Louisa May Alcott: Life and Work Essay

Louisa May Alcott is a female American Novelist born on November 29, 1832 and in Germantown, Pennsylvania (â€Å"Louisa May Alcott†). She had three sisters, a philosopher/teacher for a father, and a loving Mother (â€Å"Louisa May Alcott†). Her family is said to be her primary inspiration for her success in literature and also served as the foundation for her most popular book, â€Å"Little Women†. Based on the biography written by Stern, the stories of Alcott were lifted from â€Å"episodes from her life, her observations, her travels, her experiences, her reading† (xxii). The use of her own personal insights and experiences have made all of the stories as real as it could be during a time when the society is dominated by men and women are expected to become mere supporters. Nonetheless, Alcott has been a witness to her own strength and that of other women, which allowed her to accomplish a significant number of stories and literature that portrayed women as strong personages existing in a male-dominated society. In order to examine how Alcott has presented women as strong characters in a predominantly male society, her stories, such as â€Å"Little Women† and â€Å"Work: A Story of Experience,† are used to show the distinct power and role that women held in relation to the existing power dynamics between men and women. â€Å"Work: A Story of Experience† Women experienced a pivotal role in the industrial era as workers and as channels for the advocacies of the female working class. In the novel â€Å"Work: A Story of Experience,† the main character, Christie Devon, is shown as a women of great character as she tries to find her rightful place in the industrial age. After her several attempts, she ended up as mediator between the female working class and the owners of the businesses where they work in (Alcott 355). Christie has attributed her distinct capacity to serve as an instrument of negotiation to her mother and father, who are both seen of equally great importance (Alcott 355). In this particular work of Alcott, the author maintained a sense of reality in terms of the existing social structure between men and women in the industries and never denied the presence of gaps between the two. However, women are given the chance to voice out their concerns regarding the oppression they felt, which consequently increases their chances of receiving better treatment. The need for women who are strong enough to bring forth the concerns of the female working class is expressed by Alcott, who states that such women were much needed and not always easy to find; for even in democratic America the hand that earns its daily bread must wear some talent, name, or honor as an ornament, before it is very cordially shaken by those who wear white gloves. (355). In the said quote, there are three distinct elements that show the strength and renewed importance provided for females. First, females are given greater chances of participating in different affairs in the society provided that they have the necessary qualifications to do so. With the said qualifications, they are allowed to express their concerns and make contributes to decisions related to matters that directly affect them. The use of qualifications as a form of permit to engage in matters usually dominated by male is also realized by Christie, who mentioned that the attributes she inherited from both her mother and father are enough for her work as a negotiator. Second, the author recognized the existence of women who have the ability to participate but also noted their inherent rarity. The recognition made by author shows that women have gained strength and shared a certain amount of power albeit in rare instances. It is not to say that it is impossible for women to become as strong as Christie but should strive harder in order to gain a distinct position in the society. In fact, the words of the author do not serve as limitations but of recognition of the presence of strong and able women and implies the need to further increase their number. Third, the author also takes note that there are people in the society with who the females need to be at par with. Those with the â€Å"white gloves† can serve as representations of a class that the women should infiltrate through their qualifications. To a certain extent, it can be understood as the domination of males in the different areas of the society. The congregation of males is seen to be one where affiliation is strictly confounded by certain limitations. Nonetheless, the author still maintained the ability of strong females to break the barriers and become affiliated with the male-dominated fields in the society. Aside from the points mentioned above, the novel also represents women who are able to work outside their houses and take on roles that are different from the ones they usually did inside the household. The women portrayed in this particular novel of Alcott are shown to have the ability to work in different careers and are indeed allowed to do so. It is an indication of their ability to break the common stereotype attached to women at that time, which is to remain inside the household and attend to the needs of the family members. Nonetheless, the women are not spared from their household chores and are still expected to fulfill the usual roles attached to being a mother and a wife. Despite the inherent difficulty, the women are still able to cope with the need to balance both the demands of their work and families that renders them capable of succeeding at different tasks at one time. â€Å"Little Women† The novel, â€Å"Little Women† was published in 1868 and revolved around the story of four different women who are considered to be taken from the experiences of Alcott with her three other sisters (Richards 123). The novel’s main characters, being women, are used by the author to send â€Å"a feminist message about the shared challenges all women face in male-dominated society† (Richards 123). The author placed emphasis on the different barriers that often limited the opportunities made available to women. The obstacles enumerated in the novel are the burden of finding a husband who can serve the needs of the female, restrictions with regard to the choices in terms of career, and problems with regard to access to college education. All four women are shown in the novel to have their own distinct characters and their own means of coping with the difficulties they face as women. Jo, whose experiences are often related to that of the Louisa Alcott, is known to be a tough and free-spirited character (Walker and Dresner 115). All of the other characters are known to be struggling with the factors that limit their capacities. One well-known example is that of Jo who took great leaps in order to fulfill her goals and dreams. The three other women have also shown their own strength as they conquer and fulfill the problems and the expectations. All of them are shown as individuals who are able to work their way out of the comforts of the households and successfully overcame the different dilemmas they faced. The portrayal of the lives and struggles of the four women is successful and also appealed to the senses of the audience. As a result, a sequel to the novel was published and showed a different phase in the lives of the four women. In the second volume, the women are also shown to have their own individual struggles and the means they used to overcome the said struggles. In both volumes of â€Å"Little Women,† the females are presented together with their experiences with regard to the struggles they have to face in a male-dominated society. Interestingly, all of the women are able to face their problems with utmost strength, which shows that women have the capability to overcome the challenges because they have the skills to cope with the said difficulties. Likewise, it allows women to find their strength with other women and to provide the needed comfort and help, especially during difficult times. In fact, there is no other substitute for the kind of care provided by women and the courage they exhibit during critical times. At the time when Beth became ill from scarlet fever, it is her sisters who decided to take care of her. All of them remained strong despite the condition of Beth and took the initiative to solve their problems without needing much help from other people. On another note, Alcott have also shown that despite the dominance of males in the society, the females are still able to succeed in their own professions through their own little ways. In this respect, women are able to show that it is not the number that counts but the skills, knowledge, and abilities that they have. Other Stories In the other stories written by Alcott, the focus is also on the females and how they tried to overcome the problems they face in their own respective fields of profession. An example of this is how a woman is used as the main character for the â€Å"Candy Country. † In the said story, the woman is shown as a person who is capable of acquiring knowledge for the sake of enhancing their own welfare where the author states that â€Å"she goes home and grows up from a ‘sickly, fretful child’ to a ‘fine, strong woman’†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Alcott xxxv). Despite the simplicity of the story, Alcott ensured that the main character portrays the strength of women despite the domination of men in the society. Conclusion The stories of Alcott are used to represent the strength of women despite the dominance of male in the society. Stories, such as â€Å"Work: A Story of Expereince† and â€Å"Little Women,† the author is able to show the difficulties faced by women and the distinct coping mechanisms carried out in order to solve their problems. Aside from this, Alcott have also shown that women are able to enter aspects of society that are known to be dominated by male. The access stems from their qualifications and abilities that prove they can also be at par with the rest of the population. Works Cited Alcott, Louisa May. Louisa May Alcott’s fairy tales and fantasy stories. Knoxville: The University of Tennessee Press, 1992. Print. Alcott, Louisa May. Work: A Story of Experience. Charleston, SC: Bibliobazaar, 2008. Print. Louisa May Alcott. Louisa May Alcott Memorial Association. 2004. Web. 18 July 2010. Richards, Paulette. Terry McMillan: A Critical Companion. Westport, CT: Greenwood Publishing, 1999. Print. Stern, Madeleine. Louisa May Alcott: A Biography. Lebanon, NH: University Press of New England, 1996. Print. Walker, Nancy and Zita Dresner (Eds). Redressing the Balance: American Women’s Literary Humor from Colonial Times to the 1980s. Jackson, University Press of Mississippi, 1988. Print.

