Labour education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Labour education - Essay Example Labour forces are the engines of creation and production capital of every nation. Their knowledge, skills and competence are paramount in the performance of their roles and duties for their respective employees-- the latter being expectant of their positive contribution in achieving companies’ goals and targeted key results in exchange for wages. As forces for development, labor education is significant to keep them abreast and updated to new systems of operations and new policies which may directly and indirectly affect them (Gahan & Bell, 1998). This essay will explicate the meaning of labour education; identify the themes of Canadian labour education; and the developments or changes of labor practices in Canada. Labour Education Labor education is defined as the transfer of knowledge and skills focused for workers who are members of a certain union or association. In Canada, labor education was established since 1963 which was intended for those who wanted to improve and strengthen their competence as well as competence as workers (Canadian Labor Congress, 2009). Many of those who availed further education also aimed at improving their organizational management skills and leadership to make them committed in the protection and promotion of their rights as labor forces or as workers (CLC, 2009).

Investigation of Failed States & Democratic Intervention Essay Example for Free

Investigation of Failed States Democratic Intervention Essay Failed states have been an issue in human society for many years. Today there are a total of 177 failed states, which is an all-time high. (Haken) Failed states are not only a terrible situation for the country itself, but for its neighboring countries as well. Some situations are worse than others, but for the most part they all share several factors that classify them as failed states. These factors include a severe economic decline, lack of formal government, deterioration of public services, social disorder, and more. (Haken) Once a country becomes classified as a failed state it is quite difficult for them to fully recover. For this to happen, assistance from allies and neighboring countries is usually necessary. Obviously nobody wants to see a country’s government overrun and its citizens forced into turmoil, but that is unfortunately the way our society operates with radical militant groups such as Al-Qaeda in existence. It has become a global problem and the day may never come when there are no failed states. However, if groups such as Al-Qaeda and the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) can be eliminated then these failed states can begin to rebuild themselves and give their citizens the chance to live free, happy lives. An example of a failed state that is making headlines these days is the country of Mali, which is located in Northern Africa. The situation in Mali began over a year ago and has developed into a very serious matter. Much like Libya in 2011, Mali’s government has been overthrown by Islamic militant groups that will do whatever it takes to spread their influence and power. (Larison) The major group behind this invasion is known as Al-Qaeda. As Al-Qaeda forces moved in on Bamako, Mali’s capital, a French military invasion halted them in their tracks. French and Malian forces have now teamed up against â€Å"Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb† (AQIM), which is Al-Qaeda’s militant organization based in Mali. (Larison) The two sides are both ready to battle one another and the situation looks to be headed towards a full-on war. AQIM forces are invading towns and villages while torturing and killing citizens in their path. They are a strong force to be reckoned with and outside help will be needed if Mali is to rid itself of these radicals. This is where neighboring countries become involved. Countries close to Mali, such as Niger, Mauritania, and Algeria, are all looked upon to intervene and to offer aid and/or assistance to the Malians. On top of that, they are forced to live under constant fear and uncertainty of AQIM’s next move(s). Although the United States has no vital economic ties to Mali, some Americans feel obligated to intervene and offer assistance to the French, much like we did in Libya. (Larison) However, the majority of American politicians are against issuing an invasion because all signs point towards an ongoing war similar to those in Iraq and Afghanistan. These two countries experienced this type of situation during the 2000s and Libya did as well in 2011. Libya’s situation was very similar to that of Mali’s current one. Islamic forces invaded and took control and outside help was needed from either neighboring countries or Western forces. Whatever the case may be, many parties were/are involved and too many unnecessary deaths have been recorded already. Going forward we can only hope that the situation in Mali ends up like the ones in Iraq and Libya. The only way this can happen is if the Islamic militant forces are driven out and the country has the opportunity to once again govern itself and eventually