Research Paradigms Essay Example

Research Paradigms Essay Example Research Paradigms Essay Research Paradigms Essay The design of a research study begins with the selection of a topic and a paradigm. A paradigm is essentially a worldview, a whole framework of beliefs, values and methods within which research takes place. It provides a conceptual framework for seeing and making sense of the social world; to be located in a particular paradigm is to view the world in a particular way. A paradigm stands for the entire constellation of beliefs, values and techniques, shared by the members of a community. The significance of paradigms is that they shape how we perceive the world and are reinforced by those around us, the community of practitioners. Within the research process the beliefs a researcher holds will reflect in the way they research is designed, how data is both collected and analysed and how research results are presented. For the researcher it is important to recognise their paradigm, it allows them to identify their role in the research process, determine the course of any research project and distinguish other perspectives. Therefore, paradigms are never right or wrong but merely different ways of looking at society. In that respect, they are to be judged as useful or useless in specific situations only. Macro theory and micro theory Macro theory deals with large, aggregate entities of society or whole societies. e. g. struggle between economic classes, international relations Micro theory deals with issues at the level of individuals and small groups. e. g. dating behavior, jury deliberations, student faculty interactions 2 Early positivism The early positivist paradigm of exploring social reality is based on th e philosophical ideas of the French philosopher August Comte, who emphasized observation and reason as means of understanding human behavior. According to him, true knowledge is based on experience of senses and can be obtained by observation and experiment. Positivistic thinkers adopt his scientific method as a means of knowledge generation. Hence, it has to be understood within the framework of the principles and assumptions of science. These assumptions are determinism, empiricism, parsimony, and generality. ‘Determinism’ means that events are caused by other circumstances; and hence, understanding such casual links are necessary for prediction and control. ‘Empiricism’ means collection of verifiable empirical evidences in support of theories or hypotheses. ‘Parsimony’ refers to the explanation of the phenomena in the most economic way possible. ‘Generality’ is the process of generalizing the observation of the particular phenomenon to the world at large. With these assumptions of science, the ultimate goal of science is to integrate and systematise findings into a meaningful pattern or theory which is regarded as tentative and not the ultimate truth. Positivistic paradigm thus systematizes the knowledge generation process with the help of quantification, which is essential to enhance precision in the description of parameters and the discernment of the relationship among them. This paradigm regards human behaviour as passive, controlled and determined by external environment. Hence human beings are dehumanized without their intention, individualism and freedom taken into account in viewing and interpreting social reality. According to the critics of this paradigm, objectivity needs to be replaced by subjectivity in the process of scientific inquiry. Ethnomethodology Ethnomethodology, founded in the 1960s by the American sociologist Harold Garfinkel, studies the way in which people make sense of their social world, and accomplish their daily lives. Ethnomethodologists start with the assumption that social order is an illusion. While social life appears ordered, it is, in fact chaotic. Social order is constructed in the minds of ac tors as a series of impressions which they seek to organize into a coherent pattern. While ethnography seeks to answer questions about what is happening, ethnomethodology seeks answers on how realities in everyday life are accomplished. So, by carefully observing and analyzing the processes used in actors’ actions, researchers will uncover the processes by which these actors constantly interpret social reality. 4 Structural functionalism Structural functionalism, also known as a social systems paradigm is a sociological paradigm which addresses what social functions various elements of the social system perform in regard to the entire system. Social structures are stressed and placed at the center of analysis, and social functions are deduced from these structures. It was developed by Talcott Parsons. The central concern of structural-functionalism was a continuation of the Durkheimian task of explaining the apparent stability and internal cohesion of societies which are necessary to ensure their continued existence over time. Societies are seen as coherent, bounded and fundamentally relational constructs, who function like organisms, with their various parts (social institutions) working together to maintain and reproduce them. The various parts of society are assumed to work in an unconscious, quasi-automatic fashion towards the maintenance of the overall social equilibrium. All social and cultural phenomena are therefore seen as being functional in the sense of working together to achieve this state and are effectively deemed to have a life of their own. They are then primarily analysed in terms of this function they play. Individuals are significant not in and of themselves but in terms of their status, their position in patterns of social relations, and their roles the behavior(s) associated with their status. The social structure is then the network of statuses connected by associated roles. 5 Quantitative and Qualitative Quantitative research is research that aims to measure using numbers. Typical forms of quantitative research are surveys, in which many respondents are asked questions and their answers averaged and other statistics calculated and research based on administrative data where for example the number of people who have been patients in a hospital each month is counted. The aim is to create numerical description through a process of ‘coding’ verbal or textual data Qualitative research most often describes scenes, gathers data through interviews, or analyzes the meaning of documents. Here one creates an account or description without numerical scores In practice, the distinction between quantitative and qualitative is not absolute. Even in qualitative studies, it is common to count how many informants fall into one or other category HYPOTHESIS AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS 1 Qualities of a good hypothesis A hypothesis is a preliminary or tentative explanation or postulate by the researcher of what the researcher considers the outcome of an investigation will be. It is an informed/educated guess. It indicates the expectations of the researcher regarding certain variables. It is the most specific way in which an answer to a problem can be stated. E. g. If you hit a child with a cane, she will cry. Both a hypothesis and a problem contribute to the body of knowledge which supports or refutes an existing theory. A hypothesis differs from a problem. A problem is formulated in the form of a research question; it serves as the basis or origin from which a hypothesis is derived. A hypothesis is a suggested solution to a problem. A problem (question) cannot be directly tested, whereas a hypothesis can be tested and verified. (i) Hypothesis should be clear and precise. If the hypothesis is not clear and precise, the inferences drawn on its basis cannot be taken as reliable. (ii) Hypothesis should be capable of being tested. In a swamp of untestable hypotheses, many a time the research programmes have bogged down. Some prior study may be done by researcher in order to make hypothesis a testable one. A hypothesis â€Å"is testable if other deductions can be made from it which, in turn, can be confirmed or disproved by observation. † (iii) Hypothesis should state relationship between variables, if it happens to be a relational hypothesis. iv) Hypothesis should be limited in scope and must be specific. A researcher must remember that narrower hypotheses are generally more testable and he should develop such hypotheses. (v) Hypothesis should be stated as far as possible in most simple terms so that the same is easily understandable by all concerned. But one must remember that simplicity of hypothesis has nothing to do with its significance. (vi) Hypothesis should be consistent with most known facts i. e. , it must be consistent with a substantial body of established facts. In other words, it should be one which judges accept as being the most likely. (vii) Hypothesis should be amenable to testing within a reasonable time. One should not use even an excellent hypothesis, if the same cannot be tested in reasonable time for one cannot spend a life-time collecting data to test it. (viii) Hypothesis must explain the facts that gave rise to the need for explanation. This means that by using the hypothesis plus other known and accepted generalizations, one should be able to deduce the original problem condition. Thus hypothesis must actually explain what it claims to explain; it should have empirical reference. 2 Qualities of a good research question. In order to be systematic, clearly defined and specific, a research question must be researchable. To be researchable, a research question should have the following characteristics: i. Interesting The research question needs to be interesting to the researcher because without the ongoing motivation and enthusiasm of the researcher through out the duration of the project, the research project risks ultimate failure. If one is passionate or curious about the issue or problem under scrutiny, maintaining momentum in the research process becomes easier and the product more satisfying. ii. Relevant The question should also be interesting and relevant to the research community of which the research forms a part. Research is generally of interest to a research community when it makes a contribution to the collective knowledge base of a study area or discipline. The orientation is to find a question, an unresolved controversy, a gap in knowledge or an unrequited need within the chosen subject. It is therefore desirable to maintain a balance between the specific research interests of the researcher and the interests of the research community as a whole iii. Feasible The research question should be stated in such a way that the project is feasible and has specific bounderies that make the project delimited and doable. Consideration needs to be given to the costs of the project, the time frame in which it is to be completed, the time and skills of the researcher(s) undertaking the project, and whether the access to research participants and information needed to complete the project are likely to be available. iv. Ethical It is desirable to reflect on the ethical dimensions of the research problemwhen institutional ethical procedures are required for project approval. Considering these issues from the outset, and embedding these considerations in the research question, will help to ensure that the research projectfulfils its ethical obligations, both professionally and institutionally. v. Concise The research question should be well articulated, its terms clearly defined, with as much precision as possible in written language. For example, research projects usually have a broad overarching theoretical frameworkthat informs the area of interest under scrutiny. The theoretical background however needs to be more specifically formulated and can be articulated in terms of specific concepts that are derived from previous theorizations and defined in terms of specific words or phrases in the research question. Research questions specify object(s) of research i. e social entities relationships and processes that are under scrutiny by the researcher. vi. Answerable The research question should be answerable. In order to make a research question answerable, it is desirable in the initial formulation of the research question to use an interrogative form eg who what when how which and why.

