Captivity By Erdrich Essays - Fiction, Ojibwe People,

Captivity By Erdrich Louise Erdrich, the author of the famous poem titled Captivity, tells a story about a married mother who has been held captive by a tribe of Indians. The poem uses a wide variety of literary elements such as sympathy, guilt, submissiveness, and tentativeness. The two main themes of this first person, six-stanza poem, are love and fear. Erdrich also uses tricksters, which are supernatural characters found in the folklores of various primitive peoples. They often function as culture heroes who are given acts of sly deception. In this poem, the narrator's captor takes on the role of a trickster. In most of Erdrich's writings, she uses multiple characters as tricksters and this reflects on her Native American Heritage (Smith 23). One of Erdrich's main writing tactics is the use of "historical ?captivity narratives'" (Wilson and Jason 2716). One of the interesting facts about this poem is that it is based upon a true story. Erdrich gives us that feeling of truth and captivity before the poem begins. "He (my captor) gave me a bisquit, which I had put in my pocket, and not daring to eat it, buried it under a log, fearing he had put something in it to make me love him," (Erdrich, 26). This quote came "from the narrative of the captivity of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson," (Erdrich 26). Mrs. Mary was held captive by the Wampanoag Indian Tribe in 1676, when Lancaster, Massachusetts was demolished (Erdrich 26). The first stanza brings a strong feeling of some sort of imprisonment or captivity. "But he dragged me by the ends of my hair," (Erdrich 26). The narrator at this point is experiencing fear from her captor, however she also feels passion and love when she looks into his face. "I could distinguish it from the others... I feared I understood his language, which was not human," (Erdrich 26). Also, there is irony in this stanza when her captor saves her from the cold waters of the stream (Wilson and Jason 2715). In the second stanza, the tribe is pursued by white men who have "guns loaded with swan shot," (Erdrich 26). However, the tribe is put in danger because of her child's cries, which are from starvation. In my interpretation of the poem, she cannot "suckle" her own child because she is so nervous and confused (Erdrich 26). Luckily for the tribe and captives, there is a woman who feeds the child "milk of acorns," (Erdrich 26). In the third stanza, the narrator is to the point of starvation as she tells herself not to take food from his hands. "I told myself that I would starve/ Before I took food from his hands," (Erdrich 26). I believe that Louise is trying to reflect the quote used before the poem taken from Mrs. Mary Rowlandson, trying to give the reader a sense of hidden desire. However, going against her will to not give in to her captor, she eats the fetus of a deer that her captor gave to her. "He had killed a deer with a young one in her/ And gave it to me to eat of the fawn," (Erdrich 26). The way that the narrator describes her meal is delicate, however Erdrich tells us that it is a fetus; that paints a distasteful picture for the mind of the reader. At the end of the stanza, Erdrich is very vague about what happens and leaves it up to the reader to decide the outcome. I felt that the narrator was tentative when she said, "That I followed where he took me./ ... He cut the cord that bound me to the tree," (Erdrich 27). In my interpretation, this is where Erdrich uses the literary element of submissiveness. I personally think that she slept with her captor because the next and last stanzas of the poem she feels guilty. In the fourth stanza, the narrator is frightened and hides herself in fear from God because she knows in her heart that she has sinned. "After that the birds mocked./ Shadows gaped and roared/... He did not notice God's wrath./ God blasted fire from half buried stumps./ I hid my face... fearing that he would burn us all," (Erdrich 27). Perhaps she is in a bad lighting or thunderstorm in this stanza. She also notices "her captor neither notices or fears God's wrath," (Wilson and Jason 2715). The last two stanzas take place at her house later in her life after being held captive. This indicates that the climax of the poem

Ray Bradbury essays

Ray Bradbury essays Ray Bradbury is an accomplished American novelist, short-story writer, essayist, playwright, screenwriter, and poet. His writing style is like none other. Some say he is a science fiction writer; however, others argue that he merely uses the far-out setting to criticize racism, censorship, technology, nuclear war, and humanistic values (Johnston). All of his work closely relates to his life and the personal experiences he has gone through. First, his early life in Illinois and Arizona influenced his first writings. This was a time when he first started experimenting with writing. Second, Bradburys writing style relates to his past experiences, because he said that he learned to write recalling past experiences (Umland 6). During this period of time, Bradbury begins to discover himself as a writer. He develops his own style and process for writing. Lastly, his major works represent the feelings of Americans during the era in which he wrote. The Martian Chronicles, his first w ell known novel, and still one of his best known novels, is a great example of this because it relates to the readers emotions about atomic warfare during the World War II era. Ray Bradburys early life in Illinois and Arizona influenced his first writing. There are many examples that show how he transforms his life into a fictitious story. For example, the short story The Jar, written in 1944, is based on Bradbury seeing a pickled embryo for the first time at a sideshow. Although we question ourselves as to how this could be turned into a story, Bradbury can see potential in the most insignificant and strange instances. Two other examples are Homecoming, written in 1946, which is based on Halloween parties thrown by one of his relatives, and Uncle Einar, written in 1947, which is grounded somewhat on one of his uncles (Umland 6). As you can see, many of Bradburys early stories were based loosel...

Darwinism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Darwinism - Essay Example When European imperialism of the bygone age is revisited, one can see leading intellectuals of the time indulging in Social Darwinist interpretations of the empire. They explained that the European/Caucasian races are a better breed of humans compared to the colored populations, and thereby possessed the right to civilize the latter by means of imperialist enterprise. In what is a self-fulfilling circular argument, they pointed to the success of European powers to conquer and rule other parts of the world as a proof for the Social Darwinist theory. The White/Caucasian people, by virtue of being the 'fittest' among the races, were best adapted to spread their seeds. And the imperialist project gave avenue for this genetic dispersal. Needless to say, Darwin would have been deeply disconcerted upon hearing such imaginative constructions of this path-breaking work. And as the most telling rebuke to such vainglory, the eugenics project of the Third Reich, which projected the ultimate vict ory of the Aryan race over all others, would serve to disprove Social Darwinist underpinnings of Imperialism through its colossal failure. Work Cited: Spielvogel, Jackson, Western Civilization, Volume II. Published in 2009 by The Pennsylvania State University, ISBN-10: 0495502855.

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 70

Assignment - Essay Example t of view which is used to express a characters feelings or attitude in a detailed manner, second person point of view, which is used mainly to attract the reader’s attention from the beginning and third person point of view which may be used to introduce a dual point of view from the author and characters of the piece. The author of shame, Dick Gregory, employs the use of the first person point of view. This perspective is effective in creating an intimate relationship with the reader since all emotions and attitudes expressed in the narrative are from the author’s point of view. This technique is quite flexible and subjective because it allows the author to portray a stream of consciousness while conducting an interior monologue. However, this point of view is impaired because the opinions in the narrative are from a particular individual. The author of Propaganda Techniques in Today’s Advertising, employs the use of a third person point of view. She gives the readers insight into what she believes are propaganda fed to citizens by advertising mediums. This technique, allows the author to express her opinion while also expressing the opinion of other individuals on the same topic. This is a convenient and trustworthy way of passing information through an unbiased point of view. It also provides the author with great flexibility when writing the article. The author employs the use of an omniscient narrator, who is well aware of all the information required in describing the article. This perspective is employed when a certain degree of objectivity is required. It is also quite efficient in directing the reader’s attention to the idea being

