Ginsbergs America in Time - 1275 Words

In Allen Ginsbergs America, written in January of 1956, the author admits I am obsessed with Time Magazine. I read it every week (Ginsberg 46-47). For this reason I have chosen issue number 24 of volume LXVI of Time, published December 12, 1955, to illustrate Ginsbergs influences by the current national and world events of his time. The cover of this issue depicts the jolly St. Nick behind the beaming bald head of toymaker Louis Marx. This joyous illustration projects how the media sought to spread happiness and Christmas cheer despite national woes such as nuclear arms threats and the countrys slow movement toward national desegregation. Ginsbergs dramatic monologue, America, demonstrates his emotions tied to the Cold War†¦show more content†¦The author takes this position as the event was in the middle of the Cold War, during which the United States attempted to contain the threat of communism throughout allied nations and in opposition promoted democracy and capitalis m. Of Indias Prime Minister Nehru during the time of the visit, the author claims he gave them [the Russian communist party] platforms to spread their deception, and sponsored their attacks on all that free nations stand for. It may take years to undo the mischief (COMMUNISTS). The authors diction, more specifically the use of the word mischief, implies his opinion that the spread of communism is bad and that India greeting such visitors was morally wrong. In this statement, as well as in his tone throughout the entire article, the author projects an opinion that communism is both evil and deceptive and that those who welcome their authorities into their countries are in a way supporting the supposed evils they may promote or commit. In America, Ginsberg acknowledged the collective opinion of American media and populace that communism is both evil and a world-wide threat to democracy. He declared America its them bad Russians and that the Russias power mad (Ginsberg 85, 88). These claims support the accepted American view of communism as threatening, furtherShow MoreRelatedDislikes of the American Society and the Injustices in America in Allen Ginsbergs Poetry1693 Words   |  7 PagesDislikes of the American Society And the Injustices in America In Allen Ginsbergs Poetry By Matt Feeko Mrs. Juenger English 1 18 April 1999 Dislikes of the American Society And the Injustices in America In Allen Ginsbergs Poetry Allen Ginsberg started his infamous life as a revolutionary and poet of the beat generation when he began attending Colombia University. While at Colombia Ginsberg metRead MoreAnalysis Of Allen Ginsberg s The Cold War 1303 Words   |  6 PagesGinsberg s poem, America affords an in-depth critique on the United States of America during the Cold War (1947–1991) and takes a critical look at the country from both a social and a political perspective. The fast paced, intense personal focus of Ginsberg’s stream of consciousness format for his poem, not only argues with individuals and society but also directly to the country itself in regard to America s involvement in war. Examine how the text reflects the key concerns of the time period. (ConsiderRead MoreA Comparison of Whitman’s Song of Myself with Ginsberg’s Howl1231 Words   |  5 Pagescontent of â€Å"Howl† may have been impressed by â€Å"Song of Myself,† Ginsberg’s poem expresses a change from Whitman’s use of the line, his first-person recital, and his vision of America. As Whitman’s seamless lines are open-ended, speaking the voice of a universal speaker presenting a positive outlook of America, Ginsberg’s poem, on the contrary, uses long lines that end inward to present the uneasiness and madness that feature the vision of America that Ginsberg exhibits through the voice of a prophetic speakerRead MoreAllen Ginsberg, A Supermarket in California Literary Analysis1669 Words   |  7 PagesJasamyn Wimmer English 1B Professor Kleinman 5 March 2013 Brief Literary Analysis Lost America: An analysis of â€Å"A Supermarket in California† Allen Ginsberg; philosopher, activist, poet, a man highly revered as a groundbreaking figure between the 1950’s Beat Poetry Generation and the counter-cultural revolution of the 1960’s (poetryarchive.org). Ginsberg’s first book â€Å"Howl and Other Poems,† was published in 1955, his work was involved in an illustrious obscenity trial because of the use ofRead More Supermarket in Califorina and Constantly Risking Absurdity Essay example1385 Words   |  6 Pages â€Å"A Supermarket in California† and â€Å"Constantly Risking Absurdity† Allen Ginsberg’s poem â€Å"A Supermarket in California† and Lawrence Ferlinghetti’s poem â€Å"Constantly Risking Absurdity† describe the struggle within to find beauty and self worth. Where Allen Ginsberg is lost in the market, desperately trying to find inspiration from Walt Whitman, Lawrence Ferlinghetti portrays the image of the poet frantically trying to balance on a high wire, risking not only absurdity, but also death. Both of theseRead MoreThe Song Of Myself By Walt Whitman And Howl1353 Words   |  6 PagesBoth â€Å"Song of Myself† by Walt Whitman and â€Å"Howl† by Allen Ginsberg are important pieces of American poetry. â€Å"Song of Myself† was written in the 1850’s and â€Å"Howl† was written about a century later. Both poets were part of groups that wanted to change America – the Transcendentalists and the Beats. Transcendentalists believed in the goodness of people and nature. They believe that peo ple are at their best when they are truly independent. The Beats rejected standard values and materialism. They experimentedRead MoreSocial Pressures Reflected in Ginsbergs Howl Essay921 Words   |  4 PagesSocial Pressures Reflected in Ginsbergs Howl Post World War II America produced a number of images that will be forever imprinted on the minds of Americans. Such images as television shows like Leave It To Beaver and I Love Lucy, movies such as An Affair To Remember, and Brigadoon, are watched frequently even in todays society. But in this world of fairytale movies and the American Dream, what about those who didnt fit into the picture of perfection and prosperity? These menRead MoreAnalysis Of Allen Ginsberg s Howl And 1661 Words   |  7 Pagescontemporary political circumstances in America’s sexual politics, although he disregards these views. In the later twentieth century, bursting from walls, waving their genitals on roofs, and balling in parks is an indication that gay pride movements in America assemble through their openness in the focus of punishing violence towards these homosexual individuals, which criticise dominant social orders and challenge the laws. Being in reflection of gay and queer discourses, there is a judgement in the subjectRead More Allen Ginsbergs America Essay2026 Words   |  9 PagesAllen Ginsbergs America Through a careful interpretation of A Defense of Poetry by Percy Bysshe Shelley and Democratic Vistas by Walt Whitman, one can gain a holistic sense of poetry, what it is and what it does, that can be applied to literary texts of all times. One can better understand Allen Ginsbergs America through an examination of the aforementioned texts as well. The literary merit of the poem is best recognized through Walt Whitmans Democratic Vistas, although Percy Bysshe ShelleysRead MoreAnalysis on Allen Ginsberg’s â€Å"America†1591 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"America† by Allen Ginsberg was written in a very trying time, right after World War II and at the beginning of the Cold War. This was a time of controversy and taking a stand for personal beliefs, and Ginsberg did just that. Although America has been known by many as â€Å"the best country† and the country most accepting of other ethnicities, Allen Ginsberg shows that Americans are not all accepting and as goo d as many people believe. America, just like every country has had its problems and flaws, leading

William Shakespeare s Female Characters - 1232 Words

Katherine Sosa. Julie Clifton. April 22, 2015 Shakespeare s Female Characters. The English playwright and poet William Shakespeare is generally known to be one of the greatest English writers and creators of all time. However, his works open themselves up to interpretation, whether in historical context or symbolism; they lend themselves to every readers individual response. In this research paper I will be addressing patriarchy, his treatment of female characters as commodity, and the misogynistic themes in his works. My goal is not to find the ultimate answer to the question of whether Shakespeare was a misogynist or not, that would simply be unrealistic. But through analysis of some of his major female characters I hope to show that a misunderstanding, and a fear of women is shown in his works. In the end females are usually subdued and the patriarchal structures are secured again. There are many types of female characters represented in Shakespeare s various plays: tragic innocent women, women falsely accused of adultery, a nd scheming women are just a few examples. First lets talk about the tragic innocent female characters. These women are usually pure and chaste and later they tragically die after their innocence is destroyed. An obvious example of a tragic female would be Juliet. At only thirteen she is extremely vulnerable, and naive. During the course of the play she is systematically stripped of everything, because of her love forShow MoreRelatedFemale Characters Of William Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet2248 Words   |  9 PagesAbstract—Numerous characters appear in the works of England’s most prominent play writer, William Shakespeare. Most of the time, his male protagonists possess various and complex characteristics throughout the storyline of his work, making it interesting for the readers to analyze their actions in many different aspects. However, some critics argue that unlike male characters, Shakespeare’s female characters are rather more flat and one-sided, point ing out that they are either the extreme versionRead MoreFemale Characters Of The Play By William Shakespeare s Tis Pity She s A Whore 3117 Words   |  13 PagesThere are a vast variety of female characters in the play with many diverse personality types. Ford writes most of the female characters to be weak and inferior to men to fit with the Victorian audiences idea of how women were to be perceived - ‘powerless and at the mercy of men’. There are also certain female characters such as Putana and Hippolita who appear to go against the stereotypical idea of how women should act and behave during the Victorian era, these characters would have been extremelyRead MorePortrayal Of Women During The Elizabethan Period1656 Words   |  7 Pagescharacterization of female characters in Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the Elizabethan period had a lack of respect for women, but Shakespeare changed it by having powerful, strong and independent female characters, like Lady Macbe th. Throughout history, women have not had the same amount of right and respect as the men. â€Å"Women were regarded as ‘the weaker sex’, not just in terms of physical strength, but emotionally too† (Sharnette). According to Shakespeare’s World/Stage, â€Å"During the time of William ShakespeareRead MoreTwelfth Night Love Essay1610 Words   |  7 Pages William Shakespeare has written a number of romantic comedies. Twelfth Night is one of the finest comedies of the author. Shakespeare is driven by Viola’s decision to voluntarily conceal her identity and go to work as a servant for the lovesick Orsino.This disguise and gender confusion are there in the beginning of the play and finishes with happy ending. This paper tries to ascertain how Viola in Twelfth Night perform her disguise and become an ideal woman of Shakespeare’s own concept. There mayRead MoreGender Roles Of Female Characters1479 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout the eras, literatu re has mirrored the social changes taking place in English society specifically in regards to gender roles of female characters. The Elizabethan era, which lasted from 1558 to 1603, is often referred to as the golden age by historians where many transitions in English society regarding marriage and gender took place (Ivic 110). It was a time in which wives were viewed as the property of their husbands (Ivic 110). However, every woman was expected to marry and be dependentRead MoreWilliam Shakespeares Taming of the Shrew William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, The Taming of1100 Words   |  5 Pages William Shakespeares Taming of the Shrew William Shakespeare’s romantic comedy, The Taming of the Shrew, is an embodiment of the context in which the text was shaped, the Renaissance. The Renaissance period was a time of progression, primarily in the areas of art, science, humanism, religion and self-awareness. The Renaissance focused on taking elements of the past including religion, art and science and adapting them to make them better. Humanists advocated for the freedom of the individualsRead MoreGender Stereotypes : Macbeth And The Wife Of Bath1515 Words   |  7 Pageswomen as a weak stereotypical female, some authors such as William Shakespeare and Geoffrey Chaucer challenged this by describing the female characters as strong and ambitious characters. Not only challenging the sexual stereotypes that existed in both time periods, Geoffrey Chaucer and William Shakespeare also enabled the female characters both in Macbeth and The Wife of Bath exploit their sexuality to obtain the balance of power. Female characters in Macbeth and The Wife of BathRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Taming Of The Shrew889 Words   |  4 PagesIn many accounts, William Shakespeare’s Taming Of The Shrew, is often criticized for its seemingly misogynistic themes; such as the thought of â€Å"taming† a woman, thus making her completely submissive to her husband. While in the opening of the play, Katharine, ill-tempered but seemingly impenetrable, gets pulverized by Petruchio’s contradicting her words, and also saying disgusting jokes in an intense verbal arguement. In another example, one of the other main characters, Bianca, was bet on by severalRead MoreWilliam Shakespeare s Romeo And Juliet1264 Words   |  6 Pagestheater-going public the most important dramatist in English literature, Shakespeare occupies a well-known position in the world of talented authors. His canon contains thirty-seven plays, written in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries. A dditionally, throughout the years, they continue to sustain critical attention, with the majority of his works circling tragedies, one being Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeare s Romeo and Juliet speaks to the timeless appeal of star-crossed loversRead MoreAnalysis Of Wuthering Heights 1398 Words   |  6 PagesHeights is a fictional novel written by Emily Bronte. This book is very sexist with the females frequently being immature, overly dramatic and childish. The betrayal in this book come when Heathcliff feels that Catherine betrayed herself by not pursuing his love. Hindle also showed jealousy towards heathcliff. In the play Macbeth written by William Shakespeare, Lady Macbeth is the most famous woman character. She is stronger, more ambitious and ruthless than her husband. Lady Macbeth pushed her husband

