Pros and Cons of Zoos

One of the many pros to keeping animals in captivity is breeding programs to help endangered species â€Å"Many zoos have breeding programs in place to help eliminate genetic bottlenecks, especially when dealing with an endangered species.† (Vittana, 5/31/17) . It is also a way to engage young children in science and to learn more about nature. However they do have a few cons such as a shorter lifespan for instance, on average an orca lives a much shorter life in captivity vs. in the wild, â€Å"In captivity, the average lifespan of an orca is one-third the lifespan of a wild orca.† (Animal legal defense fund, 1/15/16). (Animals may also succumb to zoochosis which is the display of repetitive behavior because of being trapped unable to roam free. This causes stress for them wishing they were able to go where their hearts desire. On the other side of this argument the pros of animals in the wild way a lot higher. There are some but few exceptions to the rule that all animals need large natural spaces to thrive and be healthy. The economic pros of wild species are tremendous such as the economical benefits shift to outdoor recreational activities. Hunting and fishing are two major sources of economic revenues generating a cash flow in the wildlife industry. â€Å"The recreational pros to wild life is the ecotourism it attracts annually to generate larger revenue for the state funding.† (Bobula, 3/3/17). Most importantly animals in the wild are a part of the ecosystem and help out a lot, †Ã‚  animals are an integral part of the environment and without them we ourselves would struggle to exist, (8/22/14 Nitin Bhamvani ). Animals in the wild also help disperse seeds that grow into plants giving us oxygen. They also provide a good source of food for us if left alone and many clothing accessories that we need as well. Animals all have a special purpose in the wild. I believe the only major con of animals in the wild are those that are illegally imported. They cause threats to other wildlife and humans, they spread many diseases to us all â€Å"Zoonotic diseases — those that jump to humans — account for three quarters of all emerging infectious threats† (Alfano, 11/28/06). This is the cause only of the animals that are imported which leads to my statement that if animals are kept unbothered in nature they will cause no harm or visible threat to us all world wide. The overall census between animals in the wild and in captivity is that they intertwine and overlap, we need to manage wildlife which in its long term approach will benefit us people for many generations to come. So if you were to ask my opinion on if animals are better off in the wild or placed in captivity my answer would be left in the wild. The reason for this is very simple in the data, animals naturally will live longer healthier lives in the wild. This in turn will help our environment and will not interrupt the food chain. Animals should not be caged because it is cruel and against nature, in zoos they are treated very badly as seen from this article â€Å"Animal cruelty in zoos  continues to be extremely common. There are continuous cases of animals  abused by visitors  and zoo workers. Many of them are reported every week in the media, however, the large majority are kept secret and those responsible are never held accountable or punished.† (Netivist, 4/26/18). Animals also contract many diseases from other zoo animals and sicken. The animals in my opinion aren't treated fairly and the ethical reasons are questionable. To put us in their shoes it would be like jail, we get fed, we sleep, and use the play ground for a certain period of time. Then get locked into a cell overnight until someone is ready to let you out. The bottom line is that all living organisms including humans depend on other living things for survival, the main benefit wild species provide in the wild are economic, medical and scientific, aesthetic and recreational, and lastly ecological. We need to let our animals be free and only use them for research and not amusement. If we keep capturing our wildlife and messing with nature it will come back to haunt us all ecologically. There is a specific balance in nature that causes chain reactions, we need to keep everything in balance. (Vittana, 5/31/17)https://vittana.org/21-pros-and-cons-of-zoos(Animal legal defense fund, 1/15/16).http://aldf.org/resources/advocating-for-animals/captive-animals-and-the-law/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI7Palt6Xi2gIVAySGCh1YNQ2aEAAYASAAEgIgyvD_BwE (Bobula, 3/3/17)https://www.quora.com/What-are-the-advantages-of-animals-for-the-economy-environment-and-medicine (Alfano, 11/28/06)https://www.cbsnews.com/news/imported-animals-pose-major-health-threat/(Netivist, 4/26/18)https://netivist.org/debate/pros-and-cons-of-zoos (8/22/14 Nitin Bhamvani ) http://stingraybobs.weebly.com

First national bank case study Essay

A brand is the idea or image of a specific product or service that consumers connect with, by identifying the name, logo, slogan, or design of the company who owns the idea or image. Branding is when that idea or image is marketed so that it is recognizable by more and more people, and identified with a certain service or product when there are many other companies offering the same service or product. Advertising professionals work on branding not only to build brand recognition, but also to build good reputations and a set of standards to which the company should strive to maintain or surpass. Branding is an important part of Internet commerce, as branding allows companies to build their reputations as well as expand beyond the original product and service, and add to the revenue generated by the original brand. When working on branding, or building a brand, companies that are using web pages and search engine optimization have a few details to work out before being able to build a successful brand. Coordinating domain names and brand names are an important part of finding and keeping visitors and clients, as well as branding a new company. Coordination of a domain name and brand names lends identification to the idea or image of a specific product or service, which in turn lets visitors easily discovery the new brand. Branding is also a way to build an important company asset, which is a good reputation. Whether a company has no reputation, or a less than stellar reputation, branding can help change that. Branding can build an expectation about the company services or products, and can encourage the company to maintain that expectation, or exceed them, bringing better products and services to the market place. 1.2 Audi: commodity, products, company, brand? differentiates between a brand and a commodity by stating that â€Å"Branding is associated with added costs in the form of marketing, labelling, packaging and promotion. Commodities are ‘unbranded’ or undifferentiated products. distinguish the difference between a product and a brand, by saying, that a product â€Å"is anything that meets the functional [tangible] needs of customers†. In this context, one can say that a commodity represents basic, unbranded products such as Steel or other raw materials. However, products represent the next level, in this case it is automobiles. As a result, the brand level, which has intangible benefits, is represented by a particular brand in the automobile industry. However, Audi is a company brand which means, that the â€Å"name of the company identifies the brand†. This view is supported by Kapferer (2004, p.5) and Olins (2008, p.52) who both state that the corporate name is used at the same time as the name of the brand. 1.3.AUDI – major characteristics Audi is the jewel of the crown within Volkswagen group as well as the driving force of growth. Until the mid-1990s, Audi cars were still seen as poor man’s Mercedes or BMWs. However, since the 1996 A4 and then the head-turning TT, Audi has established itself as a leader in style and quality. Its technology also shines in powerful turbocharged engines, quattro 4WD, aluminum spaceframe chassis and advanced transmissions. Now Audi has become a strong premium brand like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The lifestyle of many people has changed in the sense that, there is a development towards an environmentally friendly way of life and Audi should take advantage of this. Even though Audi already takes necessary steps toward the protection of the environment, it should emphasise that it’s a hydrogen combustion Strategy is competitive to BMW’s engine for example. Audi should aim to become the economic and environmental leader in the worldwide automobile market. Audi should expand their brands on the worldwide market and emphasise their different price ranges and target markets in order to create customer loyalty and affection for the brand. Furthermore, Audi should be aware that there are still new customers entering the market, for example young people. By targeting this group, Audi has the chance to mature with this audience, which supports the establishment of customer loyalty. In this context, After Sales Service plays an important role in maintaining the customers and encouraging repeat purchase. Audi should aim to improve customer satisfaction and brand image through enhanced dealer networks and an upgraded service. Furthermore, Audi did considerably well in surviving the economic crisis, not just because of their high brand equity and their excellent sales in the last year. However, in expanding this equity in the future, financial backing could be established, which could help Audi to become number one worldwide, and help Audi perform better against the competition. This emotional relationship should be expanded by continuing to offer high quality cars to every segment of society, ranging from young drivers to old, loyal drivers.

Care Plan for Neuman

Nursing Care Plan Using Neuman’s Model Nursing Diagnosis using NANDA diagnoses terminology| Measurable Goals| Nursing Outcomes (interventions)| Level(s) of Prevention for each Intervention| Self-care deficit r/t physical limitations and frustration over loss of independence AEB in ability to perform ADL’s such as bathing, grooming, hygiene, and dressing. | Patient will be dressed and out of bed for therapy daily over the next 30 days. Ace will be free of skin breakdown for the next 60 days. Pt will assist with ADL’s to the highest degree possible over the next 30 days.Ace with bathe and dress self with min-assist/supervision and cues in 90 days. | 1. Encourage patient to be accountable for specific aspects of care (i. e. brush teeth daily)2. Set up grooming items and encourage participation3. Assist with ADL’s if Ace is unable4. Encourage, cue and assist to select clothing and dress appropriately daily5. Ambulate pt with assist (as directed by PT)6. Monito r for c/o discomfort, foul smelling, and discolored urine 7. Assist with and encourage good peri-care with each toileting 8.Educate pt on breaking tasks into small steps. Limit choices to two, and provide reminder and cues during tasks   | 1. Primary2. Secondary4. Primary5. Secondary6. Primary7. Primary8. Teritary |   Risk for impaired skin integrity R/T immobility, mechanical pressure & sheer. | Ace will be turned/repositioned Q 2 hrs. with assist of 1-2 people. Ace will complete transfers with min-mod assist of 1 as required. Ace will be out of bed daily, as tolerated, transfers will be with assist of 1-2 staff as required. | 1.While in bed staff with assist Ace to turn/reposition self-using pillows and wedges to maintain position. 2. Place call light w/in easy reach3. PT to educate Ace on assistive devices4. Remind and encourage Ace to call for assistance when needed5. Ace will be out of bed to chair daily as tolerated  | 1. Primary2. Secondary3. Primary4. Secondary5. Terit ary|   Impaired physical mobility related to neuromuscular impairment r/t Hypertension, Occlusion within vessels of the brain parenchyma disruption of blood supply in the brain area, tissue and cell necrosis.   Ace will be free of injury for next 30 days. | 1. Change position Q 2 hrs. 2. Teaching related to ambulation and transfers by PT/OT and nursing. 3. Evaluation and education of assistive devices as directed by therapies. 4. Education on diet, nutrition and speech consult 5. Encourage use of non-skid shoes/footwear6. Provides safety measures (side rails up, using pillows to support body part)  | 1. Primary2. Tertiary3. Tertiary4. Primary5. Secondary6. Primary|

