Purpose of theory Essay

A theory can be explained as a given set of principles or statements used to give an explanation to an occurring phenomenon. Theories explain existing situations and can be used to develop solutions to identified problems within an organization especially when it has been tested for a number of times hence acceptable or producing evidence based results. A theory differs from a model in such a way that a model act as a representation of a given phenomena or the actual concept. A model can in this case be used to explain a given theory. Like a theory a model can be used to make predictions and to control a given situation. Scientific inquiry involves the use of systematic methods of collecting, analyzing and concluding data and in turn developing new inventions using scientifically gathered information or facts. The process involves the formulation of theories or hypothesis and effective experiments to test the formulated hypothesis. Naive inquiry on the other hand involves an informal collection, analysis and interpretation of data and does not necessarily include the application of critically thought ideas and skills. In this case a theory is explained using natural language. Scientific inquiry is likely to produce reliable and results or findings that can be used to find evidence based solutions to an existing problem. It makes use of collected evidence to test given ideas. Evidence based management requires the application of scientific inquiry as it involves the use of meta skills and critically thought approaches in the development of workable solutions (Judd, Kidder& Smith, 1991). Tested theories act as evidence and produce explanations for existing phenomena that can be used to develop new inventions which may act as control measures or solutions Reference Judd, C. , Smith, E. , Kidder, L. (1991). Research Methods in Social Relations, 6th ed. , New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers. .

Human Relationships Essay

Writers use many subtle things to develop many themes of their novels. The relationships a person has with individuals around him affects the way other people think about him. In the book One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Russian writer Alexander Solzhenitsyn uses human relationships to ignite certain emotions within the reader towards certain characters. These emotions occur each time the character appears and this is used by the reader to judge the character by the types of relationships he has. By the end of the book, these feelings have developed and support the theme of existentialism in the novel. Human relationships between the prisoners and the people ‘outside’ give the reader automatic first impressions of the characters in the book. Mainly, the packages sent in by these people ‘outside’ show that the prisoners have someone who cares for them. Packages are seen as a luxury item by the prisoners and one of the main things mentioned during character introductions is whether the characters receive packages or not. This one fact changes the way the reader views the character. If the prisoner receives no packages from home, the reader feels pity for the characters and feels the isolation that these camps are designed to maintain. On the other hand, if the prisoners do receive regular packages, they are viewed with the same eye as privileged individuals of high society. This is important to keep the overall mood of the novel constant because any sudden surprises which cause any sort of excitement may ruin the bleak atmosphere of the novel. Sudden surprises include a character doing something which may be considered foolish in the camp. One example of this is when Caesar says to Shukov, â€Å"You keep it, Ivan Denisovich† (Solzhenitsyn, 179) when Shukov brings him his bread. The foolish notion of giving away food is immediately dissipated in the mind of the reader when Caesar’s package is cleverly intertwined in to the text as â€Å"fancy stuff† (Solzhenitsyn, 179) a few lines later. Another example of the reader’s impression being manipulated is Fetyukov. By the time Shukov mentions that Fetyukov â€Å"had three children ‘outside’ but they’d all disowned him when he was arrested†¦ so there was no one to send him things† (Solzhenitsyn, 56), Fetyukov’s actions have created the impression of a runt with no pride who only wishes to pass his sentence with as much comfort as possible. However, when the sentence is mentioned, understanding floods the reader’s mind and the reader is forced to go back and think about what Fetyukov must be thinking when he scavenges things from the prisoners and the reader considers it justified for Fetyukov to act this way.

Al Ain Municipality as a Case Study of HR Function

The aim of this research paper is to discuss five human resource functions of Al Ain Municipality that is one of the most significant and prominent organization of United Arab Emirates.The basic theme of this paper is the fact that the human resource functions of any organization relates to every department of that particular organization and this is the main reason that without the comprehensive understanding of organization and its functioning, the human resource functions can’t be completely understood.In order to remove the ambiguities in understanding of the basic aim of paper, it is mandatory to completely analyze the basic vision and theme of organization, its organizational strategies and the structure of Al Ain Municipality. After the detailed discussion, the paper accentuates on five of the most significant functions and operation of Al Ain Municipality.The paper follows a procedural methodology; the first step in this regard is the introduction to organization.The i ntroduction accentuates on different facts related to the municipal organization. It also sheds light on the point that Al Ain Municipality is the government body that is established in order to render effective services and extend strong support to the residents and citizens of Al Ain City and the areas adjacent to it.It also discusses the brief history as to when the municipal organization was developed and what the basic need was of forming and establishing this organization of Al Ain Municipality. Then the paper performs the critical analysis of the position of this organization and comparison of its status with other municipal organizations of the United Arab Emirates.Moreover, it also discusses the outstanding characteristics and distinguishing features of this municipal organization that makes Al Ain Municipality stand apart among the other municipal organization of the world. In addition to that it also shed light about the fact that how the organization has perfectly blende d its traditional heritage, culture, history, ethics and values in the aims and objectives of the organization.Moreover, it also describes the results of effects of not forgetting the cultural and ethical identity of the place and making it one of the basic themes of Al Ain Municipality. These practices sure have bore fruits and the paper discusses the evident results of these exercises as well.A brief history of Al Ain Municipality follows the discussion of organization. It sheds light on the establishment of this municipal organization and the development and progress phases to which the organization have undergone at different times in order to enjoy its current position.The history also enlightens about the fact that the organization was not a governmental body until some point of time, and then it emerged as one of the most significant municipal organizations of the world being a governmental body and it still enjoys the position with the same status.The paper then proceeds tow ards the organizational structure. One major point in this regard that Al Ain Municipality has the organizational structure that follows the lead of a general manager; this setup is different from those of organizational structures of municipalities where the leadership is in the hands of different councils or committees. The paper accentuates on the advantages and benefits of having a general manager as the top level of organizational hierarchy over the conventional modes of organizational structure in municipal organizations as that of councils and committees.Then there exists different independent bodies that performs their respective jobs and operations and then directly report to the general manager. The paper does quick review about these bodies and then comes to most significant sectors or areas of Al Ain Municipality. These six departments are the building blocks or backbone of this municipal organization and in order to completely understand the nature of organization and c omprehend its organization structure, the detailed discussion of these six areas is very crucial.The paper develops a procedural method in discussing these departments and also includes the flow chart of flow of control within the organizational structure. The departments, sectors or areas are have different sub-sectors and each of these subsectors is unique with respect to the services it render or support it provides to the clients and customer, which are the citizens or residents of Al Ain City and the areas adjacent to Al Ain City.The paper then move forwards towards the strategic objectives of the organization. This study is very necessary as the functions of human resource shares connection with the strategic objectives of any municipal organization.The paper depicts that the first and foremost objective of Al Ain Municipality is the development, maintenance and sustaining of town or urban planning as the urban areas are more prone to deliver the greater economical advantages as compared to rural areas. The second strategic objective of this municipal organization is the fact that there is no success possible without delivering excellent and highly efficient services to the customers therefore, the second strategic objective is to provide improved services to the clients every time as to maintain and enhance the quality of living standards in Al Ain City and its outskirts.The paper points out that the third strategic objective is to improve the overall performance, efficiency and effectiveness of the system as when the system is highly efficient it would create more opportunities for the employees to give better output to their customers or clients.It also highlights the virtues of sense of responsibility, transparency, and accountability that are the significant part of strategic objectives of the Al Ain Municipality. These virtues roots back to the ethical and cultural heritage of the region and the fact that these virtues when applied on the overall o rganizational system yield remarkable results make it even more significant for Al Ain Municipality.The paper also reflect that it one of the strategic objectives of Al Ain Municipality to promote partnerships, encourage both foreign and local investments   and alleviate other business opportunities as to emerge on the global level as one of the most substantial municipal organization.The paper also describes that another important strategic objective of the case under study is the fact that Al Ain Municipality regards the leadership and abide by its decision as the organization feels proud of the manner it is led. Moreover, it also accentuates on having effective and efficient human resource department as the organization with industrious and effective human resource sector is most likely to succeed even in the worst of situations and scenarios.The paper then discusses and analyzes the major HR Functions in Al Ain Municipality. The basic theme of these human resource functions st ems to the discussion of strategic objectives, values of organization, its structure and mission statement of Al Ain Municipality.This is the reason that the paper has discussed these points in such enormous detail. The Human resource functions discussed are recruitment and selection, employee training and development†¦. The paper closes the discussion with conclusion and presents some recommendations for the with respect to what has already been discussed in this paper.