Unethical Issues of Apple Iphone

Important Note: This sample essay mainly illustrates the structure of your assignment on ethical issues of a company selected by you. You may first identify two or three ethical problems and then discuss how to solve them. Remember including relevant citations to support your evidences and viewpoints. Ethical issues in iPhone 1. Introduction . With an elegant combination of a mobile phone, iPod and personal digital assistant (PDA), iPhone was launched at Apple and AT&T stores across the US on June 29, 2007(Place, 2007). iPhone is by no means a prodigious success by selling one million iPhones within 3 months (Wolverton, 2007).However, what coupled with its splendid success are numerous criticisms from the general society. This paper firstly examines two of the most severely unethical issues in iPhone’s marketing activities, and then provides some possible suggestions to these problems. Finally a brief conclusion will be drawn. 2. iPhone’s Unethical Marketing Activities . Deceptive Advertising Practices On July 26, 2007, a class-action lawsuit was filed against Apple and iPhone carrier AT&T for deceptive advertising over the iPhone battery (Lane, 2008).According to the lawsuit, apple engaged in â€Å"purposeful and fraudulent concealment† of the fact that iPhone purchasers were required to pay $89. 95 to get the device's battery replaced, which means the replacement fee would become an annual charge based on the expected life of battery – 300 to 400 charge cycles. According to Lane (2008), Apple faces criticism because it did not disclose the actual cost and inconvenience of replacing the battery until three days after the iPhone's release. Also the battery information was difficult to find on Apple’s website.In sum, the fact that Apple did not immediately communicate the exact cost of replacing the battery, along with the fact that the iPhone battery was not replaceable by users, had generated an outrage among iPhone users. 1 Environmental Problems Back in May, 2007, Apple head Steve Jobs pledged that his company would become greener and that it would out-pace the competition when it came to removing toxic chemicals from the production of its devices (Stevens, 2007). This was largely seen as a response to a Greenpeace-led campaign.Now, Greenpeace was at it again, calling Apple out for taking a step backwards when it came to the toxic chemicals found in the iPhone (Riley, 2007). These chemicals also included Bromine, which had been banned in European toys thanks to its apparent impact on hormone levels in children. Greenpeace claimed that Apple was far from leading the way for a green electronics compared with its competitors, like Nokia, who hasd already sold phones free of Polyvinyl chloride (Stevens, 2007). Based on these findings it was hard to doubt that Apple took a step back from its green initiative to get the iPhone out the door.However, it was questioned whether the company would respond to this Greenpeace challenge like it did the last. 3. Suggestions . Deceptive Advertising Practices Although deceptive practices may benefit more profit in the short run, such practices will eventually harm their business in the long run. If consumers do not get what they expect, they will switch to more reliable products. This can also cause a backlash, if corporations are more focused on profits than customer service, particularly for a company such as Apple, which claims a long-term relationship with customers.Therefore, Apple Inc. should do its possible endeavor to avoid deceptive practices in the future and implement some initiatives to minimize trouble and inconvenience made to consumers, such as giving a discount to the first batch of iPhone purchasers to replace their batteries. Environmental Problems Nowadays, more and more companies are adopting policies of environmental sustainability, which is a management approach that involves developing strategies that both sustain the envir onment and produce profits for the company (Armstrong, 2008; Kotler, 2008). Apple Inc. as a leading corporation in the field of electronic products, should also initiate the environmental sustainability policies. Regarding the environmental problems involved in iPhone, Apple should respond to this Greenpeace challenge to solve the problem as soon as 2 possible and in the future Apple should try best to act as a leading giant for a green electronics. 4. Conclusion . This report investigates two of the major problems concerning the ethicality of marketing activities of iPhone including 1) deceptive advertising practices and 2) environmental problems.It can be concluded that despite the worldwide popularity, iPhone still faces some ethical problems. Suggestions to improve the image of iPhone by enhancing its ethical issues have also been discussed in this paper. They include: 1) avoiding deceptive practices in the future, 2) taking initiatives to minimize the troubles caused, 3) respon ding to the Greenpeace challenge and 4) maintaining the policies of environmental sustainability. In this way, iPhone could probably both enjoy the success in selling and maintain an ethical image.Reference: Kotler, P. (2008). Principles of Marketing. Pearson Education. Lane, F. (2008). Court Pulls Plug on Apple iPhone Battery Lawsuit. Sci-Tech Today. Retrieved September 26, 2008, from http://www. sci-tech-today. com/story. xhtml? story_id=62144 Place, N. (2007). ‘Mac-tastic' arrival: iPhone goes on sale today at 6 p. m. The News Herald, Panama City, Fla. Retrieved June 29, 2007, from http://www. newsherald. com. Riley, D. (2007). Greenpeace: iPhone Not Good for the Environment.TechCrunch. Retrieved October 14, 2007, from http://www. techcrunch. com/2007/10/14/greenpeace-iphone-not-good-for-the-environment/ Stevens, T. (2007). iPhone Bad For Environment, Says Greenpeace. Switched. Retrieved October 15, 2007, from http://www. switched. com/2007/10/15/iphone-bad-for-environment- says-greenpeace/ Wolverton, T. (2007). Apple sells 1 millionth iPhone. San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved September 11, 2007, from http://www. mercurynews. com.

Post Positivist Approach

Post positivist approach is a metatheoretical stance philosophically rooted in positivism. Whereas positivists believe in the existing reality apart from our own perception of it and the importance of empirical observation as well as rock-solid general laws, post positivists share some similarities with a softer, amended approach. Realist and the social constructionist are both taken as ontology by post positivist researchers in communication discipline.That is, it can be true that post positivist researchers believe that there is an empirical, unchallengeable reality independent of our perceptions, but limitations like the complexity of the reality and the biases of researchers still exist which causes our incomplete understanding of the reality. Even though, by applying the mutiple measures and observation, post positivist believe researchers can enhance the objectivity and attain a more and more fully apprehended reality.At the same time, post positivists also have faith in multip le realities which can be constructed by social collectives through communicative interaction in relatively patterned ways and its effects should be regular and predictable which in turn reified social constructions. Thus, post positivists study regularities and patterns. Post positivist researchers in communication base their assumptions largely on the so-termed modified objectivist which holds to the notion that causal relationships for regularities observed in the social world is the center of the search for knowledge. Textbook, chpt3) Nevertheless, post positivists largely reject the value-free inquiry and the absolute authority of scientific method. Instead, post positivists believe that with careful and systematic operations as well as awareness of values, scholars can strive to be as unbiased as possible â€Å"by using controls and statistical tests, insisting on replication, and so forth. † (Textbook, chpt3) Therefore, post positivism does not equal to qualitative app roach as many may assume. In fact, post positivists apply quantitative research methods largely to safeguard objectivity and to advance knowledge.Post positivist researchers consist that theories should try to reach beyond the observation level of individual events to attain the abstract quality with clear logical links to the empirical world. By operationally defining theoretical constructs, researchers can test the theoretical concepts with substitution of empirical indicators to verify or falsify the theory. Moreover, post positivists hold to the three interlinked functions of theories–explanation, prediction, and control. That is, theories should first of all explain behaviour in a causal relationship manner.In addition, theories should be able to predict future behaviour in a patterned way due to the abstraction of a certain phenomenon. At the end, good theories also provide information to control future events. Taking these functions into consideration, one can generate a set of criteria for evaluating and comparing theories from a post positivist stance. (* is explained at the end) I would like to explore more on the complex mental decision making processes involved in choosing to consume media (information-filtering-related theories) in this information age.I would imagine that selective exposure theory and active learner theory* would be two comparable choices to explain questions in this field and may provide reasonable predictions and relative control on future events. Selective exposure theory is accurate within its conceptual boundaries since many laboratory experiments have been conducted to test it so it is empirically testable. For example, in one study, when individual were placed in state of boredom, they selected arousing media messages and avoided relaxing fare to achieve an optimal level of arousal. ( Bryant, Zillmann, 1984).Selective exposure theory is consistent internally and externally because there is no contradictory propositi ons or widely held theories in the relevant domain. It is parsimonious because it mainly focuses on emotional states. However, because of this, researches have been conducted mostly upon mood management and selective exposure effects (first regulate emotion, then measure the media choice) which is not the real life situations. Thus, it is not in a very broad scope. In addition, in labs, participants only need to focus on limited choices but in the real world we face abundant media.In this case, selective exposure theory may have limited external validity. Nevertheless, this theory provide plausible explanations in media choosing and can somehow predict future behaviour (eg: people use media to alleviate boredom and other negative emotions) and also bring up future possible research questions (how about on positive mood other than negative?†¦ ). Therefore, in general, it is a better theory to choose other than the active learner theory because the latter one lack empirical tests and cannot rule out possible interventions.The active learner theory is a pseudo-theory I personally came up with rather than a really existing one. I can be totally/partially wrong or this can have been better explained by some mature theories. It is not even a theory but I still want to give it a try based on my understanding of this mental decision making process. I think the choice that one individual makes on media consumption can represent more than what it appears to be. It is not only a personal mood management process but also can involve social context and group judgment into it.As individual make choices, they can consciously or unconsciously go over the considerations of others' feedback judgments and possible consequences aftermath. For example, if one has the instinctive drive to watch porn to maximize pleasure, before making the final decision, (s)he may consider the possible feedback from roommates or parents or friends who may see his/her behaviour, therefore quick ly decide not to do so. People may gain this kind of thinking from previous learning from personal experience, peer talking or education.Or, imagine a group of girls surfing the Internet in the same room, one may want to log onto Angel and read some articles but others are more interested in gossip and entertainment. Even though this girl has her own laptop and can choose what she wants to read but she doesn't want to be â€Å"distinct† or â€Å"nerdy† so she conforms. Thus, I name people as active learner, that is, we can quickly adjust our behaviour and adapt to situations around us through more complex mental procedures besides mood management process consciously and automatically.

Family Own Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Family Own Business - Essay Example However, the prime objective of the paper is to generate a transition plan for the company with an aim to increase its business’ success rate. Torrini: A Family Owned Business Torrini is remarked to be a dignified name in the family business sector of Europe and is based in Italy. It is one of the ancient family business firms in the county which has flourished for a period of six centuries. The firm produces various kinds of fashionable, high priced jewelleries ranging from rings and precious stones to luxurious watches and even perfumes (Torrini, n.d.). History of Torrini The establishment of Torrini as a jewellery designing, producing and marketing firm can be recognised during the 16th century. However, its roots lay in the 14th century, in 1369, when Jacopus Torrini the founder of the firm settled in Florence as a forger of armour. With the growth of the economy and also due to the transformation in the lifestyle preferences of the county people, Jacopus Torrini initiated to diversify his business in the production of unique and luxurious fine jewelleries (Torrini, n.d.). Since 600 years, the firm has provided a few noteworthy contributions to the creative industry in Italy and other economies of European region. Presently, it is categorised as one of the most prestigious and successful family owned businesses in the region. Subsequently, the management responsibilities have been solely on the family heirs. In other words, the skills, knowledge and creativity were handed down hereditarily to design Torrini products. The firm in the present context is supervised under the leadership traits of Frabrizio Torrini. The other family members having a... This essya stresses that while executing the transition plan the leaders should provide extensive consideration to the conflicts likely to arise among the family members including the potential heirs of the business. In this regard, the leaders need to depend entirely on their conscience and knowledge due to the fact that there are no specific theories prescribed to manage a family business and the conflicts arising during transitions. Torrini, as a brand holds remarkable potential to create strong impulse on the targeted customers. This paper makes a conclusion that family business groups have gained considerable significance in the modern era due to their remarkable inclusion in the economic growth. After the recent economic downturn, the western economies including the European economies have started considering family business units as a crucial element to stimulate their growth providing wider scope to the family business entities. However, the leaders of family business entities are often recognised as reluctant to adopt change due to the fear of losing control and/or disturbing the values preserved in the business’ operations. This can also be identified in the case of Torrini. On the contrary, in the case of Swarovski the business has adopted a modern and strategic technique to ensure the growth of the brand without disturbing the interests of the family leaders and the heritage of the brand providing its wider scope to prosper.