When did humans become modern Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

When did humans become modern - Essay Example Human beings have had a long and what can only be considered to be a prosperous history since the beginning of their modern era. While this has been the case, there has also developed plenty of speculation concerning when humans became modern, and the factors which influenced such a transformation. The fact that modern humans developed can be considered to be a great feat of resilience and adaptation on the part of human which has enabled the species to thrive and ensured that it has propagated itself all over the world. The ability of this species to adapt has also ensured that it has been able to settle even in the most inhospitable regions of the world, where its members have been able to develop the necessary physical characteristics that have promoted their survival (Bar Yosef, 2002). All of the modern human beings are considered to be members of the Homo sapiens species of humans which developed some two hundred thousand years ago with the development of those physical as well as physical characteristics that are also associated with the Neanderthal man. It has now been proven that the Neanderthal man was not a direct ancestor of modern man, and that in fact, they seem to have been contemporaries, each of them competing for the same resources. While this has been the case, most archaeologists now believe that these two species of humans may have been descended from a common ancestor known as Homo heidelbergensis. Despite their being contemporaries, when compared to other species of humans such as the Neanderthal man among others, the modern human seems to have developed a more delicate bone structure. The skull structure of the modern humans seem to have been more rounded than those of the other humanoid species that existed at the time, and this was also accompanied by high foreheads, and less pointed chins (Renfrew, 1996). The latter characteristics have come to be used as a means of identifying modern humans and it is these features which enable scient ists to determine a homo sapiens. The first human fossils that were discovered in the modern age were known as the Cro-Magnon and these were found in modern France where they were considered to be very similar to modern Europeans in appearance (Bjelcevic, 2013). The skeletons of these people seemed to be less dense than those of the Neanderthals, and their brain capacities seemed to be large, larger even when compared to that of modern man. The data that has been collected over the past century and a half shows that the early modern humans developed from an archaic ancestor in the region of East Africa. The first skull that depicted the development of modern human beings was one believed to be some 195000 years old found in the Omo valley in Ethiopia. However, while it is the common assumption that modern humans developed in East Africa and latter dispersed to other parts of the world, there have developed new theories concerning the development of the modern humans and their settle ment in the rest of the world (McBrearty & Brookes, 2000). As has been stated above, the common assumption is that modern humans developed in Africa and latter scattered to the rest of the world. This is known as the replacement model, and it states that modern humans developed in Africa and later migrated to the rest of the Old World where they gained dominance, eventually replacing the Neanderthals as well as other archaic species of humans. According to this model, modern humans developed between some 200000 and 150000 years ago and over time scattered to the rest of the Old World where they replaced other archaic humans between 60000 and 40000 years ago, as a result becoming the only surviving human species (Mithen, 1998). While this assumption is disputed in some quarters, it is possible that if it is correct, then it can be speculated that all the humans on the planet today may have a common African ancestry since all the other human species that were descended from the Homo e rectus are considered to have become extinct (Blythe, 2002). While the African origins of

Materials science Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Materials science - Assignment Example The development of bullet proof glass remains considered as an achievement of material science in the hope of offering a solution to the concern of safety in its usage. Achieving a product that would allow the transparent qualities of glass and still offer protection from lethal products such as bullets was a milestone achievement. Such is observed as an infusion of the bullet being a technology perceived under the same field of material science (Hsieh & U.S. Army Research Laboratory, 2004). Ballistic glass involves the infusion of two sets of materials that do not include the renown Kevlar used in the generation of bullet proof vest. The technology combines thermoplastics with the soft glass to allow a thick layer of ballistic panels. The aforementioned incorporation of different approaches ensures that the glass panes are ballistic and durable. The ballistic glass has found critical applications in banking and transit sectors. The glass is used in developing the teller stations in banking halls. It is, also used in developing armored vehicles, which aim to protect the users while driving in volatile locations. Additionally, the glass is used for protection of the VIP dais during the engagement of public events (Johnson, 2006). Hsieh, A. J., & U.S. Army Research Laboratory. (2004). The effects of PMMA on ballistic impact performance of hybrid hard/ductile all-plastic- and glass-plastic-based composites. Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD: Army Research Laboratory. Johnson, G. R., Hertel, E. S. J., Grady, D. E., Holmquist, T. J., Lopatin, C. M. Sandia National Laboratories., United States. (2006). High strain rate properties and constitutive modeling of glass. Washington, D.C: United States. Dept. of

Empathy Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Empathy - Assignment Example In modern society, the Child Protection Services can easily remove endangered children from unsuitable homes and place them with more deserving families. Allowing a national government to be able to rule over the decisions that women make about their own bodies is a direct violation of their human and civil rights as citizens. Anti-abortionists oppose the practice of abortion because they believe that it is murder as there is a human being killed. Anti-abortionists believe that abortions destroy women’s bodies. Pro- abortionists also believe this; however, for pro-abortionists, there is no alternative for abortion. It is a known fact that abortion is extremely physically as well as emotionally painful. This means that there is hardly any woman who would choose to opt for an abortion without reflecting on the personal cost to her body and mind. According to Thapa and Neupane (2013) there are also anti-abortionists who have claimed that the legalization of abortion could have other unforeseen effects in regards to the practice of the law. Pro-abortionists also recognize this fact. If abortion was only allowed for women who had been forced to experience rape or incest, there is a very real possibility that desperate women would resort to claiming that they were molested in order to be permitted to pro cure an abortion. This would also result in the side effect of falsely accused targets who would be unjustly imprisoned. Many anti-abortionists believe that women who are denied abortions can somehow find the physical and emotional means to love and accept their children once they are born. This is not reality but unsupported idealism. When women choose to subject their bodies to an abortion, it is because they have few if any options. Children deeply affect the lives of their parents. There are many women who do not realize the extent of responsibility that will fall on them once they have a child. They may not be able to cope

Analysis of The History of NASA Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Analysis of The History of NASA - Research Paper Example This paper reviews the history of NASA: NASA’S formation, goals and objectives, greatest achievements in history, and also its administration. At the end of the paper, it is argued that NASA has indeed lived up to its mission and objectives and that it has been very successful in achieving its goals and objectives. Formation of NASA The formation of NASA as a fully-fledged government agency dedicated to the exploration of the outer space was sparked off by the historic launch of the satellite Sputnik 1 by Russia in October 1957 (Galloway, 2008). The launch of the Sputnik 1 Satellite by Russia was a monumental success for Russia in space science, and this action made Russia the leading country in space science explorations. The launch of the Sputnik 1 Satellite by Russia made the US feel insecure, the US government felt that Russia could use its superior knowledge in space science to harm them in one way or another. The US also felt that they had to do everything possible so as to reclaim their position as the world’s premier in space science and aeronautics. For these reasons, the use government set out in November 1957, to establish a government agency fully dedicated to the exploration of outer space. ... But following the Sputnik’s launch by Russia, the establishment of a more effective and robust government agency dealing with outer space exploration became a matter of agency. The US Senate, the Congress and the Executive began a process of establishing a government agency that would deal with matters of outer space explorations (Dick, 2008). On 6th February 1958, the Senate established a special committee on space and Aeronautics with the aim of exploring ways and means of establishing a space agency. The committee was headed by Senator Johnson. On the side of the Congress, a select committee on Aeronautics and space exploration was formed on 5th March 1958, and the committee was headed by John McCormack, McCormack was the house majority leader. On the executive side, President Eisenhower asked his science advisor James Killian to convene science advisory committee to deliberate on the issue of establishing a space agency. The Science advisory committee proposed the establis hment of a civilian committee built around the NACA (Dick, 2008). The committee presented their resolutions to President Eisenhower and the president approved their resolutions on the establishment of a space agency. In their deliberations, both the Senate and the Congress had also resolved that there was indeed an urgent need of establishing a space agency. On 2nd April 1958, President Eisenhower sent draft legislation to the Congress. The draft proposed establishment of a space agency by the name, National Aeronautics and Space Agency. The Congress, however, changed the name of the proposed agency to, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.  Ã‚  

Managing Activities to Achieve Results Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words - 2

Managing Activities to Achieve Results - Essay Example Tesco’s website states that the vision of the company is â€Å"for Tesco to be most highly valued by the customers we serve, the communities in which we operate, our loyal and committed staff and our shareholders; to be a growth company; a modern and innovative company and winning locally, applying our skills globally† (Tesco Plc, 2011b). This can be broken down into four key aspects each of which has implications for the structure and culture of the business.-  To be the most highly valued business: to be highly valued as a business, Tesco needs to continue its focus on satisfying customers. This involves all levels of management. Specifically, the company needs to ensure that the customers are happy with the service they receive at the individual level, through interactions with frontline (level one) staff. In addition, value within the company image must be maintained, with business advertising and actions reflecting their desire to help the customer. This can be s een in the focus of the company culture on satisfying customers, and in the manner in which all levels of the business interact and communicate with one another. -  To remain a growth company: the organisational structure of Tesco allows for significant communication across different areas of the business. Because of this, the company is able to quickly adapt to any important events such as sudden demand for a particular item or a national or global crisis.The company visualizes itself to be serving and retaining its loyal customers.... Tesco Plc’s company culture is to consider that their customers are above all else and aim to give customers a positive experience to ensure that they continue to shop at the company . To achieve this all the levels of management within the organisation interact and communicate efficiently with one another with a strong focus on customer service and customer satisfaction. 1b) Tesco’s website states that the vision of the company is â€Å"for Tesco to be most highly valued by the customers we serve, the communities in which we operate, our loyal and committed staff and our shareholders; to be a growth company; a modern and innovative company and winning locally, applying our skills globally† . This can be broken down into four key aspects each of which has implications for the structure and culture of the business. To be the most highly valued business: to be highly valued as a business, Tesco needs to continue its focus on satisfying customers. This involves all levels of management. Specifically, the company needs to ensure that the customers are happy with the service they receive at the individual level, through interactions with frontline (level one) staff. In addition, value within the company image must be maintained, with business advertising and actions reflecting their desire to help the customer. This can be seen in the focus of the company culture on satisfying customers, and in the manner in which all levels of the business interact and communicate with one another. To remain a growth company: the organisational structure of Tesco allows for significant communication across different areas of the business. Because of this, the company is able to quickly adapt to any important events such as sudden demand for a particular item or

