The Battle Of Gun Control - 847 Words

Gun Control refers to laws or policies that regulate the manufacture, sale, transfer, possession, modification, or use of firearms in order to control crime and reduce the harmful effects of violence. (http://definitions.uslegal.com/g/gun-control/) US Legal Definitions. The gun control debates and issues started hundreds of years ago. First, in 1873 the State of Georgia passed a law to ban handguns and this law was thrown out, because it was ruled unconstitutional. Second, in 1865 several Southern States forbid Black people from possessing firearms in what was named at that time the â€Å"Black Code.† In 1871 the biggest movement in Gun Control in the United States happened when the National Rifle Association was established with a goal to train Union Soldiers for better rifle skills, until the State of New York banned the activities of NRA on NY State soil. (http://definitions.uslegal.com/g/gun-control/) US Legal Definitions. The battle of Gun Control policies and regulations have been on going for long time and always had and still have people fighting in both side, those who are pro gun and want to practice their 2nd amendment right, and on the other side those who don’t want firearms to be around and prefer to have the possessing and use of firearms limited to Law Enforcement Agencies exclusively. In 1934 the Congress passed the National Firearms Act to regulate the fully automatic guns and this was the start of regulating firearms in the US. Four years after in 1938, theShow MoreRelatedThe Battle Between Gun Control and Gun Rights Essay1113 Words   |  5 Pages receipt, possession, and use of certain categories of firearms, as well as mandate who may and may not own a gun (Gale Encyclopedia, pg. 155-162).† Therefore, the issue is one that is extremely hard to clarify. Which side is right? An estimated 30,000 people are killed each year by guns in the United States alone according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Gun Control, Funk Wagnall’s). Though there have been some restrictions and laws placed, both the conservative and liberalRead MoreGun Control Must Reduce Violent Crime860 Words   |  4 PagesColumbine or Virginia Tech school shootings. Therefore, gun control has been at the center of our country’s debate for many years. The two strong positions on gun control go as follow: The pro-gun control lawmakers believe that stricter or possibly placing a ban on gun laws would reduce violent crime. We all know that a criminal, who cannot buy guns, will steal, borrow or obtain it via other means. The anti-gun control feel that stricter or banning guns is not a solution to solve crimes; rather it put AmericanRead MoreGun Control Must Reduce Violent Crime951 Words   |  4 PagesColumbine or Virginia Tech school shootings. Therefore, gun control has been at the center of our country’s debate for many years. The two strong positions on gun control go as follow: The pro-gun control lawmakers believe that stricter or possibly placing a ban on gun laws would reduce violent crime. We all know that a criminal, who cannot buy guns, will steal, borrow or obtain it via other means. The anti-gun control feels that stricter or banning gun is not a solution to solve crimes; rather it placeRead MoreThe Issue Of Gun Control1058 Words   |  5 Pagesthe United States currently than that of gun control. Advocates on either side of the issue are quick to voraciously fight for what they believe, as well as to tear down anyone who sees the issue differently. But unlike other issues, it seems that gun control advocacy does not rest on a spectrum; either you are pro-gun control or you are against it, and anyone caught in the middle is likely to get flak from both sides. But why is the issue of gun control such a hot topic? And why is it that thereRead MoreThe Defense Of The Suez Canal957 Words   |  4 Pages1. Battles of WWI The Defense of the Suez Canal, 1915; 2. Write a brief outline that includes the key summary information of  ·Who: The British in control of Egypt, commanded by General Sir John Maxwell and Major-General A. Wilson (150 dead) VS the Turkish commanded by Djemal Pasha (1400 Dead).  ·What: This was a battle over the Suez Canal that resulted in British victory.  ·Where: The Suez Canal in Egypt.  ·When: This battle took place during the third to the fourth of February 1915  ·Why: this battleRead MoreGun Control1095 Words   |  5 PagesGun Control: The Battle Rages On Abstract This paper discusses and is centered around the on-going debate over gun control, I directly address how each major political party views this subject and what I believe the United States Government should do to be able to best combat this tremendous issue. I use research from multiple sources that contrast each side of the argument and give an overall insight into the world of modernized gun control. Gun Control: The Battle Rages On With the SecondRead MoreGun Control Is A Tough Business854 Words   |  4 Pages Gun control in America is a tough business. Second amendment advocates love to flourish their rights to bear arms. However, their stubbornness is causing many unnecessary complications that could be easily solved if they would cooperate more with legislators. The need for more a more thorough background check, more rigorous restriction on purchases and less selfishness is paramount to the evolution of our country. Of the many problems we face in gun control it is availability of guns to the veryRead MoreThe Battle Of Battle For Okinawa1476 Words   |  6 Pagesimpact the battle of Okinawa enormously. There were dilemmas, troubles, and endeavors. This battle leads to the progression of our artillery. It educated the military and artillery showing it is difficult to shoot, move, and communicate effectively when moving with the fast pace of a battle. Throughout the 82 day battle, they used marine air, artillery, mortars, and naval gunfire. Artillery provided fires delaying, disrupting, and destroying the enemy, proving who the true king of battle is. TheRead MoreDirect Fire Assets Helped Impacted The Battle Of Okinawa1465 Words   |  6 Pagesimpacted the battle of Okinawa enormously. There were dilemmas, troubles, and endeavors. This battle lead to the progression of our artillery. It educated the military showing it is difficult to shoot, move, and communicate effectively when moving with the fast pace of a battle. Throughout the 82 day battle they used marine air, artillery, mortars, and naval gunfire. Artillery provided fires delaying, disrupting, and destroying the enemy proving who the true king of battle is. The battle for OkinawaRead MoreTaking a Look at Gun Control 876 Words   |  3 PagesGun Control There is a raging battle in the United States court rooms extending all the way to many communities throughout the US. That battle, or to be more exact, question is, â€Å"would stricter gun control laws be beneficial to the United States?† There are two perspectives on the ever-continuing question, one being that stricter gun control would be beneficial and cause less harm to citizens, and the contrasting view is that it is a right to be able to own guns, and that they are used for protection

The Number One Article on The Truman Show Essay Topics

The Number One Article on The Truman Show Essay Topics Type of the Truman Show Essay Topics His family members and friends are wholly paid actors. Houses are computers we dwell in. Tying home rather than traveling the world. The Do's and Don'ts of the Truman Show Essay Topics Media is found wanting on a lot of occasions. The Truman Show puts television beneath a magnifying glass, causing an intriguing social commentary for those'90s. This synonymous relationship is vital to the movie as it aids the audience understand on a more compact scale how mistreated Truman is a critical part of the movie's theme. It's the gateway past the life Truman has ever known, and beyond Truman himself. Truman's whole world is a falsity, it's. He tries to escape from Seaheavan multiple times but each time is stopped by an obstacle. Truman, obviously, believed this was real life. Because the set is an immense island, Christopher set this up so that Truman will never be in a position to leave due to his fear of plain water. He might be absolutely the most unstable actor we have. The Secret to the Truman Show Essay Topics A utopia, a best place with social perfection, can't be faked. Nowadays you have this extremely strong sense of false reality. Our reality is dependent on our personal perceptions, which could easily be altered by outside influences. It's a reality that we're unaware of and we cannot escape. The One Thing to Do for the Truman Show Essay Topics However, it appears too great to be true for one to have an ideal life with no troubles. The movie effectively used camera practices and unique effects to improve the notion that a real life with risks of pain and suffering is much better than one of safe imprisonment. Both stories depict a best community, perfect folks, perfect way of life, perfect planet, and a best lie. Together with her r ole was the significance of being up-to-date on all the most recent rodents. The movie presents a true scenario of the society we live in today. For the reason, it doesn't score a greater star score. The movie hence poses a wide number of philosophical questions, specifically managing the complications of physical and mental reality, as Truman does not have any conception or comprehension of his place amongst the planet, and thus his true identity. A good example of this being violated in the movie is when Truman would like to go to Fiji to escape his strange reality, and there aren't any plane flights until a couple of months away, so he cannot leave. One or the other is guaranteed to appease to the majority of people's tastes. The producers also print and broadcast messages of the hazards of travelling simply to keep Truman in Seahaven for the remainder of his life. These individuals will observe the world in totally different ways. Some folks envy it while others see it like a disadvantage. Descartes argues our surroundings cannot be trusted, and thus if one ever wishes to truly reach a complete comprehension of their world they need to doubt everything. But things begin to unravel. Both ways have their benefits and disadvantages. Meursault faced a great deal of things like an existentialist. Content is from the website's archived pages, as well as some other sources. Privacy isn't typically lost with one main action, but it occurs over time with several parts of information being collected and used to produce assumptions about an individual. Be certain to include your complete name on every page of your submission. Alongside her role was the value of being up-to-date on all the hottest products. Even though it may supply the media and product companies with money and a rise in business, soon, advertising gets to the point at which it's a lot more manipulating and psychologically bad for the consumer than helpful. It's built with an assistance of contemporary technology and is complex. They do so by employing advertising.

Life out there Essay Example For Students

Life out there Essay One of the most common unanswered questions scientists find themselves asking is Is there life on other planets? Since the first famously documented UFO sighting in 1947, the idea of extra-terrestrial life has been debated almost non-stop. The subject has inspired many TV programs, such as The X-Files, and films (Mars Attacks, Independence Day, and the Men in Black, Alien, just to name a few). Scientists have come up with many new ideas and ways of trying to either prove or disprove the existence of life elsewhere. Mars is a very similar planet to earth in relation to size and atmosphere. Seeing the similarity one would assume to start searching there for life. At the end of the 19th century, an American named Percival Lowell built himself an observatory to study Mars in specific detail when its orbit was closest to Earth. At this time it had recently been suggested that the planet had a system of channels on the surface, present from the evaporation of flowing water. Looking through his telescope Lowell became convinced he could see a network of artificial canals. This led him to believe that there were intelligent beings on Mars who had built these canals. However, spacecraft have now visited Mars and found that there is no evidence of water at all. It is now thought that the lines he could see were the combination of Lowells overactive imagination, and scratches on the lens of his telescope. We are now searching one of Jupiters moons, Europa, as this seems to be the next likely place to hold life. It is seen to be more likely, however, that we will find less intelligent life in one of two different ways: It may be possible for us to obtain material from another planet or moon or star from elsewhere in the Solar System. Spacecraft may be able to visit these bodies and, for example, use a robot to collect material for examination. This may be examined on site, or brought to Earth to be investigated in laboratory conditions. They could be tested for things such as evidence of fossilized organisms. Another, possibly slightly far-fetched hope is that we may find simple organisms like bacteria actually living on the desired planet. These ideas spanned from the discovery of rock on our planet that originated from Mars; knocked from the planet when a comet collided with it. In 1996 a group of scientists created conflict by claiming that they had found evidence of fossilized bacteria in one of these rocks, but other scientists disputed this idea. The other possibility is that we can examine the atmosphere of other likely planets or moons. The planet Earth is largely made up of oxygen (20%) due to the presence of photosynthesizing plants producing oxygen as a waste product. If an indication of oxygen appeared in a different planetary atmosphere, it would have a high chance of holding life forms on it. To learn about different atmospheres it isnt mandatory to visit the planet. We can find this information by looking at the light spectrum it emits.