prosper. Western intervention has been a major component of global warfare for the last 100 years. From World War I all the way through the Cold War, the United States has always been looked upon to give military assistance to its allies and anyone who holds great importance to our economy. Most recently we’ve gone to war to protect Israel in the Middle East and to aid France in Libya. (Traub) The United States has been involved economically in the Middle East since the late 1980s but became active militarily in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks. We were involved in warfare with Iraq for over a decade and are still at war with Afghanistan. (Traub) Other notable instances of Western military intervention include our involvement in World Wars I and II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and many other smaller wars. The United States has clearly played a crucial role in global warfare for a very long time. One major reason for this amount of military activity is the fact that the U.S. is a democracy. Non-democracy governments typically have less involvement in warfare than democratic governments do. This is because autocracies operate under the discretion of less than 20 people and often times only 1 person. Also, under a democracy a presidential order can be overturned by either the citizens or another branch of the government. A democratic leader would most likely order a military invasion if there is an immediate threat to his/her country’s national security or if there is a very significant amount of economic importance involved in the situation. Giving assistance to allies is also a common reason for entering into a war. These have been the main reasons for American involvement in global warfare over the years. America is undoubtedly a military superpower in the eyes of the world and will most likely remain that way for many more years to come. Works Cited Haken, Nate. Interpreting the Arab Spring and Its Effects. Fundforpeace.org. The Fund for Peace, 28 June 2012. Web. 22 Jan. 2013. http://www.fundforpeace.org/global/?q=node/235. Larison, Daniel. In Mali the Domino Theory Is Real. Theamericanconservative.com. The American Conservative, 23 Jan. 2013. Web. 24 Jan. 2013. http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/in-mali-the-domino-theory-is-real/. Traub, James. Think Again: Failed States. Foreign Policy Magazine, Aug. 2011. Web. 22 Jan. 2013. http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2011/06/20/think_again_failed_states?page=0,0.

Essay --

When it comes to anthropological theories, it is hard to prove or disprove them because everyone has different experiences in their lives within their different cultures that contribute to their opinion on that theory. I believe this is true with the theory of cultural relativism. My experiences within my own culture and the beliefs of my culture have led me to both agree and disagree with different aspects, or lack thereof, of cultural relativism. I believe there exists a duality within the theory of cultural relativism, a duality that I am familiar with and that has become a significant part of my culture. I am from the Twin Cities in Minnesota. The â€Å"Twin Cities† refers to Minneapolis and St. Paul. Only divided by a river (or in some cases, just a street), these cities are of equal, yet different importance in Minnesota culture. My experiences spending time in the two cities have led me to live in duel cultures. While many people live in a duality of cultures through th eir ethnicity, I identify with duel cultures based on geography. My experiences in both Minneapolis and St. Paul contribute to my ambivalence regarding cultural relativism. In Anthropology, there is a gray area when it comes to generalizing about cultures, because we all come from different ones. The idea of duality is a familiar one with which I can apply to my own life and my own culture, as well as to the well-known anthropological theory that tries to find an answer to the question of what culture is. The cultural relativism principle acknowledges that there should be a respect between cultures. This comes from the point of the theory that tries to â€Å"avoid making value judgments about the beliefs and customs of the people they [anthropologists] study, even tho... ...as well as understand it. Culture is gray; there is no black and white. There are many aspects that come into play in the importance of culture, such as political economy. Being able to maintain my culture here in Los Angeles has become more important to me after moving from Minnesota. Just because I am not geographically in the Minnesota anymore doesn’t mean I feel any less Minnesotan. It is also important to overcome the stereotype of knowing everything about a culture because a lot of the time, and in my personal experience, I am just a piece of the puzzle. This is especially true when it comes to the culture of a state. Therefore, the duality that I believe exists in this idea of cultural relativism has proved my ambivalence toward it due to my experience living in a culture where aspects of both the principle of cultural relativism and its criticisms are true.