Global Branding Strategies Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Branding Strategies - Research Paper Example As the paper outlines, the world is becoming increasingly global. Companies are not just focusing on local markets in their service and product provision. They are now looking for new and more promising markets outside their borders and also need to incorporate market forces coming from their global competitors. The corporate world is now characterized by a fast flow of products internationally, an advertisement is also done across borders and there is a need to ensure that marketing strategies reflect these changes. (Kapfer, 1997)  Brands are a fundamental part of any company's key strategy. This is because brands give firms an identity. Keller (1998) asserts that brands help to strengthen their customer base and also to take away power from retailers alone. Aaker and Keller (1990) go on to add that a brand helps to solidify ones position in any market. However, there are some key questions that arise when dealing with the issue. Firms need to ask themselves whether they would lik e to maintain the same brand name in different countries and locations. Firms who choose to do this could justify their actions by claiming that this allows them to maintain their identity throughout. On the other hand, some firms may decide to take up different brands within the different countries that they will choose to operate. Such firms may believe that brand names need to reflect demand and the needs of a particular country. These questions need to be addressed so as to ensure that a given company take advantage of all the opportunities available in the international market. Some companies may have made quite a name for themselves in the domestic markets. Their products may have such a unique place in their product markets such that they have considerable influence there. It would, therefore, be advisable to maintain the same brand for such companies when venturing into global markets. Caller (1996) asserts that this will go a long way in ensuring that such companies are abl e to leverage their power in the domestic market to international markets. A good example of such a company is Coca Cola. It started with a very strong image in its domestic market and decided to maintain its name throughout its market.  Another aspect that could make certain companies stick to the same brand name is the integration of regional markets. For example in Europe, there are numerous countries that are now operating under the same currency and targeting each other. Consequently, it would be advisable to create brand names that can accommodate numerous countries all at once. The European Union has changed the traditional approach of locally-centered products. There is a need to incorporate brands for the EU markets. (Featherstone, 1990)  Some companies may be dealing with certain products that have relatively equal levels of demand in the target markets they are dealing with. A good example of such a company is Shell. The Company deals with various petroleum products. These are items that are in high demand in different parts of the world.  

Feminism Vs Queer theory Essay Example for Free

Feminism Vs Queer theory Essay The book by Catherine Churchill titled ‘Cloud Nine’ provides insight into the two very different types of societies in the two acts of the book and depicts the change in the characters in terms of their femininity and sexual orientation. The diverse factors impacting the lives of the characteristics like power, wealth and politics as well as their ion satisfactions levels in different relationships have been discussed through the use of comedy and the art of storytelling. The book highlights the concepts of feminism and queer theory through its content and the way the lives of the characters play out in the two different acts of the book. Feminism is basically defined as the change or orientation towards women empowerment. It is made up of the social, cultural as well as the political reforms, movements and diverse theories which contribute towards equality between makes and females and highlights the equal rights movement for the women. The basis of feminism is the exhalation of the position of women in the society. Queer Theory on the other hand is a branch of gender studies which pertains to the gay and lesbian studies. This field is specific to diverse sexual orientation in women and takes its foundation form the feminism movement and theory itself. The inclination towards feminism in the book and the play of Cloud Nine is very explicit as depicts how the women are oppressed in the Victorian era so much so that they are forced to disguise themselves as men to hide their feminine identity when giving in to their strong nature and ambitions. The play clearly and explicitly describes the differences in the roles of the women and the men in the Victorian era, and in the modern era, therefore depicting how they have changed to an extent, but not as much as they should have. in the first act the play violently depicts the male oriented society by initiating with a welcome for the male gender, and present the allude of power, in context of economics as held by men in the society. Aside from this the play also depicts the position of the women in history as the subservient gender. This established the concept that the role and cultural construction of the females in the society is a product more of history and tradition than of their own capabilities, thus reinforcing the concept of feminism. The queer theory is expanded upon by the author in the play though the confused sexual orientation of the characters and the cross dressing and role reversal amongst the cast in the play. â€Å"Churchill clearly intended to raise questions of gender, sexual orientation, and race as ideological issues; she accomplished this largely by cross-dressing and role-doubling the actors, thereby alienating them from the characters they play. † (Worthen, 807). The characters in the play like those of Gerry the homosexual man and the lesbian mother provide the essence of the queer theory. In fact it can even be mentioned that Cloud Nine is an explicitly queer play. The structure of the play is very confusing for the audience as well as the readers due to the role reversals by the characters, and the language used in the play is highly oriented towards the depiction of feminism and queer theory. The play clearly points out the underlying issues in the societies pertaining to women oppression, women’s rights as well as gay pride and sexual orientation of the men and women. Moreover the play is highly political in nature as it tends to shock the audience and the readers through the presentation and the roles played by the characters. On the whole however the play contributes towards the literary identity development of women in the modern society. References Barry, P. , ‘Beginning Theory: An Introduction to Literary and Cultural Theory (Beginnings)’, Manchester University Press, (2002) , ISBN-10: 0719062683 Caslin, S. , ‘Feminism and post-colonialism’, accessed March 15, 2008 from http://www. qub. ac. uk/schools/SchoolofEnglish/imperial/key-concepts/feminism-and-postcolonialism. htm Churchill, C. , ‘Cloud Nine’, Nick Hern Books, (1989), ISBN-10: 1854590901 Marx, K. , ‘The Communist Manifesto: Complete with Seven Rarely’, Filiquarian Publishing, (2005), ISBN 1599869950 Worthen, W. B. , ‘The Wadsworth Anthology of Drama’, Heinle, (2003), ISBN-10: 0838407501

