Liberty University Sample Book Review Chhi 520 Essay

How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind: Rediscovering the African Seedbed of Western Christianity By Thomas C. Oden Downers Grove, Ill: Intervarsity Press, 2008, 204 pp, $ 19.00 hardcover. Thomas Oden, an accomplished scholar in systematic and historical theology, and retired professor at Drew University, has offered a compelling and positively provocative work in How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind. A work of scholarly repentance, he ably repudiates the posture of western theologians and historians (i.e. Harnack, Bauer, Schleiermacher) toward Africa’s theological legacy (pp. 57-59). His present work is the fruit of thirty years of reading the early African fathers, and in the last fourteen, he has served as the general editor of the†¦show more content†¦In chapter six, â€Å"The Opportunity for Retrieval,† Oden confronts the postEnlightenment worldview and hermeneutics of suspicion that has effectively diminished Africa’s theological heritage. Chapter se ven, â€Å"How the Blood of the Martyrs Became the Seed of European Christianity,† proposes Africa’s history of martyrdom and the exodus event as alternatives to a Christian view of history marked by power. In chapter eight, â€Å"Right Remembering,† Oden asserts that orthodoxy is not a prize awarded to theological victors, but rather the fruit of correctly remembering the apostles’ teachings. In chapter nine, â€Å"Seeking the Reconciliation of Christianity and Islam Through Historical Insight,† he makes a case for the risky but necessary endeavor of engaging African Muslims in dialogue over their Christian heritage. In the appendix, Oden moves from being a scholar to an activist, laying out a strategic plan to implement his vision for recovering Africa’s theological legacy, which includes the website www.earlyafricanchristianity.com, and the Journal of African Christianity. The book concludes with a helpful â€Å"Literary Chronology of Ch ristianity in the First Millenium,† including key personalities, writings, and movements in the period. Perhaps the most relevant set of works to How Africa Shaped the Christian Mind is Oden’s own Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture. Western theological hegemony has also been

Murder Essay - 1026 Words

Outside the town of Shelby Township, Indiana was a woman’s body lying in the woods of a wildlife refuge. The body was stumbled across by a wildlife refuge worker on September 6, 2010. It was covered in dirt and leaves when found on site. The victim was covered with 3rd degree burns leaving very little room to determine the ethnicity. The hands and feet were shown to be missing and the tibia, pelvis, skull, humerus, and ribs were retrieved. The hands and feet were never found but a knife was left with no blood or fingerprints left on the knife. This was believed to be a murder case considering the hands and feet were chopped off in an unnatural way. The victim was found to be wearing a floral dress and a red clutch with no identification†¦show more content†¦The measurements of the found Tibia and Humerus, perfectly matched the estimated traits. The ethnicity of this individual was determined, very thoroughly, through a series of observations and tests regarding the skull, and nasal cavity. The patient is concluded to be of African American ancestry based on the percentage of results that match up with certain African American ethnicity structural traits, such as, the shape of orbital openings and their nasal index. The nasal index of an the victim was calculated to be 0.85mm and the normal expectations of African American ethnicity (.53) point straight the conclusion that the victim is of African American heritage. The height of an individual is most often determined by the examination of the long bones, such as the femur and tibia. In order to determine the height of this victim, measurements of the Tibia and Humerus were collected, each were then calculated to form an approximated height. For a female of african american background, the tibia was 35 cm long and calculated a height around 5 feet. After measuring the length of the recovered humerus (29 cm), using a specific formula, the approximate height, for this skeleton, is about 4’8† to around 5’3†. Age, is not always the most accurate thing to determine in a forensic anthropology lab. Determining a persons age is dependent on many bones. At birth, all humans have about 405 bones,Show MoreRelatedlunchroom murder essay769 Words   |  4 PagesWHO COMMITED THE LUNCHROOM MURDER? I think that that Customer C killed Fannin. The first piece of evidence that proves Customer C killed Fannin is that that the cash register had been rung up to 8.75 this is the exact total of Customers B, C, and D. This had to have been done before the murder, because the heel to toe footsteps that belonged to Ernie show that he walked to the cash register after mopping (footstep trail Y.) This was done before the robbery, because the only two reasons that he would’veRead More Euthanasia is Murder Essay591 Words   |  3 Pagesrefuse to die but they are still killed. This Is murder! We are not god. We do not have the right choose who to kill, we cannot kill anyone we think would be better off dead. One person or a million people cannot make that decision. Only that person can make the decision. And if they do, make the decision that they do want to be killed, they are obviously not decisionally-competent, and that’s why, no matter what, euthanasia should be classified as murder. A physician has a clear moral obligation toRead MoreEssay on Abortion is Murder667 Words   |  3 Pagesto prove that it is human. This would show us that killing or aborting it would be ending life therefore murdering. In the Bible there are many verses that would bring me to just that conclusion. In Exodus 20:13 the Bible states â€Å"You shall not murder†. It is one of the ten most sacred commandments God gave his people. Christians who believe abortion is ok would say that life starts at the point of birth not the point of conception. In order to defeat this argument we have to prove that the BibleRead MoreEssay on Defences for Murder601 Words   |  3 PagesDefences for Murder There are only three partial defences for murder; suicide pact, provocation-the loss of self control and reaction must be instantaneous and diminished responsibility. Amongst the three mentioned two are most frequently used, these are provocation and diminished responsibility, and only one full defence, self defence. These defences are used to reduce the sentence charge by the defendant to manslaughter from murder. In the following text I willRead MoreAbortion is a Murder Essay721 Words   |  3 Pagesconsidered a murder. 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Take the Einsatzgruppen (Nazi Officers that were partly responsible for the death of millions) The Lithuanians showed them how to murder women and children,Read MoreEssay on Felony Murder Law1371 Words   |  6 PagesThe Felony Murder Law of Colorado states that a person is guilty of first degree murder if he or she participates in, or is fleeing from, some other crime and a death results, intended or not2. This statute is the reason a 21 year old Colorado resident, Lisl Auman, was sentenced to life in prison without parole at the Colorado Womens Correctional Facility3. This case has drawn national attention and while appealing her conviction, has gained support from actors Sean Penn, Be necio Del Torro andRead MoreCriticism’s and Reforms for Murder Essay547 Words   |  3 PagesCriticisms and Reforms for Murder The lack of a precise legal definition of death – creates uncertainty. Most countries have a legal definition of death which is ‘when the brain stem is dead and the victim’s brain cannot function spontaneously. Criminal Law Revision Committee rejected defining death in a statute in 1980. The year and a day rule - In order for a defendant to be liable for a homicide offence, the victim had to die within 366 days of the last Read More ABC Murders Essay902 Words   |  4 Pages Agatha Christie depicts a descriptive, fictional murder mystery in the novel ABC Murders. With the help of the narrator, Captain Arthur Hastings, Hercule Poirot solves the murders of four victims who are killed in alphabetical order by Franklin Clarke, more commonly known as ABC. The story elicits copious high points but the rare low point as well. Examples of these aspects can be found within the plot, setting, characters, conflict, and theme of the book. 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Literacy Numeracy Difficulties Free Essays

As stated by Robinson (Foreman, P. 2008), Difficulties with Literacy and Numeracy affect and influence all aspects of school achievement. It is the largest disability in the community. We will write a custom essay sample on Literacy Numeracy Difficulties or any similar topic only for you Order Now Literacy and Numeracy problems are not always visible. Intervention is needed earlier to ensure the learning gap is not enhanced. Children with learning difficulties need to be identified in the foundation years to enable early intervention. Learning difficulties in Literacy and Numeracy leads to a downward learning cycle; as a lack of achievement causes a lack of motivation and confidence, which causes a further lack of achievement (Hunter-Carsch 2001). Teachers need to recognise and respond by tailoring instruction to the student’s interests, put in the time to motivate students to read, by developing the student’s confidence and commitment. Teachers need to understand how students feel and how to support them. The interactive model approach is becoming increasingly accepted, as it uses both the whole word/stories and letter-sound association in learning to read. This enables all students to learn reading strategies in the learning environment, with the effective intervention using phonological, semantic and syntactic cues. Literacy difficulties affect numeracy learning. Students need to learn basic mathematics for sufficient skills to survive in daily living. This is an essential component of the NCLB Act. Students must understand the language and concepts of mathematics, along with the processes of basic problem solving. Mathematics requires a detailed word-by-word approach, (Henderson 2001;Jitendra et al. 1998), to ensure a student builds an understanding of basic mathematical language and concepts. To achieve the understanding of basic mathematics language and concepts emphasis needs to be placed on doing things that relate to the students life and everyday activities, using concrete materials that reflect this. Students with learning difficulties have memory deficits which impair their ability to memorise information, therefore instruction should focus on the ‘figuring out the number facts’ (Ginsburge 1997). Early intervention can also come from parental input using resources such as ‘Tool kits for Parents’. Students need to see that tasks are meaningful and be able to be confident to complete tasks. To do this activities and resources used are to be specific to the students’ needs and interests and be clearly demonstrated to them. Identifying materials and resources to their local community would enable this. This is backed by McMillan (2011) and Rief, S. F Heimburge, J. A. (2006) Ch. 3 Understanding and Reaching Special Populations of Students. Reference list Carnellor, Y (2004) Teaching Mathematics to Children with Learning Disabilities, Encouraging Mathematical Success to Children with Learning Difficulties, 2004. Ch. 1 pp. 1-10. Social Science Press, Australia. McMillan, J (2011) Classroom Assessment – Principles and Practice for Effective Standards-Based Instruction, 5th Ed, Boston, M. A: Pearson. Rief, S. F Heimburghe, J. A, (2006). How to reach and teach all children in the inclusive classroom (2nd Ed. ). San Francisco: Wiley. Pp. 36-40. Robinson ‘Understanding Literacy and Numeracy’ Ch. 7, pp. 247-254; 285-289. Foreman, P. (2008) Inclusion in action. Cengage Learning. Robinson ‘Developing Literacy and Numeracy Skills’ Ch. 8, pp. 303-308. Foreman, P. (2008) Inclusion in action. Cengage Learning. How to cite Literacy Numeracy Difficulties, Papers

