During the Internship at Consulate General Essay

The opportunity to go as an intern at Consulate General is an unforgettable experience. Knowing several tasks and been able to serve the country is a valuable thing. Protecting the interest of the country and the citizens is a forever priority. As an intern at Consulate General, the providing of assistance and guidance with regards to problems with passports or birth report of a citizen abroad had helped my skills to communicate well. I engaged to several tasks like issuing passports, visas and consular certificates as well as providing notary deeds and even helping citizens who were in detention or incarcerated or as they are waiting for their custody trials and facilitate their communications with their families. The ability to get in contact with the local authorities and protection attorneys is a big privilege to have. In addition, the duties of an intern is a serious task that’s why they only accept those students who are qualified to the position and has the ability to keep the job done right. Securing of the resident information is an important task too as it is valuable to facilitate communication and assistance in case of an emergency. The scope of duties also touches the organizing and coordination of official visits for international relations and business delegations of varieties of ministries, report preparations and correspondence. All duties performed tested my willingness to learn and the devotion and loyalty to show the country and people by serving them and providing good quality service in all aspect of communication, organization and privacy.

Disabled Student Development Essay

With the increasing information available in today’s 21st century education, administrators and educators must constantly strive to find ways to increase facilitation that can cultivate the needed skills and provide holistic development. At the same time, this endeavor must include disabled students who relentlessly try to cope with the standards of University education. Under this process, actors involved must look into actions provide that can cater to active content collaboration and promote standards of administration and interaction to the educational environment. In this context, the success of this endeavor must revolve around the collaboration of active parties namely (1) the state and government, (2) university, (3) parents and (4) community. Given this responsibility, it is essential that each actor become actively involved in the endeavor of reaching out and improving the welfare of special students within the campus environment. There should be active and available mechanisms that can incorporate lessons learned and cater to their needs not only with the academic but also in the interpersonal realm. Important Frameworks and Mechanisms for Change Recognizing the role of every actor in disabled education, there had been significant efforts to provide the needed new provisions and principles that see to it that these students get the most out of their education. This means that there have been numerous initiatives that have been implemented to adhere to the current needs of disabled students. Looking at it, the statistics showed a greater percentage of disabled students who have been reported to be undertaking higher education. It is said that â€Å"there are more students with documented disabilities in higher education than ever before — 140,142 freshmen reported having a disability in 1996† (Thomas, 2000, p. 1). Also, it is important to note that â€Å"there are 43 million Americans with disabilities, over 4 million students in the public school system have been identified as entitled to legal protection, and there are over 1. 5 million colleges students with disabilities on our campuses† (Lissner, 2003, p. 1). That is why there has been a renewed commitment to look into ways of improving the facilitation and instruction of disabled students. To supplement this endeavor, the state has enacted several laws that cater to the needs of the disabled. For example, the creation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) is one important element that protects the welfare of disabled students. Under this framework, it â€Å"requires public schools to make available to all eligible children with disabilities a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment appropriate to their individual needs† (United States Department of Justice, 2006, p. 1). This then enabled the creation of several programs and initiatives that will adhere to the IDEA and ADA standards to help these individuals actively cope with instruction and still achieve learning despite these setbacks (King, 2006). Moreover, the creation of these frameworks have also placed the importance of other actors in the pursuing the objectives towards change and improvement Hindrances to Disabled Education Though there had been significant improvements in the way disabled education is facilitated, there continues to be setbacks as far as implementation and practice is concerned. One important element to note is the lack of commitment by educational institutions to bridge the tenets of a particular law towards application. This can be particularly observed from the educators and instructors who engage in such interaction. â€Å"Over the years, there has been considerable resistance by professors to alter the way they instruct, particularly if such alteration were to accommodate a student with a mental, as compared to a physical, disability† (Thomas, 2000, p. 1). Another setback towards effective application is the lack of appropriate funding to continuously support initiatives to improve and develop new programs for disabled students. Likewise, the increasing cost is a growing concern because of the increasing number of these students, the ratio among facilitators/administrators becomes huge. This means that the educational institution has to settle for lower standards in providing the needs of disabled students and come up with a compromise that would be beneficial for both parties (Thomas, 2000). In the end, these hindrances to disabled education must be taken into consideration to promote and foster improved capabilities of institutions and other important actors the needs of these students. By allowing institutions and perceptions about the issues to change, there can be more avenues wherein these students can tap into their individual potential and contribute further in their chosen professional careers. II. Description of the Project Operating on the standards set by the state concerning special education, this project is geared towards increasing the possibility and chances of these students achieving and actively competing with normal students as far as academic requirements are concerned. This program shall revolve around the capability of organizers to carry out support mechanisms that will intensify special student participation within the objectives and goals of the University. Such support arm shall be administered by providing bursaries to qualified individuals with the overall intention of shouldering the relative costs associated with special education. The objectives are as follows: †¢ Reach out to the needs of special students by providing financial assistance through bursaries to help these individuals adhere to the rising cost of University education †¢ Effectively appropriate the necessary funds to allocate on vital programs that are essential in the promotion of holistic growth of special students in the different specializations it wishes to study. †¢ Administering new support measures that will not only financially sustain the areas of study but also incorporate new arenas wherein special students can learn and function accordingly compared to normal University students †¢ Look for potential benefactors that will help provide the needed budget to help shoulder the cost of qualified individuals who have shown potential in providing the needed boost both in the academic and social realm. †¢ Carry out the responsibilities and end goals associated in the promotion and provision of the proposed program. Seeing this, the creation of end goals is also necessary so that potential donors and benefactors can actively decipher the overall capability of the program to function and meet its prescribed objectives. The inclusion of this agenda wishes to ensure that the overall initiative remains accountable and responsible in areas such as (1) monitoring, (2) administration and implementation and (3) feedbacks. Such processes can then give the proposal increased credibility and help sustain the elements necessary to bridge the gap between University education and its associated costs. This in turn can help special students feel competitive towards their counterparts and help meet the challenges of 21st century education. The following end goals are as follows: †¢ Provide bursaries to qualified special students in different specializations and foster the increasing diversity in University education †¢ Allow special students to learn and be educated without having to endure the burden of associated costs surrounding their respective education †¢ Help influence the community in carrying out better programs that will can help and generate changes in the way special education is practiced and facilitated †¢ Encourage new investments that will help further the cause of the proposed program †¢ Open up areas for cooperation and collaboration among the academic community and professional community by providing feedbacks and responses which can serve as measurement of its overall capability to apply its objectives in real scenarios. III. Projected Benefits and Results This section shall look into the projected benefits this program can provide special students and other actors involved. Since this agenda is geared towards giving opportunities for financial support, it is also necessary to outline the potential advantages this proposal can give to other concerned members particularly (1) parents, (2) the educational institution and (3) the community. By being able to draw out these inferences, the overall viability and feasibility of the program can be outlined and deciphered accordingly. Special Students Giving out bursaries for qualified special students is a good initiative toward widening the helping them out reach their potential. Since the impediments in pursuing the preferred profession revolves around physical disability and associated costs, special students find it difficult to cope with the standards of the educational community and opt to choose courses that is more suitable to their status. However, by giving them bursaries, it can help motivate individuals to persevere and struggle for acceptance because one obstacle is taken away from them. Likewise, the stress incurred because of costs in education are eliminated which helps students focus more on what is necessary. In here, they can actively start and provide the necessary goals that can harness increased achievement and competency in areas each one wishes to specialize. This then can allow them to focus more on what is necessary in obtaining their degrees and help them integrate it towards the realities in life. Parents This initiative is also an important boost for parents of special students. This is because it can alleviate them of the burden of having to shoulder all the necessary cost associated with special education. It can be argued that through the years, the expense of sending a disabled student to a University has been gradually increasing (refer to table 1). With this proposed program, parents can eliminate the stress associated with increasing cost and focus on their child’s educational development. Moreover, this initiative can help aide parents in better understanding the needs of their disabled children. This can encourage them to play a more responsible role in making sure that their children obtain the optimum amount of information necessary to make them competent and adhere to educational standards. Thus, this practice can help intensify the effort to increase proficiency and cultivate the potential of special students in University Education. Educational Institution Another important actor that can benefit from the proposed program is educational institution. Under this area, the University/College can help eliminate the relevant costs associated with special education and allocate it towards the expansion of content delivery and instruction among students and areas that need it the most. Like parents, there has been a considerable increase associated with helping disabled children cope up with the prescribed state and district standards (refer to table 2). This setback can in turn result to programs being implemented at its minimum level because of the many principles and guidelines it has to adhere. By taking away some costs associated with education, learning programs for disabled students can be maximized and implemented accordingly. This is an important area to consider because it can allow both educators and administrators to transcend with the needs of these students. Likewise, it can incorporate new methods and practices that can help boost and initiate the required elements in fostering not only student needs but also in adhering to the University’s vision and objectives. Community The incorporation of this proposed program has also relevant advantages towards the community wherein these disabled children belong. By allowing this initiative to function accordingly, it can generate the needed consensus among its members that help can be administered provided that a good proposal is given. This means that the community is committed towards its goals of increasing new avenues for development and harmonizes efforts in enhancing community building measures. In addition, the community is seen as an important actor in this agenda because they can serve as the main contributors in alleviating the costs associated with special education. By encouraging benefactors to actively invest in the process, not only shall they be serving the needs of these disabled students but also foster the required motivation for others to follow as well. Thus, these processes can encourage an open awareness and increase the possibility of finding tools to bring about change. IV. Pre-Application: Contributions and Funding To actively incorporate the needed objectives and goals of this program, the members shall serve as an intermediary for potential donors and contributors who wish to provide the necessary funding to support the programs’ overall initiatives. This means encouraging different sectors in the industry to actively invest in this agenda as a form of marketing strategy to help boost sales. Likewise, this is another way of tapping into several potentials in the University which they deem provide greater opportunities for their growth and sustenance. Likewise, local and district agencies shall also be requested to contribute a certain amount to help incorporate and pursue the objective of intensifying their efforts to reach out to the needs of disabled students. Their help can facilitate better avenues for achievement and growth within the University. Moreover, this can adhere to their strategy of bringing out the best out of each disabled student and harness the elements necessary for cultivation and growth. Lastly, civic groups are also welcome to carry out their volunteer work and encourage lobbying among state legislators to actively support the endeavor. In this process, they can act both as mediators and promoters of this proposed agenda. Our group shall actively coordinate with interested parties who wish to share their time and effort in catering to the needs of our target population. V. Application of the Program After establishing the required objectives and end goals, this proposed program shall now outline several parameters of its application and the areas of qualification that will induce the objectives given. At the same time, this section shall cover the screening process wherein the process of selection among potential candidates shall be highlighted. This is essential because it can help provide transparency and honesty in the way each candidate shall be judged. Lastly, a detailed budget plan shall be incorporated to help better understand the areas of support. This in turn shall help applicants who wishes to apply comprehend on the scope and limitations of such initiative. Qualifications and Screening A. Preliminary Phase Under the qualifications area, for the disabled student to be actively included in the screening process, there are several criteria to be followed. In this manner, this can help ensure that the committee-in-charge can actively judge who can go on to the next step of the screening process. The following qualifications must be shown together with corresponding documents: †¢ Official records coming from a medical professional concerning the disability of the student †¢ Classroom observations from educators and parent observations concerning a particular disability exhibited by the applicant †¢ Finished instructional materials with feedbacks and recommendations from qualified professionals who oversaw the process of facilitation under the mandate of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004, State Education Agencies and Local Agencies (NIMAS, 2008). B. Interview Phase In this area, those individuals who qualify in the preliminary phase shall now be scheduled for an interview wherein the grant committee shall get to know the candidate a little bit more. In this process, the overall goal and intention is not to check the capability and experience of the person but rather check whether his vision and goals coincides with what the proposed program believes in. In addition, the interviewers wish to find out whether these disabled students can actively promote and seek out the needed areas for their personal improvement and growth. C. Processing and Implementation The last part involves informing of short listed applicants that they have been successfully chosen to be given bursaries on their preferred program. In here, they shall be given a formal orientation of how the overall process works and what areas shall be covered by the proposed initiative. At the same time, the required standards and expectations the plan entails on these students e. g. average grade minimum, amount of coverage, allowances, etc. This shall then be actively coordinated with the University/College a particular disabled student is attending and implementation shall be administered upon approval and verification of notice.