Managing External Stakeholders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Managing External Stakeholders - Essay Example The company management has to make a balancing assessment and evaluate all such external forces in order to adjust them with company's objectives. While taking crucial corporate decisions, it is necessary to know about the expectations of different stakeholders and to determine the extent to which they could and would exert their influence. Johnson & Scholes (1999) define stakeholder as, "Stakeholders are groups or individuals who have a stake in, or expectation of, the organisation's performance." For any organization to work, all the stakeholders have to pool their efforts. Terry & Franklin (1994) define management as 'a distinct process consisting of activities of planning, organizing, actuating and controlling performed to determine and accomplish stated objectives with the use of human beings and other resources'. Different organisations have different sets of stakeholders, whose nature and composition varies depending upon the nature of business. For example the Arsenal Footbal l Club, besides being a soccer club is a public limited company in itself. As football club, its main stakeholders are, the players, the spectators, football fans, the club administrators etc. But as a plc, a broader array of stakeholders comes into picture. The Arsenal Holdings plc manages stadiums, matches, football teams, online TV channel, credit card business, sports academies, strategic partnerships with host of other organizations etc. Therefore the company has stakeholders from different corners of the society in general. The Arsenal Football Club started off when a group of workers at the Woolwich Arsenal Armament Factory decided to form a football team in late 1886. The club has now transformed into a full fledged company organizing different types of activities. The recent half yearly financial results for the company indicate an impressive growth rate with group turnover increasing to GBP100.8 million (2005: GBP57.0 million) as a result of higher gate and match day reven ues at Emirates Stadium and sale of a property development site at Drayton Park1. Similarly, British Petroleum (BP) is a leading oil and gas company. The company's operations include the exploration and production of gas and crude oil, construction and mining, manufacturing and transportation. Besides this the company also has a network of subsidiaries engaged in the chemicals, power and renewable energy sectors. The company maintains leading brands like BP, AM/PM, Aral, ARCO, Castrol etc. With operations spread over six continents in about 100 countries, the company maintains stakeholders in many forms and profiles. The humble beginning of BP can be traced back to 1901 when William Know tried to explore oil in Persia. But it was not before 1908 that the first commercial oil discovery was made in the Middle East by BP (Datamonitor, 2006). In 1935, the company prospered and was renamed the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company. Similarly, exploration expanded into North America (mainly Alaska), South America, Africa, and Europe. The war effort resulted in the British governmen t becoming a shareholder in the company, an association which went on till 1987. Any organization is managed by soliciting crucial support and guidance from respective stakeholders and by taking care of different factors affecting the functioning of an organization. A coordinated approach is required for taking care of all the

Poor Project Leadership And Lack Of Motivation Management Essay

Poor Project Leadership And Lack Of Motivation Management Essay Leadership is a significant factor in the whole project process. A good leadership will lead to project success. A poor project leadership will cause failure in the project. Project leader who is responsible to the project is someone that sets direction and influences people to follow that direction. Many project leaders were selected because of their education background rather than their experiences. The result is, the project leader will lead the project that exceeds their capabilities. Poor project leadership also the result of project leader that does not see the opportunity and does not listening to the people. One secret to successful project implementation is the project leaders ability to get the diverse background, education and experiences of project team members performing at maximal effectiveness. Consequently, the project leader must be both a leader and a motivator. Poor project leadership was a leading factor of the company failure. A leads behaviours such as excessive ego often lead to a poor project leadership. The lack of leadership skill will result in people get demotivated and eventually reduce their work performance. And because, a project leader does not have a clear vision of the market trend such as soaring of oil prices and credit crunch, the project will cost more and will be delayed. Lack of Motivation According to William R.King (1998) page 756, stated that motivation is important to the project manager from two perspectives. First, the individual must be motivated to be a project manager. If one does not have sufficient intrinsic motivation to take the types of managerial steps required, then one is not likely to success at the project management task. Second, the project manager must be able to motivate others. For this it is crucial that the project manager have an adequate understanding of motivation and techniques for motivating others. Lack of motivation is one of the project failure factors. It will be crucial, if a project leader is demotivated because it can directly influence the project team and give impact to organisational performance. Lack of motivation can be the result of many factors such as company policies, work condition and salary. Lack of motivation equates to less work being accomplished by the employee. The productivity of the employee will transfer to something that does not relate to projects work. Things like internet surfing, personal chat and taking longer lunches cost the organisation time and money. Low employee motivation could be the result of decreased success of the organisation, abrupt changes in organization and economic downturn. No matter what the cause, while working in unpleasant work environment due to lack employee motivation will give an impact to the existing and potential clients and partners. A reputation can be tainted and dictate its future in the industry. Employees are like lifeline to the company. When they are highly motivated, they will do whatever is necessary to achieve the targets and maintain the company stability. An organisation whose employees have low motivation is completely prone to challenges because its employee are not going extra mile to maintain the companys stability. The space shuttle Columbia disaster One of the top project failures cause by poor leadership is Columbia disaster. Columbia was one of the space shuttle owned by NASA. Amy Donahue (2004) stated that on January 16, the Columbia with her crew of seven was lunched to begin a scientific research mission. Sixteen days later, Columbia and her crew were lost during re-entered the earths atmosphere with unknown damage to her left wing. Columbia broke up over the western United states at 200 000 feet and 12 000 miles per hour. Columbias disintegration was both a tragedy and a disaster. A tragedy because the lives of seven heroic astronauts and their lifes work of countless engineers were lost that morning. And a disaster because more than 87 000 pounds of debris from the shuttle was strewn over 2000 square miles of east Texas and western Louisiana. Some material was as small as postage stamps but other pieces weighed some 800 pounds and came in at upward of 1 600 miles per hour, angering several feet into the ground. Just after the 2003 tragedy occurred many experts concluded that technology was to blame. But a more thorough and comprehensive investigation, undertaken by the Columbia Accident Investigation Board, CAIB, concluded differently. It maintained that management was as much to blame for the failure as was the foam strike. The Board described an organizational culture in which, at every juncture, program managers were resistant to new information. It was a culture in which people were unwilling to speak up or if they did speak up were never heard. In their report they wrote that the organizational failure was a product of NASAs history, its culture, and its politics. (Columbia Accident Investigation Board, 2003). Engineers requested inspection by crew or remote photo imagery to check for the damage but no actions were taken to ensure space shuttle integrity. Management, however, was apparently confident that there was no safety issue and a decision was made against imagery. Had the imagery been authorized, and the damage discovered, the conjecture is that a rescue attempt would have had a reasonable chance of success. The project leader didnt take the advice from his engineer and still proceed with his decision. Senior management also ignored the flight data from the previous mission where foam had broken on every lunch. This is a typical example of poor project leadership. On top of these problems, the initial leadership structure was diffuse, with federal state and local field offices, operations canters and command posts all directing of the operation. Figure 1 : Foam strike detected in launch Taken from www.aiche.org/uploadedFiles/CCPS//Presentation_Rev_newv4.ppt Denver International Airport Baggage handling System On top of that, one of good example of project failure that caused by poor project planning and poor risk management was Denver International baggage handling system. According to Dr.R.de. Neufuille (1994) Denvers baggage handling system was the worlds largest automated airport baggage handling system. Faced with the need for greater airport capacity, the city of Denver elected to construct a new state of the art airport that would cement Denvers position as an air transportation hub. Covering a land area of 140 Km2, the airport was to be the largest in the United States and have the capacity to handle more than 50m passengers annually The airports baggage handling system was a critical component in the plan. By automating baggage handling, aircraft turnaround time was to be reduced to as little as 30 minutes. Faster turnaround meant more efficient operations and was a cornerstone of the airports competitive advantage. Despite the good intention, the project complexity was underestimated and was delayed by 16 months and cost the city of Denver USD 1.1 Million per day. After ten years of opening, the system never worked well and in august 2005, United Airlines has abandoned the system completely. The root of this failure was Denver international airport failed to estimate the complexity involved. The system which was the first in the world and 10 times larger than any other automated baggage handling system. The project team estimated the project can be done in two years but it took almost four years to complete. Because of the complexity involved, the airport management does not provide enough trolley in case the system failed .They were overconfidence that the project wills success. The system that worked on 100 individual PC that were connected together have no back up if one PC failed to operate. The system also was unable to detect any jams in the system and instead the system keeps piling more and more baggage making the jam much worse. Another project failure factor was poor in risk management. The project encountered a massive technical problem but not action has been taken. The most significant issue was, the system suffered from electrical shock, To resolve this problem, a filter is used in the electrical circuit to prevent current surge. But the delivery and installation of the filter took several months. Such issues were predictable if the project team more focused on risk management. Figure 2 : Denver baggage handling system Taken from http://calleam.com/WTPF/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/denverbag5.jpg Motivation From the PMBOK 4th Edition (2008) page 418 motivating in a project environment involves creating an environment to meet project objectives while offering maximum self-satisfaction related to what people value most. These values may include job satisfaction, challenging work, a sense of accomplishment, achievement and growth, sufficient financial compensation, and other rewards and recognition the individual considers necessary and important. Motivation is the task of the project manager. He has to provide motivation for his project team. He has to motivate them individually and collectively, that they each may produce their best-and then excel even more. The essential tools in the project managers kitbag for the motivation of his team are: Approval, praise and recognition-These will encourage people to do work and keep the focus Trust, respect and high expectation-Trust is the fundamental of project success. The leader should put trust on his people and in return, people will feel encourage to work Job enrichment Good communication-Communication is simply a two communication between top and bottom. A leader should listen for any suggestion from his employees. Most of the project failure was caused by the breakdown in communication structure. With a good communication system between project leader and workers, any problem can be resolved Cash incentives-Money is a good motivator. Good salary and incentive based on performance will encourage people to go extra mile. The project manager has a much better chance of success if he uses persuasion rather than coercion. The former build morale and initiative, whilst the latter quite effectively kills such qualities. Three basic components in persuasion are: 1. Suggestion 2.Playing the persons sentiments 3.Appealing to their logic. Using these tactics, the project manager will achieve his goal quietly, gently with the minimum of real effort. It is, in effect, an effortless achievement. The project leader has a great role to play in respect of the productivity of his team and through them, the productivity of the whole site. It is on this the actual productivity of the people on the site-that the success of his project finally rest. Productivity is an abstract concept and very controversial indeed. According to William R.King (1988) page 764 one very useful model for explaining the changes that have occurred in human motivation over the years is that developed by Abraham Moslow. Maslows hierarchy argues that mans needs come in an ordered sequence that is arranged in the following five need categories: 1.Physical needs : the foods, water ,air 2.Safety needs : the needs for security, stability and freedom from threat to physical safety. 3.Love needs : the need for friend with whom one may affiliate. 4. Esteem needs : the need for self-respect and esteem of others. This includes recognition, attention and appreciation from others. 5.Self-actualization needs: The need for self-fulfilment to be able tp grow and learn The project leader must be able to assess where each of his subordinate and co-workers are on the hierarchy and attempt to appeal to the appropriate needs. some people crave status and recognition. Others wand strongly to be a member of a cohesive team and to belong Herzberg has suggested that they are two types of motivational factors: hygiene factors and motivators .He suggest that the hygiene factors are necessary condition for a satisfied workers, but do not guarantee satisfaction. The hygiene factors include Company policy and administration Supervision Relationship With supervisor Working condition Salary Personal llife Relationship with peers Status Security In other words, the hygiene factors satisfy the lower level maslow needs. On the other hand, there are motivators which are factors that account for satisfaction in the worker. the motivators include Achievement Recognition Work itsef Responsibility Advancement Growth As a conclusion, motivation is a must that drive people to work. Motivation also has to do with human factors. People are willing to do work if they feel comfortable to do it and fell appreciated with their work. Leadership From the PMBOK 4th Edition (2008) page 417 leadership involves focusing the efforts of a group of people toward a common goal and enabling them to work as a team. In general terms, leadership is the ability to get things done through others. Respect and trust, rather than fear and submission, are the key elements of effective leadership. Although important throughout all project phases, effective leadership is critical during the beginning phases of a project when the emphasis is on communicating the vision and motivating and inspiring project participants to achieve high performance. A good leader always lead by example and make the people work under him feel pleasant. According to William R.King (1988) page 741, leadership behaviour can be divided into task behaviour (one way communication) and relationship behaviour (two way communications).These principles of leadership present s variety of sometimes conflicting premises which make it difficult to select appropriate behaviours in practise. Throughout the project, the project team leaders are responsible for establishing and maintaining the vision, strategy, and communications; fostering trust and team building; influencing, mentoring, and monitoring; and evaluating the performance of the team and the project. If the project leader plays a main role, the project will run smoothly. The good concept off leadership will determine whether the project wills success or not. By implementing the basic techniques of leadership, the people that work for the project will put their heart on work. People at lower level also have right to speak up if the feel something wrong with the project. By taking into account various opinions a final decision can be made by the project leader