E-Commerce business model Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

E-Commerce business model - Coursework Example In fact, the business has been making a profitable use of its e-commerce platform to attract new customers as well as retain existing customers. For this purpose the business model that this business has adopted is known as business2customer (B2C) model. This business model allows GAP Enterprise to perform transactions directly with its customers. The web site contains a wide variety of dresses for both males and females including with other accessories. In this report I will analyze the business structure of GAP Enterprise by paying a particular attention on its e-commerce business. In this report I will discuss its e-commerce model and how it makes use of its e-commerce business to attract its customers. In this report I will present some of recommendations regarding e-procurement, e-marketing, and improvement of online ordering and for Internationalization of the GAP website. Introduction In the past few years, traditional business practices have been replaced with modern and inno vative business environment. In this scenario, e-commerce is a very attractive trend that has attained the attention of the majority of business organization. Basically, e-commerce is a way of carrying out business tasks using the Internet or over the Internet. In this scenario, business and customers can communicate with each other. There are so many benefits of using an e-commerce business platform (Laudon & Laudon, 1999; Turban et al., 2005). This report will present a detailed analysis of an ecommerce platform. For this report I have chosen GAP’s e-commerce platform. Basically, this firm uses a business2customer business model for attracting different customers. In this report I will present an analysis of its different aspects. Though, the GAP Corporation is a web based e-commerce platform however it also works through a physical store can provide its customers with a wide variety of products varying from outfit and accessories such as head to toe with a well established brand. In addition, GAP Enterprise is aimed at offering and meeting the customer’s requirements and expectations in a unique manner. Thus, currently the GAP has also established the business offering a full range of â€Å"accessories and furnishings† for business customers to individualize their home, with a unique style of living and wearing. This report presents a detailed analysis of GAP’s e-commerce platform, e-commerce model and major recommendations for e-procurement, e-marketing, improvement of online ordering and for Internationalization of the GAP website. Figure 1Web site of GAP Enterprise, Image Source: www.GAP.com Organizational Overview Gap Inc. is a well-known retailer which presents a wide variety of accessories, clothing, and personal care products specially designed for women, men, babies and children under the Gap, Old Navy, banana republic, Athleta and Piperlime brands. Additionally, the staff working at Gap Inc. consists of more than 132,000 people. In addition, it has more than 3,000 corporate stores and more than 250 franchise stores all around the world. Some of the well-known brands of Gap Inc. are: (Gap Inc., 2012) Gap GapKids babyGap GapMaternity GapBody Banana Republic Old Navy Piperlime Athleta Figure 2 A Banner to Attract the customers Attraction for Customers GAP Inc. offers a wide variety of accessories and dressing styles developed through high quality fabrics and materials. Historically, this business started by offering outfit and access

Life and Works of Burrhus Frederic Skinner Research Paper

Life and Works of Burrhus Frederic Skinner - Research Paper Example His father was a lawyer and his mother stayed at home. Perceptibly, he grew up in an intellectual and conventional household. As a youth, he was described to have difficulties in being socially accepted. One unfortunate event that happened in his life is when his brother died due to cerebral hemorrhage. Unlike any other usual adolescent, he did not actually like participating in the usual college social gatherings. Instead, he was more focused on critiquing authorities. He mainly did this through his journalism. Moreover, he proclaimed himself as a person who does not believe in God in spite of the fact that he was studying in a religiously devout school. After finishing his bachelor’s degree in English Literature, he decided that he would be a writer. He then worked for a newspaper in New York. He did not really become actualized in his first career. Skinner got inspired by the works of Ivan Pavlov and James Watson. Afterwards, he went back to school and got his masters and d octorate in psychology at Harvard. He got married with Yvonne Blue in 1936 and they had two daughters. He then worked at Indiana University’s psychology department. In 1948, his career went back to Harvard until his death in 1990. Works Skinner is known as a psychologist, author, educator, and philosopher. He published many books and journals regarding his theories. He devoted much of his life improving his researches. Lots of his experiments centered on measuring responses to various kinds of stimuli. Until his retirement, he worked on analyzing the human behavior. Skinner became famous for the air crib. It was also known as the baby tender. One of his daughters was raised using this invention. The contraption was made to alleviate Yvonne’s difficulties and worries in caring for their baby. It was fashioned with glass panels as well as with air conditioning. The air crib was invented with the aim to promote the general welfare of infants. In 1994, Skinner was inspired to make this invention when he found out that he would have a second child. In fact, the air crib was commercialized and marketed to around 300 families. It was found to be effective in soothing children and in manipulating the temperature especially during extreme weather. Furthermore, he became known for his book, Walden II. It is about a society run by behavioristic rules (Skinner, 1974). His book talks much about his theory which is called operant conditioning. This simply means that a behavior is affected by the response to that certain behavior. For instance, a child would tend to be obedient when his mother gives him candy as a reward. To concretely illustrate this concept, he devised an experiment. He utilized a special cage well-known as a â€Å"Skinner Box† (Shultz, 2012). It is otherwise called the operant conditioning box. The container has a lever that makes food pellet come out when pressed. The pellet acted as a reinforcing stimulus. When the rat accidentally pushed the bar and food came out, it repeated its behavior. Since the rat got rewarded for pressing the lever, he repeated the same action with the expectancy of having another positive feedback. After some time, the rat kept on pressing the lever until a number of pellets were piled. However, when no food pellet will come out, the rat will learn that its behavior does not result to a reward. Hence, it will learn to stop pushing the lever. Skinner termed this as extinction. Consequently, the rat’s first behavior will resurface if the reward would be returned. In addition, the schedules of reinforcement affect the learning of behavior. In his many experiments, the time and interval of giving rewards influence the rat’

Roy Adaptation Model applied to Leadership and Management and Nursing Research Paper

Roy Adaptation Model applied to Leadership and Management and Nursing Education - Research Paper Example Theories have always been of prime importance in the field of nursing. They are the set of actions or activities, whose foundation is on the policies, guidelines, procedures, plan, or method that an individual follows. These specialized theories and doctrine have come under several classifications and groupings that professionals carry out and perform in various parts of the earth. There had been many theories associated to nursing and health care that has the primary focus on looking after the ill, unwell, ailing, with poor health conditions, injured and old-aged people (Meleis, 2007). NURSING THEORY Philosophical perception has molded the Nursing theory, which is the understanding of a phenomenon or an event that assists the nursing convention or process through the conglomeration of knowledge, thus, assimilating many researches and experiments when identifying the nursing convention. ... One of the most well-known and popular personalities that the world has recognized, for the uncountable services that she had provided to numerous people, known as Florence Nightingale has emerged and originated the concept of contemporary nursing theory in the middle of 1800s. Prior to the existence of the nursing theory, the nurses acted liked puppets in the hands of doctors, as the foremost and principal job of any nurse was to follow only the doctor’s prescription and guidance for taking care of the patient. Florence Nightingale placed the cornerstone with her approach that not only gave a broad and a new form and path to the nursing occupation, but also made it noticeable and apparent in the field of medical science. She developed a sense of consciousness amongst the nurses with her incredible work that this profession does not merely mean to take care of the patients upon doctor’s prescription, as it is not at all an acceptable approach for patient care. Rather, t hey should comprehensively assess the patients need and make them satisfy, comfortable and healthy with their behaviors and actions through the execution of appropriate patient care (Marriner-Tomey & Alligood, 2006). The nursing theories come under development so that the nurses have a standardized set of actions as it administers a structure and a guideline for them. The theories are in continuous support to the practices of the nursing models that have emerged as several divisions of nursing have came into existence, thus, the patients’ needs became utmost important and provision of the proper care for the patients is the basis for each nursing model (Alligood & Marriner-Tomey, 2006). The types of nursing theories include â€Å"grand nursing

Business Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 5

Business Analysis - Research Paper Example The disposable income is used to purchase the services and products offered by the business. The Living Room Bar targets youthful professionals and students. This is because it provides entertainment which is favored by the youths in the American society; for instance, sports entertainment, hip hop music and pop music, and indoor games like pool tables, cards and darts. The Upstairs Drink Boutique is tailored to suit the needs of the mature professionals who form part of the middle income group in the American society. The entertainment provided at the bar appeals to individuals who are mature in their personal and public life. The most popular attraction is the live jazz music entertainment that is provided all days of the week, starting evening. The Trace restaurant is appropriate for the middle income groups of the society. This is because of the fast foods products and evening dinners. Fast foods are mostly consumed during working hours by the professionals. The evening dinners are favored by mostly dating individuals and young married couples. The customers are also allowed to request for entertainment of their choice during their dinner time. The marketing strategies of the business clearly illustrate the target market. The four strategies used by the business are favorable to the middle income individuals in the society. These strategies are; niche marketing, mass marketing, concentrated marketing, and differentiated marketing (Kurtz, 2010). The two bars apply differentiated marketing. This is because they provide different entertainment to satisfy the needs two classes of customers; the students or young professionals, and the mature customers. Direct marketing is done by advertisements in social media pages of professionals. The business also does mass marketing through creating publicity in printed media outlets like magazines and newspapers. Concentrated marketing is done through posting entertainment information in the social media

Business Plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Plan - Research Paper Example Balance Sheet Basic Template 9.0 Current date: 9.1 Future Dates: 10.0 C: Income Statement Basic Template: 10.0 Marketing current budget revenues: 10.1 Operations current budget expenses: 10.2 Administrative and cost of capital current budget expenses: 11.0 D. ... h interactions with individuals working in the fields in which each child is interested can we encourage and advise each student on what is necessary in school and in life to achieve their goals. Through early interaction we can gain the trust of the students, families and volunteers so to work together to defuse any destructive habits. While working with those individuals in their fields of interest these students will become proteges of these individuals for several years, eventually becoming interns as they get older and closer to their completing course work in that field. Knowledge and Dreams is a program that is in direct response to the growing number of young people falling through the cracks in school and failing to plan for their future. The goal of this program is to offer tutoring of course study and dream development and internship to the youth of the intercity. This program will entangle education before and after adulthood providing professional experience in both area s. The focus is different for every age group although the message is the same, to empower each of them with the knowledge needed to make better decisions for their future. Knowledge and Dreams will focus primarily on intercity youth of all ages. According to the National dropout prevention center â€Å"There are a multitude of youth programs available, but many are inaccessible to inner-city and rural youth (2012, para 2).† Knowledge and Dreams will partner a professional to every group of five who is interested in his/her field of study. These partnerships will last the length of the Childs stay in the program. This program will also provide tutors for these students for each grade level and subject where help is needed. During that time weekly planned activities to strengthen the