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High school â€Å"back in the day Betty Joy Par's High school experiences Jack Schaefer Jack. [email  protected] Com Waterloo- After interviewing Betty Joy Parr about her high school experiences I learned many Interesting things. Currently Betty lives in Huston, Texas. Her husband of 53 years Larry Parr was her high school sweet heart. She Just had a birthday and was 74 on May 30th. After attending high school at Roy Miller High School in Corpus Christi, Texas from 1953 to 1958.After graduating with at class of 475 students she went on to work and noir collage as she helped her husband trough collage as she explained, â€Å"There wasn't money for college so I got a job at a Savings and Loan as a Teller. I put my husband thru college In Arlington, Texas. † As she continued about some major things In history that she could remember she said, â€Å"In Dallas witch Is near where we were living at the time Kennedy was assassinated. Everyone was in shock at the bank where I work ed. † She spoke about some of her favorite high school memories of high school.I asked ere what her favorite things were to do or be in was she said, â€Å"being in the Band and football games. I was a twirler or majorette in the band. † As we talked I asked what her favorite subject was she told me keyboarding. She said, â€Å"Our School had Just gotten five new electric typewriters and we each got a chance to use them. † She told to me that she was involved in many things other then just school. She was also involved in yearbook and student counsel as security also expressing that there was other groups that were at school.She said, â€Å"drama team and Y-teens were offered along with the sports of Football, basketball, tennis, track, baseball. † Betty shared that her two best friends are still close with her. She stated, â€Å"Marlene Price and Betty Jane Sorrel were my best friends. Marlene lives In corpus Christi, Texas and Betty Jane lives here In H ouston. She also said that she soul gets together with 12 other friends from high school. As I went on to ask more about how high school was like I asked what the had to wear she responded, â€Å"We would wear neck scarf and sweaters with skirts, lots of ethicists to make them stand out. She also said they has to wear something different at gym time. As I started to learn more about was a normal say was Like I wondered about the teachers she said, â€Å"We thought they were old but we had respect for them. We knew they were there to teach us and that we better listen. She said she never got in real trouble knowing that there would be a bad consequence. I also was Curious about how relationships were back then. She said, didn't date until your sophomore year. † She said for there first date that it would be to the ivies and then it would be a double date.She told me that a typical Friday night was going to the movies or the popular hang out place Mac's Drive Inn or some type As I had learned so much from her I asked about her overall experiences she said, muff don't feel old, you feel the same inside yourself but when you look in the mirror you see you have aged. † I had to laugh a little bit when I hear this. I think that it is interesting and fun to learn about how what I am courtly going trough 60 years latter really has not changes that much.

Argumentative Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Argumentative - Term Paper Example The contentious bill was signed into law by Arizona governor on March 30 2015. The Senate Bill 1318 states that â€Å"A woman who takes abortion pill has a right to know her action may be reversible. Give women all the facts. Respect women. Yes on 1318†. The law is a broad step to bar insurance policies given through the federal exchange from offering coverage for specific abortions. With exemption of pregnancies that are as a result from rape, incest or could endanger a mothers life. The bill offers the required explanation to the long standing law. Proponents of abortion rights are infuriated of some stipulation on the bill. Specifically the requirement that doctors carrying out abortion should inform the woman that the results of a drug induced abortion may be reversible. However the process itself is still on the trial stage and physicians and abortion advocates claim it is not accountable to offer women the alternative. The science behind the law is based widely on the research findings of Dr.Geroge Delgado. Dr. Delgado a strong opponent of abortion claims that he was capable of saving a number of women who had started using abortion pills. The women were unable to go through the two step procedure carried out during abortion. It is an over the counter administration of hormone progesterone which is largely used by reproductive health specialists. It is authorized to use endorsed medicine by the FDA in this context and medical experts frequently opt for this method with patient approval. This is done more so when the patients condition is at risk to wait for long process approvals. Very typical the debate on abortion, the argument on both sides is strong. A conservative Dr.Cathy Herrod notes that it is unfortunate when a woman decides to go through an abortion without being informed of all the facts. Dr.Cathy head of the Centre for Arizona Policy is a strong proponent of the law. Dr.Cathy further

The different between coffins and caskets Research Paper

The different between coffins and caskets - Research Paper Example It is mainly made of custom wood, particleboard or solid timber. Unlike that of caskets, the lids of the coffins come separate. The lid is then fitted into place with 4 to 6 plastic or metal screws. A coffin could have 4 or 6 handles. They are available in the different styles such as: Particle board with stain or veneer, Particleboard /Custom wood plain, Solid Timber, Particle board, painted with a matt or gloss paint and Particle board with surrounding paper design among others (Funeral Line Australia). In shape, a casket is more of rectangular with the same height and width from head to foot. It is commonly made of solid metal or wood. The lid is attached to the coffin with hinges on one side. However, some lids are designed in two sections to assist viewing of the corps. Caskets are traditionally larger in size compared to coffins and come in different designs. They may either have a handle bar or individual handles. Caskets are available styles of caskets are namely; Cardboard Casket, Rental Casket (particleboard capsule, in a sold timber outer shell), Solid Timber and Metal Casket among others (Funeral Line Australia). The most popular selections available for both caskets and coffins are in plain white or a wood grain finish. Some funeral enterprises may offer custom options, whereby the family can choose between a casket and a coffin painted in a certain color or design. This comes at an extra charge for these options. Values of caskets are affected by; production method, materials used for construction and /or styles of caskets (fcpr.fsu.edu). Below is an image of a 14-karat gold casket. It was on displayed in 2010 at Malaysia’s National Museum of Kuala Lumpur. This casket has vents and silk lining inside and safety lock systems. Tit was valued at RM 500,000 or $217,400. The above casket was modeled after The Promethean (Below) which is one of the most expensive and famous

Reflection on Gained Writing Skills Throughout the Course Essay

Reflection on Gained Writing Skills Throughout the Course - Essay Example Since my childhood, I have always had affection towards linguistics. I loved writing differently about topics. I wrote for fun and not specifically following any procedures since I was not addressing an audience. I always preferred writing when I was alone to avoid disturbance and interference. Although I enjoyed writing, I never thought that I was good at it so most of the times I never allowed anyone to read my work. Initially, my writing depicted numerous grammatical errors, wrong formats, redundancy, and lack of logical flow. However, with time and practice, I have perfected my writing. Learning is a process and right now, I am proud of my writings. I am amazed when I look back at what I used to write. I have realized that writing will always be part of me and knowing the fact that it can be a source of income makes it even more interesting. Before writing any given topic, I always go through the topic I intend to write about which helps me to get an idea of what I should write. After getting the concept, I write a rough draft and after that, I get to revise the draft. This helps me to get rid of the simple mistakes in my writing. Finally, I always proofread my work to be sure that my final document is perfect. This routine has really improved my self-esteem as a person since I have realized that everything in life must systematic. This has helped me to be always thorough with what I do since the final product is always what matters. Peer review has really had a positive effect on me as a writer since it always provides me with an opportunity to learn from my peers and get to improve on my weaknesses, it also gives me a chance share my views and experiences to my peers and this has really been motivating.  

Effective leaders_WK4 Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Effective leaders_WK4 - Research Paper Example Furthermore, given that majority of transportation infrastructure investments are federally funded even though locally implemented, such a piecemeal method halts constrains smooth assimilation of local and state policies with those of the federal government. This then hinders the President and transportation secretary to offer synergies across projects. Furthermore, the existing federal NextGen transportation policies, are steered by the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, and Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU), which does not help the President to deal with the utilization of economic analysis for the transportation decision-making (Weiner, 2013). Given that the transportation program does not have a greater standardization or lucidity, the President cannot be able to come up with an executive-level modification without substantive legislation. Najeeb Halaby is an example of an effective leader in public administration, since in 1965 as administrator of the independent Federal Aviation Agency; he proposed the creation of Department of Transportation (2013). He saw this as a means of securing decisively the US transportation policy expansion. Thanks to his efforts, the agency has done tremendous job over the years by being part of the executive departments which integrated other administration transportation programs. Secondly, Samuel K. Skinner, a former transportation secretary appointed by President Bush senior, initiated the formation of the National Transportation Policy, as well as the extension of the department responsibility in crisis management reaction. Hence, the handling of subsequent natural and human induced disasters, such as Lockerbie plane bombings in 1988 and Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989 were made easier by his policies of maintaining and developing the national transportation system, and to ensure that it

Week 6 Discussion Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Week 6 Discussion - Coursework Example On the other hand, it may be rather difficult to implement the idea of global standards for Ethics, since by doing so the humanity will utilize one size fits all approach and will not take into account diversity of cultures (Makau, 1997, 155). It is quite obvious that in this case the world will lose a considerable part of its uniqueness. Having examined the two contradicting approach, is it possible for suggest that global standards can not be implemented in the realm of Ethics? The reality shows that they can be, but with a significant reservation. Business ethics might be seen as a way to combine the above mentioned aspects. Indeed, it will make sure that companies around the world have adopted the same quality levels (Sullivan, 2012, 141). In addition to that, it will allow countries who value their traditions separate business affairs from other social interaction (Dunfee, 1993,

Critical analysis of conventionon cluster munitions Essay

Critical analysis of conventionon cluster munitions - Essay Example Almost 90 countries joined the legal process and 37 others have already signed and ratified the agreement. Meanwhile, the greatest political powers, including the United States, Russia, China and Israel rejected the Convention and are growing more reluctant to reduce their participation in the global military movement. The big military powers like Russia, China, the United States and Israel will continue resisting their participation in the international Convention on Cluster Munitions, as long as cluster munitions are the sources of numerous military and economic benefits, which these countries use in their fight against the minor and major military enemies. Understanding the reasons for which the biggest political powers reject the Convention on Cluster Munitions is impossible without having better understanding of what cluster munitions are and how they work. Objectively, â€Å"cluster munitions are weapons that, when launched or dropped by aircraft, disperse large numbers of sub munitions over wide areas that can be the size of two to four football fields† (UNDP). That cluster bombs do not always explode upon impact and continue threatening the civilian population remains one of the major issues of public concern. This is also the basic reason for developing and signing the global Convention on Cluster Munitions. Apart from serving the basic instrument of casualties in military operations, cluster munitions contribute to food insecurity through the contamination of arable land and by killing livestock (UNDP). Cluster bombs block access to water and sanitation and turn into a serious barrier to economic development (UNDP). Sinc e the World War II, cluster munitions have targeted almost 30 countries, and it is high time new legislation were developed and implemented, to reduce the risks of casualties among the civilian population (UNDP). The technical and military features of cluster munitions make it difficult for the