Korematsu v. United States Free Essays

Introduction Toyosaburo Korematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. We will write a custom essay sample on Korematsu v. United States or any similar topic only for you Order Now 214 (1944), is considered to be the most important of the Japanese-American cases because it upheld the forced exclusion of loyal citizens. The case was decided by a 6 to 3 majority vote by the Justices to sustain Korematsu’s conviction for exclusion order violation. Justice Hugo Black authored the majority opinion. The dissenter in the decision among others was Justice Frank Murphy. If situations arise in which legal reasoning overrides the value of a narrative, it may be time for the decision makers to reformulate the law. The Justices in Korematsu, in making their decision had the authority to use the law as they did, but they also had the authority to go the other direction and strike down the wrongful actions of the government. The following opinions of the Court fully explain the facts of the case. Majority Opinion: Justice Black Justice Black, considered at the time to be the civil libertarian of the Court, delivered the majority opinion in Korematsu v. United States, upholding the conviction of Fred Korematsu. He began by stating that â€Å"all legal restrictions which curtail the civil rights of a single racial group are immediately suspect† (Korematsu 216). He then qualified this statement by asserting that not all such restrictions are unconstitutional, but that they should be subject to the most rigid scrutiny (216). Black then laid the legal groundwork for the case by reciting the Congressional Act, which Korematsu is accused of â€Å"knowingly and admittedly† violating. Korematsu is convicted of violating the Congressional Act sanctioned via Executive Order No. 9066, requiring ‘every possible protection against espionage and sabotage’ through national defense, and then applied via military Exclusion Order 34, requiring the exclusion of all those of Japanese ancestry from designated military zones (216). Justice Black then revealed the case context by explaining the precedent on which Korematsu would rely. In the series of military orders, the first violation was the curfew order. The Supreme Court upheld this conviction in the preceding case of Kiyoshi Hirabayashi v. United States, 320 U.S. 81 (1944). Black explained that the both the Hirabayashi conviction and the Korematsu conviction are upheld by the same Act of Congress, aimed at protection against sabotage and espionage. The Act was disputed as unconstitutional by the petitioner in Hirabayashi because it was beyond the war powers of the government, and that the curfew order was aimed at only citizens of Japanese ancestry, and therefore discriminatory (217). Justice Black contended that these arguments were seriously considered, but that the curfew order was upheld as necessary government prevention of sabotage and espionage threatened by Japanese attack (217). Acknowledging that exclusion is a â€Å"far greater deprivation† than the curfew, Black remained supportive of the military authorities because the Court was unable to prove that exclusion of those of Japanese ancestry was beyond the war power â€Å"at the time† that it occurred (218). He claimed the exclusion â€Å"has a definite and close relationship† with the prevention of sabotage and espionage (218). The petitioner disputed the assumptions on which the Hirabayashi opinion rested and contended that by May, when the exclusion was ordered, there was no longer danger of invasion (218). Black flatly rejected these contentions, reciting Hirabayashi, â€Å" ‘†¦we cannot reject as unfounded the judgment of the military authorities and of Congress that there were disloyal members of that population, whose number and strength could not be precisely and quickly ascertained’†¦most of whom we have no doubt were loyal to this country† (218-219). To the petitioner’s charge of group discrimination, Black answered that the Court sustained exclusion of the whole group because it could not reject the military’s contention that immediate separation of the loyal from disloyal was impossible (219). The next portion of the majority opinion speaks to the petitioner’s and dissenters’ arguments against the government by giving an account and explanation of the pertinent dates that were in question as ill-fitting of the military’s assertions and the decision of the court. One of the counter arguments to the Majority opinion was that on May 30, 1942, when Korematsu was charged with remaining in the prohibited area, there were conflicting orders forbidding him both not to leave and to remain in the area (220). Justice Black refuted this argument by stating that the March 27, 1942 order stated that it was in effect until further direction from a subsequent order. The exclusion order was that subsequent order, which was given on May 3, 1942 and was to be enacted by May 9. Citing more important information concerning the dates, Justice Black explicitly conceded that before the exclusion was to take place on May 9, an instruction to report to an assembly center upon evacuation was issued, â€Å" ‘to insure the orderly evacuation and resettlement of Japanese voluntarily migrating from military area No. 1 to restrict and regulate such migration’ † (221). On May 19, 1942, before Korematsu was arrested, the military issued an order that â€Å"provided for detention of those of Japanese ancestry in assembly or relocation centers,† and so it was argued that the exclusion order could not be considered separately from the detention order (221). Justice Black refuted the notion that the Court must pass on the â€Å"whole detention program† when only the exclusion charge is before them (221). The majority asserted that since Korematsu was not convicted of failing to report to or remain in an assembly center, that they could not determine the validity of the separate order (222). Speaking on the issue, Black stated that, â€Å" It will be time enough to decide the serious constitutional issues which [the] petitioner seeks to raise when an assembly or relocation order is applied or is certain to be applied to him and we have its terms before us† (222). Justice Black’s opinion spoke to the argument of racism in consideration of the fact that there had been no evidence of Korematsu’s disloyalty. Black denied that the order was based on racial prejudice. He implied a more complex situation, due to wartime, by stating that the Court’s task would be â€Å"simple† and its â€Å"duty clear were this a case involving the imprisonment of a loyal citizen in a concentration camp because of racial prejudice.† Black added that, â€Å"regardless of the true nature of the assembly and relocation centers†¦we are dealing specifically with nothing but an exclusion order.† (223). Finally, the majority opinion ended with the issue of military deference. Due to the military’s fear of invasion, â€Å"they [the military] decided† that the situation demanded segregation of the citizens of Japanese ancestry, and Congress determined that â€Å"they should have the power to do this† (223). Ironically Black stated that, â€Å"Korematsu was not excluded from the Military Area because of hostility to him or his race. He was excluded because we are at war with the Japanese Empire†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (223). Black ended by asserting that from the â€Å"calm perspective of hindsight,† the Court cannot â€Å"say that at that time these actions were unjustified† (223). Dissenting Opinion: Justice Murphy Justice Murphy’s opinion can be referred to as the most scathing criticism of the three dissents, with his argument based on the charge of racism. First, Justice Murphy mentioned that the plea of military necessity for the exclusion came â€Å"in the absence of martial law,† and so should have been approved (233). He asserted that such exclusion goes beyond constitutional power into â€Å"the ugly abyss of racism† (233). Justice Murphy acknowledged the need to consider the reasoning of Military authority during war, and stated that their judgments should â€Å"not be overruled lightly† by those who may not have access to all of the military intelligence (233). He believed, however that there should be limits where martial law has not been declared (233). He claimed that individuals could not be stripped of their rights by â€Å"military necessity that has neither substance nor support† (233). Murphy explicitly reserved the right of the judicial branch to judge the validity of military discretion. Murphy cited the traditional judicial test of military discretion in depriving rights in various Court precedents: â€Å"Whether the deprivation is reasonably related to a public danger that is ‘so immediate, imminent, and impending’ as not to admit of delay and not to permit the intervention of ordinary constitutional processes to alleviate the danger† (234). He then pointed to the verbiage of the exclusion order having used the phrase ‘all person of Japanese ancestry, both alien and non-alien,’ and declared it insufficient to meet the immediate danger criteria, calling it â€Å"obvious racial discrimination† (234). The order deprived those within its scope of their Fifth Amendment rights of equal protection (235). The order also deprived them of due process, because it excluded them without hearings and deprived them of being able to live and work where they choose and move about freely (235). Justice Murphy found no correlation between the exclusion and immediate danger, citing it as a â€Å"racial restriction† that brought about more â€Å"sweeping and complete deprivations of constitutional rights in the history of this nation in the absence of martial law† (235). Justice Murphy conceded that there was a fear of invasion, sabotage and espionage at the time on the Pacific Coast, and that reasonable military action would have been appropriate; however, the â€Å"exclusion, either temporarily or permanently, of all persons with Japanese blood in their veins has no such reasonable relation† (235). The military reasons, he states, relied on the assumptions that all those of Japanese ancestry have â€Å"a dangerous tendency to commit sabotage and espionage and to aid our Japanese enemy in other ways† (235). Justice Murphy’s opinion specifies the incongruent relationship of military necessity and immediate danger by reviewing the text of General DeWitt’s final report. He found that the report erroneously assumes â€Å"racial guilt† rather than military necessity. Murphy used as an example the words of DeWitt, who â€Å"refers to all individuals of Japanese descent as ‘subversive,’ as belonging to an ‘enemy race’ whose ‘racial strains are undiluted,’ and as constituting ‘over 112,000 potential enemies†¦at large today’ along the Pacific Coast† (236). In the report, Murphy found no reliable evidence of disloyalty, using either general or menacing conduct of the Japanese aliens and citizens (236). Murphy claimed that â€Å"justification is sought, instead, mainly upon questionable racial and sociological grounds not ordinarily within the realm of expert military judgment† (236-237). He proceeded to cover and dispute the evidence provided by General DeWitt. Justice Murphy’s opinion continued with more â€Å"unverified† information used in the General’s report to the Government. He methodically included footnotes behind each of DeWitt’s assertions, which cited studies that refuted assimilation claims, clarified reasons for dual citizenship and other claims, and also pointed out statements made that were based on pure speculation. Justice Murphy thereby disproved a â€Å"reasonable relation between the group characteristics of Japanese-Americans and the dangers of invasion, sabotage and espionage† (239). Acknowledging the long-standing racial discrimination of the group, Justice Murphy chastised the military for having based its decision on racial and sociological judgments when â€Å"every charge relative to race, religion, culture, geographical location, and legal and economic status has been substantially discredited by independent studies made by experts in these matters† (240). Justice Murphy then directed his opinion to a discussion of individual guilt, which is recognized by the United States, as opposed to group guilt. He stated that there are some disloyal individuals who are among those of Japanese ancestry, just as there are among those of German and Italian ancestry, but to cite examples of individual disloyalty as indicative of group disloyalty is discriminatory (240). This process, he continued, denies our legal system that is based on deprivation of rights for individual guilt (240). There were no â€Å"adequate reasons† given by the military not to treat Japanese-Americans like German-Americans and Italian-Americans, and hold investigations and hearings on an individual basis in order to separate the loyal from the disloyal (241). Murphy cited the inconsistency between the claim that â€Å" ‘time was of the essence,’ † and the time period it took for the enactment of orders. The exclusion order was issued four months after Pearl Harbor, the last order was issued eight months later, and the â€Å"last of these ‘subversive’ persons was not actually removed until almost eleven months had elapsed† (241). â€Å"Deliberation† was more â€Å"of the essence than speed† (241). Murphy emphasized the suspect representation of urgency when â€Å"conditions were not such as to warrant a declaration of martial law† (241). Murphy held that within this time period and in these circumstances it would have been possible to hold loyalty hearings for at least the 70,000 American citizens â€Å"especially when a large part of this number represented children and elderly men and women† (242). As evidence to this, Murphy cited the fact that during a six-month period the British set up hearing boards and summoned and examined 74,000 Germans and Austrians (Korematsu Footnote 16). Finally, Justice Murphy ends his opinion in a declaration of dissent: I dissent, therefore, from this legalization of racism. Racial discrimination in any form and in any degree has no justifiable part whatever in our democratic way of life. It is unattractive in any setting but it is utterly revolting among a free people who have embraced the principles set forth in the Constitution of the United States. (242) Discussion and Summary The decision set one of the gravest precedents in history for the United States. Since then, efforts at redress have been made in the form of minimal monetary compensation, congressional acts allowing Asian immigrants to become naturalized citizens, and Presidential apologies. Fred Korematsu received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in January of 1998 for his courage in standing up to an unjust deprivation of liberty. The Korematsu case is a constant reminder to Americans that civil liberties for all citizens must be especially protected under adverse conditions, even in the face of public opposition and wrongful government action. Korematsu vs. United States is one of the best examples of the Supreme Court deferring to military and government authority, even under conditions that the Court itself realizes are suspicious. The Majority Court purposely avoided ruling on the whole process of exclusion, evacuation, and internment set by the military and sanctioned by the government before Fred Korematsu’s arrest. The narrow parameters in which they ruled were highly questionable because Fred Korematsu along with the rest of the ethnic Japanese were mandated to abide by the whole process intended by the military and the government to be a program. The Justice Black’s opinion make it clear that Majority do not intend to question the reasoning of the government and military, but only to suppose that they have one and therefore that the order is valid. The Majority leans on the context of war to legitimize their decision. The Justice Murphy’s opinion targets distinct and relative issues. He comments on the racial nature of the decision while focusing separately on the indivisibility of the exclusion order from the program, the lack of evidence to back the military’s report, and the danger of constitutionally endorsing the Majority decision. The Korematsu Court, acting as final judge of the entire episode, allowed those with power to decide the prevailing value in its ruling. Their decision was not consistent with their duty. Justice Black, in the majority opinion, makes two strong references that reveal the Court’s intent not to question the values of those in power. In the first reference, they reject Korematsu’s arguments and rest on precedent by quoting Hirabayashi: â€Å" ‘†¦we cannot reject as unfounded the judgement of the military authorities and of Congress that their were disloyal members of the population†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã¢â‚¬  (Korematsu 218). The Court never answers why they cannot reject the military’s assertions, which were weak and lacking in any concrete evidence. In the second statement, Justice Black says on the Court’s behalf that, â€Å"we cannot-by availing ourselves of the calm perspective of hindsight-now say that at that time these actions were unjustified† (Korematsu 224). Again, no plausible explanation was provided. The nature of trials is such that many times they are conducted in the calm perspective of hindsight and their duty and purpose is to determine whether or not there is justification for the actions of those involved. Justice Murphy dutifully reviewed the military findings, and in doing so found: No reliable evidence is cited to show that such individuals were generally disloyal, or had generally so conducted themselves in this area as to constitute a special menace to defense installations or war industries, or had otherwise by their behavior furnished reasonable ground for their exclusion as a group. (Korematsu 236) Public opinion and political pressure were the initiators of the government actions, however, government and military officials were the ones who made the decisions to act on those pressures. Worse yet, in the face of this influence and power, the 1944 Supreme Court displayed the same negative value of racism as the populace by shamefully failing in their duty to remain impartial and pass judgment based on the constitutionality of the individual’s conviction. From the perspective of the Majority of the 1944 Supreme Court, the issues involved in the Korematsu case were based purely on their own and the government’s motives. The Supreme Court Majority completely lacked consideration for the value of the Japanese person perspective in the United States. References Toyosaburo Korematsu v. United States, 323 U.S. 214 (1944). Available at: laws.findlaw.com/us/323/214.html How to cite Korematsu v. United States, Essay examples