Change Management Critical Analysis and Evaluation

Question: In todays highly volatile, unpredictable and ever flexible business environment, organisations can only take an emergent approach to change. Discuss the validity of this statement. Answer: In ever changing business environment, organisations are adopting emergent approaches to deal with those. Modern business environment never stands still and hence, keep changing. People running businesses might have already experienced various kinds of changes related to economy, consumer purchasing decisions, political changes and supply chain changes (Kotter, 2011). However, outside of this myriad of negatives coming by the change cycles are businesses that are flourishing and growing year by year. Businesses that are successful in long run adopt business models that provide them with an opportunity to adapt to the changes in the demands of the market. This essay aims at examining organisational changes and the issues firms usually face while coping up with frequent changes. The essay will analyse the statement, In todays highly volatile, unpredictable and ever flexible business environment, organisations can only take an emergent approach to change. In present scenario, all types of organisations, from small to large are engaged in the process of change. There are changes to processes, products, services, consumer needs, locations, success drivers. These changes can be difficult to cope with but once organisation adopts a dynamic business model, it is able to adapt to frequent changes effectively (Kotter, 2011). As a preparedness measure, businesses nowadays, tend to adopt business models or management plans to adapt to changes. Change Management models adopted by companies include change planning, stakeholder management, understanding the impact of change, determining ways to cope with change and competency management. By definition, change management refers to the process of renewing the theories, approaches, structure and capabilities of an organisation in order to provide customers with something innovative every time and also adapting to changes effectively. Since changes are inevitable and necessary at the operational and strategic level of the organisation so there is no doubt about its importance and management. Often, it is argued that successful change management is crucial for every organisation if it intends to survive in the long run (Levin, 2012). Organisations that dont implement change management in their system are likely to fail in the long run. But theories and approaches related to change management available with the experts are contradictory. It is believed that change management is becoming a required skill in every manager (Filicetti, 2007). There are different theories and approaches used by managers today to manage change effectively. In earlier times, managers believed that organisations with maximum changes couldnt sustain in competitive environment and meet customer preferences. They thought other way round i.e. the organisations with stability and employees with a set routine can only achieve success (Filicetti, 2007). But with evolving world and business scenario, changes have become necessary for a business to sustain. One of the widely accepted approaches for change management is Emergent Approach. To cope up with the continuous changing market curves an organisation has to follow some Business models that further help it to adapt with the changes and keep an organisation stable and ever-growing (Filicetti, 2007). By definition, a business model refers to the rationale of how a firm develops, delivers and captures value throughout the changing times (Filicetti, 2007). Amongst various Business Models that are followed by the business organisations in order to deal with the staggering changes in the market, the Emergent Approach seems to be a convincing way in the present day world of business. Emergent strategy is the view that strategy emerges over time as intentions collide with and accommodate a changing reality. Emergent strategy is a set of actions, or behaviour, consistent over time, a realized pattern that was not expressly intended in the original planning of strategy. As per emergent strategy, it is implied that a firm gets to learn what is put into practice. Emergent strategies are implemented by allocating resources (Bhasin, 2012). Henry Mintzberg believes that in modern marketplace, allocation of resources is usually unknown and keeps changing. As a result, these emergent strategies enable organisations to adapt to changes in most effective ways. It goes in the opposite direction to the previous traditional approach adopted by most organisations-The Deliberate Approach. The Emergent approach deals with strategies changing with respect to the requirement of the hour. It describes the process of strategy-making as consequential effect of the need to cope with the imperfections of the real world model which is subject to changes every second hour. This approach sees strategic management as an after effect of the trials and errors from the activities and experiences of the management. It identifies the following roles as pertinent to strategy leaders being successful in strategic management and coping up with changes: Planner, Communicator, analyst and Catalyst as well (Levin, 2012). Compared with other approaches, critiques of emergent approach are also significant. Foremost, emergent approach is a coherent change and also criticised for its emphasis on the political dimension of change. It is also limited to organisational changes to which emergent approach is applied and secondly, how it should be applied. Further, there is no assurance that organisa tional leaning will suit with the crisis or not. Some of the change management approaches that can be adopted by organisations are: Education and Communication Approach: It is believed that lack of communication and information usually doesnt let the organisations to cope up with frequent changes. Upfront education and effective communication can help employees up-to-date with market trends and hence, they get prepared to face the changes effectively (Marshak, 2005). This, ultimately, helps in reducing different rumours about any concerns in the organisation. Deliberate Approach: Under Deliberate approach, management team specifies the action the firm will be taking to accomplish its goals. Deliberate approach is also sometime referred to as top-down approach. It involves some form of planning and choices are dependent on the estimation of what might happen in future (Raineri, 2011). This type of approach is generally weak due to two reasons; one it is difficult to predict future due to rapid changes taking place in business environment. Second, these kind of strategies usually fail when developing new products. Umbrella Approach: This type of approach has a clear definition of strategic goals and general strategic decisions that are made by higher management. In this, detail of how goals are to be accomplished is yet to be decided. Managers then use a process of iteration and consensus building that enables senior management to develop the strategy. In other words, senior management decided the detail of how goals should be accomplished (Conner, 2012). These are the some of the approaches that help organisations to adapt to changes effectively. Nevertheless, of all the business Models coping with changes the Emergent Approach is in the upswing and provides better solutions towards the constantly changing market environments. From the economy to the needs of the market, things are constantly in motion. A business needs to go with this flow and use it to its advantage. Rigidity is not the answer when you are looking for if you seek constant growth. From technology to market dynamics, the present scenario is often nothing like what it was 10 years ago. So it can never be expected that things remain unchanged 10 years from now (Ne ask, Klmek, Mal and Mlnkov, 2012). Even if the core product stays the same, which is next to impossible given the intense competition in every market, there will be still the need to upgrade the technologies, train workforce, create new markets and seek more streams of revenue. All this comes under the ambit of change and is necessary for survival. While a growing number of business leaders are starting to realize the importance of changing and adapting, the problem lies in the fact that the organizations they sit atop are inherently resistant to change (Filicetti, 2007). This is often the case with multinational corporations that have been doing things a certain way for a long time now. The inertia makes it very hard to mobilize these organizations. So while the head of the business wants certain things done, the organization itself finds it unable to meet these demands. Hence, change management is a major job requirement for large organizations. Businesses that recognize what a massive challenge changing can be utilized the services of experts to ensure a smooth and seamless transition (Levin, 2012). Whether this change is in terms of operation model, or you are upgrading the technological backbone of your organization, preparing your workforce for this change is a crucial element. Training may be required to ensure that your employees are able to cope up with the changes. At times, you may even need to bring in a new workforce to manage your needs while your current workforce undergoes training (Kotter, 2011). A change management expert will be able to guide you through this process and provide you with the detailed requirements. One of the reasons start-up companies gains so much success and traction is because they are structured to deal with all kinds of changes. The roles of employees are flexible and a lean model ensures that everyone understands the need to change. In effect, start-ups have a work culture that is conducive to change (Anderson, 2001). This same environment needs to be created in any organization. Only when management have a work culture that does not hinder change, employees efforts produce tangible results. Hence, organisations must learn to embrace change, and encourage everyone to do the same (Levin, 2012). In nutshell, it will be right to say that in todays highly volatile, unpredictable and ever flexible business environment, organisations can only take an emergent approach to change. References Anderson, D. (2001). Beyond Change Management: Advanced Strategies for Todays Transformational Leaders. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. Barber, M., Donnelly, K., Rizvi, S., and Summers, L. (2013). An avalanche is coming: Higher education and the revolution ahead. Bhasin, S. (2012). An appropriate change strategy for lean success.Management Decision,50(3), 439-458. Bordia, P., Restubog, S. L. D., Jimmieson, N. L., and Irmer, B. E. (2011). Haunted by the past: Effects of poor change management history on employee attitudes and turnover.Group and Organization Management, 1059601110392990. By, R. T., Burnes, B., and Oswick, C. (2011). Change management: The road ahead.Journal of Change Management,11(1), 1-6. Cameron, E., and Green, M. (2012).Making sense of change management: a complete guide to the models tools and techniques of organizational change. Kogan Page Publishers. Conner, D. (2012). "The Real Story of the Burning Platform". Filicetti, J. (2007). "Project Management Dictionary". PM Hut. Accessed 25 Feb, 2015. Gerth, C. (2013). Introduction. InBusiness Process Models. Change Management(pp. 1-12). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Goetsch, D. L., and Davis, S. B. (2014).Quality management for organizational excellence. pearson. Haslam, S. A., van Knippenberg, D., Platow, M. J., and Ellemers, N. (Eds.). (2014).Social identity at work: Developing theory for organizational practice. Psychology Press. Huczynski, A., and Buchanan, D. A. (2013).Organizational behaviour. Pearson. Keppel, G., and Wardell Johnson, G. W. (2012). Refugia: keys to climate change management.Global Change Biology,18(8), 2389-2391. Kotter, J. (2011). "Change Management vs. Change Leadership -- What's the Difference?". Forbes online. Accessed 25 Feb, 2015. Levin, G. (2012). "Embrace and Exploit Change as a Program Manager: Guidelines for Success". Project Management Institute. Accessed 25 Feb, 2015. Marshak, J. (2005). "Contemporary Challenges to the Philosophy and Practice of Organization Development". In Bradford, David L.; Burke, W. Warner. Reinventing Organization Development: New Approaches to Change in Organizations. pp. 1942. Mehanna, H., Olaleye, O., and Licitra, L. (2012). Oropharyngeal canceris it time to change management according to human papilloma virus status?.Current opinion in otolaryngology and head and neck surgery,20(2), 120-124. Merrell, P., and Watson, T. (2012). Effective change management: The simple truth.Management Services,56(2), 20-23. Ne ask, M., Klmek, J., Mal, J., and Mlnkov, I. (2012). Evolution and change management of XML-based systems.Journal of Systems and Software,85(3), 683-707. Phillips, R. (2012). "Enhancing the effectiveness of organizational change management". Human Resource Management 22 (12): 18399. Raineri, A. B. (2011). Change management practices: Impact on perceived change results.Journal of business research,64(3), 266-272.