Thirty-Eight Saw Murder Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Thirty-Eight Saw Murder - Research Paper Example Sometimes, it is very rare to find a law enforcement agency being associated with positive things (Neild, 2001). The problem with this is the assumption they cannot carry out their jobs effectively. This means that whenever a problem arises they might be the last persons to know about it. Also, trying to deal with people who care less about others is another problem. The murder of a woman in the year 1964 is such a case. It happened in New York. The woman was stalked and stabbed to death. She might have considered them her neighbours, but when she needed them, they could do nothing to help her. This paper will review the crime, and the justice system which the accused should have faced. Description of the Crime Being a manager at a bar, Miss Genovese Katherine, known as Kitty to her neighbours, was heading home at the time of the incident. She had just gotten into the neighbourhood at around half past three in the morning. When she had parked her car and was about to get to her apart ment, she noticed a man by the far end of the parking lot. She decided to head to a call box. This is where the number to the 102nd precinct could be found. However, before she could reach the call box, the man had gotten to her, grabbed her and stabbed her (Gansberg, 1964). She screamed for help. At that time, a man opened a window and shouted at the man. The man without any fear looked up, shrugged, and decided to walk away slowly. As the lights went out, the killer went back to Kitty, who was now struggling to get back to her feet. She wanted to get to the other side of the building. However, before she could do this, her assailant got to her, and stabbed her again. As she shrieked the second time, many more lights came on. When the assailant saw this, he got in his vehicle and drove away. At the same time as Kitty was trying to back on her feet, a city bus passed by (Gansberg, 1964). By that time, it was thirty five minutes past three o’clock. Nobody, however, bothered to come and check on Kitty after the second attempt on her life. This is where the attacker came again. By that time, she had managed to crawl to the back of a freshly painted building. She had hoped that it would offer some protection. This was not to be. The attacker tried the first door, but she was not there. He found her strewn on the floor at the second one, and stabbed her again. This time, it was fatal. The police arrived at the scene in two minutes after receiving a call from a man who claimed to be Kitty’s neighbour (Gansberg, 1964). That was about ten minutes to four o’clock. Immediately an ambulance took off with her corpse the neighbours came out of their houses. As they were re-constructing the crime scene, they asked them why nobody called the police. One man said that he heard everything but was too tired to do anything. He said that he went back to bed. Another woman anxiously said that she did not want her husband to get involved. What was shocking abou t it was that the person who had called the police did it after seeking advice form a friend in another area. Then afterwards, he had to cross the roof to another apartment to have an elderly woman to make the call. Upon further inquiry, he sheepishly said that he did not want to get involved (Gansberg, 1964). The department said that at least thirty eight people witnessed this crime. However, not one could prevent the death of Miss Genovese. Process in the Criminal Justice System Upon arrest, which was

Retail or Wholesale Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Retail or Wholesale - Research Paper Example marketing retail goods is disadvantageous in that the retailers do not enjoy discounts when buying goods in bulk as wholesalers do when buying from manufacturers. Retail goods face the challenge of having a low turnover rate, as compared to wholesale goods. This is as a result of selling goods in pieces to consumers; however, wholesale goods have a high turnover rate since many retailers buy from wholesalers in bulk. Another challenge faced when marketing wholesale goods is the risk of wholesalers experiencing a huge loss when retailers fail to buy their bulk goods (Bridges & Strelzoff, 2011). A possible new market segment for a video game is the air industry. The target is families with kids less than 10 years boarding long flights. The business strategy will involve collaborating with airplane companies, which will result in installing the video game devices on airplane seats so that kids can play when on board (Klaas & Gainey, 2007). In essence, the marketing strategy entails selling the video games to airline companies. The conventional way of passing time during a flight is watching T.V., listening to music or reading a magazine. This marketing strategy is different in that it involves passing time and entertaining kids during a flight (Whysall, 2011). Klaas B, Gainey T. (2007). Professional Employer Organizations and Their Impact on Client Satisfaction With Human Resource Outcomes: A Field Study of Human Resource Outsourcing in Small and Medium Enterprises. Journal of Management ,

