Debate: Religion, GPA and Work

Hey there, I'm back! And no, sorry, with no Bangkok post this time O.o

It's been craaaazy, believe me! Working two jobs and preparing for your research proposal (yep, i'm walking down the aisle towards my final thesis as a Bachelor student!) AND being a scholarship recipient of Djarum Beasiswa Plus turned out to be quite a challenge in maintaining a regular blog! :p

However, I'm back with a not-so-usual feature: In My Opinion!

So today I'm gonna tell you about my latest academic debate with none other than Kecoakman. The theme is about discrimination (religion and GPA) in work. So, shall we?

His question 1: Is it discriminating to not hire someone because of his/her religion?
In my opinion, yes. It is discriminating to not hire someone with reason other than his/her capability. Sure, people might have personal preferences about things based on their own experiences, and religion might be one of the things there. But no, it still counts as a form of discrimination, because then people of certain group/religion will never have the equal opportunity for that position (unless they change their religion).


His question 2: What if it is because of religion-related reasons that are also related to working performance? For example, I will not hire a Moslem because he/she will lose one hour or so every Friday for their Friday Prayer?
Whenever someone is hired, they are asked to sign on their Contract of Work (CoW) as agreed with the company, usually represented by a Human Resources Department (HRD). In that CoW, rights and responsibilities of both parties will be arranged.

For example,
Employee
Responsibilities: work 50 hours and get 3 new customers per week for the fee
Rights: get salary of IDR 2 million every month, 1 day leave every month

Employer
Responsibilities: pay the salary, make sure the working condition is appropriate
Rights: get the job done by their employee

Now, it doesn't matter if the Moslem applicant take a 1-hour leave every Friday as long as he/she is able to meet his/her responsibilities as arranged in the CoW. It can be done with a good time management, maybe take an overtime when needed. If not, then his/her boss has the right to fire him/her, but not not-hiring them because of his/her religion.


His question 3: What if I turn down an applicant who is a Christian, because I will need someone who can work full hour on Sunday as SPG in the mall and I am certain that he/she won't be able to do that since he/she will be going to church?
Well, then, it is still discrimination. It is based on your assumption that if he/she is a Christian, then he/she won't be able to work on Sunday. The right thing to do is to put specific working hour and day in the requirement. For example, say, "willing to work full time on Sunday, from 08.00 - 21.00". (this is extreme, of course)
Then if you should turn down a Christian applicant, it would not be based on her religion, but because he/she is not willing to work those hours. On the other hand, you can hire an applicant who is a Christian AND willing to move his/her church schedule to Saturday to work with you. Therefore, no one will be discriminated for his/her religion; every group of religion (or non-religion, that is) have the equal opportunity to get the job.