The influx of wireless technologies in organizations

Biography of Sun Yat-sen, Chinese Revolutionary Leader

Biography of Sun Yat-sen, Chinese Revolutionary Leader Sun Yat-sen (November 12, 1866–March 12, 1925) holds a unique position in the Chinese-speaking world today. He is the only figure from the early revolutionary period who is honored as the Father of the Nation by people in both the Peoples Republic of China and the Republic of China (Taiwan). Fast Facts: Sun Yat-sen Known For:  Chinese Revolutionary figure, Father of the NationBorn:  November 12, 1866 in Cuiheng village, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, ChinaParents: Sun Dacheng and Madame YangDied: March 12, 1925 in Peking (Beijing), ChinaEducation: Cuiheng elementary school, Iolani high school, Oahu College (Hawaii), Government Central School (Queens College), Hong Kong College of MedicineSpouse(s): Lu Muzhen (m. 1885–1915), Kaoru Otsuki (m. 1903–1906), Soong Ching-ling (m. 1915–1925); Chen Cuifen (concubine,  1892–1912)Children: Son Sun Fo (b. 1891), daughter Sun Jinyuan (b. 1895), daughter Sun Jinwan (b. 1896) with Lu; Daughter Fumiko (b. 1906) with Kaoru Early Life Sun Yat-sen was born Sun Wen in Cuiheng village, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province on November 12, 1866, one of six children born to tailor and peasant farmer Sun Dacheng and his wife Madame Yang. Sun Yat-sen attended elementary school in China, but he moved to Honolulu, Hawaii at the age of 13 where his elder brother Sun Mei had lived since 1871. In Hawaii, Sun Wen lived with his brother Sun Mei and studied at the Iolani School, earning his high school diploma in 1882, and then spent a single semester at Oahu College before his older brother abruptly sent him back to China at the age of 17. Sun Mei feared that his brother was going to convert to Christianity if he stayed longer in Hawaii. Christianity and Revolution Sun Wen had already absorbed too many Christian ideas, however. In 1883, he and a friend broke the Beiji Emperor-God statue in front of his home villages temple. In 1884, his parents arranged for his first marriage to Lu Muzhen (1867–1952), the daughter of a local merchant. In 1887, Sun Wen left for Hong Kong to enroll in the college of medicine and left his wife behind. They would have three children together: son Sun Fo (b. 1891), daughter Sun Jinyuan (b. 1895), daughter Sun Jinwan (b. 1896). He would go on to marry twice more and take a long-term mistress, all without divorcing Lu. In Hong Kong, Sun received a medical degree from the Hong Kong College of Medicine (now the University of Hong Kong). During his time in Hong Kong, the young man converted to Christianity (to his familys chagrin). When he was baptized, he received a new name: Sun Yat-sen. For Sun Yat-sen, becoming Christian was a symbol of his embrace of modern, or Western, knowledge and ideas. It was a revolutionary statement at a time when the Qing Dynasty was trying desperately to fend off westernization. By 1891, Sun had given up his medical practice and was working with the Furen Literary Society, which advocated the overthrow of the Qing. He also began a 20-year relationship with a Hong Kong woman named Chen Cuifen. He went back to Hawaii in 1894 to recruit Chinese ex-patriots there to the revolutionary cause in the name of the Revive China Society. The 1894–1895 Sino-Japanese War was a disastrous defeat for the Qing government, feeding into calls for reform. Some reformers sought a gradual modernization of imperial China, but Sun Yat-sen called for the end of the empire and the establishment of a modern republic. In October 1895, the Revive China Society staged the First Guangzhou Uprising in an attempt to overthrow the Qing; their plans leaked, however, and the government arrested more than 70 society members. Sun Yat-sen escaped into exile in Japan. Exile During his exile in Japan, Sun Yat-sen met Kaoru Otsuki and asked for her hand in marriage in 1901. Since she was only 13 at the time, her father forbade their marriage until 1903. They had a daughter named Fumiko who, after Sun Yat-sen abandoned them in 1906, was adopted by a family named Miyagawa. It was also during his exile in Japan and elsewhere that Sun Yat-sen made contacts with Japanese modernizers and advocates of pan-Asian unity against Western imperialism. He also helped supply weapons to the Filipino Resistance, which had fought its way free from Spanish imperialism only to have the new Republic of the Philippines crushed by the Americans in 1902. Sun had been hoping to use the Philippines as a base for a Chinese revolution  but had to give up that plan. From Japan, Sun also launched a second attempted uprising against the government of Guangdong. Despite help from the organized crime triads, on October 22, 1900, the Huizhou Uprising also failed. Throughout the first decade of the 20th century, Sun Yat-sen called for China to expel the Tatar barbarians- meaning the ethnic-Manchu Qing Dynasty- while gathering support from overseas Chinese in the US, Malaysia, and Singapore. He launched seven more attempted uprisings, including an invasion of southern China from Vietnam in December 1907, called the Zhennanguan Uprising. His most impressive effort to date, Zhennanguan ended in failure after seven days of bitter fighting. The Republic of China Sun Yat-sen was in the United States when the Xinhai Revolution broke out at Wuchang on October 10, 1911. Caught off guard, Sun missed the rebellion that brought down the child emperor, Puyi, and ended the imperial period of Chinese history. As soon as he heard that the Qing Dynasty had fallen, Sun raced back to China. A council of delegates from the provinces elected Sun Yat-sen to be the provisional president of the new Republic of China on December 29, 1911. Sun was chosen in recognition of his unflagging work raising funds and sponsoring uprisings over the previous decade. However, the northern warlord Yuan Shi-kai had been promised the presidency if he could pressure Puyi into formally abdicating the throne. Puyi abdicated on February 12, 1912, so on March 10, Sun Yat-sen stepped aside and Yuan Shi-kai became the next provisional president. It soon became clear that Yuan hoped to establish a new imperial dynasty, rather than a modern republic. Sun began to rally his own supporters, calling them to a legislative assembly in Beijing in May of 1912. The assembly was evenly divided between supporters of Sun Yat-sen and Yuan Shi-kai. At the assembly, Suns ally Song Jiao-ren renamed their party the Guomindang (KMT). The KMT took many legislative seats in the election, but not a majority; it had 269/596 in the lower house, and 123/274 in the senate. Yuan Shi-kai ordered the assassination of KMT leader Song Jiao-ren in March of 1913. Unable to prevail at the ballot box and fearful of Yuan Shi-kais ruthless ambition, Sun organized a KMT force to challenge Yuans army in July 1913. Yuans 80,000 troops prevailed, however, and Sun Yat-sen once more had to flee to Japan in exile. Chaos In 1915, Yuan Shi-kai briefly realized his ambitions when he proclaimed himself the Emperor of China (r. 1915–16). His proclamation as emperor sparked a violent backlash from other warlords- such as Bai Lang- as well as a political reaction from the KMT. Sun Yat-sen and the KMT fought the new emperor in the Anti-Monarchy War, even as Bai Lang led the Bai Lang Rebellion, touching off Chinas Warlord Era. In the chaos that followed, the opposition at one point declared both Sun Yat-sen and Xu Shi-chang as the President of the Republic of China. In the midst of the chaos, Sun Yat-sen married his third wife, Soong Ching-ling (m. 1915–1925), whose sister May-ling would later marry Chiang Kai-shek. To bolster the KMTs chances of overthrowing Yuan Shi-kai, Sun Yat-sen reached out to local and international communists. He wrote to the Second Communist International (Comintern) in Paris for support, and also approached the Communist Party of China (CPC). Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin praised Sun for his work  and sent advisers to help establish a military academy. Sun appointed a young officer named Chiang Kai-shek as the commandant of the new National Revolutionary Army and its training academy. The Whampoa Academy officially opened on May 1, 1924. Preparations for the Northern Expedition Although Chiang Kai-shek was skeptical about the alliance with the communists, he went along with his mentor Sun Yat-sens plans. With Soviet aid, they trained an army of 250,000, which would march through northern China in a three-pronged attack, aimed at wiping out the warlords Sun Chuan-fang in the northeast, Wu Pei-fu in the Central Plains, and Zhang Zuo-lin in Manchuria. This massive military campaign would take place between 1926 and 1928, but would simply realign power among the warlords rather than consolidating power behind the Nationalist government. The longest-lasting effect was probably the enhancement of Generalissimo Chiang Kai-sheks reputation- but Sun Yat-sen would not live to see it. Death On March 12, 1925, Sun Yat-sen died at the Peking Union Medical College from liver cancer. He was just 58 years old. Although he was a baptized Christian, he was first buried at a Buddhist shrine near Beijing called the Temple of Azure Clouds. In a sense, Suns early death ensured that his legacy lives on in both mainland China and Taiwan. Because he brought together the Nationalist KMT and the Communist CPC, and they were still allies at the time of his death, both sides honor his memory. Sources Bergere, Marie-Clare. Sun Yat-sen. Trans. Lloyd, Janet. Stanford, California: Stanford University Press, 1998.Lee, Lai To, and Hock Guan Lee. Sun Yat-sen, Nanyang and the 1911 Revolution. Singapore: Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2011.Lum, Yansheng Ma, and Raymond Mun Kong Lum. Sun Yat-sen in Hawaii: Activities and Supporters. Honolulu: Hawaii Chinese History Center, 1999.  Schriffin, Harold. Sun Yat-sen and the Origins of the Chinese Revolution. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1970.