A research on lyndon johnson and the great society Essay Example for Free

A research on lyndon johnson and the great society Essay Lyndon Baines Johnson, also known as the LBJ, had a vision of a Great Society for his fellow citizens that led him to become the 36th president of United States of America. The humble beginnings of Lyndon were not to be regarded as full of luxuries and paradise travels as he felt the anguish of the poor and socially disadvantaged people and saw the pinch of rural poverty. Before he slided into presidency, earning money for the family constituted his youth that made him surged deeped into compassion for the impoverished people and pursuit for a great society. The main theme of the origins of the legendary LBJ was the rise from social and economic ills and finding ways to instigate change in the mainstream society of America where he was actually isolated from. According to LBJ, â€Å"When I was young, poverty was so common we did not know it had a name†. Though he was socially accustomed to think that he would have to deal with poverty and isolation from refinement, Lyndon came to a realization that he was â€Å"special- a young man destined for exceptional things†. Eager to fulfill his destiny and inspired to solve poverty, Lyndon struggled to have a decent yet competitive education with the support of his humble parents, Sam Ealy Johnson Jr. , a farmer and politician, and Rebekah Baines Johnson, a journalist. Solving poverty might be the factor that fueled his political dreams, but it was his father who greatly influenced him in his political actions. His father was a man of ambition and integrity as a legislator serving two terms in 1904. His father was regarded as the agrarian liberal or populist who â€Å"would not allow himself to be bought by lobbyists who dominated the proceedings†. Rebekah Bainess line of descent as a journalist had equipped Lyndon with a deep â€Å"sense of inherited superiority. † The parents were astonished in Lyndons youth that was full of revelations and inklings about his future in the field of politics. As a gifted child and empowered by the praises and encouragement from his family, Lyndon went to local public schools, graduating from high school in 11924. After his graduation, Lyndon spent three uyears traveling around and applying for odd jobs before finally landing at the Southwest Texas State Teachers College that later became the Texas State University-San Marcos. It was in his college days that he gave out â€Å"concern, friendship, and benevolent support. † Lyndon said, â€Å" Some men want power simply to strut around the world and to hear the tune of the Hail to the Chief while others want it simply to build prestige, to collect antiques and to buy prertty things-well, I wanted power to give things to people, all sorts of things to all sorts of people, especially the poor and the blacks. † Known as the embodiment of the great Texan spirit of self-denial, conservation, and service, Lydon became a popular figure at the university not in terms of academic performance. This event led to a career milestone for Lyndon. Lyndons career before the presidency was in education. He started as a teacher at the Welhausen Elementary School where he showed the children â€Å"a sense of importance most of them had never known before. † He moved to the Sam Houston High School before landing up a job in the congress as a secretary to a US congressman from the Fourteenth District in Texas in 1931. In this, Lyndon became more empowered to pursue his ambition. He became the Director of National Youth Administration that greatly addressed the â€Å"concern of Roosevelts New Deal to save a generation of young people from ignorance, unemployment, and enduring hardship. † Undaunted by the economic depression, he was elected to House of Representatives and campaigned successfully on a New Deal platform with the help of his wife Claudia Taylor. He joined the Navy for a brief period as lieutenant commander and won a Silver Star in the South Pacific. After serving six terms in the House, he was elected to the senate in 1948. In the 1960, Lyndon became John F. Kennedys running mate and sworn in as Vice President. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963, Lyndon sworn in as the President of the United States. A. Foreign and Domestic Policies Several politicians and critics of the LBJ presidency were at one in stating that the administration, together with its foreign and domestic policies, had its peaks and valleys. During the first year of the LBJ administration, the president saw many impressions bestowed upon him as he entirely devoted much effort and time on â€Å"vital domestic matters, both the tax cut and the civil rights law. † Impressions at this time said that the president might not be interested in foreign policies because of LBJs adept focus on the real needs of Americans. LBJ was like a domestic politician who could not care less about external affairs. He said, â€Å"Foreigners are not like the folks Im used to. † After establishing a new civil rights bill and tax cuts, LBJ urged the nation to unite as one in creating a â€Å"Great Society, a place where men are more concerned with the quality of their goals and than the quantity of their goods. † The domestic policies of LBJ were concentrated on issues such as â€Å"civil rights, social welfare, anti-poverty programs, and labor. † The LBJ administration made a great deal about education, Medicare, urban renewal, conservation of the environment, health, voting rights, prevention of crime and delinquency and an amendment to the Social Security Act. The LBJ presidency also made explorations of space with three astronauts successfully orbiting the moon in December 1968. The administration also sought to fight the inevitable crisis from Vietnam that forced the president to impose budget cuts on domestic policies so that he would be able to push through with the foreign and defense policies. The LBJ policies pointing to Asia, Europe, Middle East, and Latin America â€Å"were bound up with the war in Vietnam. † Despite his efforts to stop the Communist war and reach an agreement, the war continued. Heated debate arose with the presidents decision to limit the bombing in North Vietnam in order to instigate negotiations. There are critics who said that the great foreign policy failure of the administration was its treatment to Vietnam. Following his firm stance on Communist Aggression, LBJ was convinced to gove Vietnam limited help. He said that he â€Å"would not permit the independent nations of the East to be swallowed up by the Communist conquest, but it would not mean sending American boys 9 or 10,000 miles away from home to do what Asian boys ought to be doing for themselves. † To show firmness and decisiveness, LBJ ordered only retaliatory attacks to the aggressive North Vietnam and launched â€Å"Rolling Thunder†, a sustained bombing campaign to Vietnam. According to LBJ, â€Å"the key to peacemaking was to arrange a settlement that both preserved South Vietnam as an independent state for the foreseeable future and the quickest possible American exit from a war the country by 1968 no longer wished to fight. † Such assumption suggested that LBJ was â€Å"torn between an honorable exit and his desire to not to be the first president to lose a foreign war. † B. The Decision Not to Run for Re-Election When LBJ commanded to limit the bombing of Vietnam, he paired such action with a decision to withdraw from the re-election so that he might find some time for the quest for peace with no interruptions coming from politics. LBJ came to realization that he would not allow the presidency to be involved in any partisan movements which had infiltrated the United States since the advent of the Vietnam war. His policy of military escalation and the US participation in the war had overshadowed his popular standing and he was not able to establish real concessions for the peacemaking process. After his decision, the Vietnam aggression dragged on. By withdrawing from the re-election, â€Å"the administration found it difficult to act decisively,† LBJs decision not to run in the reelection was the outcome of his discernment in which he had to go through with his failing political instincts. Prior to his announcement, LBJ had to endure the criticisms which came with the rapid involvement of the US in the Vietnam war, racial tension in the American soil leading to widespread civil riots in the 1960s and the flaws of the Great Society movements. The flawed policies and programs of the LBJ administration led to Republican gains in the 1966 election and dwindled the hopes of Lyndon to further his participation in the Congress. It was in this turbulent period that antiwar candidate Senator Eugene McCarthy gained momentum to head the â€Å"dump Johnson† movement within the Democratic Party. The failure of his actions made it impossible for LBJ â€Å"to leave the White House without attracting hostile protesters. † 1968 had been dubbed as the â€Å"year everything went wrong† for the LBJ administration. II. Political Climate A. The Dominance of the Democratic Party LBJ made his congressional district in Texas as his foundation in his pursuit for a national role in the Democratic Party. He was â€Å"frustrated with the bureaucratic inertia and lack of innovation in fundraising by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) and Democratic National Committee (DNC). † It was in this frustration that he developed a finite and negative impression of the national party committees that greatly influenced his leadership to the political party. His support to the Democratic Party saw him finding ways on how to finance hundreds of congressional particularly those who have a good of winning and satisfying their requests. As a congressional campaign manager for the House, his vigorous fundraising strategies to support the candidates earned him the respect and support coming from FDR and the other congressmen whom he helped to win. When FDR asked LBJ the result of the campaign, LBJ replied that the Democratic Party would not lose. He says to FDR that â€Å"Were not going to lose, were going to gain. † Now that the House was run by literate Democrats, what FDR had started, including the Social Security (FICA) Program would soon see radical change. During his presidency, LBJ took the Social Security Program from independent trust fund and transferred it to the General fund in order for the Congress to spend it on valuable measures such as in the enactment and foreign and defense policies pointing to the unending war in Vietnam. LBJs military escalation policy to Vietnam failed and his domestic policies on civil war and racial tension became undone which had shattered the Democratically-controlled House and Senate. These dark moments became the finest hour of Republicans. B. â€Å"The Johnson Treatment† Lyndon was renowned for his arm twisting of influential politicians in order to pursure legislation. He became famous for his authoritative glance and powers of persuasion, dispensing them with what became popular as the â€Å"Johnson Treatment†. Such coinage was used to describe the domineering personality of LBJ who tend to impose physical size and initimidation in order to advance what he had to say. Lyndon once said, â€Å" I do understand power, whatever else may be said about me, I know where to look for it and I know how to use. † One of the key elements in Lyndons leadership and power was his use of the â€Å"Johnson Treatment† that was an eclecic mix of flattery, gentle pleading, logic, and threats. He was able to strategically utilize the â€Å"Johnson Treatment† in the way he gained full control of the Democratic Policy Committee, managed relations within the senate, maintained connections with the Republicans and the Liberals who supported civil rights for the African Americans, solidified control under his leadership, and established a coup when he was still a majority leader convincing the Senate to increase public spending on housing sector. It was in this coup that the he became a master politician or the master of the Senate because of his display of single-mindedness, skill and attention to details. But LBJs art of persuading and use of intimidation was no match against the revolutionary nationalists such as Gamal Abdel Nasser who said, â€Å"the West if the enemy, while the Soviets are kindred spirits and purveyors of weapons unobtainable elsewhere. † The â€Å"Johnson Treatment† failed to instill a positive effect on Nasser who continually resisted American policies and â€Å"denounced American imperialism in Congo. † LBJ deeply shocked with the unveiling of the â€Å"Blueprint for the Liberation of Palestine† accompanied by Nasser statement that the only way to liberation was Arab revolutionary action. The failure of the â€Å"Johnson Treatment† was equally defined by LBJs unsuccessful leadership to pull the United States out of the quagmire of the Vietnam war. The failure of the â€Å"Johnson Treatment† was viewed by the Americans as the failure of his policies toward Vietnam. The solution to the Vietnam unrest was one of the goals of the three presidents before LBJ and just like them, the LBJ sought to determine how to prevent the North Vietnamese Communists from acquiring South Vietnam that the US supported. C. The Civil Rights Movement Reformation of the civil rights proved to be the greatest challenge to LBJs majority leadership and to his presidency later on. In the mind of LBJ, the civil rights issue â€Å"was a fundamental prerequisite to strengthening the American voice abroad. † LBJ sought to â€Å"mount a social revolution in civil rights and the extension of the welfare state. † His policies on alleviating poverty and upholding rights were aiming at demonstrating that â€Å"he was a president who could rise above politics to serve the national interest. † The reform in the civil rights in the US started from a small-scale demonstrations before key players, movements, leaders and organizations finally constructed a vivid change. LBJ was one of the key leaders in bringing change. The turbulent period of the 1940s and the early 1950s was attributable to the â€Å"white southerners who controlled Congress and engineered the defeat of six civil rights bills. † The white group opposed the integration with blacks and â€Å"argued that individual states should have the right to manage their own affairs. † They used states rights in order to promote segregation, â€Å"a system of laws that required African Americans to be separated from the whites. † As such caused a significant backlash that came in the forms of protests and racial violence in the middle of the 1950s as African Americans continued to push harder for equal rights. The period was made more turbulent with the enactment of the Jim Crow laws that reinforced segregation. The Jim Crow laws banned African American students from going to educational institutions with white students and also prevented blacks from going to swimming pools, hotels and other establishments where there were whites. Jim Crow laws prohibited African Americans from voting and denied them many opportunities which were only provided for the whites. Then came Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. , who led the civil rights protests until his death by assassination in 1968. Harder violence was pushed through with the struck down of segregation in schools. As a southerner who had accustomed himself to the separation of blacks and whites thoroughout his career, LBJ â€Å"seemed to be an unreliable advocate of civil rights statute. † He supported civil rights but he was aware that the â€Å"pushing for a strong bill would anger many Democrats in the South. † As a compromise, LBJ â€Å"worked out a deal with southerners to pass a weakened bill and convinced liberal western membbers to pass it in exchange for support for a dam they wanted built. † The bill became the first civil rights legislation enacted by the Congress in 82 years and LBJ took all the credit for it. The Civil Rights Act was proposed by the President John F. Kennedy in 1963 and quickly became a controversial issue. The Civil Rights Act would guarantee African Americans with freedom to vote, to go to places of public accommodation, and with equal opportunity in employment. Although the Congress did not approve of Kennedys initiative, a stronger version of the bill was eventually approved with the constant urging of Kennedys successor, LBJ. On July 2, 1964, LBJ signed the bill into law and soon became the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that gave the federal law enforcement agencies the authority to stop and prevent racial violence and discrimination in voting, employment and in the utilization of public facilities. III. The Great Society A. Civil Rights The Great Society domestic programs of LBJ were aiming at two creating social reforms for the elimination of poverty and racial discrimination. One of legacies of the Great Society programs was translating some of the needs and demands of the civil rights movement into law. During the LBJ presidency, four civil rights acts had secured their passage in Congress. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 stopped job discrimination and the segregation in the use of public facilities. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 eliminates the â€Å"use of literacy requirements and other methods to keep African Americans from voting. † In LBJs pursuit for the Great Society, he also gave the nation urban renewal programs, housing subsidies, tax cuts, Traffic Highway Safety Act, National Commission on Product Safety, and environment beautification programs. B. War on Poverty LBJ was determined to â€Å"promote economic growth and commit the nation to a war on poverty. † The war on poverty was deemed as the most ambitious and controversial part of the Great Society. Headed by Sargent Shriver, the war on poverty promised to improve Americans standard of living. LBJ said to Shriver, â€Å"You make this thing work. Appoint all the committees you want to, confer with everybody. † LBJ continued, â€Å"This is number one on the domestic front. Next to peace in the world, this is the most important. † The unconditional war on poverty implemented by LBJ was confronted with resistance from the 88th Congress that later on granted â€Å"$947. 5 million in 1964 for the antipoverty program. † The centerpiece of the antipoverty program was the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 that LBJ signed on August 22, 1964 and established the Office of Economic Opportunity (OEO). The anti-poverty program included the Job Corps and Neighborhood Corps, food stamp program, rent subsidies for moderate and low-income families, a youth employment initiative, and other antipoverty efforts. The initiative lessened the poverty rate in the US from â€Å"22. 4 percent in the late 1950s to 11. 1 percent in 1973. † C. Medicare/Medicaid Medicare was included in the package that was the extension of the War on Poverty. Representative Hale Boggs said that during LBJ presidency, â€Å"the Congress passed more bills than had ever been passed in all the rest of history of the country together. † Included in the passed bills was a Medicare bill that aim â€Å"to provide health care for the nations elderly and health benefits for the poor† The Great Society effort federally financed the training for doctors and nurses, establishment of mental heath centers and health facilities focusing on heart problems, cancer and stroke. The Social Security Act of 1965 was passed by Congress to render federal funding for the medical costs of the elderly. This legislation was opposed by the American Medical Association but overcame such opposition to the idea of socialized medicine or public health care and connecting payments with the private health insurance companies. Welfare recipients regardless of age obtained health benefits by the Medicaid program established on July 30, 1965 under Title XIX of the Social Security Act. D. Education LBJ said that he â€Å"no longer can afford second-class education for children who know that they have the right to be first-class citizens. † In fulfilling this aim, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was signed into law on April 1965. The legislation federally funded public schools to help them obtain educational materials and start special education programs to institutions with large number of low-income children. It pursued Head Start, a program initially worked on by the OEO. The Head Start program provided comprehensive aid to the field of education, healthcare, and parent involvement initiatives to low-income children and families. Other programs of LBJ included â€Å"school breakfast programs, Teacher Corps Act of 1965, Adult Education Act of 1968, and the Educational Opportunity Act of 1968. † E. Arts One of the significant contributions of the Great Society effort was the promotion of the arts and humanities. LBJ said, â€Å"The happy relationship between the arts and politics which has characterized our long history I think reached culmination tonight. † LBJ was successful in formalizing federal aid for public radio and television stations, arts institution and higher education. LBJ signed the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities into law that later on established both the National Endowment for the Arts and National Endowment for the Humanities as separate agencies. He also gave attention on the need for the noncommercial education television in society that paved the way for the enactment of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967. The law led to the creation of the Public Broadcasting Service and the National Public Radio. National centers and arts facilities also received federal funding during the presidency of LBJ. IV. The Success of LBJ Administration LBJs presidency is greatly remembered for the â€Å"Great Society† programs that aimed to improve the quality of living of Americans. The domestic policies enacted by the Congress during the time of LBJ played significant roles in the lives of Americans who were caught up with the loss of Kennedy, violence and economic ills. LBJ gave light to his people by promising them better and healthy living. One of main goals of the Great Society was to eliminate poverty. LBJ showed determination in reaching the promised land of Great Society by urging Americans to rebuild their cities, eliminate urban decay, and attain a renewed sense of community. In order to help his people, LBJ established a list of laws which promoted racial equality, qquaality education, healthcare, and lowered poverty rate. Many of LBJs programs â€Å"made great strides in improving the lives of ordinary Americans. † Some of the laws created impact on the political direction of the nation. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 gave voice to African Americans while the Civil Rights Act of 1964 freed African Americans from violence, racial prejudice and social inequality. The result of the war on poverty was promising enough as the poverty rate of the nation dwindled from â€Å"22. 4 percent in the late 1950s to 11. 1 percent in 1973. † Antipoverty programs of LBJ created millions of jobs, increase in salary and wages and in business profits, and decrease in unemployment rate. Promising results were also seen in the field of education and healthcare as federal funding continued to help citizens exploit what the administration had to offer. Medicare and Medicaid were made to render medical insurance for the elderly and to the poor people. Funding for heathcare benefits continued while the availability of Medicare and Medicaid widened. Support for the arts and culture was also evident. V. The Failure of LBJ Administration Unfortunately, â€Å"LBJ had promised the impoverished much more than he could deliver. † There were many citizens whocame to realize that the administration had just an â€Å"overly optimistic prediction that did not come true. † Resulting from disappointment were black power and violence in the streets which showed the anguish of the nation. African Americans started to lose faith in LBJ and began to demand immediate change. The backlash of LBJs antisegregation efforts began to incite arguments within the southerners while the American people urged the government not to gift black rioters with federal programs. The anger over the desegragation policy of LBJ weakened the Democratic Party and LBJs base of power. LBJs foreign policy dilemmas stirred antiwar protests along with civil unrest. Demonstrations concerning the involvement of the United States in Vietnam began to undercut LBJs presidency. The people complained that the involvement of the nation in the Vietnam war â€Å"took money and attention away from the needed domestic programs. † The people accused Lbj of turning the Vietnam war into national obsession making his War on Poverty nothing more like a skirmish. The presidency of LBJ was equally defined by his Great Society programs and the nations entanglement in the Vietnam war. Problems in the foreign policies of Lbj started from the cold war between the US and the Soviet Union. The conflict was that the Soviet Union and Korea were supporting the commkunist forces in northern Vietnam while the United States was in support of the South Vietnam government. Despite complaints, LBJ pushed through with the Vietnam War fearing that losing South Vietnam would wreak havoc on his political career. VI. Conclusion The administration of LBJ was defined by the successes and failures of foreign and domestic policies. During his stay at the White House, he pursued Kennedys civil rights bill and tax cuts. He promised to promote better living for the Americans though his Great Society programs. But as he was doing well in putting America in the promised land of a Great Society, Vietnma War was intensifying. Later on, antiwar protests and civil violence gained momentum as American casualties increased in Vietnam. It was evident that LBJ could care less about hearing his people and his presidency was all about between him, his instincts, and his advisers. The failure of his foreign policy in the Vietnam war became the measurement of his entire political career. The dilemma was that LBJ considered the Vietnam War as an inherited course instead of treating it as his job as an influential leader. It could be observed that LBJ was an indecisive leader with no firm stance on foreign policies. To make matter worst, the indecisive president was surrounded with political advisers who were not united and binded with the same aim. It was in the topic of Vietnam War that he was not able to fully utilize his â€Å"Johnson Treatment† to the advantage of American people. Even though the issue in Vietnam War dominated the entire career of LBJ, it was good to know that his Great Society programs were successful. Such programs were only overshadowed by the riots and violence and the publics demand for more than what LBJ could give. The Vietnam War was just one of the flaws of the Great Society programs since the domestic policies were connected with the foreign ones. The Great Society programs produced favorable results while their negative impact to the world came from the opposition that was not supportive of LBJs presidency. BIBLIOGRAPHY Brands, H. W. The Foreign Policies of Lyndon Johnson: Beyond Vietnam. Texas: AM University Press, 1999. Dallek, Robert. Lyndon B. Johnson: Portrait of a President. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Gold, Susan Dudley. Presidents and Their Times: Lyndon B. Johnson. New York: Marshall Cavendish Benchmark, 2009. Savage, Sean J. JFK, LBJ, and the Democratic Party. New York: State University of New York, 2004. Schwartz, Thomas Alan. Lyndon Johnson and Europe: In the Shadow of Vietnam. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2003.