CJUS 350-DB4 Replies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

CJUS 350-DB4 Replies - Essay Example Additionally, you should note the significance of written code in enhancing orderliness and professionalism within the security sector. Overall, the essay is good as it highlights the essence of prioritizing safety and security by all officers irrespective of their ranks. You are quite right in your statement that the nine norms ought to apply to everybody in the sense that the law is meant to protect everyone through collective responsibility. Indeed, the unwritten code of behavior is evident in every officer at least going by the way that the officers take care of each other in terms of security. This is done through personal initiative and therefore, it should not be enforced when it already works even without legal intervention. Concerning ‘The Timing Stinks’ story, it is important to mention that you have rightly stated the officer deserved professional treatment despite his alleged misconduct. Moral obligation dictates that any unbecoming behavior including drunkenness during working hours ought to be approached carefully depending on rank and integrity of the

Sampling Strategy and Sample Size for a Quantitative Research Plan Coursework

Sampling Strategy and Sample Size for a Quantitative Research Plan - Coursework Example Because the population is made up of a very large size, the researcher shall set up a sample size. The sample size basically refers to a fewer group of persons out of the population who would become respondents to the researcher (Berry, 2005). In order to arrive at this number, it is important that the researcher uses a sampling strategy that would meet the objectives of the study. To this end, the researcher shall devise the use of the random sampling strategy to select the members for the sample size. Random sampling is the kind of sampling strategy where every member of the population has an equal chance of becoming part of the sample size. This is because the researcher uses a strategy that presents all members in the population with an equal probability of becoming part of the sample size. The mechanism that would eventually ensure that some members are included whiles others are rejected would be the effect of chance. By this, reference is being made to the fact that given the same probability, it would only be by chance that some members will be selected ahead of others (Bartholomew et al, 2008).  Ã‚  Ã‚   The random sampling strategy shall be applied in a very specialized way. This would be done to ensure that the researcher enjoys and benefits from the full advantages of the random strategy. It is worth noting that the procedure by which the researcher shall select the members of the sample size by applying the random sampling strategy is known as sampling (Cheng, 2009). There are several sampling procedures.

First Confission Essay Example for Free

First Confission Essay The opening sentence drew me in: All the trouble began when my grandfather died and my grandmother my fathers mother came to live with us. We learn that the grandmother, a country woman, is unsuited to life in town. She walks around the house barefoot, eats with her fingers, and drinks quite a bit of porter straight from the jug. The narrator, a seven-year-old boy named Jackie, is mortified by this behavior, while his older sister Nora sucked up to the old woman for the penny she got every Friday out of the old-age pension In one instance, we find Jackie, who refuses to eat any meal prepared by his grandmother, hiding under the table threatening to protect himself with a butter knife as Nora tries to force the food upon him. Jackie is preparing for his first confession and communion. The teacher, who talks mostly about hell, has scared him to death. When the day of confession arrives, Jackies mother sends Nora to accompany him to the church. Now that girl had ways of tormenting me that Mother never knew of. She held my hand as we went down the hill, smiling sadly and saying how sorry she was for me, as if she were bringing me to the hospital for an operation. Oh, God help us! she moaned. Isnt it a terrible pity you werent a good boy? Oh, Jackie, my heart bleeds for you! How will you ever think of all your sins? Dont forget you have to tell him about the time you kicked Gran on the shin. Nora goes to confession first. Noras turn came, and I heard the sound of something slamming, and then her voice as if butter wouldnt melt in her mouth, and then another slam, and out she came. God, the hypocrisy of women! Her eyes were lowered, her head was bowed, and her hands were joined very low down on her stomach, and she walked up the aisle to the side alter looking like a saint. You never saw such an exhibition of devotion; and I remember the devilish malice with which she had tormented me all the way from our door, and wondered were all religious people like that, really. Jackies turn follows. The description of the confession is quite comical and well worth reading. The entire piece is about five pages long and can be found  here. I loved this story and will look for others by Frank OConnor.

The Consequences Of Being A Passive Listener English Language Essay

The Consequences Of Being A Passive Listener English Language Essay Listening is an essential part of communication and is different from hearing. Listening means paying constant attention and making sense of what is being said. Hearing on the other hand is merely acknowledging that someone is speaking. Hearing is passive while listening is active. Listening is a non verbal skill. It is the act of interpreting, remembering and understanding what has been said. A listener is of two types; a good listener and a bad listener. A good listener is one who is patient and calm. He is a critical thinker who listens to each word said carefully and without judgment or interruption. He is active, persistent and shows carefully consideration when listening to what is being said. A good listener can place himself in the shoes of others, see how what is being said impacts him and see their point of view. He can tune out distractions and focus on what the speaker is saying. He also makes notes and jots down the important points. He is attentive, does not interrupt and picks out verbal and non verbal cues from the speaker. He knows that listening is the primary source of knowledge. On the other hand a bad listener is the exact opposite of a good listener. He pretends to be listening to what is being said while he lets his mind wander to irrelevant issues. He does not pick out the main idea of what is being said and often finds what the speaker says to be boring. He listens to sounds rather than the words of what is being said. He gives in freely to distractions and is often a noisemaker who distracts the attention of others in the process. He is the person who is mostly to relaxed in class and sits in informal positions. Listening is also of two types; active listening and passive listening. Active listening is the act of hearing the words and identifying the feelings associated with the words. An active listener concentrates on what is being said and is able to tune out unnecessary distractions. To be an active listener one must show empathy, acceptance and willingness to take responsibility for completeness. An active listener shows reactions to prove that he is listening and has understood what has been said, this could be; nodding, making eye contact, facial expressions, asking questions, paraphrasing, not talking too much and so forth. Furthermore he reflects on the main point and summarizes what has been said. He is also able to pick out the verbal and non verbal cues from the speaker. Passive listening according to Baker(1971)is the listening done whereby there is little self perception or personal involvement on the part of the listener. A passive listener is one who is inattentive and uninvolved l does not identify the meaningful signals and cannot interpret what is being said. He listens without reaction and doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t show signs that he understands what is being said.. He is the type who interrupts the speaker before he or she finishes speaking. This is not the best listening habit. A passive listener can be illustrated as a rock, he can be seen but he does not absorb any information. It goes in through one ear and comes out the other. He is the type that easily forgets and stores irrelevant information in his memory. He often misses out on the verbal and non verbal cues given by the speaker during a conversation. He lets his mind wander far and near during a conversation and appears to be listening but is really somewhere else. He does not contr ibute to the subject and doesnà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢t give back feedbacks. A passive reader has a short concentration span. Attention is a requirement of learning. We cannot understand, learn or remember something unless we pay attention. Passive attention is uncontrolled and dependant on external factors. There are various consequences of being a passive listener. Some of which are discussed below; Passive listeners practice hearing i.e. they hear only the sounds coming out of the speakers mouth. They do do not cultivate good listening skills i.e. they are not effective listeners. They do not make a habit out of listening attentively and understanding what is being said. They pretend to listen while letting their minds wander supreme, giving in to distractions and so on. Passive listeners have a short concentration span; this means that they only concentrate for short periods of time. Due to distractions which they may give out or receive, they allow their mind to wander to irrelevant issues which do not concern what they are listening to. When they find a topic boring or difficult their state of mind changes towards that topic .i.e. they are instantly put off by it and are not encouraged to learn more, they pretend to listen and understand and do not concentrate on what is being said. Also, passive listeners miss out the key points and the main idea of what is being said. They only surface listen which is pretending to listen. Even though they are physically present there mind is not. They do not watch out for the importance of the lesson. Again due to distractions or voluminous jottings they miss out the verbal and non verbal cues the speaker gives out. In addition to, passive listeners do not focus completely on what the speaker is saying. They often misinterpret his points which could lead to disagreements, talking out of turn and debates between the passive listener and the speaker. Furthermore, passive listeners normally possess bad sitting postures. One should be comfortable while listening but not to relaxed. They are often to relaxed while listening which may give rise to sleep and missing the aim of the lesson. Also passive listeners do not give out positive gestures to show that they are listening and comprehending what is being said. Like nodding of the had in agreement, paraphrasing what is being said, positive or negative facial expressions, asking relevant questions within and outside the topic, clapping, shaking of the head in disagreement and so on. In addition to, passive listeners are the type that makes irrelevant copious notes which distracts them from the importance of the lesson while pretending to be listening. They write down almost everything the speaker says thinking that that is what is important. They do not jot down and summarize the key points of the topic . They do not possess an undivided attention thereby giving in to distraction which are; noise making, using of phones or other gadgets at the wrong time, constantly looking at ones watch, listening to music while listening, etc. Passive listeners do not reflect and put into use what is being said, bring up meaningless points and are mostly the people who come in late and leave early, sit at the back and never in the front rows unless they are told to do so. They are not critical thinkers, they do not think deep about what they are listening to. Passive listeners do not keep an open mind when they are listening; they are not matured listeners and are the type that are easily put off by irrelevant things. They look for the faults in the speaker or in what he is saying rather than grasping the importance of his topic. There are various guidelines or rules one must follow to be a good listener. This includes; stopping anything one is doing when a discussion is going on, ensuring that there are no barriers or distractions around, making observations not copious notes one will not understand in the future but summarizing the key points i.e. year in which events occurred, peopleà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s names, names of cities or countries, occupation of people etc. Sitting at ease but not being too relaxed which may give way to sleep, not allowing oneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s mind wander away, putting into practice the habit of paying attention to someone and not being discouraged by earlier failures, keeping an eye out for the main points of the lecture, not sitting with people who could be a distraction and not being a distraction our self, getting the information first and not looking out for irrelevant flaws with the speaker. In conclusion, we have learnt what listening is, the difference between listening and hearing, the differences between a good and bad listener, types of listening, guidelines to being a good listener, what one should do when one is speaking, what distractions are, the differences between an active and a passive listener and the consequences of being a passive listener. Therefore one must strive to be an effective and active listener so as to be a better learner.