The Outer Banks of North Carolina Essay -- Observation Essays, Descript

As I walk towards the ocean with the sand warm beneath my feet, the waves lap at my ankles, seeming as if they want to pull me out to sea. The sun rises over the horizon, reflecting off the waves and shimmering like gold. The salt air smells tangy as it stings my nose with the smell I crave while I am away from the ocean. The Outer Banks in North Carolina has been my favorite place to go from my first memories. I look forward to going there every summer because there at the ocean I feel at home. It is a place where I can forget every stress in my life and be totally at peace. It is a place where my family can spend time together, not like at home where we all have activities and places to be. The Outer Banks is not a beach where the ocean is forgotten; there is no partying and no boardwalks, nothing but nature to fill your days there. The beach is not crowded to the point where it is hard to even walk to the beach ,and looking for shells is not even an option. This beach is a very pe aceful and surreal place. The noises of people do not overwhelm you at this beach; all you can hear are the sea gulls and the waves. My family, including aunts, uncles and cousins and some extended family, has been going to the Outer Banks for quite a few years now. It is a place where we can all be together without the chaos of our everyday lives. This is always where we have gone for vacation; we have taken other trips but always manage to make it there, too. While we are all at the beach it gives us time to spend with each other, unlike home where everyone is too busy with their own lives. We can catch up on stories from each other’s lives and not be caught up in the bustle of everyday life. Every evening we eat dinner together and then take a wa... ...n. When a sting ray swims past you or a jelly fish is there in the water beside you, again there is a realization of just how much is going on under the water that is not seen. The waves can make you feel so insignificant when you get tumbled head over heels in the water and you have no control over yourself. Only after experiencing this can the powerfulness of the waves be realized. There are many reasons the ocean is my favorite place to be. These range from the atmosphere and people at the ocean to the scenery experienced while there. It is a time for me to be free from all the hassles in my life and to "get away from it all," even if it is only for a week. The ocean should be enjoyed for what it is. Loud noise and all the hustle and bustle of boardwalks should not exploit it. At the ocean I can feel at home and at peace because it is my favorite place to be. The Outer Banks of North Carolina Essay -- Observation Essays, Descript As I walk towards the ocean with the sand warm beneath my feet, the waves lap at my ankles, seeming as if they want to pull me out to sea. The sun rises over the horizon, reflecting off the waves and shimmering like gold. The salt air smells tangy as it stings my nose with the smell I crave while I am away from the ocean. The Outer Banks in North Carolina has been my favorite place to go from my first memories. I look forward to going there every summer because there at the ocean I feel at home. It is a place where I can forget every stress in my life and be totally at peace. It is a place where my family can spend time together, not like at home where we all have activities and places to be. The Outer Banks is not a beach where the ocean is forgotten; there is no partying and no boardwalks, nothing but nature to fill your days there. The beach is not crowded to the point where it is hard to even walk to the beach ,and looking for shells is not even an option. This beach is a very pe aceful and surreal place. The noises of people do not overwhelm you at this beach; all you can hear are the sea gulls and the waves. My family, including aunts, uncles and cousins and some extended family, has been going to the Outer Banks for quite a few years now. It is a place where we can all be together without the chaos of our everyday lives. This is always where we have gone for vacation; we have taken other trips but always manage to make it there, too. While we are all at the beach it gives us time to spend with each other, unlike home where everyone is too busy with their own lives. We can catch up on stories from each other’s lives and not be caught up in the bustle of everyday life. Every evening we eat dinner together and then take a wa... ...n. When a sting ray swims past you or a jelly fish is there in the water beside you, again there is a realization of just how much is going on under the water that is not seen. The waves can make you feel so insignificant when you get tumbled head over heels in the water and you have no control over yourself. Only after experiencing this can the powerfulness of the waves be realized. There are many reasons the ocean is my favorite place to be. These range from the atmosphere and people at the ocean to the scenery experienced while there. It is a time for me to be free from all the hassles in my life and to "get away from it all," even if it is only for a week. The ocean should be enjoyed for what it is. Loud noise and all the hustle and bustle of boardwalks should not exploit it. At the ocean I can feel at home and at peace because it is my favorite place to be.