Police Brutality Essays (2761 words) - Human Rights Abuses

Police Brutality ?But they didn't have to beat me this bad. I don't know what I did to be beat up.? Rodney King, March 3, 1991. Police brutality has been a long lasting problem in the United States since at least 1903 when police Captain Williams of the New York Police Departmen coined the phrase, ?There is more law at the end of a policeman's nightstick than in a decision of the Supreme Court.? In the 1920's the Wichersham Commission had a number of instances of police brutality. Many of these included the use of the ?third degree? (beating to obtain a confession). This is a very effective way to get a confession out of somebody. However, beating the accused could easily elicit a confession from a scared and innocent person. Also, this puts the accused person's life in danger. Police officers must make snap life and death decisions daily. Officers' work in an environment where death (theirs, their partners, and an innocent or guilty person) is one decision away. How does that constant fear effect an officer's perception? Unfortunately, many that are attracted to law enforcement are aggressive and prone towar ds violence as a solution. Police officers have a lot of power. With this power comes responsibility. Police brutality can be defined as the excessive or unreasonable use of force in dealing with citizens, suspects and offenders. A nationally known example occurred on the morning of March 3, 1991. Rodney King was pulled out of his vehicle and beaten by two Los Angeles police officers. The LAPD had originally given chase to Mr. King's vehicle due to a failure to yield. Officers fired a 50,000-volt Taser electric dart gun at Mr. King. They also hit King with batons. Mr. King, according to police officials, was hit approximately 56 times. Mr. King had 11 broken bones at the base of his skull. Also, the bones holding his eye in the right socket were broken (LA Times March 19, 1991 p. A20). The policemen reported that Mr. King appeared to be on PCP at the time he was pulled over. Subsequent tests indicated Mr. King had no drugs or alcohol in his system (Serrano, 1991 p. A1). The Rodney King incident was however, captured by a private citizen on videotape. This videotape has subsequently been broadcast nationally and the ensuing trial against the police officers involved captivated our nation.(LA Times March 19, 1991 p. A20). Twenty-seven uniformed officers witnessed this incident from various law enforcement agencies. None of the officers (those individuals who are supposed to protect citizens) made any effort to stop this abuse.(LA Times March 19, 1991 p. A20). The level of escalation even went so far as to call in a police helicopter! (Ironically, the lights from the helicopter actually improved the lighting for the videotape.) The King beating brought complaints from the Mayor of Los Angeles Tom Bradley and national attention from civil rights leaders. Many believed the beating was racially motivated and extended from a pattern of abusive behavior by police towards blacks. (McDonald 1991) This act of violent behavior from police officers has brought many questions to the national table, such as: ? Is police brutality on the rise? ? Is the police hiding behind their badges? ? How does the public view police brutality? ? How can we raise public awareness? Is police brutality on the rise? This is an important question to ask ourselves and the police departments. A study in seventeen counties in Northern California indicated that in the past two years excessive force and neglect has resulted in at least seven deaths and fatal injury. (Saari, no date) In fact a nine-month period from August 26, 1996 to June 29, 1997 seven citizens died as a result of police brutality. Sonoma County California currently has the highest rate of custody deaths in the bay area (Saari). In many cases the situation (according to police accounts) has rapidly escalated to a point where police feel the need to use deadly force. Many of those committing crimes are mentally ill. The Sonoma County Alliance for the Mentally Ill advises that police officers in confrontations with people experiencing psychiatric episodes: ? Speak calmly and quietly ? Slow down the pace ? Be willing to repeat yourself ? Do not try

Understanding human rights The WritePass Journal

Understanding human rights Introduction Understanding human rights IntroductionHuman Rights Act in the UKImportance of human rightsCriticisms against human rightsConclusionRelated Introduction Human rights are defined as those inalienable and universal rights and freedoms which all individuals enjoy simply because they are human, they are entitlements which we all share regardless of age, gender, race, sexuality, class or culture (Henry 2009: 1). Human right are rights inherent to all human beings, irrespective of the nationality, place of resident, sex, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, language, or any other status. Human rights are entitlement gotten outside/without discrimination. these rights are all interrelated, interdependent and indivisible   in the sense that most states have the same human right laws that govern the security of individual and group with brings about equality before the law and freedom of expression; economic, social and cultural rights, such as the rights to development and self-determination. Most human rights are expressed and supported by law, in terms of treaties, customary international law, general principles and other sources of international law. infact, these human right laws lay down obligations of Governments to act in certain way in order to promot and protect human rights. Human rights entail both rights and obligations. States assume obligations and duties under international law to respect, to protect and to fulfil human rights. The obligation to respect means that States must refrain from interfering with or curtailing the enjoyment of human rights. The obligation to protect requires States to protect individuals and groups against human rights abuses. The obligation to fulfil means that States must take positive action to facilitate the enjoyment of basic human rights. At the individual level, while we are entitled our human rights, we should also respect the human rights of others. Universal Declaration on human rights in 1948 contains 30 articles. but the most important of these are considered as follows: the right to life, liberty, property and security of person, the right to an education, the right to employemtn, paid holidays, protection against unemployment and social security, the right to participate fully in cultural life freedome from torture or cruel, inhumane treatement   or punishment, freedome of expression and opinion freedom of thought, conscience and religion. Vienna World conference on human rights 1993 noted that it is the duty of states to promoted and protect all human rights and fundamental freedoms, regardless of their politica, economic and cultural systems. Human Rights Act in the UK The Human Rights Act was brought about as a result of the European Convention on Human Rights, which was set up by the Council of Europe. This was to ensure that the violations of human rights under the reign of Hitler during the Second World War, would not be able to happen again. The act however, was only passed into UK law in October 2000. individual now have the right to seek redress in a UK court instead of having to visit the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg, which covered the act of: the right to life, prohibition of torture, inhuman and degrading treatment, Freedom from forced labour, Right to liberty, Right to a fair trial, Retrospective penalties, Right to respect for private and family life, Freedom of thought, conscience and religion, Freedom of expression, Freedom of assembly and association, Right to marry, Prohibition of discrimination. The Human Rights Act 1998, has affected the lives of British Citizens, for example recently a law allowing terror suspects to be detained for up to 90 days without charge, but this was dropped as it was deemed to breach the rights of those being detained for such a long period of time. Importance of human rights Human rights help everyone to have a secured and safe life. it educates people to be directed to the full development of human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. Criticisms against human rights Human rights as a principle is always positive. They should be the basis for evaluating any regime, aid program, etc.  The criticism can arise when human rights are written down as laws, as they are almost impossible to police and there can be very blurry edges when defining everyday practicalities, such as a bill of rights. Some sociologists also see a problem with western countries defining human rights in a way that makes sense to westerners, yet is at odds with another culture. An example is child education. we see it as a human right and wish to enforce it globally. Many poor countries depend on working children in order for the family to eat and survive. When the child is forced to go to school, they lose a breadwinner, and a parent can also be forced to cease work in order to now attend to a child who is not working at home like they used to. Costs are also astronomical in developing countries to school a single child, and many families are large. end result is deepening of impoverishment before the fruits of the childs education kick in decades later. So is this still an easily recognisable human right? Human Rights is a much used and abused term today, and is used extensively for political gain. The term is used to defend Human freedom as well as destroy it. People tend to attach importance to particular human rights issue according to ideology and political convenience. if a man is not to have recourse or rebellion against tyranny and oppression, taking law into their own hands,Human Rights should be built into the society as a natural rule. As a last resort only, law should be applied as a protection. Desite the fact human right laws are in existence, there is still racism and discrimination  which has criticised human right in a way that it can no longer make any impact to individual in some societies. Conclusion Human rights are the rights of individual men and women to   basic freedoms such as freedome of association, freedom speech, etc. one should note that the improvement fo one right facilitates advancement fo the others, likewise, the deprivation of one right adversely affects the others.

Strategies for Building Rapport With Students

Strategies for Building Rapport With Students For teachers, building rapport with students is a component that takes teaching to the next level. Teachers understand that this takes time. Building rapport is a process. It often takes weeks and even months to establish a healthy student-teacher relationship. Teachers will tell you that once you have earned the trust and respect of your students, everything else becomes much easier. When students look forward to coming to your class, you look forward to coming to work each day. Strategies to Build Rapport With Students There are many different strategies through which rapport can be built and maintained. The best teachers are adept at incorporating strategies throughout the year so that a healthy relationship is established, then maintained with each student that they teach. Send students a postcard before school begins letting them know how much you are looking forward to having them in class.Incorporate personal stories and experiences within your lessons. It humanizes you as a teacher and makes your lessons more interesting.When a student is sick or misses school, personally call or text the student or their parents to check on them.Utilize humor in your classroom. Do not be afraid to laugh at yourself or the mistakes that you make.Depending on the age and sex of the student, dismiss students with a hug, handshake, or fist bump every day.Be enthusiastic about your job and the curriculum you teach. Enthusiasm breeds enthusiasm. Students will not buy in if a teacher is not enthusiastic.Support your students in their extra-curricular endeavors. Attend athletic events, debate meets, band competitions, plays, etc.Go the extra mile for those students who need help. Volunteer your time to tutor them or hook them up with someone who can give them the extra as sistance they need. Conduct a student interest survey and then find ways to incorporate their interests into your lessons throughout the year.Provide your students with a structured learning environment. Establish procedures and expectations on day one and enforce them consistently throughout the year.Talk to your students about their individual strengths and weaknesses. Teach them to set goals. Provide them with the strategies and tools necessary to reach those goals and improve on their weaknesses.Ensure that each student believes that they are important to you and that they matter to you.From time to time, write students a personal note encouraging them to work hard and embrace their strengths.Have high expectations for all of your students and teach them to have higher expectations for themselves.Be fair and consistent when it comes to student discipline. Students will remember how you handled previous situations.Eat breakfast and lunch in the cafeteria surrounded by your students. Some of the great est opportunities for building rapport present themselves outside the classroom. Celebrate student successes and let them know you care when they falter or are facing difficult personal situations.Create engaging, fast-paced lessons that grab every student’s attention and keep them coming back for more.Smile. Smile often. Laugh. Laugh often.Do not dismiss a student or their suggestions or ideas for any reason. Hear them out. Listen to them intently. There may be some validity to what they have to say.Talk to your students regularly about the progress they are making in class. Let them know where they stand academically and provide them with a path for improvement if needed.Admit and own up to your mistakes. You will make mistakes and students will be looking to see how you handle things when you do.Take advantage of teachable moments even when on occasion this ventures far away from the actual topic of the day. The opportunities will often have more of an impact on your students than the lesson.Never demean or berate a student in front of their peers. Addr ess them individually in the hall or immediately after class. Engage in casual conversation with students in between classes, before school, after school, etc. Simply ask them how things are going or inquire about certain hobbies, interests, or events.Give your students a voice in your class. Allow them to make decisions on expectations, procedures, classroom activities, and assignments when it is appropriate.Build relationships with the parents of your students. When you have a good rapport with the parents, you typically have a good rapport with their children.Make home visits from time to time. It will provide you with a unique snapshot into their lives, possibly giving you a different perspective, and it will help them see that you are willing to go the extra mile.Make every day unpredictable and exciting. Creating this type of environment will keep students wanting to come to class. Having a room full of students who want to be there is half the battle.When you see students in public, be personable with them. Ask them how they are doing an d engage in casual conversation.