Comparing and contrasting the slave narratives of Frederick Douglass Essay

Comparing and contrasting the slave narratives of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs - Essay Example Douglas was born into slavery on the shore of Maryland in 1818 and successfully escaped in 1838 after which he settled in Bedford. While there, he got involved with Massachusetts Anti-Slavery society and lectured audiences about slavery. Later, he wrote his book and became an American abolition movement leader. Jacobs was also born into slavery in 1813 in North Carolina. She was taught to read and write by her master who later died and she was left under his relatives. Her new master attempted to sexually abuse her which led her to spend seven years in hiding. She later worked as a domestic servant in New York and eventually settled in Massachusetts in 1862. It is after this that she wrote her slave narrative. Both writers’ lives as slaves had great effects on their writings. Douglas life as a slave enabled him to bring out the necessary emotion and experiences of a slave and hence becoming a victorious abolitionist writer. Having grown up as a slave and experiencing the hards hips of slavery such as lack of meals and whipping, his desire for freedom led him to write successful stories about his miserable life (Douglas 97). In Jacob’s narrative, she condemns slavery by revealing the horrifying mistreatments of the slaves in her time. She advances the view that slavery is a curse both to the whites and the blacks. She says â€Å"I never would consent to give my past life to anyone, for I will do it without giving the whole truth, if I could help save another from fate, it would be selfish and unchristian of me to keep it back†. Slave narratives were then used to show why the abolition of slavery was justified and thus their success lied on how well they presented the abuses in the system. Today, the narratives are used as an instrument to study the slavery institution and to examine the narrator’s capability to define them in the world. This new focus has

MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCE IN AN ORGANIZATION Essay

MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCE IN AN ORGANIZATION - Essay Example The former is a process of sharing information and understanding between two people or a small group: the latter makes use of systems to share information and understanding with large number of people. Both type of communication occur at all level within an organization, with people outside the organization, and between organizations. Organization learning focuses on the way people make sense of their experiences at work. The aim of organizing is to enable people to relate other and to work together for a common purpose. The organized group of people in a collective sense is known as organization. (Yvonne 129) "Organization is the process of identifying and grouping work to be performed, defining and delegating responsibility relationships for the purpose of enabling people to work more effectively together in accomplishing objectives." (Yvonne 149) Organizational learning is about the effective processing, interpretation of, and response to, information both inside and outside the organization (Ahuja, 2005, p.880). Organization learning helps in bringing administrative efficiency and inculcate within element of success through several ways, which are outlined as follows: 1. Specialization. 1. Specialization. In the process of organizing, care is taken to see the activities are divided and subdivided into compact and convenient jobs. They are also to be grouped on the basis of similarity. Organizing thus promotes specialization, speedy performance of tasks and efficiency. 2. Well-defined jobs. The jobs of manager and non-managers are clearly defined and differentiated. This helps the process of looking for and selecting the employees and fitting the right person to the right job. 3. Clarifies authority and power. A clear-cut definition of authority enjoyed by each manager and his jurisdiction of activity minimizes conflict and confusion about the respective power and privileges of managers. 4. Avoid duplication of work. In the process of organizing specific jobs are assigned too individuals and work group. Thus organizing helps in avoiding duplication of work and overlapping in responsibilities among various Employees and work units. 5. Basis of coordination. The organization structure serves as a mechanism for coordination and unification of efforts of people. Higher-level managers exercising their authority over interconnected activities of lower level managers bring about harmony at work. 6. Source of support and security. Organizational structure is a source of support, security and satisfaction to managers and employees inn performing their assigned tasks. It recognizes the relative status levels of members enjoy a definite status and position in the organization. 7. Adaptation. Organization structure facilitates adjustment to changes in workload caused by changing conditions in the external environment related to technology, markets, products and resources. MANAGING HUMAN RESOURCE IN AN ORGANIZATION Theories of learning be integrated into the design and delivery of training courses The term Human Resource Management, as opposed to 'personnel', signifies the broader role the management of people now plays in

Public Administration 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Public Administration 2 - Essay Example With any career, ethics will always play a crucial role. People come across many ethical circumstances and it trickles down to the individual to decide on how to act. In Tenet’s situation, it was not any different. In his political profession, Tenet faced numerous ethical predicaments. A number of these ethical impasses comprise him acting as a mediator rendering his work politically intricate. Tenet was unable to directly communicate and disagree with the associates within the President Bush’s administration. Tenet would even back the President knowing very well that the President was wrong. This placed George in a cross road between being loyal to the President and executing his duties (Boyle, 2008). Tenet had continually viewed CIA’s role as an â€Å"authentic broker that eluded direct participation in formulation of foreign policy†. In 1998, Tenet acted as a â€Å"mediator† for Binyamin Netanyahu (Israel’s Prime Minister) and Yasser Arafat in a peace dialogue hosted by the Head of state Clinton. This action contradicted Tenet’s statement that the Central Intelligence Agency was the single entity, which both parties could entrust. The CIA acting as a mediator instead of a spymaster, rendered those at the inside somewhat uncomfortable (Stillman, 2000). When the actions of 9/11 transpired, Tenet was aware it was al-Qaeda’s work and he held the full backing from President Clinton to do whatsoever he deemed necessary to have the job completed. The problem arose when Chaney (Vice President) declared at the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars) conference, that Saddam Hussein possessed the armaments of annihilation. George did not approve that assessment; indeed, he indicated that the speech had gone fittingly beyond what CIA analysis could hold. Since George had not engaged in that discussion with Chaney (Vice President) concerning his speech, it ignited the

Behaviour and Mental Illness Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Behaviour and Mental Illness - Essay Example Because of these, many people fail to seek out help in fear of being labeled as crazy and perceived as not to be trusted, dangerous or capable of violence. Fear of being society's outsider is one of the most common reasons why people with mental illness go undiagnosed or untreated and in most cases diagnosed when it is too late to manage or treat the illness. The fact is, the majority of mentally impaired persons are neither criminals and are never violent. Those few who are violent get publicized in various ways in the television and movies; resulting to a negative perception of all mentally ill people. These also often become a basis for determining legal proceedings for mental health issues. The sad part though is that although some of the portrayals are accurate or realistic, some are more likely sensationalized. This results to the majority of the people being ignorant on the true nature of mental illnesses. Mental illnesses generates a lot of issues for the inflicted and his family; issues pertaining to legal, social, ethical and clinical aspects of the mental disorder. With this fact, government systems have infused in their health care systems laws for people having mental illnesses. The Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 19... sory assessments can be made when a medical practitioner considers that there are reasonable grounds that the proposed patient is or may be mentally disordered. Another is if the Court believes that the proposed patient is mentally disordered (ADHD.org.nz). Under this Act, the accepted patient is required to take either community or inpatient treatment arranged by suitable professionals defined in the Act. A patient who is subjected to a compulsory treatment order is required to accept such treatment for mental disorder as directed by a responsible clinician for the first month treatment at the current time of the compulsory treatment order and afterwards, if a psychiatrist appointed by a Review Tribunal considers that the treatment is in the patient's best interests. In all other cases, the patient's informed and written consent must be obtained, and may be withdrawn at any time (Guidelines to the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992, 2000). The Act further defines the rights of such persons subjected to the compulsory treatment order and provides better protection for their rights with the gradual reforms and consolidation with the laws pertaining to the assessment and treatment of persons suffering from mental disorder. In this paper, the situation of a probable candidate for the compulsory treatment order will be discussed from a Mental Health Support worker's point of view. Mental Health Support workers have the responsibility to work with people who have severe and enduring mental health problems who live in the community. Their focus is on the whole person, including their social circumstances and they establish their support by maintaining a close relationship with the person. History and Present Circumstances of the Probable

Communication and Leadership Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Communication and Leadership Paper - Essay Example For the purpose of this disposition, the arguments would use Barack Obama as an orator and a good communicator. It is to imply that the essay would peg the character of President Barack Obama and how they qualify him as a good communicator. To begin with, it was impressive for President Barack Obama to campaign and articulate issues to the general population from a position of political and historical disadvantage. Historically, the people of African-American descent did not have the benefit of being able to vote not to mention the ability or the chance to vie for the highest political office in the land. However, during the presidential campaigns, President Barack Obama did postulate a running caption and theme which was the basis of his campaigns (Nisbet, 2009). Thus, being able to present the â€Å"Yes We Can† slogan to the general public smacks of excellence in the prospects of good communication skills. Intuitively, the ability to make the general electorate to believe ion the common destiny of a public president and a revived economy implied that as a communicator the president had to articulate and convince the general public to move in the right direction. The second instance and reason which makes it apparent to the communication abilities of president Barack Obama was the style in presidential debates. It is conventional knowledge and wisdom that the then Democrat presidential candidate scored well in the debates over the two successive candidate in John McCain and Mitt Romney. Most of the observers noted that President Barack Obama during the debates did put in a lot of effort and income to win the hearts of the undecided voters in the elections. In all aspects and fairness, he did maintain a positive attitude and respectable smile to the audience of listeners and viewers all over the United States of America. His body