The Trader Joes Marketing Plan Marketing Essay

The Trader Joes Marketing Plan Marketing Essay Trader Joes is one of the most successful grocery store chains in United States. The brand started as a small convenience store in Los Angeles and has grown to be one of the most recognizable brands selling organic and high quality products. The trademark difference between Trader Joes from their competitions, especially Whole Food Market, is stocking and selling the product produced by Trader Joes. By that, they have responsibility on their product and they do not need to pay the fee to any manufactures, or third party companies, so they will keep the price at affordable for the customer. It is undeniable that Trade Joe is widely recognized as one of Americas successful and trustworthy brands. However, due to the high cost of living, consumers today are watching their budget. Through this marketing plan, we want to make Trader Joes a well-known grocery store in youth adult market not only by the high quality product but also by the affordable price to bring in customers, and to successful in the new segment. Introduction The owner, Joe Coulombe, opened trader Joes in 1958 in Pasadena, California. At that time, Trader Joes were named Pronto Markets, the popular convenience stores at that time. In the following decades, Trader Joes expanded to locations throughout the United States. Trader Joes recent annual earnings were estimated to be $9.5 billion in sale in fiscal 2012 (ends June), up about $1 billion from a year earlier. In order to generate such a return of profit, Trader Joes has been using all means to keep down expenses, such as implementing no service departments which may reduce renting costs. Trader Joes sells all types of food and non-food items and is well-known for more than two thousands private-label products under its brand name, which counts for about 70% of the annual sale. Not only selling daily consumed food such as freshly picked and organic fruits and vegetables, bread, milk, juices, Trader Joes also provides other frozen or ready-to-serve products. For instance: spreads, gourmet cheese, frozen meat and other ethnic food ranging from Italian, Hispanic to Chinese, Indian etc. Nonfood items are available as well, such as Trade Joes soap, vitamins, lotions and creams. With alcohol selling permit, like other grocery stores, Trade Joes also carries beer and wine. One of its most famous selections is its wine brand Charles Shaw, which is often called as Two Buck Chuck, because of affordable price. Nowadays, with almost 400 stores across the country, Trade Joes has made its company image as high quality food, a one-stop for all with full of shopping ease and conveniences. Marketing Analysis TARGET MARKET Targeting at office professionals aged 18 to mid-40s with annual income around $35,000 to $60,000 as primary market; Trader Joe is looking at consumers who are in the middle stage of their life. Those would be more ecologically conscious about healthiness of the food they consume. This target market tends to eat locally and spends more on groceries. A lot of them are vegetarians and require their food to be gluten-free. The above primary group is finalized as Trade Jose company adding two sub-groups when studying their target market. The first sub-group is young professionals and the second one is the current target demographics of the growing multinational population and people who tend to buy food from vending machines Trade Joes also plans to have a secondary target market of those born between the early 1980s to early 2000s. This generation is considered in the marketing plan because they are most likely willing to buy healthy and organic products. Since this young population has been adapted to nowadays fast-paced life, they are more critical with time and demand more convenience. CONSUMER/SOCIAL FACTOR On current movement, people prefer the organic and healthy food and they support local business, local farmer market. They willing to go for unique or store brand instead of big brand names as long as it promote healthy products, ingredients, and ethical, green production process. In other hand, the customer now prepares for them enough knowledge about nutrition, so they are so picky on their choice. Moreover, due to the high living cost, the customer also watches their budget for grocery. COMPETITIVE FACTOR The primary competitor of Trader Joes is Whole Food market. Marketing Plan Trader Joes is successful in United States by their high quality product and good service. However, Trader Joes needs specifically targeted marketing goals and strategies in order to succeed in target customer. MARKETING OBJECTIVE Through the marketing plan, Trader Joes will reach their target customer through social media. Moreover, this plan will help the company raise their awareness in new adult, from 18 to 33 years old market by 30 percent over six months period through social media and advertising. MARKETING RESEARCH Trader Joes does not use any kind of advertising form. The company follows their low profile in core philosophy; they eschew advertising agencies and television completely. Trader Joes use their employee and customer serves as an ambassador of the brand, or using the Word by Mouth strategy. Therefore, the company leans on the current customer database and however, they are attracting the new customer in a passive way, especially the young adult who uses social media regularly. PRICING For competitively with other competitors, Trader Joes should have a good pricing strategy. This strategy would keep their product at a competitive price but still have a quality of the product. For some product like grocery, base on the local farm, we can use the discount, or the sale to make the price lower than competitors. SALE PROMOTION For attracting more customers, Trader Joes would have weekly sale promotion in store, and post in the Facebook or Twitter or do The Fearless Flyer. The unique of the Fearless Flyer is in that flyer, Trader Joes not only consists the advertising of their in store promotion at that moment, but also include the recipe, the tips for cooking. Therefore, the customer when receive that flyer, they tend to read a whole flyer and keep it if they think it useful. PUBLIC RELATIONS One of the primaries of Trader Joes, the Whole Food Market is very good in public relation. They donate their food in the local food bank every week, and of course, they receive the award and certificate for that good will. However, if Trader Joes step in this charity, it would be late, and it doesnt help to increase the fame. So I would recommend another plan, like support the after school program, the senior living or sponsor for some organization like breast cancer, marathon 2Kà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Our target market is a youth adult, who cares about their environment and social. So if we keep doing this strategy, I believe that we will catch their attention and bring more customers to our store because they will realize that their spending money would help them back by our program support for their children, their parent or their grandparents. INTERNET/SOCIAL MEDIA Our target is the youth adult, who was born in the technology decade, and the best way to catch their attention is using their own way. They using Facebook or Twitter like the primary way to communicate with each other. The first thing is Trader Joes have to open social media account. Then for attracting they follow us on Facebook or Twitter; Trader Joe should release any coupon or special sale in store and if they want to get these coupons, they have to follow or like the fan page. By that, we will have a fan on social media, and for any update, any news from Trader Joes, this fan base would the first one who receive that news and expand it. Moreover, Trader Joe website and fan page can build awareness about its own brand by updating the social support, the new product, or any helpful information like recipe and nutrition chart for the product. Executing and Implementing the Marketing Plan BUDGET ALLOCATION Trader joes company. (2013). (). Austin, United States, Austin: Dun and Bradstreet, Inc. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230609054?accountid=10351

Russia and Its Decision to Enter World War I Essay -- History, Geopoli

Did Russia’s diplomatic issues influence their decision in entering World War One? A. Plan of Investigation This investigation assesses how Russia’s Government and people influenced their country’s decision in entering World War One. On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie Ferdinand were assassinated by alleged Serbian Black Hand Terrorists. The assassination caused world turmoil. People and Countries saw Ferdinand’s death as an opportunity to invade and overcome new territories to claim as their own. Russia’s involvement was greatly influenced by the previous and occurring problems with the Czars, its people and its economic ties. Two sources used in this essay: The First World War, compiled by John Keegan and History of Russia: a Brilliant Chronicle of Russian History from its Ancient Beginning to Present Day by John Lawrence are then evaluated for their origins, purpose, values and limitations. B. Summary of Evidence Prior to World War One, Russia lost their naval port, Vladivostok, to the Japanese during the Russian Japanese war; putting a huge strain on the already struggling government. During this time, Nicholas II ruled as a Czar of Russia. During his reign, Russia’s rich prevailed greatly, while the poor starved and went to war. The rich believed â€Å"The people have the need for potatoes but not for the least of the constitution† they stood strong in the belief that the illiterate agriculturalists should have no say in their government, but also strongly considered that â€Å"Russia could not be ruled effectively unless the tsar took at least a part of the nation into partnership.† In 1904, the prices of basic good increased, while the real wages declined a little over twenty percent. Within the... ...wed that even though the Czar was in control, he needed the people in order to rule and to keep the Russian economy thriving. It proved he was just one very corrupt man. And furthermore, it set new laws protecting the people from the Czar himself. Without this, Nicholas may not have thought he needed to spread and show his people the power they possessed; Russia itself may not have entered World War One. Works Cited Keegan, John. The First World War. New York, Simon & Schuster, 1992. Lawrence, John. A History of Russia: A Brilliant Chronicles of Russian History from its Ancient Beginning to the Present Day. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. â€Å"The Ottoman Empire enters WWI on the side of the Central Powers 1914† thenagain.info (April 21,1997) Westwood, J.N. Endurance and Endeavor Russian History 1812-1986. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Russia and Its Decision to Enter World War I Essay -- History, Geopoli Did Russia’s diplomatic issues influence their decision in entering World War One? A. Plan of Investigation This investigation assesses how Russia’s Government and people influenced their country’s decision in entering World War One. On June 28, 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Sophie Ferdinand were assassinated by alleged Serbian Black Hand Terrorists. The assassination caused world turmoil. People and Countries saw Ferdinand’s death as an opportunity to invade and overcome new territories to claim as their own. Russia’s involvement was greatly influenced by the previous and occurring problems with the Czars, its people and its economic ties. Two sources used in this essay: The First World War, compiled by John Keegan and History of Russia: a Brilliant Chronicle of Russian History from its Ancient Beginning to Present Day by John Lawrence are then evaluated for their origins, purpose, values and limitations. B. Summary of Evidence Prior to World War One, Russia lost their naval port, Vladivostok, to the Japanese during the Russian Japanese war; putting a huge strain on the already struggling government. During this time, Nicholas II ruled as a Czar of Russia. During his reign, Russia’s rich prevailed greatly, while the poor starved and went to war. The rich believed â€Å"The people have the need for potatoes but not for the least of the constitution† they stood strong in the belief that the illiterate agriculturalists should have no say in their government, but also strongly considered that â€Å"Russia could not be ruled effectively unless the tsar took at least a part of the nation into partnership.† In 1904, the prices of basic good increased, while the real wages declined a little over twenty percent. Within the... ...wed that even though the Czar was in control, he needed the people in order to rule and to keep the Russian economy thriving. It proved he was just one very corrupt man. And furthermore, it set new laws protecting the people from the Czar himself. Without this, Nicholas may not have thought he needed to spread and show his people the power they possessed; Russia itself may not have entered World War One. Works Cited Keegan, John. The First World War. New York, Simon & Schuster, 1992. Lawrence, John. A History of Russia: A Brilliant Chronicles of Russian History from its Ancient Beginning to the Present Day. New York: Penguin Books, 1993. â€Å"The Ottoman Empire enters WWI on the side of the Central Powers 1914† thenagain.info (April 21,1997) Westwood, J.N. Endurance and Endeavor Russian History 1812-1986. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.