Written Critical Analysis of a Literary Text Essay

Written Critical Analysis of a Literary Text - Essay Example Nevertheless, linguists and anthropologists have often marginalized poetics through believing that the aesthetic way of using language is solely parasitic upon the core subjects of linguistics (Achebe, 2012). For instance, the core areas are semantics, syntax, phonology and anthropological fields like social and economy organization. This position emanates clearly in the work of a Nigerian author in his latest work of â€Å"There was a country,† as the article explains. There Was a Country: A Personal History of Biafra by Chinua Achebe Chinua Achebe was a Nigerian writer whose story telling talent and moral courage gifts have left enduring marks on the world’s literature. The release of There was a Country work explains his experience during the Civil War in Nigeria, aka the Biafra War of 1967 to 1970 (Serpell, 2012). The war was not famous because of its impacts on the lives of Biafra’s, who went for numerous days without food or water. The war was the greatest among the humanitarian disasters all over the world. Chinua Achebe and his loving family were caught up in the midst of atrocities. As a worldly known novelist, Achebe resided in a Biafra homestead worked as a ranging cultural ambassador and witnessed the full horror of the war. As soon as the war ended, Chinua acquired one of the academic posts in university based in the U.S (Anya, 2012). for a period of not less than forty years Chinua hardly uttered a word regarding those horrific war years. Nonetheless, he addressed the terrible years solely through his novels and poetry (Achebe, 2012). After spending several years composing â€Å"There Was a Country,† he finally presents a towering reckoning fateful experience covering both his experience and how he came to understand the experience. Chinua uses the context of literature and language, character, narrative and awareness of genre in this book. Marrying memoir and history, weaving the poetry of the author all through the ch apters, the book distills a vivid observation, considered reflection and research (Serpell, 2012). More so, the book relates the birth pangs in Nigeria, on the subject of Chinua’s development both as a man and significant Nigerian writer, as well as, evaluates the obligation of an artist during war. In the past, Achebe has written short stories and poems regarding Biafra such as Girls at War (1972). However, people hoped and waited for a chronicle about Achebe's view on the contested Nigerian history. At long last Chinua produced, a narration titled There was a Country, which is striking because it is not personal for providing details about the war; even though he subtitled it as A Personal History of Biafra. This book serves right the admirers of Achebe, as well as, those who are not yet familiar with his significant work (Serpell, 2012). Some of the parts are same as the passages of his previous essays and interspersed poems in the narrative. The keen followers of Achebeâ €™s work will develop interest while reading some new revelations regarding his life as he states in the first section. However, the book’s second section provides details about the war especially how he foregoes own memory. In writing regarding the crucial events, Chinua utilizes the information about what people told him instead of his own feelings. As a result, the narration leaves the audience with the most nagging dissatisfaction that reflects as if the writer left things unsaid (Achebe, 2012). More so, the book has several glimpses. For instance, on paying a vacation as one of the Biafra ambassadors to Canada, a host contributed a joke. A loud laughter accompanied the joke and abruptly it dawned to Chinua that Biafra was

As a software developer give examples of where you use abstraction in Essay

As a software developer give examples of where you use abstraction in your daily job - Essay Example Due to the constant increasing complexity in the systems we use, reliance on abstractions increase in the software development industry. Each of these abstractions attempts to hide the complexity, allowing me as a software developer to create a code that can cater for all the variations in complexity that is required in the modern computing. To create reliable software, there is a greater need for me to learn and understand many of the abstractions underlying details. Abstraction also finds a lot of applications in software reuse. In this case, abstraction plays a central role. For effective software artifacts reuse, concise and expressive abstractions are essential. Higher levels abstractions in the reuse technique reduce the effort required to go from the initial concept of a software system to representations in the reuse technique (Medvidovic & Taylor 2000: 70-93). During the verification of software, abstraction is highly used. This allows debugging of a specific software component. Simulation and validation of the software component is done at each abstraction level, resulting in abstraction of different components of the target hardware architecture. The abstract architecture model hides details of the underlying implementation of the hardware platform, while ensuring a sufficient level of control that the software code can be validated in terms of performance, efficiency, and reliable functionality (Popovich, 2010: 17). Abstraction is a powerful heuristic. It has allowed development of systems that implement and integrate abstraction in problem-solving process. Development of systems with abstraction helps to improve on the efficiency of the systems. On the other hand, from the basic understanding that abstraction hides the complexity underlying the systems, we deduce that it reduces the search space. The concept of data abstraction helps software developers in the integration of both structural and

My Best Friend, the Homeless Man Essay Example for Free

My Best Friend, the Homeless Man Essay Buddha once said, â€Å"Instead of judging a man by his appearance, look inside their heart, and read what it is their soul wrote. † I was raised in a family, which at times, could be very judgmental of people. My family lived in an upper-class neighborhood where there was no poverty or homelessness. My parents made sure my brother and I had all the best clothes, the newest cell phones and laptops, they spent a lot of money sending us to the best schools on the east coast, our education was very important to them. We both had tutors for different subjects, and my parents required us to take lessons three times a week, on the instrument of our choice. As it would turn out though, the greatest lesson I have ever learned, and the greatest friendship I have ever known, would come from a homeless man and his dog. Although I didn’t know it when I met him, knowing Brent would give me something more valuable than any earthly possession, it would make me a better person. The summer following my senior year of high school was a hectic confusing time in my life. I went from living in a small quiet suburban neighborhood in New Jersey my whole life, to moving to a big, noisy city in Arizona, 3000 miles away from home. It was my first time being on my own away from my family, especially in a place so far from where I lived my whole life. I went from having my parents taking care of me my whole life, to suddenly having to take care of myself. I’ll never forget how hot it was, summers in New Jersey rarely ever reach over 95 degrees, and that is only on the hottest days of the year. Unlike New Jersey, the first summer I spent in Arizona reached over 125 degrees. It was one of those excruciatingly hot days the day that I met Brent. August was coming to an end, and school was about to start. I had orientation all day and I was exhausted. On my way home from orientation, I realized I needed cigarettes, and since I didn’t know my way around the area very well I stopped at the first place I saw. It was a little liquor store on the corner of 31st Avenue. I pulled into the parking lot and parked my car, that was the first time I saw them. A homeless man was sitting on the curb outside the store, his dog sprawled out nearby in a more shaded area of the parking lot. The dog seemed to be in better shape than its master was. She was a healthy red-nose pit bull, with a beautiful, full coat of fur. The man on the other hand looked dirty like he hadn’t showered in weeks. His clothes were filthy, as was his matted hair, and he looked like he hadn’t eaten in just about as long as he hadn’t showered. As I passed the pit bull to go into the store I noticed that she was wearing shoes on both her back paws. I would later find out that she had been paralyzed in both hind legs during a procedure to get her fixed. Without those special shoes, she would not have been able to walk at all. While I was in the store buying my merchandise, I thought to myself how hot it was outside. I wondered to myself when the last time the dog had eaten was. The homeless, dirty looking man, didn’t look like he had any money to feed himself, never mind his dog, so I bought some dog food and chips for them. I remember thinking to myself, â€Å"What kind of person lives like that? Who would ever be out in public looking so filthy? † I knew nothing about this man, yet I judged him at the time, on appearance alone. As I paid for my items I was feeling a little nervous about approaching the man. He was homeless after all, and I didn’t want to get robbed. When I returned outside to give the homeless man the food I had bought for him, his dog approached me and wagged her tail. He thanked me, and threw the can of dog food I had just bought to the dog. To my surprise she picked up the can, and carrying it in her mouth, she walked back to her spot in the shade. I introduced myself, and told him I was new to the area, he said his name was Brent, and the red-nose pit bull was Little Girl. We said our good-byes, and I started on my walk back to my apartment. Since I was new in Arizona, I didn’t know anyone. I felt really lonely and depressed a lot of the time, and I desperately missed home. Over the next six months, I would see Brent and Little girl almost every day on my walk home from school. I would stop and say hi frequently. Our conversations became longer and longer as the months went on, and eventually Brent became my best friend. I found out that he was in the Navy for 8 years before he got hurt overseas. He started to drink a lot after his injury, and that is why he was homeless, he couldn’t stop drinking. He was from back east like I was; his only family in Arizona was Little Girl. I was right about one thing when I met him, he took better care of her then he did himself. We talked about everything and anything for hours, sometimes he would come over and shower and eat, although he didn’t like to do that too much, he had too much pride. I trusted him, and he never did anything to betray that trust. He always encouraged me to stay in school. He would tell me to stay on the right course in life, because one day you’ll wake up, and you’re not 21 anymore, your old, and you haven’t accomplished even half of what you set out to accomplish so many years before. I had the privilege of having Brent and Little Girl in my life for three wonderful years. A couple weeks before Easter, in 2011, Brent caught pneumonia. I called 911 when I saw how sick he was getting, and they took him to the hospital. I sat with him all that night. Brent slipped into a coma early the next morning, and two days after Easter, he was gone. Little Girl passed away only a week after her best friend. Even though I lost the best friend I have ever known, I am thankful for the lessons Brent and Little girl taught me. Never now is there a time I see a homeless man and judge him by his look, I started instead to judge ones soul.