Mechanical engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mechanical engineering - Essay Example Aerospace is an important field in which mechanical engineers are involved in the making of aircraft engines and control systems for airplanes (Herweck, 2009). Mechanical engineers also use biotechnology in designing and making fluidic systems for pharmaceutical industries and implants. Making electronics and computers is the other thing that mechanical engineers do because they make semiconductors and disk drives (Yadav, 2006). Mechanical engineers manufacture microelectromechanical systems such as micropower generation and actuators. It is the work of mechanical engineers to design ways of converting energy for example by making solar energy panels and wind turbines. They are instrumental in devising ways of environmental control including refrigeration and air-conditioning. Automation is another niche for mechanical engineers because they are able to make image acquisition devises and robots. In manufacturing, mechanical engineers make microfabrication, prototypes, and machine tools (Grote & Antonsson, 2009). Mechanical engineers devise ways of recycling waste, recovering resources from waste and converting waste to biomass all in an endeavor to protect the environment. They are involved in the making of marine vehicles and hyperbaric chambers that can help in utilizing offshore sources of energy. Mechanical engineers manage projects using engineering principles and techniques. They help in the repair, maintenance and upgrading of manufacturing plants and equipment. A mechanical engineer can also work in research and development of products. Mechanical engineers help in handling costly, dangerous, or exotic materials and equipment in industries. Making machines that handle or weave fabrics in textile industries is the work of mechanical engineers (Vashist, 2010). Mechanical engineers help monitor and commission industrial plants and systems. These engineers design and implement cost-effective modifications

Economic growh & environmental quality (haiti vs california) Essay

Economic growh & environmental quality (haiti vs california) - Essay Example This is because unlike California, Haiti has seen numerous political and environmental shocks that have severely hindered its growth. Nevertheless, economic growth in both California and Haiti comes with negative environmental outcomes comprising water and land pollution, greenhouse gas emissions as well as destruction of ecological landscape. Haiti economic growth largely centers on agriculture given that majority of the island is mountainous. Most of Haiti lush rainforests has been cleared for small-scale farming and charcoal burning, hence leaving only 28.3% of its land mass to be good for arable and commercial farming1. Agriculture accounts for the nation 25% of its GDP production. As a result, two thirds of Haiti labor-force still lives on small-scale subsistence farms which has resulted in economic stagnation, that has made Haiti the poorest nation in the western hemisphere. Hence, the nation has no substantial industrial or manufacturing sector, which then makes 40% of Haitian population to be unemployed even as the average income for most Haitian is less than $200 per year2. Haiti economy is largely driven by informal small-medium enterprises, which accounts for 80% of the nation new jobs. Nonetheless, the textile industry forms the second largest economic activity after arable farming. On the other hand, Californ ia has a GDP per capita income of $60,190 per year with the unemployment level standing at a much lower level of 7.4%3. Secondly, California has a diverse and highly skilled workforce working in different sectors unlike Haiti, and varies from high tech, to retail and service industry, to manufacturing, biotech, entertainment, to agriculture. Thus, before the 2007-2008 financial crises, California experienced per capita GDP growth that surpassed even the United States per-capita GDP expansion. In particular, the state share of the entire California manufacturing output grew from eight to

Classical Music Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Classical Music - Essay Example ti were the undoubted 18th century music celebrities, with many people associating with their entertaining virtuoso voices that illustrated the musical culture at the time. A critical analysis of the Castro BBC documentary reveals that the documentary investigates the musical aspects of the castrati including private and public details. The castrato involved the use of unbroken soprano voices. It is widely argued that the 18th century performance was done by men castrated during childhood to keep their voices unbroken. Mutilating young boys to achieve this purpose raises numerous ethical issues. The historical context of the castrati reveals the dark aspects of the Baroque opera. From the documentary narrative, it becomes clear that opera had shifted from the use of straight drama to artistic performances using male soprano voices. The male soprano voices could be described as artificial in the sense that they were achieved by castrating boys before they reached maturity. The vocals used in the documentary suggests that the voices are not natural, neither male nor female voices. On the other hand, the documentary illustrates the practice of using male voices for musical voices, especially for sacred music in which women were forbidden. The singers combined unique tempo and musical dynamics with variations in melody and combination of ornamentals to produce entertaining classics. The music was intense and elaborate melodic lines were often used. The use of liturgical musical styles features prominently in the documentary, illustrating the entertaining aspects of the European musical culture. There are also small ensembles of solo performances combined with orchestra tunes. This helps create a unique volume and texture, a feature that characterized European classical music. The documentary depicts the physical perspective and the medical aspects of the operation. The narrator suggests that barber surgeons performed clandestine operations and at times medical

Alcohol Abuse And Alcohol Dependence Essay Example for Free

Alcohol Abuse And Alcohol Dependence Essay According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders, Alcohol Abuse is defined as the harmful use of alcohol. Harmful use of Alcohol also implies the abusive use of alcohol and its physical and mental effects. Alcohol abusers according to the study are more prone to drink- seeking behaviors and alcohol tolerance. They can consume large amounts of alcohol to Alcohol abusers also have the psychological capacity to think of alcohol as a way to cure hangovers and exhibit the compulsion or the urge to drink or the compulsive need to consume alcohol. Those who exhibit alcohol abuse also show signs of alcohol abuse. Alcohol dependence is defined as a chronic disease that is influenced by the social and environmental factors. According to experts, Alcohol dependence is used by a person to avoid social and emotional problems in life. There are four signs of alcohol dependence: Constant craving for alcohol Withdrawal symptoms associated with the sudden stop of alcohol consumption Inability to stop alcohol consumption Alcohol tolerance Alcohol dependence brings about certain signs that show that a person is alcohol dependent: The urge to drink every morning Drinking alone and to feel comfortable around people Drinking to the point of experiencing blackout or results to intoxification Drinking to relieve tension or settle emotional or mental problems References Alcohol Dependence. (n.d.). Retrieved from The Health Authority: http://www.healthauthority.com/AlcoholDependence.htm

How are bodies socially constructed

How are bodies socially constructed It is crucial to gain an understanding of what social construction is, in order to assess its influence on human bodies. However it is difficult to operationalise social construction in literal terms. Social construction encompasses a multitude of elements, Hacking (2002) notes, social construction is a kettle of many very different kinds of fish. Typically however, social construction is concerned with the ways in which society has conceptualised ideals and expectations, looking at this in relation to specific areas of sociological interest. For sociologist when looking at the body their main concern is with the process of transforming a biological entity through social action Chris Shilling (2003). Members of a society construct their bodies in ways that comply with their gender status and accepted notions of masculinity and femininity. That is, they try to shape and use their bodies to conform to their cultures or racial ethnic groups expectations. (Lorber and Martin 2005) This essay will look at the ways in which the body is a social construction, with particular focus on the extent in which individuals in society are willing to perform to socially constructed ideals. It is important to recognise that social construction of the body is a global phenomenon; however this essay will look at westernised social construction of the body in particular. By looking primarily at the social construction of femininity, a subject which has typically been theorised extensively when looking at the body, an attempt will then be made to look at the social construction of masculinities and the aging body, in relation to the complex role that societys expectations have to play. The body is often seen as something which is straightforwardly biological, natural and given. (Macionis and Plummer, 2005). Unsurprisingly different types of bodies can be seen in terms of shapes, sizes and physical build; however there is an increasing notion of what aesthetically is socially acceptable, with women in the media industry in particular being promoted in a certain way. In affluent Western societies, slenderness is generally associated with happiness, success, youthfulness and social acceptability (Grogan, 1999). This notion could be said to have largely contributed to the fact that, increasingly, women are dissatisfied with their bodies. For Grogan (1999), media, as an industry, depicts the ideology that slenderness is preferred. This factor no doubt, has impacted the rise in eating disorders and womens willingness to have cosmetic surgery in modern times, in order to fit such ideals of slenderness which are conceptualised in magazines and television programmes. In wes tern culture dieting, breast enhancement and face-lifts are ways that women have changed their appearance to fit ideals of feminine beauty (Kivisto, 2005) Grimlin (2000) looks negatively at the role of cosmetic surgery, as a multi-million pound industry, with the notion that womens bodies are treated as commodities, Cosmetic surgery stands, for many theorists and social critics, as the ultimate symbol of invasion of the human body for the sake of physical beauty.'(Grimlin 2000). This view could be criticized, in the idea that many women who choose to have surgery, rather than to fit in with social constructions and therefore demands of society, do so in order to express their own personal individualism and identity, perhaps advocating their rights of freedom to adapt their own body if it pleases them to do so. Featherstone and Turner (2001) note Bodies have become the ultimate vehicle for writing ones identity.; this looks at anything from the clothes and makeup an individual wears, to self decoration through tattoos, piercings and cosmetic surgery. It is questionable to what extent women self decorate in order to fit the stereotypical views of social expectations of what is beautiful, or to oppose these views of conventional attractiveness, both however implicitly relate to the body as a social construction, either in a way that conforms to, or rebels against ideas of socially constructed beauty. Sexuality is closely linked with that of the female body, with socially constructed expectations of sexual femininity, Women are expected to be nuturant and emotionally giving, willing to subordinate their own desires to please men and their own interests to take care of children, Therefore womens bodies should be yielding and sexually appealing to men when they are young and plumpy maternal when they are older. (Kivisto 2005). This mass of generalizations, and assumptions, (that women are heterosexual, that all women want children, that women will forget about their own pleasures to please men), highlights the typical socially constructed views of western culture. It is therefore important to notice a change in womens sexual role through feminist ideas which reflect a modernized culture, with a new type of woman emerging in the 21st century. Through promoting sexual autonomy, feminists attempt to, advocate womens control of their sexuality and reproduction. (Macionis and Plummer 200 5), making their bodies less socially constructed to please male expectation. It is interesting to look at the social construction of the body in relation to the process of aging, as commonly, especially in traditional thesis, the bodily aging process has been referred to as a biological one, without consideration of its social relevance, Popular stereotypes about old people, usually centered around the inevitability of old age and its manifestation as physical decrepitude from which culture irrelevance could be inferred. Old age was therefore out-side the social because it was an essentially biological process. (Tulle-Winton 2000). With this in mind, Christopher A. Faircloth (2003) looks explicitly at the social construction of the aging process on peoples bodies. Reinserting that older bodily images are ones which are to be looked at with equal importance to younger women. Faircloth (2003), gives a detailed examination of the sexual attractiveness of older aged women (than that which is traditionally conceptualised in the media), concluding that there need to be seen as sexually attractive is still of extreme significance. Faircloth looks at the visual representations of older women through the realms of film and photography for example, with specific reference to a loss of sexuality in the representation of the older generation in society. Similarly Itzin (1986) states, Rarely are women portrayed as capable and independent, never as sexually attractive, (with the word women in this case, referring specifically to that of older women). Itzin notes that societies construction of what is sexually attractive is r arely looked at in relation to that of the older generation. When looking at the social constructions of femininity and the aging process, it can be seen that menopause is often reflected which considerable negativity, with the term being one which has connotations of a loss of sexuality and the idea that a noticeable change on the youthfulness of a womens body can be seen. These socially constructed misconceptions, suggest that the menopause directly affects a womens body, creating wrinkles and bodily sagging, which biologically is not the case (Winterich 2003). In a bid to maintain the socially constructed body which is considered attractive, characteristically one of youthfulness, merchandise, such as hair colouring products, anti-wrinkle creams and an increased number cosmetic surgeries can be seen to be endorsed by the older generation, (Craig Thompson 1995). Traditionally much theoretical focus on the social constructions of body, has been on that of femininity; however the social constructions of masculinity can be considered similarly, western societies expect men to be aggressive initiators of action and protectors of women and children, therefore their bodies should be muscular and physically strong, increasingly Men life weights, get hair transplants, and undergo cosmetic surgery to mould their bodies and faces to a masculine ideal (Kivisto 2005) This observation of men in the 21st century shows masculinity of the body to be concerned with that of aesthetic pride in a similar way to women, however there is less pressure on the male community to fit the mould of these constructed ideals. A modernised new man is also represented to fit the ideas of social construction, with the coinage of the phrase heterosexual male to highlight the increased notion of male grooming as acceptable in society. Inevitably this essay only looks at a small spectrum of the features that contribute to the body as a social construction, however a lot can be seen on how the body is effected by the views of society, a body which conclusively is not only biologically constructed but also socially.