Short Answer Questions

Explain how the poet has explored the importance of community to the sense of belonging. The poet powerfully explores community to achieving sense of belonging. The use of a personal pronoun in â€Å"my village† provides the village context and proves a powerful sense of connection where he belongs. The power of community is highlighted through inclusive pronoun †our† which connotes ownership and connection to the context. Poet makes clear importance of community to achieving sense of belonging. Identify two techniques and explain how they convey the importance of family to belonging. The importance of family to creating a sense of belonging is explored through literary techniques showcased in the magazine cover. On a connotative level the world family reinforces the idea of connection. The magazine’s name â€Å"family tree† is a metaphor for connection as trees have branches. The couple in the middle is given salience. The fact that they are kissing implies the importance of relationships and connection. From looking at the miscenscene we can see how the magazine cover portrays the importance of family to belonging. Analyse how Shona Jones establishes the narrator’s place and her sense of belonging. The narrator explores the significance of place and its impact on a characters sense of belonging. Interrogative language in â€Å"you are married?† is positioning her as the other in this foreign country which is reinforced by her admission of this being a Muslim country. This contributes to her feeling of alienation and lack of connection. In â€Å"songs to sing†¦and they kept me company†, music is personified to keep company. It provides a connection to home. This connection is highlighted by a contrast with disconnection which is reinforced by connotations of homesick. The singing she hears when she is homesick is heard again when she has established a sense of connection in the new country. Reflecting on sound shows the cyclical nature of text and hence the cyclical nature of belonging. It demonstrates that familiarity of place breeds confidence. From the literary techniques in ‘The Singing’ we can see how Jones establishes the narrator’s p lace and her sense of belonging.

Leadership Is “Having an Irrational Sense of Hope”

NANYANG BUSINESS SCHOOL MBA 2012-2013 TRIMESTER 1 B6018 LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR Course Coordinator/Instructor: Assoc. Prof Lim Beng Chong Office: S3-B2B-63 / E-mail : [email  protected] edu. sg Class Schedule: Wed evenings 6:15pm – 9:30 pm (or Saturday mornings 9:00 am -12:00 noon for extra/postponed sessions) Class Venue: NTU @ one-north SR 502 COURSE DESCRIPTION A leader is a man (woman) who has the ability to get people to do what they don’t want to do, and like it – Harry S. Truman (1954) Few organization and management issues have attracted as much interest and research work as leadership.From politics to the business world to military institutions, people are always searching for that someone, whom they called LEADER, to lead and inspire the people to achieve success or to bring about change. So what is leadership? There are many definitions of leadership in organizations. Almost every author of books has one. Bass (1990), after reviewing t he literature, suggests that there are at least 12 different approaches to the definition. What is your definition of leadership? What type of leader are you?How can you be a better leader to your work team or organization? I hope you will begin to think about these questions as you embark on your leadership journey with me in this course. Essentially, effective leaders are those who can mobilize others to get extraordinary or exceptional things done in their work teams or organizations. In today’s organizations, managers are not only responsible for the planning, organizing and controlling functions in their work teams or organizations; they have to accomplish these goals by leading their people.Hence, their success as managers is dependent on their ability to motivate and inspire others. In other words, being leaders of their people. From this perspective, success and failure as managers rest squarely on the ability of the managers to understand and manage people at work. T herefore, critical to leadership success is a good knowledge of managing people in organizations or a good grounding in the fundamentals of work behaviour in organizations.Given the above, this course will bring together the leadership literature and the insights on human nature at work from Organization Behaviour. The learning objectives are: †¢ Increase participants’ understanding of people at work as well as of organizations as complex systems by examining organizational behaviour at 3 levels: the individual (self and others), the work team and the larger organizational context. †¢ Increase participants’ understanding of leadership processes and how these are intertwined with an understanding of organizational behaviour. Develop participants’ repertoire of leadership capabilities through greater self-awareness a deeper understanding of the impact of their actions on others – and building leadership habits to better equip them to lead and take effective actions in today’s organizations. Leadership Develops Daily, not in a Day – John Maxwell 1 COURSE OUTLINE â€Å"The Law of Intentionality – Growth doesn’t just happen† Life is now in session. Are you present? – Maxwell (2012) The appendix provides a summary of the topics that would be covered for each session.The approach to all sessions