America Needs Greater Voter Participation Essay example -- Politics Po

Government and Politics – America Needs Greater Voter Participation We may live in a country that encourages voting in political elections, yet the level of voter turnout in America is relatively small and continues to decline. Compared to other countries with democratic governments, the United States falls very near the bottom of the list with its percentage of voter participation. One explanation for this disturbing phenomenon states that the American system requires more effort from voters, asking them to participate in â€Å"more elections for more levels of government with more elective offices at each level than any other country in the world† (Schudson 159). In most other democracies, the citizens may be asked to vote only 2 or 3 times over a 4-year period (Edwards, Wattenberg, and Lineberry 246). American voters feel overwhelmed by all that is asked of them. The diverse and numerous elections held in the United States, especially at the state and local levels try the attention spans of voters and decrease their willingness or desire to participate. Reading the local election ballot and trying to determine the actual function of the various obscure local offices such as county clerk, court clerk or register of deeds can be a daunting task. Extracting real meaning from the political jargon used in wording local propositions can also be a challenge and source of discouragement (Schudson 156). Dr. Bill Lyons, of the University of Tennessee, said this of Tennessee state and local elections: â€Å"In Tennessee, we also have a very long ballot with a lot of constitutional offices and we have an awful lot of elections. I think that’s bad because it unnecessarily splits the time and attention of voters† (Flessner 2). Ame... ...n Perspective Sections on pages 208 and 245. Michael Schudson, â€Å"Voting Rites: Why We Need a New Concept of Citizenship†. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 156-164. Project Vote Smart, â€Å"PVS General Population and Youth Survey†, Department of Political Science at OSU, http://www.vote-smart.org/youthsurvey.phtml?checking=/, 1999, p. 5. Robert D. Putnam, â€Å"Bowling Alone: America’s Declining Social Capital†. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 165-175. Ruy Teixeira, â€Å"Voter Turnout in America: Ten Myths†. Allan Cigler and Burdett Loomis, American Politics: Classic and Contemporary Readings, 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Miflin Company, 1999, pp. 149-155.

Nursing Laws and Ethics

As nursing profession continuously progresses in its quest for excellence, its nature becomes complex in the light of meeting the standards set forth by the implementing bodies in nursing profession. These standards are indeed the result of careful assessment and observation made to resolve the never ending issues and concerns pertaining to the legal responsibilities and ethical obligations of nurses.Many of these include the duty to interpret and carry out orders, duty to monitor the patient, delegation of authority, consent to medical and surgical procedures, confidentiality of medical records, negligence and others. But among the issues and concerns aforementioned, one of the most controversial issues which caught my attention is â€Å"Malpractice†. Sometimes, nurses, for some personal reason, go beyond their boundaries and exceed the scope of nursing practice they are ought to observe at all times.In abroad, there have been numerous reported incidents wherein Filipino nurs es who happened to be medical doctors here in the Philippines were charged of malpractice and was deported back here for attempting to save a dying patient in the absence of the medical doctor in-charge. Legally speaking, what they did was a â€Å"breach of duty† and basically, they should have been subjected to corresponding sanction.However, as far as nurses’ sworn duty is concerned, it’s also their responsibility to save and protect life at all cost. I understand that, doing the job beyond their legal limitations was hard for them. But because Filipino nurses are typically compassionate, they have set aside the thought of facing consequences of their actions and didn’t think twice when they saw the imminent danger to the patient’s life, considering their knowledge and experience in critical situations as doctors.It is quite paradoxical in nature, to which side they are to choose in the midst of ethical dilemmas like that. In the code of nurses d eveloped by the American Nurses Association, there is no way they condone ethically passive behaviour. But being passive will mean two things at the same time. First, being passive and adherent to the scope of their jobs will mean being firm in their chosen profession and avoid legal responsibilities on their part.Secondly, it will mean depriving them of their own wisdom and freewill to do the right thing and do nothing as if they can’t do anything in the midst of life-threatening situation. As for me, we are all trained and equipped with ethical principles and laws just to guide us in making the right decision for the good of all. But no one can really tell us what exactly to do or which way to go. It is always, our wisdom, wise thinking and judicious assessment of the situation that would lead us to make the correct decision.