Dynamic Leadership and Organizations

Question: Discuss about the Dynamic Leadership and Organizations. Answer: Introduction: Leadership is a continuous process. In course of time, an ordinary person can become an extra ordinary leader, with the help of his traits, skills, behaviors and decision-making power. This reflective essay is dedicated to explore and discuss the leadership journey of the writer. From a short sighted, autocratic decision maker, the author has gradually become a democratic and transformational leader. It is a journey, which is continuously evolving and developing the leadership skills of the author. A leader can inspire and motivate others to identify their own goals (Dvir et al. 2015). The author is also striving to achieve the greatness of an inspirational and transformational leader in the course of his journey of being a leader. Reflection: Leadership can best be identified as a journey. As mentioned by Avolio and Walumbwa (2014), it is an art of motivating, inspiring and persuading people to act towards achieving a goal. My own leadership pattern has been evolving with my life. A number of situations, challenges and peoples have made me enrich myself with the qualifications of a good leader. in the initial years of my career, I had an idea that a leader need to make his followers do the tasks set by him. However, with the course of time and experiencing failure in leading people I have realized that it is the task of a leader to inspire people to set their own goal and achieve it with their own motivation. In the initial years of my professional career, I have tried to control all my employees, but it led me to experience employee dissatisfaction and loss in profitability. I have also found the employees, who were adaptive to the control I exercised, but in course of time, I have found that it as being impossible to challenge the status quo and experience growth in the company with them. Here, I realized that it is important for a leader to be democratic and let people communicate and express their views. As mentioned by Trivellas and Drimoussis (2013), unlike a manager, a leader strives to achieve innovation to grow farther. For achieving this goal a leader, needs to make the employees come up with their ideas and communicate in an open manner. MBTI Assessment: Self-awareness is typically needed for the growth of my leadership style and personality. As mentioned by Furnham and Crump (2015), self-assessment provides better insight into the personal and leadership style of an individual which is helpful in improving (Bales 2016). A number of strategies can be used for executing a self-assessment. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can be used to identify my own personality or leadership style. As mentioned by Bales (2016), based on the type theory of Carl G Jung, Katherine Biggs and Isabel Myers developed the MBIT model of self-assessment. As per the dichotomies set by the model, I can place myself in the ISTP level. As per my own sense and exercised leadership style, it can identify me as an introvert, as I focus on the thoughts, emotions and experiences of others and myself. With the course of time, I have realized that it is important for a leader to concentrating on listening that speaking. On the other hand, I prefer sensing dichotomy. For the decision-making, I prefer using experience and the learned skills. I believe on to be realistic even while being visionary for the future. Hence, while opting for a new strategy, I love to be democratic, as it helps me in looking at the big picture, which is hard for me as a sensing personality. I know, I need to develop the N dichotomy while making decision. Moreover, in the T-F dichotomy, I can place myself in the thinking position. I prefer to make decision based on the logic or situation. I like to be truthful in my interaction with the followers. I consider impartiality and fairness as the utmost value of life. Lastly, for the J-P dichotomy I found myself as perceiving. I love to take challenges and I do not fear the unpredictable odds. It helps me in growing for future and provides me the confidence to implement new things in life and in the context of my career. Hence, I can count myself as an ISTP leader. According to the MBTI chart, it makes me open to face challenges (Bales 2016). Feedback: One of my partners has identified that I am being too much calculative while making decision as a leader. It is hampering my risk taking capability. Moreover, as mentioned by Chemers (2014), it is important for the leaders to take risks sometimes. It helps them discovering future. Moreover, as per my partners feedback, my ability of taking risks and the behavior of being too much logical and responsible, it is being contradictory. Hence, I need to make a subtle choice, between them, so that it helps me in actualize my leadership goals. Providing Feedback: While mentoring my partners leadership style, I have identified that he is a situational leader, which helps him to modify his approach as per the situational requirements. However, in order to maintain good organizational culture, a leader should maintain one particular approach (Trivellas and Drimoussis 2013). Therefore, I have mentioned that he must identify his leadership approach and organizational requirement in order to avoid risk. For my partner, I can suggest him to be more considerate before acting. As a leader, the team and his followers are his responsibility. It is good to use the trial and error in life, but with the responsibility of others, it cannot be counted as a good step. Moreover, I would suggest him from my own experience that is important to look at the big picture for future growth in life. As mentioned by Tourish (2014), most of the eminent and popular leaders were intuitive in their personal lives. It helped them to create future for their own rather walkin g on the path carved by someone else. It was their intuition that made them memorable even today. Hence, I would suggest my partner to be more intuitive in his leadership style and personal life as well. Influence of culture: I accept that the national and various organizational cultures have developed my leadership pattern for today. Hence, I believe that the national and the organizational culture have a deep influence on a leader and his leadership style. As mentioned by Trivellas and Drimoussis (2013), culture is about values, norms, and practices. Hence, by identifying what is right and what is wrong, the national and the organizational culture can influence a leadership pattern. According to my own idea, an effective leader needs to be democratic. It is important for them to make people aware of the decisions and include them within it. It helps in creating faith and a sense of security within the followers. National democracy fundamentally induces people to be democratic in their personal dealing. Moreover, as mentioned by Erkutlu (2012), an organization, which believes in autocratic decision-making, no future leader will come up with a democratic attitude. Moreover, I personally like a transformational leadership pattern. As mentioned by Girma (2016), a transformational leader welcomes the idea of others, which helps them to be innovative. However, in a core bureaucratic organizational culture it is hard to exerciser this leadership pattern. Moreover, a nation, which is orthodox it its culture, innovation is not much supported and encouraged. Hence, it is important for the organizations to be democratic and participative in its decision making process to support the transformational leadership style. The communication skills: Communication skills obtain a significant role in the effectiveness of a particular leadership pattern. As mentioned by Mikkelson et al. (2015), only a good communicator can be a great leader. Listing: As mentioned by Martins et al. (2013), to be an effective leader, it is important to be a great listener. With listing, commitment from the followers can be gathered. Trust and respect can be interacted via active listing. Moreover, with this skill, the concerns and idea of the followers can be gathered which will be helpful in transformational leadership. Non-judgmental attitude: As opined by Hackman and Johnson (2013), an effective leader is open to all emotional possibilities. I need to be apt in putting my own emotions and paying focused attention. It will help me in obtaining confidence of my followers. Open communication channel: It is important for the leaders, to uphold an open horizontal and liner communication channel. With an open communication channel, it will be helpful for me to collect feedback from my followers about my leadership and they will be directed in a better manner (Martins et al. 2013). One to one communication: As mentioned by Martins et al. (2013), by observing one to one communication I will be able to understand each of my followers and it will help me to know the motivating factors for them. Thus, a one to one communication strategy will be helpful for me to be a successful transformational leader. Theories and analysis: There are a number of leadership theories and models, which can be discussed for analyzing my own leadership pattern. As mentioned in the trait theory, there are a certain qualities, which make a leader different from his/ her followers (Chemers 2014). As mentioned by Trivellas and Drimoussis (2013), the trait theory considers honesty and integrity as one of the major traits of an effective and successful leader. It makes them different from his followers as people often find it difficult to be honest. I have this particular quality within myself. It has helped me to gain confidence from my followers. My quality of maturity and intelligence can be considered as the traits those will be helpful in lead people. On the other hand, Avolio and Walumbwa (2014) stated that the behavioral theory the pattern of actions of a leader differentiates him/her from their followers. As discussed by this particular theory, the inner traits of a leader will not be helpful for him to be an effective leader, if the behavioral part of him does not make him different from the others. As per the Ohio State Studies, the behavior of a leader can