even after disaster strikes.

Should You Take the Job or Hold Out for Something Better

Should You Take the Job or Hold Out for Something BetterShould You Take the Job or Hold Out for Something BetterWeve decided to make you an offer.After sending out dozens of rsums and enduring grueling rounds of vorstellungsgesprchs, these are usually the seven words job seekers hope to hear.Being offered a job is a big win, but people are hesitant to accept a job when theres a nagging doubt in the back of their minds. While experienced professionals are aware that not every offer will be perfect, they have to weigh whether the offer is better than a current job, worth relocating or taking a pay cut for or is a good entry to a new field.So how do you decide whether to take the offer or hold out for something better? Here are eight questions to ask yourself before acceptingCan I do better?Theres a reason you were offered the standort, so make sure the job is worth your while. Is it a good opportunity based on your level of experience and skill set? If you think youll be bored after tw o days, consider unternehmensverbund out for a better offer.Do I know enough about the company?While youve likely read company reviews on Glassdoor and checked the companys social media profiles, your best bet for an in-depth look is via current or former employees. Contacting them to ask about their experiences with the company can lend insight into what your daily life might look like - and whether the quirks and perks are things youd like to sign on for.Do I feel secure going to work for this company?Has the company had a difficult time with employee turnover? Have you heard about recent restructuring? These could be red flags that the company isnt the most secure option.If youre unsure whether you should accept the job, research the company thoroughly to help solidify your decision. Google to determine whether it has recently (or ever) had layoffs or is planning to offer new products that would potentially indicate hiring or growth. If its a public company, check its stock pric e and financials to assess its financial health.During the interview ask the hiring manager about the roles history and turnover rate as well as its future. Much like a hiring manager might ask where youd like to be in five years, ask about company goals and trends. Once you ask what projects youd be trained on immediately, inquire about how the role or department may grow.Of course, dont ask sticky financial questions during your interview (it may sink your otherwise shining impression).Will I enjoy the job, and will I be a good fit?Everybody has to make money, and many people will accept and endure less-than-ideal jobs to pay the bills. But if you can afford to wait, hold out for a position that will make you happy.When you interview for a job, get a feel for the other duties as assigned that may land in your inbox, and try to pick up on the culture as you walk the halls. Are you the missing puzzle piece, or does it feel like youre not really clicking with your interviewers? If yo u dont mesh well with the company, your department, or your new boss, you may want to wait for the next opportunity.Am I overvaluing the opportunity?Youre drawn to the company, but the opportunity isnt a fit. How do you distinguish one from the other? Ask yourself what you really like and dislike about the job, regardless of the brand attached. Would you accept this position if it were being offered by a company without the name recognition? What does the career path look like - and how many other people are fighting their way up the ladder?Keep in mind that well-known companies can often get away with paying people less because these businesses are aware that their names will look great on a rsum.Have I negotiated the best deal?A PayScale surveyfound that 57 percent of workers have never negotiated for a higher salary. If you decide the companys a good fit, try to sweeten the pot. Salary, stocks, benefits, vacation days and insurance are negotiable in many cases, and its important that you dont leave anything on the table.If youre not experienced in negotiating your own packages, consider using a rekrutierer to negotiate on your behalf. If there isnt one available to represent you, you can also hire an interview coach to help you prepare for salary negotiations.Does this job fit my personal life?If a job will have a significant impact on your personal life, think carefully before you accept the offer. A long commute or a requirement to work weekends can be a big drawback. Make sure you weigh the pros and cons. This includes talking it over with your family or the people who will be directly affected by your new job.Do I really want to leave my current employer?Consider everything you like about your current job, from your 10-minute commute to the co-workers you meet for happy hour. Ask yourself whether youve exhausted your options at your current job - have you pursued more responsibility or negotiated for a raise, or have you just hoped that someone would notice and offer those things? If youre leaving for perks you could negotiate for and be equally happy, you may not need to leave.Contrary to popular advice, if you really like your current employer but simply want growth or more money, letting your employer know that youre considering another offer may torpedo your chances of getting what you want - and land you a spot at the top of the expendables list.These questions are important to consider because the last thing you want to do is start a job youre not really into, only to leave a few weeks later for the job you should have held out for. This can put a strain on your relationships, and word travels fast in small industries.Carefully weighing your options will give you more confidence in your choice and help you choose the position thats best for you.Melissa Cooper is the executive vice president of the writer network atTop Rsum, aTalent Inc. company. A triple-certified rsum writer and dual-certified HR professional holding bot h SPHR and PHR designations, Melissa has eight years of executive recruiting experience and over six years of professional rsum-writing experience.