Mentor Graphics :: essays papers

Mentor Graphics Objective To complete all aspects of the exercise regarding D type flip-flop, TTL and CMOS and to familiarize us with the HDL software which is Mentor Graphics. This software is capable of constructing and simulating a particular design. As for this assignment 1, we are given 4 weeks to complete the assignment. It is compulsory to attend every lab sessions as there is no alternative software to use. Only a certain limit of time is given for the use of the software and therefore designing of circuit is required to be completed before attending the lab. To give students a first-hand understanding of the EDA lab and most importantly Mentor Graphics, a powerful tool in HDL technology. This assignment allows the students to understand or rather familiarize themselves with the design flow of the EDA software and to fully explore what the software is capable and powerful to do. Lastly, to prepare the students for the next assignments which uses the similar software. Introduction – D(elay) Flip-Flop (What You Have to Know First!) The D flip-flop is useful when a single data bit (1 or 0) is to be stored. An additional inverter to the S-R flip-flop at the R input creates a D flip-flop. The D flip-flop shown below is a modification of the clocked SR flip-flop. The D input goes directly into the S input and the complement of the D input goes to the R input. If there is a HIGH on the D input when a clock pulse is applied, the flip-flop SETs and stores a 1. If there is a LOW on the D input when a clock pulse is applied, the flip-flop RESETs and stores a 0. The truth table below summarizes the operations of the positive edge-triggered D flip-flop. As before, the negative edge-triggered flip-flop works the same except that the falling edge of the clock pulse is the triggering edge. (a) Logic diagram with NAND gates (b) Graphical symbol InputsD CP(CLK) OutputsQ Q’ Comments 1 1 0 SET (stores 1) Mentor Graphics :: essays papers Mentor Graphics Objective To complete all aspects of the exercise regarding D type flip-flop, TTL and CMOS and to familiarize us with the HDL software which is Mentor Graphics. This software is capable of constructing and simulating a particular design. As for this assignment 1, we are given 4 weeks to complete the assignment. It is compulsory to attend every lab sessions as there is no alternative software to use. Only a certain limit of time is given for the use of the software and therefore designing of circuit is required to be completed before attending the lab. To give students a first-hand understanding of the EDA lab and most importantly Mentor Graphics, a powerful tool in HDL technology. This assignment allows the students to understand or rather familiarize themselves with the design flow of the EDA software and to fully explore what the software is capable and powerful to do. Lastly, to prepare the students for the next assignments which uses the similar software. Introduction – D(elay) Flip-Flop (What You Have to Know First!) The D flip-flop is useful when a single data bit (1 or 0) is to be stored. An additional inverter to the S-R flip-flop at the R input creates a D flip-flop. The D flip-flop shown below is a modification of the clocked SR flip-flop. The D input goes directly into the S input and the complement of the D input goes to the R input. If there is a HIGH on the D input when a clock pulse is applied, the flip-flop SETs and stores a 1. If there is a LOW on the D input when a clock pulse is applied, the flip-flop RESETs and stores a 0. The truth table below summarizes the operations of the positive edge-triggered D flip-flop. As before, the negative edge-triggered flip-flop works the same except that the falling edge of the clock pulse is the triggering edge. (a) Logic diagram with NAND gates (b) Graphical symbol InputsD CP(CLK) OutputsQ Q’ Comments 1 1 0 SET (stores 1)

Shakespeares Hamlet - Hamlet’s Best Friend, Horatio :: GCSE English Literature Coursework

Hamlet’s Best Friend, Horatio      Ã‚  Ã‚   A.C. Bradley in Shakespearean Tragedy notes a problem involving Horatio in Shakespeare’s Hamlet:    When Horatio, at the end of the soliloquy, enters and greets Hamlet, it is evident that he and Hamlet have not recently met at Elsinore. Yet Horatio came to Elsinore for the funeral (I.ii. 176). Now even if the funeral took place some three weeks ago, it seems rather strange that Hamlet, however absorbed in grief and however withdrawn from the Court, has not met Horatio [. . .] . (368)    The closest friend of the hero is a fellow-student from Wittenberg (Granville-Barker 93) -- Horatio. He is an interesting and faithful friend, as this essay will demonstrate.    Marchette Chute in â€Å"The Story Told in Hamlet† describes Horatio’s part in the opening scene of the play:    The story opens in the cold and dark of a winter night in Denmark, while the guard is being changed on the battlements of the royal castle of Elsinore. For two nights in succession, just as the bell strikes the hour of one, a ghost has appeared on the battlements, a figure dressed in complete armor and with a face like that of the dead king of Denmark, Hamlet’s father. A young man named Horatio, who is a school friend of Hamlet, has been told of the apparition and cannot believe it, and one of the officers has brought him there in the night so that he can see it for himself. The hour comes, and the ghost walks. (35)    Horatio, frightened, futilely confronts the ghost:    What art thou that usurp'st this time of night,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Together with that fair and warlike form   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In which the majesty of buried Denmark   Ã‚  Ã‚     Did sometimes march? by heaven I charge thee, speak! (1.1)    Maynard Mack in â€Å"The World of Hamlet† maintains that Horatio’s words to the spirit â€Å"are subsequently seen to have reached beyond their contexts. . . (244). So Horatio and Marcellus exit the ramparts of Elsinore intending to enlist the aid of Hamlet, who is home from school. Hamlet is dejected by the â€Å"o’erhasty marriage† of his mother to his uncle less than two months after the funeral of Hamlet’s father (Gordon 128). Soon Horatio and Marcellus make contact with Hamlet with a strange greeting (Bradley 370) and escort him to the ramparts of Elsinore.