Strategy And Structure in Organizations

Strategy And Structure in Organizations Strategy is an integrated and coordinated set of commitments actions designed to exploit core competencies gain a competitive advantage. Organization structure Organisation structure specifies the firms formal reporting relationships, procedures, controls and authority, decision making process. So organisation structure includes three components: Administrative structure: This structure signifies division of labour in the organization. This includes dividing work into tasks or roles such as operations, logistics and transportation, and training, and recombining them into administrative units, e.g., branches, departments or divisions according to mission, function, and/or region. The structure depicted in organization charts, including tables of organization and equipment is the administrative structure. Responsibility structure: This includes division of responsibility authority to individuals within the organisation. Control structure: This includes organisations system of measuring and evaluating performance on the basis of administrative structure responsibility structure. Relationship between Strategy and Structure There are two main views on the relationship between strategy and structure. According to Alfred Chandler structure follows strategy. Recent research has questioned the view that structure always follows strategy, and argued instead that strategy often follows structure. This second view, that strategy follows structure, is based on the idea that managers already working within a particular organisational structure will take the structure for granted and only consider strategies that will fit with the existing structure. Combining these two arguments we can say that Strategy structure have a reciprocal relationship. Organization structure is a critical component of effective strategy implementation process. Success of a firm depends on how well a firms business strategy is matched to its organizational structure. Developing an organization structure that effectively supports the firms strategy is difficult. For successful implementation of organization strategy, an organisation structure should have following characteristics: Structural stability This provides the firm a capacity to effectively manage its daily work routines. Structural flexibility This provides the firm an opportunity to explore competitive possibilities then allocate resources to activities that will shape the competitive advantages the firm will need to be successful in future. However strategy has a much more important influence on structure than reverse. But at the end organisation structure should provide adequate stability flexibility that is necessary for successful implementation of strategy. Strategy that a firm decides to follow will govern the decision about the organisation structure that will be suitable for the firm but once in place organization structure influences the choice about future strategies because of organizational inertia derived from organization structure that inhibits efforts to change. Evolutionary pattern of organizational structure strategy Pre-bureaucratic structures This is the simplest form of structure is usually based on traditional or charismatic dominance. Structure is totally centralised lacks standardisation of tasks. This is useful in managing simple tasks. Bureaucratic structures It has certain degree of standardisation is useful in managing slightly more complex large scale organizations. Functional structures Structure is more standardised centralised. Organisation is divided into separate functional divisions employees within a particular division perform specific functions. This type of structure is useful in firms that provide standardised goods services at low cost in high volume. Divisional structure This is also called as product structure. Organisation is divided into divisions each division has its own resources functions. Divisions can be based on geographies or products/services. Matrix structure This structure combines the features of both functional divisional structure. Defining the strategy strategy implementation process Strategy formulation As discussed earlier strategy has more important influence on structure than reverse. So whenever a firm starts a business it decides about what strategy it wants to follow. Broadly there are four different business strategies that firms follow: Prospector- The primary challenge that these firms face is to identify exploit new opportunities of industry their primary capability is innovation. Analyser- Analysers are fast followers. They closely monitor customer reactions competitor activities either improve upon successful competitor product offerings or offer comparable products at reduced cost. Low cost defenders- These firms usually target stable segments of market. Their main emphasis is on efficiency through standardised practices providing low cost products rather than innovation. Differentiated defenders- These firms also target stable segments of market but their emphasis is on high quality differentiated products rather than low cost. Strategy implementation Organization structure forms a critical implementation dimension. Three important features upon which organization structure is based are formalisation, centralisation, standardisation. Formalization- This is the degree to which decisions working relations are governed by formal rules. Formal rules lower the administrative cost increase efficiency. Firms that have greater number of formal rules regulations are called mechanistic firms with fewer formal rules are called organic. Centralization- This defines the degree to which decision making authority is held by top management. In centralised organizations lines of communication responsibility are clear defined. Decisions are usually made by top management implementation path is clearly defined. This type of structure is followed in relatively stable, non-complex environments. In decentralised organizations views ideas may originate from different groups. Decision making power is dispersed in the organisation. This type of structure is effective in complex environments. Specialization- This defines degree to which tasks and activities are divided in the organization. Specialist firms direct their efforts to a well defined set of activities. Generalist firms on the other hand are more diverse in their activities. Firms following different business strategies usually differ on degree of formalization, centralization specialization of organizational structure. Relationship between Environment, Resources, Strategy and Structure Strategy and structure are dynamically related according to classical model. E= Environment, R=Resource(capabilities) S=Strategy St=Sttructure Ti= Time The nature of the environment (Et1) and the Resources (Rt1) of the organization influence the strategy (St1) chosen at time t1, and in this turn determines the organizational structure (St1). Then the evolution of the environment and/or of the organization brings about a new strategy and a new structure. The dotted lines indicate that very often firms try to meet the environmental and structural demands without realizing that they have implicitly adopted a new strategy. Strategy grows out of structure and in turn may lead to its modification. Source:http___www.emeraldinsight.com_Insight_ViewContentServlet_contentType=ArticleFilename=_published_emeraldfulltextarticle_pdf_0860100201 Burns and Stalker (1961) view structure as a process in itself a means of holding together an organization so that it is able to determine its own destiny. Organizations that operate in dynamically changing and uncertain environments tend to need organic/flexible structures and processes while more stable environments lend themselves to more familiar mechanistic bureaucratic structures. Eccles et al. (1997) list some of the main functions of organizational structure which provide: a formal allocation of work rules; channels for collaborative working; boundaries of authority and lines of communication; a means of allocating power and responsibility; prescriptive levels of formality and complexity. Strategy and Structure Alignment Source: Emerald database Strategy-Structure Alignment An important management responsibility is to design and implement the strategic organizational form best suited to the demands of its marketplace, customers, and business model. Since your competitors essentially have access to the same information and may have developed similar strategies, it is important to consider organizational design as one of your most powerful strategic weapons. Strategy-Structure Alignment follows four phases: Assessment: Data is gathered on strategy, organization and the business environment using interviews, archival research (of planning documents, performance studies, etc), and observations. Data is organized into issue categories and fed back to management in a way that supports validation and learning. Management reaches an agreement on key issues and problems, causal factors and organizational requirements. Design: The design process goes through a series of design steps including scale and leverage assessment, the design of vertical alternatives and lateral processes and structures, impact analysis, etc. Each step is geared to execute strategy and address organization and cultural issues. Alternatives Choice: Changes in organization are based on a selection from among a set of alternatives. Because any organizational structure calls for trade-offs, the alternatives are worked through discussions that focus on the advantages and disadvantages of each, their fit with requirements, and the impact of implementation, etc. Frequently the organizational design that is. The types of problems that can be addressed include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Changes in strategy causing poor alignment with the original organization design à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Needing to restructure parts of organization due to competitive pressures, introduction of new technology, etc. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Organizational growth is causing a reexamination of the organization design à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Poor execution and organizational effectiveness The primary objective in Strategy-Structure Alignment is for management to design and decide upon an organizational structure that best supports its strategy and to develop a preliminary transition plan for next steps. The concept of co-alignment If strategy is about realizing a plan, then in implementing it, a suitable means of structuring resources and activities must be found and maintained. Olsen (1993) uses the term co- alignment to describe the best fit relationship between strategy and organizational structure. He observes that without co-alignment between structure, strategy and the environment, organizations may experience difficulty in achieving long-term success. The concept of co-alignment is depicted in Figure. Alignment is a systematic methodology for designing these capabilities in a fully rational and informed way. Strategy-Structure Alignment is strategy-driven and performance-oriented. It begins with a reaffirmation (and sometimes recalibration) of business strategy, explores the implications of that strategy for organizational structure, considers changing conditions in the environment, and through diagnosis identifies organizational problems and performance gaps. A sequential design process generates alternatives for organization design. A preliminary transition plan of a preferred alternative and its alignment then follow. Relationship between Organizational Control, Structure and Strategy There is a close relationship between organizational control, structure and strategy. The organizational control is one of the prime drivers for the organizational change whenever the organization changes its structure. As explained earlier; as organization grows the control of the organization becomes more complex and hence the structure of the organization is changed to cope with the changed environment. Organization structure itself is used as a control mechanism in implementing strategy. For e.g. large diversified firms using cost leadership strategy emphasize financial controls and usually will have some centralized financial reporting mechanism or financial department to exert more control over the cost Single business companies and business units using a differentiation strategy will be emphasizing on strategic control and the mechanisms will be developed accordingly Corporate Level Strategy and Structure Depending on the type of corporate level strategy the organization is following the link between structure and strategy can be compiled as following. Strategy Structure Major features Related Constrained Strategy Co operative structure (M-form) Structural integration, centralized strategic planning, human resource and marketing,RD etc. Cultural emphasis on corporate sharing. Rewards are subjective , tend to follow overall corporate performance and divisional performance Related Linked Strategy Strategic Business Unit (M-form) Structural integration, centralized strategic planning, human resource and marketing, RD etc. Cultural emphasis on corporate sharing. Rewards are subjective , tend to follow overall corporate performance and divisional performance Unrelated Diversification Competitive form (M-form) Small corporate head quarters with Finance and auditing as the most prominent functions. headquarters to manage cash flow and ensure the accuracy of performance data coming from divisions The legal affairs function becomes important when the firm acquires or divests assets Divisions are independent and separate for financial evaluation purposes Divisions retain strategic control, but cash is managed by the corporate office Divisions compete for corporate resources Latest Empirical Studies Strategy and Structure in Context: Universalism versus Institutional Effects Jose I. Galan and Maria J. Sanchez-Bueno Tried to study the Chandlers proposition that large organization evolve in to multi divisional forms as they grow in case of Spain. Spain being a newly developing market and with slowly integrating with EU and world market was studied to test whether the cultural factors has impact on the emergence of structure as organizations globalise and evolve. Their studies corroborated that as organizations evolve its complexity rather than culture that drives the emergence of the structure. Spanish organizations too followed the global trend of emergence of multi divisional structure. The same has been corroborated in case of other countries by Researcher Country Dyas Thanheiser France Whittington Mayer U.K Whittington Mayer Germany Institutional Forms and Organizational Structures: Homology, Trust and Reputational Capital in Professional Service Firms Gerard Hanlon Explores how professional service organizations has used a set of clan and bureaucratic controls