Shrimp

Shrimp Shrimp have a very busy, but short life. In 1 ½ years, shrimp molt and grow through 7 stages. A shrimps life begins in warm, salty Gulf water as one of almost 500,000 small eggs attached to the legs of a female shrimp. A few days later, nauplius larvae hatch from the tiny eggs and float with the swift currents in the Gulf. These small shrimp look like tiny spiders and have no swimming legs. At this stage, the shrimp do not eat other organisms but live on its nutrition for two weeks. The next stage is called protozoea. These fuzzy-looking shrimp quickly grow into the fourth stage of a shrimps life cycle, mysis. Unlike earlier stages, these shrimp can respond to sunlight by moving deeper into the Gulf water to hide from predators. The fifth stage of growth is postlarvae. For the first time, shrimp can cling to the bottom of the estuary floor. For 4 to 6 weeks, these medium sized shrimp grow into juvenile shrimp. Juvenile shrimp like to hide and eat under plants in shallow, salty wate r. These shrimp grow into the sixth stage known as subadult. Subadult shrimp only swim to the top of the water at night. They migrate with the currents and grow into adult shrimp with the changes in temperature. When the water temperature rises, the shrimp return to the Gulf. Adult shrimp live in 60 to 500 ft of water, a depth about the length of 1 ½ football fields. Throughout their life, a shrimp eats many different things such as micro-algae, worms, decaying animal parts, plant roots, coral, and other shrimp. Their eating habits contribute to the health of Louisianas estuary. Species of shrimp Many species of shrimp live in the Gulf of Mexico and Louisianas estuaries. Two of the most popular to eat are brown shrimp and white shrimp. White shrimp are easy to notice. They have long, black antennas and a smooth tail shell. A white shrimp can be a few different colors. White shrimp are pink if caught during the night. White shrimp may be white or grey, depending on the temperature and the amount of salt in the water. Migrating shrimp have red legs. A shrimps color does not affect its taste once cooked. White shrimp begin their life cycle in the Gulf. When the temperature of the Gulf is just right, a female white shrimp spawns only two or three times. They migrate toward land in the early summer. They feed and grow until the early fall. When the water temperature becomes cooler, white shrimp migrate back into the Gulf during August, September, and October. Once they begin migrating, white shrimp in coastal and bay waters are harvested. White shrimp grow the largest size so shimpers love to harvest them. Brown shrimp are similar to white shrimp in many ways. Like white shrimp, their colors can vary. Small brown shrimp in estuaries are dark grey. Near shore in Gulf waters, brown shrimp are tan. Large brown shrimp in offshore waters are dark brown or red. Unlike white shrimp, the color of a brown shrimp does affect its taste. Because natural iodine causes the brown color in shrimp, dark brown shrimp have a bitter, iodine taste. Brown shrimps anatomy is different than white shrimp. They have brown, medium length antennas and small grooves on their shell. Brown shrimp also have a toothed rostrum, a sharp piece of shell that points out over their eyes. Brown shrimp also begin their life cycle in the Gulf. By responding to a change in water temperature, they spawn all year long in the deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico. They migrate inland to the estuaries before the white shrimp in the winter. Brown shrimp feed and grow until early summer. They are harvested during the summer in May, June, and July while still inland and rather small. Brown shrimp migrate back to the Gulf of Mexico in the late summer to spawn. Shrimp is one of Louisianas most valuable resources. Louisiana has more shrimp landings than any other state. Louisiana shrimpers work so hard that they are the #1 producer of shrimp in the U.S. In spite of this, Louisiana shrimp accounts for only 10% of the shrimp eaten in the United States! How could this be? Most people buy shrimp that is imported from other countries. Shrimpers in Louisiana are forced to lower the price of their shrimp to compete with the price of the imported shrimp. This low price really hurts Louisianas shrimp industry. By reducing their prices, Louisiana shrimpers may not meet their business financial needs. You can help support Louisianas shrimp industry in different ways. One way is to only buy Louisiana shrimp. You can always visit local docks and buy shrimp directly from shrimpers. Local shrimp is much fresher than the frozen, imported shrimp. You can even ask for Louisiana shrimp at restaurants and grocery stores. When buying shrimp When buying shrimp, you should consider a few important details. Some shrimp packages are labeled â€Å"head on.† This means the shrimps head was not removed. Other packages are labeled â€Å"headless.† This means that the shrimps head was removed. Sometimes shrimp are labeled as â€Å"green headless† shrimp. â€Å"Green† simply means that the shrimp are organic and unprocessed. Both brown and white shrimp occasionally have black spots on their shells. These black spots are caused by the reaction of natural amino acids and sunlight. Although they do not look appealing, these shrimp do not taste different and are safe to eat. Shrimp are labeled by how many shrimp there are per pound. On the package of shrimp are two numbers. For example, a package may be labeled 61/70.† This means there are about 61 to 70 shrimp per pound in the package. A smaller number indicates bigger shrimp. For example, one package might have been labeled as 16/20. These shrimp a re much larger than the 61/70 shrimp and contain 16 to 20 shrimp per pound. Sometimes you might see a package labeled as U/10. This package contains about 10 â€Å"colossal† shrimp per pound. Fishermen recently found a new invasive species. While fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, they caught a few Tiger shrimp. Tiger shrimp are the largest shrimp in the world. They are natives of Southeast Asia, Philippines, and Australia. Adult Tiger shrimp are 36 cm long. That is about 21 cm larger than adult white shrimp! Adult Tiger shrimp usually have black and white stripes on their tails. Their bodies may be brown, green, red, grey, blue, black, or yellow. Their color depends on the temperature and the amount of salt in the water. Just like white shrimp, their color does not affect their taste. Tiger shrimp begin their life during the night. A female shrimp will spawn about 750,000 eggs that are attached to her legs. These eggs hatch in 15 hours. They quickly grow through the same 7 stages as white and brown shrimp. Tiger shrimp grow into the adult stage in just a few months. Just like other shrimp, Tiger shrimp live on the bottom of estuaries during the day. They swim around in search of food during the night. Tiger shrimp are predators. They eat other shrimp and small fish. Because Tiger shrimp are new to the Gulf of Mexico, scientists are not sure if they will become invasive. Scientists must track this species of shrimp in local habitats to determine if the Tiger shrimp will harm the environment. If you find a Tiger shrimp, you should call BTNEP at (985) 447-0868 or Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries at (225) 765-2800. Shrimp are important to Louisianas estuary. Their niche, or role, changes with each new stage of their life cycle. A shrimps niche can be determined by studying the physical changes at each stage in its life cycle. Below is the life cycle of a shrimp. Label each stage. Then in the first block, describe the physical characteristics of the shrimp at each stage. In the second block, hypothesize how the shrimps physical traits help it adapt to its changing environment. To check your answers, go to http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/biological/shrimpniche.htm#lifecycle. Americans eat 1 billion pounds of shrimp in one year! Americans eat more shrimp than any other food.

