Self-fulfilling prophecy cycle (Negative assumptions, negative outcome Essay

Self-fulfilling prophecy cycle (Negative assumptions, negative outcome ) - Essay Example Supervisors create expectation of their employees, which emanate various occurrences. The first impression when an employer meets a prospective employee. A supervisor would form an opinion of the latter. Something in the manner of Negative assumptions is more noticeable than positive assumptions. While not necessarily rear positive assumptions are a regular occurrence in the employment industry. However, through principle-centered leaders who are distinct from their counterparts. Positivity radiates energy beams from within extending enthusiasm and energy to the persons they interact with at the workplace. Positivity, believe and upbeat in their employees potential is evident and ingrained within them. They also come across as servant leaders ready to give assistance when needed. It does not necessarily end with them giving a helping hand, but they also pass to be resourceful to be exploited by their followers so as to perform better and to their best. Such leaders surround themselve s with effective persons who exude positivity that plays a huge role in molding their followers (Tauber, 24). The moment an employee suspects certain behavior or manner in the supervisor’s actions, the first effects of self-fulfilling prophecy are witnessed. When the supervisor things an employee has some tendencies that are not desirable, they are likely to pay close attention to them thus prompt the target to act in the manner. Such could be through micromanagement of stifling ideas. Employees have certain expectations that contribute to them feeling invested in the firm. The expectations include; regard for their opinions, fair treatment, a chance for advancement and progression through work evaluation and believe and trust in them. These elements are very essential for an employee to be successful in their place of work. Thus, and employer, supervisor or leader should understand this fundamental factors and pay

The Impact of Japanese American Internment in the US Essay Example for Free

The Impact of Japanese American Internment in the US Essay The internment of hundred of thousands of Japanese Americans during World War II is one of infamous blotches in the United States’ experience with racial discrimination and human and civil rights violations. Although less discussed in the history books than the country’s fight against discriminatory practices against the African Americans, the incarceration of the Japanese Americans, nevertheless, has tainted the nation with guilt. The reason for this is that the incarceration did not have profound effects on the positive outcome of the war. Instead, it only meant the alienation and the violation of the members of a certain race that the US government judged with sweeping generalization as the enemy. The impact on the Japanese Americans was definitely negative. They had to bear the harshness of living in substandard conditions and, worse of all, the racial prejudice that they suffered from the eyes of the American public. On the other hand, the stigma was felt and continues to be felt by American society itself. The internment has been considered as another shameful chapter in the history of a nation that prides itself of being a promoter of freedom, democracy, and civil rights. The arrival of Japanese into the country had been occurring a century before World War II. The more significant increase in migration however occurred in the 1890’s. Before Pearl Harbor was bombed, the single devastating event that prompted the US to got war against Japan, government statistics already confirmed that there was nearly 200,000 people who were either born in Japan or were with Japanese ancestry. The US mainland, particularly the states along the Pacific coast were home to more than 125,000 of these people while the 150,000 were in Hawaii, which was then just a territory of the US. The death toll and the destruction brought about by what was considered as a treacherous act by the Japanese in Pearl Harbor changed the image of the Japanese Americans in the eyes of the Americans. Spurred by the government’s own paranoia over the existence of these people within the country’s backyard, the American public began to treat the Japanese Americans with contempt and distrust. They began to see them as â€Å"American citizens with enemy faces. † (Daniels et al 12) The paranoia was initiated by a government report on the Pearl Harbor attack that came out in January 1942. Penned by US Supreme Court Justice Owen J. Roberts, the report without much evidence alleged that the Japanese Americans in Hawaii spied for the Japanese navy in preparation of the attack. Barely a month after the report came out congress members of the west coast states sent the US president a letter that recommended the immediate evacuation of Japanese Americans in their respective states. As the members of congress made their move, the US Army’s Western Defense Command also sent a memorandum to the Secretary of War that advised the removal every person of Japanese descent from the entire west coast area. In response to both recommendations by the members of the legislature and by the military area high command, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Executive Order 9066 which provided blanket authority to the Secretary of War and all military commanders to implement the recommendations. One