School Leadership

School Leadership From educational research journals, to find three research articles, which are related to each other in their research questions, for example They studied the same research area or even same concept in education, such as â€Å"students’ discipline problems in school†, or â€Å"self-esteem of students†. They proposed the same or similar research question(s), such as â€Å"the relationship between self-esteem and achievement of the students† and â€Å"the relationship between self-esteem and family support†. It is better (not compulsory) to find the studies were conducted by using different research methods (Note: Please do NOT include article(s) by using the method of â€Å"meta analysis†. For kind of article it will be very difficult to answer the questions below. However, it will be a good idea from this kind of article to find several original research articles.) You are required to provide where did you find the articles and how did you find them. Provide the sources of them. (2%) Articles about educational leadership are common in graduate school library. You can select the best researches with relevant findings to help you understand the subject matter. On this behalf three of the most innovative and latest issues on educational leadership are the selected. These are the following; Study about program for School Leadership Improvement, it was retrieve at online library archive of Educational studies in United States done to improve the leadership in US schools (www.questia.com). School Leadership Study: Developing Successful Principals was a research study conducted to develop leaders to manage educational institution conducted at several institutions in United States. This research study employed the necessary elements of research in order to develop and improve the leadership characteristics of principals in a educational settings and institutions. This research was published at Education Magazine in Instructional Leadership for Systemic Change in 2005. The third research study was Conceptualizing principal leadership of school renewal conducted by students from Curtin University of Technology in 2003; this research was retrieve through Educational Leadership Gazette 2004 online submitted to annual conference for the Australian Association for Research in Education in Melbourne. These researches are performed to elevate the standards of leadership especially in secondary and tertiary levels. There is common ground in all of these researches; this is based on the foundation of effective leadership and governance in any educational institutions. Providing relevant data and new found knowledge, method of teaching, leadership and techniques are highly stated in the objectives of each research studies. Briefly describe the studies reported by each of the articles How was each of these studies conducted? What type of research method(s) were used in these studies? What results have been reported in these articles? After read your description, the reader should be able to know studies roughly (6%). Program for School Leadership Improvement The program engages in continuing self-assessment and improvement of its performance. Throughout this report, terms such as â€Å"model,† â€Å"strong,† and â€Å"inadequate† programs and variations thereof are used. This study employed case study method. A model or exemplary program is one that substantially meets all nine criteria. A strong program is one that substantially satisfies most of the criteria. An inadequate program is defined as one that fails to achieve most of the criteria or has a fatal flaw such as an incompetent faculty. The findings of this study were very disappointing. Collectively, educational administration programs are the weakest of all the programs at the nation’s education schools. This is distressing not only because of the magnitude of the jobs that principals and superintendents must perform, but also because of the large number of school leaders who will need to be hired in the next decade. In the course of the study, we managed to locate only a small umber of strong programs in the United States. None was considered exemplary. The most promising model that we found was located in England at the National College for School Leadership (NCSL), which operates in a very different fashion than school leadership programs in the United States. The development of the nation’s school leadership and management programs, offer a profile of the numbers and types of leadership programs in universities today, describe the growing number of non-university-based school leadership programs, examine the most promising model of school leadersh ip education encountered, and offer recommendations about how to strengthen university educational administration programs â€Å"School Leadership Study: Developing Successful Principals† Principals play a vital and multifaceted role in setting the direction for schools that are positive and productive workplaces for teachers and vibrant learning environments for children, but existing knowledge on the best ways to develop these effective leaders is insufficient. The need to identify and replicate effective pre- and in-service programs and program structures that produce the most highly qualified school leaders has motivated a major research study commissioned by The Wallace Foundation and undertaken by the Stanford Educational Leadership Institute in conjunction with The Finance Project. This study — â€Å"School Leadership Study: Developing Successful Principals† — conducts a series of in-depth case analyses of eight highly developed pre- and in-service program models in five states, and tracks the graduates into the schools they lead. The study not only examines the conduct of the programs and the perceptions of Participants, but it also interviews and surveys graduates — along with a comparison sample of principals — about their preparedness and practices. The study also follows a sub-sample of program participants into their schools, examining school operations, teachers’ views of the school leadership, and trends in student performance. Cost analysis of case studies is conducted by The Finance Project, a Washington, DC- based, nonprofit research organization. The Finance Project also explores the state policy and finance structures that foster effective programs. Research on principal preparation and development programs suggests that certain program features are essential in the development of effective school leaders. There is also little discrepancy between guidelines for pre- and in-service programs. Evidence indicates that effective programs are research-based, have curricular coherence, provide experience in authentic contexts, use cohort groupings and mentors, and are structured to enable collaborative activity between the program and area schools. Despite existing consensus, empirical evidence for the impact of these features is currently minimal. Conceptualizing principal leadership of school renewal This paper reports the findings of an investigation into school renewal and leadership that was conducted in 2003. School renewal is a type of whole-school change that engages and excites the school community to promote, accept and embed the change leading to improved student learning. In respect to the research objectives presented data were collected through interviews with a purposive sample of principals in situ and identified through the quantitative phase of the study (Silcox, Cavanagh and Dellar, 2003). The design of the interview schedule was based upon the preliminary conceptual framework presented in the research output and was developed taking cognizance of the findings of quantitative data. The paper concentrates on the study of leadership of school renewal with specific reference to some of the key influences in implementing a renewal agenda in schools. It provides an invaluable and reflective insight into renewal and change processes in schools. This research study , based on a mixed methodology research format conducted in Western Australia, shows the critical role the principal plays in bringing about school-renewal. The paper concludes by presenting a conceptual framework of principal leadership and school renewal for consideration. In so doing it both challenges and confirms literature and research in the area of leadership and school change. The research has important implications for all school communities. Make comments on each of the articles (20%) Is the research problem clearly stated? Be specific. Is the significance of the problem established? Be specific. Identify the hypothesis (if there is any). Is the hypothesis clearly stated? Be specific. How could you identify the type of research method used in each study? Explain your answer. How were the variables measured in the study? Are the measurements reliable and valid? How were the participants in these studies selected? What type of sampling method was used? Explain your answer. Make comments on the research design of each of these studies. List the strength and weakness of each study, provide possible improvements. What type of data analysis was used in each study report? Specify the details. Do you think the data analysis conducted correctly and effectively? Any suggestions for improvement? Is the study ethically sound? Is the report written well? Explain your answer. Program for School Leadership Improvement The study’s problem was clearly stated in the research report. The research work try to explain the and identify what kind of program to be implemented in order to achieved the improvement in school’s leadership and administration. There is no stated hypothesis in the study because the purpose of the study is not probing certain speculations but to develop new concepts of leadership through program implementation. The significance of the study was concentrated on the educational institutions and other learning community. The result of this study according to the desired result of researchers is focused on achieving the possible highest standard of leadership in education. The study employ case study, this method typically examine the interplay of all variables in order to provide as complete an understanding of an event or situation as possible. This type of comprehensive method understand the arrived phenomenon at through a process known as thick description, which involves an in-depth description of the entity being evaluated, the events and circumstances under which it is used, the characteristics and identity of the people involved in it, and the nature of the community in which it is located. Thick description in this study also involves interpreting the meaning of all demographic and descriptive data collected such as cultural norms and mores, community values, ingrained attitudes, and motives. Unlike quantitative methods of research, this study chooses participants or respondents through selection process because the target population is only the supervisory level which is limited in number. Like the survey, which focus on the questions of who, how much, and how many, what, where and archival analysis, which often situates the participant in some form of historical context, this method which is case studies are the preferred strategy when how or why questions are asked. Likewise, they are the preferred method when the researcher has little control over the events, and when there is a contemporary focus within a real life context. In addition, unlike more specifically directed experiments, case studies require a problem that seeks a holistic understanding of the event or situation in question using inductive logicreasoning from specific to more general terms. Data analysis performed through application of certain methods drawn from the in formations and data gathered. School Leadership Study: Developing Successful Principals The study’s problem was also stated in the research report. The research study try to develop and improved the leadership skills of principals in educational settings, the study will lead and aim the improvement in school’s leadership and administration through developing of effective and successful principals. There is stated hypothesis in the study; the purpose of the study is to develop skills and supervisory method and leadership techniques in leading schools through empowerment of principals. The significance of the study was also concentrated on the educational institutions and other learning community specially principals. The result of this study according to the desired result of researchers is focused on achieving the possible highest standard of leadership character and skills in education. Recognizing that some of the variables in this study do not have problems as such. The educational organization may be doing quite well. Leadership in educational setting are real-world situations, it not necessarily examples of bad leadership or management. The situations in this study are approaching with a point of view. I can say that the researchers may be alert for the danger that some of the data and information in some circumstances is coming from biased participants and therefore must be taken with a grain of salt. Recommendations in this study must be logically follow from the analysis and they should be feasible. Finally, the study report must be well-written, clearly organized, and sequential and has a logical flow. Poor writing will affect the reader’s apprehension. It usually helps to provide a brief summary statement and â€Å"roadmap† at the beginning of the analysis to orient and guide the reader. Also make sure that making any recommendations to be provided follows directly from the analysis of the problem, and that your overall conclusions are consistent with your analysis. Those are the strengths and weaknesses of this study. 