Education Essays – Citizenship Education School

How Citizenship instruction is educated and implemented within Scots schools.1. Abstract This undertaking aims to look into how Citizenship instruction is presented and implemented within Scots schools. Scotland differs from the remainder of the United Kingdom in that citizenship as a topic has non been officially introduced, instead it is seen as being ‘active’ and should be taught in all topics across the school course of study, therefore impacting both inside and outside the school. The information presented I this undertaking was gathered during the six hebdomads of my 2nd arrangement in 2008 in a non-denominational province school in East Lothian and was carried out in the signifier of staff interviews and a pupil’s focal point group. During the staff interviews, their positions on the different elements of larning within Citizenship instruction ; knowledge & A ; apprehension, skills & A ; aptitudes and values, were discussed. A pupil’s focal point group was set up and the group discussed ; citizenship in the school: societal & amp ; moral issues, rights & A ; duties, the school & A ; wider community, political relations & A ; democracy and the environment. The consequences show that, the school are actively advancing the elements of citizenship in most countries of its subject’s course of study. Through such capable categories as societal instruction, chemical science and music, the school is supplying students with the cognition, consciousness and accomplishments to confront the usual ‘citizenship issues’ that occurred within it and the wider community. However, if the students are traveling to be led into become active citizens, more attempt demands to be made to do them cognizant of precisely what citizenship is and more significantly, why it is being taught to them. 2. Drumhead In September 2002 citizenship instruction was introduced through a Citizenship order to the National Curriculum in England. The order emphasised that â€Å"learning should guarantee that cognition and understanding about being informed citizens are required and applied when developing accomplishments of question and communicating, and engagement and responsible action.† ( Arthur and Wright, 2001:11 ) Rather than present citizenship instruction as a defined topic into its National Curriculum, Scotland has opted to do its results, cognition and apprehension ; accomplishments and competencies ; values and temperaments ; and creativeness and endeavor, an built-in portion of each topic taught. Thus citizenship accomplishments are integrated across the whole school. In the Scottish Executive’s 2004 paper, A Curriculum for Excellence – the Curriculum Review Group, schools and instructors are asked to bring forth a course of study that will cook the young person of today for maturity, which will â€Å"be less crowded† and will †offer more pick and enjoyment.† â€Å"Our aspiration is to enable all kids to develop their capacities as successful scholars, confident persons, responsible citizens and effectual subscribers to society† . ( Scots Executive, 2004:6 ) . The intent of this undertaking is to look into the execution of citizenship instruction in Scots schools at this minute. For this probe I used qualitative research ; this involved questioning members of staff at all degrees and interceding a pupil’s focal point group, The consequence of my undertaking implies that, whilst the consecutive authoritiess and educational constitutions gain the importance of citizenship instruction in givingâ€Å"pupils the cognition, accomplishments and understanding to play an effectual function in society atlocal, national and international degrees† , ( QCA, 1999 cited by Kerr, 2006: p5 ) most of the students who took portion in the focal point group had no cognition of the term citizenship or the constructs behind it and because of that they failed to recognize its elements within the schools course of study. The students besides showed that their cognition of political relations or democracy was unhappily missing. However when the assorted countries of citizenship were discussed with the students, they realised that they did recognize them and were actively involved in utilizing them. This suggests that, although the term citizenship has little or no conceptual significance to the students, they are deriving practical experience of it through topics in the schools course of study every bit good as through the school as a whole. 3. Statement of intents or aims In its paper; A Curriculum for Excellence – The Curriculum Review Group, the Scottish Executive provinces: â€Å"Our aspiration for all kids and for every immature individual is that they should besuccessful scholars,confident persons,responsible citizensandeffectual subscriberstosociety and at work. By supplying construction, support and way to immature people’s acquisition,the course of study should enable them to develop these four capacities. The course of study should complement the of import parts of households and communities† . ( 2004:12 ) Through the Curriculum for Excellence, the Scottish Executive suggests four capacities of instruction that will be the footing of Scots instruction. These are: Successful scholars, confident persons, responsible citizens and effectual subscribers. Since it is the duty of the whole school to develop the four capacities in all their students, the thrust toward constructing responsible citizens should non come on in isolation instead is should be presented across the whole course of study. â€Å"Activities such as endeavor, citizenship, sustainable development, wellness and creativeness, which are frequently seen as additions, can be built into the course of study framework† .( Scots Executive, 2006:8 ) . Because of these alterations instructors will necessitate to believe about the course of study and how they present it in a different manner. Reflection will be indispensable for their personal development. Teachers will no longer be able to be insular in their ain topic, for every bit good as retrieving to implement the four capacities in their ain topic, they must besides be cognizant of showing them across the school as a whole. Since the Curriculum for Excellence has still to be introduced, the chief intent of this undertaking is to look into how citizenship being presented and implemented in Scots schools at this minute. In order to turn to this inquiry, it was indispensable for me to besides look into the undermentioned sub inquiries:How the school presented citizenship?Did all topics in the schools curriculum do a part to citizenship?Were its students aware of the term â€Å"citizenship† and did they understand the construct behind it?Was citizenship promoted across the school as a whole?In making this undertaking the writer hopes that it will help him in the execution of citizenship instruction in his ain capable therefore bettering his ain instruction pattern. 4. Literature Reappraisal The inquiry of â€Å"what is citizenship? † is really hard to specify ; David Kerr argues that it â€Å" †¦is a contested construct. At the bosom of the competition are differing positions about the map and administration of society.†( Kerr, 2006:6 ) . Kerr’s definition of citizenship instruction is toâ€Å" †¦ encompass the readying of immature people for their functions and duties as citizens.†( Kerr, 2006:7 ) . Audrey Osler and Hugh Starkey province thatâ€Å"Citizenship is a site of political struggle.†( Osler and Starkey, 2005:11 ) . They go on to specify it as â€Å"holding two indispensable facets, foremost a position and a set of responsibilities and secondly a practise and an entitlement to rights†( Osler and Starkey, 2006:6 ) . Olser and Starkey besides argue thatâ€Å" †¦ citizenship is likely instantly experienced as a feeling of belonging.†( Osler and Starkey, 2006:6 ) . An account in a Scots Executive paper offers the account thatâ€Å"Everyone belongs to assorted types of community, both communities of topographic point, from local to planetary, and communities of involvement, rooted in a common concern or purpose.†( Scots Executive 2000:8 ) Concluding thatâ€Å"Citizenship involves basking rights and exerting duties in these assorted types of communities†( Scots Executive 2000:8 ) . Harmonizing to the Citizenship Foundation,â€Å"It[ citizenship ]refers non merely to rights and duties laid down in the jurisprudence, but besides to general signifiers of behavior – societal and moral – which societies expect of their citizens.†( The Citizenship Foundation 2006:2 ) . These different definitions do look to place a common subject of citizenship, viz. that, in order to be a viewed as a full member of their community, people need to actively exert their rights and duties in three countries ; civil, societal and political. ( Marshall, 1964 cited by Kennedy, 1997:67 ) . Historically the roots of citizenship can be found in Sparta, antediluvian Greece where â€Å"civilian responsibility scrupulously performed was besides expected of the good citizen. This would affect virtuous obeisance to the Torahs and engagement in the Assembly†( Heater, 2004:11 ) . This earliest signifier of citizenship, which was besides a characteristic of ancient Rome, may befar removed from the construct of it as we understand it today but it did signal a definite motion off from the old bossy signifier of regulating. Throughout the ages citizenship continued to develop and hold found look in many diverse societies and civilizations as far apart as post-revolutionary France and post-independence USA – where it was enshrined in the fundamental law and served as the accelerator for social alteration – to the European Union of today where the proposed individual fundamental law is to a great extent predicated on the thought of a ‘European citizen’ as a mechanism to startle the assorted disparate civilizations. Before Citizenship was debut into the course of study in England in 2002 as a discreet topic, it had been antecedently recommended for inclusion twice earlier. Both times saw Britain in crises of war. In 1918, at the terminal of World War 1, thePrimer of English Citizenshipwas published by Frederick Swannâ€Å" †¦ to back the moral character of the British Citizen.†( Brandom, 2007:269 ) . The Association for Education in World Citizenship, ( AEWC ) , was setup in 1935 to,â€Å"preserve the democratic cloth of society in response to the rise of totalitarianism† .( Brandom, 2007:269 ) . Despite the AEWC’s construct of citizenship being adhered to in schools in the post-war old ages, there was no official add-on of citizenship as a topic into the course of study. Harmonizing to Anne-Marie Brandom, citizenship was given â€Å"some signifier legislative recognition†( 2007:270 ) in the 1988Education Reform Actbut the course of study time-table was so overcrowded that it failed to be implemented. Recommendations were besides made in a 1990 study,Encouraging Citizenship, as to ways of â€Å"easing societal citizenship through schools, voluntary attempts and public services† ( Arthur and Wright, 2001:7 ) but once more there was thin application of it. In the latter portion of the 1990’s politicians were concerned with the gradual diminution of British civilization and society. This impairment was peculiarly prevailing amongst the states young person and because of it, there was a noticeable addition in anti-social behavior, hooky and high school exclusions. To counter this, an consultative group chaired by Professor Bernard Crick was formed toâ€Å"establish the purposes and maps of citizenship ion schools†. ( Brandom, 2007:271 ) The Crick study, ( as it became know ) , categorised citizenship in three lines: â€Å"understanding societal and moral duty ; going involved in the community ; developing political literacy† .( Brandom, 2007:271 ) The Crick study to a great extent relied on the antecedently mentioned Marshall definition of the three elements that make up citizenship ; the civil, the societal and the political. These elements were underpinned by the thought of thekid as a hereafter citizen. ( Brandom, 2007:272 ) One of the recommendations from the Crick study was that citizenship instruction should be given 5 % of course of study clip. That and other recommendations helped organize the demands for citizenship instruction in the Revised National Curriculum 2000. The Revised National Curriculum 2000 incorporates three strands:understanding societal and moral duty ; going involved in the community ; and developing political literacy† ( QCA/DfEE, 1999:6 cited in ( Brandom, 2007:272 ) . As a consequence of these three strands, students are to:become informed citizens ; develop accomplishments of question and communicating ; develop accomplishments of engagement and responsible action.†( QCA/DfEE, 1999:6 cited in ( Brandom, 2007:272 ) Unlike most England, most of Europe, North America and Australia, citizenship has non of all time been officially introduced into the Scots schools course of study. In the 2000 audience paper Education for Citizenship in Scotland stated that citizenship instruction in Scots schools wouldâ€Å"not affect the creative activity of a new capable ‘citizenship education’ – or the version of any individual bing country of the curriculum† .( Scots Executive 2000:16 ) Alternatively it would be done throughâ€Å"combinations of larning experiences set in the day-to-day life of the school, distinct countries of the course of study, cross-curricular experiences and activities affecting links with the local community.