What is the Communicative approach to Language Learning Outline the Essay

What is the Communicative approach to Language Learning Outline the learning theories on which it is based - Essay Example So, now learning English for any professional or a student has become mandatory to excel in the selected trade. There are a number of ways a language that is usually foreign to students is taught. Language expertise or even little knowledge to communicate properly or rather thoroughly express is the intension. It is well known that human psychologist say a topic or a subject is well remembered or understood when it is taught in an interactive format for that matter in a communicative approach. Students were previously taught with the aid of audio media such as cassettes which spell the language and some times even translate the grammar of the foreign language. They were known as audio lingual and grammar translation methods. These did not give learning an enough realistic feeling that is they could not teach real time usage that is appropriate social language, gestures, expressions and were not able to communicate in the culture of the language studied. Slowly a new approach to teach foreign language has mushroomed in 1970s and it was named communicative-style of teaching where usage of authentic language and classroom exchanges took place. Students here were made to communicate with fellow students and teachers with mock situations being created. Language interaction is explained asâ€Å"Language is interaction; it is interpersonal activity and has a clean relationship with the society. In this light , language study has to look at the use of language context, both its linguistic context(what is uttered before and after a given piece of discourse) and its social or situational, context (who is speaking, what their social roles are, why they have come together to speak).† (Berns, 1984) A teacher or an instructor would have already planned the schedule to follow and practice exercises. Here the focus is basically on implementing the procedures to learn the language rather than talking in it. The schedule scheduled needs to be practiced in pairs for the sake

Business research report Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Business report - Research Paper Example However, upon completion of the survey process and subsequent data screening, responses provided by 438 participants were considered and the rest were omitted. The reason behind the omission was particularly because some of the surveys were incomplete, some responses were biased and error existed in the rest (Mukherji & Albon, 2009; Saunders, Lewis & Thornhil, 2009). The data has been presented both in the form of descriptive. Application of these methodologies enabled the researcher to describe the major aspects of a set of data quantitatively (Somekh & Lewin, 2004; Spradley, 1979). The ultimate aim was to abridge a sample of data quantitatively with the application of any probabilistic model The first and foremost objective is to determine who are using the park and what the purposes behind that are. In order to achieve this objective, the researcher had to analyze question 1 through to question 4. The first question involved investigation of the main reasons that prompted people to visit the park. It is evident from figure 1 given below that 31.28% of the respondents visit the parks in order to exercise. According to 20.32% of the respondents, walking the dog is the major reason behind their visit to the park. 17.35% of the respondents visited the park in order to accompany their children to the playground. 7.99 % of the respondents visit the park in order to engage themselves in organized sports activities. Sitting/relaxing/socializing is the reason behind visiting parks for 12.79% of the respondents. Among the other major reasons that prompt people to visit their nearby park is to organize family barbecue parties or to fly aero plane models. Given the fact that, majo rity of the sample population visits the park in order to exercise, it provides an excellent premise for the researcher to conduct an in-depth analysis of their attitudes and perceptions towards outdoor exercise equipment positioned along the walk paths. As far as the

Court case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Court - Case Study Example have become a multimillion dollar a year industry for many private firms, the level of potential ethical violations that exists has exponentially increased. Unfortunately, the situation that has thus far been described is one that is likely taking place on a much more macro scale than the isolated situation that has thus far been defined. Ultimately, pay for prison time schemes are likely to exist not only at the juvenile justice level but also with respect to the application of adult justice. This particular issue is unethical in many different measurements. Firstly, the entity that was responsible for providing payment to the judge was guilty of bribery and broke the law by engaging in such a practice. Similarly, the judge that was willing and able to continue to take these brides was guilty of allowing the entire process of justice to be derailed merely as a result of their own greed. Such an issue is not new to the realm of criminal justice; as courts, jurors, judges, and elements within the prosecution or defense have had a long history of corruption and bribery; regardless of the region or legal system in question. However, the level of obvious corruption that exists within this particular case is especially troublesome due to the fact that the judge was perfectly willing to sentence first time, and oftentimes non-violent, offenders to juvenile jail time; merely as a means of fulfilling a quota and ensuring that the kickbacks that he was receiving would continue to flow. Further, this does an injustice to society as a whole; due to the fact that individuals who might otherwise have been corrected in a less costly way were placed in detention facilities – requiring the use of public funds to support their incarceration (Davis, 2011). With respect to what can be done as a means of curbing such unethical behavior in the courtroom, it can readily be determined that the review of such cases was incomplete. A determination of this reality is predicated upon