to manage the organizational changes; both set of controls being present throughout the life span of an organizations but with varying levels of importance. Previous studies by Ouchi et. al says about the clan structure of professional services ,legal practices and accounting where there is high centrality of decision making and you belonging to that particular group or profession bringing you some privileges. Socialization aspect of clan structure was central to the success of organizations in that particular setup. Clan structure induces homology and trust based partner autonomy. Reputational capital is essential in making large and complex deals . But as the services expanded the need for institutional forms also emerged and institutional controls started taking place. This need for formal interactions and following of norms undermined the clan nature of the services. There is a constant power struggle between the bureaucratic controls and clan /social and informal norms of control in professional organizations. Exploring Strategy and Board Structure in Non-profit Organizations William A Brown Joel O Inverson Applying Miles and Snow typology of strategy Brown and Inverson tries to understand the structure of the organizations of the various non-profit organizations in U.S. Their key findings are Prospectors : have broader inclusive structure Defenders : have tighter more focused structure Environmental Turbulence, Organizational Stability, and Public Service Performance George A Boyne Kenneth J Meier A turbulent external environment is widely believed to have damaging effects on public service performance. Much less consensus has been reached on whether the best response to turbulence is to retain or alter existing organizational structures. They analysed these issues by testing the links between turbulence, structural stability, and performance in a large sample of public organizations. Results show that turbulence has a negative effect on performance, and that this is compounded by internal organizational change. Thus public managers can mitigate the harmful effects of volatility in the external environment by maintaining structural stability. Emerging trends in organisation structure By the end of 20th centaury trend of large organizations was over. The environment in which firms were operating changed to great extent. The factors that are responsible in todays environment are entirely different from traditional factors. Due to change in factors responsible for success of organizations, organizations are changing their structure. Major factors that have contributed to this change are: Globalisation Due to changes in technology changes in international trade laws, more more companies are competing in more more number of markets. This has increased both the opportunities threats present in external environment. Change in Technology Technology is evolving at a very fast rate organizations have to constantly adapt to this change. Technological change has the biggest impact on organizations among all the factors. Internet as a technology has provided a new distribution marketing channel which has led to a change in the way organizations compete. Information technology has also changed the internal working process of organizations. Technologies like ERP, SAP Oracle have facilitated the information flow in the organizations which in turn has changed the way organizations work. Einsteins famous formula has been modified in modern days of technological advancement. E = MC2 M is the Mastery of each individual (human capital). C are the Connections that join individuals into a community (social capital). C is the Communication that flows through those Connections. E is the resulting Effectiveness of the team or organization According to a paper Do Org Charts Still Matter? by Thornton A May organizations are a combination of responsibilities, accountabilities, knowledge, process, interactions future. Organization charts depict only first element of organization i.e. responsibilities accountabilities. All other elements of organization are missing from the organization charts. Informal organizations that are existing because of web based interactions are not shown in these charts. Constant change As competition is increasing day by day so organisations cant depend on what they do today to be successful tomorrow. Environment in which industries are competing is also very uncertain dynamic. This uncertainty demands structural flexibility. Technological change is one of the factors that are leading to environment change. As no company is confined to geographic boundaries so this has increased exposure to different emerging markets side by side it has also increased the competition from different players entering into the market. So companies have to adapt themselves to ever changing demands of consumer markets. Mergers acquisitions In recent years many mergers acquisitions happened in global economy. When two organisations combine it is mandatory that organisation structure provided by the management should be conducive to culture of both the organizations. Most of the failures in case of mergers acquisitions are due to cultural clash. Diversity in the workforce People from diverse backgrounds in terms of geographies cultures are working in organizations. So organization structure should be such that it increases the productivity, improve morale, heighten creativity and enhance decision-making power among the employees. Emerging organisation structure trends Because of above mentioned factors the structure of many companies has become flatter, less hierarchical, more fluid and even virtual. Increasing use of IT enabled conventional organization structures to transform into more fluid form. Few of the emerging trends in organisation structure are: Teams This is the new trend of organization structure. Entire organization may work as a team or it may be a combination of few teams which coordinate with each other. Xerox, Motorola are among the few companies that follow team organization structure. Network Network structure is also an emerging trend in organization structure. The main reason for using this type of organization structure is that firms outsource the tasks activities to other firms that can perform those tasks in a better cost effective way. Success of this type of structure depends upon the coordination control of external relations. Structural flexibility is one of the major success criteria for this type of organization structure. Partnership alliances As competition is increasing in the economy so firms realise that it is very difficult to survive in this highly competitive environment alone. So firms go for partnership alliances with other firms to diversify the risk. Virtual organizations This is the most radical form of organization structure. It is also called as boundary-less organization. This means while the core of the organization can be small but still the company can operate globally be a market leader in its niche. Because of the unlimited shelf space of the Web, the cost of reaching niche goods is falling dramatically. The success of this type of structure depends on information technology. Self organised communities The structure followed by latest web 2.0 technologies is self organised communities. In this case the job of top management is just to maintain the motivation level of employees to participate in the community. The TATA Group Introduction: Activities of the Organization The Tata Group is a multinational company with its head-quarter located in Mumbai, India. The Tata Group is one of the largest private employers in India employing more than 350000 employees. Tata companies operate in seven business sectors: communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. Every Tata company or enterprise operates independently. Each of these companies has its own board of directors and shareholders, to whom it is answerable. There are 28 publicly listed Tata enterprises and they have a combined market capitalization of some $60 billion, and a shareholder base of 3.5 million. The major Tata companies are Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Tea, Indian Hotels and Tata Communications. Tata Steel became the sixth largest steel maker in the world after it acquired Corus. Tata Motors is among the top five commercial vehicle manufacturers in the world and has recently acquired Jaguar and Land Rover. TCS is a leading global software company, with delivery centers in the US, UK, Hungary, Brazil, Uruguay and China, besides India. Tata Tea is the second largest branded tea company in the world, through its UK-based subsidiary Tetley. Tata Chemicals is the worlds second largest manufacturer of soda ash and Tata Communications is one of the worlds largest wholesale voice carriers. Rationale for selection Tata, with its long history, is synonymous with the Indian economy. Its growth has been a prime index to be watched for gauging Indias growth. With a history of over 100 years, Tata has grown leaps and bounds by diversifying into different businesses. These businesses are so diversified and different that it presents us an opportunity to draw contrast between the different kinds of structures adopted in these businesses. Tatas solid presence in major industries like Automobiles (Tata Motors), Steel Industry (Tata Steel), IT Industry (TCS), Hospitality Industry (Taj Hotels) and many others is evident of their successful strategy formulation and implementation. All these businesses are driven by a single level corporate level strategy. Also with the increasing globalisation there is an increased pressure on the Tata group companies to expand their operations beyond the nations boundaries. There has been the realization for the same and the Tatas have been proactive in sensing and capturing the internationalization opportunities. The widely known Corus acquisition by Tata Steel, the TCS foray into international markets, Tata Teas acquisition of U.K based Tetley tea have helped Tata to establish the brand Tata in the international arena. This has not been an independent event. In fact these steps have had serious implications to the structure of the organization. The study of Tata aims at obtaining insights into the impact of strategy change (diversification, internationalization) on the structure of the organization as a whole (reconstructionist approach). Also the impact of structural change on the firms strategy (structuralist approach) could effectively be studied with respect to Tata given its long history. So the Tata group presented an exciting opportunity to draw the relationship between strategy and structure of an organization. TAJ Hotels Resorts and Palaces The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) and its subsidiaries are collectively known as Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces, which is recognized as one of Asias largest and finest hotel companies. Incorporated by the founder of the Tata group, Jamsetji Tata, the company opened its first property, the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, Bombay in 1903. Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces comprises 64 hotels in 45 locations across India with an additional 15 international hotels. Areas of Business Luxury Premium Mid-Market Value Vivanta Ginger Gateway Taj IHCL operates in the luxury, premium, mid-market and value segments of the market In addition, IHCL has Taj Exotica (resort and spa brand found in the most exotic and relaxing locales of the world ) and Taj Safari (wildlife lodges that allow travelers to experience the unparalleled beauty of the Indian jungle amidst luxurious surroundings) which provide services to different segments of the market. With its diversification strategy revolving both around products and markets, the Taj Group of Hotels follow Cooperative Form of Multidivisional Structure to implement its Related Constrained Strategy of diversification. In this Cooperative Form of Multidivisional Structure, IHCL uses Structural Integration devices to create tight links among all divisions. The Corporate Office located in Mumbai emphasizes centralized strategic planning, human resources, and marketing to foster cooperation between divisions. IHCL has a well laid out procedures for working and conduct of business. These governance mechanisms are clear and unambiguous. Everyone in the company is expected to follow the procedures followed in the company and anyone found violating them is questioned for the breach and suitable action is taken. The TATA Code of Conduct governs all the policies, procedures and behaviors desired from its associates across all its Hotels. There is more of formalization as most of these policies and norms are written down. The customer also feels at home when he is familiar with the brand and its level of commitment and service, making it the customers first choice at any location where its available. It also helps the company control the costs as there is a high degree of standardization of products and services. The transaction costs are also lower since most of the duties are well defined and less reason for conflict within organization. The culture of the IHCL emphasizes cooperative sharing. All the divisions and subsidiaries of IHCL share the corporate strengths of IHCL. The TATA/Taj Brand provides the trust from its customers to all its subsidiary units. Also, sharing divisional competencies facilitates the IHCLs effort to develop economies of scope which is very well achieved by its multidivisional structure. Sometimes temporary teams or task forces are formed around certain projects/events which is facilitated by sharing competencies that are embedded within several divisions. So, to align its structure with its Related Linked Strategy of Diversification, the IHCL has developed a matrix kind of organization from the multidivisional structure. Here, as can be seen in the figure below there is a dual structure combining both functional specialization and business product specialization. So, measuring the organizational structure of IHCL on the dimensions of Formalization, Centralization, and Specialization we have: Tata Steel The Tata Steel division is the oldest business unit under the Tata group. Established in 1907, Tata Steel has evolved over the years to become an extremely competitive steel manufacturer. Evolution of the Strategy and Structure During the pre liberalization period (before 1991), Tata Steel faced a low levels of competition. SAIL was the only major competitor. The period was also reflective of the following: quantitative restrictions (license raj) on the levels of production, the control over the price and the selection of customers. The tight regulatory nature of the government bodies over the manufacturing units had implications over the strategy of the firm. The main aim of the unit was to meet the levels of production as set by the government and there was no motive to increase productivity/efficiency or reduce the cost. Thus the firm had a centralized structure. The various functions