will be grounded on participation-centered learning and the course design includes a range of participation-centered activities such as case studies, group exercises and assignments, peer conversations, debates, self-reflection activities and talks by invited guest speakers. [See attached Course Outline table] READINGS & PRE-CLASS PREPARATION The study of leadership and work behaviour, given its multidisciplinary nature, entails a fair amount of reading in preparation for the classes.Pre-class readings are essential and participants are expected to prepare the case studies or exercises prior to di scussion in class. Two books have been prescribed and each covers different topics and levels of analysis. The relevant chapters for reading from each textbook and additional readings will be given in the detailed course outline. RECOMMENDED TEXTBOOKS IVANCEVICH, J. M. , KONOPASKE, R. and MATTESON, M. T. (2011). Organizational Behavior and Management 9th edition. McGraw – Hill Internation. New York. ULRICH, D. (2010). Leadership in Asia. McGraw-Hill –OPTIONAL REFERENCES – JOHN MAXWELL (2007). The 21 irrefutable laws of leadership. Thomas Nelson – DANIEL LEVI (2007). Group Dynamics for Teams. 2nd edition. Sage Publication – ROB GOFFEE and GARETH JONES (2006). Why should anyone be led by you? Harvard Business Press PARTICIPATION & ASSESSMENT Class Participation/Sharing. The course is designed to provide ample opportunities for participants to contribute to the class learning by participating actively in the various class activities and by offering pr oactively their own experiences and insights for the benefits of other participants.This will constitute an important component of participants’ continuous assessment (10% of the total marks). â€Å"The law of Contribution – growing yourself enables you to grow others† – Maxwell (2012). Class Quizzes. Weekly seminars may commence with a short quiz to assess participants’ basic understanding of the concepts and key terms in the prescribed readings for that week. The purpose is to help participants develop a habit of continuous learning- a critical leadership habit.Hopefully, by the end of the course, participants will have built up a repository of knowledge on leadership and organizational behavior. Again, this will constitute another component of the participants’ Leadership Develops Daily, not in a Day – John Maxwell 2 continuous assessment (10% of the total marks). â€Å"the law of Consistency: motivation gets you going – Di scipline keeps you growing. † Self Case Study (real life leadership/OB challenge). John McDonnell once said, â€Å"Every problem introduces a person to himself†.As a leader/manager, you are likely to encounter different types of work situations – both positive and negative. As leaders, we can make the mistake but not lose the lesson. Hence there is much to be learned from one’s experiences especially from less positive ones. The objective of this individual assignment is to provide an opportunity for participants to learn from their experience at work or working with others by overlaying the concepts and theories covered during the course on the real life challenges. (10% of the total marks). The law of Pain: good management of bad experiences leads to great growth. † Reflection PaperLeadership Journaling. As we embark on this learning journey together, I strongly encourage course participants keep a journal to note their reflections and thoughts thr oughout the course. These reflections and thoughts on leadership and organizational behaviour can form the basis for the reflection paper (less than 1000 words) to be submitted at the end of the course (10% of the total marks). â€Å"The law of Reflection: learning to pause allows growth to catch up with you. Up to 4 x Mini-Group Assignments. Working in teams is part and parcel of organizational life. As leaders, we are expected to lead a team of diverse individuals to achieve a common goal. Many times, we are also members of other teams. Hence being able to lead and willing to be led is an integral part of being a manager. These mini-team assignments are designed to allow participants to work together to achieve a common goal. Hopefully, they can apply the science of leadership and OB in the process and hone their leadership skills (20% of the total marks). The law of influence: the true measure of leadership is influence – nothing more, nothing less. † Final Examinat ion. The examination will be an open-book exam of two and a half hours. Summary of Course Assessment and Requirements: B6018 Max pts Class Participation / Sharing 100 Class Quizzes 100 Self Case Study (real life leadership/OB challenge) 100 Reflection paper/leadership journaling 100 Up to 4 x Mini-Group Assignments 100 Final examination (open-book) 100 Total 600 ? subject to changes by the instructor during the course % Final score 10 10 10 10 20 40 100Leadership Develops Daily, not in a Day – John Maxwell 3 ASSESSMENT PLAN Learning Goal Course Learning Objectives Assessment Method -class Quizzes -Self Case Study -Reflection Paper – min-group assignments -Open-book examination -Self Case Study -Reflection Paper – mini-group assignments -Open-book examination -Peer assessments of the skills demonstrated during Mini-group assignments Acquiring & Applying Knowledge To gain an understanding of various concepts of leadership and organisational behaviour, such that st udents can use the â€Å"most useful† concepts for their professional lives.Assessment Rubrics* Written Assignment Rubric Critical/Creative