Invitational Leadership Essay

Introduction Leadership, and the study of it, has its commencement in the early civilizations. Ancient rulers, pharaohs, emperors and biblical patriarchs have one thing in common – leadership. Although scholars have been studying this phenomenon for almost two centuries, numerous definitions and theories abound throughout. However, enough similarities exist so as to define â€Å"leadership† as an effort of influence and the power to induce compliance (Wren, 1995). Leadership is a process through which an individual influences others to accomplish an objective and directs the organization in a way that makes it more cohesive and coherent. This definition of leadership is relatively similar to that of Northouse’s (2007,p.3) And the definition of a leader stipulated by Peter Drucker is someone who has followers. The capacity to influence others is dependent on the power detained. The leader’s attitudes would definitely determine the level of productivity from his employees. A Task Orientation or Directive Behaviour reflects the concern of a leader for the actual task at hand whereas Employee Orientation or Supportive Behaviours reflects how much a leader is concerned for the people around him, providing support and encouragement for them. Concurrently, different theories have been developed for the field of leadership but we would be showing more attention to the Invitational Leadership theory. The research on the effects of Invitational Education Theory (IET) in the educational administrative process is relatively new as compared to other theories pertaining to leadership. Invitational Leadership has a different dimension from the standard theories of leadership that emphasized the process of influencing others through the use of power to an alternative leadership style that promotes collaboration and show consideration and respect for individuals in the educational system. This study comprises of two parts. Firstly, we would see the theoretical introduction of the Invitational Leadership, followed a brief comparison of the theory with other leadership theories possessing more or less the same characteristics and finally, in what ways the Invitational Leadership is more suitable to the educational community. Secondly, we would focus on what the invitational style provides in response to the demands of the school sector. Besides, we would see to what extent the invitational leadership is applied to my profession through examples drawn from my past experiences. ————————————————- 1. Theoretical part Invitational Theory Purkey (1992, p.5) defines Invitational Leadership asa theory which â€Å"is a collection of assumptions that seek to explain phenomena and provide a means of intentionally summoning people to realise their relatively boundless potential in all areas of worthwhile human endeavour† Invitational Theory is a mode of professional practice that summons the environment and all relationships formed in educational and human service organizations. It is a process for communicating caring and appropriate message intended to invite forth the realisation of human potential. It is also a way for identifying and changing those institutional and relational forces that defeat and destroy potential. Communication is vital for all social relationships or integration. Schools, as a social institution, send out complex message systems that continuously inform people of their worth, ability, and power to direct themselves. The concept of â€Å"invitation† derives from the effort provided by those who seek to communicate ideas. This involves shaping, moulding and changing. The word invite is a derivation of the Latin word invite. It probably began as vito, which means to avoid or shun. In early Roman society, vito was used to express fear of encroachment by other tribes, and to forbid their entry into Rome. As Rome became a dominant force, its citizens felt more secure and opened their borders to the world. In time, the prefix in- meaning â€Å"without† or â€Å"not,† was added, and the word invite, meaning â€Å"to receive politely,† became common and developed into invite. So by definition, an invitation is a purposive and generous act by which the invit er seeks to enroll others in the vision set forth in the invitation. From this we derive the term Invitational Leadership (Purkey & Siegel, 2002, p212). From an invitational viewpoint, individuals possess the characteristics of being able, valuable and responsible. As such, they are to be treated accordingly. Conversely, we observe a transformation from the appellations used: from â€Å"motivate,† â€Å"shape,† â€Å"reinforce,† â€Å"make,† â€Å"enhance,† â€Å"build,† and â€Å"empower† people to that of â€Å"offer,† â€Å"propose,† â€Å"present,† â€Å"encourage,† â€Å"consider,† and â€Å"summon cordially.† Similarly, in the school context, the invitational leader is the one who summons associates to higher levels of functioning and presents them with the opportunity to participate in the construction of something of mutual benefit. Ultimately, we find that this â€Å"something† is a procedure to create a better environment and a way to eliminate inequalities. Invitational Leadership offer a new perspective, an involvement for positive social change. It acknowledges our potential, our integrity, our interdependence and our responsibility to do good. Moreover, a central element in many definitions of leadership is that there is a process of influence. Leithwood et al (1999, p.6) say that â€Å"influence †¦ seems to be a necessary part of most conceptions of leadership.† Yulk (2002, p.) explains this influence process: â€Å"Most definitions of leadership reflect the assumption that it involves a social influence process whereby intentional influence is exerted by one person [or group] over other people [or groups] to structure the activities and relationships in a group or organisation.† Yulk’s use of ‘person’ or ‘group’ indicates that leadership may be exercised by individuals as well as teams. Additionally, this opinion is shared by Harris (2002) and Leithwood (2001) who both advocate distributed leadership as an alternative to traditional top-down leadership models. Invitational leadership as a model of influence It can be agreed that leadership involves influence and that it may be exercised by anyone in an organisation. In addition, Cuban (1988,p.193) points out to leadership as an influence process. â€Å"Leadership then refers to people who bend the motivations and actions of others to achieving certain goals; it implies taking initiatives and risks.† This opinion demonstrates that the process of influence is focused as it is intended to lead to specific outcomes. Furthermore, this notion is reinforced by Fidler (1997, p.25) : â€Å"followers are influenced towards goal achievement.† Eventually, a similar concept is used by Stoll and Fink (1996), that of ‘invitational’ leadership explaining how leaders function in schools. â€Å"Leadership is about communicating invitational messages to individuals and groups with whom leaders interact in order to build and act on a shared and evolving vision of enhanced educational experiences for pupils.† (p.109) At this point, I agree to what Stoll and Fink (1996) said; the role of the leader, in the school, is to work together with his collaborators towards making the institution an inclusive school which provides a good education to all pupils, irrespective of their varying abilities. Further to this, communication should be at the base of all decision making to arrive at a consensus between the different stakeholders. As it is stated in the School Management Manual, the Rector should â€Å"run the school in close collaboration with the Deputy Rector.† The Rector or the Deputy Rector, should be open to new ideas put forward by staff or pupils. The internal communication (morning assembly, form period, meeting with students’ representatives, teaching staff, head of Department etc.) of the school should be an open platform where leaders create a conviviality atmosphere among each individuals, therefore, inviting others to get engaged in the progression of the school. As we have compared the close relationship of Invitational Leadership as being a model of influence, equally, the Invitational Leadership Theory reflects a transformational dimension. Transformational Leadership enhanced the motivation, morale and performance of follower’s through a variety of mechanisms. These comprise connecting the follower’s sense of identity and self to the mission and the collective identity of the organization; being a role model for followers that inspires them; challenging followers to take greater ownership for their work, and understanding the strength and weaknesses of followers, so the leader can align them with tasks that optimize their performance. Similarly, the invitational leader invites the followers by communicating to them the mission and goal of the organisation and by accepting the individual personality. As the leader himself is a role model in displaying invitational qualities, he reinforces these qualities among his/her followers. Becoming an Invitational Leader necessitates that a leader become more consciously aware of his or her self and, by so doing, takes responsibility of how he or she defines that self. If we distinguish ourselves to be lacking in some fundamental leadership quality, then assuredly we will fail to influence others to join our cause. Furthermore, the invitational leadership enclose these servant types of values : excellence, caring, justice, and faith. Review of current literature supports the need for a change in leadership in order to adequately meet the needs of current educational institutions. Becoming an invitational leader â€Å"How can I gain the cooperation of those in my environment so that effectiveness and productivity increase and that our group function more smoothly and effectively?† The only way is by inviting, showing trust, understanding and respect (Purkey, Siegel, 2002). Intimidation and coercion, commonly used approaches, are not effective and eventually will prove to be counter-productive. They believe that there is only one motivation inside humans and that is an internal drive and desire to realise one’s own potential. In short we all want to be more, to self-actualise and to put our talents to good use by committing to something beyond ourselves. This can only be achieved by volunteered and not by pressure. Hence, I can affirm the more leaders are viewed as caring, respectful and supportive, the greater their chances of emancipating the talents and energies of their associates. Those in authority must first begin by making others feel valued if they hope to gain respect and cooperation in return. The first stage toward effective leadership is a wise, rooted sense of self. This means a commitment to find one’s own core values. The authors, Purkey & Siegel (2002) put forward that one cannot empower others without first empowering oneself. These two scholars present various ideas for cultivating all aspects of life from physical and psychological to the spiritual and intellectual. Furthermore, the leader has to present a vision of what a successful organization looks like, to set the proper environment in order to move people to embrace the organisation’s vision and to take on the individual and collective responsibility for the successes and failures of the organization. This would result in a group of self-actualizing individuals, each committed to the purpose and to one another in a supporting environment. Likewise, the school’s atmosphere should be conducive enough so as to inspire people connected to the school to be committed among themselves. Like indicated initially, the leader, that is the Rector or headmaster of the school, is the one to establish the point of contact between the administration, teaching and non-teaching staff and the students, to create avenues that the personnel would follow. Consequently, the opportunity given to each individual would unleash the potential that reside in them. Similarly, each one would adopt an invitational approach as they are constantly exposed to it in their everyday situation at school. The ability to challenge the people you lead to perform high quality will only continue over time if the leader has developed his invitational side as well. As stipulated in the School Management Manual of the Ministry of Education, Culture & Human Resources, the Rector, as the leader â€Å"builds and accompanies his teams, providing them with the required support and motivation, listening to their views and their problems and valuing their effort, support and contribution.† Walter Bennis, one of our more dynamic thinkers on leadership, has defined a leader is one who is guided by an â€Å"exciting and specific dream and who enrols others in his or her vision.† (Purkey, Siegel; 2002) thus, by providing support and motivation, school’s leaders enroll others by summoning them cordially to realise their potential. Furthermore, support for the importance of values was provided by Stoll and Fink (1996) in their study of leadership in education. They affirmed that successful leaders rely upon a strong set of values to guide their decision-making. We can contrast the decision-making process to the Participative Leadership which is defined by Leithwood et al. (2002) as a leadership style which â€Å"assumes that the decision-making processes of the group ought to be central focus for leaders† (p.12). Invitational Education Theory (IET) As stated by the author of Fundamentals of Invitational Education, the focus of Invitational Leadership in education is on the message transmitted by people, places, policies, programs, and processes (Purkey, 2008, p.7). Invitational education is based on three fundamental ideas Purkey, W.W., & Novak, J.M. (1996).: the democratic ethos, the perceptual tradition, and self-concept theory. The democratic ethos put emphasize on â€Å"deliberate dialogue and mutual respect as people work together to construct the character, practices and institutions that promote a fulfilling shared life.†(p.9) In this democratic style of leadership, it implies that whoever is concerned or affected by decisions should have a say in those decisions. The perceptual tradition states that events are always seen through the individual and cultural filters people use. Thus an important aspect of the inviting approach is to understand and validate the meaningfulness of people’s perceptions and to w ork with these perceptions to construct shared purposes.(p.10) Self-concept is the image people construct of who they are and how they fit in the world. â€Å"This system of personal beliefs is maintained, protected and by the choices the individual makes.† (p.10). Invitational education is a mode of functioning by which people are cordially, creatively and consistently summoned to realise their potential. As mentioned earlier, its focus is on the messages transmitted. However, the messages that are exchanged are never on neutral basis as they carry positive or negative, inviting or disinviting connotation. There are four fundamental values, what we call principles, which give Invitational Leaders direction and purpose. Together, these four principles form a basic set of guiding beliefs. These are respect, trust, optimism, and intentionality. Therefore the four principles take the form of propositions that offer a perspective for addressing, evaluation and modifying the total school environment. Purkey, W. W.& Novak, J. M.; (2008) testify that this standpoint allows Rectors or educators to assume an â€Å"inviting stance,† which is a focused frame-work for sustained action. Respect People are valuable, able, and responsible and should be treated accordingly. Respect is an important aspect in Invitational Leadership. It provides a new vision based on the process of summoning people cordially to move in more democratic, creative, and productive directions through non-coercive means. A democratic society emphasizes the inherent worth of all people, believes in their self-directing power, and stressed the importance of personal and social accountability. Invitational schools do the same. Purkey, W. W.& Novak, J. M. (2008) stipulates that responsibilities that are shared based on mutual respect and expectations of positive outcomes results in a cooperative relationship that recognizes each â€Å"person’s ability to accept, reject, negotiate, or hold in abeyance the messages sent to them.† (p.12) Respect is demonstrated in courteous behaviours as civility, politeness and common courtesy. Waterman and Peters (1988), in their book In Search of Excellence, reported that a special characteristic of highly successful companies is the courteous and respectful behaviours of their employees. They are â€Å"good listeners, pay attention to their customers, are courteous and treat people as adults. Respect is one of eight major characteristics that distinguish excellent companies.† Summing up, respect is important in Invitational Leadership because it is the quality that enables leaders to be a beneficial presence that has the ability to take a respectful stance toward colleagues – literally inviting others into a mutually beneficial relationship. Trust Education is a cooperative, collaborative activity. Invitational education is based on the fundamental interdependence of human beings. To establish trustworthy pattern, time and effort are necessary. Trustworthy patterns of interaction depend on people who demonstrate the following quality: reliability, genuineness, truthfulness, intent and competence. Intention The process is the product of making. A decision to purposely act in a certain way, to achieve and carry out a set of goals (Day et.al, 2001, p.34). Is defined as knowing what we intend to bring about as well as how we intend it to happen gives clarity and direction to our work (Stillion and Siegel, 2OO5, p15). Optimism People possess untapped potential in all areas of humans endeavour. Invitational educators are committed to the continuous appreciation and growth of all involved in the educative process (Day et. al, 2001, p. 34). ————————————————- 2. Invitational Leadership in practice in the educational community The focus of this study is to examine the invitational leadership style to verify if it provides the necessary skills needed in today’s educational organisations. In response to the increased need for excellent management and guidance, many leadership models have been planned and implemented to meet the demanding needs of the educational sector. Following this emptiness in the educational community, the invitational leadership was introduced in 2002 by Purkey and Siegel. Stillion and Siegel (2005) summed up the idea behind this new leadership style, â€Å"Purkey †¦ having studied human behaviour for four decades, proposed that leaders must take an invitational stance in dealing with others and in developing themselves† (p.4) According to Purkey and Novak (1996), IET is a model of practice: it adopts a systematic approach in the educational development and it provides policies and strategies for making schools more inviting. Major challenges that the school staff usually face on daily basis are issues pertaining to the students’ welfare such as indiscipline, From my observation at school, lack of guidance and clarified direction has served as a tremendous reduction of energy, time, effort and resource. It would prove difficult to delegate authority to individuals or self-managed groups when â€Å"followers do not trust each other, because they will not share information or cooperate in trying to solve mutual problems† (Yulk, 2002,p.109). The lack of invitational characteristics in a leader would slow the effective pace of work. An effective leader will work to bring about positive and long lasting change, when change is necessary within organisation. By doing so, he would invite staff into collaboration, will work carefully to bring about change in a way that the school’s member will not only be involved but would be pleased with the eventual outcome of the change. Schein (2000) disc ussed, â€Å"change programs fail because they do not take into consideration the underlying culture.† In order for an organisation to survive, it is imperative that strong and healthy relationships are formed. Likewise, these carefully formed relationships can help to formulate a culture of acceptance and desire to achieve excellence. Schein (1996) defined culture as the â€Å"set of shared, taken-for-granted implicit assumptions that a group holds and that determines how it perceives, think about, and react to its various environments† (p.236). At the school, the Rector is a vital component in creating the culture. However, the administrators’ role in understanding that culture is equally important. This creates a sense of ownership and a shared leadership. Respect and trust thus serve as a primary component of an organisation’s healthy culture. To illustrate this idea, it is important that the Rector, educators and administrators understand what takes place within the school. Invitational Leadership argued that leader cannot create a climate of empowerment and participation if the underlying belief of culture is that everyone must do whatever the boss says they should do. I firmly agree that leadership through coercion and fear is not effective when attempting to create a productive team. Additionally, as stipulated by Purkey & Siegel (2002), messages communicate to people which inform them that they are able, responsible and worthwhile. These messages should be made accessible to every person in the school, conveying the intention of the leaders, so making everyone part of the institution. These messages are corresponded though â€Å"inter-personal action, but also through institutional policies, programmes, practices and physical environments† (Day et al., 2001, p.34). Furthermore, Purkey and Siegel (2003) postulate a specific framework by which schools can become â€Å"invitational† by concentrating on the five areas contributing to success and failures. Each one of these elements contributes to the creation of a positive school climate and ultimately a healthy and successful organisation. The Starfish Analogy by Purkey Invitational leadership focusses on five areas which contribute to the success or failure of individuals. Purkey refers to it as the Starfish Analogy: The starfish lives to eat oysters. To defend itself, the oyster has two stout shells that fasten tightly together and held in place by a powerful muscle. The starfish finds the oyster and places itself on top of its intended victim. Gradually, gently, and firmly the starfish uses each of its five points in turn to keep pressure on the oyster’s one muscle. While one point works, the other four rest. The single oyster muscle, while incredibly powerful, gets no rest. Inevitably, and irresistibly, the oyster is opened and the starfish has its meal. By constant, steady pressure from a number of points, even the strongest muscle (and the biggest challenge) can be overcome. These five areas â€Å"exist in practically every environment† and serve as a means to invite others professionally (Purkey, 1992, p.7) 1. People – Purkey (1992) affirmed that â€Å"nothing is more important in life than people. It is the people who create a respectful, optimistic5 visibility. 2. Places – refers to physical environment of an organisation. It has been suggested that places are the easiest of the five areas to change due to their visibility. 3. Policies- â€Å"policies refer to the procedures, codes, rules, written or unwritten, used to regulate the on-going functions of individuals and organizations† (Purkey, 1992,p.7) 4. Programs – play an important role in invitational leadership â€Å"because programs often focus on narrow objectives that neglect the wider scope of human needs’ (Purkey, 1002, p.7) 5. Processes – The â€Å"how something is accomplished† (Purkey & Siegel, 2003, p.125). It can be defined as the way that people, places, policies and programs are evident in schools. Purkey and Siegel (2003) refer to these five areas as a means to invite others professionally. They affirmed that â€Å"the combination of these five areas offers an almost limitless number of opportunities for the Invitational Leader, for they address the total culture †¦ of almost any organisation† (p.104) Conclusion This study was to investigate in what ways and to what degree, if any, an invitational leader impacts the overall effectiveness of the school setting. We focused in the first part on leadership qualities and characteristics which lead to success. We arrived at a common consensus that invitational leadership characteristics do influence the development of successful organizations. The invitational leadership model seeks to invite all interested stakeholders to succeed. As noted by Day, Harris, and Hadfield (2001) invitations are â€Å"messages communicated to people which inform then that they are able, responsible and worthwhile† (p.34) To conclude, it is believed that the invitational leadership model should serve as a practice to emulate in order to achieve positive results in effective leadership in schools. The active use of invitational leadership was proven to be a leadership model that should be considered effective when trying to create a healthy, positive and successful organization. ————————————————- References 1. Asbill, K. (1994). Invitational leadership: Teacher perceptions of inviting principal practices. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, School of Educational Management, New Mexico State University. 2. Day, C., Harris, A., & Hadfield, M. (2001). Grounding Knowledge of Schools in Stakeholder Realities: A Multi-Perspective Study of Effective School Leaders. School Leadership & Management, 21(1), 19-42. 3. Peters, Tom J. & Waterman, Robert H. (1988), In Search of Excellence – Lessons from America’s Best-Run Companies, HarperCollins Publishers, London. 4. Purkey, W. W & Siegel, B.L (2002). Becoming an Invitational Leader. Atlanta, USA. Brumby Holdings, Inc. 5. Purkey, W. W.& Novak, J. M. (2008). Fundamentals of Invitational Education. Kennesaw, Georgia: International Alliance for Invitational Education. 6. Purkey, W. W., & Novak, J. M. (1996). Inviting school success: A self-concept approach to teaching, learning, and democratic practice (3rd ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Publishing Company. 7. Purkey, W., & Schmidt, J. (1990). Invitational learning for counseling and development. Ann Arbor, MI: ERIC Counseling and Personnel Services Clearinghouse. 8. School Leadership: Concepts and Evidence; Full Report/Spring 2003. National College for School Leadership: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/5119/2/dok217-eng-chool_Leadership_Concepts_and_Evidence.pdf 9. Schein, E. H. (1996). Culture: The missing concept in organization studies. Administrative Science Quarterly, 41, 229-240. 10. Schein, E. H. (2000). Sense and nonsense about culture and climate. In N. M. Ashkanasy, C. P. M. Wilderom, & M. F. Peterson (Eds.), Handbook of Organizational Culture & Climate (pp. xxiii-xxx). Thousand Oaks, Ca: Sage Publications 11. Stanley, P.H. A Bibliography For Invitational Theory and Practice. RadfordUniversity; http://www.invitationaleducation.net/journal/v11p52.htm 12. Stillion, J., & Siegel, B. (November, 2005). Expanding Invitational Leadership: Roles for the Decathlon Leader. Retrieved January 31, 2006, from http://www.kennesaw.edu/ilec/Journal/articles/2005/siegel_stillion/expand_leadership/exp†¦ 13. Wren, J. T. (1995). The leaders’ companion: Insights on leadership through the ages. New York: The Free Press. 14. Yukl, G. A. (2002) Leadership in Organizations, Fifth Edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ, Prentice-Hall.