part of the memorandum that influenced the President in issuing EO 9066 stated that â€Å"in time of national peril, any reasonable doubt must be resolved in favor of action to preserve the national safety, not for the purpose of punishing those whose liberty may be temporarily affected by such action, but for the purpose of protecting the freedom of the nation, which may be long impaired, if not permanently lost, by non-action. † (The War Relocation Authority) The President and his advisers clearly knew that the internment of the Japanese Americans could gravely affect their basic human rights. Nevertheless, driven by the sense of urgency to protect the country from the enemy, they would rather incarcerate thousands of innocent Japanese American civilians than be at risk from spying activities by a few if there were any proven. The process taken to implement the internment was tainted with violations of the Japanese Americans’ right to privacy. The United States Census Bureau, a department ran by civilians for purely civilian functions, was employed to assist in identifying individuals and families who should be sent to internment. It took a role in spying neighborhoods and gathering information on Japanese Americans. The bureau vehemently denied this role but in 2007, after several decades, this was finally proven. (Minkel) The US government in 1988, under President Ronald Reagan, came out with a legislation of an apology for the internment. It stated that the decisions and actions of the US government regarding the status of the Japanese Americans anchored on â€Å"race prejudice, war hysteria, and a failure of political leadership. (100th Congress) As a result of this legislation, the US government paid more that $1. 6 billion to Japanese Americans who were victims of the internment or were heirs of those who suffered it. It was just that, although late by several decades, the US government issued an apology and paid reparations for the Japanese American victims of the mass internment. The sense of alienation and injustice resulting from mandatory evacuations was already painful. Making it even worse, was the sub-human conditions in the internment camps and the separation from their properties and livelihood. The barracks in which the internees, many of these families, were made to live in barracks with barely insulation from the hot or cold weather. Many of the barracks did not have plumbing as well as facilities for cooking. Some of them even had common toilets. Since the barracks were mostly built by civilian contractors who usually made the military’s camps, these were naturally unsuitable for family living. Some of the internment facilities such as the Heart Mountain War Relocation Center in Wyoming may have names that did not actually reflect the living conditions of the internees. In fact, the Heart Mountain facility actually appeared like a concentration camp with a â€Å"barbed-wire-surrounded enclave, un-partitioned toilets, cots for beds, and a budget of 45 cents daily per capita for food rations. † (Myer) The mandatory evacuation was done hastily, with the military employed to enforce it. Due to such short notice, many of the internees were not able to prepare enough food and clothing for their stay in the camp. Herded by the military into mass transport systems, they were not informed of their respective destinations or the location of their assigned camps. Because of this, they were not able to bring clothes suitable for the climates in which their camps were. A great number had to make do with the thin clothing usually worn in California as they struggle with the harsh winters in Wyoming. Most of the internees consequently lost valuable properties due to the limits of properties that could be brought to the camps. Japanese Americans who had stable employment were naturally forced to leave their jobs permanently. The Japanese Americans were treated unequally. Although they all lived under the same subhuman conditions of the internment camps, the nissei or those who were born in the US and were granted citizenship and their children were give preferential treatment. On the other hand, the nikkei, who were immigrants from Japan and who did not hold US citizenship, were treated with suspicion by the authorities heading the military zones of which the Pacific coast was subdivided. Stricter rules were also applied to them while they were in the camps. As a consequence of their incarceration, Japanese American children experienced difficulties in their studies. Although basic education was still provided in the camps, the system it employed was not only meant to teach children the necessary academic subjects. Education was also made as a channel for anti-Japanese war propaganda. The camp schools were not conducive to learning. There were very few books, teaching aids, and schools supplies for the students to use. Heating was also quite poor, making the children vulnerable to sicknesses. However, what made the educational system worse then was that it embedded shame and hatred for being of Japanese descent. The effect of the daily dose of war propaganda that they experience was such that â€Å"once in a while a child would confide timidly about not wanting to go to school- ashamed of being Japanese in front of his teachers who read every morning from a newspaper about the horrible Japanese soldiers and how fine American soldiers were fighting and winning. (Hirabayashi 45) The traditional way of bringing up families was destroyed