Thinking To show critical/creative thinking in the evaluation of written ideas and case examples about leadership/OB. Written Assignment Rubric Teamwork and interpersonal skills To improve students’ skills for working with others. Peer Assessment Rubric Leadership Develops Daily, not in a Day – John Maxwell 4 Written Assignment Rubric Criteria Acquiring knowledge and Critical Thinking Description This refers to the breadth and depth of understanding and analysis of the subject/content.Quality of answer assessed by well-considered and supported assertions, arguments, explanations, logic and inferences drawn from accurate interpretation and appropriate use/citation of literature. Range Poor Answer and/or literature cited do not address the question well. Answer is descriptive rather than analytical. Arguments are implicit rath er than explicit. Logic and inferences are not clear. Average Answer and/or literature cited generally address the question. There is analysis and arguments but they are weak and broad. Arguments and logic are piece-meal and not integrated.Some issues are discussed adequately and others, less adequately. Minimum description of appropriate application of knowledge, experience and insights. Good Answer addresses the question directly. Literature is appropriately cited to support assertions and arguments. Writing is generally logical and integrated. Nonetheless, answer falls short of the highest standard in some ways, e. g. possible lines of assertion or argument may be missed or neglected. Well argued application of knowledge with clear and logical linkage to personal experience. Relevant insights and new ideas that have considered the practical constraints.Nonetheless, answer falls short of the highest standard in some ways, e. g. , lapses in one or more arguments, inadequate descrip tion. Excellent Answer addresses the question directly with breadth and depth. Literature is appropriately cited to support assertions and arguments. Writing is relevant, logical, and well integrated. Mark Awarded Application of knowledge and Creative thinking This refers to the appropriate application of knowledge and linkages to personal insights and experience. Creative insights and ideas are welcome when they are relevant and anchored to realistic/practical challenges. Inappropriate application of knowledge.Inadequate description of experience and insights. Little or no insights. Irrelevant or impractical ideas. Very well argued application of knowledge and boundaries, with clear and logical linkage to personal experience. Relevant insights and new ideas that have considered the practical constraints. Leadership Develops Daily, not in a Day – John Maxwell 5 Quality of Writing – clarity of expression Quality of Writing – Organization and Formatting This refer s to how effectively arguments, ideas and thoughts put forth in the essay are communicated and comprises word usage, sentence usage, paragraphing and fluency of expression.This refers to the overall organization, integration and flow of the essay. Format following the submission guidelines and proper use of footnotes/endnotes; references and bibliography. Has difficulties expressing ideas. Expresses ideas fairly clearly and coherently. Expresses ideas fluently and eloquently. Expresses ideas very fluently and eloquently. Has some limitations organising the ideas and following submission guidelines. Satisfactorily organized. Integration and flow can be better. Some lapses in following submission guidelines. Well organized, integrated and flowing.Format follows guidelines almost completely. Very well organized, integrated and flowing. Format follows guidelines completely. Leadership Develops Daily, not in a Day – John Maxwell 6 Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills Rubric (For Peer R ating) Learning Objective: The ability to work effectively with others in a group setting. Your ratings will not be revealed to your team members. Group Name: _______________________________________________ Name of Rater: ______________________________________________ Fill in your members’ names below and Rate on a scale of â€Å"1† to â€Å"6† for each trait Name1 Name2 Name3 Name4Traits Roles and Responsibility Behaves professionally by upholding responsibility and assuming accountability for self and others in progressing towards the team’s goal. Communication Identifies appropriate mechanisms to coordinate and correspond with team members. Performance Scant Unclear about his/her own role; refuses to take a role in the group; insists to work individually and has limited coordination or communication with others. Evaluation: Scant 1 2 3 4 5 Scant Modes of communication are not appropriate, causing confusion and miscommunication among team members.Evalua tion: Scant 1 2 3 4 Scant Does not recognize conflicts or is unwilling to resolve conflicts. Evaluation: Scant 1 Substantially Developed Always fulfills responsibilities; performs his/her role within the group with enthusiasm and demonstrates willingness to work collaboratively. Name5 6 Substantially Developed Substantially Developed Modes of communication are appropriate, and maintains timely communication and correspondence with team members. 5 6 Substantially Developed Substantially Developed Consistently resolves conflicts through facilitating open discussion and compromise.Conflict Resolution Resolves conflicts using a variety of approaches. Contributions Contributes positive input for the team; effectively utilizes one’s knowledge and expertise. 