John Rawls Theory Of Justice Philosophy Essay

John Rawls Theory Of Justice Philosophy Essay A Theory of Justice is Rawlss attempt to formulate a philosophy of justice and a theoretical program for establishing political structures designed to preserve social justice and individual liberty. Rawls writes in reaction to the then predominant theory of utilitarianism, which posits that justice is defined by that which provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Rawls proposes a theoretical person who, shrouded in a veil of ignorance, must design a just society without foreknowledge of his or her own status in that society. Rawls asserts that from this objective vantage point, which he calls the original position, the individual will choose a system of justice that adequately provides for those positioned on the lowest rungs of society. The individual will do so because he or she may end up in such a disadvantaged position and will want to be adequately provided for. Rawls draws from earlier theories of political philosophy that posit a social contract by which individuals implicitly agree to the terms on which they are governed in any society. Rawls concludes that such a social contract, formulated from the perspective of the original position, will guarantee a just society without sacrificing the happiness or liberty of any one individual. Rawls addresses issues of liberty, social equality, democracy, and the conflict of interests between the individual and society. A Theory of Justice Summary: Justice as Fairness In A Theory of Justice, Rawls begins with the statement that, Justice is the first virtue of social institution, meaning that a good society is one structured according to principals of justice. Rawls asserts that existing theories of justice, developed in the field of philosophy, are not adequate: My guiding aim is to work out A Theory of Justice that is a viable alternative to these doctrines which have long dominated our philosophical tradition. He calls his theory-aimed at formulating a conception of the basic structure of society in accordance with social justice-justice as fairness. Rawls sets forth to determine the essential principles of justice on which a good society may be based. He explains the importance of principles of justice for two key purposes: first, to provide a way of assigning rights and duties in the basic institutions of society; and secondly, to define the appropriate distribution of the benefits and burdens of society. He observes that, by his definition, well-ordered societies are rare due to the fact that what is just and unjust is usually in dispute. He further notes that a well-ordered and perfectly just society must be formulated in a way that addresses the problems of efficiency, coordination, and stability. Critique of Utilitarianism Throughout the twentieth century, the dominant philosophical theory of justice in Western philosophy was utilitarianism. Utilitarianism was first developed in the nineteenth century by the great utilitarians, whom Rawls lists as David Hume, Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill. Utilitarianism essentially posits that a just society is one based on achieving the greatest good, or happiness, for the greatest number of people. However, many theorists have found this principle ultimately unsatisfactory because it implies that the  » Complete A Theory of Justice Summary Cited from: A Theory of Justice: Introduction. Nonfiction Classics for Students. Ed. Marie Rose Napierkowski. Vol. 3. Detroit: Gale, 1998. eNotes.com. January 2006. 6 September 2010. . A brief synopsis from Wikipedia: In A Theory of Justice, Rawls argues for a principled reconciliation of liberty and equality. Central to this effort is an account of the circumstances of justice (inspired by David Hume), and a fair choice situation (closer in spirit to Immanuel Kant) for parties facing such circumstances. Principles of justice are sought to guide the conduct of the parties. These parties face moderate scarcity, and they are neither naturally altruistic nor purely egoistic: they have ends which they seek to advance, but desire to advance them through cooperation with others on mutually acceptable terms. Rawls offers a model of a fair choice situation (the original position with its veil of ignorance) within which parties would hypothetically choose mutually acceptable principles of justice. Under such constraints, Rawls believes that parties would find his favored principles of justice to be especially attractive, winning out over varied alternatives, including utilitarian and libertarian accounts. In 1974, Rawls colleague at Harvard, Robert Nozick, published a defense of libertarian justice, Anarchy, State, and Utopia.[3] Because it is, in part, a reaction to A Theory of Justice, the two books are now often read together. Another Harvard colleague, Michael Walzer, wrote a defence of communitarian political philosophy, Spheres of Justice,[4] as a result of a seminar he co-taught with Nozick. In a related line of criticism, Michael Sandel (also a Harvard colleague) wrote Liberalism and the Limits of Justice,[5] which took Rawls to task for asking us to think about justice while divorcing ourselves from the very values and aspirations that define us. Sandels line of argument in part draws on critiques of Rawls advanced by both Charles Taylor and Alasdair MacIntyre who argue for the importance that moral ontologies have on ethical arguments.[6] Robert Paul Wolff wrote Understanding Rawls: A Critique and Reconstruction of A Theory of Justice[7] immediately following the publication of A Theory of Justice, which criticized Rawls from a roughly Marxist perspective. Wolff argues in this work that Rawls theory is an apology for the status quo insofar as it constructs justice from existing practice and forecloses the possibility that there may be problems of injustice embedded in capitalist social relations, private property or the market economy. Feminist critics of Rawls, such as Susan Moller Okin,[8] largely focused on the extent to which Rawls theory could account for (if at all) injustices and hierarchies embedded in familial relations. Rawls argued that justice ought only to apply to the basic structure of society. Feminists, rallying around the theme of the personal is political, took Rawls to task for failing to account for injustices found in patriarchal social relations and the gendered division of labor, especially in the household. The assumptions of the original position, and in particular, the use of maximin reasoning, have also been criticized (most notably by Kenneth Arrow[9] and John Harsanyi),[10] with the implication either that Rawls designed the original position to derive the two principles, or that an original position more faithful to its initial purpose would not lead to his favored principles. In reply Rawls has emphasized the role of the original position as a device of representation for making sense of the idea of a fair choice situation for free and equal citizens.[11] Rawls has also emphasized the relatively modest role that maximin plays in his argument: it is a useful heuristic rule of thumb given the curious features of choice behind the veil of ignorance.[12] Some egalitarian critics have raised concerns over Rawls emphasis on primary social goods. For instance, Amartya Sen has argued that we should attend not only to the distribution of primary goods, but also how effectively people are able to use those goods to pursue their ends.[13] In a related vein, Norman Daniels has wondered why healthcare shouldnt be treated as a primary good,[14] and some of his subsequent work has addressed this question, arguing for a right to health care within a broadly Rawlsian framework.[15] Philosopher Allan Bloom, a student of Leo Strauss, criticized Rawls for failing to account for the existence of natural right in his theory of justice, and wrote that Rawls absolutizes social union as the ultimate goal which would conventionalize everything into artifice.[16] Recent criticisms of Rawls theory have come from the philosopher G.A. Cohen. Cohens series of influential papers culminated first in his book, If Youre An Egalitarian, How Come Youre So Rich?[17] and then in his later work, Rescuing Justice and Equality. Cohens criticisms are leveled against Rawls avowal of inequality under the difference principle, against his application of the principle only to social institutions, and against Rawlsian fetishism with primary goods (again, the metric which Rawls chooses as his currency of equality). Philosopher and Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen, a former student of Rawls, critiques and attempts to revitalize A Theory of Justice in his 2009 book The Idea of Justice. He defends the basic notion of justice as fairness but attacks the notion that the two principles of justice emerging from the Original position are necessary. Sen claims that there are multiple possible outcomes of the reflective equilibrium behind the veil of ignorance. A Theory of Justice (1971), by John Rawls, is one of the most influential works in moral and political philosophy written in the twentieth century, according to Samuel Freeman in the Collected Papers of John Rawls (1999). A Theory of Justice is Rawlss attempt to formulate a philosophy of justice and a theoretical program for establishing political structures designed to preserve social justice and individual liberty. Rawls writes in reaction to the then predominant theory of utilitarianism, which posits that justice is defined by that which provides the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Rawls proposes a theoretical person who, shrouded in a veil of ignorance, must design a just society without foreknowledge of his or her own status in that society. Rawls asserts that from this objective vantage point, which he calls the original position, the individual will choose a system of justice that adequately provides for those positioned on the lowest rungs of society. The individual will do so because he or she may end up in such a disadvantaged position and will want to be adequately provided for. Rawls draws from earlier theories of political philosophy that posit a social contract by which individuals implicitly agree to the terms on which they are governed in any society. Rawls concludes that such a social contract, formulated from the perspective of the original position, will guarantee a just society without sacrificing the happiness or liberty of any one individual. Rawls addresses issues of liberty, social equality, democracy, and the conflict of interests between the individual and society. A Theory of Justice Summary Justice as Fairness In A Theory of Justice, Rawls begins with the statement that, Justice is the first virtue of social institution, meaning that a good society is one structured according to principals of justice. Rawls asserts that existing theories of justice, developed in the field of philosophy, are not adequate: My guiding aim is to work out A Theory of Justice that is a viable alternative to these doctrines which have long dominated our philosophical tradition. He calls his theory-aimed at formulating a conception of the basic structure of society in accordance with social justice-justice as fairness. Rawls sets forth to determine the essential principles of justice on which a good society may be based. He explains the importance of principles of justice for two key purposes: first, to provide a way of assigning rights and duties in the basic institutions of society; and secondly, to define the appropriate distribution of the benefits and burdens of society. He observes that, by his definition, well-ordered societies are rare due to the fact that what is just and unjust is usually in dispute. He further notes that a well-ordered and perfectly just society must be formulated in a way that addresses the problems of efficiency, coordination, and stability. Critique of Utilitarianism Throughout the twentieth century, the dominant philosophical theory of justice in Western philosophy was utilitarianism. Utilitarianism was first developed in the nineteenth century by the great utilitarians, whom Rawls lists as David Hume, Adam Smith, Jeremy Bentham, and John Stuart Mill. Utilitarianism essentially posits that a just society is one based on achieving the greatest good, or happiness, for the greatest number of people. However, many theorists have found this principle ultimately unsatisfactory because it implies that the  » Complete A Theory of Justice Summary I fondly recall arguing about Rawls theories in John Singers Values and Institutions class at Colgate, so it was interesting to finally try reading it.   It turns out, the revolution that Rawls created was based on a simple but totally specious change in the assumptions about human nature, and upon this rotten foundation he built up a shaky edifice to justify Liberal yearnings.   The book is reminiscent of a treatise by a Medieval scientist, working out the elaborate orbital patterns that planets would require if the Universe actually were geocentric. In order to accomplish his revolution, Rawls posited a counterintuitive and antihistorical starting point for the discussion of political theory. The great political philosophers, Hobbes, Locke, etc., had used the state of nature as the starting point for their theories.   In this state of nature, men were assumed to be completely self-centered and dedicated only to their own interests, with the result that life was nasty, brutish and short and only the strongest survived.   But gradually men tired of this blood sport and entered into a social contract wherein they surrendered some personal sovereignty to a central governing entity, which, in whatever form, would enforce a set of impartial laws in order to protect men from one another.   This is a pretty minimalist position, the social contract and the government that it creates serve only to provide a certain level of physical security, leaving men free to pursue their own fortunes and taking no interest in the degree to which they succeed.   But it conforms with our intuitive understanding of human nature, our observations of our fellow man and, most importantly, it has proven a workable basis for understanding politics for some 300 years. The essential change that Rawls made was to replace the State of Nature with his Original Position, wherein, when it came time for primordial man to enter into a social contract, because he would be ignorant of his own capacities (the veil of ignorance), he would pursue a low risk strategy and choose a social contract based on egalitarianism; he would seek the most equal distribution of wealth and power possible, just in case it turned out that he was the least fit of the species. If Rawls is right, if men acted on the assumption that they would be one of the ones left behind once the race of life begins, then the rest of his theory might be worth examining.   But, of course, this assumption runs counter to everything we understand about ourselves and our fellow human beings.   It is a fuzzy headed liberals view of the appropriate strategy for lifes losersmake political decisions on the basis of the likelihood that you are a loser and need help.  Ã‚   But look around a casino or a Lottery Ticket line and you will see that the losers think that they too are winners.   Look at polls about taxation levels and you find that the lower class does not want the upper class taxed too heavily, because they assume that they, or their children, are headed for that bracket eventually.  Ã‚   It turns out that people act very much as the great philosophers expected them to; they act out of naked self interest and the belief that they are capable and deserve whateve r they can achieve.   The justice that men seek is in fact little more than an impartial application of a set of laws that are fair to all, not an equal distribution of goods and power, which would necessarily impinge on the freedom of all. Rawls great error is to try to base his theory on a generalized yearning for happiness.   Rawls was seeking a positive definition of Mans aspiration in the original position, but the inevitable result, because we will all define happiness differently, is to create a foundational quagmire for his theories.   After all, you may define happiness as having a lot of stuff, but I may define it as spiritual enlightenment.  Ã‚   The classic understanding, basing the social contract on the avoidance of death, is obviously universal, we are all agreed that our own deaths are to be avoided, and, therefore, more sound.   . Finding the basic supposition that props up Rawls whole theory to be fundamentally incorrect, it behooves us little to examine the superstructure he seeks to construct upon this error.   Suffice it to say, no system of government has ever achieved a more equal distribution of wealth and power than has the American Constitutional Republic and it is based on the classic understanding of human nature found in Hobbes and Locke.   Nuff said. (Reviewed:) John Rawls is perhaps the most significant intellectual in philosophical ethics to have written in the past hundred years. It is nearly impossible to address ethics in contemporary philosophy without saying something about John Rawls. Central to his theory of justice are the concepts of fairness and equality from behind what he terms a veil of ignorance. Rawlss veil of ignorance is a component of the way people can construct society. He refers to an original position in which a person is attempting to determine a fair arrangement for society without any preconceived notions or prejudices. In this original position, people are behind what Rawls calls a Veil of Ignorance and do not know where they will fall in the social hierarchy in terms of race, class, sex, disability, and other relevant factors. Rawls is a Kantian liberal in that he believes that principles of justice should be universalizable, and so the only way to ensure that people will select fair principles of justice is to be certain that they do not know how the principles they select might affect them as individuals. A person behind the veil of ignorance does not know which side of a social contract he or she will be on, does not know his or her race, class, sex, or status in society. A person who does not know what privileges he or she will be born with (or without ) is, in Rawls view, more likely to construct a society that does not arbitrarily assign privilege based on characteristics that should have no bearing on what people get. Rawls believes that a society cannot be just without fairness and equalit y and believes this veil of ignorance both reveals the biases of In A Theory of Justice, Rawls attempts to make a rational study of social ethics by using reason to determine what a just society should look like and how a rational group of people would organize themselves. One major   topic of interest that Rawls presents is the veil of ignorance concept and its role in the creation of original position. Two further concepts of importance to the theory of a just society are the difference principle and the concept of individual liberty in society. Together, these three concepts provide a basis for the discussion and critique of Rawls theory and its implications for the pursuance of justice. current society and can help to prevent biases in establishing future social arrangements. In A Theory of Justice, Rawls attempts to make a rational study of social ethics by using reason to determine what a just society should look like and how a rational group of people would organize themselves. One major   topic of interest that Rawls presents is the veil of ignorance concept and its role in the creation of original position. Two further concepts of importance to the theory of a just society are the difference principle and the concept of individual liberty in society. Together, these three concepts provide a basis for the discussion and critique of Rawls theory and its implications for the pursuance of justice. Rawls method to justice as a theory proposes that principles of justice can be determined through the rational thinking of individuals shrouded by a veil of ignorance. In a purely hypothetical situation, the veil of ignorance creates an original position of equality in which persons under the veil have no knowledge of status, position in society, personal wealth or natural abilities. From behind the veil of ignorance, a rational, objective and disinterested group of people would choose a system of justice that ensures an equal distribution of rights and duties. The term reflective equilibrium was coined by John Rawls and popularized in his celebrated A Theory of Justice as a method for arriving at the content of the principles of justice. Abstract John Rawls Theory of Justice (1971) is the single most important philosophical work of the Left since Marx. Rawls A Theory of Justice can be understood as two theories addressing two different subjects. The split can also be seen textually. The first half of the book deals almost exclusively with the hypothetical theory of justice founded in the original position. The second half of the book addresses how actual institutions should operate given the findings of the initial theory. There are many instances, such as Rawls distinction between fair and formal equal opportunity, where Rawls claims that the purely speculative arguments of his theory can justify his claims concerning actual situations. However, as Sher argues, it is not necessarily the case that Rawls can make the connection. Rawls hypothetical theory can operate on its own. Rawls theory of just institutions is a stronger argument if he does not try and connect the two theories. The problem of desert is one example of how R awls theory of justice as fairness should be read as two theories. Rawls offers a theory of a just and well-ordered society which would distribute wealth, income, liberties, opportunities and positions of authority. He considers justice as fairness as a political -moral conception of justice. The principles of justice are two according to Ralws and these would justify a given body of social, moral and political ideas since they are congruent to our ferments convictions. Utilitarianism was first developed in the nineteenth century by the great utilitarians. Utilitarianism essentially posits that a just society is one based on achieving the greatest good, or happiness, for the greatest number of people. However, Rawls rejects Utilitarianism, for it fails to take into consideration, the distinction that exists between individuals. Since it aims at the greatest happiness and tries to maximize greatest welfare, it fails to secure individual rights. Rawls relies on the social contract tradition in its Kantian form to account for principles that would guide individuals noumenal selves, secure equal basic liberties to all and account for social values and community. In A Theory of Justice, Rawls begins with the statement that, Justice is the first virtue of social institution, meaning that a good society is one structured according to principals of justice. . Rawls asserts that existing theories of justice, developed in the field of philosophy, are not adequate: My guiding aim is to work out A Theory of Justice that is a viable alternative to these doctrines which have long dominated our philosophical tradition. He calls his theory-aimed at formulating a conception of the basic structure of society in accordance with social justice-justice as fairness. He claims that justice as fairness provides a practical political procedure, which satisfies the demand of modern democracies societies. Pluralism entailed by industrial societies is presumed to be the permanent features of modern democracies, which challenges the priority of philosophy over democracy. However, Rawls theory has received large scale attention by some well-known Academicians. Some of them have disagreed and challenged its basic assumptions. These critical appraisals, but, indicate the importance of his work if one wants to deliberate on problems of contemporary social and political theory. In this thesis will try to excavate the philosophical understanding of the Rawlsian theory of justice and also try to identify the philosophical shift in his position under the light of some of major critiques.