Creating a Democratic School Essay

The current educational set up is based on a curriculum that is centered on adults and their feelings towards educating their young’s or the younger generation. Most often, their sentiments, aspirations and aims do not coincide with what the younger generation wants or feels like doing by creating or providing a curriculum which, though sometimes child centered, muzzle with the individual freedom of the young learners. There is a need to change the present set up of the school in order to effectively respond to the demands of globalization by giving back to the learners and to their parents the needed voice regarding the things they want to learn or do in school. Deborah Meier (2005) opined that the changes in school structures should be pursued by a convinced and involved faculty who believes that there is a need to change the system although being involved is not an easy task but a very taxing one. The Herculean task involves changing an embedded lifetime habit on the way schools should be run and the way parents and students expect education to be delivered. This task should be performed by all the participants in a climate of self-governance. According to Garrison (2003) John Dewey defined education in a technical sense as the â€Å"reconstruction or reorganization of experience which adds to the meaning of experience and which increases the ability to direct the course of subsequent experience† (p. 527) This paper will examine how to create a democratic school and the factors involved in it as well as the modalities of its existence. Components of a Democratic School Democracy As the central tenet of social and political relations, democracy is American’s basis of self governance (Beane & Apple, 2002). As a tool of measuring wisdom and the worth of social policies as well as any shift in the current paradigm, democracy is the ethical anchor that holds the system of government in place. According to Beane and Apple (2002) it is through â€Å"democracy† that Americans measure their political progress and trade status with the other countries. People were taught that democracy is working in various ways of political governance’s social dimensions involving the consent of the people and the equal opportunities given to them. Beane and Apple (2002, p 6-7) added that â€Å"[l]ess explicitly taught were the conditions on which a democracy depends, the foundations of democratic way of life. The stated conditions and extensions even extend to education, to wit: [t]he open flow of ideas, regardless of their popularity, that enable people to be as fully informed as possible; [f]aith in the individual and collective capacity of people to create possibilities for resolving problems; [t]he use of critical reflection and analysis to evaluate ideas, problems, and policies; [c]oncern for the welfare of others and â€Å"the common good;† [c]oncern for the dignity and rights of individuals and minorities; [a]n understanding that democracy is not so much an ‘ideal† to be pursued as an â€Å"idealized† set of values that we must live and must guide our life as a people; and [t]he organization of social institutions to promote and extend the democratic way of life. † In Citing Dewey’s works, Beane and Apple (2002) theorizes that in order for the people to maintain its security and the blessing of democracy in their daily lives, they should be gi ven an opportunity of knowing the real meaning of life and how or where it might led to. Though with objections, followers of democratic ways in school firmly believed that the democratic way of life hinges on the learning opportunities and its dimensions on how to lead it. For them the school has the moral obligation to educate the students and allow them to experience and taste the true meaning of democracy because it is not solely for the benefit of the adults but for the young generation as well. The democratic system’s leaders fully consider the consequences of their visions. Having a democratic school is not purely actively involving the young but extend to the establishment of a democratic place where democratic ideals flourishes to the various adult’s roles played in schools. Thus, various educational partners and stakeholders such as teachers, school leaders, parents, community activist, and other citizens should be fully informed about their critical role and participation in enacting school policies and guidelines as well as programs for maximum utilization of the young people. There are painful contradictions and tensions in establishing a democratic school. These factors revealed that enjoying the fruits of democracy in life is always a privilege but coupled with a struggle. But above and beyond these struggles, creating a democratic school is a hope for a possibility for professional educators and citizens to work together in creating a sound and flexible but enjoyable democratic schools which will cater to the ideals of the common good of the whole community (Beane & Apple, 2002). The Democratic School’s Structure A democratic school’s structure provides a venue for an active participation of all stakeholders especially those who are directly involved in the school management, including young people, have the right to participate in the decision making process, including professional educators, young people, their parents, and other school community members. The democratic planning at the school and classroom level is a genuine attempt to honor the people’s right to participate in the decision making process affecting their lives as it adheres to the democratic values (Beane & Apple, 2002). The right of the participants to be heard is coupled with responsibility as it opens a door on how the opposing views will fit into the delicate equation of balancing special personal interest with a larger common good of the democratic community (Beane & Apple, 2002). The learning activities in a democratic school are characterized by cooperation and collaboration rather than competition among the young people as it emphasizes structural equity of the young people’s right of access to all programs in the school as well as the outcomes of its school values. This structural equity assures the public and the entire stakeholders that the school has no institutional barriers against the young people by doing away with the school’s eliminating tracking, biased testing, and providing equal opportunities to everyone regardless of race, gender, and socioeconomic status. Likewise, the school structure adheres to the improvement of school climate and enhances student self-esteem as well as reducing social inequities resulting to the total overhauling the immediate environment that affects them. What distinguished democratic schools from the other kinds of progressive schools—humanistic or child centered school even if in both or many ways shared the same visions with the democratic school’s visions, it extends beyond by improving the school climate or enhancing student’s self-esteem. Democratic educators seek not simply to lessen the harshness of social inequities in school, but to improve the environment and the living conditions that affects them. Democratic Curriculum The curriculum of the democratic school allows its participants’ views to be heard as an educator in this system has the moral responsibility to help young people develop their ideas by actually voicing them for the benefit and critic of the others. The curriculum moves beyond selective norm of the dominant culture’s endorsed knowledge and meaning to a wider range of views and voices as it considers not just adults perception but also the youth’s question about themselves and their worlds by inviting young people to assume the active role in the search of meaning to their world rather than just being mere spectators only(Beane & Apple, 2002, p 13). The democratic way of life is seeking dynamic paths by which the values of democracy extend and expands. The curriculum developed both the intelligent and reflective component of a child or leaner in solving problems, events, and issues that crop up in the course of their collective lives. For Beane and Apple (2002), the curriculum is a discipline of knowledge and not simply categories of educated children to absorb and accumulate but a source of insight and information that will serve as living lenses through which to look at those issues that confront society. Thus, a democratic curriculum is â€Å"helping the students become knowledgeable and skilled in many ways, including those required by gatekeepers of socio-economic access. â€Å"Simply, democratic educators live with constant tension of seeking a more significant education for young people while still attending to the knowledge and skills expected by powerful educational forces whose interest are anything but democratic† (Beane and Apple, 2002, p 16-17). Finally, as a mover of change, a teacher in a democratic community has the right to have their voices be counted in curriculum planning and development. This is in line with the idea that since they are the one’s who interact with the child, they should be heard the most for they are more knowledgeable of the child’s nature. Beane and Apple (2002) revealed that the current set up in a non democratic school is that all curriculum planning and design is located at or centralized in the state or district offices of education. Tensions Inherent In the Concept There are factors that need to be resolved and look into in order to have a fuller understanding of the open tensions inherent in any democratic school. Community is a number one area and source of tensions undermining this system’s success. In order for any school system to be successful, complete overhaul of the community should be given a paramount importance and preferential attention in order to act as a democratic school’s partner in creating a democratic youth’s institution (Furman & Starrat, 2002). Furman and Starratt’s (2002, p. 106) give the following â€Å"nature or character of a democratic community. This concept was derived from Dewey’s progressivism. The following: [d]emocratic community is based on open inquiry, the full and free interplay of ideas as suggested by Dewey; [d]emocratic community members work for the common good; [i]n a democratic community, the rights of all, including the less powerful, are respected; and [c]reating democratic community in schools is a systemic challenge, involving structures, process and curriculum. † Problematizing Community Furman & Starrat’s study revealed the two â€Å"prevailing attitudes for better understanding the community in education. These are: the understanding of the anachronistic attitudes of community in education in assuming that social conditions underpinning earlier theories of community can be recreated in contemporary schools and societies; and that the rendition of community in education tend to create an impression of the school as an isolated, â€Å"stand alone† community, in which heroic educators strive for cohesion amidst a sea of chaotic outside forces that threaten the school’s educational; values† (2002, p. 108-109). First, exercising difference and otherness concept in community building provides a matrix that accepts differences with respect to justice and appreciation and peaceful cooperation with differences. Second, the prevailing attitudes provide for a sense of interconnectedness and cultural capital exchange between community and schools needs to be recognized and nurtured (Furman & Starrat, 2002). Above and beyond these two issues is the fact that for a democratic school to succeed â€Å"community† needs to be redefined and this redefinition will then form part of the idea of a democratic community. For Furman & Starratt, the community’s new understanding â€Å"must be based on acceptance and celebration of difference rather than a futile and nostalgic striving for sameness and homogeneity which will focus on the integral linkages between the school, the surrounding community, and the larger global community rather on the isolated community within the school walls. The key to answer this novel undertaking is to understand that community works on interdependence and the common good† (2002, p. 110-111). Finally, the diversified school population of a democratic community in school, provides for an interdependent relationship in order to achieve the common good of the school; â€Å"that the school and surrounding community are also interdependent—culturally and economically—with the school being a key contributor to the community’s cultural capital and common good; and that ultimately, all people, and the school communities to which that belong are interdependent and interconnected in contributing to the common good of human kind† (Furman & Starratt, 2002, p. 110-111). Problematizing Democracy As in the case of the community, the school’s democratic practices have two dimensional issues needed for a democratic school system’s consideration. The first issue is that the school’s democratic practice is minimal as the freedom of choice and expressions are seldom experienced in schools; and that a democratic tenets emphasizes the individual freedom to pursue its self-interest, â€Å"with citizen participation in government reduced to electing representatives who will promote policies that serve the pursuit of that self-interest† (Furman & Starratt, 2002, p. 110-111). The present issue led to democracy’s reconceptualization as there is a pressing need for cross-cultural, cross-national dialogue and understanding of common good in school. Thus, â€Å"democracy needs to incorporate the values of post modern liberalism, or civic republicanism, or deep democracy and civic participation. These values are: [t]he worth and dignity of individuals and the value of their participation; [r]everence for free and open inquiry and critique; [t]he responsibility of individuals to participate in open inquiry, collective choices and actions in the interest of the common good; and [t]he recognition that post modern democratic participation transcends understanding of democratic principles associated with specific nation-states. † (Furman & Starratt, 2002, p. 111-112). Democratic Minimalism in Schools Furham and Starratt (2002) cited Maxcy’s 1995 study which revealed that â€Å"American public education has been dominated by democratic ‘minimalism’ both within the school and in regard to local control and governance because the scope of democratic decisions making and freedom of choice and expression has been extremely narrow. † Minimalism is prevalent in American public school due to educator’s fear that democratic practices carries with it some risk like chaos and loss of control once democracy is released to the classrooms. Thus, there is a need to conform with the hierarchical structure in place regarding decision making on the various aspects of learning (p. 112). Finally, as a community of differences, democratic community’s difference is recognizing the interdependence and the common good, as the local and global glue. Also, the democratic community is â€Å"informed by a deep or thick version of democratic participation in which all citizens have a respected voice, and communal action is determined through high levels participation in free and open inquiry† (p. 112-113). Democratic Participation’s Process In a democratic school the structures and procedures allow all school’s members to participate and have a respected voice in decision making and policies affecting them. Though recognizing school’s interdependence, surrounding community, and the assets that any community offers, these structures and procedures includes community members and is open to community-initiated participation (Furman & Starratt, 2002, p. 117-118). There is a collaborative planning by the student and teachers in reaching decision that respond to their concerns, aspirations, and interests. In Brodhagen’s (2002) article entitled â€Å"The situation made us special† wrote that at the start of her class they made a written constitution (p. 87) that will serve as their guide. This constituent embodies the pledge of every participant and signatories that they will observe respect for individual differences in opinions and