2 3 4 5 6 Substantially Developed Substantially Developed Actively attends and participates in all activities and provides meaningful contribution in articulating ideas and opinions. Scant Largely disinterested in working in a g roup and refuses to participate; observes passively or is unwilling to share information with other team members. Evaluation: Scant 1 2 3 4 Scant Rarely listens to others and does not acknowledge the opinions that differ from his/her own. 6 Substantially Developed Substantially Developed Engages in respectful relationships with all other members in the team. Embraces and accepts diverse points of view without prejudice. Relationship Maintains cooperative interaction with other team members regardless of individual /cultural differences and respects diverse perspectives. Evaluation: Scant 1 2 3 4 5 6 Substantially Developed Leadership Develops Daily, not in a Day – John Maxwell 7 Self Case Study The law of Pain: Good management of bad experiences leads to great growth. † – Maxwell (2012)The objective of this individual assignment is to provide an opportunity for participants to learn from their experience at work or working with others by overlaying the concepts a nd theories covered during the course on the real life challenges. There are two parts to this individual assignment. a. Part 1. To be handed in on Week 3 of the course. The participants will describe some of the challenges/issues/problems about people’s behaviors they encountered at work or when working with people. As a guide, try to limit to not more than 3 challenges. Part 1 should not be more than 1500 words.Try to identify for yourself what you want to learn from this course which will be useful in helping you understand and deal with people you work with in an effective manner. While the list of questions below may not exhaustive, I hope it will help you identify some of the potential issues/problems/challenges you may want to consider: o Think about a conflict which has arisen with one of your co-workers o Do you or your company have any major problems in motivating your or its work force? o How effective is your work group? o Describe your relationship with your boss – do you find it satisfying/dissatisfying? Are there problems in the way in which people use power and influence in your company? o How is change brought about in your company? b. Part 2. The complete assignment is to be handed in during Week 10. In total, this should be no more than 4000 words. The assignment should have the following sections a. Part 1 i. Title of the case ii. Description of the case (from week 3) iii. Why it happened the way it did? iv. What was done about it? b. Part 2 i. Your own analysis of the situation ii. What theories, concepts and frameworks covered in LOB course that may be useful here? iii.Based on your analysis and the theories, concepts and frameworks highlighted, how should the case be resolved? iv. What is your biggest takeaway from this case as a leader? Leadership Develops Daily, not in a Day – John Maxwell 8 OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS Late Submission of Assignments Penalties will be imposed for late submissions that are not suppo rted with valid reasons. A penalty of 10 marks will be imposed for each day that the assignment is submitted late. For example, a mark of 65% would become 55% if the assignment is submitted a day late and 45% if it is two days late.In order to ensure equity, students are reminded to stay within the word limit set for each assignment. Academic Integrity Truth, Trust and Justice are at the core of NTU’s shared values. Good academic work includes to a very large extent, honesty and ethical behaviour. The quality of your work as a student is therefore subjected to adhering to principles of academic integrity and to the NTU Honor Code, a set of values shared by everyone in NTU. The content of assignments submitted for grading purposes must be that of your own.You should therefore be diligent in identifying and acknowledging the sources of information used in completing your work (full details must be provided in your reference section). If you feel that the use of the exact wordin gs from a reference source is the best way to present the ideas, then you must use quotation marks and acknowledge the source. If you choose to summarise the words from a reference, the source must also be acknowledged, as this is not an original piece of work from you. Submitted work must be your own effort and must not duplicate (in whole or in part) the work of others (including other students).As a student, the responsibility falls on you to be familiar with and to apply the principles of academic integrity in all the work you do at NTU. Hence you will need to proactively familiarise yourself with the strategies to avoid all forms of academic dishonesty, including plagiarism, academic fraud, collusion, cheating, etc. Detailed information can be obtained via the academic integrity website at http://academicintegrity. ntu. edu. sg. Pleading ignorance or claiming that one is unaware of the requirements for maintaining academic integrity does not excuse academic dishonesty.As member s of the NTU family, this is a responsibility that students and faculty staff alike must uphold at all times. Use of edveNTUre (Blackboard) The edveNTUre system (Blackboard) will be used to facilitate the posting of assignments, course materials and announcements, as well as for interacting with your coursemates and myself. Do ensure that your personal particulars especially your hand-phone