Susan Brownell Anthony Essay -- Biography Biographies Essays Women Suf

Susan Brownell Anthony: The Mother of America If the Majority of this nation agrees that George Washington was the founding father of America, then Susan B. Anthony would have to be the founding mother of America. She was the ultimate leader in the woman's suffrage movement. The Suffrage movement started around 1840 and in a way, it still continues today. Women have only been voting for 84 years (in America) while men could vote from the start of civilization. In her time, women were not allowed to have anything under their name from the moment they were born. If anything had the potential to be theirs, it would instead legally be their father?s or male guardian?s until she was married. Even then, the object would be given to her husband because women were not considered to be worthy of such things. There was only one college in the whole world that admitted women and women doctors and lawyers were unheard of. Although women are still not treated with complete equality, the constitution fuly supports their right to defend themse lves. If the 19th amendment was not created in 1920, then it would have taken that much longer for women to gain respect. Susan B. Anthony revolutionized America?s outlook on women of all colors; without her, women would not have attained complete enfranchisement in 1920. Susan was born on February 15, 1820 in Adams, Massachusetts to Daniel and Lucy Anthony. She could read and write at the age of five and learned arithmetic even though most other girls weren?t allowed to. She continued her education at Miss Deborah Moulson?s Select Seminary for Females and became the assistant principal of a boarding school in New Rochelle (Untermeyer 61). When she succeeded a man to work as a teacher, after havin... ...or giving them every right that men have been given. There are a few people who still discriminate women, but because women have rights, they are forced to accept the equality of women regardless of their opinion. Works Cited Burns, Ken. ?Our Big Time.? American Heritage. Nov 1999: 98. Kowalski, Kathiann. ?Cady Stanton and Anthony Friends Fighting for the Cause.? Cobblestone. March 2000: 14. Stansell, Christine. ?The Road from Seneca Falls: the Feminism of the Mothers, the Feminism of the Daughters, the Feminism of the Girls.? The New Republic. 10 Aug. 1998: 26-38. Susan B. Anthony. Thompson Gale. 9 Feb 2004 . ?Susan B. Anthony: Women?s Suffrage Movement.? Monkeyshines on America. May 1997: 28. Untermeyer, Louis. Makers of the Modern World. New York: Simon and Schuster, Inc., 1955.