Using the Bible for Writing Ideas

Using the Bible for Writing Ideas Using the Bible for Writing Ideas Using the Bible for Writing Ideas By Ali Hale Dwayne Phillips commented on my post How to Generate Hundreds of Writing Ideas to say: I find lots of short story ideas in the Bible. As someone once said, â€Å"The copyright has expired, so you are in no danger.† I agree that the Bible can be a very rich source of ideas. This doesn’t just apply to fiction writers – a blogger could adapt a Biblical parable as an anecdotal-style part of a blog post, for instance. Christian Fiction is a big market, with expanded versions of Bible stories and novels based on Christian themes, but that’s not what I’m focusing on here. This article is about finding inspiration from the Bible for your own writing, whether or not you’re a Christian. Ideas from Bible characters The Bible is full of fascinating characters. Some are heroic, others are villains, and many occupy the intriguing grey area in between – good men who do something awful (Moses, who kills a man; Peter, who denies knowing Jesus) or cowards whose find courage (Jonah, who tries to run away from God). If you struggle to come up with characters for your fiction, why not pick one of the people in the Bible? Here are some to start you off: Peter (one of the disciples) – hot-headed and impulsive but truly loved Jesus Judas (the disciple who betrayed Jesus) – interesting for any story about a traitor within a close-knit group Paul (wrote many of the letters in the New Testament) – radical conversion to a cause he’d formerly hated Daniel friends (Book of Daniel, in the Old Testament) – sticking to what they believe despite persecution and death threats One interesting fiction idea would be to use some of these characters in a modern day setting. I loved this article on If Bible Characters kept blogs†¦ You could also try writing Facebook profiles for different characters. There’s a list of famous Bible characters here. Ideas From Parables In the Gospels, Jesus tells lots of parables to His disciples and to various crowds. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines â€Å"Parable† as â€Å"a usually short fictitious story that illustrates a moral attitude or a religious principle†. You can find a list of Jesus’s parables here. So how could you use them? Rewrite a parable in a modern-day setting If you have a Christian background, you’ll probably have seen a few sketches in Church which involve a parable updated to a modern-day setting (The Good Samaritan is a popular one for this). Try taking one of the parables and setting it in a modern inner city, or a high-tech office. A twist on this is to update the parable and also change the ending – this can be very effective if your readers will be familiar with the parable and will think they know what’s coming. Use a parable’s plot as the basis of a longer story Some parables could easily be expanded and developed into full-length short stories – even novels. Ones I think would work well for this are: The Unmerciful Servant (a servant is forgiven a lot of debt, but then demands repayment from a fellow servant who only owes him a little). You could try writing this as a tale-with-a-twist short story, perhaps leading the reader to expect that the servant would be merciful. The Prodigal Son (a young man demands his share of the inheritance, lives an extravagant life until the money runs out, ends up destitute and returns home to his father). This would be great for a coming-of-age story of character change. The Wicked Husbandmen (the people entrusted to take care of a vineyard kill the servants who’ve come to collect the harvested fruit, then kill the owner’s son). This could be a thriller or crime story. If you’ve used the Bible for inspiration in your writing, whether fiction or non-fiction, tell us about it in the comments Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Types and Forms of HumorEmpathy "With" or Empathy "For"?5 Examples of Misplaced Modifiers

Queen Anne Architecture - Victorian Houses in the US

Queen Anne Architecture - Victorian Houses in the US Of all the Victorian house styles, Queen Anne is the most elaborate and the most eccentric. The style is often called romantic and feminine, yet it is the product of a most unromantic era the machine age. The Queen Anne style became fashionable in the 1880s and 1890s, when the industrial revolution was building up steam in the United States. North America was caught up in the excitement of new technologies. Factory-made, pre-cut architectural parts were shuttled across the country on a rapidly expanding train network. Prefabricated cast iron became the showy, ornate facade of urban merchants and bankers. The well-to-do wanted the same manufactured elegance for their homes as they had for their businesses, so exuberant architects and builders combined architectural details to create innovative, and sometimes excessive, homes. Victorian Status Symbol Widely-published pattern books touted spindles and towers and other flourishes we associate with Queen Anne architecture. Country folk yearned for fancy city trappings. Wealthy industrialists pulled out all stops as they built lavish castles using Queen Anne ideas. Even Frank Lloyd Wright, who later championed his Prairie Style houses, began his career building Queen Anne style houses. Most notably, Wrights houses for Walter Gale, Thomas H. Gale, and Robert P. Parker are well-known Queen Annes in the Chicago, Illinois area. The Queen Anne Look Although easy to spot, Americas Queen Anne style is difficult to define. Some Queen Anne houses are lavished with gingerbread, but some are made of brick or stone. Many have turrets, but this crowning touch is not necessary to make a house a queen. So, what is Queen Anne? Virginia and Lee McAlester, authors of A Field Guide to American Houses, identify four types of detailing found on Queen Anne homes. 1. Spindled Queen Anne (See photo)This is the style we most frequently think of when we hear the term Queen Anne. These are gingerbread houses with delicate turned porch posts and lacy, ornamental spindles. This type of decoration is often called Eastlake because it resembles the work of the famous English furniture designer, Charles Eastlake. 2. Free Classic Queen Anne (See photo)Instead of delicate turned spindles, these homes have classical columns, often raised on brick or stone piers. Like the Colonial Revival houses that would soon become fashionable, Free Classic Queen Anne homes may have Palladian windows and dentil moldings. 3. Half-Timbered Queen AnneLike the early Tudor style houses, these Queen Anne houses have decorative half-timbering in the gables. Porch posts are often thick. 4. Patterned Masonry Queen Anne (See photo)Most frequently found in the city, these Queen Anne houses have brick, stone, or terra-cotta walls. The masonry may be beautifully patterned, but there are few decorative details in wood. Mixed-Up Queens A list of Queen Anne features can be deceptive. Queen Anne architecture does not adhere to an orderly list of characteristics- the Queen refuses to be easily classified. Bay windows, balconies, stained glass, turrets, porches, brackets, and an abundance of decorative details may combine in unexpected ways. Also, Queen Anne details can be found on less pretentious houses. In American cities, smaller working-class homes were given patterned shingles, spindle work, extensive porches, and bay windows. Many turn-of-the-century houses are in fact hybrids, combining Queen Anne motifs with features from earlier and later fashions. About the name Queen Anne Queen Anne architecture in North America is very different from the slightly earlier versions of the style found throughout the United Kingdom. Moreover, in both the USA and England, Victorian Queen Anne architecture has little do with the British Queen Anne who ruled during the 1700s. So, why are some Victorian houses called Queen Anne? Anne Stuart became the Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland in the early 1700s. Art and science flourished during her reign. One hundred and fifty years later, Scottish architect Richard Norman Shaw and his followers used the term Queen Anne to describe their work. Their buildings didnt resemble the formal architecture of the Queen Anne period, but the name stuck. In the USA, builders began constructing homes with half-timbering and patterned masonry. These houses may have been inspired by the work of Richard Norman Shaw. Like Shaws buildings, they were called Queen Anne. As builders added spindle work and other flourishes, Americas Queen Anne houses grew increasingly elaborate. So it happened that the Queen Anne style in the United States became entirely different from the British Queen Anne style, and both styles were nothing like the formal, symmetrical architecture found during the time of Queen Annes reign. Endangered Queens Ironically, the very qualities that made Queen Anne architecture so regal also made it fragile. These expansive and expressive buildings proved expensive and difficult to maintain. By the turn of the twentieth century, the Queen Anne style had fallen out of favor. In the early 1900s, American builders favored homes with less ornamentation. The terms Edwardian and Princess Anne are names sometimes used for simplified, scaled down versions of the Queen Anne style. While many Queen Anne houses have been preserved as private homes, others have been converted into apartment houses, offices, and inns. The Queen Anne neighborhood of Seattle, Washington is named for its architecture. In San Francisco, flamboyant homeowners have painted their Queen Anne houses a rainbow of psychedelic colors. Purists protest that bright colors are not historically authentic. But the owners of these Painted Ladies claim that Victorian architects would be pleased. Queen Anne designers did, after all, relish decorative excesses. Learn More The Queen Anne Style Queen Anne House Pictures Dozens of photographs from around the United States let you see the variety of Queen Anne styles. References Baker, John Milnes. American House Styles: A Concise Guide. Hardcover, Second edition edition, Countryman Press, July 3, 2018. McAlester, Virginia Savage. A Field Guide to American Houses (Revised): The Definitive Guide to Identifying and Understanding Americas Domestic Architecture. Paperback, Expanded, Revised edition, Knopf, November 10, 2015. Walker, Lester R. American Shelter: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the American Home. Hardcover, Overlook, 1700. COPYRIGHT:The articles you see on the architecture pages at About.com are copyrighted. You may link to them, but do not copy them onto a web page or a print publication.