be dignified as two different characters: initiating structure and consideration. As discussed by Trivellas and Drimoussis (2013), in initiating structure, the leader is concentrated on supervising the activities of the employees. On the other hand, the in consideration, a leader focuses on supportiveness, welfare of the employees and respect. As mentioned in the Michigan studies, the behavior of the leaders can be identified as employee centered vs. task centered (Avolio and Walumbwa 2014). As opined by Girma (2016), an employee-oriented leader emphasizes on the interpersonal relation and accepts the individual differences among the members. On the other hand, a task-oriented leader emphasizes on rigid work standard and considers the employees as the tool of accomplishing goals. Here, my democratic leadership behavior will make me different from the others. I personally believe that a democratic leader is more likely to gain the confidence and ideas from the employees. It helps them in encountering various contingent situations. Moreover, my employee centric approach will make me a considerate and employee centered leader. The theories of leadership talk about various kinds of leadership styles. I personally prefer the transformational leadership style. According to Dvir et al. (2015), a transformational leader initiates change within the followers. As discussed by Chemers (2014), these leaders highly self motivated. I have this particular quality within myself. It helps me in motivating others. Moreover, as mentioned by Hackman and Johnson (2013), a transformational leader is inspirational. They do not confine in providing formal acknowledgments but treat each employee as a valued individual and understand what motivated them. I need to grow this quality within myself. It will help me in creating motivation among the employees within themselves. Last but the most importantly, a transformational leader leads with vision. As discussed by Chemers (2014), they then communicate the vision effectively to their followers, and also inspire a sense of commitment and purpose. I want to develop this power of int uition within me. Being an ISTP leader, I lack this quality. However, a transformational leadership can be counted as the best for modern day career approaches. Hence, I need to develop this particular leadership quality within me. Conclusion: Hence, from this above discussion, it can be noted that my leadership journey can be considered as a journey from an autocratic to democratic transformational leader. However, I have not achieved the inclusive qualities of a transformational leader, but I am trying to be one. My leadership journey has made me understand that by exercising effective leadership skills, success can be achieved. With a personality assessment, I have found that I have the qualities of a successful leader. However, it is needed for me to develop certain behavioral pattern to be successful in inspiring and motivating others. References: Avolio, B.J. and Walumbwa, F.O., 2014. 16 Authentic Leadership Theory, Research and Practice: Steps Taken and Steps that Remain.The Oxford handbook of leadership and organizations, p.331. Bales, R., 2016. Using the Myers-Briggs type indicator for personal and professional development in the Miller Business Honors Program. Chemers, M., 2014. An integrative theory of leadership. Psychology Press. Dvir, T., Eden, D., Avolio, B.J. and Shamir, B., 2015. The impact of Transformational Leadership. Erkutlu, H., 2012. The impact of organizational culture on the relationship between shared leadership and team proactivity.Team Performance Management: An International Journal,18(1/2), pp.102-119. Furnham, A. and Crump, J., 2015. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and Promotion at Work.Psychology,6(12), p.1510. Girma, S., 2016. The relationship between leadership style, job satisfaction and culture of the organization.IJAR,2(4), pp.35-45. Hackman, M.Z. and Johnson, C.E., 2013.Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press. Martins, A., Donald Ah, P. and Martins, I., 2013. Communication and leadershipDialectical tensions in virtual communities of practice.Management,68, pp.23-30. Mikkelson, A.C., York, J.A. and Arritola, J., 2015. Communication Competence, Leadership Behaviors, and Employee Outcomes in Supervisor-Employee Relationships.Business and Professional Communication Quarterly,78(3), pp.336-354. Tourish, D., 2014. Leadership, more or less? A processual, communication perspective on the role of agency in leadership theory.Leadership,10(1), pp.79-98. Trivellas, P. and Drimoussis, C., 2013. Investigating leadership styles, behavioural and managerial competency profiles of successful project managers in Greece.Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences,73, pp.692-700.

The Unmanaged Heart Essays - Emotion, Life Skills, Social Psychology

The Unmanaged Heart George Rusinak Graves Essay 9\16\99 The Managed Heart: Emotional Management vs. Emotional Labor Can a person's heart be controlled? Do all people go have some form of emotional management or emotional labor in their lives? In the book, The Managed Heart, written by Arlie Hochschild , discusses the issues of emotional labor and emotional management. In the book, it describes the difference between the two issues and gives Hochschild's opinion on those issues. The first issue is emotional management. This is where the fight attendants learn how to deal with certain situations that they might encounter. Basically, they are taught to manage their emotions and look at their situation from the other side. By doing this, the flight attendants can create a happy and more comfortable setting for the passengers. On page 113 in the book, it states that the fight attendants should imagine a reason to excuse an obnoxious or unruly passenger. This is what Delta teaches: emotional management. The other issue is emotional labor. The use of emotional management is emotional labor. They flight attendants use surface acting in everyday work life. They are there to make the passenger feel comfortable and happy. This is a cover sheet for the flight attendants emotions. They are in a way bottling up their feelings to produce another feeling. The problem with emotional labor and surface acting are they become a part of that person. Hochschild thinks that this is a bad thing because one will never break away from the emotional labor and in turn have trouble expressing their inner feelings, (deep acting) in their private lives. In summary, emotional management is emotional labor. Emotional management is the learning how to deal with situations. Emotional labor is the actual use of the emotional management. Learning emotional management is helpful, but can affect that person's lifestyle. When they use emotional labor, they are hiding their inner feelings to create are better atmosphere for others. People using this might never be able to distinguish the difference between their surface acting and deep acting. Hochschild's sees this as a problem for the people affected by this emotion manipulator. This will affect their friend's, family, and the rest of society. Bibliography Hockschild,The Unmanaged Heart, conseni 1978.

Population Density Information and Statistics

Population Density Information and Statistics Population density is an often reported and commonly compared statistic for places around the world. Population density is the measure of the number of people per unit area, commonly represented as people per square mile (or square kilometer). The population density of the planet (including all land area) is about 38 people per square mile (57 per sq km).  The population density of the United States is approximately 87.4 people per square mile, according to the 2010 U.S. Census. Computing Population Density To determine an areas population density, divide an areas total population by the land area in square miles (or square kilometers). For example, Canadas population of 35.6 million (July 2017 estimated by the CIA World Factbook), divided by the land area of 3,855,103  square miles (9,984,670  sq km) yields a density of 9.24 people per square mile.   Although this number would seem to indicate that 9.24  people live on each square mile of Canadian land area, the density within the country varies dramatically; a vast majority lives in the southern part of the country. Density is only a raw gauge to measure a populations disbursement across the land. Density can be computed for any area,  as long as one knows the size of the land area and the population within that area. The population density of cities, states, entire continents, and even the world can be computed. What Country Has the Highest Density? The tiny country of Monaco has the worlds highest population density. With an area of three-fourths of a square mile (2 sq km) and a total population of 30,645, Monaco has a density of almost 39,798 people per square mile. However, because  Monaco and other microstates have very high densities due to their extremely small size, Bangladesh (population 157,826,578)  is often considered the most densely populated country, with more than 2,753 people per square mile. What Country Is the Most Sparse? Mongolia is the worlds least densely populated country, with only five people per square mile (2 per sq km). Australia and Namibia tie  for a close second with 7.8 people per square mile (3 per sq km). These two countries are further examples of density being a limited statistic, as Australia may be huge, but the population resides mainly on its coasts. Namibia has the same density figure but a much smaller total land area. Most Tightly Packed Continent Perhaps not surprisingly, the most densely populated continent is Asia. Here are the population densities of the continents: North America - 60.7 people per square mileSouth America - 61.3 people per square mileEurope - 187.7 people per square mileAsia - 257.8  people per square mileAfrica - 103.7 people per square mileAustralia - 7.8 people per square mile Most Densely Populated Hemisphere About 90 percent  of the Earths people live on 10 percent of the land. Additionally, about 90 percent of the people live north of the equator in the Northern Hemisphere.