English Language Teaching Essay

This paper aims to highlight the importance of teaching sociolinguistic competence to ESL learners in Malaysian schools. Sociolinguistic competence is the knowledge of socio cultural rules of language and of discourse. This type of competence requires an understanding of the socio context in which language is used. It is proposed that carefully designed language activities be carried out by instructors in order to impart sociolinguistic skills to learners. The importance of universal intelligibility should be stressed, as opposed to native accent. Furthermore students should also be taught proper contextual use of English, in accordance to cultural reference and cultural appropriacy should be part of the learners’ core sociolinguistic competence. Keywords: Socio-cultural rules, Sociolinguistic competence, Formal language, Colloquialism 1. Introduction Malaysia is a multi-racial society which is strongly bounded by its system of monarchy. However, Malays form the largest portion of its demography, with Malay as its national language. Though Malay is still the most commonly used lingua franca among Malaysians, English is gaining more importance and relevance in the country. In fact, Malaysians have come to realize that it is no longer necessary, nor desirable to aim at an English native speaker’s speech to achieve their communicative function. However, there has been a strong decline in the levels of English proficiency in the country .This is evident in Malaysians’ everyday speech, which are often marred by grammatical and phonological errors or at times too loaded with â€Å"suffixes† (e.g. lah, lor, meh) and loan words from other languages. English is the second most important language in Malaysia. It is used in  various professions and is an important requirement in Malaysian academic settings. The academic setting is a microcosm of the Malaysian population, which is a mix of interlocutors of different racial and language backgrounds. They may also differ in their English language proficiency levels. Therefore, it could be assumed that in Malaysian schools’ unique language environment, sociolinguistic competence contributes to Malaysian students English language proficiency. 2. Malaysian School Language Policy When Malaysia got its independence in 1957, the government of Malaysia set out on a program to establish Bahasa Melayu as the official language, to be used in all government functions and as the medium of instruction at all levels in the education system. The introduction of a new primary school curriculum which goes by the Malay acronym, KBSR (Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Rendah), and the new secondary school curriculum which goes by the acronym, KBSM (Kurikulum Bersepadu Sekolah Menengah), is an approach to provide holistic, balanced and integrated development of an individual’s potential; intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical aspect. However in 2002, the government announced a reversal of policy, calling for a switch to English as a medium of instruction for Mathematics and Science at all levels in the education system. Since 2003, Science and Mathematics have been taught in English. Therefore, teachers will be forced to code-switch to make pupils understand the su bject matter. 3. Sociolinguistic Competence Sociolinguistic competence is the knowledge of the sociocultural rules of language and of discourse. This type of competence requires an understanding of the social context in which language is used: the rules of the participants, the information they share, and the functions of the interaction. Only in a full context of this kind can judgement be made on the appropriateness of a ‘particular utterance’, as mentioned by Brown (2000). Lyie Bachman’s (1990) sociolinguistic competence comprises aspects, which deal with factors such as politeness, formality, metaphor, registers, and culturally related aspects of language. For students learning English in Malaysia, sociolinguistic competence should take into account those aspects as proposed by Bachman. Broersma (2001) stated that the process of learning sociolinguistic competence is challenging even in one’s first language. He also proposed that evidence of this can be found in the popularity of â€Å"Miss Manners† columns. He claims if we all had perfect sociolinguistic competence, we wouldn’t need advice about the proper way to send wedding invitations or give a dinner party. Having good sociolinguistic competence means knowing how to â€Å"give every person his or her due.† It means knowing when to be quiet, and when to talk, when to give compliments to others, and when to apologize. It also means being able to read situations and know what is the right thing to say or do. There are an infinite number of combinations of roles, tasks, contexts, and feelings that govern what is appropriate in any given encounter. 4. Sensitivity to Dialect or Variety The standard variety of English used in our country is the variety that is taught formally in schools and the Standard British English is the linguistic model in the education system of Malaysia. However in Malaysia, English, being the second language, is learnt for a functional purpose. The most important measure of success when a language is learnt for a functional purpose is communicative effectiveness; that is, whether the language enabled the learners to achieve the purpose of learning. A dialect is a language variation spoken by a particular ethnic, social or regional group and is an element of the group’s collective identity (Ogbu, 1999). Each dialect within a language is just as logical, complex and  rule-governed as the standard form of the language (often called standard variety). Malaysian English (or Manglish) is a non-native variety of English and is one of the most prominent features of Malaysia’s linguistic corpus. Baskaran (1994) has categorized ‘Manglish’ into three sociolects, which are: †¢ Acrolect (‘high’ social dialect) – used for official or educational purposes, considered to be the standard educated sub-variety that approximates native competence and is used in formal speech as well as in written forms by speakers who have been educated in English; †¢ Mesolect (‘middle’ social dialect) – used in semiformal and casual situations, a sub-variety that is used in informal situations among fellow Malaysians. †¢ Basilect (‘low’ social dialect) – used informally and colloquially as a ‘patois’ shades into a pidgin used mostly by village peddlers when talking to tourists and other potential customers. 5. Different English Varieties. There are different varieties of English used here in Malaysia. The important issue here is what would be considered as an acceptable variety of English for Malaysian students? In Malaysia, there is a strong tradition of teaching English when learners are still very young. Also, due to home language interferences and strong media influence, which at times popularises Manglish as a more convenient spoken variety, Malaysian students might not have enough exposure to models of Standard English. Parents might communicate with their children in  strong accented English which is unique to each cultural/racial group, or/and even in broken or grammatically incorrect English. This variety of English could be incomprehensible at times. 5.1 Malaysian English (ME) Some words of ME reflect the multilingual traits of the country. The existence of loan words in the lexis of ME is very rampant and common, especially since Malaysia is a Malay dominated country both in language and culture. Moreover there are no lexical equivalents of certain Malay words in English. Listed below is a list of commonly used borrowed words and phrases which have made their way into the repertoire of speech among speakers of Manglish. At the lexical level, some words of ME used by students reflect the multilingual traits of the country. There exist loan words from contact languages such as Chinese (ta-paw, pu-yao) and Bahasa Malayu (makan). Using substrate lexemes plural in the usual English way is common, e.g. kopios coffees (kop-o, black coffee), Menteri Besar (head of state government) and pengarahs (directors). Other cultural expressions adopted in ME, for instance: †¢ Kadhi (religious judge) impose a fine for khalwat (illicit proximity to the opposite sex) †¢ Don’t act so ulufied (backward, not hip) Wear something more stylo (stylish) †¢ Lets go ngerdate (dating), an Indonesian slang very common among the Malays. †¢ Hello thamby, (boy) one cup of coffee please. An example of a short conversation in colloquial Malaysian English (non-standard English) may sound like this: Housewife: Your fish so flabby, no good one. Fishmonger : Like that already hard †¢what. How hard one you want? You want stone, want wood. I can’t find. Housewife : You half-past six lawyer one. Give little bit cheap la, this fish. Fishmonger : Oh, that’s why you said that kind, said my thing flabby, you want Cheap-cheap. Housewife : You don’t want give, I look other places. Fishmonger : Look, look la, wait you come back look for me also. (Adibah Aroin, New Straits Times, 3V December 1992) 6. Awareness of language differences in the classroom Though the use of Standard English is very much desired, one must not dismiss the significance of other varieties of the language, particularly Manglish. Students must be made to realise the importance of Standard English in academic and formal settings; but at the same time be conscious of the communicative function of Manglish. Manglish helps learners to bridge the gap between the use of acrolect among proponents in an academic setting and the basilect used among their peers to facilitate understanding. More importantly, Manglish has a social function of fostering ties. It motivates students to move from one speech to another level through the opening up of communication channels across the sociolects. Students must realise that the main objective of learning English is not to acquire native speakers’ competency but rather to be intelligible among international English speakers and those within their ‘community’. Students  must be conscious that dialects are not inferior languages and that they should be respected, and that Standard English is necessary only in a formal context. 6.1 Intercultural Media Language The English language and its varieties would make excellent vehicles to create cross-cultural awareness. Students are able to use print and non-print resources of language such to compare the language used in British newspapers and the local dailies. Students will find differences in the use of lexical items and would be able to familiarize themselves with the constructs of ‘Manglish’. They will then proceed to examine larger texts such as novels and plays. This will encourage students to accept their own variety and ‘overcome reluctance to approach another variety once they found that the texts in these other varieties were accessible to them’ (Kachru and Nelson: 1996) 6.2 New English Literatures An excellent method to introduce other varieties of English is through literature. The area of literature opens up multi-traditional aspects of human life, which encourages students to broaden their horizons. By introducing literatures that is very much Malaysian, students will be exposed to new uses and forms of their own language. 6.3 Manglish Discourse Materials, which have features of ‘Manglish’ such as advertisement, obituaries and excerpts from TV and conversations, provide excellent  resources in discussing discourse markers. In this way, students are able to study speech acts such as negotiating, persuading, and apologizing within the structures and cultural context which is most familiar to them. Rather than perceiving it as an obstacle to learning the English language, the recognition of ‘Manglish’ by educational bodies may perhaps be of a great value. 6.4 Importance of Standard Variety I would suggest that students learn to handle formal language in schools. This is because they can easily revert to conversational and colloquial language as and when the context arises. However if one only learns to speak at the colloquial level, one can never rise up to the occasion to speak formal English when the need arises. Formal English requires usage of proper grammar and syntax with appropriate vocabulary. It takes a lot of practice before one can master English at this level. So why short change our students by accepting communication that is only up to the non- native variety level? In fact there is worry in many English speaking countries that teenagers are so used to using colloquial English in their ‘SMS’, that they cannot manage formal English, especially at the written level 7. Sensitivity to Registers The notion of ‘developing a language’ means, adding to its range of social functions. This is achieved by developing new registers. According to Halliday (1978:195), a register is a set of meanings that is appropriate to a particular function of language, together with the words and structures which express these meanings’. Registers are commonly identified by certain phonological variants, vocabulary, idioms and other expressions that are associated with different occupational or socio-economic groups. 7.1 Importance of Registers to Learners The term register includes different aspects of language in various contexts such as field of discourse, modes of discourse, style of discourse and discourse domain. It is important for students to develop styles and registers and recognize how to use them appropriately and be conscious of the need to do so. 7.1.1 Field of Discourse The knowledge of discourse enables students to have the ability to communicate with specialists in a particular field once they’ve understood the use of terminologies used in that field. In The STAR online, 24h March, there was a write up from a concerned parent who felt that teachers needed help in the field of Maths and Science and how crude errors are made such as ‘8 push 4 is 4’ a literal translation from BM (8 tolak 4 ialah 4). Therefore it is important for students to be exposed to mathematical and scientific terminologies because knowledge is power Having knowledge in various fields will help students in their future studies or career such as being proficient in delivering speeches, conducting negotiations, preparing drafts of agreements and in routine business communication. 7.1.2 Modes of Discourse Modes of discourse can be either written or verbal. Students who are not very well versed in their speech may produce ungrammatical, short, incomplete sentences, filled with false starts, fillers and pauses. Tongue (1968:83) has defined ‘fillers’ as a term used to indicate those items of language which communicate no particular denotative meaning but which are used to indicate the emotive, affective attitudes of the speaker, or sometimes simply to fill a pause or a moment of hesitation or reflection in the stream of speech. The most well known is the â€Å"suffix† lah or sometimes pronounced la, which realises different pragmatic functions as illustrated below: †¢ Emphasizing support e.g. I agree lah †¢ Persuading e.g. †¦ .you must do it in a proper way lah †¢ Complementing e.g. that’s a good idea, good lah Other common fillers used are ‘bah’ (by the Sabahans), ‘mah’ (by the Chinese) and â€Å"a?† or â€Å"ah†. â€Å"Ah† serves to function as fillers or breaking points as well as bringing out a question force as shown below. †¢ No point helping friends who are not interested, do you agree with that, ah? Other features of Malaysianess include the use of tag questions in particular the use of â€Å"isn’t it?† and adding the phrase â€Å"or not† to the preceding instead of presenting two alternatives. †¢ We’ve done it, isn’t it? †¢ You want to follow or not? Students must be mindful that usage of such a variety of English is accepted in informal settings. However in a formal setting, the standard variety of English is necessary and is the acceptable norm. With the changing role and the decline in the standard of English in Malaysia, it is found that instances of deviation from Standard English have increased in frequency. Though there is an attempt to use the Standard English, inadequate exposure and lack of knowledge result in the many basic Standard English deviations, which are found even in the speech of educated users of the language. As far as Malaysian students are concerned, these irregularities are usually tolerated and overlooked, as long as they do not interfere too greatly with communicative purposes. At present, indication of these irregularities may be observed in the spoken mode, as many students seem to feel quite free to incorporate features of the local dialect, into their speech, be it in a formal or informal situation . 7.1.3 Style of Discourse An important issue is how students use their verbal repertoire and what are the uses they will put them to. According to Halliday (1978), there are factors, which affect the way people use language. Halliday classifies this as field, mode and tenor. Field refers to ‘why’ and about what a communication takes place, mode is about ‘how’, and tenor is about to whom. For example, in writing a letter, one might start: â€Å"l am writing to inform you that†¦.† but in another letter, the same person might write: â€Å"I just  want to let you know that†¦Ã¢â‚¬  According to Joos (1967), there are five types of formalities: 1) Frozen style is more characteristic of writing than speech e.g. Students should make their way at once to the upper floor by way of the staircase. 2) Formal style uses sentences that show careful planning and logical development of ideas e.g. Students should go up the stairs at once. People who have limited shared background use consultative style; sentences are complete and some background information is given e.g. Would you mind going upstairs right away, please? People who have a shared background use casual style; it is marked by slang, profanity and incomplete sentences e.g. Time you all went upstairs now. Intimate style is the style, which is highly economical and is accompanied by a lot of non-verbal communication; people who know each other very well use it e.g. Up you go, fellows! It seems to me that it is in the area covered by consultative, formal and frozen, that our students need to be competent in. They ought to know which style to use when an occasion arises. Once a student said to his teacher in class: â€Å"Would you be so kind to explain again?† and a moment later, he said, â€Å"I want you to explain this question again†. This shows that the student is not consistent in the level of formality. In a classroom situation, the second one is acceptable but the first one is too formal. Our students fail to take into account the relationship between participants and situations or settings. Students need to be aware that a formal setting requires formal speech and that they may use colloquial words or phrases in an informal setting. They need to be aware that using language often involves how formal one needs to be in a situation. 8. Cultural References and Figures of Speech An overall understanding of the significant role of cultural variables in cross-cultural interactions will act as a bridge to mutual understanding and acceptance in situations of cultural conflict. Students must be aware that in certain cultures, the people are expected to respond to certain  utterances in an appropriate way, which is of the linguistic norm. 8.1 Importance of Cultural Appropriacy A possible way of dealing with varied cultural behaviour is to sensitise students to the unique characteristics of other cultures. Students should develop cultural tolerance and show understanding for other people’s differences. The ability to be tolerant is necessary for anyone hoping to avoid miscommunication. It involves the learner recognizing that every culture has its own logic, its own integrity and that no one culture is any better (or, for that matter, any worse) than any other. Malaysian idiomatic expressions used by learners could only be understood at the local context. Some are even fond of the idea of contextualization these days. It truly gives a Malaysian flavour to our speech. Localised expression appeals to the average man in the street. Having a common speech pattern somehow helps some students to bond quickly and so it helps to establish friendship between like-minded people. 9. Ways of Improving Students Sociolinguistics Competence The lack in cross-cultural understanding or sensitivity on the part of the teacher has serious implications because it affects classroom management and consequently, student’s learning. There are various activities that can be carried out in classrooms to instil cultural understanding. Learning how to perform particular speech acts in both formal and informal settings,  learning particular â€Å"ways of speaking†, like story telling, narratives, joke-telling, simply learning to chitchat, are all important in learning how to speak proficiently. Syaharom Abdullah (1995) believes that students will become conscious of the values and expectations, which are basic in a culture through dialogue practice or role-play. In learning English, the student has to learn how to use and interpret the sociolinguistic rules of English in various contexts. To achieve this, the learner must develop an awareness of areas in which the sociolinguistic system of his own culture differs from those of other cultures. Teachers can design some problem-solving exercises in order to do so. 10. Conclusion It is obvious that sociolinguistic competence offers more insights in learning a language. Problems may arise for students’ who may not be familiar with the various context of language use. By means of getting acquainted with the various cultures of Englishes and updating their knowledge about language learning, students may be better able to accomplish the goals of engaging themselves in the pragmatic, authentic, functional use of language for meaningful purpose. It is important that the second language instructors in Malaysia be familiar with sociolinguistics. Teaching language is not just about learning the rudiments of the language but also various cultural refinements. Students must be made aware of formal and informal language use. They should be knowledgeable as to appropriate expressions for different context. Students must be mindful as to when they can resort to colloquial language and when formality is necessary. Lastly students need to be made aware that mastering English does not mean acquiring native proficiency, but rather having universal intelligibility. References Adibah A. (1992). The New Straits Times, SO†1 December. Bachman, L. (1990). Fundamental Considerations in Language Testing. Oxford University Press. Baskaran,L. (1994). The Malaysia English Mosaic. English Today 37 Vol. 10. Brown H. Douglas, (2000). Principles of Language Learning and Teaching, Fourth Edition, Longman. Broersma, D. (2001). â€Å"‘You’re So White, So Fat, and So Hairy!†: Developing Sociolinguistic Competence in a Second Language.† In Helping Learners Develop Second Language Proficiency, L. J. Dickerson (Ed.), pp. 200-205. Colorado Springs: Mission Training International. M.A.K. Halliday. (1978). Language as Social Semiotic: The Social Interpretation of Language and Meaning, Baltimore: University Park Press, 1978; London: Edward Arnold, 1978. Joos, Martin. (1967). The Five Clocks, New York: Harcourt, Brace & World. Kachru. B.B. and Nelson, C.L. (1996). World Englishes. In Sociolinguistics and Language Teaching. USA Cambridge University Press. Morias, Elaine. (1994). Malaysian Business Talk: A Study of Conflict and Non-Conflict in Verbal Interactions. PHD Thesis, University of Malaya. Syaharom Abdullah. (1995). Thai Tesol Annual Conference, January 1995, Universiti Utara Malaysia. Test/cultural kind-html. The Star On Line, 24th March, 2003. Tongue, R.K. (1979). The English of Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore, Eastern University Press. Ogbu, J.U. (1999). Beyond Languages: Ebonies, Proper English and Identity in a Black- American Speech Community. American Educational Research Journal, 36 147-184.