His question 4: But what about GPA, then? Most job vacancies have specific requirement for minimum GPA, say 2.oo and above. Isn't it also based on the assumption that people with GPA less then 2.00 work with lower performance than those with ones above it? And what if those with GPA less then 2.00 is willing to manage - as you said with religion - their working style so that they can meet the working performance required?
It is an assumption all right, but it is more of a standardized quality you look for in applicants. Everywhere around the world, GPA system works in more or less the same way, some with tougher standards than the others (say, Harvard or NTU or even national leading universities in Indonesia such as University of Indonesia and Parahyangan Catholic University) - which is why leading-universities' alumni get extra points in that when looking for job. Students must meet their responsibilities: turning in tasks and papers, finishing exams, taking up the required credits, making final thesis.
Now, there are several possibilities why students come up with lesser GPA. It can be because of they are incapable of meeting those responsibilities (purely based on the intelligentsia level), or they don't put that much of an effort into their study (poor time management - more play than study, or they just don't like the major they're studying, or in short, their work ethics).
With that in mind, it is just logical if a company put a minimum GPA requirement, because they are looking for the best to join their company. If you have 1,000 or so applicants, GPA requirement is one of the easiest way to sort them. When a HRD is faced with a choice between an applicant with 3.50 GPA and one with 1.90 GPA, it is logical if they go with the 3.50 GPA guy right?
Say, you are looking to hire a new architect as your associate. You have two applicants from the same university. On one hand, is this amazing applicant with 3.90 GPA. It implies that this applicant was an amazing student, he/she was able to meet the standardized requirements in his/her university. You can bet that he/she really knows his/her field, he/she masters the skills needed as an architect.
On the other hand, you have this one applicant with 1.90 GPA. What does that imply? Is this applicant incompetent as an architect? Or maybe he/she is competent, but was just too lazy back in college? Either way, it doesn't seem promising for your company. But you want to be sure, perhaps. So you ask for their portfolios during school.
You take a look at the sketches made by the first applicant, all got As or Bs, because the composition is right, it makes sense, and yet is very creative. And then you take a look at the second applicant's sketches, all got Cs or Ds, because they are messy, some pillars just don't make sense, and they look like he/she just copied them from somewhere else - not creative at all.
Isn't it clear who are you going to take with you into your precious company? How is the second applicant supposed to MANAGE his/her incapability? Learning by doing? That's not for work; that is supposed to be done at school, not at work. An employer would seek for those who are ready to use.


His question 5: But exactly the same with religion! They are both based on assumptions. I think your argument is based on the willingness/capability. In the religion case, it depends on the applicant's willingness to re-arrange their prayer/church schedule. While in the GPA case, you say that the GPA is a proof for their capabilities. And it's true, for their college era. But what if they are willing to change? People can change in about 3 months if they really put hard work into it.
But the company won't gamble on that, will they? They won't wait for another three months to see if their "sweet words" on changing are true and, shall they not be true, sack the person and go back to square one to seeking another. And God only knows how long it will take for someone to adjust his/her capability and work ethics to the level needed by the company.
While on religion and prayer time, it is more exact. Either you are willing or not to move your Church schedule. Either you can keep up your work even though you lose one hour each week for Friday Prayer or not. And hence, religion should not be the reason for not hiring someone.
Your GPA is the result of the choices you made in college. You know that GPA is one of the major requirements for work. And if you still chose to play around in college, resulting in poor GPA (because I believe, if you are accepted in the university, in that major, you actually have the capability - although it might not be as good as others', hence your "intelligentsia" won't lead you to flunk), you know what's coming for you. You know that companies might not want to hire you.
But with religion, "if you choose to believe in a certain religion and really uphold your religion values, companies might not want to hire you because you will lose more time in upholding those values (e.g. pray, etc)" doesn't sound right, does it?



Up to this very second, the debate is not settled. :p I have a feeling it was because we began this debate not on the same basis, and I got too emotional to clarify that. I tried, but that - getting too emotional - is like my most profound weakness in debates, so yeah... lol Maybe we'll just agree to disagree, but... I hate it when there is no exact "who's right and who's wrong"! Although actually the thing might be exactly that there is no right and wrong in this! :p

And that's all that I can share with you. :D What's your opinion?

KONY 2012

KONY 2012 is a film and campaign by Invisible Children that aims to make Joseph Kony famous, not to celebrate him, but to raise support for his arrest and set a precedent for international justice.

HOW TO HELP:
Visit: http://kony2012.com
Donate to Invisible Children: https://stayclassy.org/checkout/set-donation?eid=14711
For info on Invisible Children: http://invisiblechildren.com

Let’s make JOSEPH KONY Famous!!
Who is JOSEPH KONY?
He is THE WORST LIVING CRIMINAL. He abducts children and makes them use guns to kill their own parents. He takes girls and forces them to be sex slaves. He calls his abducted children the Lord’s Resistance Army, AKA the LRA. He has abducted over 30,000 children and forced them to be child soldiers in Central Africa. He remains at large because he is INVISIBLE to the world. FEW know his name, even FEWER know his crimes. WE ARE MAKING HIM FAMOUS! Because when he is, the world will unite against him and demand his arrest.