Comparison of HVDC and HVAC transmission systems

Comparison of HVDC and HVAC transmission systems A substantial development of offshore wind farms is taking place in different parts of the world, yet the major issue is the technique used to transfer the energy from the wind farms to the grid. Two of the major technologies used are: High-Voltage DC known as HVDC and High-Voltage AC known as HVAC. The main concern of electrical power engineers is that the transferring of energy occurs with low losses. Taking that into consideration, the advantages and disadvantages of both technologies have been studied and compared in order to choose the most efficient scheme. The HVDC system has been put in many power transmission projects, even though some disadvantages have been spotted. The components used in this system are as follows [1]: * AC and DC filters * Converter Stations * Smoothing reactor * DC cable and return path * Cooling devices Converters in this system have been the element of inconvenience for several reasons. Some of these reasons is that converters are relatively high in price; moreover they need reactive power and have the potential to produce lots of harmonics. In addition, the HVDC system has a restricted ability when it comes to the handling of overloads. Furthermore, the most important negative aspect in HVDCs is the treatment of faults. Noting that the rated power of the recent circuit breakers tend not to be so high which in return introduces us to another problem, and this is that the current and voltage in a DC line can never traverse 0. This however makes it tough to solve the fault, but a solution has been found and it is done by the help of the AC lines circuit breakers [2]. On the other hand, HVDC systems are characterized by its admirable advantages. The latter, is considered to be uncomplicated when it comes to construction. This had a positive effect on the system since it allows it to b e interconnected at different frequencies and causes the short circuits in the DC lines to become minimized. Moreover, there is no significant environmental effect since there will be no interference with the radio electromagnetic waves and the corona effect is supposed to be even less. Finally the DC system supplies an adaptable and a relatively fast power flow [2]. The following figure shows the interconnection of offshore wind turbines with HVDC technology [2]: On the other hand, the HVAC system has almost the same advantages as the HVDC but its disadvantages are distinct. For instance, the underground HVAC cables have very low characteristic impedance and yet it needs a very high charging current. Moreover these cables are not able to pass on any load. This makes the DC cables more popular since the mentioned drawbacks are not part of their characteristics. On the other hand, the earth-return ability is available with HVDC transmission and not with the HVAC system. Major analysis has been made on both HVDC and HVAC and it was realized that distance plays a major role in the amplitude of losses. According to Brakelmanns theory, the allocation of current along the cable and the temperature it possesses play a major role in the calculation of losses. The formulae used during calculation of power losses in the submarine cables are as follows [1]: However the formula used to calculate the losses in the HVDC cables is as follows [1]: It was realized that the power produced by both technologies is almost the same, yet the HVDC could achieve marginally higher voltages per conductor. Moreover, the distance over which the cables are stretched has an influence on the losses. HVAC system have minimum losses along short distances ranged between 50 to 70 km, while as the distance increases above 70 km it is preferred to use HVDC. The following graph shows the technology to be used as the distance gets longer [3]: More factors are taken into consideration, such as the cost, consistency, quality and technical capability. Quality wise, HVDC Light technology has been introduced to the market and its advantages for connecting offshore wind farms to the grid have been remarkable. One of the main features that make the latter more suitable than HVAC is the minimized area and mass of the cables. This however permits the HVDC cables to function under maximum electric field stress. Moreover, HVDC cables are preferred to HVAC cables when it comes to installation at a very deep range, since the mass of HVAC cables are double that of the HVDC cables [4]. Finally HVDC cables have been tested in systems of 150 KV and 400 MW were the result was positive [3]. The following figure shows a pair of submarine and land Light cables used for offshore wind farm connections [3]: Offshore HVDC Grid Building an offshore HVDC grid has been an idea that most of the European countries have been discussing. Not long ago these administrations and organisations have accepted it, yet taking into consideration the technical challenges within it. As mentioned above, the HVDC system is composed of two converter stations. The converters first used are the LCC (Line Commutated Converters), but a modern system has been introduced to the HVDC system and is called the VSC (Voltage Source Converters). The latter is considered better and more efficient than the LCC since its made up of a smaller amount of components, the circuit is easier to analyze when faults occur, and the has lower losses. The following figure shows the difference in both circuits [5]: The challenge concerning these converters is that when an offshore grid has to be built both converters need to be used, since most of the submarine cables constructed are for LCC yet can function with VSC. The solution is to build a system composed of both converters and this is considered hard because of two major drawbacks: The extremely high cost of the converters and the losses. Moreover one of the tough challenges is the consistency of the system, and this leads us to the issue of the circuit breakers that have to be more efficient in order to ensure that the system is protected. Finally, the problem seems to be the funding because the technology is available [5, 6].

Caryl Churchill’s play Far Away and Jane Taylor’s Ubu and the Truth Com

Caryl Churchill’s play Far Away and Jane Taylor’s Ubu and the Truth Commission Caryl Churchill’s play Far Away and Jane Taylor’s Ubu and the Truth Commission are two plays that both concern violent, corrupt political systems, but each playwright goes about confronting these issues in a quite different style. Jane Taylor structures her work with an omniscient perspective that allows the audience to see the reality of what is happening at all times, while Churchill utilizes a limited perspective that leaves the audience as unaware of the truth as her characters. These approaches result in two plays that are very different in character, but at the same time, both of the works successfully create a similar uneasy, frightening atmosphere that is effective in impressing upon the audience the dangers and injustices of such violent governments Ubu, the main character of Ubu and the Truth Commission, is a corrupt dictator faced with the ramifications of the cruel and violent actions of his government. Throughout the play he grapples with truth; during the course of the action he hesitates about telling the truth about his involvement in the affairs, tries to cover up the evidence, and ultimately gives false testimony, claiming innocence. In the end his dishonesty prevails, and the truth commission fails. The political head and the military leader head of Brutus escape punishment while the army head is done away with, and Ubu himself is let off his charges. The final scene closes on Ubu, his wife, and Niles, the crocodile representing the rich white population, sailing away free directly in the face of an eye symbolizing truth. Despite the failure of truth in this play, the facts are not hidden from the audience – Taylor lea... ...hes its purpose in a different manner. Taylor’s blunt symbolism displays the truth openly to the audience in order to place emphasis on the injustice of the outcome of such government. The bitter irony and sinister characters combined with the horrifying tales of the witness puppets create a truly uneasy atmosphere that serves her purpose well. In contrast to this omniscient viewpoint, Churchill produces a world in which the truth is hidden from the audience as well as the characters. This choice puts the audience in a position of great anxiety as well and just as effectively communicates the potential dangers of such an environment. Both Caryl Churchill and Jane Taylor explore the horrors of corrupt government with dramatically different methods, but both successfully construct worlds that force the audience to deal with these issues involving truth and corruption.

Mirrorings by Lucy Grealy Essay -- Identity Self Worth Self Esteem ess

Mirrorings by Lucy Grealy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Sure, some of us have this great confidence within ourselves about looking great, but that does not hold true for everyone. I understand the pain or disgust, or even disappointment one feels when they look in the mirror and say, â€Å"I wish I could change this or that about myself†. Although this piece is written about the author’s life, it holds meaning and connects with for many people; one only has to dig deep enough to find one. For me, it was to realize what is important in life can change, adapt and that we must explore our inner selves and find our own path in life.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In this piece, Grealy describes the influence of her experiences of cancer, its treatments, and the resulting deformity of her face on her development as a person. She explores how physical appearance influences one's sexual identity and over all self worth. She also explores how one's own interpretation of one's appearance can be self fulfilling. Only after a year of not looking at herself in the mirror, ironically at a time when she appears more "normal" than ever before, does Grealy learn to embrace her inner self and to see herself as more than one’s looks or physical appearance.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Now that the summary is out there for all who did not get to read the story let’s make some connections to everyday life. In the story is it said by the author that, â€Å"All the while I hated myself for having wept before the needle went in, convinced that the nurse and my mother we...