Self reflection paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Self reflection paper - Essay Example Situations in both life and case study issues become ethical when they involve matters within our control that might either disrespect or respect us as human beings (DuBois, 2010). Based on my personal insights and views, I believe that good discussions on ethics are due to situations that challenge our abilities to determine the right thing to do (DuBois, 2010). Besides, in all situations we should carry out effective ethical action, or lay out an effective strategy for avoiding ethical obstacles in the future (DuBois, 2010). As human beings, we have code of conducts that guide our relations with fellow human beings and our approach to various critical life issues. I believe that we should adhere to these laid down code of conducts to help us coexist as necessitated with fellow human beings in a peaceful and cordial manner (DuBois, 2010). Learning ethical issues have proved to be helpful to me as a learner. These appear in three distinctive ways, which are volitional, cognitive and social (DuBois, 2010). Repeatedly, we always know the right thing but usually a dilemma arises in some instances, which is volitional (DuBois, 2010). The latter usually occurs when individuals have competing interest other than doing what is right (DuBois, 2010). In addition, an ethical matter is cognitive especially when the concerned does not to know what to do. They always find that the decisions they are about to take might affect others in different degrees (DuBois, 2010). At some times, the issues appear easy and we are certain on the decisions we make. These matters only appear socially problematic as the stake holders do not agree on the decision unanimously (DuBois, 2010). In the class discussion, I learned that case studies are standard methods of teaching philosophy, law and a little of social sciences (DuBois, 2010). These cases usually appear accompanied by ethical issues that become a big dilemma for the participants. A big lesson that I learned in my participation in the class is that these ethical issues are there to help us acquire critical thinking as skill, which usually requires practice, learning and experience. This is evident especially in the Automobile Workers v. Johnson Controls Inc case study where I cited various ethical issues that were dilemma especially to the involved participants (Rehnquist, Kennedy & Scalia, 2003). For example, suppose a company is applying the necessary professional work ethics and fair gender opportunities stated by law due to its policy mean to bar women from working in lead related departments (Rehnquist, Kennedy & Scalia, 2003). Besides being just an ethical matter, the issue became a big dilemma for the company or whether to uphold the issue and save workers’ health or get rid of it and put women of childbearing capacity at risk (Rehnquist, Kennedy & Scalia, 2003). This leads to divisions among the work whereby one side deem the corporation purposely implements strategies with an intention of segr egating them. Hence, it does not hold to the international policies that bar corporations from engaging in any form of gender-based marginalization. This is despite corporations availing workers with adequate information regarding reasons why they are against women especially those who have the child bearing capacity working in situations that may be risky to their health. From this we learn, many case studies come

Definition of The Bermuda Triangle Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Definition of The Bermuda Triangle - Essay Example What actually makes this specific region of the Atlantic Ocean primarily fascinating and the reason why this region has amassed such immense worldwide attention over time is based on the fact that word of mouth has played a significant role in this issue which is discussed in this essay. People have rushed to associate supernatural explanations with the Bermuda Triangle due to which this region gained a mysterious aura in a short span of time. Along with contemplating the mystery of the Bermuda Triangle historically, some majorly important characteristics related to it are also discussed and explained in the essay. Beginning with the important accidents that occurred in the Bermuda Triangle due to which it attracted massive attention, the disappearance of an entire troop of bombers and planes without leaving behind a single trace are worth mentioning. Unexplained disasters led people to believe in the myths that there ought to be something deadly, monstrous, and heinous in the ocean due to which people, planes, and ships disappear to never get recovered. After the big incident of plane crashes in the Bermuda Triangle, the gateway to disasters opened up and myriad other disappearances began to be reported due to which this specific area became a highly talked about, riveting, and enthralling topic around the globe and research began on a large scale with no concrete facts revealed and ambiguity, confusion, and mystery ensued. Over time, headlights continued cropping up about more flights and ships along with hundreds of innocent people vanished in the deep waters and no explanation was ever presented publicly other than the dark doubtful statements which led people to speculate that there had to be some supernatural phenomenon in action in that specific area of the Atlantic Ocean, never once stopping to consider the probable role played by natural calamities or human errors. One stark similarity among all the casualties which played a major role in spreading bla ck doubts among the public was that the ships, planes, and aircraft which vanished in the ocean never showed up after some months as wreckage. Now wreckage forms important indicators of where actually the accident took place in case of sea crashes and as for the reported cases of aircraft, if they ever actually did happen, never any oil slicks were found in the ocean by the trackers which put a blind end to the search for authentic facts. It is not like the reasons for all the disasters which occurred in the Bermuda Triangle in the past were left uncovered, rather natural calamities and technical errors accounted for some accidents but, a large proportion of people still remained intent on relying on the supernatural explanations. UFOs and natural reasons form the widely speculated reasons for the disappearances occurring in the Bermuda Triangle of the Atlantic Ocean since the beginning. UFOs are unexplained anomalies which many people have claimed to witness though there is no conc rete fact which can be associated with it.

Critical Thinking Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Critical Thinking - Essay Example Other rhetoric surrounding senior citizens in terms of stereotypes include such things as they are ‘forgetful’, ‘childish’, ‘bad tempered’, ‘frigid’ (women), ‘dirty old men’, ‘cantankerous’, and ‘stubborn’. Stereotypes assigned to tattooed people usually involve bad images such as ‘promiscuity’, ‘aggressiveness’, ‘drug addicts’ and ‘toughies’ or ‘louts’, and they are very much associated with ‘bikies’ (a bad element who ride motor bikes). Feminists inspire numerous stereotypes that continually change as they go in and out of fashion. The derogatory stereotypes generally relate to women who are ‘ball breaker’s and ‘lesbians’ because they strive for equality with men. Many women do not identify themselves as feminists because of fear of reprisal created by stereotypical connotations attributed to them (Weibust & Miller, 2007). Politicians are considered as ‘liars’ and ‘benders of truth’, ‘manipulative’, ‘liners of their own pockets’ and ‘full of their own conceit’. They are probably the most highly stereotyped group of all and the only group that invent stereotypes against each other using negative rhetoric against their opponents.