individuality as well as enjoined themselves into formation of collaborative learning experiences, listening to others and resolving conflicts which may divide them in the future. Also in the same study, Brodhagen’ students were involved in curriculum planning (p. 87-89) as they try to unravel the mysteries of their individual differences and their unique world they live in. In the case Rosenstock & Steinberg’s (2002) paper entitled â€Å"Beyond the shop: Reinventing vocational education† revealed that in her case they have a common planning time wherein the teachers and counselor who signed for the program sits together and plan, review revise, and proposed curriculum activities and most especially to get to know each other as well as they explore collaborative work (p. 49). For Furham and Starratt (2002) the student and teacher’s activities planning are guided by a four-stage â€Å"process of democratic deliberations: information sharing; reaction; ideas and strategy developments; and debriefing. † The meeting held is not confined only with the â€Å"instructional/curricular decision but also to varied subject matters that concerns the participants. † The above process may be used by the teachers in their meeting with their fellow educators. â€Å"Significance parent involvement and broad based community participation also need to be nurture[d] through creative ideas in regard to shared governance, communication and meeting structures that are equitable and inviting and promot[ing] understanding across groups and individuals who might clash in their values. Democratic participation requires more than forums. It requires the ability to listen, understand, empathize, negotiate, speak, debate and resolve conflicts in a spirit of interdependence and working for the common good† (p. 118). The Morality of the System There is also a moral dimension that is a ground for conflict in a democratic school. Furham & Starratt (2002) provided a moral dimension of a democratic community. The following: â€Å"[a] social morality that values sociality itself, that is, that values coming together in the communicative spaces under which dialogue can occur in the interest of the common good; [a] reverence for open inquiry and critique within these common space, in pursuit of the common good; [a] respect for individuals and for the assets they bring to communities, with a view toward celebrating difference; and [a] sense of responsibility that acknowledges the interdependence of all in achieving the common good† (p. 120). School educators in a democratic community promotes the above mentioned values through modeling and discussions pertaining to behaviors such as respect, sociality, empathy, compassion, acceptance of difference, forgiveness, generosity, and teamwork. The older student could be a great model for their younger school mates helping them to develop the basic habits of caring for fellow members of the school community. The interdependence will be the mor al foundation of the school as a community (Furham & Starratt, 2002, p. 121). Curriculum and Instruction The processual and moral dimension of a democratic school is the basis of democratic school’s curriculum which is characterized by openness to multiple ideas and sources of information and to critique this information. â€Å"A democratic curriculum would be based on interdependence as a theme. History, science, and government’s presentation in a democratic school, the curriculum would help students understand the fundamental ecological interconnectedness of human life across culture and nature† (Furham & Starratt, 2002, p. 120-121). The fundamental approach in a democratic community is the process of democratic deliberation. In a democratic community, classroom management had prior discussion among class members and consensus about appropriate behavior and sanction for violations. Furham & Starratt’s (2002) study is consistent with the Brodhagen (2002) and Rosenstock & Steinberg’s (2002) paper whish espoused collaborative learning atmosphere in creating curriculum and design. For Furham & Starratt’s (2002) ‘peer teaching and coaching would become more common. Classroom debates of differing perspectives would teach respect for different points of view as well as provide for learning how to conduct such debates in public following rules of civility and respect, as well as logic and evidence gathering [which the ] systemic nature and challenges of enacting democratic community in schools† (p. 122-123). Leadership Processes Leadership in Democratic community in Schools After establishing a dynamic and democratic curriculum based on the fundamental tenets of democratic practices in the community, leadership is needed to fill the void that will implement the curriculum and run the democratic community in school In Furham & Starratt’s erudition of a democratic school entitled â€Å"Leadership for Democratic Community in School† describes the role of leadership in a democratic community with emphasis on school. Furham & Starratt describes the leadership as being democratic and communal and is not reposed on any specific administrative function â€Å"but on a communal responsibility shared by all participants at a particular school grounds. † As processual, democratic community’s leadership practices attends to the creation and maintenance of democratic process and structures that nurtures thinking aloud together; thus, the leadership practice is both intentional and opportunistic. All decisions and issues affecting the school community and its members is open to democratic deliberations. Thus, leaders need to attend with sensitivity in mind to the continuous flow of concerns and `the opportunity for decisions in the school life as well as the surrounding community affecting it. The leadership in this regard does invite democratic deliberation on all issues and concerns brought before it as well as the decision making process and making it clear that participation is open, welcome and appreciated. They need to work to institutionalize structures, forums, and communication process that promote participation and act as a model by providing continuous training in deliberative process such as dialogue (p. 123). In a democratic community in school, leaders should possess the moral resolve to â€Å"promote democracy, empowerment, and social justice;† thus, should work on what he can contribute to the system rather than promote his self interest alone. Consistent with critical-humanist perspective of being a leader, and working in a democratic community in school, the leadership should commit in transforming society to its prominence in order to minimize, if not overthrow, the existing structures, process and power relationship that tend to minimize democratic practices (Furham & Starratt, 2002, p. 126). According to Furham & Starratt (2002), the constructivist leadership’s perspective work for the manifestation of the leadership practices within the relationship of a community and from the set up emerges to being real and vulnerable for each other thus engaging the participants into a real conversation. Finally, leadership in a democratic community in school is an art which the leaders engage in aesthetic and experimental behavior in designing a new school order. The conglomeration of these four leadership concepts—moral, critical-humanist, constructionist, and artistic—are the essence leadership behavior and roles in a democratic community in school. But above and beyond the four concepts, it is the art that â€Å"facilitates the construction of meaning within diversity aimed at the moral purpose of transforming schools into democratic communities† (p. 126-127). Finally, Furham and Starratt while considering democratic community as the center for educational leadership, gave the following claims: â€Å"[d]emocratic community is not a marginalizing center for the field because it is based on acceptance and appreciation of differences; [d]emocratic community recultures the profession by focusing on what leadership is for—serving the common good in multicultural society and world; and [d]emocratic community is the most appropriate focus for school leadership in the postmodern world of diversity, fragmentation and cross-nationalism† (p. 129). Societal and Community Barriers There are societal barriers and personal characteristics of leaders affecting the creation of a democratic community in school. The societal barriers and personal factors are hindrances that block a free exercise of the freedoms of choice and expression in the school set up leading to minimalist tendencies of democratic practices. The most apparent and strong force that hinder the democratic community in school’s effectiveness is the rules of business interest. Even if society’s concept of democracy does emphasize cooperation among its people, a lot of school has created an atmosphere of competition from grades, status, resources, programs, etc. Thus, even if these democratic educational institutions commit itself to credo more often than not they are aligned in a position of conflict with the dominant traditions of schooling. The democratic community in school’s ideas and efforts are resisted by institutions that benefit school’s inequities and those who are more interested in efficiency and hierarchical power than in the difficult work of transforming schools from the bottom up (Beane & Apple, 2002). The Realpolitik The revelation revealed by Furham and Starratt (2002) send a chill in the spine. According to them, the practice of democracy in schools and society â€Å"is governed by the rules of business interest† resulting to the shaping of school politics and curriculum leading to difficulty in enacting a â€Å"school that adheres to a democratic practice for to do so one has to overcome the rational/technical/instrumental assumption about schooling and learning shaped by business interest† over the last decades. They gave business assumptions about schooling, in the following: [t]he purpose of schools is instrumental—that is to serve national economic interest by preparing student for the work force; [t]he success of school in achieving this instrumental purpose can be rationally determined by measurable student achievement; [t]he individual’s motivation for learning in schools is instrumental—to succeed on individual measures of student achievement, in competition with other students, to secure financial prosperity; and [t]eaching is a technical problem and teachers/schools can be held accountable for measurable student achievement. As a result of the prevailing assumptions â€Å"about schooling, coupled with hierarchical, authoritarian traditions of school leadership, leadership for democratic community in schools requires opportunistic action at the local level as well as intentional and proactive leadership on the part of state and national leaders to affect policy directions† (p. 128) In the case of Brodhagen (2002), the challenge of creating a democratic community in school comes from her peers and from the prevalent system that operates in various schools. Her colleagues were the source of stress due to their lack of support and complete understanding to the visions and goals of having a democratic community in school. Opposition was centered on the fact that students were given freedom to choose their curriculum as well as the freedom of expression. Her colleagues were cautious in giving children these fundamental freedoms because they believe that only adults could exercise them; otherwise, it will lead to chaos and abuses. Though not setting up â€Å"roadblocks,† the leadership showed little support for the system by not inviting others to join. Finally, due to lack of textbooks and established curriculum, the initial curriculum planning was a â€Å"messy process† (p. 99) Ethical Rationale for Democratic School Leadership As a process, democratic leadership is a professional necessity for effective school governance due to a high diversified cultural communities and a new world order as a result of new technology and the forces of globalization. The professionalizing school’s democratic leadership should be made within the school leadership role’s nature, communities’ social context and the ideological social mandate. Begley & Johansson (2005) admits of the difficulty in many communities of achieving a democratic consensus on educational issues among even traditional educational stakeholders. The present social confusion along with diverse character stakeholders in the communities led to a perplexed attitude that in developing a prescriptive guide to ethical or value-added leadership there should be a list of standard norms for a school administrator to adopt without question. This quick fix method is not enough to respond to the demand needed in school leadership. A school leader must practice reflection and become an authentic in their leadership practices and the first step towards achieving this step is, predictably enough, to engage in personal reflection. The values perspective of school leadership is a tool that facilitate the reflection process as it transform a vague advice into a concrete thing for the school administrator to act upon. The process does not stop in reflection alone. Once the leader attained the required degree of improved self-knowledge via personal reflection, he must work towards an authentic leadership. That is, the leader must strive in developing his sensitivity to the values orientation of others (Begley & Johansson, 2005). The school leader’s ideas translated through his skills in transferring new pedagogical ideas and educational reforms to the teacher, teams of teachers and other key personnel among the staff. This transformation can be done through an organizational and leadership dialogue creating an understanding about the different reforms that will improve children’s learning on democratic society as well as the subject knowledge. An authentic professional leader shows active participatory dialogue with other school personnel including the school improvement agenda (Begley & Johansson, 2005). Begley & Johansson’s (2005) study listed down the different democratic and ethical vision of school leaders they need. The following: â€Å"a democratic and ethical leader sees a clear connection between work assignments, the national and local political goals, and the school’s operational philosophy. † In this area, the leader effectively communicates school goals and operational philosophy and â€Å"exercises leadership by translating operational philosophy into practical education tasks and by motivating the personnel and students to work towards the completion of these tasks. A democratic and ethical leaders also develops a value-informed sophistication in their practices to move beyond what Greenfield (1999) describes as the rhetoric of moral leadership. The new reality of school leadership is responding to value conflicts. This has become the defining characteristic of school leadership much like instructional leadership which was the dominant metaphor of school leadership during the 1980s. A number of implications are implied, including: understanding the problem of value articulation versus actual value commitment by individuals; the tendency towards ritual rationality in administration; the cultural isomorphs that are apparent in leadership practices; and finally the critical role dialogue plays in deepening an individual’s understanding of value position and motivational intentions, as well as ensuring genuinely democratic practice. At the very least, dialogical interactions have the potential to promote the thoughtful critique of current practices and better support the equitable and ethical resolution of value conflicts in education† (p. 16). After having listed the different visions and ethical dimensions of a leader, it is proper for us to review and examine the responsibilities attached to a leader in educational sector. In Starrat’s (2005) essay on â€Å"Responsible Leadership† advanced the concept that after having explored the wide terrain of ethical dimension of educational leaders â€Å"various domains of ethical responsibility are found. The term â€Å"domain† is used to refer to a constructed cluster of ethical concerns around common th