The Historical Marginalization Of Underprivileged Students

The Historical Marginalization Of Underprivileged Students Despite the Brown v. Board of Education decision of the Supreme Court in 1954, a landmark case that entitled all children to equal educational opportunities in the United States, regardless of race, economic background, religion, and a host of other factors, many students continue to be marginalized both in and outside of school. Students of color, students with disabilities, students learning English, students from low income families, and other marginalized student groups continue to face inequitable opportunities in schools and the resulting disparate achievement (Frattura Capper, 2007). Addressing this continued marginalization and inequitable schooling is a key principle of the growing call for leadership for social justice (Grogan, 2002; Theoharis, 2007), where the principal serves as the moderator of the equitable interests of all within a school context (Hodgkinson, 1999). Knowing that school leadership is key to reforming schools (Fullan, 1993; Grogan 2002), scholars focused on better understanding social justice leadership have identified exemplar cases where school leaders committed to equity have taken action to create more just learning environments for marginalized students (Reister, Pursch Skrla, 2002; Scheurich, 1998; Theoharis, 2007). Although studies have examined schools that make a difference in the lives of marginalized children (Oakes, Quartz, Ryan Lipton, 2000; Reister, Pursch Skrla, 2002), there is an absence of literature regarding principals as the unit of analysis and the process of principals serving as leaders for social justice. Related to this is an absence of documented strategies that principals who are leading for equity and excellence use. The purpose of this study is to build upon the growing body of scholarship by the exploration of the relationship between K-5 elementary principal leadership behaviors and student achievement for marginalized students (subgroup populations). This study will also define systems and structures within organizations that promote school-wide instruction leading to achievement of students historically marginalized. Finally, the study will identify the role professional development of school leaders plays in creating more socially just and excellent school. Significance of the study The historical marginalization of underprivileged students often results in a school culture that perpetuates the norm and ignores the social injustices that pervade our schools. The resulting and inevitable destiny for many of these students is continued school failure and social inequality. A school culture that does not accept the responsibility of answering to the needs of these students and their families simply propagates hegemony and leaves these students behind-without hope, without vision, and without equal access to the quality of education to which all children are entitled (Kose, 2005; Urban, 2009). Many years of stereotyped beliefs about the potential of marginalized populations of students has led to a deep-seated disparity between the majority and minority populations. Such differences allow the achievement gap to remain intact. These differences also result in a disproportionate number of students of color placed erroneously in special educational where resources are also inadequate to meet their needs. Despite reform efforts and increased awareness based on research the disparity between students continues to exist. Current research shows effective school leadership can influence overall student achievement in our schools (Leithwood et al., 2006; Marzano et al., 2005; Portin et al., 2003; Waters Cameron, 2006; Waters Grubb, 2004). In defining what leadership skills lead to effective school leadership, Marzano, Waters and McNulty (2005) and Waters and Cameron (2006) created 21 principal leadership responsibilities. The 21 leadership responsibilities developed from past educational research may be very similar to the leadership standards created by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (The Council of Chief State School Officers, 2008). In order to define what are considered effective principal leadership skills, the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium created six principal leadership standards based also on past educational research (The Council of Chief St ate School Officers, 2008). These leadership standards have been adopted by many state educational departments and in Maryland are incorporated in Marylands Leadership Framework (Maryland State Department of Education, 2005). While some schools have been recognized as being equitable and excellent, what remains unknown are the specific relationship between K-5 elementary principal leadership behaviors and student achievement for marginalized students (subgroup populations). In other words, academics and school leaders are interested in knowing what does leadership that transforms school into more equitable and just places, with an attention to achievement for all, accomplish? How do these leaders do that? What knowledge, skills and dispositions are required of this? Professional development and preparation of schools leaders requires exemplars of equity and social justice behaviors which will be presented in this study. Purpose of the study This study advances conversation about what exemplary leadership of schools for social justice and academic achievement for all students means. The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of K-5 elementary principals leadership behaviors to student achievement for marginalized students. Why do some Maryland elementary schools serving low-income or minority students score higher on the states assessments than other schools with very similar students? This study seeks answers to that question by surveying principals and teachers in Maryland elementary schools serving similar student populations and analyzing the results to determine which current K-5 leadership practices and policies are most strongly associated with higher levels of student achievement for Maryland State assessment sub-group populations. It also seeks to identify the systems and structures within organizations that promote school-wide instruction leading to achievement of students historically marginalize d. Finally, the study will identify the role professional development plays in creating more socially just, successful school leaders. Failure to educate students has a three-tiered impact: (1) Global impact and effects on the American economy, (2) national implications of a perpetuation inequity among peoples of color or poverty and (3) personal implications reflected in a historically marginalized students quality of life and ability to contribute to society (Urban, ). Results from this study may lead to better leadership preparation for principals, as well as professional development for leaders based on leadership behaviors that ensure all students succeed. It will also provide research based strategies for organizing and structuring schools to better meet the needs of all learners. Research Questions The following research questions will be examined in this study: What is the relationship between K-5 elementary principals specific leadership behaviors to student achievement for historically marginalized students? What are the organizational structures and systems that are perceived to contribute to high student performance for historically marginalized students? What role does professional development play in creating more socially just, equitable and successful school leaders? Definitions, Limitations, and Delimitations: For the purpose of this study the following terms have been defined: Dependent Variable: Scores on fifth grade Reading Maryland State Assessments. Independent Variables: Students who belong to a subgroup population (%African American, %Hispanic, % of Students with Disabilities, and % of students of Free and Reduced meal status) with those students who are not. Achievement Equity: Having comparably high performance for all groups of learners when academic achievement data are disaggregated and analyzed. Achievement Gap: The achievement gap is a persistent, pervasive and significant disparity in educational achievement and attainment among groups of students as determined by a standardized measure. When analyzed according to race and ethnicity, achievement disparities negatively impact educational outcomes for poor children and children of color on a consistent basis. AYP: Annual Yearly Progress (AYP) growth over three years of all subgroups. Cultural Frame of Reference: Reference that guides peoples behavior from their point of view of the given people (Ogbu, 1995). Culturally Relevant and Responsive Pedagogy: Instruction that takes into account and applies curriculum to students cultural, ethnic, language, and socioeconomic background (Banks, Cookson, Gay, Hawley, 2001). Deficit Thinking: Students who fail in school do so because of alleged internal deficiencies (such as cognitive and/or motivational limitations) or shortcomings socially linked to the youngster-such as familial deficits (Valencia, 1997). Educational Leadership Policy Standards: ISLLC 2008 (ISLLC 2008): Standards used to guide principal preparation programs and principal certification organizes the functions that help define strong school leadership under six standards. These standards represent the broad, high-priority themes that education leaders must address in order to promote the success of every student. These six standards call for: 1. Setting a widely shared vision for learning; 2. Developing a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth; 3. Ensuring effective management of the organization, operation, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment; 4. Collaborating with faculty and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources; 5. Acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner; and 6. Understanding, responding to, and influencing the political, social, legal, and cultural contexts. Hegemony: Racial and cultural domination (Spring, 2005). Leadership for Excellence and Equity: Schools in which all students achieve high levels of academic success, regardless of any students race, ethnicity, culture, neighborhood, income of parents, or home language (Scheurich Skrla, 2003, p.1). Schools in which principals advocate, lead and keep at the center of their practice and vision issues of race, class, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and other historically and currently marginalizing conditions in the United States. (Theoharis, 2004, p.3). Marginalized populations: groups of people in the United States marginalized by the majority culture (Kitzinger, 1996). In this study marginalized populations include children of marginalized communitiesin particular, poor children, and children of all ethnic backgrounds; and those with disabilitiesinvolves negotiating the hardships that are a product of a legacy of discrimination. Once these children enter the classroom they often are faced with a curriculum that can be irrelevant to their realities, ability grouping and a system of tracking that often excludes them from courses needed to pursue higher education (Potts, 2003; Smith, 2000). Maryland School Assessment (MSA): The MSA is a test of reading and math achievement that demonstrates how well students have mastered academic standards specified in the Voluntary State Curriculum. The test was developed to meet the reporting requirements of the No Child Left Behind Act. The test is administered in March to students in grades three through eight, and once in high school. No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB): The NCLB Act of 2001 aims at ensuring both academic excellence and equity by providing new opportunities and challenges for states to advance the goal of closing the achievement gap. It relies on high stakes testing to ensure that schools make adequate yearly progress (AYP) toward the goal of 100% proficiency by 2014. Supporters of NCLB claim the legislation encourages accountability in public schools, offers parents greater educational options for their children, and helps close the achievement gap between minority and white students. NCLB aims to show achievement toward these goals through federally mandated standardized testing. NCLB seeks to narrow class and racial gaps in school performance by creating common expectations for all. It requires schools and districts to focus their attention on the academic achievement of traditionally under-served groups of children, such as low-income students, students with disabilities, and students of major racial and ethnic subgroups. Opportunity to Learn equity: Equal access to a rigorous curriculum for all students. Professional Development: The National Staff Development Council defines the term professional development to mean a comprehensive, sustained, and intensive approach to improving teachers and principals effectiveness in raising student achievement School Culture: Something reflected in the environment of the school. It is present in everyone and every environment consciously and unconsciously (Clarke Estes, 2002). School-Wide Instruction: Consistent implementation of instruction throughout the entire school. Social justice: Refers to the concept of a society that gives individuals and groups fair treatment and an equitable share of the benefits of society.   In this context, social justice is based on the concepts of human rights and equity.   Under social justice, all groups and individuals are entitled equally to important rights such as health protection and minimal standards of income.  Dantley and Tillmans (2006) position is that social justice ultimately changes inequities and marginalization. Bogtochs (2002) situates this social justice position within the context of school leadership. Theoharis (2007) definition of leadership for social justice leaders: advocate, lead, and keep at the center of their practice and vision issues of race, class, gender, disability, sexual orientation, and other historically and currently marginalizing conditions in the United States. This definition centers on addressing and eliminating marginalization in schools. In doing so, inclusive school ing practices for students with disabilities, English language learners, and other students traditionally segregated in schools are also necessitated. Special Education: Services and supports designed to minimize the impact of disability and maximize opportunity to grow and learn (Hehir, 2007). Standards-Based Instruction: Use of curriculum and instruction that is aligned with the Standards determined by the school or state. Structure: Institutional mechanisms, policies, and procedures put in place by federal, state or district policy and legislation or widely accepted as the official structure of schools; not subject to change at the local school site (i.e., personnel policies, use of instructional time, program regulations). Student Achievement in Reading: Student achievement in reading will be measured by MSA reading scale scores. The State Board of Education set cut scores for performance standards on MSA testing. Performance standards determine cut scores for students performing at proficient and advanced levels. Students not performing at proficient or advanced levels are considered to be at the basic level. System: Coordinated and coherent use of resources (time, personnel, students, parents, funds, facilities, etc) constructed by the school site to ensure that school visions, missions and goals are met (i.e., professional development, teacher collaboration, use of time). Systemic Equity: The transformed ways in which systems and individuals habitually operate to ensure that every learner-in whatever learning environment that learner is found-has the greatest opportunity to learn enhanced by the resources and supports necessary to achieve competence, excellence, independence responsibility, and self-sufficiency for school and for life (Scott, 2001). Tracking: A way to organize or segregate students based on ability level. Limitations: One of the central limitations of this study is that excellence in selected schools will be defined solely by students attainment of a target score (AYP) on a standardized test. Another limitation will be the focus on a single school district. Delimitations External validity is impacted based on some delimitations. The use of purposeful sampling will be required to select the schools based on a list of criteria which will be identified by the researcher. Selection criteria will limit the ability to generalize since there will be a narrow set of criteria in place for the study. Small sampling and school location may limit the ability to generalize information to other schools and district. Chapter 2 REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK Introduction Moral purpose of the highest order is having a system where all students learn, the gap between high and low performance becomes greatly reduced, and what people learn enables them to be successful citizensà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦The role strategically placed to best accomplish this is the principalship. Michael Fullan, The Moral Imperative Of School Leadership This chapter focuses on the three concepts at the core of this study: social justice, leadership, and achievement for marginalized populations. Each topic will be examined in terms of its theories and concepts as well as supporting empirical evidence in research. Social justice, as the overarching topic of this research study, is reviewed first. Next, the history of leadership literature, proposed leadership models, and the relationship between leadership and social justice, is presented followed by a review of student achievement for all students, student achievement measures, dimensions and correlations to social justice and leadership. The chapter concludes with theoretically supported rationale for three hypotheses expressing positive relationships between social justice, and leadership behaviors and social justice and student achievement of marginalized students and leadership behaviors and student achievement of marginalized students. While the existing literature points to the deep impact that schools have on student learning what remains unknown is the specific relationship between K-5 elementary principal leadership behaviors and student achievement for marginalized students (subgroup populations). Scholars and practitioners in the field of education are interested in knowing what does leadership that transforms school into more equitable and just places, with an attention to achievement for all students, accomplish? How do these leaders do it? What knowledge, skills and dispositions are required? To address this gap in the literature, this particular study will be conducted to specifically explore the outcomes and dimensions of leadership behaviors and to identify relationships between these behaviors and student achievement for marginalized populations. Professional development and preparation of schools leaders requires exemplars of equity and social justice behaviors which I intend to present in this study.