Business Essays MBA Strategic Planning

Business Essays MBA Strategic Planning MBA Strategic Planning Basic Concepts of Strategic Planning The CEO then asked you to explain the basic concept of strategic business planning and how it would help improve performance at Lawrence? To the questions posed by the CEO I would answer: Strategic planning process can be summed up by answering three questions: Where are we now? Where do we want to go? and How do we get there? The basic concepts of strategic planning are best described by de Kluyver and Pearce in the book Strategy: A view from the top. The authors write â€Å"Strategy is about positioning an organization for competitive advantage. It involves making choices about which industries to participate in, what products or services to offer, and how to allocate corporate resources. Its primary goal is to create value for shareholders and other stakeholders by providing customer value†. (de Kluyver and Pearce, 2006, p. 1) The basic strategic planning process involves establishing a mission, objectives, current situational analysis, formal strategy formulation, strategy implementation, and putting measurable control systems in place to monitor the business. This basic strategic planning process is more applicable at the business unit level such as the Home Appliances; Electrical Equipment; Industrial Tools; Agricultural Equipment; Automotive Parts; and Financial Services business units already established at Lawrence Manufacturing Corporation. More detailed approaches to strategy include the newer concepts brought forth by authors Kim and Maugborne called Blue Ocean Strategy. The more traditional approach is competition based strategy such as Porter’s Five Forces of Competition model. The Blue Ocean Strategy is a largely unproven but very interesting concept that uses Value Innovation to propel the company into new markets that are untapped rather than going toe to toe with the competition battling it out for market space. This battling is known as the Red Ocean strategy where the waters are bloodied due to the battle for a competitive advantage. The Blue Ocean Strategy looks to find innovative ways to offer the customer more value in the products or services at a reduced cost creating a win-win situation for both customer and supplier. The more traditional approach would be to use Michael Porter’s five forces to analyze the position of the company in relation to the competition and then strategically position the company on a path of least competitive resistance. Basically Porter looks at: Threat of substitute products, Threat of entry of new competitors, Intensity of competitive rivalry, Bargaining power of customers, and the Bargaining power of suppliers. Strategic planning at the Corporate level She[CEO] specifically asks you what her role would be in the planning process, what the corporate headquarters’ responsibilities would be and how the corporation would add value to the business units? Strategic planning at the Corporate level is more involved in managing the portfolio of the company. Fundamentally Corporate level strategic planning involves decisions such as which business units to expand, which market places the business units should compete in, allocating resources between the business units, building and using synergies amongst business units, and merging or acquiring other businesses. Also Corporate strategic planning will involve defining the overall mission, vision and objectives of the Corporation. Corporate level strategic planning will also use such tools as Porter’s Five Forces, employ a Blue Ocean Strategy, a Gap Analysis, or a Balanced Scorecard approach. Porter’s Five Forces and the Blue Ocean Strategy are described above. A Gap Analysis is a tool used to discover the current state of the company and the targeted state of the company. The difference between them is the â€Å"Gap†. A Strategic Gap Analysis can be used to determine the gap and formulate a plan to â€Å"bridge† the gap. The Balanced Scorecard looks at the company from four different perspectives Financial, Customer Learning and Growth, and Internal Business Process. The Balanced Scorecard approach gives the company an idea what should be measured in order to â€Å"balance† the financial perspective. The Balanced Scorecard system is a management tool that enables the company to clearly see their vision and translate that vision into strategic action. The corporation will add value to the business units by coordinating and sharing corporate staff and various resources throughout the business units, utilizing business units to complement each other in the corporate structure and various business activities, and financially investing resources across different business units. Roles of SBU managers and functional executives The three Presidents of the business units and the functional executives also wanted to know what their specific roles and responsibilities would be in this new planning process, and how their performance would be evaluated and rewarded? To the questions of three Presidents and functional executives I would answer: The role of the small business unit managers and functional executives is EXTREMELY important to the strategic business plan of the corporation. (This statement will capture the attention of the three business unit presidents and functional managers allowing them feel secure in their positions and ultimately help me to get the job!) As the business unit is established and begins competing in a market place that it can be a viable performer, the business unit manager has the freedom to structure and manage their business unit to seize the competitive advantage available to the unit within that market place. Performance will be measured using key performance indicators defined in the strategic planning process by using planning tools such as the Balance Scorecard. The Balanced Scorecard helps strategic planners to derive key measurable for that particular business units such as: customer, product performance, competitive comparisons, operations, supplier, cost and financial data, employee-related, and market performance. These indicators help to align the activities of the business unit with the goals of the corporation. The role of the business unit managers and functional executives are to provide input as to what these metrics should be, monitor these metrics and provide feedback, and implement changes to improve the performance. Analysis of external and internal environments The Vice President of Information Technology also wanted to know what types of external and internal information would be required to develop the business plans, and how they would obtain this information. He wanted to know what types of analytical tools, methodologies and skills they would need to generate and analyze this information? To the questions of Vice President of Information Technology (IT) I would answer: One of the primary tools used to determine internal an external environmental factors affecting the business is to perform a Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats analysis or better know as SWOT analysis. Internal environmental factors affecting the company are primarily the Strengths and Weaknesses of the company. Strengths that a company can build on are usually items such as; brand name, intellectual property, reputation, and well developed distribution networks just to name a few. Weaknesses that a company may face are items such as; high overhead costs, poor supply chain, or a weak brand name. External factors affecting the company are the Opportunities and Threats. Opportunities presented to the firm could be thing such as; need for a new product, lifted regulations, emerging markets, and removal of trade barriers. Finally, Threats are items such as; substitute products, increased regulations, and new trade tariffs. When put into a matrix form, a SWOT analysis can provide the foundation on which the strategic plan of the company will be built. As I mentioned previously performance of the business units and the corporation will be measured using indicators defined in the strategic planning process by using planning tools such as the Balance Scorecard and a Gap Analysis. IT will be asked to assist in capturing and storing data that is internally and externally related to areas of the business such as: customer, product performance, competitive comparisons, operations, supplier, cost and financial data, employee-related, and market performance. This data is crucial to short term aggregate planning for the business units and long term strategic planning for both the business units and the corporation. IT will play a very important role in human resource management and planning, capturing cross functional knowledge equity of the business units, recognizing and protecting intellectual property, and sharing this information throughout the organization. The strategic planners will require assistance from IT to provide tools for business scenarios, marketing and sales planning, and financial projections. These inputs are necessary for sound planning decisions. Authors Anthony and Govindarajan have published a book entitled Management Control Systems and chapter 8 further discusses the role of Information Technology in strategic planning. In general input from IT will be required for management control systems and providing a framework in which the control systems can provide information and feedback to the leaders for strategic planning. Finally IT will be needed to assist with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP). ERP is important to link many of the individual databases or create a central database for the various system modules. ERP will aid in the sharing of information throughout the organization and allow performance tracking of key indicators. A global business such as Lawrence Manufacturing Corporation is like the octopus in which the tentacles must be attached to the central body in order to work in unison. IT will play a crucial part in connecting the business units for purposes of strategic planning. An effective business plan One of the Presidents of the business units asks you to explain what a business plan consist of and how they will know if they have developed a good plan? I would answer this question by first verifying that when the President asked about a â€Å"business plan† that he/she was interested in elements of a â€Å"Strategic Business Plan†. Assuming this is the case I would answer the business unit President by saying: There is typically five key elements to a strategic business plan. These elements are; 1) Vision Statement, 2) Mission Statement, 3) Critical Factors for Success, 4) Strategies and Actions to meet Objectives, and 5) Prioritized Implementation Schedule for the Strategies. The Vision Statement should briefly describe the direction of the company and plans for growth. The Mission Statement should describe the capabilities of the organization to meet the needs of the customer as identified by market research. Such as: â€Å"World leader in quality Industrial Tool†. The Critical Factors for Success are the key aspects that must be addressed if the company is to achieve their vision and mission statements. The Strategies and Actions are primarily defined action plans needed to ensure that the critical factors of success are achieved. A Prioritized Implementation Schedule is basically strategies and actions spelled out in order of importance, and communicated to the team members. These basic elements are the foundation of a strategic business plan. Execution! She[CEO] asks you how you would ensure that the plans were implemented effectively? To the CEO I would answer this question by saying: Strategic business planning will require a certain amount of change within the organization and with change there will also be a certain amount of resistance. I took a course at Lawrence Technological University (curiously this is the same name as the company!) while working toward my MBA called Leading Organizational Change. In this course we studied John Kotter’s eight step process to successful change taken from his book Leading Change. Step 1: Create a Sense of Urgency Step 2: Pull Together the Guiding Team Step 3:   Develop the Change Vision and Strategy Step 4: Communicate for Understanding and Buy-in Step 5: Empower Others to Act Step 6: Product Short-Term Wins Step 7: Dont Let Up Step 8: Create a New Culture The concepts presented in the book and in the classroom were applied to a project that was begun during the time that I took the course. The project was to implement a new engineering documentation system that I can say is progressing well with the guidance provided by these eight steps. The process is logical and if followed religiously, I can testify, work great. This would be one method to ensure plans were implemented effectively. Also studied during this course was Appreciative Inquiry (AI). This is another method that would help to ensure that the strategic plans are implemented effectively. AI is a great organizational development tool that breaks away from the traditional â€Å"problem-focused† approach. Instead AI looks to identify and examine what is working well within the organization and how this activity can be enhanced. Basically the concept is to focus an organization around the things that are working rather that wasting effort trying to fix the things that don’t work. More on AI and the 4-D model used in AI can be found in David Cooperider’s book Appreciative Inquiry. After a successful implementation of the strategy measurable indicators I described earlier will determine if the business is on track with the strategic plan. The strategic plan will be revisited at prescribed intervals employing continuous improvement to advance the vision and mission of the company. References: De Kluyver, Pearce, (2006) Pearson Education, Inc., Strategy A View From The Top NetMBA, The Strategic Planning ProcessWebsite, Retrieved June 3rd,2008 from: http://www.netmba.com/strategy/process/ Balanced Scorecard Institute , What is a Balanced Scorecard -Website, Retrieved June 3rd, 2008 from: http://www.balancedscorecard.org/BSCResources/AbouttheBalancedScorecard/tabid/55/Default.aspx JaxWorks Spreadsheet Company, The Balanced Scorecard Concept, Retrieved June 2nd, 2008 from: http://www.jaxworks.com/thebalancedscorecardconcept.htm Quick MBA, Strategic Planning-Website, Retrieved June 6th, 2008 from: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/strategic-planning/ Articles-Business Plans, What Makes a Good Business Plan-Website, Retrieved June 3rd, 2008 from: http://articles.bplans.com/index.php/business-articles/writing-a-business-plan/what-makes-a-good-plan/ Kotter (1996). Leading Change, Harvard Business School press. Changing and Succeeding Under any Conditions – Website Retrieved November 25, 2007, http://www.ouricebergismelting.com/html/8step.html Quick MBA, Strategic Management-Website, Retrieved June 6th, 2008 from: http://www.quickmba.com/strategy/swot/

It is Important to have Knowledge of History Essay -- Patricia Nelson

It is Important to have Knowledge of History Though the past may bring "a revival and restoration of the misery"(Limerick 473), I believe it is necessary to know and study our past. Through this essay I shall explain how knowledge of the past helps improve the quality of future output, satisfy our human thirst for knowledge, and understand certain polices and regulations.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Even in our everyday life we can see how past knowledge helps to improve the future's outcome. Whether it is improvement of policies, electronics or automobiles improvement is always occurring. The computer is one such item which has come a long way. It would taking up entire rooms, run very slowly, and create tremendous amounts of heat. As improvement began they became smaller, faster and more energy efficient. Today they are very small, and run at tremendously high speeds while producing very little heat. Each improvement in the computers history could not have been made without knowledge of its predecessor's blueprints. Without this knowledge improvement would be impossible, always building the same exact computers with the same problems and never realizing it could have been built in a different way perhaps with better materials or a different more efficient computer language.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the same way as knowledge of the past helps to improve computers, it also improves the quality of life for mankind. Knowledge of our past helps us to see how humans react and deal with situations. this allows us to take preventative measures. There was a time when mankind was always at war with each other. Everyone was fighting to take each others land, food, and technology. Since then the United Nations have been created to prevent such types of pointless wars and now there are police which enforce the law and a government in which power lies in the people. There have been many bad times for humans in all parts of the world throughout history. There have been big and small wars with huge death tolls, small battles, famines, depressions, slavery and countless others events which could have been prevented if we had known what the outcome would be. Just as a person learns from their mistakes, knowledge of our history helps us to learn from our mistakes giving us insight into the fut ure. Many events that have happened in our past no longer plague the world today. Slavery used to be prevalent ... ...n that long that blacks have been able to educate themselves without the obstacle of segregation or harassment, though the lack of money still remains amongst many blacks. When faced with this knowledge of the black Americans past Caucasians can come to see how opportunities they have always had and maybe taken for granted were never given to Blacks. This allows acceptance of such biased policies such as affirmative action. In the past wars would have started over such a policy, but history helps us to understand there reasons for being and allow them. Though our history may bring back horrible memories of the ?grimmest dimensions of human nature? (Limerick 472), it is necessary to have a good historical background. History gives us the ability to improve future outputs, satisfy our unending need for knowledge, and understand how many policies and regulations have come to be. Without history mankind would be very primitive and ununified. Our complete molding of the world today is almost completely dependent on the fact that we study our history. Without history present day humans would be nothing more than cavemen. Source Cited Patricia Nelson Limerick, Haunted America.