AIDS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

AIDS - Essay Example The virus is spread by unprotected sex between affected individuals and through shared needles when used for hypodermic infections. Inadvertent transfusion of blood from a suffering person to a healthy person can also transmit the virus. However there are skeptics who claim that the AIDS virus was intentionally developed in a secret military program in the United States as a means of biological warfare to curb world population (Mazza J., 2005). In a controversial article, the author debates the unlikelihood of the accepted theory of a green monkey biting an African native, thereby transmitting the virus to humans and provides an argument in favor of the biological warfare theory and the subsequent creation of this virus in a laboratory. Nevertheless, whatever the origin, AIDS is now a worldwide phenomenon and the subject of intensive research for getting the human population rid of this deadly malady. As far as the United States is concerned, it is believed that almost one million people are living in this country with HIV infection and it has spread to all the states and to all sectors of society (www.avert.org). Half a million deaths have occurred due to HIV infection but the statistical data is not comprehensive as it is based on reports of AIDS diagnosis. The American Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data till 2006 suggests that 448,871 people suffering from this disease were living in America. The ethnic data suggests that the black people are the ones leading the group in terms of people affected as they accounted for 44% of the cases with the white majority close at heels with a figure of 35%. The Hispanic population of America suffered at a rate of 19% and the rest 1% were from other races (www.avert.org). Figures of adults and adolescents above the age of 13 years, who were living with AIDS in the USA till 2006, show that in majority of the cases (59%),

Making a theory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Making a theory - Essay Example More over it has got a five button mouse, which will assist the user working in a natural way.2 Using a pen tablet with its matching point will help the user to get the design displayed on the screen exactly what he draws on the tablet. The pressure sensitivity is yet another feature of the product, it lets the user to have a control over the software tools such as brush size, opacity and other things can be controlled dynamically.3 The tablet has a Ergononic design with sloping control palm , in addition to multiple cod positions for generator work and space flexibility. Above all it has enhanced resolution and available in various sizes. The Grip Pen has 11024 levels of tip and eraser pressure sensitivity for control, battery free technology, multi-position pen stand three nib styles and tilt sensitivity. The five button mouse has a smooth and accurate tracking without ball or optic functioning with battery free technology.. Previously were using only a scanner or a Paint Brush soft ware to draw something, and then came Auto Cad, which too helped in drawing diagrams of machines and tools with help of pre fixed shapes such as straight lines, circles, rectangle, etc. But INCUOS.3 has gone forward more steps further and the easy way to develop a graphic design is very clearly seen in this method. The flexibility which this product gives has all the reason behind my attraction towards this product. When you find your imagination take its shape with colors and you get the chance immediately to view your dream spot or painting or thought with a realistic touch, the happiness you get is immeasurable. The INCUOS.3 Graphic Pen Tablet , I would say with least hesitation that, is it a yet another invention, a miniature of a dream factory. Usually a cinema world is called a dream factory, where those things we imagine are given life for quiet some time and there we get a partial but better satisfaction that

Salaries in football Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Salaries in football - Essay Example Football players also face the reality of an extremely short career when compared with actors, singers, or even other professional sports. While they are playing their pay depends on the negotiated minimum set by the players union, the player's ability, incentives, and signing bonuses. Every player is guaranteed a minimum pay rate, but almost every player exceeds this amount. The Green Bay Packers had the lowest median pay rate during the 2007 season, yet all their players exceeded the minimum for a first year player of $285,000. The $285,000 minimum is for a first year player, an amount, which increases, based on the number of years in professional football. In addition, players are paid for their pre-season workouts and post season games. These extra incentives and bonuses helped bring the median pay of the highest paid Pittsburgh Steelers to over $1,1 million during that same season (USA Today, 2009). The team salary cap to some degree limits the amount of money the team is able to pay players, but many earn in excess of several millions of dollars such as Dwight Freeney of the Indianapolis Colts at $30.75 million (Weisman, 2007). While traditionally quarterbacks have been considered the franchise position and commanded the highest pay, in 2007 only 2 of the to p 20 salaries went to quarterbacks (Weisman, 2007). Defensive players can often garner higher signing bonuses because "Freeney and a number of other defensive ends signed new deals as free agents, while quarterbacks rarely get to free agency (Weisman, 2007). Indeed on the Indianapolis Colts, where the highest paid player calls home, the star quarterback Peyton Manning earns just one-third that amount (USA Today, 2009). These incredibly high salaries come from a variety of sources. On top of a base salary are signing bonuses and performance incentives. For example, Dwight Freeney's base pay is only $750,000, but received a $30 million signing bonus (USA Today 2009). Most signing bonuses are paid out over a number of years to allow the team to average them out and stay under the salary cap. Many players also negotiate for incentive bonuses based on their level of performance during the season. This may be based on yards gained for a running back or touchdowns for a quarterback. Performance incentives can come in the form of individual or team performance, and performance based incentives are usually a small portion of the players overall pay. For many of the top tier players, the signing bonus is a large portion of their pay. It is also the most secure portion of their pay as it cannot be lost based on future unpredictable events such as injury or being cut from the team. The player receives their pay through a sequence of checks distributed throughout the season. The signing bonus is paid upfront, and the salary is pro-rated throughout the season. The player receives a check for one-seventeenth his yearly salary each week during then season. At the end of the season the player receives additional money for his performance incentives and post-season play. If the player loses his slot on the roster during the season and is cut from the team, he gets to keep the signing bonus but loses the remainder of the weekly checks. Determining the level of pay for any individual player is a complex system of supply and demand, level of ability, years in the NFL, and the salary cap. Team owners