number (if you have one) is updated in edveNTUre. This will allow you to receive urgent messages e. g. change in timing for lessons, via SMS from me. Leadership Develops Daily, not in a Day – John Maxwell 9 Overview of Class Schedule Date Mar 13 Mar 20 Mar 27 Mar 3 April 10 April 17 April 24 April 2 May 8 May 15 May 22 May Topic Overview of Organizational Behaviour and Leadership Process Know Yourself: You as a leader (I) Know Yourself: You as a leader (II) Understanding Others: Your Followers (I) Understanding Others: Your Followers (II) Dialogue with A Group Executive Chairman Overview o f Team Effectiveness Leadership in Teams Overview of Organizational Effectiveness Leadership in Organizations Conversation with a Leadership Coach Conclusion: Leadership in An Age of Uncertainty Leadership Develops Daily, not in a Day – John Maxwell 10

Critique on Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read Essay Example

Critique on Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read Essay Example Critique on Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read Paper Critique on Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read Paper Francine Prose, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read† â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read† Essay Introduction In Francine Prose’s â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read: How American High School Students Learn to Loathe Literature†, the author is trying to explain why high school students are not asked to read more quality pieces of literature now a days. In my opinion I agree with Prose because I think the texts we read in high school are not challenging and not a lot of students enjoy the readings because they cannot relate. Prose uses the rhetorical strategy of degrading the books high school students are reading and she uses her own personal experiences to support her argument. Literature in high schools Throughout the essay, Prose argues that literature in high schools are dumbing down the English curriculum. She says books that are â€Å"chosen for students to read are for ‘obvious lessons. ’† However, Prose does not mention â€Å"great† books that students should read and that will help them to understand what the characters are feeling. â€Å"†¦The weaker novels of John Steinbeck, the fantasies of Ray Bradbury,† (424). Prose explains how her sons never read the better of Steinbeck’s novels in high school and she makes the assumption that all high school students read the so-called weaker Steinbeck novels. English curriculum issue She also makes an argument that the English curriculum is an important issue both culturally and politically. If both the teachers and books are not challenging the young students minds, then how can we expect them to understand challenging books. â€Å"We hear the more books are being bought and sold than ever before, yet no one, as far as I know, is arguing that we are producing and becoming a nation of avid readers of serious literature† (423). Again, Prose brings up her own personal experience and what she has heard. From what she has heard, people today are not reading â€Å"serious† literature. She does not even go to defend her argument and further explain what she means by â€Å"serious literature† and â€Å"avid readers. † The first point that Prose makes in her essay is that she is not satisfied with her two sons’ educations. Prose is the kind of person who has a huge passion for good books and she finds herself â€Å"appalled each year by the dismal lists of texts that my sons are doomed to waste a school year reading,† (422). She does not understand why the older and well-known authors are not being read in high school. Prose uses a personal experience from her son’s sophomore English class. He had to read a â€Å"weeper and former bestseller by Judith Guest† (424), about a dysfunctional family dealing with a teenage son’s suicide attempt. â€Å"No instructor has ever asked my sons to read Alice Munro, who writes so lucidly and beautifully about the hypersensitivity that makes adolescence a hell,†(424). She again mentions books she approves of that should be read in English classes. Another big point in Prose’s essay is the assignments associated with high school literature. Role of the teacher She argues that teachers make students write around the books and not about the books they read. â€Å"No wonder students are rarely asked to consider what was actually written by these hopeless racists and sociopaths. Instead, they’re told to write around the book, or, better yet, write their own books,† (430). The assignments that teachers give these days are nto about the book or the story itself. They usually ask the student to rewrite the ending, or ask what the student would do if they were in the same situation as the character. Prose argues that high school students are seen as having the same experience as some of the characters they read about, such as Jay Gatsby in The Great Gatsby. â€Å"And is it any wonder that teenagers should complete these exercise with little but contempt for the writer who so pointlessly complicated and obfuscated a personal true story that sixteen year olds could have told so much more interestingly themselves? † (431). However, in this part of her essay, Prose can get a little bias because she only talks about the negative assignments. Books should only be discussed for their language We all know that not all high school assignments are like the ones she mentions and she knows that too. The last point in Prose’s