Flight in Toni Morissons Song of Solomon Essay -- Song Solomon essays

Flight in Toni Morisson's Song of Solomon I do not have the fondest memories of moving to this area. Of everyone in my family, I was the only one who did not want to move. I had no choice, however, so I had to live with it. Seeing how depressed I was, my parents decided to do something special for my birthday. Ever since I was little I had always dreamed of flying, so when we were in Crawford looking for property, my parents arranged for someone to take me up. The day was cold, cloudy and dreary, but the realization that I was actually going to fly made up for it. Flight has always infatuated me. Maybe it is the weightlessness of birds that does it, but flight has always been more than just a type of transportation to me. It was a gift I did not have. For this reason, I was able to connect with the novel Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. In the novel Song of Solomon, the theme of flying is developed by a dynamic song for which the book is named. The "Song of Solomon" helps develop the theme of flying by introducing it in the opening scene, by showing what flight means to the main character Milkman, as well as, through its constant changing, showing the true meaning of the novel. The activity in the opening scene can be rather confusing, however, there is one action that ties it all together. One character, which will eventually be known as Pilate, begins singing as soon as she sees Mr. Smith, an insurance agent, preparing himself to 'fly', or commit suicide. The fact that she is singing really has no effect, but the song she sings does. She begins singing, "O Sugarman done fly away/ Sugarman done gone/ Sugarman cut across the sky/ Sugar man gone home...." (p 6) This song describes Mr. Smith, who is wearing blue silk wi... ...ansportation, or a form of recreation. It was a way to get away from your insecurities, the pressures of life. It was being able to have your own life in your hands. As Milkman faces death by someone else's hands, he uses that gift. By taking his own life he shows that 'flying' is what keeps us free of chains, burdens and social pressures, and lets us choose what is right for us. Music is a wonderful attribute to the arts, and in the case of Toni Morrison's novel Song of Solomon, it is what ties the theme of flight together. Whether it is allowing the introduction of the theme, showing the feelings of a character or leading the reader to find the meaning of the novel, it is indisputable that the "Song of Solomon," a song of flight, ties the theme and essentially the novel together. Works Cited: Morisson, Toni. "Song of Solomon." Alfred A. Knopf, Inc. 1977.

An Innocent Man Wronged in Oleanna Essay -- David Mamet

Sometimes there are events in our lives that we cannot control. These events occur, more or less, due to our own actions. Sometimes, however, we must come to terms with our inability to handle certain situations and also to reach our goals. These events are facts of life everyone: some people can't run as fast, or lift as much, or write as well. It is during these times that we must focus on what we can do well, and try to direct our goals around those features that make us good at something. In David Mamet's Oleanna, John loses his job and his house due to Carol's ignorance, lack of self-confidence, and overall inability to come to terms with her own short-comings as a student. This play epitomizes an act of complete degradation based solely on one individual's failure to accept that she just might not be good at school--or at least John's class.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In an attempt to help a young student named Carol, a professor named John loses his house and his job. All of the blame rests on Carol's shoulders, for it was she that allowed her delusions of grandeur and success (being without the necessary skills to attain them) to ruin the life of man who has dedicated his life to helping students do just that. Carol's ignorance plays a big role in this tragedy. From the very beginning of this play, it is apparent that Carol does not understand the information given in class, but it is her unwillingness to even try that makes her at fault. "People who came here. To know something they didn't know†¦To be helped†¦So someone would help them (12)." Carol is begging John to understand that she is stupid. She doesn't want help in the sense that someone might want help writing a paper. She wants it hand fed to her, and education is a process that involves the teacher pointing the way, not carrying someone to the end. Carol' s misconceptions of how college is supposed to work can only be result of not having been exposed to the realities of higher education, but I believe that she just doesn't have the skills she needs to succeed. "Nobody tells me anything. And I sit there†¦in the corner. In the back (14)." This is an example of the total lack of motivation that Carol has to learn. Her ignorance leads her to believe that a college education is supposed to hand fed. She just sits there, in the back, without an attempt to even try to learn on her own. We all need help form time to tim... ...hool. They have lived their lives fearing that the system of education has decided that they are failures. This group has only one goal, and that is to succeed. Their success, however, has a price. Those people who stand in the way re their enemies. John's fate was a result of Carol finding this group, and allowing them to use her as a pawn in their own sick, twisted agenda. All the members of this group suffer from the same illness that ails Carol: ignorance, lack of self-confidence, and an ability to cope with their own shortcomings as students.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Carol represents a group of people that are the destruction of the higher education system. Their complete disregard for societal structure cost a good teacher his job and his home. It seems that today, when we are unable to get what we want by earning it, we have to destroy and tear down the barriers in our way. This is exactly what Carol does, and the manner in which she executes her plan would leave most students to wonder: why even try? Works Cited Mamet, David. Oleanna: A Play in Two Acts. The Best Plays of 1992-1993. Eds. Otis L. Guernsey, Jr. and Jeffrey Sweet. New York: Limelight, 1993. 150-164

Davis Moore thesis discusses and analyzes Essay

Davis-Moore thesis discusses and analyzes the social equality and inequality and explains why different people obtain different rewards for the jobs that they do (Macionis, 2013). The general topic of the thesis is social stratification, which according to Davis-Moore, is present in every society due to the reason that it has some consequential benefits for the operation and the growth of the society. According to Davis-Moore, more reward is given to people that hold positions in the society that are considered to have some functional importance, such as that of a medical doctor (Macionis, 2013). The result of the reward system in the society implies equality in opportunities while promoting inequality in terms of the outcome that people receive. Social stratification, according to Davis-Moore thesis, makes the society more productive as well as efficient. The functional consequence of inequality in the society helps in ensuring that the relevant and skilled people fill various roles that are considered important in the society (Macionis, 2013). Talented people in the society are supplied with the necessary opportunities and motivation that enable them to undertake training and thus result in filling of the important roles in the society (Macionis, 2013). People who are most talented perform the important functions in the society. The greatest rewards are also offered to the positions that require a lot of training and are of importance in the maintenance of the order and system in the society (Macionis, 2013). For example, doctors train for many years and, therefore, are expected to receive higher perks due to the kind of role they play in the society. Engineers and pilots also take a lot of time to train hence the notion that they should receive higher rewards for their jobs. Melvin Tumin criticized Davis-Moore’s thesis of social stratification by saying that there has been no demonstration of functional importance of the varying positions in the society (Macionis, 2013). Melvin also notes that such a demonstration has not been made. Reference Macionis, J. (2013). Sociology. Pearson Education. Source document

Music Appreciation Unit review Essay

Review Questions: 1) Popular music is any music since industrialization in the mid-1800s that meet middle class expectations. Popular contains all different types of music and Pop music is just simply a type of music included in popular music. It’s kind of like saying all Maple trees are trees but not all trees are Maple trees! 2) Themes such as love and relationships are used to create much of the pop music lyrics. A song that uses this theme would be Tina Turner’s song â€Å"What’s love got to do with it†, in which Turner describes love as being nothing more than a heart break. It was a popular theme because many people could relate it to their lives and their situation. 3) Disco had â€Å"soaring† vocals and a beat that made you want to dance- Rhythm often emphasized. It didn’t play a tempo to fast nor slow (between 100-130 bpm) and was made in the 1970’s. 4) The British Invasion is when British boy bands and their music started to become very popular in the United States of America. The Beatles were a large impact in this movement. They mixed many different kinds of music together which then caused others to do as well. The Beatles also sang about social issues while still incorporating catchy lyrics and rhythm. 5) A boy band usually consist of 3-6 younger male singers and they rarely use instruments. They also perform highly choreographed dance routines. And they all have their classifications ________________________________________ Critical Thinking Questions: 1) Yes I believe music is still used as a form of protest. There are still many songs where the sole purpose of lyrical is to protest some social issue. For example the band Nickelback sings many songs about coming together to help everyone. Like in their song â€Å"When We Stand Together†, a lyric that pops out is â€Å"when we could feed a starving world with what we  throw away. But all we serve are empty words that always taste the same.† While many of us know that there less fortunate people out in the world fighting to feed themselves, some take for granted that they have dinner every night. And Nickelback tried to write this song that confronted the issue that we all have to look out for one another. And there are plenty of other bands/singers that confront social and political issues. 2) Yes I believe music has become really commercialized today. Many artists are just singing for the money. Or there are some that just want to do it in order to be popular and gain their five seconds of fame. You can see this in their attitudes- caring more about the outfit they’re wearing or the car they get to show off instead of setting time aside to actually interact with their fans.