3. Conceptualizing principal leadership of school renewal The study’s problem was clearly stated in the research study. The research work try to explain the and conceptualize what kind of leadership styles to be adapted by school principal in order to achieved the improvement in school’s leadership and administration. Renewal is also one of the subjects in this research, transformation of technique and method will probably lead to more advancing and productive leadership. There is no stated hypothesis in the study because the purpose of the study is not probing certain speculations but to develop new concepts of leadership through adaptation of new leadership concepts and program implementation. The significance of the study was concentrated on the educational institutions and other learning community. The result of this study according to the desired result of researchers is focused on achieving the possible highest standard of leadership in education. The research study is related to the investigation of the relationship between the leadership behavior of school principals and school renewal, and, in particular, tried to investigate and explain the type of leadership behaviors showed or displayed by these principals engaged in school renewal activities. Practical aspects of the study necessitated the use of a mixed method paradigm. As the study sought to examine attributes of school leadership and their influence on school renewal in a local education district data, therefore, needed to be collected from a sample of principals sufficiently large to be representative of the general population. In the first instance, this required application of quantitative data collection methods. On the other hand, investigating the influence of leadership on renewal was anticipated to require careful attention to the context of the individual school and of the interaction between the leader and other members of the school community. This necessitated qualitative data collection methods in a small number of schools to provide highly detailed and contextualized information. Thus, both quantitative and qualitative research methods were originally applied in a mixed-method investigation format. The two methods were invoked sequentially at different points in the study, hence maximizing the strengths of both methods. In respect to the research objectives presented data were collected through interviews with a purposive sample of principals in situ and identified through the quantitative phase of the study (Silcox, Cavanagh and Dellar, 2003). The design of the interview schedule was based upon the preliminary conceptual framework presented as Figure 1, and was developed taking cognisance of the findings of quantitative data (Silcox, 2003). A set of survey questions was developed and adapted within parameters of study area established by the research objectives. The qualitative phase of the research sought to obtain information from a particular cohort of principals on their perception of a specific concept, school renewal, and specific leadership behavioral characteristics employed in bringing about renewal as a change paradigm in schools. Therefore, it was appropriate to use an interview survey technique. There is no indicative of major weakness in this study; all data and analysis are drawn properly. There are justifications in the elements present in every variable. Summary: In general all these studies presents the concrete narrative information and details of actual, or at least realistic events, it has a plot, exposition, characters, and sometimes even dialogue Generally, these three educational leadership study reports are extensively descriptive and narrative in presenting their data and analysis, with the issues concerned are being the determinant of the right combination of identity, description and analysis.. Typically, all the authors of different studies addressed each step of the research methodology and process, and they attempted to give the reader as much enough data and in context as possible for the decisions and analysis they made in the research studies and for the conclusions being drawn from the study. This contextualization was included a detailed presentation and explanation of the theoretical positions of all the researchers, how those data and theories drove the inquiry or led to the guiding conceptualization of research questions, of the processes of data collection, of the participants backgrounds, of the training and limitations of the coders, with a firm or strong attempt to make all connections between the information and data and the conclusions was clearly evident. Although the educational leadership researches study is completed, it does not reports which include the reactions of all the respondents to the research study or to the conclusions of the researchers. Because theses studies tend to be more exploratory, most ends will be with implications for further study. Here in this study, researchers identified the significant factors or variables that come up or emerged during the research process and suggested studies related to these, the authors also suggested further general questions that their research study generated. The second study concludes with a section dedicated solely to the topic of implications for further study and research, in which they suggested several means by which this particular study could have been improved, as well as questions and ideas raised by this study which other researchers and leadership institutions might like to address, such as: is there a correlation between a certain personality in leadership styles and a certain composing process of population’s profile. Also included in these studies is a section dedicated to implications for teaching, because the topic is about leadership in educational institutions which outlines the pedagogical ramifications of the studys findings for teachers and managers who are currently involved in school programs. The sample is defined as the representative of the population, but in this study selection bias is a possible. A statistic used in the third study have the possibility of being biased if the value of the statistic tends to be wrong or more precisely, if the expected valuethe average value from many samples drawn using the same sampling methodis not the same as the population value. A typical source of bias in population studies is socioeconomic or age status: people with extreme values for these variables tend not to take part in these studies Thus a high compliance (the proportion of people contacted who end up as subjects) is important in avoiding bias. Journal editors of the publications where these researches published happy with compliance rates of at least 70% in the study done. In these researches the most important variable the researchers have to balance is the implementation of pre-test ion the dependent variable itself. The researchers balanced randomization for this study or another by numeric factors. When selecting subjects and designing protocols for studies, researchers often strive to eliminate all variation in subject characteristics and behaviors. Their aim is to get greater precision in the estimate of the effect of the specific protocols. The problem with this approach is that the effect generalizes only to subjects with the same narrow range of characteristics and behaviors as in the sample. Depending on the nature of the study, the researchers may have to strike a balance between precision and applicability. If they lean towards applicability, their subjects will vary substantially on some characteristic or behavior that you should measure and include in your analysis. Compare and the contrast the research methods used in the three studies (12%) From methodology point of view, what are the similarities and what are the differences of these studies Which study do you think was conducted better? Why? Which study you dislike? Why? These three researches have different characteristics in terms of methodological designs. But all of them used the proper and best methodological designs and draw important conclusion and outcome that benefited and improve the educational leadership. In the study about Program for School Leadership Improvement, a case study was utilized and was discussed within the context of qualitative research and naturalistic inquiry. This study was done with some method with field study, ethnography, and participant observation to draw conclusions properly. The philosophical assumptions underlined in this research are similar to these types of qualitative research design because each takes place in a natural setting such as a classroom, and other educational institutions .The study also arrives for a more relevant and holistic interpretation of the specific event or situation being observed in the study under study. This kind of research design is different from statistically-based research stud ies which search for quantifiable data. The main objective of this study is to find and give new variables and questions for future studies. The second study was entitled School Leadership Study: Developing Successful Principals. The researchers used case analysis method in conducting the study. A major characteristic of conducting this kind of research is that you never have all the access for the information that you need and oftentimes considerable data and information which is nor important, irrelevant, obscure, trivial or even obfuscating. The lack or absence of important information may force the researchers to make one or more assumptions. Assumptions drawn u from this research is clearly labeled, they are appropriate and they realistic. The last research study entitled â€Å"Conceptualizing principal leadership of school renewal† used quantitative research design. This research profile a target specific population by determining the proportion of the population’s has certain attitudes , behaviors, behavioral, intentions, skills and knowledge related to the leadership concern, and whether specific determinants predict effectiveness at a statistically significant level. The researchers used a structured type of questionnaire that contains predominantly closed-ended, or forced-choice, questions. The research design and research conduct in the research quantitative survey implemented by this study consider getting information and data from a survey result. The major concerns need to consider issues and circumstances is mostly related to designed appropriate sample, this stuffy used reliable and valid measures, and conducted a pilot or pretest before the actual survey study was launched. This study is a custom type designed to seek specific knowledge or answers from a specific set of research questionnaire. This study is also somewhat omnibus in nature because it added questions about the topic with regards to an existing survey. The findings were generalized beyond the participant group which is the supervisory level in educational institutions. At the conclusion of each research analysis, the researchers offer recommendations for change or application of knowledge drawn from the study. These recommendations are also for situation to be handled better like interventions, programs and behavioral modifications. Some of theses recommendations have both positive prospects and negative consequences when applied to certain cases. A solution may eventually work for certain cases but be very costly, some changes are difficult to achieve or implement and take a long time and effort to have a significant impact in any area of target. Researchers must develop the recommendations that impact is for maximum positive products and minimum negative consequences. Any other comments or points related to these research reports. These educational leadership research study must advocates and point out that research can produce much contain and more detailed data and information that is readily available Many analysis can also use as an alternative to discover the relationships between variables, some of these can be obtain through a statistical analysis. Research advocates on educational reform will also implement different kind of methods suitable for the study while statistical methods might also be used and be able to deal with situations where attitude and behavior is homogeneous and routine. Methodological designs are also needed to deal with creativity, change, innovation, and overall context that they can apply to improve the study more. Many research detractors argue that some educational studies are difficult to generalize or apply to all concepts because of inherent subjectivity and because most of the research is based on qualitative subjective data and the generalizability are applied only to a particular context. Suggestions: In doing researches overcoming many challenges including the accessibility and brevity of the study is necessary for any educational or social institutions doing the research study. I have the following suggestions to make the impact of this study and research stronger. First, the presentation of your research must be as user-friendly as possible provided with a clearly marked sections, marks and sidebars with some of the additional and supplementary information. Second, defining the important terminologies and provide some examples for every items made. Third is the anticipation of questions from the researchers must answer them in the publication. Fourth is illustrating your findings through the use of graphs or charts. Fifth is you have to break all the information into short sentences, paragraphs or lists. Using of different colors, lines, images and sizes of fonts are good to improve the interests of reader to browse the researches. Adding references and footnotes with further information for readers is also vital. And lastly you have to mention who prepared the research, and audience or for whom it was prepared, and contact information for each author. This is necessary for the readers to clarify or to verify some information and data indicate d in the research paper. Research papers and other studies must have the connection between theory and empirical data -empirical data is the evidence we obtain from the social world. Makes the connection between theory and empirical data. This empirical data is the evidence we obtain from the social world. By starting with a theory and then testing it with data, this is also referred to as deductive research. By developing a connection between social theory and data the researchers must first collect data and then develop a theory supported by the findings or inductive research. For the researcher to come up with a good research, they must manage bias by testing ideas without becoming too personally invested in a particular outcome unlike what they did in certain methodology in these researches. Being systematic in carrying out investigations is also important to have good research. Documentation of all procedures and making it available to public and other researchers are also limits the bias. Clarifying of underlying assumption that the research is based on and all the underlying assumptions in the research in must be clarified as well as the definitions of terms used in the research which is not applied in these researches. Another way to manage bias is by testing the ideas without becoming too personally invested in a particular outcome. The researchers must be systematic in carrying out investigations Maintaining a skeptical stance toward current knowledge can also be a factor to produce good research work. This improves upon the validity of their results. Critiquing current research by addressing the problems in the research can generate additional research. Ethical issues must also address in any research studies, honesty and openness is vital in conducting research. Researchers need to be honest about their procedures in order for other researchers to be able to duplicate the research. Duplication of the research lends validity to results. Additionally, openness is needed in order for researcher to learn from the work of others. The lack of openness sometimes happens because researchers want credit for their discoveries. Good research should also be ethical and should cause no harm to subjects or respondents. All subjects should be voluntary participation; subjects must give informed consent. Researchers should fully disclose their identity. Unless voluntarily waived, anonymity or confidentiality must be maintained for all individuals participating in research. Benefits of the research must outweigh foreseeable risks. Good research also conceptualizes terms conceptualization is defined as the process of specifying what we mean by a term. In deductive research, conceptualization helps to translate portions of an abstract theory into testable hypotheses involving specific variables. In inductive research, conceptualization is an important part of the process used to make sense of related observations. And lastly, good research devise operations that measure the concepts under investigation. Length of the assignment: 3000 words. REFERENCES: Jackson, B. L., Kelley, C. (2002). Exceptional and innovative programs in educational leadership. Educational Administration Quarterly, 38(2), 192-212. Jaquiss, N. (1999, November 10). A Matter of Principals. Willamette Week. Retrieved from http://www.wweek.com/html/education111099.html Knapp, M. S., Copland M. A., Talbert, J. E. (2003, February). Leading for learning: Reflec- tive tools for school and district leaders (research report). Seattle, WA: Center for the Study of Teaching and Policy. Kolb, D. A., Boyatzis