Computer Based Interactive Learning System

Chapter I The Problem and Its Background Introduction A computer based interactive learning mathematics system program created as a learning tool; lecture tutorials help people new skills by using a step by step process. Interactive tutorial deals effectively with students who exhibit challenging behaviors; it is also an important approach to such problems from a research validated theoretical perspective. Interactive lecture tutorial provides basic introduction to the behavioral model.By understanding and applying the behavioral model, it could increase the livelihood of intervening with problem behaviors andit is appropriate for a wide variety of personnel who work with students and exhibit challenging behaviors such as regular education teachers, special education teachers, school psychologist, school administration, counselor and pre-service teachers. On the other hand, the proponents wanted to provide reliable learning application that would help the existing manual process of l earning to its learners. This is through the development of computer-based instruction system in mathematics of PLT preparatory school.Objectives of the research project To design, developed, and tryout an M-TB-ML computer-based interactive learning mathematics competencies among kinder pupils in PLT College Incorporated. The interactive material will be in tagalog. Specifically the research project aims: 1. To identify the existing infractural materia (in pront form) used in learning mathematics for kinder pupils. 2. 3. To try this among a small group of pupils to determine its effort on their learning and enjoyment. Theoretical and Analytical Framework The paradigm shows the implementation of computer-based instruction system.This learning process design is a break-through in the field of education. With this, it provides accessibility, reliability and credibility to learners through efficient method, strategy and technique of instruction procedures. * Method * Strategy * Techniqu e * Accessibility * Reliability * Credibility Computer – Based Instruction System in Mathematics of PLT Preparatory School Significance of the Study This study is significant to PLT Preparatory School. Specifically, it is very beneficial to the following entities: Pupils – could have easier understanding that would relate well in the learning process.Teachers – could lessen the burden in the manual lessons preparation such as visual aids and test questions. Researchers – could provide reliable tool that enhances its learning process. Future researchers – could be an essential guideline and basis for future studies in line with tutorial design. Scope and Delimitation The proposed computer-based interactive learning mathematics limit itself for the preparatory school. When it comes to learning process, the integration of multimedia (e. g. sounds, videos) and animation (e. g. objects) is very much included for reliable delivery of lessons.In the asses sment process, examination is integrated with a friendly user approach through multiple of choices to learners. Progress chart for every learner is provided for monitoring purposes by teachers. Definition of Terms Computer-based – According to wiseGEEK (2013) stated as a term that can be used to describe virtually any kind of learning program using computers as a central staple. This approach to learning takes advantage of the interactive elements of  computer software, along with the computer’s ability to present many different kinds of media.Lesson Delivery – It is a systematic method/procedure of instruction to learners with the objective of imparting reliable knowledge. Lesson Accessibility – A method of instruction delivery that is easy for learners to adopt. On the other hand, it is a method that is internet-base delivery of instruction to learners. Lesson Reliability – It refers to the content of instruction that contains consistent knowle dge to learners. Method – It is a set of procedures that teachers utilize in the learning process to learners. Preparatory School – This is a level category in education that focuses on kids learning environment.Strategy – A  method  or  plan  chosen to  bring  about a desired  future, such as achievement of a  goal  or  solution  to a  problem (Business Dictionary. com, 2013). System – A  set  of  detailed  methods,  procedures  and  routines  created to  carry  out a specific  activity,  perform  a  duty, or solve a  problem (Business Dictionary, 2013). Technique –   a procedure used to accomplish a specific activity or task (Wikipedia, 2013). Teaching Process – are those things undertaken by the teacher in order to promote and support learning by the students (Webb, 2013). Teaching Tool – It is a device or instruments that can help in the teaching process to students.

The eNotes Blog Obama Bans Homework in PublicSchools

Obama Bans Homework in PublicSchools Washington D.C. In a ruling that shocked educators this morning, United States President Barack Obama released a statement mandating the dismissal of all after school assignments, in essence eliminating homework from the U.S. public education system. President Obama stated on Wednesday, â€Å"our students have enough pressures in their lives, with many working jobs and maintaining a strong, heavily-filtered presence on social media. This mandate will allow students the freedom to pursue their personal dreams of achieving upwards of one thousand followers on Instagram or crafting a viral tweet, an achievement that a traditional education could never grant them.† Students have already taken this announcement as an opportunity to re-introduce the hashtag #ThanksObama. Teachers have also praised Obama for his attention to their own interests. Jeb Smith, a social studies teacher in Pawnee, Indiana, called in for comment on a local radio program, stating, â€Å"this is the best thing Obama has done to improve American lives. I now have time to actually read to my ferret Hamlet.† However, not all citizens have positive words for this bold political move. â€Å"This was a rash o’bummer move that throws us decades behind in terms of our rate of education. Students might as well stay in school until they’ve racked up at least one million dollars in debt to ensure proper education,† stated an outraged, unnamed source in New Jersey. An intern for , Inc, a world-renowned homework help website, responded to the mandate on Facebook, saying, â€Å"I honestly don’t know what to think. This means my job helping students all over the world complete their homework is obsolete.† There’s no way to be certain what this law will mean in the long run, except that might have to shut its doors to become a Cat Cafe/Hipster Speakeasy. Which, actually, would be pretty rad. For more information, read the full report by the  Student Allegiance of Homework Doers  here.

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards Essays

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards Essays Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards Essay Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God by Jonathan Edwards Essay In â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,† Jonathan Edwards uses many different figures of speech to persuade his congregation. The first figure of speech that Johnston uses is a simile. Jonathan also uses metaphors in his sermon to persuade the sinners. The most important example of figurative speech would be imagery. Jonathans use of figurative language is important to the overall meaning of the sermon because figurative language helps to explain the overall meaning. The first type of figurative language that Jonathan uses is a simile. In this part, Jonathan is explaining that when God returns, it will not be good for the sinners. â€Å"The wrath of God is like great waters that are damned for the present; they increase more and more, and rise higher and higher, till an outlet is given, and the longer the stream is stopped, the more rapid and mighty is it’s course, when once it is let loose† (Edwards 80). The purpose of this figure of speech is to get the congregation to think about when God releases his anger he will do it with great force. The next example of figurative speech and â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God† is a metaphor. Jonathan uses a metaphor to compare gods anger to the string of a bow. He explains that God’s precious love is what keeps the arrow from going through the peoples heart,â€Å"The bow of God’s wrath is bent, and the error made ready on the string, and justice bends the arrow at your heart and strains the bow, and it is nothing but the mirror pleasure of Godthat keeps the arrow from being made drunk with your blood.† (Edwards 109). This metaphor compares gods anger to the string of a bow being pulled and ready to let go, but not yet let go. The comparison shows that God’s wrath comes with great power and could severely destroy mankind. The last example of figurative speech in â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God† would be imagery. Imagery plays an important role in Jonathan

Historical & Contextual Studies in Fashion Essay - 2

Historical & Contextual Studies in Fashion - Essay Example The essay "Historical & Contextual Studies in Fashion" discusses if the city of Paris still the center of the fashion. Currently, Paris is still one of the leading fashion centres alongside London, Milan and New York. Fashion around the world is still evolving, but the shopping centres of Paris are still the same, with a lot of shoppers from around the world and the famous High End Couture still receiving a lot of attention. Summer shopping is specifically becoming a common practice in Paris as people move around browsing boutiques along the arcades of historic Palais-Royal and the spectacular Canal of St. Martin. Fashion shopping is like a hobby for many people visiting the town, and fashion is like a tourist attraction in the entire Paris. This essay argues that Paris was once a centre for fashion and this is still the case until today considering the continuous fashion shopping practice that has dominated and evolved for centuries. Arguments for the proposition that Paris is still the centre of fashion in the world are far and wide. These arguments are basically about the history of Paris and its fashion institutions, and the factors that have influenced it throughout history. Paris is known throughout history as culturally fashioned city. Fashion has been considered as the cornerstone of national identity in Paris and France since the 19th century. By the second half of the century, fashion had become a booming business in France, with its base in Paris. Fashion developed alongside wider changes of the society.

Asylum Seekers in the United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Asylum Seekers in the United Kingdom - Essay Example Figure 1: Asylum seeker applications in the UK during 2000-2009 (Topic guide to Immigration Control and Asylum n.d.). This figure clearly reflects on the fact that the degree to which immigrants applied for asylum seeking in the UK has drastically minimized over the years. The present study would discuss why and how this has been possible, and whether the English law has been successful in dealing with asylum seekers effectively.  The present study focuses on an understanding of the concept of asylum seeking in the UK by individuals and discusses the fact that the legal system offered by the English Law on the issue of illegal asylum seekers is not sufficient in taking the correct decisions in regard to the asylum seekers. This considers the difficulty that the asylum seekers are encountered with in order to make their places in the country, as well as the ignorance of the law to assist these people, and hence the consequences of suffering of these people or their forceful entry in to the country.  In the UK, generally, the asylum seekers have to wait for around 2 months to even 6 years before their claims are accepted or refused. If the refugees have chosen UK, it is likely that they have someone known in the country. Any customary and obligatory introduction program is not provided by the UK for new arrivals in the country. For this reason, refugees and asylum seekers are required to get hold of information about livelihood and work in the UK from their own sources and any networks that exist and can help them out with guidance (Refugees and asylum seekers in the UK: The challenges of accessing education and employment 2009).  In the UK, in the present times, the UK Border Agency (BIA) supports the asylum seekers. The policy of the BIA allows offering all the asylum seekers facilities of accommodation on a basis of no-choice.  

Can terrorism ever be morally justified Research Paper

Can terrorism ever be morally justified - Research Paper Example The demands could be socio-economic or political. According to Igor Primoratz, terrorism can be defined as: ‘The deliberate use of violence, or threat of its use, against innocent people, with the aim of intimidating some other people into a course of action they otherwise would not take’ (Primoratz, 2011). These definitions however, form more of a general perspective to this whole idea, are simply unsatisfactory. They don’t delve into the root cause and what the ultimate objectives are behind these motives, but rather focus on what is done. The issue in its entirety is far more subtle. Virtually, in every historical era and society, there have been extremists who have used terror as their tactics to advance their cause. Of thousands of such groups that exist or have existed, the validity of their cause is often questioned. However, one element has remained consistent throughout the time, and that is their belief of being denied all the resources and opportunity to advance their cause through conventional means and that terrorism is the only way to voice their concerns and give them relief (Vague, 2007). Some studies suggest that poverty and one’s perception of unfairness and moral debauchery of Western capitalism play an integral part in forming these terrorists. Not only because they have had no other means to make their opinions heard, but also to show their hopelessness and frustration towards their oppressors.