Nai Talim

1 SLD07. 20. 08 16th Ordinary Emory Presbyterian Church Romans 8:5-6, 12-17 Jill Oglesby Evans â€Å"Mahatma Gandhi: My Life Is My Message† Have you ever seen the bumper sticker or t-shirt slogan, â€Å"Peace, like war, must be waged? † Whatever else might be said about this morning’s saint, Mahatma Gandhi, who could argue but that the man dedicated his entire life to waging peace, in his heart, in his home, in his country, and in the world.And if you think that waging peace is somehow more passive than waging war, you may want to know that, for all his abhorrence of violence as a means to an end, yet Gandhi insisted that the non-violent activist, like any soldier, has to be ready to die for the cause. Indeed, during India’s decades long struggle for independence, thousands of Indians were killed by the British. The difference was that the non-violent activist, while willing to die, was never willing to kill. 1 [Sound like anybody else we know? ] In Gandhi ’s view, there are three possible responses to oppression and injustice.One he viewed as the coward’s way – to accept the wrong or run from it. The second was to stand and fight by force of arms, which, in his view, is better than accepting or running from the wrong. But the third way – to stand and fight solely by non-violent means – required the most courage and was best of all. Born Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi in 1869, to a well-placed family in presentday Gujarat, Western India, Mahatma Gandhi grew up with a devout mother and the Jain traditions of the region, absorbing influences that would eventually play an 1 www. mkgandhi. rg/faq/q14. htm. S ource: M ahatma Gandhiand His M yths, by M ark S hephard. 2 important role in his adult life, including compassion to all sentient, or feeling, beings, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance between individuals of different creeds. 2 When he was only 13, Mohandas was married 1 4-year old Kasturbai in an arranged child marriage, as was the custom in the region. The couple’s first child, born when Gandhi was 15, only survived a few days, though Mohandas and Kasturbai were to have four more children, all sons.Despite his early marriage, Gandhi continued his education through middle and high school, and eventually to college to become a lawyer, a profession that frankly held more interest to his family than to him. In 1888, he traveled to London to study law and there crossed paths with members of the Theosophical Society, an organization founded a decade or so before for the purpose of furthering universal brotherhood. Not having shown a particular interest in religion before, Gandhi began reading works of and about Hinduism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam and other religions.Subsequently, Gandhi returned to India to practice law in India, but limited success there prompted him to accept a year-long contract with an Indian firm in South Africa. The fir st photo on your bulletin covers shows Gandhi as an attorney in South Africa in 1895. In South Africa Gandhi achieved greater success in his profession, but he also found there the most flagrant discrimination against himself as an Indian. After refusing to move from first class to a third class when he held a valid first class ticket, he was physically thrown off the train.Traveling further by stagecoach, he was beaten by a driver for refusing to travel on the footboard to make room for a European passenger. 2 For thisand the following biographicalinformation, see http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/M ahatmas_Gandhi 3 Another time, a magistrate ordered him to remove his turban in court, which he refused to do. These incidents comprised a turning point in Gandhi’s life, awakening him to contemporary social injustice and prompting his passionate social activism.Prompted by a bill denying Indians the right to vote, Gandhi found himself becoming politically active, organizing the Ind ian community into a homogenous political force. Having experienced firsthand the racism, prejudice and injustice against Indians in South Africa, and witnessing the compromise that came through peaceful protest, Gandhi began to question his own people’s status within the British Empire, as well as his personal role in his society. In 1915, Gandhi returned to India desiring to be introduced to the issues, politics and people of his native country.One of his first major achievements came in 1918 when he intervened on behalf of the villages of Champaran. The people there, suppressed by the militias of British landlords, lived in extreme poverty. Yet the British still levied an additional oppressive tax which they continually increased despite the peoples’ desperate conditions. In response, Gandhi organized a detailed study and survey of the villages, accounting for the atrocities and terrible episodes of suffering amongst the people.Enlisting the help of villagers, he be gan leading a clean-up of the villages, including the building of schools and hospitals, and the training of village leadership. †¦ Until he was arrested for creating unrest. At which point, hundreds of thousands of people protested and demanded his release, which the court reluctantly granted. Finally, under Gandhi’s leadership, the landlords signed an agreement 4 granting the poor farmers of the region more compensation and control over their farming.It was during this agitation that the village people began to address Gandhi as Bapu, which means â€Å"Father,† and Mahatma, an honorary title meaning â€Å"Great Soul. † The monikers spread, as did Gandhi’s reputation for strength in resistance against injustice. Yet Gandhi’s strength throughout his and India’s struggle against the British came, not from armed weapons but from the tactics of non-cooperation, non-violence, and peaceful resistance. To Gandhi, all violence was evil and cou ld not be justified, no matter which side, the â€Å"enemy’s† or his own, perpetuated it.Regardless of how incendiary the acts of the British or their Raj, nevertheless Gandhi consistently decried any violent retaliatory actions on the part of the Indians. Being assertive and on the offensive? Yes, even aggressively so, through civil disobedience and non-cooperation. â€Å"Satyagraha† was the term Gandhi used for non-violent action, which in his mind was â€Å"a way of life based on love and compassion. †3 Asks one author, Mark Shepherd, who wrote a publication called Gandhi and His Myths, â€Å"why did Gandhi employ this approach? Was he just trying to fill the jails? To overwhelm and embarrass his captors?Make them ‘give in’ through force of numbers? Not at all,† says Shepherd. â€Å"He just wanted to make a statement. He wanted to say, ‘I care so deeply about this matter that I am willing to take on the legal penalties, to si t in this prison cell, to sacrifice my freedom, in order to show you how deeply I care. Because when you see the depth of my concern, and how ‘civil’ I am in going about this, you’re bound to change your mind about me, to abandon your rigid, unjust position, and let me help you see the truth of my cause. ’ In other words, says the author, Gandhi’s 3 www. mkgandhi. org/faq/q17. htm method aimed to win not by overwhelming, but by converting his opponent, by bring about a ‘change of heart. ’†4 â€Å"Sound naive? † asks Shepherd. â€Å"Well, it is,† he says. â€Å"To my knowledge, no civil disobedience campaign of Gandhi’s ever succeeded chiefly through a change of heart in his opponents. Rather, here’s what happened: Gandhi and his followers break a law politely. Public leaders have them arrested, tried and put in prison. Gandhi and his followers cheerfully accept it all. Members of the public are impress ed by the protest and public sympathy is aroused for the protesters and their cause.Members of the public put pressure on the leaders to negotiate with Gandhi. As cycles of civil disobedience recur, public pressure grows stronger. Finally, public leaders give into pressure from their constituency and negotiate with Gandhi. †¦ There are variations on this theme in Gandhi’s campaigns but generally speaking, his most decisive influence on his opponents was more indirect than direct. †5 Lest you imagine that Gandhi held the law in disregard, hear his rules for civil disobedience: Only people with a high regard for the law were qualified for civil disobedience.Only specific, unjust laws were to be broken. No direct or physical coercion was allowed. Hostile language was banned. Destroying property was forbidden. Civil disobedience in the form of the thoughtful, peaceful, and intentional breaking of unjust laws, and non-cooperation in the form of strikes, economic boycott s and tax refusals – this was how Gandhi believed India could gain complete individual, spiritual and political independence from the British. â€Å"No government can exist for a 4 Ibid. 5 Ibid. 6 single moment without the cooperation of the people, willing or forced,† said Gandhi. And if people suddenly withdraw their cooperation in every detail, the government will come to a standstill. † And so it did. To start the ball rolling, Gandhi reorganized the Indian National Congress, oversaw the writing of a new constitution, and set about improving the discipline and effectiveness of his people. He expanded his non-violent platform to include the swadeshi policy – the boycott of foreign-made goods, especially British goods. Linked to this was his advocacy that homespun cloth (khadi) be worn by all Indians instead of British-made textiles.He exhorted Indian men and women, rich or poor, to spend time each day spinning this homespun cloth, as he did, himself, a strategy intended both to inculcate discipline and dedication in the masses, and to include women in the movement. In addition to boycotting British products, Gandhi urged the people to boycott British educational institutions, to resign from government employment, and to forsake British titles and honors. Gandhi’s non-cooperation program enjoyed wide-spread appeal and success, increasing excitement and participation from all strata of Indian society.However, just as it was reaching its apex, Gandhi ended it abruptly because of a violent clash in the state of Uttar Pradesh in 1922. Fearing that his movement was about to take a turn towards violence that would be the undoing of all his work, Gandhi called off his campaign of mass civil disobedience. He was arrested on March 10, 1922 and sentenced to six years of imprisonment, of which he served two. 7 For the following decade Gandhi stayed out of active politics, focusing most of his attention on expanding initiatives against untouchability, alcoholism, ignorance and poverty.In 1928, however, when the British government appointed a new constitutional reform commission that did not include any Indians, Gandhi returned to public debate, leading Congress to call the British either to grant India dominion status or face a new campaign of non-cooperation with complete independence as its goal. The British did not respond. On December 31, 1929, the Indian flag was raised in Lahore. Two months later Gandhi launched his famous 248 mile â€Å"Salt March† to the sea for Indians to make their own salt, instead of purchasing it from Britain.Thousands of Indians joined in the march. The British responded by imprisoning over 60,000 people. Due to political pressure, however, within a year, the British government decided to negotiate with Gandhi. In return for the suspension of the civil disobedience movement, they agreed to set all political prisoners free. Unfortunately no real transfer of power took place. Wh en World War II broke out, Gandhi and his supporters made it clear through their most forceful movement yet, called Quit India, that they would not support the war effort unless India were granted immediate independence.Gandhi and the entire Congress Working Committee were arrested in Bombay in 1942 and held for two years. Because of his failing health, he was released before the end of the war. At the end of the war, the British vowed to transfer power to Indian hands. Gandhi called off the struggle and 100,000 political prisoners were released. 8 Over the next two years, many debates occurred related to the nature of the freedom of India and its partition into Muslim and Hindu-majority states.Gandhi was vehemently opposed to any plan that partitioned India into two separate countries, although he finally assented, and devoted himself to keeping the Indian warring parties at peace. Still, on January 30, 1948, Gandhi was shot and killed by a Hindu radical whose extremist organizatio n held him responsible for weakening India by insisting upon a political payment to the newly formed nation of Pakistan. Although Mahatma Gandhi was not the originator of the principle of non-violence, he was the first to apply it in the political field on a huge scale.Important leaders strongly influenced by Gandhi’s approach to political activism include Afro-American Martin Luther King,Jr. , Euro-American Albert Einstein and Mexican American Cesar Chavez, South Africans Nelson Mandela, Steven Biko and Desmond Tutu, the prime minister-elect of Burma/Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, Pakistani Muslim peacemaker Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, the Tibetan Dalai Lama, and British-born devotee and activist, Madeleine Slade, also known as Mirabehn. Gandhi’s developed principles of discipline, non-violence and passionate concern for the greater good echo loudly across many faiths.In 1955 Martin Luther King, Jr. remarked, â€Å"Christ gave us the goals, and Mahatma Gandhi, the tactics. † You know, there’s an irony to trying to distill the story, teaching and example of a soul as great as Gandhi’s (or any other saint’s, for that matter) into a single sermon on a single Sunday morning in one particular American protestant church. But if our aim is to 9 look for proof that the gospel can, indeed, be lived, then in my view, it’s nevertheless important to make a stab at exploring the many diverse ways it is.The God that you and I worship and seek to know is sovereign over all creation, over all humanity, over all that is good and life-giving, indeed, over all that is. That’s what the Apostle Paul believed when he preached to the seekers in Rome about the importance of setting their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, he told them, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. And all who are led by the Spirit of God, said Paul, are children of God. (Ro 8:5-6,14) If we imagine that the re is only one way to led by the Spirit of God, we limit God.If we imagine there is only one way God’s Spirit can lead us, we limit ourselves. So if each Sunday we can’t quite fully capture or communicate the depth and breadth or ambiguities of the lives of our summer saints, yet perhaps our imaginations are stretched enough beyond the usual boundaries of our daily lives and faith, that we might even wonder ourselves in what boundary-breaking ways God’s Spirit might be trying to lead us. After all, â€Å"what is faith worth if it is not translated into action? † asks Gandhi. And that’s a good question. To the glory of God. Amen.