by the internment. Parents found it difficult to discipline their children because the living arrangements in the barracks did not allow them so. If they insist on raising their voices while scolding their children, they would certainly annoy their neighbors with whom they share a common thin wall. Because of this, â€Å"the nissei children, for their part, often ate with their peers in the mess hall and roamed around the camp in packs, thus further escaping the influence of their elders. (O’Brien Fugita 62) As are result of this, it was common for internment camps to have problems with juvenile delinquency. Experiencing the difficulties of living in the internment camps had a great impact on Japanese Americans in the duration of World War II. However, it was not the certain degree of depravation that they encountered that was serious enough for them. It was the psychological effect of the incarceration that was more overwhelming. Internment camp administrators admitted that they observed many Japanese Americans showed signs of depression. They also observed that the feelings of insecurity and helplessness were prevalent in the camps’ population. On the other hand, there was quite a number who expressed apprehensions of living outside the camps and be with mainstream society. The reason for this was that they knew of the rabid anti-Japanese propaganda being spread around and accepted by Americans. They were afraid of integrating themselves in a society that might still consider them as enemies and suffer worse racial discrimination in the end. The internment, therefore, only embedded in them fear and hatred against themselves or against other races. After the war, Japanese American internees were released into mainstream society. They tried living as normal as they once lived before the internment but many of them found it difficult to recover. The no longer have the shops, farms, and jobs which were their sources of living. Opportunities of regaining these were bleak as the general population still tended to treat them with contempt. While before they share the same fate as the African Americans as victims of racial discrimination, after the war, even the African Americans tended to treat them as a lesser race. Several years after, adults who were then young boys and girls in the internment camps still experienced episodes of depression. A former child internee wrote that even after all those decades, there were still times when remembered his experience in an internment camp, as well as the â€Å"feeling of isolation and abandonment. (Tateishi 130) Aside from these depressing memories that former internees continue to suffer, they also suffered confusion of their racial and national identity, especially the nissei. Mary Matsuda Gruenewald, another former child internee, remembered a time when she was made to do a Japanese dance inside the camp; â€Å"vulnerability and fragility exposed my old confusion: Am I Japanese or am I American in this barbed-wire camp, about to perform a Japanese dance? † (Looking Like the Enemy 69) The impact is still experienced by Japanese Americans of this generation. They still â€Å"have trouble feeling at home in their adopted country. † (Alfaro 206) They still fear the possibility that the people of other races upon seeing them would remember them as enemies who had the chance of partaking the opportunities offered in the US. Majority of the American public still has to know the truth about the internment of Japanese Americans. This sad part of history should have a positive impact on society, making the people more vigilant against various forms of racism.

Moral Universalism Vs Ethnocentrism Commerce Essay

Moral Universalism Vs Ethnocentrism Commerce Essay In todays scenario the manager across the globe are quite focused and clear when its comes to moral or ethical behavior because now a days there is a tremendous pressure from people, government and other concern bodies to do business ethically. Multinationals is the one who has to decide that what kind of approach they want to follow in their business process. Business ethics are the principals which are used to do business in a proper manner. This report is a critical assessment of ethical and moral challenges face by multinational companies in their overseas business operations. Moral Universalism Vs Ethnocentrism It is very difficult to defined a similar set of rules of morality and ethics for each and every country of the world because every country, every religion, every community has their own likes and dislikes, their own set of rules, preferences, understanding etc. so its become very difficult for an organization to formed a similar set of rules which can be applied in each and every country of the world. The decision to set moral values differs from place to place in which an organization is doing business. In Moral Universalism some set of ethics is accepted globally regardless of culture, race, sex, religion, nationality. These are certain set of ethics which are globally practiced. Moral Universalism is broader approach when is come to apply ethics globally. Example: There are many examples where we see moral universalism used globally. The most common example of moral universalism is the equality in the workplace regardless of your gender. This is the most common example of moral universalism when global moral and ethics are used in every country without any hesitation. Ethnocentrism is the approach in which moral or the culture of a