Organisational cultures Essay

Introduction: defining culture The concept of culture has become increasingly significant in education during the 1990s and into the twenty-first century. This enhanced interest may be understood as an example of dissatisfaction with the limitations of those leadership and man- agement models which stress the structural and technical aspects of schools and colleges. The focus on the intangible world of values and attitudes is a useful counter to these bureaucratic assumptions and helps to produce a more balanced portrait of educational institutions. Culture relates to the informal aspects of organisations rather then their official elements. They focus on the values, beliefs and norms of individuals in the organi- sation and how these individual perceptions coalesce into shared meanings. Culture is manifested by symbols and rituals rather than through the formal structure of the organization: Beliefs, values and ideology are at the heart of organisations. Individuals hold certain ideas and value-preferences which influence how they behave and how they view the behaviour of other members. These norms become shared traditions which are communicated within the group and are rein- forced by symbols and ritual. (Bush 2003, p.156). The developing importance of culture arises partly from a wish to understand, and operate more effectively within, this informal domain of the values and beliefs of teachers, support staff and other stakeholders. Morgan (1997) and O’Neill (1994) both stress the increasing significance of cultural factors in leadership and manage- ment. The latter charts the appearance of cultural ‘labels’ and suggests why they have become more prevalent: The increased use of such cultural descriptors in the literature of educational management is significant because it reflects a need for educational organiza- tions to be able to articulate deeply held and shared  values in more tangible ways and therefore respond more effectively to new, uncertain and potentially  threatening demands on their capabilities. Organizations, therefore, articulate values in order to provide form and meaning for the activities of organiza- tional members in the absence of visible and certain organizational structures and relationships. In this sense the analysis and influence of organizational culture become essential management tools in the pursuit of increased orga- nizational growth and effectiveness. (O’Neill, 1994, p.116) The shift towards self-management in many countries reinforces the notion of schools and colleges as unique entities with their own distinctive features or ‘cul- ture’. It is inevitable that self-management will lead to greater diversity and, in Eng- land, this is one of the Government’s explicit aims. Caldwell and Spinks (1992) argue that there is ‘a culture of self- management’. The essential components of this culture are the empowerment of leaders and their acceptance of responsibility. Societal culture Most of the literature on culture in education relates to organisational culture and that is also the main focus of this chapter. However, there is also an emerging liter- ature on the broader theme of national or societal culture. Dimmock and Walker (2002a, p.3) claim that ‘the field of educational administration †¦ has largely ignored the influence of societal culture’ but their work has contributed to an increasing awareness of this concept. Given the globalisation of education, issues of societal culture are increasingly sig- nificant. Walker and Dimmock (2002) refer to issues of context and stress the need to avoid ‘decontextualized paradigms’ (p.1) in researching and analysing educa- tional systems and institutions: The field of educational leadership and management has developed along eth- nocentric lines, being heavily dominated by Anglo-American paradigms and theories †¦ Frequently, either a narrow ethnicity pervades research and policy, or an implicit assumption is made that findings in one part of the world will necessarily apply in others. It is clear that a key factor missing from many debates on educational administration and leadership is context †¦ context is represented by societal culture and its mediating influence on theory, policy and practice. (Walker and Dimmock 2002, p.2) Walker and Dimmock are by no means alone in advocating attention to issues of context. Crossley and Broadfoot (1992, p.100) say that ‘policies and practice cannot be translated intact from one culture to another since the mediation of different cultural contexts can quite transform the latter’s salience’ while Bush et al. (1998, p.137) stress that ‘all theories and interpretations of practice must be ‘grounded’ in the specific context †¦ before they can be regarded as useful’. LEADING AND MANAGING PEOPLE IN EDUCATION48 Dimmock and Walker (2002b, p.71) have given sustained attention to these issues and provide a helpful distinction between societal and organizational culture: Societal cultures differ mostly at the level of basic values, while organizational cultures differ mostly at the level of more superficial practices, as reflected in the recognition of particular symbols, heroes and rituals. This allows organiza- tional cultures to be deliberately managed and changed, whereas societal or national cultures are more enduring and change only gradually over longer time periods. School leaders influence, and in turn are influenced by, the orga- nizational culture. Societal culture, on the other hand, is a given, being out- side the sphere of influence of an individual school leader. (Our emphasis) Dimmock and Walker (2002b) identify seven ‘dimensions’ of societal culture,  each of which is expressed as a continuum: 1 Power-distributed/power concentrated: power is either distributed more equally among the various levels of a culture or is more concentrated. 2 Group-oriented/self-oriented: people in self-oriented cultures perceive themselves to be more independent and self-reliant. In group-oriented cultures, ties between people are tight, relationships are firmly structured and individual needs are sub- servient to the collective needs. 3 Consideration/aggression: in aggression cultures, achievement is stressed, competi- tion dominates and conflicts are resolved through the exercise of power and assertiveness. In contrast, consideration societies emphasise relationship, solidar- ity and resolution of conflicts by compromise and negotiation. 4 Proactivism/fatalism: this dimension reflects the proactive or ‘we can change things around here’ attitude in some cultures, and the willingness to accept things as they are in others – a fatalistic perspective. 5 Generative/replicative: some cultures appear more predisposed towards innovation, or the generation of new ideas and methods, whereas other cultures appear more inclined to replicate or to adopt ideas and approaches from elsewhere. 6 Limited relationship/holistic relationship: in limited relationship cultures, interac- tions and relationships tend to be determined by explicit rules which are applied to everyone. In holistic cultures, greater attention is given to relationship oblig- ations, for example kinship, patronage and friendship, than to impartially applied rules. 7 Male influence/female influence: in some societies, the male domination of deci- sion-making in political, economic and professional life is perpetuated. In others, women have come to play a significant role. (adapted from Dimmock and Walker 2002b, pp.74-6). This model can be applied to educational systems in different countries. Bush and Qiang (2000) show that most of these dimensions are relevant to Chinese education: 49ORGANISATIONAL CULTURES †¢ Power is concentrated in the hands of a limited number of leaders. ‘The principal has positional authority within an essentially bureaucratic system †¦ China might be regarded as the archetypal high power-distance (power-concentrated) society’ (p.60). †¢ Chinese culture is group oriented. ‘Collective benefits [are] seen as more important than individual needs’ (p.61). †¢ Chinese culture stresses consideration rather than aggression. ‘The Confucian scholars advocate modesty and encourage friendly co-operation, giving priority to people’s relationships. The purpose of education is to mould every individual into a harmonious member of society’ (p.62). †¢ Patriarchal leadership dominates in education, business, government and the Communist Party itself. There are no women principals in the 89 secondary schools in three counties of the Shaanxi province. Coleman et al. (1998, p.144) attribute such inequalities to the continuing dominance of patriarchy. Societal culture is one important aspect of the context within which school leaders must operate. Leaders and managers must also be aware of organisational culture which provides a more immediate framework for leadership action. Principals and others can help to shape culture but they are also influenced by it. Chapter 7, for example, refers to the need for educational leaders to be aware of the societal cul- ture underpinning schools and colleges so that appropriate equal opportunities policies and practices can be developed. Central features of organisational culture Organisational culture has the following major features (Bush 2003): 1 It focuses on the values and beliefs of members of organisations. These values underpin the behaviour and attitudes of individuals within schools and colleges but they may not always be explicit. These individual beliefs coalesce into shared values: ‘Shared values, shared beliefs, shared meaning, shared understanding, and shared sensemaking are all different ways of describing culture †¦ These pat- terns of understanding also provide a basis for making one’s own behaviour sen- sible and meaningful’ (Morgan, 1997, p.138). This does not necessarily mean that individual values are always in harmony with one another. Morgan (1997, p.137) suggests that ‘there may be different and competing value systems that create a mosaic of organizational realities rather than a uniform corporate culture’. Dissonance is more likely in large, multipur- pose organisations such as colleges and universities but Nias et al. (1989) note that they may also exist in primary education. Fullan and Hargreaves (1992, pp. 71-2) argue that some schools develop a ‘balkanized’ culture made up of separate and sometimes competing groups: LEADING AND MANAGING PEOPLE IN EDUCATION50 Teachers in balkanized cultures attach their loyalties and identities to particular groups of their colleagues. They are usually colleagues with whom they work most closely, spend most time, socialize most often in the staffroom. The existence of such groups in a school often reflects and reinforces very different group outlooks on learning, teaching styles, dis- cipline and curriculum. Staff working in sub-units, such as departments, may develop their own dis- tinctive ‘subculture’ and middle managers, or ‘middle level leaders’ as the NCSL prefers to call them, may wish to cultivate this as a way of developing and enhancing team effectiveness. However, as Fullan and Hargreaves (1992)  imply, such subcultures may not be consistent with the whole-school or college culture. 2 Organisational culture emphasises the development of shared norms and mean- ings. The assumption is that interaction between members of the organisation, or its subgroups, eventually leads to behavioural norms that gradually become cul- tural features of the school or college. Nias et al.’s (1989, pp.39-40) research shows how group norms were established in their case-study schools: As staff talked, worked and relaxed together, they began to negotiate shared meanings which enabled them to predict each others’ behaviour. Consequently each staff developed its own taken-for-granted norms. Because shared meanings and ways of behaving became so taken for granted, existing staff were largely unaware of them. But they were visi- ble to newcomers †¦ Researchers moving between schools were con- stantly reminded of the uniqueness of each school’s norms. These group norms sometimes allow the development of a monoculture in a school with meanings shared throughout the staff – ‘the way we do things around here’. We have already noted, however, that there may be several subcul- tures based on the professional and personal interests of different groups. These typically have internal coherence but experience difficulty in relationships with other groups whose behavioural norms are different. Wallace and Hall (1994, pp.28 and 127) identify senior management teams (SMTs) as one example of group culture with clear internal norms but often weak connections to other groups and individuals: SMTs in our research developed a ‘culture of teamwork’ †¦ A norm com- mon to the SMTs was that decisions must be reached by achieving a working consensus, entailing the acknowledgement of any dissenting views †¦ there was a clear distinction between interaction inside the team and contact with those outside †¦ [who] were excluded from the inner world of the team. 3 Culture is typically expressed through rituals and ceremonies which are  used to support and celebrate beliefs and norms. Schools, in particular, are rich in such symbols as assemblies, prize-givings and corporate worship. Hoyle (1986, pp.150  and 152) argues that ritual is at the heart of cultural models: ‘Symbols are a key component of the culture of all schools †¦ [they] have expressive tasks and sym- bols which are the only means whereby abstract values can be conveyed †¦ Sym- bols are central to the process of constructing meaning’. (Hoyle 1986, pp.150-2). School culture may be symbolized through three modes: (a) Conceptually or verbally, for example through use of language and the expres- sion of organisational aims. (b) Behaviourally, through rituals, ceremonies, rules, support mechanisms, and patterns of social interaction. (c) Visually or materially, through facilities, equipment, memorabilia, mottoes, crests and uniforms. (Beare et al. 1989, p.176). Schein (1997, p.248) argues that ‘rites and rituals [are] central to the deciphering as well as to the communicating of cultural assumptions’. 4 Organisational culture assumes the existence of heroes and heroines who embody the values and beliefs of the organisation. These honoured members typify the behaviours associated with the culture of the institution. Campbell-Evans (1993, p. 106) stresses that heroes or heroines are those whose achievements match the cul- ture: ‘Choice and recognition of heroes †¦ occurs within the cultural boundaries identified through the value filter †¦ The accomplishments of those individuals who come to be regarded as heroes are compatible with the cultural emphases.’ This feature is evident in South Africa, for example, where the huge interest in school sport means that sporting heroes are identified and celebrated. This was evident, for example, in a Durban school visited by one of the authors, where for- mer student Shaun Pollock, the South African fast bowler, had numerous pho- tographs on display and a room named after him. In celebrating the achievements of this cricketing ‘hero’, school managers are seeking to emphasise the centrality of sporting achievement to the ethos and culture of the school. Developing a culture of learning in South Africa As we noted earlier (p.000), societal or national culture underpins the organisa- tional culture of individual schools and colleges. Nowhere is this more apparent than in South African schools where the predominant culture reflects the wider social structure of the post-apartheid era. Decades of institutionalised racism and injustice have been replaced by an overt commitment to democracy in all aspects of life, including education. Ngcobo (2003) addresses issues of cultural diversity and, drawing on Irvine (1990), identifies nine dimensions of African culture: †¢ Spirituality: life is viewed as vitalistic rather than mechanistic. †¢ Harmony: humans and nature live interdependently and in harmony. LEADING AND MANAGING PEOPLE IN EDUCATION52 †¢ Movement: rhythm, music and dance. †¢ Verve: high levels of stimulation. †¢ Affect: emotions and feelings. †¢ Communalism: social connectedness and an awareness of responsibilities to the  group transcending individual privileges. †¢ Expressive individualism: genuine personal expression. †¢ Oral tradition: oral/aural metaphors and colourful forms. †¢ Social time perspective: time as social rather than material space (adapted from Ngcobo 2003, p.224). Ngcobo (2003) notes that these cultural features are very different from European cultures. Such cultural differences became particularly significant as schools began to change their racial composition in response to the South African Schools Act (1996), which made it illegal to deny admission to students on the basis of race. For- merly white schools, with a predominantly ‘European’ culture, began to assimilate learners, and to a lesser extent educators, from different cultural backgrounds. Ngcobo (2003) gives two contrasting examples of how school leaders responded to these cultural changes. Vryburg high school avoided cultural diversity by dividing the premises into two sections (white and black). This had several deleterious con- sequences, including conflict leading to charges of assault being laid against 14 black learners and seven parents of white students. Greenland secondary school in Durban adopted a different approach, aiming at cultural diversity and encouraging learners and staff to express and celebrate their own cultures. This school has been very successful academically which the principal attributes to ‘the strong integrative culture it promotes’ (Ngcobo 2003, p.230). The years of struggle against apartheid inevitably affected schools, particularly those in the townships. One of the ‘weapons’ of the black majority was for young- sters to ‘strike’ and demonstrate against the policies of the white government. Sim- ilarly, teacher unions were an important aspect of the liberation movement and teachers would frequently be absent from school to engage in protest activity. It is perhaps inevitable that a culture of learning was difficult to establish in such a hos- tile climate. Badat (1995, p.143) claims that ‘the crisis in black education, including what has come to be referred to as the â€Å"breakdown† in the â€Å"culture of learning† †¦ continued unabated’. This issue surfaced in Bush and Anderson’s (2003) survey of school principals in the KwaZulu/Natal province. In response to a question about the aims of the school, principals stated that: †¢ the school is striving to instill in the minds of learners that ‘education is their future’ †¢ to show the importance of education within and outside the school †¢ to provide a conducive educational environment †¢ to develop a culture of learning. 53ORGANISATIONAL CULTURES The absence of a culture of learning in many South African schools illustrates the long-term and uncertain nature of cultural change. The long years of resistance to apartheid education have to be replaced by a commitment to teaching and learn- ing if South Africa is to thrive in an increasingly competitive world economy. How- ever, educational values have to compete with the still prevalent discourse of struggle and also have to reconcile the diverse value systems of the different sub- cultures in South Africa’s integrated schools. It seems likely that the development of a genuine culture of learning will be slow and dependent on the quality of lead- ership in individual schools. Leadership and culture We noted earlier (p.000) that societal culture is beyond the control of educational leaders but heads and principals are able to influence organisational culture. Arguably, they have the main responsibility for generating and sustaining culture and communicating core values and beliefs both within the organization and to external stakeholders (Bush 1998, p.43). Heads and principals have their own val- ues and beliefs arising from many years of successful professional practice. They are also expected to embody the culture of the school or college. Hoyle (1986, pp.155-6) stresses the symbolic dimension of leadership and the central role of heads in defining school culture: Few heads will avoid constructing an image of the school. They will differ in the degree to which this is a deliberate and charismatic task. Some heads †¦Ã‚  will self- consciously seek to construct a great mission for the school. Others will convey their idea of the school less dramatically and construct a meaning from the basic materials of symbol-making: words, actions, artefacts and settings. Schein (1997, p.211) argues that cultures spring primarily from the beliefs, values and assumptions of founders of organisations. Nias et al. (1989, p. 103) suggest that heads are ‘founders’ of their school’s culture. They refer to two of their English case study schools where new heads dismantled the existing culture in order to create a new one based on their own values. The culture was rebuilt through example: ‘All the heads of the project schools were aware of the power of example. Each head expected to influence staff through his/her example. Yet their actions may also have been symbolic of the values they tried to represent.’ Nias et al. (1989) also mention the significance of co-leaders, such as deputy heads and curriculum co-ordinators, in disseminating school culture. Deal (1985, pp.615-18) suggests several strategies for leaders who wish to gener- ate culture: †¢ Document the school’s history to be codified and passed on. †¢ Anoint and celebrate heroes and heroines. LEADING AND MANAGING PEOPLE IN EDUCATION54 †¢ Review the school’s rituals to convey cultural values and beliefs. †¢ Exploit and develop ceremony. †¢ Identify priests, priestesses and gossips, and incorporate them into mainstream  activity. This provides access to the informal communications network. One of the ways in which leaders can shape or change culture is through the appointment of other staff who have the same values and beliefs, leading to cultural consonance. In this view, the staff selection process provides an opportunity to set out the values of the school, or its leaders, in the hope  that those who hold similar values will be attracted to the post while others will be deterred from making or pur- suing an application. Over time, the culture of the school will shift in the direction sought by the principal. The literature on collegiality (e.g. Bush 2003) shows that leaders are more likely to cede power to others when they are confident that their own educational values will not be compromised by doing so. Foskett and Lumby (2003) point out that staff selection processes are themselves subject to cultural variables. They draw on Akinnusi (1991) to distinguish between ‘universalistic’ and ‘particularistic’ approaches to selection. The universalistic approach, as discussed in Chapter 9 of this volume, for example, attempts to match applicants to objective criteria and is thought to be ‘more successful in identifying the best match to the vacant post’ (Foskett and Lumby 2003, p.71). These authors contrast this model with the particularistic approach adopted, for example, in Africa and in China. Here, ‘selection is shaped by the personal affiliation of the players, for example kinship, religion, ethnic or political similarities’ (p.70). This approach is likely to be successful in ensuring that the appointees have similar val- ues to the leaders. Using cultural criteria to appoint new staff may help to modify culture but the established staff, and inertia, may still ensure that change is highly problematic. Reynolds (1996) refers to one school where the prevailing culture was ‘posing severe difficulties for any purported change attempts’ (p.153). He point to ‘multiple barri- ers to change’ including: †¢ staff wanted ‘top down’ change and not ‘ownership’ †¢ ‘we’ve always done it this way’ †¢ individual reluctance to challenge the prevailing culture †¢ staff blaming children’s home background for examination failure †¢ numerous personality clashes, personal agendas and fractured interpersonal rela-tionships (Reynolds 1996, pp.153-4). This example illustrates the difficulty of attempting to impose cultural change. As one former college principal stresses, ‘[it is] dangerous †¦ for  managers to move too fast on cultural change’ (Bridge 1994, p.197). Turner (1990, p.11) acknowledges the pressures on leaders to ‘mould’ culture but rejects the belief that ‘something as pow- erful as culture can be much affected by the puny efforts of top managers’. 55ORGANISATIONAL CULTURES Hargreaves (1999, p.59) makes a similar point, claiming that ‘most people’s beliefs, attitudes and values are far more resistant to change than leaders typically allow’. He identifies three circumstances when culture may be subject to rapid change: †¢ The school faces an obvious crisis, for example a highly critical inspection report or falling pupil numbers, leading to the prospect of staff redundancies or school closure. †¢ The leader is very charismatic, commanding instant trust, loyalty and fellowship. This may enable cultural change to be more radical and be achieved more quickly. †¢ The leader succeeds a very poor principal. Staff will be looking for change to instil a new sense of direction (adapted from Hargreaves 1999, pp.59-60). These points may also apply to sub-units and subcultures. Hargreaves (1999, p.60) concludes that, ‘if none of these special conditions applies, assume that cultural change will be rather slow’. Leaders also have responsibility for sustaining culture, and cultural maintenance is often regarded as a central feature of effective leadership. Sergiovanni (1984, p.9) claims that the cultural aspect is the most important dimension of leadership. Within his ‘leadership forces hierarchy’, the cultural element is more significant than the technical, human and educational aspects of leadership: The net effect of the cultural force of leadership is to bond together  students, teachers, and others as believers in the work of the school †¦ As persons become members of this strong and binding culture, they are provided with opportunities for enjoying a special sense of personal importance and significance. Limitations of organisational culture The concept of organisational culture provides several useful elements to the lead- ership and management of people in schools and colleges. The focus on the infor- mal dimension is a valuable counter to the rigid and official components of the formal models. By stressing the values and beliefs of participants, culture reinforces the human aspects of management rather than their structural elements. However, this approach has three significant weaknesses (Bush 2003): 1 The notion of ‘organisational culture’ may simply be the imposition of the leaders’ values on other members of the organisation. The search for a monoculture may mean subordinating the values and beliefs of some participants to those of leaders or the dominant group. ‘Shared’ cultures may be simply the values of leaders imposed on less powerful people. Morgan (1997) refers to ‘a process of ideological  control’ and warns of the risk of ‘manipulation’: Ideological manipulation and control is being advocated as an essential managerial strategy †¦ such manipulation may well be accompanied by resistance, resentment and mistrust †¦ where the culture controls rather than expresses human character, the metaphor may thus prove quite manipulative and totalitarian in its influence. (pp.150-1) Prosser (1999, p.4) refers to the ‘dark underworld’ of school culture and links it to the concept of micropolitics: ‘The micro-political perspective recognized that formal powers, rules, regulations, traditions and rituals  were capable of being subverted by individuals, groups or affiliations in schools’. Hargreaves (1999, p.60) uses the term ‘resistance group’ to refer to sub-units seeking to subvert lead- ers and their intended cultural change. However, this may simply be a legitimate attempt to enunciate the specific values of, for example, departmental culture. 2 The portrayal of culture may be unduly mechanistic, assuming that leaders can determine the culture of the organisation (Morgan 1997). While they have influ- ence over the evolution of culture by espousing desired values, they cannot ensure the emergence of a monoculture. As we have seen, secondary schools and colleges may have several subcultures operating in departments and other sec- tions. This is not necessarily dysfunctional because successful sub-units are vital components of thriving institutions, and successful middle-level leadership and management are increasingly regarded as essential to school and college effec- tiveness (Harris 2002; Briggs 2003). In an era of self-managing schools and colleges in many countries, lay influ- ences on policy are increasingly significant. Governing bodies often have the for- mal responsibility for major decisions and they share in the creation of institutional culture. This does not mean simple acquiescence to the values of the head or principal. Rather, there may be negotiation leading to the possibility of conflict and the adoption of policies inconsistent with the leader’s own values. 3 Hoyle (1986) argues that symbols may misrepresent the reality of the school or college. He suggests that schools may go through the appearance of change but the reality continues as before: A symbol can represent something which is ‘real’ in the sense that it †¦ acts as a surrogate for reality †¦ there will be a mutual recognition by the parties concerned that the substance has not been evoked but they are nevertheless content to sustain the fiction that it has if there has been some symbolization of the substance †¦ in reality the system carries on as formerly. (p.166) Schein (1997, p.249) also warns against placing too much reliance on ritual. When the only salient data we have are the rites and rituals that have survived over a period of time, we must, of course, use them as best we  can †¦ however †¦ it is difficult to decipher just what assumptions lead- ers have held that have led to the creation of particular rites and rituals. Conclusion: people and culture The belief that schools and colleges are unique entities is gaining ground as people increasingly recognise the importance of the specific contexts, internal and exter- nal, which provide the frameworks within which leaders and managers must oper- ate. Despite the pressures of globalisation, understanding and managing the school context is a vital dimension of leadership in the twenty-first century. Values and beliefs are not universal and a ‘one size fits all’ model does not work for nations any more than it does for schools. The recognition that school and college development needs to be preceded by attitudinal change is also salutary, and is consistent with the view that teachers must feel ‘ownership’ of change if it is to be implemented effectively. Externally imposed innovation often fails because it is out of tune with the values of the teach- ers who have to implement it. ‘Since organization ultimately resides in the heads of the people involved, effective organizational change always implies cultural change’ (Morgan 1997, p.150). The emphasis on values and symbols may also help to balance the focus on struc- ture and process in many of the other models. The informal world of norms and rit- ual behaviour may be just as significant as the formal elements of schools and colleges. ‘Even the most concrete and rational  aspects of organization – whether structures, hierarchies, rules, or organizational routines – embody social construc- tions and meanings that are crucial for understanding how organization functions day to day’ (Morgan 1997, p.146). Culture also provides a focus for organisational action. Effective leaders often seek to influence values so that they become closer to, if not identical with, their own beliefs. In this way, they hope to achieve widespread support for, or ‘ownership’ of, new policies. By working through this informal domain, rather than imposing change through positional authority or political processes, heads, principals and other leaders, including middle managers, are more likely to gain support for inno- vation. An understanding of both societal and organisational culture also provides a sound basis for leading and managing people in education. In many countries, schools and colleges are becoming multicultural, and recognition of the rich diver- sity of the cultural backgrounds of students, parents and staff is an essential element in school management. Similarly, all educational organisations have certain dis- tinctive features and understanding and managing this cultural apparatus is vital if leadership is to be ‘in tune’ with the prevailing norms and values. An appreciation of the relevance of both societal and organisational culture, and of the values, beliefs and rituals that underpin them, is an important element in the leadership  and management of schools and colleges. References Akinnusi, D. (1991), ‘Personnel management in Africa’, in Brewster, C. and Tyson, S. (eds), International Comparisons in Human Resource Management, London, Pitman. Badat, S. 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