A Very Chinese Career Goal

A Very Chinese Career Goal A Very Chinese Career Goal Duty and desire to repay parents? When was the last time you heard that in a job interview, a casual conversation or anywhere else, for that matter?In my experience, such virtually universal filial gratitude has been unique (even though I can cite numerous examples of intense family devotion in the many Asian countries I have visited or lived in, including Japan, and some here in the West).Cultural Factors Generational Contrasts, Confucian Piety and The Rectification of NamesAmong the reasons for that career goal and extreme loyalty and gratitude to parents areStark lifestyle contrasts between parent and child Many of those struggling parents (like those in unterstellung home photos taken by one university scholarship student, Miya, whom I came to know) did and do have to get up at 3 a.m. and leave their simple cottages, in all weather, to wearily cart and sell vegetables by the side of some road, hoping to cobble together enoug h of an income to clothe and educate their children.When not on the road, those parents are in the fields or in their Spartan, often no more than two-room house (plus hearth), doing what must be done and making do with what little they have, which may include a lot of plain porridge and rice, but rarely fresh meat or vegetables.The average rural Chinese family income? $200 per month, for a lifestyle that, in very many instances, still lacks indoor toilets, any bath, central heating, real roads, private space or a real stove- not to mention any car, HDTV screen, take-out pizza, Apple computers or summers at poolside for the kids or anyone else in the family.A CHINESE UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIP STUDENTS MOM, THRESHING GRAINGratitude of children toward parents is far likelier when it is so painfully and movingly obvious that the child- like so many of the Chinese students whom I got to know- is enjoying a faraway urban university lifestyle that her countryside parents can only dream of, an d then only for their children.Ironically and in contrast, because so many baby-boomer cowboyfilm parents have enjoyed home-owning and vacationing lifestyles that their two-job, student-loan burdened, underemployed graduate offspring can now only dream of, many modern kids and job seekers may feel that there are fewer, if any, parental sacrifices to acknowledge and repay.This suggests that instead of complaining that some modern kid or employee in the West is an ingrate for not making parental payback a high priority, we take comfort in knowing that at least many more of their parents were able to raise them without the kinds of crushing sacrifices that Chinese peasant parents have had to make.(Cynics will take their comfort in the view that all parental investment, however burdensome, is undertaken with some payoff expected- in the form of grandchildren or retirement care. But, lets not go there, here.)Confucian emphasis on filial duty, rather than on rights It may be argued that o ne reason China has been accused of lagging in recognition and enforcement of human and other rights is that its Confucian culture has traditionally emphasized duty over rights, in particular, the duty of children toward parents and the duty of the individual to his or her family. What counts, in that scheme of things, are an individuals duties, not his or her rights.- a view that makes sense in a traditionally purely agrarian society characterized by close-knit family farming.This emphasis on duties does, on the positive side of the ethical and cultural ledger, have one edifying aspect In many interactions, the Chinese- like the Japanese- are more likely to get and exchange what they want by packaging interactions with others as exercises in obligations, rather than as an exercise of rights.For example, consider how we, here at home in the West, get what we want I have a CD that you really like you have one that Id like to have. So, we trade in a simple deal between friends. My giv ing you my CD entitles me to yours, in what we agree is a ritterlich exchange.Now shift the deal to the Far East the same two CDs, but this time, because harmony, duty and sacrifice are highly valued, a Chinese or Japanese is far more likely to offer to give you the CD. The second party, having the same code of behavior and feelings, will also offer to give his or hers as a no-strings gift..Materially, both the Western and Far Eastern deal-makers have gotten what they wanted someone elses CD. Psychologically, however, the two deals couldnt be more differentThe Westerner has, through an exercise of his or her rights, namely, entitlement to something in a fair exchange, gotten what was wanted and owed. The Asian, through fulfillment of his or her duty, as an obligation to consider the wants and needs of others, got what (s)he wanted, by giving demanded only by conscience, not by the contractual, enforceable expectations of the other party.The