Guidelines for Keeping a Lab Notebook

Guidelines for Keeping a Lab Notebook A lab notebook is the primary permanent record of your research and experiments. Note that if you are taking an AP Placement lab course, you need to present a suitable lab notebook in order to get AP credit at most colleges and universities. Here is a list of guidelines that explains how to keep a lab notebook. Notebook Must Be Permanently Bound It should not be loose-leaf or in a 3-ring binder. Never tear a page out of the lab notebook. If you make a mistake, you can cross it out, but you should not remove sheets or parts of sheets from your book. When you cross out an error, it should still be legible. You should be  explaining the reason for the strikethrough and you should initial and date it. To that point, it is not acceptable to take notes in pencil or erasable ink. Keep Everything Legible and Organized Organization is key to a good lab book. Print your name, contact info, the date and other pertinent information on the cover of the lab book.  Some lab books require you to enter some of this information on every page of the book. If your book is not pre-numbered, number every page. Usually, numbers are located in the upper outer corner and both the front and back of each page is numbered. Your labor instructor may have a rule regarding numbering. If so, follow their instructions. Its also a good idea to reserve the first couple of pages for a Table of Contents. To keep everything organized and simplified, start a fresh page for each experiment. Be Precise in Your Record Keeping This is a record of the lab work you have done during the semester or year, so it needs to be thorough. For each experiment, record the date(s) and list lab partners, if applicable. Record all information real-time. Dont wait to fill in the information. It may be tempting to record data elsewhere and then transcribe it into your lab notebook, usually because it would make the notebook neater, but its important to record it immediately. Include charts, photos, graphs and similar information in your lab notebook. Usually, youll tape these in or include a pocket for a data chip. If you must keep some data in a separate book or other location, note the location in your lab book and cross-reference it with the relevant lab book page numbers wherever the data is stored. Dont leave gaps or white space in the lab book. If you have a big open space, cross it out. The purpose of this is so no one can go back in and add false details at a later date.

Human Resource Change and Communication and Diversity essay

Human Resource Change and Communication and Diversity essay Human Resource Change and Communication and Diversity essay Human Resource Change and Communication and Diversity essayIn actuality, there are diverse change models that may be applied to the contemporary human resource management. In fact, the change management may involve different approaches and strategies that may either contribute to the success of the change management in a particular organization or provoke the failure of the change in the particular organization. At this point, it is possible to distinguish Lewin’s three steps model and Kotter’s eight steps model. Each model is efficient, if applied properly, although Kotter’s model is more detailed and may be helpful for organizations conducting complex changes. On the other hand, Kotter’s eight steps model is grounded on three main stages of the change, including creating a climate for change, engaging and enabling the organization, and implementing and sustaining the change.In fact, the first stage of the change, according to Kotter, includes three steps . In other words, creating a climate for change includes three steps: increasing urgency, building guiding teams, and getting the vision right (Peters, 2002). The engaging and enabling the organization stage includes three more steps: communication for buy-in, enabling action, and creating short-term wins. Finally, the last stage is the stage of implementing and sustaining the change that includes two steps: keeping the organization and the staff focused on the change and sticking to the change in a long run (Kotter, 1996). Therefore, Kotter’s model implies that the change management includes the preparation of the organization for the change that is followed by the implementation of the change and only after that the organization should retain the change and make it a norm.Lewin’s model undergoes through similar three stages of the change, including unfreezing, changing and refreezing (Thames Webster, 2009). Lewin stands on the ground that any organization has its ow n organizational culture, norms and rules, which are deep-rooted and, as the researcher defines it, frozen. The personnel of the organization take these norms and rules for granted. At the same time, any organization may need changes and this is the moment, when unfreezing is necessary. Unfreezing means the preparation of employees for the change (Peters, 2002). The second stage is the change proper. During this stage, the organization implements the change and makes it run smoothly. Finally, the refreezing the change is the last stage, when the organization ensures that the change has become permanent (Peters, 2002). In such a way, the change is complete and employees of the company perform their functions and take the implemented change for granted.Therefore, the two models of the HR change management are quite different but organizations and managers carrying out the change should make the choice on the ground of organizational needs and resources available to their organization. In such a way, managers should determine whether they will be able to complete the change successfully before the start implementing the change. They should also prepare their subordinates for the introduction of the change to minimize the risk of the resistance of employees to the change.The impact of equality and diversity, legislation on employmentToday, human resource managers should come prepared in the extremely diverse environment. As many organizations operate internationally and the movement of human resources internationally increases, human resource managers has to be able to work in the diverse, multicultural environment, where they have to adapt their management style to the specific organizational culture and environment. As a rule, human resource managers have to elaborate the specific management and communication style to match the specific organizational environment. They should elaborate their management style through the interaction and close communication with h uman resources. In such a way, they will learn which management style is the most effective in the specific organizational environment.At the same time, human resource managers should be very careful to avoid offensive behavioural patterns or inappropriate behaviour in relation to their subordinates. To avoid such negative behaviour patterns, human resource managers should learn the cultural background of their subordinates and elaborate the management style that matches cultural norms and rules of their subordinates. However, in the contemporary business environment, it is not always possible to elaborate the personalized approach to each employee, when the workplace environment is extremely diverse culturally. In such a situation, it is possible to recommend human resource managers to apply universal, humanistic approaches which are culturally neutral and allow them to maintain effective interaction and communication with their subordinates (Thames Webster, 2009). In this regard, equality is one of the main principles that helps human resource managers to prevent conflicts within their organizations and maintain the positive, healthy organizational culture. In such a way, human resource manager can elaborate the effective management style that helps them to maximize the performance of their subordinates and their organization.At the same time, professional knowledge and skills in the field of human resources are not enough for the successful human resource management today. In addition, human resource managers should be proficient in the legislation on employment because the lack of knowledge in this field can cause conflicts within the organization, whereas the violation of rights of employees can cause lawsuits being filed by employees against their employer. In such a situation, the main function of human resource managers is the prevention of such conflicts and the violation of rights of employees to prevent lawsuits and industrial action against their companies. The understanding and effective use of the legislation on employment allows human resource managers to build up their employment relations effectively (Bovee Thill, 2005). At this point, it is worth mentioning the fact that human resource managers should also come prepared to confront the pressure from the part of employees and unions, which may be willing to gain some extra employment benefits, if human resource manager is incompetent in the field of the legislation on employment (Hart, 2004). In such a case, manager can agree on some employment benefits to prevent the industrial action from the part of employees and unions. This is why the understanding and effective use of the legislation on employment help human resource managers to save costs, maximize the effectiveness of employer-employee relations, and keeps those relations within the legal framework avoiding excessive employment benefits, which mean extra costs for the employer, and keeping employees’ job satisfaction high enough, if employees feel their rights are respected and their employer conducts fair employment policies.Two models of communicationIn actuality, communication plays an important part in the successful business development and maintenance of the effective human resource management. In this regard, it is possible to distinguish different communication models which are widely applied in contemporary organizations. One of such models is the Berlo’s Sender – Messenger – Channel – Receiver model. The Berlo’s model implies that the information is sent from the sender to the receiver but before the receiver gets the information or the message, the sender chooses the messenger that means that a person has to word in the message and choose the appropriate means of the transition of the message to the receiver (Peters, 2007). In such a way, the sender shapes the message and determines the messenger and, when the message is shaped, then th e sender chooses the channel through which he/she will send the message to the receiver. For instance, the sender of the information can use the verbal communication to send the message to the receiver. Alternatively, the sender can use non-verbal communication, for instance, when the sender gives a sign to the receiver and the receiver interprets the sign properly (Clarke, 2000). In fact, the sender can choose a variety of channels of communication and various forms to shape the message, especially today when the development of information technologies and telecommunication systems has reached the unparalleled level of development.Another model of communication that may be applied effectively to the human resource management is the transactional model of communication. The transactional model of communication involves the close interaction between participants of the communication (Schein, 1999). Unlike many other communication models, the transactional model of communication impli es the interaction between sender and receiver of the information which involves not only sending the message from the sender to the receiver but also the reception of the feedback from the receiver by the sender. In such a way, the sender of the message can trace the response of the receiver to the information sent and, thus, the sender can choose the further strategy of the communication.In case of human resource management both models can be applied successfully. However, managers should be aware of the fact that the effective communication is possible only when the communication is a two-sided process. This means that managers should not just communicate messages to their subordinates. Instead, they should learn to listen and hear what their subordinates respond them or try to communicate in their turn. In such a way, the communication can become effective only if the human resource manager is bale to be not only a sender but also a receiver of the information. In this regard, e ither of the two models mentioned above can be effective, but human resource managers should remember that they should choose the model of communication which matches their personal inclinations, their communication style, experience, knowledge and understanding of their subordinates, the overall organizational environment and many other factors that may affect the effectiveness of the communication. In such a way, the communication model should match the organizational environment, culture and personal traits of character and communication style of participants of the communication process. In such a way, the communication process in human resource management may be effective and successful. Otherwise, communication gaps between human resource managers and their subordinates may emerge.