particular place, country or organization is judged accordingly to the standards set by a particular person, group or country. This style is very narrow in its approach and not widely accepted. Ethnocentrism mainly believed to be subtle and overt in its approach. Code of Conduct A number of organizations across the globe developed their own code of conduct when it comes to doing business overseas. Many organizations shake hands with other organizations in the world to develop a certain set of standards which can be used globally. Companies such as Avon (cosmetics), Sainsbury Plc. (a food retailer in the United Kingdom (UK)), Toys R Us (toy retailer) and Otto Versand (clothing retailer) have joined with the Council on Economic Priorities (CEP) to establish SA8000 (Social Accountability 8000, on the lines of the manufacturing quality standard ISO9000). (G.MEHALU, Kidus, 2011) Some standards which are globally accepted are as follows: Do not use child labor at work place. Dont use forced labor. Provide safe working environment. Pay at at least minimum wages to the workers. There are four major organizations which mainly decide the code of conduct for multinational across the globe: International Chamber of Commerce. Organization for Economic Cooperation development. International Labor Organization. United nation commission on transnational corporations. (G.MEHALU, Kidus, 2011) Factors affecting Moral and Ethical Behavior: Stage of moral development- There are various stages involved in the development of moral of an individual. Starting from pre conventional, then to conventional when one tries to fulfill the expectations of others, then last stage is the self chosen path. Individual characteristics- Moral and ethical behavior also differ from person to person. Its totally ones choice to decide what is right and what is wrong. Structural factors- Structure of an organization is also affecting the ethical behavior and moral values of an individual. Organizational culture- Organization working culture plays a decisive role in employees thinking. The organization laid the foundation stone in employees understanding of morality and ethical behavior. (G.MEHALU, Kidus, 2011) Case-1 NIKE Sweatshop: Nike is the world pioneer in the field of footwear and apparel manufacturing. It has the presence in over 140 countries across the globe with over 44000 workers. In the early 1990s, Nike products were being manufactured in six Indonesian factories, employing more than 25,000 workers. Four of these factories were owned by Nikes Korean suppliers. As Nikes presence in Indonesia increased, the factories supplying its products (about six million pairs of shoes per year) came under greater scrutiny. Reports by a variety of NGOs and labor activists claimed that these plants were rife with exploitation, poor working conditions, and a range of human rights and labor abuses. Many Indonesian shoe factories did not even pay the minimum daily wage (at the time, 2,100 rupiah or about US$1). They petitioned the Indonesian government for exemptions to the legal minimum wage, claiming it would cause them hardship to pay. According to official Indonesian government calculations, this minimum daily wag e only covered 70% of the basic needs of one individual let alone a family. Nikes Korean suppliers were seen as especially stingy with wages and abusive to local workers. (RICHARD M. LOCKE, Alvin J. Siteman, 2000) This case clearly shows that multinational organizations mould their rules and working style according to their preferences and according to the place where they are operating. What Nike does in Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan they cant do the same things in America or any other European countries because they have strict rules and regulation for the working environment. This a moral challenge which Nike faced during their operation in Asian countries but company decide lower their standard of operations in so called third world countries to make more profit. Nike not follow the same policy of operation which they use in America or Europe. But they decide to go another way and do which is morally and ethically wrong to make more profit margins (RICHARD M. LOCKE, Alvin J. Siteman, 2000). Case-2 Coca Cola Controversy in India Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brands on the planet, and also one of the worlds largest corporations. The companys profits amounted to just under $15 billion in 2005, while its market value is calculated at over $100 billion. Worldwide, more than one billion cans or bottles of Cola-Cola are consumed every day or 12,500 every second. But in 2004 in Kerala, Coca-Colas plant was forced to close down after the village council refused to renew the companys license, on the grounds that it had over-used and contaminated local water resources. Four months earlier, the Kerala High Court had ruled that Coca-Colas heavy extraction from the common groundwater resource was illegal, and ordered it to seek alternative sources for its production. Local villagers, politicians, environmentalists and scientists heralded the closure of the Plachimada plant as a major victory, and are now attempting to have it made permanent. In addition to the depletion of the groundwater, analyses indicated that water extracted by Coca-Cola had been contaminated with potentially harmful foreign particles as it was drawn upwards through the various rock strata. The water subsequently became unfit for human consumption and even for irrigation