Multiculturalism In Canada :: Immigration, Ethnic Diversity

Canadian Multiculturalism, Same as it ever Was? (an essay by Kathleen Hoyos) Abstract: After the Second World War ended, Canada was no longer mainly composed of its two dominant ethnocultural groups, French and English, but rather constituted by polyethnicity; meaning, Canadian culture was made up of many different ethnic groups. Since then, Canada has actively embraced multiculturalism and on 12 July 1988, the House of Commons passed Bill C-93, ‘An Act for the preservation and enhancement of multiculturalism in Canada’. The Canadian multicultural experience has been much portrayed as a celebration of ethnicity where different cultural groups share their customs and learn from each other. However, it is recently being rumoured that the multiculturalism hype is not all it is cut out to be and segregates communities rather than integrate. According to Canadian authors Keith Banting and Will Kymlicka, â€Å"in much of the world and particularly in Europe, there is a widespread perception that multiculturalism has failed† (44). In this paper, I examine some recent common issues of concern, especially, racism and discrimination, through the literary expression of Canadian playwrights and writers such as George F. Walker, Cecil Foster, and Mordecai Richler. These writers are not meant to represent any ethnic group as a whole, but rather try to project a general feeling about the nation in individual ways. I will finally explore the idea of how perhaps multiculturalism in Canada is evolving into another state since migratory patterns and the social circumstances that Canada is facing in the 21st century have changed. Today, the idea of celebrating different ethnicities and customs is no longer as important as celebrating the transcultural or â€Å"transnational† aspects of relations between individuals and groups of immigrants. Keywords: multiculturalism, transnationalism, transnational literature The use of Multiculturalism, as a term, within the Canadian perspective, is best stated

Does Vision And Mission Emerge Essay -- essays research papers fc

Does vision and mission emerge from the particular culture of a firm or is it dictated by strategy?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The culture of a firm and the formation of strategy are two very important aspects of an organisation. The world contains many different people all with different values, ideas and beliefs. These differences create a diverse range of cultures within organisations, some having bigger influences than others. Strategies within organisations are highly dynamic and complex, and can have positive and negative effects on an organisation. Vision and mission are concepts that many believe are vital for an organisation to operate effectively and to the best of its abilities. Andrew Campbell (1991) , a prominent writer on vision and mission, believes that both the culture and the strategy of a firm come together side by side to build an overall definition of mission for a firm. The paper will be based around Campbell’s perception and whether either culture or strategy has a greater part to play in an organisation’s mission.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Culture and strategy will be examined in a context relevant to the title question. Hofstede (1993) defines culture as ‘the collective programming of the mind which distinguishes one group or category of people from another’. Hofstedes research of different organisations and countries allowed him to make predictions on the way different societies operate, including their management processes and the theories that would be used in management. Morgan (1996) refers to culture as ‘the pattern of development reflected in a society’s system of knowledge, ideology, values, laws, and day-to-day ritual’. In subsequent writings he expands on organisational culture as ‘self-organising and is always evolving’ and also ‘ we are observing an evolved form of social practice that has been influenced by many complex interactions between people, events, situations, actions, and general circumstances’. These broad definitions of o rganisational culture are important bases and will be used throughout.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Defining strategy is a difficult process because it is a complex concept that has many forms and is constantly changing. Andrews (1987) attempt is a comprehensive definition... ...(1980) Defining the Business – The Starting Point of Strategic Planning New Jersey, Prentice Hall Collins, J.C. & Porras, J.I. (1996) Built to Last – The Successful Habits of Visionary Companies Kent, Century Ltd. De Wit, B. & Meyer, R. (1998) Strategy – Process, Content, Context London, International Thomson Business Press Fawn, J. & Cox, B. (1985) Corporate Planning in Practice London, Kogan Page Ltd. Morgan, G. (1996) Images of Organizations London, Sage Publications Porter, M.E. (1985) Competitive Advantage New York, The Free Press Journals Baetz, M.C. & Bart, C.K. (1996) Developing Mission Statements Which Work Long Range Planning 29 (4), pp.526-533 Campbell, A. & Yeung, S (1991) Creating a Sense of Mission Long Range Planning August pp.10-20 Campbell, A. (1997) Mission Statements Long Range Planning 30 (6), pp.931-932 David, F.R. (1989) How Companies Define Their Mission Long Range Planning 22 (1),pp.90-97 Piercy, N.F. (1994) Mission Analysis: An operational approach Journal of General Management 19 (3), pp.1-19 Hofstede, G (1993) Cultural Constraints in Management Theories Academy of Management Excutive 7 (1)