Education and Life Chances in Modern Education Essay Example for Free

Education and Life Chances in Modern Education Essay Is there such thing as secret of finding meaning in life? That might some what answers me base on certain articles that I just read and as well as the video that amazed me while viewing. This first article defines life and it’s meaning which is â€Å"Meaning in Life [live the life that you want]† by Albert S. Wang, written on November 19, 1997. This article, questions you if you are really contented and happy of what you have and if this is really the life that you wanted. It is said in here that to be able to live a life that you want and to put a meaning on it; you must first know yourself from within because this makes you know of who you are, second is know where you want to go for it gives you direction in finding your happiness. These things are beginning of having a meaningful life. To find the meaning of your life, you must find it with action not just by waiting for it to come and you can also find this meaning in life not just in distant place but mostly it is found near you. Putting a meaning in your life is all about the choices and decisions that you made on where you want to go. Just live your will and you’ll see that each day you will grow in having a meaningful life. The second article that touches me is entitled â€Å"So What Will Matter? † sent by Leandro G. Cruz and shared by Joe Gatuslao of Bacolod City, Philippines. Its original title is A Life That Matters. This article is so inspiring because it stresses that all that you have got starting from yourself just like beauty, fame, wealth and all other things that you have are just in vain because these things are not forever yours, these are just passing things and you cannot bring these things when you leave earth but what really matters are the thing that you made that others will remember you of your goodness, the things that you gave not just in material aspects but in all, living your life with significance, teaching others and set yourself as an example to them. All of these things are living a life that matters. This third article has an unknown author which entitles â€Å"A Purpose†. The article speaks that all of us who are created by God has a unique and significant purpose. Each of us is given a chance to find our designated purposes but you must wait when the right time comes because God has set it for you at a time when you are equipped and ready. Most of the time you’ll experience the roughness of life but don’t be dismayed because there is always a helping hand that will take care of you, which is God who never leaves you. Just stay at the right path and do good deeds for in the end you will find your own way to the pearly white gate. The next article is the one that I liked most which is â€Å"The Journey of Our Life† shared again by Joe Gatuslao from Bacolod City, Philippines. This article actually tells a story about the Emperor who owned a huge land and he told his horseman that if he could ride on his horse and cover as much land area as he likes, then the Emperor would give him the area of land he has covered. The horseman did not stop riding and whipping the horse because he wanted to cover as much area as possible. Came to a point when he had covered a substantial area and he was exhausted and was dying. Then he asked himself, â€Å"Why did I push myself so hard to cover so much land area? Now I am dying and I only need a very small area to bury myself. † This story is really similar with the journey of our life because most of us are always striving for richness, properties, possessions, power etc. So we work harder and harder until we come to realized that all of these things are not necessary for living a happy and meaningful life; we must balance our way of living so that we could not missed something in life that might happen once. The next thing that I am going to share is all about the video clip that I watched; it’s about an old woman at the age of 47 and her name is Susan Boyle who joined in a certain show that searches for extraordinary talents namely Britain’s Got Talent. During her performance, a big shock was made by Susan because at the beginning when she first introduced herself, everybody was against her like they are judging Susan of joining the show where she looks like so ordinary and nothing to show up but when she start on singing all where stunned by her angelic voice and they gave her a standing ovation but most importantly the three big yes from the strict juries. This gives us an insight that we must not judge the person’s appearance because you’ll never know what’s the biggest surprise that comes from within. God created us with equal gifts and we must use this as an inspiration to others. This last article is a prayer entitled as â€Å"Mere Possessions†. It’s all about the prayer of a woman who asked a help from the Lord, asking that she might not put much stock in possessions because things don’t last and you cannot bring all of these things when you leave earth. That we come into the world with nothing, we leave with nothing. Having a meaningful life is about your choices and decisions that were made; just make sure you have chosen the right path because if you do then you’ll end walking along the pearly white gate and that is the fulfillment of having a meaningful life. There is really no such thing as a secret of finding a meaning in life; it’s just you who will make it meaningful by doing what is right and just; live happy and be happy all the time because life is just too short, you might missed something so let’s make the most of it. Public education, it can be argued, shapes society, instils social mores and indoctrinates the impressionable with those philosophies the elites value. This essay will focus upon three main areas intrinsic to the education system. These are the social reproduction of ideas, the life chances created and instilled through education, and the socialisation of the individuals undergoing the educational process. Two main sociological perspectives that are useful when studying the education system are Functionalism and Critical Theory, because they focus on macro issues and social structures more than the interactionist perspective. Functionalists believe that the school system is an agent of social reproduction, which operates to reproduce well integrated, fully functioning members of society (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 114). Critical theorists, conversely, hold that education is the most effective mechanism for promoting social change and for giving opportunities to less privileged groups so that they can advance their social standing. However, education usually reproduces existing social divisions, maintaining the relative disadvantage of certain groups (Webb, Schirato and Danaher, 2002: 106). Munro (1994: 108) describes the different approaches by stating that, functionalists tend to see education as synonymous with socialisation, while a conflict theorist is inclined to view education as ideological- that is, reflecting the interests of particular groups. Functionalists hold that the major institution for social reproduction is the education system, whereas, from a critical perspective, teachers, who oversee this reproduction, have been made into administrators of programs that provide manpower capitalisation through planned and directed behavioural changes (Illich, 1973: 327). Illich (1973: 327) comments, from a critical perspective, that teaching and learning remain sacred activities separate and estranged from a fulfilling life. This is because the things being taught do not line up with the necessary knowledge needed for life outside of education, and that learning from programmed information always hides reality behind a screen (Illich, 1973: 324). This means that the knowledge provided is set to a secret agenda. The learning process, which supposedly passes on the values and mores necessary in society to students, is not, however, meeting these needs effectively. Relevant information, that is, knowledge, which will add skills to the labour market, is becoming less practical and more theoretical, expanding the gap between study and work. Regardless of this, employers and social elites have attempted to use the schools for the reproduction of compliant workers (Davis, 1999: 65). This double standard has been discussed in a best selling song, The Wall by Pink Floyd (1978) in which they stated that the reproduction received through the school system was set to a hidden agenda, and that society would be better off without it. Drucker (1973: 236) equates the influx of educated people to the potential for producing wealth in any given country. By stating this, educational socialisation and the development of educated people is the most important function education can have. He goes on to state that while this may be the case today, throughout history, being uneducated provided the wealth of a given nation, due to the class differences, and that education was for the rich and idle while the work was performed by the illiterate. This all changed with the Industrial Revolution, and the invention of moveable type in the 17th Century (Drucker, 1973: 232). The moveable type meant that education could be performed at a reduced rate, and words became a commodity that was necessary for improving the quality of the labour force. Education is purported to provide the best possible life chances for its graduates, yet in reality, in many ways education diminishes these chances. Heinz (1987: 132) points out that the life chances of graduates are in a state of flux, that when the labour market is depressed and work is difficult to find, then young people will opt for more education as a means of delaying their entry into a tight work force. The school then takes on the function of a warehouse; it is a place to mark time. At the same time school acts as a socio-political instrument for reducing social and political conflict, and this function gains predominance over its main function of educating young people. In many cases the academic credentials earned are unnecessary for working-class jobs (Furlong and Cartmel, 1999: 12), which changes the focus of education, making it oppressive and irrelevant (Davis, 1999: 83). Heinz (1987: 131) states secondary school-leavers face a worsening outlook when they want to start in working life, and joining a preparatory program is increasingly becoming the only alternative to unemployment. There are a growing number of young people who are finding it harder to find a place, whose prospects on the labour market are poor, being qualified but underemployed, or drifting between unemployment and occasional jobs (Heinz, 1987: 131). This increases social inequalities and the gap between rich and poor. By acting as a warehouse education is not preparing students for life but rather crippling their life chances. The alternative to this are to reassess the curricula and teaching methods, reintegrating skilled workers into vocational education, ensuring that knowledge will be of direct benefit to graduates in obtaining a place within the work force. There are fewer and fewer opportunities becoming available, and school leavers have to undergo more and more relevant vocational training. However, fewer school-leavers are able to go directly into the vocational training they want. Heinz (1987: 130) noted a growing trend 16 years ago that Depending on the region, only between one-third and one-half of these school leavers succeed in getting a training place, and in 1994 Munro (1994: 109) observed that the school-to-work transition had failed which had major ramifications for everyone involved, causing underemployment of school leavers (Munro, 1994: 116). The seriousness of this trend is made even more apparent by the fact that school-leavers are even ready to enter apprenticeships that lead them into dead-end occupations (Heinz, 1987: 129). Drucker (1973: 232) however, states that while this may be so, to be uneducated is an economic liability and is unproductive, even though education is producing an unemployable, overeducated proletariat. (Drucker, 1973: 233) According to Mehan (1973: 240) education is a major socialisation agency, which moulds the individuals self-concepts into a socially accepted format, allowing each individual to be slotted into a specific function (Sargent, 1994: 240). Sargent (1994: 240) points out that in the function of education values are essentially involved and are taught beside worldly knowledge. However, this knowledge interprets the world, but does not necessarily correspond with any external state (Sargent, 1994: 232). The transmission of knowledge, skills and values, helps to sort and rank individuals, that they might be better placed in the labour market (Munro, 1994: 96). This raises a paradox, however, where education is seen by many as the best possible means of achieving greater equality in society (Sargent, 1994: 233), yet it categorises the graduates into job specifications, personality types and the opportunities granted to each. Sargent (1994: 231) furthers this thought by explaining that the education system is an integral part of determining position and power in our society (Sargent, 1994: 231), and that through education the class structures are compounded, making it more difficult for those in the working classes from advancing in the social hierarchy. The education institution both absorbs and perpetuates the ideology, masquerading as knowledge, which legitimises inequality (Sargent, 1994: 231). Regardless of the inequalities produced, it has become the absolute prerequisite of social and economic development in our world to have a highly educated pool of people ready for the labour market (Drucker, 1973: 232). In conclusion, the failure of the education system to reduce social inequality and produce better workers, raises serious doubts as to its effectiveness. Life chances created through education appear to be diminishing, despite the extension of education. The knowledge taught seems to be ineffective in preparing students to cope with life. Functionalists need to reassess the structure of education, as it loses its ability to effectively provide for graduates, becoming dysfunctional in its goals to remove inequality and give a head start to people entering the work force. When looking at the education system, it is necessary to ask if the cost spent on educating people is being effectively used, considering the increasing number of educated poor. The gap between knowledge taught and life experience needs to be bridged, for education to effectively function. If, as it appears, schools are to socialise and reproduce effective and functioning members of society, the curricula has to be addressed. Bibliography Davis, Nanette J. (1999). Youth Crisis: Growing up in the High Risk Society. Praeger Publications, Westport Drucker, Peter F. (1973). The Educational Revolution, Social Change: Sources, Patterns, and Consequences (2nd ed) Amitai Etzioni and Eva Etzioni-Halevy (Eds). Basic Books Inc. , New York. pp 232 238 Furlong, Andy, and Cartmel, Fred (1997). Young People and Social Change: Individualisation and Risk in Late Modernity. Open University Press, Buckingham Heinz, Walter R. (1987). The Transition from School to Work in Crisis: Coping with Threatening Unemployment, Journal of Adolescent Research (Vol 2). pp 127 141 Illich, Ivan (1973). The Breakdown of Schools: A Problem or a Symptom, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. , Canada. pp 311 336 Mehan, Hugh (1973). Assessing Childrens School Performance, Childhood and Socialisation Hans Peter Dreitzel (Ed). Macmillan Publishing Co. Inc. , Canada. pp 240 264 Munro, Lyle (1994). Education, Society and Change: A Sociological Introduction to Contemporary Australia Brian Furze and Christine Stafford (Eds). Macmillan Education Australia Pty. Ltd. , South Melbourne. pp 96 128 Pink Floyd (1978) The Wall, The Wall. Mushroom Records, California. Sargent, Margaret (1994). Education for equality? employment? emancipation? , The New Sociology for Australians. Longman Cheshire Pty. Ltd. , Melbourne. pp 231 256 Webb, J. , Schirato, T. and Danaher, G. (2002). Bourdieu and Secondary Schools, Understanding Bourdieu pp 105 106 (Reprinted in Sociological Reflections on Everyday Life: GSC 1201 Reader). Allen and Unwin, Sydney. pp 227 238.