purposes. (Coca Cola the alternative report, 2006) Coke follows a strict rules and regulations in the US and in other developed countries but in third world countries coke doesnt remain in its ethical and moral value which they follow in their home country. In India and in many Asian countries coke working policy is ethically and morally correct but they change their policies according to their need (Coca Cola the alternative report, 2006). Coke which is world most trusted brand is doing the things which are not ethically and morally correct. They must follow the same practices which follow in U.S in other developed countries. Case-3 Ethical issues of McDonalds in India The major issue was beef. Cow being sacred and worshipped, beef could not be served. Muslims did not eat pork. The challenge was to change the form of the worldwide popular Hamburger to make an entry into India. With 25-30% of the population being vegetarian and a large majority eating meat, an alternative to beef and pork was necessary. The population of a billion was undoubtedly a promising opportunity for an international company. McDonalds accepted the challenge and created the Aloo Tikki Burger known as McAloo TikkiTM especially for the Indian vegetarian customers. Aloo- Tikki was a potato patty with spices. It also made a chicken and fish option available for the non vegetarians. McDonalds even separated the non vegetarian cooking process and the vegetarian cooking process to convince the customers of the Shudh Shakahari Experience which means pure vegetarian experience. In addition, the crew cooking vegetarian food was asked to wear green aprons. McDonalds in India was one of its kinds as it did not offer beef at all. In order to convince and change the perception of the customers about the burgers they offered, McDonalds made attempts to clarify their stand about beef in India. So the world famous hamburger was without meat. This was indeed a classic case of product adaptation, to gain foothold in a new market. (KULKARNI, Dr. Smita, 2009) McDonalds faces a crucial ethical and moral challenge in India bur they accordingly and tries to follow the practices which are used in India instead of imposing their own preferences over the people. McDonalds handle this situation of cross culturalism and ethical values very smartly and not lend into any controversy as we already discussed above. Conclusion: In keeping with the examples discussed above, one can say that moral values and ethics are depends on organizations. Organizations have to decide their moral values and ethics and implement them accordingly. As in this case company working policy is debatable but you cant accuse them because they dont do it forcefully, and they also give back to the society.

Finding Peace in Death Comes For The Archbishop Essay -- Archbishop

Finding Peace in Death Comes For The Archbishop      Ã‚   Willa Cather's Death Comes For The Archbishop is a novel set in the nineteenth century in New Mexico.   The story follows the adventures of Father Vaillant and Father Latour, two refined French priests on a mission to promote Catholicism in Santa Fe.   The story follows each man's experiences in these unrefined surroundings causing them to go through dramatic changes as they experience the westward movement of the frontier.   Through the struggles and journeys of a host of characters, we discover the underlying tensions of worldly distractions that can create a divided character between oneself.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The first example of a divided character I would like to discuss is that of the cardinals in Rome. It seems as if the heads of the Catholic Church indulge in worldly possessions to fulfill their spiritual desires.   "...I had this wine brought up from my cellar especially to warm away the chill of your twenty Canadian winters.   Surely, you do not gather vintages like this on the shores of the Great Lake Huron?"(9).   These high cardinals seem to have grown devoted to luxuries of life than to God and the Catholic Church.   This behavior contradicts the teachings of Catholicism itself, where worldly matter is not of importance.   This passage constructs a clear warning to the reader, making it clear that these characters seem to have jumped on the bandwagon of globalization, thus at times forgetting their religious ties.   It is hard to say if these cardinals have ever experienced the meaning of true devotion to God, a point of faith where material luxuries have no value.   Latour may be looked down upon to do the hard work of the missions but his experie... ... cathedral, distracting him from his mission to reach the native people.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although Father Latour may possess few worldly desires, one may argue he wants what others can benefit from as well as pleasing himself.   Along his journeys, Latour encounters various people, most associates of the Catholic Church like himself.   It seems as each time Latour detects a sense of deceit in a person, he progresses in his own mission of morality.   When one is trying so hard to embrace and follow the rules and restrictions of religion, as well as enjoy the worldly luxuries, a divided character is created within oneself.   It is not until true and total devotion is committed to ones religion that material things become irrelevant and one can be at peace.  Ã‚  Ã‚      Work Cited:    Cather, Willa. Death Comes for the Archbishop. NY: Vintage Books, 1990.