Tim Burton Style Analysis

Tim Burton Style Analysis Tim Burton has achieved much fame for his imaginative movies and his quirky remakes of old classics such as Alice, Batman, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is in Edward Scissorhands though, a heartfelt story about an outsider looking in, that Burton shows off his true skills as a director. Using point of view, setting, and motifs his film becomes not just a good movie, but an amazing classic. Burton uses point of view to show the characters perspective and to fill in the missing gaps in the characters history in the form of flashbacks.For example, one of the beginning scenes in the movie show that the devout woman looks out the window and sees the other woman of the neighborhood flocking together, yet not inviting her to join them. It shows that the woman is an outcast, and is not included in things. Another scene shows Edward’s dejected face and then flashes over to a scene of Kim goofing off with her boyfriend. It lets the viewer understand that Edward is interested romantically in Kim, and thus upset that she is involved with someone else. This is a more subtle technique, and makes the scene more memorable to the viewer because they didn’t come right out and say it.As opposed to telling the audience about something, Burton prefers to let them see for themselves. To show Edwards origins, Burton has Edward looking out the window and has a flashback about how he was created. Burton also uses setting to a magical extent. Burton is an admirer of over-exaggeration, and this is evident in his distinction of the neighborhood and Edwards’s castle. Whereas the community is bright a cheery, with houses of alternating color and rather small proportions, the castle is dark and opposing. All the houses in the community don’t have more than four feet between them, and even the backyards are visible from the street.Burton also exaggerates the looming castle’s isolation by putting it on a mountain. Burton purposefully designs the community to be the homey, picturesque American dream while Edward’s castle is the definition of gloom and doom. Yet when Peg first comes to the entrance of the castle, she encounters an amazing garden, much more beautiful than anything thing the people in the community could make, showing us that our perceptions aren’t always right. Burton often uses motifs in his movies and Edward Scissorhands is no different. Among many, one of the motifs Burton uses is conformity vs. ndividuality. Burton’s movies all carry common threads, and like all of Burton’s previous main characters, Edward is an outcast. He is a spark of creativity in an otherwise dull society. The citizens of the community choose to conform and the all have flat personalities. One is either a maneater or a motherly type or some other cliche, and that part seems to encompass the rest of their personality. While Edward, who is so different from the way he looks to the way he acts, seems to be the only human character. His personality possesses many layers.The citizens also dress bright and cheery is a retro-style, while Edward with his uncontrollable hair and pale skin looks like a gritty Goth. In conclusion, Burton’s skill shines throughout the entire movie. Using point of view, setting, motifs, and other style techniques, Burton makes Edward Scissorhands a true hit. Tim Burton’s unorthodox style gives new standards to the movie business, and delivers heartwarming stories about misconceptions and finding yourself. With Tim Burton’s masterful skill and playful humor, it becomes obvious why Edward Scissorhands is such a hit. Gigi Orphali 12-8-11 p. 5-6

Pushing Paper Can Be Fun Essay

1.Organizational and Personal Outcomes – What performance problems is the captain trying to address? Behavior- Officers not doing paperwork, or when done, is incomplete. Result – Cases being lost, due to poor reporting. The officers lack motivation and perceive filling out reports as boring. 2.Goal Statement – What would be a desirable outcome? A desirable outcome would be that officers perceive their jobs to include paperwork, and that they understand the value and importance of filling reports adequately and correctly in an assigned time frame. 3.What has the Captain already tried doing to solve the problem? To help motivate the officers, team competitions were established. These were based on the excellence of the reports. The competition provided no reward. An idea suggested to the Captain is to include financial rewards as incentives, based on the number of conviction records. These are also related to motivational factors. 4.Using the MARS Model to diagnose the possible causes of the unacceptable behavior and to explain what the Captain should do to resolve the situation. The MARS Model outlines the four major factors in determining individual behavior and results. The four major factors consist of Motivation, Ability, Role Perceptions and Situation Factors. Motivational: The police officers are lacking motivation when it comes to doing paperwork. Their paper work is frequently put off or completed inadequately. They are aware that promotion is not based on how well they complete paperwork; rather it is based by simply staying on the force for a certain number of years. Ability: I would assume that officers do not receive adequate training on proper report making while attending the police academy. Also some officers may have more of an aptitude than others when it comes to writing. Role Perceptions: The officers perceive their job as peace, law and order. They think of paperwork as boring and routine. A possible issue is that they don’t understand the value attached to providing an adequate and correct report. This perception may have been established due to improper training, the rookies are being taught by other officers, who themselves have never been formally trained. The personalities of the officers as well as their personal values play a role in how they perceive their job to be. Situational Factors: The case did not mention any situational factors; however there is one possible factor. There isn’t enough funding for rewards, so little, that layoffs are being considered. This poses a problem in that, if officers are laid off then there is less of them to perform the task, thus making the issue worse, not improving it. Suggestions: First off in order for things to improve, it needs to start with the Captain. He himself claims the work to be routine and boring; this attitude passes down to his fellow officers. Something as simple as changing his perception, would help motivate the officers. Secondly, all officers including the Captain should be retrained. This will insure consistency throughout. Fewer cases will be lost, and establishing future incentive plans will be must easier. Thirdly, The Captain could decrease the hours officers spend out on the streets, and allocate more time for the officers to complete their paper work. Motivation by Punishment: If a case were to lose due to a faulty report, then the officer responsible for filling the form would have to attend a training session. To avoid the officers from falling back into the same habit, he could also punish them with a week of traffic duty. (I believe most cops prefer to be fighting crime, not issuing traffic tickets). Motivation by Incentive: As the case study mentioned, the police station is experiencing a budget crunch. An affordable method could be to provide officers with free perks, for completing their paper work adequately, correctly and on time. Such things as: first pick of the squat car, which area/street they prefer to patrol and being able to choose cases that interest them most.