A Language Game Can Be Used Philosophy Essay

A Language Game Can Be Used Philosophy Essay A language game can be used as a metaphor for organisations. This is how post modern theorists think we should now look at firms; in terms of text. This will allow them to look and analyse organisations from a different perspective as they believe theories such as Taylorism are now becoming obsolete. This essay looks at language games in terms of three philosophers: Wittgenstein, Foucault and Derrida. The essay will also look at how organisation can be described as a result of such language games. According to Wittgenstein a Language game can be described as language and the actions into which it is woven into (Goldstein, 2004, p. 546). To be able to imagine language in this sense means to imagine a form of life. Forms of life are the various types of activities undertaken by humans, in this sense we look at them as speech, this leads to the perception that our forms of life are complicated because of the complexity of the language games we partake in. In his later work of Philosophical Investigations, section 23, Wittgenstein lists some of the language games that humans play: Giving orders and obeying them, Describing the appearance of an object, or giving its measurements, constructing an object from a description (a drawing), (Wittgenstein, 1958). We unknowingly take part in language games every day and each game has its own rules and goals. Wittgenstein pays little attention to the players in language games, and suggests that it would be almost impossible for two language players to have the same linguistic pragmability, (Kopytko, 2007). This means that each human player is unique in terms of experience in a social context. An example of a player would be a child learning to talk. In Wittgensteins Language games, the words we use to speak are the objects used in the game. For Wittgenstein the rules the most important factor in a language game. Although a rule cannot be defined, Wittgenstein applies it to the family resemblance concept, words which are used in one game may be used in another; they are all deeply intertwined. Each community has a slightly different set of rules for language games, depending on the understanding, certainty and awareness of the rules. Therefore humans that are playing language games they may have different rules and there may be confusion in understanding each other, for example two food retailers may have the same objectives but use different language games between staff to define these objectives e.g. stocktake/inventory. For rules to be followed in language games a certain amount of foreknowledge is needed to be able to understand them, Wittgenstein believes that for one to understand the rule they must be able to apply it (Kopytko, 2007). Grammar within language also enforces a network of rules which determine which l inguistic moves make sense and which do not. For example, one cannot say that I know I have a brain because of the doubt and scepticism about knowing something that has not been seen. Wittgenstein argues that there is not final set of rules that we follow and they are constantly changing. In the beginning of Philosophical Investigations, Wittgenstein criticises his earlier work in Tractatus. In Tractatus he attempts to produce a universally true language about reality, (Jorgensen, 2006, p. 5). The assumption here is that every word has its own meaning and this meaning is in conjunction with the word. Augustines work in Confessions follows this idea, and suggests that there is no difference between kinds of words. However, Wittgenstein now proposes that this is a very primitive way of perceiving how language functions. In Philosophical Investigations, he uses the example of five red apples and questions how the shopkeeper knows what to do with the three words when no such question of the meaning of the words came into thought. These primitive forms of language are used by children when they are learning to talk. The ostensive teaching of words is used to teach children a primitive language; it allows them to associate between an object and a word. To establish differen t understandings using ostensive teaching, a different form of training would need to be used for that particular use of the word. For example, a button, one is used on a computer to switch it on or off, another is used to open doors within a building and a third is a button on a cardigan, which connects the material. The point is that words do not only have one meaning and that there is no one single characteristic that characterizes one word (Jorgensen, 2006, p. 6), leading to the assumption that words are polysemic. By looking at Language in terms of multiple meanings allows us to see that language is not an isolated phenomena (Jorgensen, 2006) but something that is dependent on the experiences that we have had and the way human players perceive things. Wittgenstein describes language as an ancient city: a maze of little streets and squares, of old and new houses, and of houses with additions from various periods; and this surrounded by a multitude of new boroughs with straight regular streets and uniform houses (Wittgenstein, 1958, p. 18). This quote describes how Wittgenstein sees language and suggests that language is not permanent, but something that is constantly changing with traditions. It also describes how new language games come into existence whilst others become forgotten. The change that occurs however is always dependent on history and the contextual rules of the game. This quote also leads to Wittgenstein being able to clarify that no word has a definitive meaning and therefore there is no common essence that characterises language (Jorgensen, 2006). Therefore it can be said that language games do not all have something in common, but they are connected by family resemblance, a rule of language games. This concept, in troduced by Wittgenstein, is a metaphor saying that languages all look alike in the same way family members do. We see a complicated network of similarities overlapping and criss-crossing: sometimes overall similarities, sometimes similarities of detail (Wittgenstein, 1958, p. 66). Thus language is called language as they are similar or look alike, just like organisations. As there is no essential core of a word, to find a meaning for a word, one should investigate the different uses of the word; this common factor is the family resemblance. The Private Vs Public Language argument is a topic which Wittgenstein devotes a section of Philosophical Investigations to. Wittgenstein believes in a public language and that private games do not make sense. The individual words of this language are to refer to what can only be known to the person speaking; to his immediate private sensations. So another person cannot understand the language (Wittgenstein, 1958). Even though private language experiences are real for individuals, the phrase is an oxymoron as it means making sure that the rules of the game are being followed which is an impossible task as the rules are indefinable. The concept of a private language means we are restricted in what we say, as we cannot express all of our experiences, for example only one can know when they are in pain, no one else can share that pain, they can only experience the description of the given pain. A public language is needed otherwise we would not be able to communicate in society therefore the goal of public language is communication between human players. Alongside language games are knowing and doubting games, these games relate to uncertainty in language. Wittgenstein uses the example of here is one hand (Wittgenstein, 1979), this ostensive definition is making an empirical claim which allows us to make sense of things. If humans were to doubt that a hand exists then we would make very little sense of language. Wittgenstein suggests that a proposition such as here is a hand must be looked at in context or it would by meaningless. We take these types of propositions for granted and must accept that these sorts of propositions should not be doubted or questioned. In each language game played, the rules of the game may be doubted if they are unclear or indefinite. In On Certainty, Wittgenstein compares these types of propositions to a river bed, and within a river the river bed must stay in place and not be doubted to allow the river of language to flow smoothly through it, (Sparknotes, 2012). Knowing and certainty link together as if you propose that you know something, you must be certain of it, for if you are not certain of a fact then you cannot be certain of the meaning of the words you are using either. To say you know something removes the doubt from the language game. However we must have a degree of certainty within the language games to make sense and agree on things. One of the overall goals of Wittgensteins Language games is not to solve philosophical problems but to dissolve them. For example although he criticises Augustines theory of pointing and naming things, he does not attempt to replace it with another theory of language but he wants us to see that we do not need a theory to describe the link between language and reality. Another goal of language games is to allow us to see past misleading pictures that our cultures complicate through communication, meaning that by using a public language and understanding the rules of the games we should understand more about language. A second theorist is Foucault who is known for his work on discourse which concerns the manufacturing of knowledge through language (Hall, 1997). For him, a main purpose of his work is to show how individuals in the present are subordinated by particular discourses or language games (Jorgensen, 2006, p. 19). He believes that in modern day organisations power is embedded in the rules of language games and regulates and controls how the games are played. For example, when we begin a new job, we are taught by managers who control and limit how much we know about the company and what we can do within the company through the power they have within the workplace. Having this authoritative voice allows them to judge others. This suggests that the key players in Foucaults language games are professionals: teachers, managers, doctors, Politians and prison guards. These professionals establish the norms of society and create docile bodies within institutions so that the bodies are controllable . One of the rules that Foucault applies to language games is that non-appropriate topics are disregarded within a discourse, for example within a meeting in an organisation it would be appropriate to talk about profit and loss not what you are doing at the weekend. The professionals within institutions use objects as control mechanisms. Examples of these are timetables and the panoptican. The timetable is an object within a language game as they tell people where to go at particular times e.g. the language that is written on the timetable controls the daily routine of a factory worker; they have set times to start work, have breaks and finish work. Another object is the panoptican is a vertical form of surveillance and produces self monitoring of individuals through fear. These objects of language games are there to sustain the games and enforce rules on the individuals and within each of these objects there are different rules to different language games. Leading on from this for Foucault one of the most significant forces shaping our experience is languageWe not only use language to explain ideas and feelings to others, we use it to explain things to ourselves (Danaher, 2000, p. 31). This proposes that everything we do is surrounded or influe nced by language, written or spoken. By affecting everything we do shows how powerful language can be. Knowledge and power are not seen as negative aspects and are produced by episteme which also holds them together. According to Foucault domains of knowledge and relations of power are intrinsically tied together, and this fundamental intertwinement is what is referred to by that hybrid power/knowledge (Oksala, 2007, p. 48). This hybrid is possessed by the professionals within society, they normalise and enforce what should be considered as knowledge. For example when we go to work, we generally accept what the manager tells us to be true and do not question their knowledge about the company or job that needs doing. This leads to the conclusion that truth and knowledge are the result of scientific discourse and that Power and knowledge are fundamental in language as they reinforce truth. It is the goal of language games to shape knowledge and power relations through episteme, this is the mega game which makes all other games possible. Derrida is another philosopher who has studied language and the games that humans play. Derrida believes that we should look at process instead of the structure of things. So deep does structure run in our mental habits that when we try to analyse process we turn it into structure. Derridas task has been to reverse this predilection and show that process is primary to structure (Cooper, 1989, p. 480). This suggests that we naturally look at the structure of things and not the process of how they happen, by looking at the process will allow us to make more sense of things. Derrida believes that humans are the players within his language games of deconstruction and differà ©nce. Derridas views of discourse analysis are exhibited through deconstruction, this refers to moving away from structures towards a processual approach so that one can see and grapple with natural contradictions. Undecidability is used to explain deconstruction through looking at binary opposites e.g. high/low and manager/employee. This leads to the assumption that these terms cannot exist without each other as without them they would not make sense; a common example of this is Schrodingers Cat in the box. Derrida uses the term logocentrism within his work, by this he meant that language is simply a mechanism that communicates thoughts. This is a problem for deconstruction as it is faced with the issue of how to open up a text without merely endorsing the wider framework to which its terms belong (Wood, 1987, p. 32). To prevent this occurring Derrida employs overturning and metahporization. These are processes of deconstruction which allow us to look at language as the product of meaning through diffà ©rence and dissemination. Diffà ©rence comes from Saussures concept of signs and it is an important concept to Derridas view of process. Differà ©nce embodies two meanings which govern the production of meaning; diffà ©rer can mean to be deferred or to differ in space. Differed relates to Derridas Semiotics. A sign and its meaning are both members of diachronic or temporal series of that signs occurrences and the simultaneous patter of that related to signs in language. The reference to both of these is essential to the signs meaning. The meaning of each sign is relative to this combination of present and absent signs (Cahoone, 2012). This means that signs can be looked at in two ways, the first is by looking at the historical path of the word, the second is by looking at what other signs are related to it. For example when we look up a word in the dictionary it leads us another meaning of a word, it is an endless chain of meanings, i.e. signs are polysemic. From this, leads us to one of Derridas rules of language there is no outside of the text, by this he means there is no access to the real world except through language (Bennett, 2004, p. 30), therefore there cannot be any meaning outside context because there is nothing we know or have experienced that isnt in context. The second meaning to differ in space, refers to a differentiation which he also terms spacing and which prevents any sign from having a self-enclosed identity, (Deutscher, 2005, p. 31). This suggests that a fixed meaning of a word cannot exist and a sign can have more than one identity based on the context in which it is placed, for example the word organisation has different meanings depending on the context in which it is being used. The above links to the objects of language games, in terms of Derridas work they are the meanings of signs, and having already concluded there is no one meaning to a sign, the goal of Derridas game is to therefore look at meanings or rules of signs and attempt to understand them by stabilising the rules. To do this humans must have experience in the context of the sign they are trying to understand and the meaning they come to will be based on past experiences of that. It is clear that comparisons can be made between the authors on their theories of language games. Firstly, a contrast in Wittgenstein and Derridas work. Wittgenstein suggests that language games should be played through speech and his work reflects this, however Derrida proposes that language games should be in the form of writing. Although both theorists do agree on the concept of multiple meanings as they both believe that words/signs have an indefinite number of meanings depending on the context in which the word is being used. Another comparison is between Foucault and Wittgenstein who both think that we are constrained by our language and that we can only speak based on the language we have experienced, this links with private language games. A final comparison is of Derrida and Foucault who both use timetables in their work to describe forms of control through language. By using the work of all three theorists I think that organisations can be described in terms of language games. Organisations can be described using Wittgensteins and Derridas theories of multiple meanings in this way as when problems occur new solutions are found, however these solutions come with more problems so it is an endless cycle where no one solution will solve a problem, just like there is no one meaning of a word, this relates to Tamara, an endless story. A family resemblance may also be used to describe an organisation as although they do look the same, there are vital differences between each organisation, such as management structures and shift patterns. Also by using the private language argument, each individual within an organisation will have had different experiences within their job role, meaning that they cannot express all of their thoughts as there will not be a common public language at all times, this also links to Tamara as each individual experience is uni que. Using Derrida and Foucaults example of a timetable within language games is another way of interpreting an organisation, as it is something that is used everyday within an organisation, such as specifically timed lunch breaks and clocking in cards. This form of self surveillance is regulated by language from managers and superiors within the organisation. In addition, in line with Derridas work, it is important to look at organisations in terms of arenas of processes and to look at the outcomes, not look at them as structures. Finally Foucaults players within a language are the professionals. Within an organisation these are the managers and it is their voices that set the rules of the language game within that organisation i.e. we accept what they say as the truth because of the power and knowledge that the manager has. In conclusion if organisations were to be looked at in terms of text it would allow us to interpret organisations differently and look for different ways of so lving problems. This linguistic turn is a way of using text as a metaphor to give us the correct tools to use in organisations.