†( Scots Executive 2000:16 ) The documents rank of the reappraisal group was chaired by Professor Pamela Munn of Edinburgh University who supported the sentiment of a whole-school attack to citizenship instruction, noticing that: â€Å"To look to turn up ‘citizenship education’ in one peculiar post-14 class of survey would look to be inconsistent with the wide position of instruction for citizenship being advanced in this paper.†( Scots Executive 2000 cited in Arthur and Wright, 2003:16 ) The reappraisal group concluded that citizenship instruction in Scotland isâ€Å"integral to the instruction of pupils and dwelling in the whole course of study and ethos of the school.†( Arthur and Wright, 2003:16 ) . The shortly to be introduced course of study for excellence portions the same positions of the non-introduction of citizenship instruction as a discreet topic. In the 2004 course of study reappraisal group paper ‘a course of study for excellence’ , citizenship instruction is still presented as being a whole-school attack but it besides encompasses the household and the community: â€Å"They should be successful scholars, confident persons, responsible citizens and effectual subscribers to society and at work. By supplying construction, support and way to immature people’s acquisition, the course of study should enable them to develop these four capacities. The course of study should complement the of import parts of households and communities†( Scots Executive 2004:12 ) In 2006 ‘a course of study for excellence’ advancement and proposal was published. This paper was follow up to the 2004 course of study reappraisal group paper antecedently discussed. Again the whole-school attack is advocated, this clip with outside support fromother administrations, doing citizenship instruction wholly active non merely across the whole school or local community but globally. â€Å"The whole school has duty for developing the four capacities in every kid and immature individual. This has deductions for the parts of each grownup who supports kids and immature people, and for whole-school policies, planning and partnerships with other organisations.†( Scots Executive 2006:8 ) 5. Results The focal point of this undertaking was to look at how citizenship was both presented and implemented within my 2nd placement school. I farther investigated its execution within my ain topics section and besides looked for grounds of cross-curricular activities. For the intents of researching this undertaking, I conducted staff interviews and mediated a pupil’s focal point group. This allowed me look into which elements of citizenship were included by the staff whilst learning their ain topic. It besides provided me with every bit pot as to the extent of the staff and students cognition and apprehension of citizenship. In looking at learning citizenship within my ain topic I designed four lessons on universe music. This gave my category and I the chance to analyze other civilizations and their music. The stuffs produced which were specific to the civilizations we were look intoing ; Brazil, Cuba, Indonesia and Ghana. Through the lessons the category were able to ; discourse the background to the music and how the music made them experience, develop their practical accomplishments by playing the music both separately and as a group and larn how to listen efficaciously. ( To most pupils music is a background noise ; they ‘hear’ music in a lift, in a shopping Centre and on their MP3 participants as they study. ) Teaching music and citizenship in this ‘active’ manner allowed me much range for personal contemplation, inquiring myself ; what went good, what needed to be improved and what would make otherwise following clip? This in bend helped with my ain personal development no n merely as a music instructor but as a ‘whole’ instructor. 6. Methods In researching this undertaking I decided to utilize a assortment of different methods. My chief grounds for this was that in my old research undertaking I used observation as the chief line of my probe and I felt that if I used a assortment of research methods this clip I could anticipate better responses from both staff and students likewise. 6.1 Staff interviews Through the schools trustee, meetings were arranged with members of staff who were willing to notice on how citizenship has been implemented in their section in the school. The staff members I met up with were: the Citizenship Co-ordinator, the Head of the Department for Science, the Head of the Department for Social Education and a instructor from the music section. A meeting of 15 to twenty proceedingss with each of the above staff members was arranged. I had prepared and circulated a figure of cardinal inquiries in progress of the meetings. ( Appendix 1 ) . The inquiries focused on how citizenship is delivered in both their section and through the school as a whole. I asked each member of staff for permission to tape the interviews I conducted and all agreed. This enabled me to look into the inside informations I had written down against the recordings, therefore guaranting that my analysis was accurate and presented a true contemplation of their positions. what are the Advantages/disadvantages? The interviews with the staff members proved to be really successful, with all my purposes and aims being met. At the terminal of each interview they besides agreed to do themselves available by electronic mail to clear up any issues that might hold arisen whilst I was composing up the research. 6.2 Pupil’s focal point group With the schools permission, a focal point group dwelling of a cross subdivision of S1 to S6 students was arranged to take topographic point one lunch period. A sheet incorporating the chief subject headers of the treatment was given to the students taking portion in order to give them clip to fix for it. ( Appendix 2 ) . My undertaking as the go-between of the group was to maintain the treatment unfastened ended whilst maintaining it on the subject. To assist maintain them farther on topic and aid direct their thought I wrote the capable headers of the subjects to be discussed on the room’s whiteboard. A high degree of pupil interaction ensued, from which the information for this study emerged. This method of garnering informations from the students has it advantages and disadvantages. The advantages being that it allows for a non-threatening attack therefore ensuing in an unfastened uninhibited treatment. The usage of this method besides gave the students a manner to discourse and if need be, dispute each other’s positions in a safe, friendly, non-threatening environment. The Disadvantage of carry oning the focal point group was that a few of the stronger personalities began to act upon and take over group treatment thereby doing it hard for the quieter pupils to aerate their positions. Because of this I often asked the group if everyone agreed with a remark made or asked if that was what everyone idea. I besides called on a twosome of students by name to detect their sentiments on remarks made. I once more asked and received permission from the school and the students to enter the focal point group treatment ; this allowed me to intercede the group without holding to rapidly compose down what was being said. In making this I was able to accurately summarize the content of the treatment at a ulterior clip. Twelve students, two from each twelvemonth, attended the focal point group and their parts to it will be analysed in the undermentioned chapter. 7. Analysis From the beginning it needs to be recognised that with merely four staff members interviewed and one pupils’ focal point group conducted, the findings presented in this professional undertaking can merely be regarded as being preliminary, nevertheless, my research did bring out a figure of interesting findings refering the execution of citizenship within the school. The balance of this subdivision will analyze the positions and sentiments made during both the interviews with the staff members and the pupil’s focal point group. Because merely four staff members were interviewed, their positions are presented individually, therefore leting for a more elaborate geographic expedition of them. 7.1 Staff interviews Meeting One: Coordinator of Citizenship This staff member was honest in explained to me that he was new to the school and that although portion of his responsibilities included being the Coordinator of Citizenship he was still seeking to familiarize himself with the duties and responsibilities refering it. He is at the minute set abouting an audit on Citizenship within the school in which he was looking at ; where the school is at with it, what repeat between the sections there is and what the school demand to make more away. He knew from meetings he had attended within the school that all sections had Citizenship listed as something they were to look at in their betterment programs but until he knew the consequence of his audit he wouldn’t cognize if or how it had been implemented. He told met the school was seeking to incorporate Citizenship instead than hold it viewed as a â€Å"bolt on’ . Assorted schemes had been introduced this school twelvemonth such as junior and senior pupil councils, both of which had a budget, the re-establishment of houses and house captains and the execution of activity yearss such as â€Å"succeed and enterprise† through-out the twelvemonth. Meeting Two: Head of Department for Science This member of staff expressed that she was worried when she agreed to be interviewed that her section would be found to be missing in incorporating the elements of citizenship instruction into their instruction, nevertheless, the audit she did on her section proved these fright to be baseless. Knowledge and Understanding are promoted in Science utilizing subjects such as ; eco chemical science, genetic sciences and atomic chemical science. In eco chemical science the students study the environment, the effects of pollution on it and planetary heating. Geneticss trades with the ethical issues of familial technology. Nuclear chemical science looks at atomic power and what options are available. Skills and Aptitude: it was explained to me that the school ran their Higher course of study over two old ages, therefore gave the section clip to include developing the students accomplishments of presenting, treatment and debating. Through group work where the students are encouraged to believe critically about the subjects covered and the experiments they are asked to execute. They are encouraged to larn and happen out through research, analysis and geographic expedition after which their consequences are presented to the remainder of the groups/teams where they are argued, discussed and debated. An illustration of this is the genetic sciences unit in which familial technology and trial tubing babes are discussed. Informed statements are given for and against, the students are encouraged to gain that there is no right or wrong here merely their sentiment. Valuess: the scientific discipline section has a set of regulations for regard ; students are encouraged to esteem themselves and their equals and instructors. They are taught to esteem the schoolroom and the equipment within it. They are besides taught to value the sentiment of others, as all points of position are valid. Respect for the wider community, the environment and the planet are amongst other values taught. Meeting Three: Head of Department for Social Education This member of staff was really experient in showing and presenting the societal instruction programme, he demonstrated an obvious apprehension of how citizenship should be integrated in the course of study and across the school as a whole. Knowledge and Understanding: Social Education is timetabled for an hr a hebdomad for 1st to 4th twelvemonth students and for two hours a hebdomad for 5th and 6th. Within Social Education cognition and apprehension are promoted utilizing such subjects as ; money and the universe of banking, sex instruction, right and duties, equal chances, personal development, callings education, societal development, where the school sits within East Lothian, within Scotland and the universe as a whole, drugs and intoxicant instruction and maintaining safe. Within the rights and duties unit students are taught the schools anti-bulling policy, any major bulling incidents result in the issue of a rights and bulling contract, this has resulted in a 95 % success rate of them being resolved in school. Skills and Aptitudes: promoting and developing accomplishments in students to get by with a altering multi-cultural universe, being taught regard for others and acceptance through a partnership with themselves, the school, their parents and the constabulary, that their school is a contemplation of society – what they learn in school can model and determine society, communicating and group work/ teamwork, organic structure linguistic communication and get bying accomplishments for both the schoolroom and society – accomplishments and schemes are provided to assist the students cope within their equal group and besides assist them to avoid being coerced into sex, taking drugs or imbibing intoxicant, critical thought – students are encouraged to gain that during arguments there are no right or incorrect replies, they are given relevant information so that they can do an informed pick, they are taught to