Aims and Objectives of Woburn Safari Park and Thomas Cook Essay

How does Nolan’s the dark night use MELCS to good effect and what does this indicate regarding the films genre? Are there any social criticisms present? In this essay I will be explaining the way that different techniques are used, and what these show about the Dark Knight. I will be looking throughout the film at how Nolan uses various effects such as, colour, editing, lighting, camera, and sound. And how these things aren’t really what you might expect for the typical super hero film, but also how he uses them to subtlety criticize human nature. First of all I will talk about the colour used Nolan uses. Throughout the film the colour scheme always seems to be very dark but as well as this the things that are happening usually contrast this. A good example of this is at one point when the Joker is being questioned, all the lights go out and everything is pitch-black except the jokers white face. This is very effective as it really makes the joker stand out and means you can see every little detail of his face and facial expressions but don’t know what else is happening in the room. It therefore creates a whole lot of suspense about what’s going to happen next and where it’s going to come from whilst at the same time letting you see every detail of the jokers face and almost making you really understand what he’s thinking. Another point in which this contrast is shown is in Bat-mans hide away place. In there the floor is a dark dull grey/black, and the ceiling is all white lights. This is good because it makes the room seem endless and gives anything in it airs of importance and cleanliness like trophy shelves that are lit from above like the room or a dentist. This is good because in the room he keeps all his high-tech gadgets witch seem incredibly expensive and valuable when they are in the room, but then when Bat-man is using them he acts as though they are something that are disposable. Another way Nolan uses colour is in the costumes. The Joker is an especially good example of this as he wears a purple jacket, green hair, Green top, and bright red giant red lips. This shows us a lot about his character for example, purple stands for royalty and the joker becomes almost like a king by making everyone scared of him. Secondly the green stands for jealousy, and the Joker is very good at making people feel jealous and spiteful about other people. As well as maybe feeling slightly jealous at not being normal, and being unhappy himself. Lastly the joker is just completely crazy, and all his colours clashing certainly do emphasize this. Overall it is a brilliant way of showing his character and showing how different he is to everyone. I mean, you’d never miss him would you!? On the other hand the dark knight is completely the opposite of the Joker, and their clothing really shows this. As the knight is completely black it seems to show how he represents reality and order, but the joker stands for everything mad and chaotic as that is what he loves. As for the props Nolan uses, really they are quite simple. Even the high-tech gadgets batman uses all seem possible and there are no out of this world, impossible things. I think this is actually quite a good thing, as it means that it makes the whole play seem more realistic, and like something that could actually happen. Therefore it is all scarier in a slightly surreal way. Next I will look at how Nolan uses editing in the film and what effects this creates. When a lot of action is happening at the same time Nolan uses lots of quick shots of the action quickly cutting from one to the other. This is very clever as you think you’re just about to find out what’s going to happen when it cuts to the next scene which is also really tense and you want to know what’s going to happen there but it goes back to the one before. This creates lots of tension in the film and it is a bit like its flashing from scene to scene like your heart beat getting faster and faster. It also gives the sense of chaos and panic and shows you how every thing is happening at the same time. This is good as it makes you realise how hard it must be for the cops and detectives. Another similar thing he does is when two people and talking to each other about something in which one of them might react in a certain way he will keep cutting from one face to the other as you wait for the reaction to happen. This also creates tension and makes you wonder if they will react the way you think their about or not, then when it does its more of a shock. The lighting in the film is another very important element in the film. I have already explained some of it in the colour part. As with the colour most of the film is set in dark, low key lighting, with lots of shadows creating a spooky kind of atmosphere. Once again though like the colour, often he uses contrast. A place where this is very effective is when some people are looking for Bat-man and it is very dark so they all have very bright torches. All you can see is the torch light getting closer and closer towards you but nothing out of the light. This makes it seem very scary as all you can do is wait until he is in the torch light but by that time you know it will already be too late because they are too close. Another scene in witch the lighting used is very effective is in the bank robbery scene. It is once again very dark in the bank, but because this time it is lighter outside, and the room has very big windows, you get some patches of the bank where it is much lighter. This is really good because he then makes it so that when the action happens, it happens in the lighter places. This means you can clearly see what is happening in the light when something happens out of it your attention is not so focused on it so it is a surprise. Also the dim light coming from just the one side of the building creates big long spooky shadows to, witch adds nicely to the tense atmosphere. Nolan also uses camera techniques in an interesting way to create good effects. For example right at the beginning of the play there is an extreme long shot of a sky scraper. This is then slowly zoomed in; right up to one window and into an extreme close-up, then the glass in the window suddenly shatters. Nolan uses this a lot in the film with other things too, like some one face that once zoomed in you see their shocked facial expression. This creates the element of surprise means you know that something is going to happen to do with what they are zooming in on but not what exactly until your right there. It also creates tension on what that’s going to be. Another camera technique used is when something is happening the camera circles the action. This happens a lot and is good because it means you can see everything that is happening and all the reactions of people around it. In addition to this it can create serious tension and fear. A great example of this is when the Joker is about to slit the black mans mouth. The camera circles his head so that sometimes you can see his face with the knife in and sometimes just the back of his head and the Jokers facial expression. Every time the camera shows his face you wince and think, Oh no, is it going to happen now whilst I can see it. This happens over and over until eventually he slits his mouth when you can only see the Jokers expression but you know it’s been done because his face and its kind of a relief because at least you haven’t have had to watch. Lastly Nolan uses another successful effect by turning the camera around. He does this near the end when the Joker is hanging upside-down off a building. The camera is turned so that you see the Joker as if he was standing upright and it looks very strange as his hair is all over the place and his hand are waving about, but for some reason it kind of fits the Jokers. This is because the Jokers personality is all over and mad and it seems like that is where he belongs, in an upside-down world. It’s slightly ironic really. Moreover, it made it seem like the right place, and way for him to die. Another method Nolan uses to brilliant effect is sound, digetic, and non digetic. For instance throughout the film, when ever tension is building up the same music starts. It sets of quietly and slowly, building up, getting faster and louder until the pinnacle of the excitement then stops. This is very effective as it creates the feeling of panic and makes your heart start to race as you know that something’s about to happen. Sometime when this happens the non digetic sound is on its own building up until its apex when a sudden digetic noise will puncture it. This not only makes tension but also shock and fear. A good example of this is at the beginning when a window breaks. This is a great opening scene as the sound and the camera skill create loads of tension and anticipation. Nolan does another very clever thing with the sound at one point. Just after a massive explosion has happened he cuts the sound altogether, and although you can tell that really there would be loads of noise going on its silent. This is because after an incredibly loud explosion you often become deaf for a while. This is a very clever thing to do, and makes you feel like you really are part of the film. Further more without the sound you concentrate more on what you can see and all the facial expressions and whatever’s going on around. Another interesting point to think about in the dark knight is weather or not it is a normal film in the super hero genre. There are many things for and against this argument and I will look at them in this paragraph. First of all there is of course the super hero, and super villain, in this case, bat-man and the Joker. Both whom have very typical features of the super-hero genre but also some not so typical ones. To start with I will concentrate on Bat-man. Like most super heroes he is; quite wealthy, but has had a hard background and has had to build up that wealth from not very much. Is young and good looking with lots of strength and high tech gadgets. Has a different identity during the daytime, and fights crime at night, wearing a costume so no one knows who he is. Also, like a lot of super hero’s e.g. spider man he is based on some sort of animal. Lastly he has a very strong sense of right and wrong, for example his one rule never to kill anyone witch a lot of super her oes seem to have. On the other hand, although he seems to be a reasonably normal super hero, there are some things witch are slightly different. For example, a lot of the public don’t particularly like him, at one point they even try to send him to jail. Also unlike most super heroes, he doesn’t really have any sub natural powers, he just like a normal human in most ways. Also, a very big twist in the play is when the heroine dies, so like most super heroes bat-man does have heroine who he can’t really have yet. But, whereas usually at the end of the play they would get together, In Bat-man, about half way through she dies. Now as for the joker, is a bit different. Although like most super villains he is bad and has had a hard life. His attitude to life and Bat-man is quite different. Unlike most super villains, he does not really seem to hate Bat-man. Instead he sees him as game, and even when he has the chance to kill him says he is too fun to kill. This is very unusual and very different to how the baddy usually feels towards the hero. Furthermore, the reasons for the Joker to do what he does is rather strange too, because most villains do it for money or wealth or power, but the Joker doesn’t care about any of this, and just does it for fun. Overall I think that although The Dark Knight isn’t exactly what you would expect from a typical super hero movie, all in all its more that than anything else. I think that really Nolan has taken the super hero genre and added aspects from other things like horror to create a very successful, far more adult movie which will appeal to people who love all the super hero kind of movies, but also to those who usually find them a bit too childish and unrealistic.

Go Glow Grow Essay

Go Glow Grow is a nutrition curriculum developed for preschool children. In conjunction with the book Go Glow Grow: Foods for You, children learn about healthy eating, exercising and the importance of hand washing. Using a simplified version of MyPlate, children learn the connection between healthy foods and what they do for the body. †¢Grains are Go foods, they help you run, jump and play all day. †¢Fruits and vegetables are Glow foods; they help you have shiny hair and sparkly eyes. †¢Milk and meat & beans are Grow foods, they help you to grow big and strong. Each lesson includes teacher background information, two activities, snack recipes, and review questions. There is also a take home letter telling parents what their child learned along with an activity and snack recipe to make at home. Glow Foods Apple- Vitamin C Grapes- A, C, B6, Antioxidant Chico-Vitamins, Minerals Pechay- Vitamin A, C, Calcium, Phosphorus Monggo- Protein and Dietary Fiber Malunggay- Iron, Vitamin B, Calcium, Vitamin A Potato- Carbohydrates, Vitamin C, Iron, Fiber Vitamin B-6 Squash- Beta-carotene, Vitamin A and C, magnesium, fiber, folate, riboflavin, phosphorus, potassium and Vitamin B6 Grow Foods Fish- Protein, Zinc, Calcium Chicken- Zinc, Protein, Iron, Vitamins, Minerals 1. Go: Carbohydrates Foods rich in carbohydrates, or â€Å"Go† foods, provide healthy energy. â€Å"Go† foods include bread, cereals, pasta, potatoes and rice. Carbohydrate-containing foods are often high in B vitamins, fiber and other essential nutrients, and are a vital source of energy for the brain. An athlete might eat a plate of pasta before a competition to provide her with  the energy to compete at her best. According to the Food Pyramid, developed by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), a healthy diet includes six to eleven servings of breads/grains per day. 2. Grow: Proteins Foods rich in proteins, or â€Å"Grow† foods, are foods essential for growth and healthy body development. These include milk and dairy products, eggs, meat, fish, nuts, beans and avocados. Proteins strengthen the bones and build healthy muscles. â€Å"Grow† foods keep the heart strong, and help repair and fortify body tissues. Protein foods are often rich in vitamins and minerals. For instance, salmon is high in calcium, magnesium, Vitamins D and E, and Omega-3 fatty acids. The USDA Food Pyramid recommends two to three servings of dairy foods, and 2-3 servings of non-dairy proteins per day. 3. Glow: Fruits and Vegetables Fruits and vegetables, or â€Å"Glow† foods, enhance the glow of skin and hair. Glow foods such as spinach, broccoli, oranges and plums are high in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Soluble fiber such as prebiotics help nourish the friendly bacteria (probiotics) in the intestines to encourage healthy digestion. â€Å"Glow† foods are also rich in valuable antioxidants. Antioxidants include vitamins E, A and C, and minerals such as selenium. These help fight cell damage to keep the immune system healthy.