Let's take a part in this! Each of us CAN have our own contribution to this world (:
Spread the words!

It's Our Day, Ladies!

Yes, ladies, today is our day! :D
Today, March 8th, is the International Women's Day, celebrated by countries around the world. The day gives special opportunity for general celebration of respect, appreciation and love towards women, and also special opportunity to celebrate women's economic, political, and social achievement.

According to United Nations (UN), International Women's Day is the story of ordinary women as makers of history; it is rooted in the centuries-old struggle of women to participate in society on an equal footing with men. In ancient Greece, Lysistrata initiated a sexual strike against men in order to end war; during the French Revolution, Parisian women calling for "liberty, equality, fraternity" marched on Versailles to demand women's suffrage.


Getting to know 'Gender Equality'

Gender equality is not only a very basic human right. It has also enormous socio-economic influences to the society. Empowered women can fuel thriving economies, spur productivity and growth. They can help overcome social problems such as poverty and hunger. According to ONE.org, women in Africa are at the forefront of AIDS vaccine research! Empowered women also have major roles in creating better future generation. Educated women mean educated children, and educated children mean the better future!



Yet gender inequalities persist in our society today. Women in many parts of the globe still lack access to decent work, face occupational segregation and gender wage gaps, are denied access to basic education and health care, and even suffer from violence and discrimination.



There have been many efforts around the globe to see gender equality. Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW)is one of them. The UN also established UN Women in July 2010 as a historic step to accelerate its goals on gender equality and the empowerment of women. In its latest report, Progress of the World’s Women: In Pursuit of Justice, UN Women analyzed and assessed women’s access to justice. It offers fresh perspectives and approaches to ensuring women globally can access justice, be it in home, workplace, or in public life.


Now, what does 'gender equality' mean to you?
Earlier this day, a senior of mine tweeted in Bahasa, "Berbicara keseteraan gender, berarti wanita mesti menerima wajib militer, atau beban kerja pria yg menggunakan fisik. Intinya, jangan manja." (which basically says in English, 'Talking bout gender equality, meaning women must accept military conscription, or men's physical working burden. Don't ask to be spoiled.")

Actually, I have to admit that I am against that kind of stance. NOT that because I wanna be spoiled, but because I believe that's not what 'gender equality' means.

According to ABC of Women Worker’s Rights and Gender Equality, produced by ILO in 2000, gender equality means that "women and men have equal conditions for realizing their full human rights and for contributing to, and benefiting from, economic, social, cultural and political development". Therefore, it does not mean taking both men and women as the same, but rather as equal and justly. It means acknowledging the differences of men and women, their biological differences, capabilities, etc., while still giving equal respect.

For example, when a company is opening a job vacancy for manager. Anyone who qualifies and meets their standards, regardless they are women or men, should get same opportunity of getting that job. This is not to deny that there are several positions and jobs that only man or woman can do.

But, contrary to what my senior said, gender equality does not mean demanding from women of what men can do while they can not, and vice versa, but rather, that their right, responsibilities, and opportunities will not depend whether they were born women or men. For example, it is not right to make women carry heavy loads beyond, and I repeat, beyond their can, with sentiment 'gender equality' as your justification.


The head of my high school foundation, Sr Francesco Marianti, OSU never lets her female students carry heavy items such as big tables etc which are beyond their capabilities. She always asks her male students to do so. When a female friend of mine once argued that it is discriminatory, she replied that that is stupid. Women are gifted with womb, softer muscles etc, and taking too heavy objects might harm their bodies. There is no point in making women do that kind of stuff, because the ultimate goal is not that kind of so-called 'equality'. It is by providing opportunities to both men and women based on their capabilities.