Religious teaching Essay

‘Religious teachings offer the only sound basis for moral reasoning.’ Critically examine arguments for and against this opinion. Morality is the knowledge and practice of what is moral, which may, according to your personal view be instinctive, be associated with religion and culture, or be acquired by reasoning. Most, if not all religions have a ‘human moral code’, which follows God’s will. Religious people will consult their religious text, whether it is the Bible, Qur’an or Torah ect, when making a moral decision. Very often these religious texts will lay out a set of rules or guide lines. In Christianity it is the 10 Commandments, in Buddhism it is the 8 Fold Path. Although these ‘rules’ do provide a good moral base, if taken to their logical conclusion they are objective and absolute, leaving no room for the flexibility needed in today’s society. This is taking a Deontological approach; this is when a person has a set of rules that they consider to be absolutely right. They abide by these rules, as they are more important than the effect or outcome. We can use the example of abortion and the 10 Commandments. These religious laws state that ‘Thou shalt not kill’. If taken absolutely this means that abortion is wrong no matter what the circumstances are, even if the child will be born severely disabled or will be born into extreme poverty. For many people moral values are relative to a specific society, time and circumstances, and their moral view can change through changed circumstances, needs, beliefs and knowledge. This flexibility is known as relativism and is the opposite of absolute. This is also known as taking a Consequential approach, when a person looks to the outcome, and decides how to act to achieve that result. They have in mind the aim and believe that actions can be deemed moral if they achieve that aim – the end justifies the means. Because of this many individuals often experience conflict in making moral decisions because they have no absolute code of what is right or wrong. There are several different methods subjective morality: Utilitarianism is the view that you decide whether an action is right or wrong by looking at the consequences, and you should choose they action that will produce the most happiness/least-suffering to the greatest number of people. If we consider whether abortion is right or wrong using the utilitarianism view we would have to say that it depends on the individual situation, and whether the baby would be born healthily or not, and whether the baby would be loved, and the number of people affected by the pregnancy, amongst other things. Natural Law states that morality should use the ‘natural’ form of behaviour, and that humans and society should follow this ‘natural law’. Therefore anything that is deemed as ‘un-natural’ is wrong. This means that in the case of abortion it is always wrong, as pregnancy is a natural occurrence and it should not be ended un-naturally. Social contract theory claims that laws and morals are a human invention upon which we agree to make life better for ourselves. When making a moral decision a person would have to consider the impact upon society and people’s freedom, amongst other things. Once again considering the case of abortion, a person using social contract theory, would consider the effect having a baby would have on their lives, the lives of people around them, and how the life of the bay would be once it is born. I conclude by saying that I think that religious teachings do not offer the only sound basis for moral reasoning. I feel that the individual situation also needs to be considered when making a moral decision as every case has different circumstances. I also feel that although the religious laws do give a good, sound basis for morality the objective and absolute rules stated by religion do not leave room for the flexibility needed in today’s society.

How Many Pounds in a Ton A Fascinating Story

How Many Pounds in a Ton A Fascinating Story SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The most basic answer to the question of how many pounds in a ton? There are 2000 pounds in a ton. Still feel confused? You're not alone. But why is the ton a measurement that no one ever quite understands or remembers? This conversion is endlessly confusing because a ton can refer to different forms of measurement. In this article, I’ll explain exactly what a ton is, what it measures, and how to convert tons to pounds. I'll go into the differences between a ton, a metric ton, and several other kinds of tons. And finally, I'll give you a brief history of this often mixed up and misused unit of measurement. The Basics: What’s a Ton? How Do You Convert Tons to Pounds? First things first: here are the most basic facts you should know about tons. If you live in the US, then when you encounter a reference to a ton, you're looking at a measurement of mass. The conversions for tons to pounds and pounds to tons are below: 1 ton = 2000 pounds 1 pound = 1/2000 of a ton But what if you dig a little deeper into this unit? Let’s check out some other kinds of tons around the world. What’s the Difference Between a Short Ton, a Long Ton, and a Tonne (Metric Ton)? One of the reasons the ton is such a confounding measurement is that there are actually three different kinds of tons in use around the world. Short Ton The United States has never adopted the metric system for measuring things. Instead, our country uses a system called customary units. To measure mass, this system uses pounds and ounces as well as the tons I described in the previous section. The US ton is called a short ton. 1 short ton is 2000 pounds. Long Ton The United Kingdom uses a mix of the metric system and the older Imperial system for its measurements. This means that they measure mass sometimes in kilograms and other times in units called stones. The ton that is used in Imperial measures is a little heavier than the US one, so the UK ton is called a long ton. 1 long ton is 2240 pounds. Tonne (or Metric Ton) Most other countries have by this point fully adopted the metric system, and use grams and kilograms to measure mass. The metric ton is never officially called a metric ton, and is instead called a tonne (pronounced just like the word â€Å"ton†). 