argument is that she only talks about that books should only be discussed for their language. This is one point where I disagree with her because I think that books can be discussed for their value as well as their language. Prose thinks that, â€Å"The present vogue for teaching â€Å"values† through literature uses the novel as a springboard for the sort of discussion formerly conducted in civics or ethics classes,†(427). I do not agree with this statement because not all high schools are able to offer civics classes. My high school, for example, did have a civics class but it was more driven towards the History end than English literature classes. So the only place for values in literature be discussed was during English class. Also, English class should not only be about the language. Students should learn the value of the story also through discussion and assignments. â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read† Essay Conclusion In conclusion, Francine Prose does have a couple of good arguments in her paper, â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read: How American High School Students Learn to Loathe Literature†. She argues her opinion that students in high school English classes are not getting good education because of the weak pieces of literature they are reading. Prose however, can be a little bias and bases to much of her essay on her personal experiences. Prose, Francine. â€Å"I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read: How American High School students Learn to Loathe Literature. † Harper’s Magazine. 1999: 422-435. Print

Asian Americans Hispanics

Asian Americans Hispanics Although most Asian Americans are culturally assimilated (Americanized), they often encounter racism as people of foreign-origin, because of their distinctive Asian racial appearance. The Asian Americans have to face racism because they are assumed to have close ties with their Asian ethnic culture. The Americans always feel that Asian Americans do not belong to their country; so they wish to know the foreign ethnic origins of Asian Americans.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Asian Americans Hispanics specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Ethnic identity of Asian Americans has been a considerable challenge for them over the years. Many Asian Americans are identified more as Americans in comparison with their Asian cultural heritage even if they continue to acknowledge its impact. The reason for this consists in the fact that they have become assimilated with the American culture and are part of the culture, hence, they are not discriminated against a lot. Since they have been accepted in some way by the society the live in, the Asian Americans do not actively assert their ethnic identity. The issue of ethnic identity comes to surface in the context of viewing the Asian Americans as foreign ethnic minority in America due to their race and place of birth, being the factors, which cannot be evaded. Many Asian Americans are proud to be of Asian descent since they accept and enjoy Asian ethnic heritage, which is encouraged by the fact that America has a multi-ethnic ideology and interest in cultural diversity. In the context of ethnic identity, there has been the emergence of Asian Americans as the ethnic identity that includes all ethnic minorities of Asian origin in the United States due to the fact that various groups of Asian American descent have been counted as a nation. In the political scene, the mobilization of people with Asian American descent as a nation has also contributed to this aspect. Al so in the sphere of education, the term Asian American is popular among youth since they feel they cannot identify their exact ethnic race, hence, they refer themselves to one group due to their origin. However, older people of Japanese American descent do not identify themselves as Asian Americans since they feel they are different from other Asian Americans, as such, the term can be considered broad. In the history of ethnicity, ethnic revival has been evident among the latest generations of Asian Americans. Some of the youth of Japanese American descent have claimed that they regret that they have become assimilated to such an extent due to the lost of the Japanese ethnic heritage. It has created the awareness connected with the ethnic revival, making the Asian Americans feel that maintaining and sustaining their ethnic heritage is essential, hence, they should avoid becoming Americanized.Advertising Looking for essay on history? Let's see if we can help you! Get your fir st paper with 15% OFF Learn More The future of Asian Americans in American society is still debatable considering the fact whether they can be fully considered as whites. The Asian Americans have become part of the society, but they have not been considered as whites. Even if they become more assimilated in terms of culture, the Asian Americans will hardly be considered as white. The reason for such consideration is that there is a difference between the physical appearance of various races. The determinant factor to how one is viewed and identified within their ethnic race is mainly their physical appearance. An individual is mainly identified by his/her race due to their nature and origin. However, this can eventually change with the consideration of high intermarriage rates between Asian Americans and whites. Many people born in intermarriages, consider and identify themselves as whites since their physical appearance resembles whites.