So to me, gender equality means that both men and women have the right to make their own choices: what to be, what to do, purely based on what they are capable of. It is removing social prejudice about women or men, removing generalized labels. To me as a woman, it is to have the freedom to be both wife/mother and diplomat/astronaut/police officer/general/etc. It is not to receive discrimination, violence, harassment and alikes just because I am a woman, and considered lower then men. It is the freedom to take my stance, and have my say in this world. It is freedom to be me, and maximize what I have as a human being. (:


The world is now on progress to achieve gender equality.

173 countries guarantee paid maternity leave, 125 countries outlaw domestic violence, 139 constitutions guarantee gender equality, 117 countries have equal pay laws.. More works still need to be done, and they need not only women, but men alike. Hand in hand. Because it is mutually beneficial to everybody! :D


Closing Remarks
So, ladies, I would like to, on this special day, congratulate us all for being so strong, yet gentle; tough, yet sensitive; for being so beautiful, so smart, so enthusiastic in finding our footing in this world.

I would like to celebrate the achievements of women around the globe and all across history. I would like to say thanks. I would like to encourage us, all of us, to keep moving forward - to finally achieve, that gender equality that we have all been dreaming of. AMEN.

Gender equality must become a lived reality.

-Michelle Bachelet

XOXO Much love,
Marsha Imaniara - Indonesian woman

Essay Writing 101

Hiyaa there everyone! It's been quite some time since the last time I wrote, right? :p I'm so terribly sorry for my absence. This time, I would like to post something that is more academic; so...... this is my first post for Academic feature in Marsha-Go-Round, hurray! :D

To begin with, let's talk about something more basic. Can you guess what it is? Yep! It's 'essay writing'. (;


Essay writing is an activity that you will always stumble upon, whether you are in high school, or in college. It even will continue if you enter the academic work field, or journalistic, for an instance. However, not everyone is familiar with how best to write essays. What kind of essay will be most likely effective to deliver our points?

In this post, I would like to share something that I hope will be useful in term of essay writing.

First, an essay is always constructed of some parts. Each of these parts have their own names: Abstract, Introduction, Body, and Conclusion. I'm sure we are all familiar with those parts, but I will give you a distinctive point for each part, that hopefully will help make our essays better.

Abstract, of course, is a summary. In short essays, this should not be longer than 2-3 lines. While for the Introduction, keep it simple, and make sure to define your KEY POINTS. This is to limit your discussion, and is some kind of attempt to make your own 'safety net'. (;

In the Body, we will break up our points into different sections. It is imperative that we use logical and reasoned argument, and AVOID emotional words. And now, we've reached our Conclusion. Do NOT merely present a summary statement (read: copying and pasting some of your points in the Body to the Conclusion) or insert any new ideas. And in writing our conclusion, we need to be sure of the nature of our essay: is it Descriptive (only the general idea as conclusion), or is it Argumentative (emphasizing arguments and proposing solutions in the conclusion). And last, aim to make a LASTING IMPRESSION by using questions, etc..


Second,is the language considerations.
We need to make sure that the language we use is suitable to our readers, i.e. not to use too shallow vocabularies if our main readers are academics, or not to use too high vocabularies and terms if our main readers are only vaguely familiar with the topic. This will help keep our readers 'entertained', and they will be more comfortable reading our essay. (;

Last, I will share the linguistic guidelines I got from my lecturer. Here we go:
TEN LINGUISTIC GUIDELINES
1. Limit every sentence: single statement, fact, idea.
2. Average sentence length: 20 words; but also make sure your sentences are varied in length.
3. Use properly linked sentences.
4. Check your pronouns; make sure they are all consistent.
5. Conscious choice between passive and active sentences: reason behind using them.
6. If you are not fully satisfied with the sentence, rewrite it completely rather than try to alter some parts.
7. Re-read everything you write, remove ambiguities.
8. Learn to identify and avoid the use/overuse of jargon, redundancies, slang, and cliches.
9. Check the word order on your sentences.
10. Check all tenses, prepositions, subject/verb agreement, spelling, and punctuations.


See? It can be pretty easy, right? (;
And now, let's write thousands of essays! :p