believe, brace and portion – students are asked to belie ve of their ain sentiment on a topic, brace up with a spouse and discourse it, take portion in a group treatment, feed back to the category therefore advancing effectual part and critical thought. Valuess: within the Social Education lessons students are expected to esteem themselves, their equals and their instructors. They are taught to esteem the schoolroom and to make a safe environment for everyone within it. Through their partnership with the constabulary, the school and their parents they are taught to esteem the jurisprudence, democracy and justness. They are taught to stand up for themselves and support their ain point of position. Meeting Four: Music Teacher This member of staff was new to the section and radius of her experience both in that and her old school. Disappointingly, she expressed uncertainties as to why universe music should be taught as portion of the course of study. Knowledge and Understanding are promoted in music through utilizing such subjects as universe music. In universe music the students study music from Cuba, Brazil, Ghana, India and Indonesia, larning about their civilization, the instruments they use and the differences between their music and music from the West. Students are besides taught non to blow the planets resources by exchanging off electrical equipment when it is non in usage. Skills and Aptitude: a big portion of developing accomplishments and aptitudes in music is done through the engagement in different events with in the community. The music section has taken students to entertain the senior citizens at Christmas clip, had pupils participate in the Rotary club’s immature instrumentalist of the twelvemonth competition and has been invited to sing/perform at the gap of a new primary school and lodging association. Students are encouraged to fall in the assorted orchestras and bands that the school runs therefore giving them the chance to work in groups and construct squad work. Opinions can besides be communicated through vocal authorship. Valuess: students are taught to esteem themselves, their equals and both the schoolroom and instrumental instructors. The section besides teach students to esteem all genres of music and to hold regard for the schoolroom and the equipment within it. 7.2 Pupils focal point group As was outlined before in this undertaking, a focal point group session was carried out in order to find the pupils’ cognition and apprehension of citizenship and how it was taught to them both officially and informally. At the on-set of the session the significance of citizenship was briefly discussed with the group, after which there was a directed treatment on six different issues refering it. The treatment produced the undermentioned consequences: Issue One: Citizenship in the school The students highlighted a figure of activities that they though had helped them to develop both personally and socially. These included engagement in school trips to Germany and Switzerland, cultural visits such as a visit to the Royal Scottish Museum and a community committednesss plan, which involved picking up litter, endeavor, presentations and school shows. Issue Two: Social & A ; Moral issues The Pupils discussed their engagement in implementing the schools’ anti-bullying enterprises which ab initio had started as a 5th twelvemonth community undertaking. They felt that racism was non a job in the school. The students put frontward one point of grudge of non being allowed to run any fund elevation activities in the school. They felt they would wish the chance to raise money for worthy causes. Issue Three: Rights & A ; duties The students felt they had a voice in the school through both the junior and senior pupils’ councils. Their representatives were democratically elected and attended regular meetings of the councils provided a vehicle where pupil’s issues could be raised. Students are besides put into houses, which have house captains. The houses are awarded points for good behavior, attending, competition wins etc. Issue Four: The school & A ; wider community There was much grounds of an engagement in the wider community. As portion of the antecedently mentioned community committednesss plan some students had sang at the gap of a new primary school and had read poesy read poetry the occupants of an old people place. Issue Five: Politics & A ; Democracy There was small grounds of any cognition of political relations or democracy apart from the students who had or were analyzing Modern Studies. Issue Six: The environment Students noted that, the school runs an Eco Club in which both instructors and students discuss manner of salvaging the environment, ( local, national and universe ) . They felt that more recycling could be done within the school. There was merely one recycling bin and that was in the teachers’ auto park. The group had asked for money to supply sections with their ain recycling bin but their petition was denied. 8. Decisions In roll uping the grounds from students and staff and through observation of the bringing of citizenship at whole school degree, it is clear that the range of citizenship is far-reaching. Areas such as rights and duties, political relations and democracy, community public assistance, informed decision-making, regard for others and a scope of participatory activities, provided a rich beginning of grounds. The student focal point groups and teacher interviews revealed clear grounds that elements of the above subjects were covered through the bringing of distinct capable content. In peculiar, the content of Modern Studies included a more comprehensive survey of political establishments and political democratic procedures more finitely than any other curricular country. However, curricular topics such as English and History provided subjects which examined rights and duties and political relations and democracy through the survey of war and the moral issues involved. The survey of Geography and the distinct scientific disciplines besides provided survey of the environment. Religious and Moral Education explored societal and moral issues and encouraged thoughtful and responsible action and an grasp of developing states, analyzing poorness, dearth and drouth. Home Economics developed pupil cognition and apprehension of dietetic issues, healthy feeding and the importance of hygiene. Physical Education encouraged healthy life styles and the grasp of the construct of ‘healthy head, healthy body’ . Subjects included in the Business Education and Information Technology section, for illustration, Business Administration developed an grasp in students of money direction and endeavor and, besides, allowed students to reflect on the impact of engineering on day-to-day lives. Modern Languages developed consciousness of the importance of different civilizations and the installation to go abroad enhanced the development of foreign linguistic communication accomplishments and the grasp of foreign civilizations at first manus. Art and Design allowed pupils the chance to develop originative ability and provided an alternate agencies of look. However, although the above curricular topics delivered facets of citizenship through pervasion, the Personal and Social Development ( PSD ) programme allocated dedicated clip to many facets of citizenship, including rights and duties, for illustration, in relation to smoke, intoxicant, sexual issues and moral quandary. Furthermore, this topic provided the chance for unfastened treatment, promoting students to be tolerant of dissension and minority positions and to heighten their decision-making accomplishments through working with others. In add-on, the project of work experience arrangements promoted a direct nexus to the universe of work. This was further enhanced by the installation of mock interviews for students by representatives of the concern community prior to go forthing school. The aid of Careers Scotland besides impacted on pupils’ attitudes to go forthing school. My observations of citizenship at whole-school degree revealed citizenship in action to which the students involved seemed wholly committed. Activities observed included Education Action where representatives from developing states addressed whole-school assemblies. This was a consequence of a instructor at the school holding visited Uganda, which led to pupils going actively involved in fund-raising for Uganda. The assembly provided the chance for students to manus over a check as a consequence of their fundraising activities. A farther assembly demonstrated S4 students giving whole-school presentations on their work experience, leting them to develop their personal qualities and accomplishments and to do a utile part to their fellow students. The student council, to which category representatives were elected, besides provided the chance for students to take part and lend to the wider life of the school. Unfortunately, nevertheless, I was unable to detect meetings during my arrangement as these were postponed owing to preliminary scrutinies. Other whole-school activities included Young Enterprise, pupil engagement in assorted competitions, debating and Duke of Edinburgh Award, all designed to develop the accomplishments included in the development of citizenship. In decision, it is my position that students frequently did non appreciate when citizenship was being delivered. It was merely through treatment at focal point groups that they came to gain to the full what citizenship entailed. This possibly suggests that, in Scots instruction, citizenship is frequently inexplicit in its bringing through distinct curricular countries. As indicated earlier, PSD is much more expressed, in both content and bringing, yet pupil perceptual experience of this topic is possibly non every bit high as other topics, which are assessed at national degree. However, my overarching decision is that pupil engagement in citizenship was at its strongest through active engagement by students. When allocated a distinguishable undertaking or, so, when this undertaking was suggested by a student, and when given duty to see the undertaking through to a successful decision, students responded with motive, finding and enthusiasm. Such activities involved students in informed decision-making, demoing regard for others, being responsible and developing personal accomplishments and qualities. From my observations, nevertheless, I would reason that the greatest nothingness is the absence of developing political literacy in students. Unless pupils survey Modern Studies, and numerically really few bashs, so I fear many students will go forth school politically illiterate to a greater or lesser extent. This, I would propose, is an insufficiency in Scots instruction, which needs to be addressed. 9. Deductions and Recommendations This undertaking has investigated the presentation and execution of citizenship in Scots schools. The research gathered whilst analyzing citizenship in both the topic course of study and the school as a whole would look to back up the thought that citizenship is taught more successfully when it is spread through out the whole course of study instead than being presented as a discreet topic. Although most students did non cognize the term ‘citizenship’ , they gained practical experience of the elements of it through the schools capable course of study and through the school as a whole. The school course of study is already overcrowded ; a audience paper calledEducation for Citizenship in Scotlandconcluded on the challenges of capable pick in Scots schools that, â€Å"the response to this state of affairs should non be to qualify any individual class of survey of ‘citizenship education’ as portion of each pupils core programme.( Scots Executive, 2000: p26 ) . In reasoning this undertaking there are three recommendations its writer would do to assist take citizenship instruction frontward in Scots instruction:Students need to be actively involved in citizenship instruction, taking portion in arguments, treatments, enterprises and undertakings.Rather than go forth political relations and democracy to modern surveies, ( which after 2nd twelvemonth becomes an optional topic ) , some survey of them needs to be included someplace else in the course of study. Not to make so, will bring forth students who are politically uninformed.Rather than do citizenship instruction a discreet capable, as it is in England, Scotland should go on implementing it as portion of the ethos of the school and portion of the course of study as a whole.Bibliography Andrews, G. ( 1991 ) , Citizenship. Lawrence and Wishart Limited, London. pp. 21 – 26. Arthur, J. and Wright, D. ( 2001 ) . Teaching Citizenship in the Secondary School. David Fulton Publishers Ltd London. pp. 5 – 16. Cogan, J.J. and Derricott, R. ( 1998 ) . Citizenship for the twenty-first Century: An International Perspective on Education. Kogan Page Limited, London. pp. 2 – 4. Kennedy, K.J. ( 1997 ) . Citizenship Education and the Modern State. Falmer Press, London. pp. 67 – 69. Scots Executive Education Department Report. ( 2001 ) . Education for Citizenship in Scotland: A Paper for Discussion and Development. Scots Executive. ( 2000 ) . National Priorities in School Education. [ on-line ] . Crown Copyright, Scottish Statutory Instrument No 443. Available from: hypertext transfer protocol: //www.scotland.gov.uk/education/nationalpriorities/priorities.asp, ( p. 1 ) .