1 tonne is 1000 kilograms, or 2,204.6 pounds. Short Ton, Long Ton, and Tonne Conversions 1 short ton = 0.89 long tons = .9 tonnes = 2000 pounds = 907 kilograms 1 long ton = 1.12 short tons = 1.01 tonnes = 2240 pounds = 1016 kilograms 1 tonne = 0.98 long tons = 1.1 short tons = 2204 pounds = 1000 kilograms So, in order from lightest to heaviest, it goes: 1 short ton 1 metric ton 1 long ton. Tons are like nesting dolls- each a slightly larger version of the next. Why Are There So Many Different Tons? The word "ton" originally comes from a measurement of volume called a â€Å"tun†- basically a very big wine-making cask. And you're right- this does, in fact, mean that originally a ton was a measurement of volume rather than mass! Eventually, it was determined that a tun could hold about 2000 pounds worth of wine, and the term "ton" evolved to describe this weight. The short ton and long ton measurements diverged when this wine-making measurement was standardized. In the US and the UK, the ton was defined as 20 hundredweights (another unit of mass). But, while in the US 1 hundredweight = 100 pounds, in the UK 1 hundredweight = 8 stones. Since 1 stone = 14 pounds, the UK hundredweight = 2 pounds. The US took the road less traveled- and that has made all the difference. At least as far as short tons are concerned. What Other Kinds of Tons Are There? In addition to the three types of tons above, there are many other sorts of tons that are used to describe a wide range of measurements. These less common tons are generally quite specialized, meaning you're unlikely to encounter them in your day to day life. Still, the diversity of usage certainly helps explain why the word ton is frequently so confusing. As we go through the other kinds of tons, notice how sometimes the ton is used to measure mass, sometimes to measure volume, and sometimes it's not a measurement at all- but instead a standard quantity! Tons in the Ocean At sea, tons typically have to do with measuring ships- and in this context, tons are generally a way to express volume rather than mass. Deadweight Ton. A volume measurement of a ship's carrying capacity, including cargo, ballast, crew, and supplies. It is expressed in tonnes or long tons. Register Ton (or Tonnage). A volume measurement of a ship’s cargo capacity. Tonnage isn’t the same thing as the weight of a ship (called â€Å"displacement†). Ton Class. A volume measurement that categorizes types of yachts based on the capacity of the hold. Displacement Ton. A measurement of the weight of a ship. It’s called â€Å"displacement† because you calculate it by measuring the volume of water that a ship displaces, and then converting this volume into weight. Tons in the Ground One of the uses of "ton" as a standard amount rather than a measurement happens with ore. Check out the "assay ton" to see that a ton can sometimes mean a very small amount of something! Dry Ton (or Tonne). A measurement of mass used for material that’s usually wet but has been dried for transportation (think sludge, slurry, or compost, for example). Assay Ton. This is not a unit of measurement, but is always either 29 1⠁„6 grams (short assay ton) or 32 2⠁„3 grams (long assay ton)- much lighter than a pound! This amount is the standard quantity of ore necessary for testing the ores of precious metals. Tons of Energy Here, the ton is so removed from its original meaning that it's used to measure energy output in the same way that units like the joule or the calorie do. Ton of TNT. This kind of ton is not a measurement of volume or mass, but instead, a specific amount of energy- 109 calories (about 4.184 gigajoules)- generally used to describe nuclear weapons or earthquakes. This energy unit hasn't had anything to do with the actual chemical TNT for a long time. Tonne of Oil Equivalent. Another standard energy value, based on the amount of energy released by burning one tonne of crude oil. The very similar "tonne of coal equivalent" is the amount of energy released by burning one tonne of coal. Tons of Cold Ton of Refrigeration. This is a measure of heat absorption used for refrigeration and air conditioning, and comes from the days when cooling was accomplished only through ice. 1 unit ton of mechanical refrigeration is the capacity to meet the consumption of 1 ton of ice in 1 day. That's a good-looking ton of ship. So, Really, How Many Pounds in a Ton? All you really have to know is that in the US, a ton measures mass and is the same as 2000 pounds. It helps to have a general sense that the US short ton, the UK long ton, and the metric ton are slight variations on the same measurement. To be a ton superstar, you should remember that the ton started as a measurement of volume and is still used that way about ships.