Asian gets a bonus with the CD the thermis ch feeling that someone has chosen to give something because it was the right and caring thing to do, not because it was expected as contractual fulfillment and exercise of self-asserted rights, with sanctions for non-compliance.When duties (such as the obligation to refrain from smoking), rather than rights (such as the right to demand that someone stop smoking) drive interactions, both parties are left with something to feel good about I did my duty and feel good about that you admire and respect me for it.Nothing remotely like that happens when we Westerners merely assert, defend and exercise our rights as exercises in self-interest.The Rectification of Names Reinforcing this Confucian devotion to parents is a second Confucian doctrine the rectification of names (??- zheng ming). This second pillar of Confucianism is the belief that, for the purpose of social and cosmic order, we must act in conformity to and live up to our names, titles and labels. A daughter or son who does not revere and honor his or her parents fails to live up to the expectations of the family name or the designation daughter or son.Hence, it should not be so surprising that Chinese children more readily and gladly acknowledge a duty to repay their parents than their Western counterparts. Failure to do so means failing to live up to ones name and label- which makes the child a living contradiction. Try suggesting to your kids that they have obligations to do housework, finish homework or to make repaying you a high priority merely in virtue of being sons and daughters who are called son or daughter.GRATITUDE BEGINS HEREAs a tool of moral, political and social control and guidance, the rectification of names is brilliant and akin to getting people to do what you want by telling them they are the kind of people who would do precisely that- as R.D. Laing, the U.K. psychiatrist, pointed out.If you want someone to work hard, dont beg or threaten- just tell him he is such a hardworking emplo yee and that you appreciate that very much. Just tell your son that he is your son, who, as such, will do all that is expected.In the workplace, comparable labels will accomplish the rest and eliminate the middleman (you) by getting the title or label, e.g., employee (which properly connotes hardworking and diligent), to exact compliance.Perhaps the closest Western approximation to the Chinese concept of the rectification of names in connection with filial piety is the cliques code of family honor. Interestingly, in both the Mafia and Chinese culture, family piety is closely linked to something else corruption.The Price of PietyLike everything else, such gratitude toward parents or your Mafia family as a form of filial piety comes at a price. Lets say that such a sense of filial duty is largely a good thing and a personal and cultural strength. On the negative side of the ledger, however, is the consideration that the same Confucianism that undergirds such Chinese family devotion an d respect of elders, like Mafia family devotion, has its dark aspect.In his insightful and enduring 1922 book, The Problem of China (free PDF), the British philosopher, mathematical logician, pacifist and Nobel Laureate Bertrand Russell suggested what that dark side has been.He argued that extreme devotion to family in China, a nation and culture he otherwise greatly admired, has fueled political and business corruption (as a means of ensuring the familys well being and as a consequence of duty to it above all else). How can bribery and cheating others be bad when it is for the good of the familySicilian or Chinese?(By contrast, Russell, lamenting the carnage of WW I and presciently fearful of the coming of WW II, maintained that the Western counterpart to family values has been patriotism, with the homicide of battle between nations filling in for corruption within one.)Such family-inspired proclivity to corruption does teach us a lesson It proves that sometimes not only do good in tentions (to, above all, take care of ones family, including ones parents or extended family) have bad consequences (shafting everybody else, when necessary), but also that among these consequences are bad intentions (to shaft everybody else, when necessary).Here in the West, even if many kids, corrupt or not, are not sufficiently grateful to their parents to make repaying them their highest priority, these kids may still be grateful for one thingthat their parents have been affluent enough to afford their childrens college educations and buy distractions from their kids ingratitude.________________(Note All family and home photos were provided by Miya, devoted daughter and very bright Chinese university scholarship student, who never saw a train until she took one to go to her university to begin her freshman year. The old family home shown in the photo, was, with government assistance, replaced in 2011 with a brand-new, huge and much more modern brick one.)