Is Our Political Process Fair

Is Our Political Process Fair Many people would argue that the American political process is unfair, but they would say that for different reasons. Some people would say that the American political process does not accurately reflect the will of the people and that this is unfair. Other people would argue that it is not feasible for this to be the case and that certain people deserve more influence in American politics because of their greater contribution to society or because they are more qualified for the job. These two sides have been in conflict since the early days of the American political process. Pure Democracy The representative democracy of the United States does render the opinions of individual voters relatively unimportant. While voters and their votes do matter and candidates spend millions of dollars trying to sway the opinions of voters, many individual voters are frustrated with the fact that it barely seems to make a difference whether they vote or not and the  voting seems to be a matter of principle.However, the fact that every voter is in the same situation does seem to make the process fair in its own way. People have been arguing since the beginning that American democracy has to be representative. Pure democracy with no representatives is very rare when the voting public has hundreds of millions of people. It usually only works in much smaller societies. While some people would argue that this does not mean the situation is fair, they might still make a case for the system in a pragmatic sense. Democracy requires an educated middle class to be sustainable, or people will often vote for the very same individuals that democracies seek to eliminate. You may also like these articles: The Value of Academic Debate Womens Right to Education Combining Academic Knowledge and Practicality Torture Is Never Justified Is High IQ a Guarantee to Academic Success? In Principle and In Practice It should be noted that a lot of Americans functionally never vote for reasons beyond their control. Even getting to the polling booths or getting absentee ballots is tough in some areas, which is genuine discrimination against poorer people and people who live in certain regions. Disabled individuals often find it difficult to vote for various reasons, so their voice gets excluded from American politics. Some wealthy people argue that since they pay most of the taxes, they deserve a bigger voice in American politics. However, wealthy people pay fewer taxes in America than they do in other countries. Also, wealthy people have more control over American elections than almost anyone even though they each have one vote. Wealthy people can give campaign contributions to the candidates of their choice, so the candidates of their choice will have an advantage during the election. Elections are automatically slightly biased in favor of the wealthy on this basis alone. Wealthy people represent a small portion of the population, and the policies that favor lining their pockets further will directly go against the interests of most of the country. More and more wealth has been directed to the wealthy over the past thirty years, and campaign contributions towards certain candidates have had a huge impact on that. The situation involving wealthy people buying elections is reflective of faulty laws in the sense that there could be laws limiting campaign contributions. However, this situation does not directly reflect a problem with the baseline American political process or democratic structure itself. If anything, this problem demonstrates that the American political process is not working as it was intended. Wealthy people who have no political experience and who are acting purely in their own self-interest have more political power than many politicians. The overall system for American voters and the American representative democracy isnt perfectly fair, but having a direct democracy that was perfectly fair would be too difficult. However, the fact that wealthy people are able to subvert the political process and control it so substantially automatically taints the American political process, rendering it unfair even though there are no laws mandating that this should be the case. The disproportionate influence of the wealthy has made the American political process unfair, and not the representative democratic structure.

The Economic Significance of Capital Punishment

The Economic Significance of Capital Punishment Introduction The survival of any civilization hinges on the establishment of laws and codes of conduct and the subsequent obeying of the same by the society’s members. Due to the fact that not all members of the society are going to follow the law on their own accord, forms of punishment for wrongs done may be used both for retribution and deterrence purposes. The Criminal Justice System of a country fulfils this role by providing a legal means through which offenders can be punished.Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Economic Significance of Capital Punishment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More One of the realities about the United States Criminal Justice System is that it is a hugely expensive system that takes a considerable amount of government revenue. One of the controversial aspects of the criminal justice system is that it allows for the use of capital punishment. This is used as the harshest form of retribution for the society’s most vicious offences. Many people believe that the death sentence is not justifiable despite the brutality of the crime that a person may have committed. Advocates of the death advocate on the other hand argue that the death penalty has numerous benefits and should not be abolished. This paper shall argue that the death penalty should not be abolished since it is not only the most efficient means for deterring future offenders but it also saves the federal government millions of dollars and is therefore economically astute. A Case for the Death Penalty Increased crime rates are almost invariably connected to a diminished economic well being of the people affected. It is therefore the chief objective of all governments through their law enforcement agencies to mitigate crime. The most desirable function of punishments should be to act as a deterrence to would be criminals. In an ideal environment, punishments should never have to be executed but their mere presence should cause all to abide to the rules and regulations in place therefore peacefully coexist. Capital punishment presents the highest level of deterrence since death is indeed the ultimate punishment. This is especially so in cases where the criminal feels immune to the other forms of punishment such as restriction on freedom of movement or even hard labor. A study by Dezhbakhsh and Shepherd on the deterrence effect of capital punishment revealed that capital punishment resulted in a significant reduction of homicides (30). This is because people were less likely to engage in this crime with the probability of a death sentence on the table Citizens of all countries agree to abide by the laws and regulation set by their government and pay taxes in return for certain rights and privileges from their government. One of the services that the government offers is protecting its people from both local and foreign threats. In instances where the government is unable to protect its people from rampant crime, political instability may follow. Instability is characterized by riots, assassinations and even outbreak of civil wars.Advertising Looking for term paper on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Such a state is detrimental for the economic wellbeing of a country since it discourages investments therefore reducing the nation’s earnings. The death sentence results in a perception of justice especially when it is carried out against murderers. This perceived justice will result in more faith in the justice system and by extension the government. There is a relationship between the incarceration rates and the presence and implementation of the death sentence. Maintaining of prisons is an expensive affair and the cost is borne by the taxpayer. If criminals do not perceive the punishments they stand to face as being threatening enough, they will continue to commit crime and on prosecution, serve sentences in federal prisons at a cost to the taxpayer. Texas is one of the cities which experienced a crime peak which resulted in building of more jails to house the inmates. Spelman reveals that the Texas prison buildup was estimated to cost the State $1.5 billion per year (137). Texas responded to this increase in crime by reviving executions, a move which resulted in a 49.6% decline in homicide rates from 1992-2003. In addition to this, the rates of incarcerations reduced significantly therefore saving the state a significant amount of money. Crimes such as murder result in the loss of economic assets by the community. The loss is unjustifiable since in most cases, the crimes which carry the death sentence are perpetrated by hardened criminals. These characters are of little economic value to the society and their contribution to the economy or general well being of the country is minimal. The death sentence has been proven to be a significant de terrence to murder since this is one of the crimes which carries the death sentence. The society can therefore better preserve its economic assets through the death sentence by executing murderers. In trying to consider whether an execution was worthwhile or not, Donohue and Wolfes declared that invariably, the life-life tradeoffs were large than zero (61). In addition to this, the death sentence removes the risk that criminals pose to economically valuable members of the society. A study by Sunstein and Vermeule argued that each execution as a result of the death sentence resulted in the life of at least one would be murder victim being spared (706).Becker goes as far as to propose that executions should be allowed if the lives of the murderers were less socially valuable than the lives of their victims (1).Advertising We will write a custom term paper sample on The Economic Significance of Capital Punishment specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn Mor e The alternative to capital punishment which is proposed by opponents of the death penalty is life imprisonment without possibility of parole. These opponents propose that this punishment is more humane and therefore the preferred option. As it currently stands, the annual cost of maintaining prisoners in the correctional facilities is high (Gottschalk 925). Life imprisonment translates to the prisoner having to be maintained in the penitentiary for his entire life. These costs will include healthcare and any other service offered to prisoners. This is a very costly and economically unsound affair considering the fact that the society will never reap any economic benefits from the person who has been imprisoned for life. Capital punishment as executed by methods such as the lethal injection is not only radically cheaper but it also spares the state of the resources it would have utilized to ensure that the prisoner is maintained for a lifetime. Case for Abolishing the Death Penalty One objection to the use of capital punishment would be the possibility of wrongfully executing a person. Such an action would results in the psychological distress of not only the surviving members of the executed person but also to the jurors who made the call. Such distress would significantly reduce the individual’s efficiency hence decreasing their contribution to the economy. Gottschalk reveals that this likelihood has resulted in a change of heart by jurors in capital punishment cases since people are unwilling to make the mistake of sentencing an innocent man to death (925). A suitable response to this objection would be that the justice system is thorough and always strives to ensure that the correct verdict is passed and that the innocent are not punished. Nevertheless, there exist possibilities of passing wrong judgments regardless of whether the capital punishment is involved or not due to human error or other unavoidable circumstances. As such, this shou ld not be used as a justification for scraping the death penalty entirely since the likelihood of making mistakes in the justice process is not entirely isolated to capital punishment. The number of wrong judgments made is also so minimal and is a worthwhile risk considering the merits inherent in the death sentence. Conclusion This paper set out to argue that the death penalty should not be abolished since it is an economically sound form of punishment with great benefits to the entire community. This paper has revealed that there is strong evidence of crime deterrence through execution. A criminal justice system that exposes criminals to the risk of capital punishment will deter crimes and especially murder significantly.Advertising Looking for term paper on criminal law? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The paper has especially demonstrated that the death penalty would have a positive economic impact starting from deterring crimes, reducing the cost of running prisons and reducing the risk to economically valuable people posed by murderers. While some people do contend that the death penalty should never be imposed on anyone, regardless of their crimes, it can be authoritatively stated from the above discussions that capital punishment serves a significant role in the society and may indeed have a positive impact on the economic well being of the society. Becker, Gary. On the Economics of Capital Punishment. The Economists Voice, 3:3, art. 4. 2006. Dezhbakhsh, Hashem and Joanna M. Shepherd. The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment: Evidence from a Judicial Experiment. Working Paper No. 18, 2004. Donohue, John and Wolfes, Justin. Estimating the impact of the death penalty on murder. Working paper No. 12, 2007. Gottschalk, Marie. â€Å"The Politics of the Death Penalty†. Pe rspectives on Politics, vol. 7/No. 4, 2009. Spelman, William. â€Å"Jobs or Jails: The Crime Drop in Texas.† Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, 24:1. pp. 133–165, 2005. Sunstein, C and Vermeule, A. â€Å"Is Capital Punishment Morally Required?† Stanford Law Review, 58. p. 706, 2005.

I dont know a topic Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

I dont know a topic - Essay Example â€Å"Zephry† tells about a romance that the protagonist dreams of, though is not yet real. He dwells upon what would happen if heaven should deny him this love. As the poem starts off, this wanted love is beautiful, and the protagonist wants nothing more than to be loved by this being. He imagines how perfect it all would be. Then he realizes what life would be like if the other person did not love him back. At the end of the poem, he makes it clear that if he does not get the love that he wants, he will be nothing more than a slave to his heart and his need for love. â€Å"A Mad Heart† discusses the author’s need to obtain a certain cup, one that holds within it spiritual and religious truth and understanding. However, this need is felt more out of envy and lust, rather a need to simply have such a marvelous thing. The author, though, understands what it would be like if someone else had gotten the cup, and begins to realize that it is probably best that he not be the one to receive it. If he felt differently about the reason that he wanted the cup, it would make more sense that he would be the one to be given it. Without it, though, he learns that he needs to restrain such irrational feelings. â€Å"Last Night I Dreamed† is about the author being taken to heaven in the place of Adam, who is missing. In short, the author died, replacing the original man in heaven. The author was found amongst sin, claiming that he and God have an agreement that must be met. The poem contains on in a way that suggests the essence of life flashes before the eyes of the author, comparing a human life to that of a moth who has gotten too close to the light and now has scorched wings that no longer function as they should. After the author awakes, he realizes the importance of living a life worthy of getting into heaven. â€Å"All My Pleasure† tells about the author’s love for the woman he is with, and how he wishes it to not be taken. When he

Choose a topic urself for my research proposal in finace .i am doing

Choose a topic urself for my in finace .i am doing mba in finace and i have to submit a for my dessertation.find tha infromation file about this - Research Proposal Example termining the answers to these questions, there is a need for conducting a research study, which may provide the guidelines to the investors while selecting the right stocks. Small-cap, Mid-cap and Large-cap companies show varied performance based on the difference in time-horizons and geographic setting thereby creating discrepancies in the expected/predicted and actual movement in company performance Fisher (1966), Fisher and Lorie (1968, 1970, and 1977) and Ibbotson and Sinquefield (1976) studies are primarily based to determine the long-run returns of different cap companies.2 According to Casey, Quirk & Associates (2006), â€Å"The Small Cap universe has grown much faster than the Large Cap universe.†3 The small cap European companies outperformed the large cap European companies in first quarter of 2006, thereby, continued their six year cycle of out-performance.4 â€Å"Market expects 21% growth in small caps, 16% in mid caps and 10% in large caps.†5 Brad (2006) argued that market capitalization-based indexes signify the clearest explanation of the market opportunity set.6 According to Integrity Research Associates (2007), during the last five years, the small cap companies have outperformed large cap companies and the assets of these companies have grown from $86 billion in 2005 to $102 billion in 2007.7 â€Å"Today, there is a growing demand for managers with a broader small/mid cap, or â€Å"SMID† cap mandate to manage the non-large cap equity portion of a portfolio.†8The mid cap companies outperform the large cap companies because mid cap stocks are flexible, innovative, capitalised, globally diversified and high growth aspects.9 In order to evaluate the impact of the market cap on the performance of the companies, Ibbotson Associates conducted a study, which showed that 94 percent of the 20-year periods from 1976 to 1995, the smallest cap companies performed better as compared to the large cap companies.10Roxy Capital Management, LLC also conducted a