Management and leadership essays

Management and leadership essays Much has debated on leadership and management over the years. One-way of differentiating the two terms is to say that leaders "do the right things" and that managers "do things right" (Warren Bennis). Management is an ambiguous term. Lots of literature on traditional management deals with planning, organizing, administration, monitoring, control and short-term horizon of the organizations. Other literatures relates to the soft elements like motivation, inspiration, participation, vision and value-creation in long term perspectives. The later, reflects what we often refer as to leadership (Bass 1994). What differentiates the two elements of the organization? In addition, what are the roles of the leaders? Is the talking point of this paper? Difference between Management and Leadership Although these two terms can be use interchangeably, they are in fact two very different qualities, complete with different personalities and behaviors. By learning whether one is more of a leader than a manager is, he or she will gain insight and self-confidence that comes with knowing more about them. We are going to take a look at different personality style of managers versus leaders, the attitude towards the goals, their basic conceptions of what work entails, their relationships with others, and their sense of self-identity and how it develops. Manager emphasizes rationality and control; they are problem solvers (focusing on goals, resources, organization structure, or people). They often ask question, What problems have to be solved, and what are the best ways to achieve results so that people will continue to contribute to this organization? They are persistent, tough minded, hard working, intelligent, analytical, and tolerant and have good will towards others. (WBC). Leaders are perceive as brilliant, but sometimes lonely, achieve control of themselves before trying to control others. They can...

Business Law (6) Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Business Law (6) - Assignment Example (C) My own example relating to the definition given above is; If an employer wants to recruit employees and in that regard, the employer states that the job will be paying $1,000 a month with no allowances and that the engagement period is 5 years terms that is renewable based on the performance of the employee, the employer will also not be obliged to explain the reasons as to why the an employee is dropped or considered for the next term. The terms can continue base on what the employer is interested in. The terms expressed here in relation to job defines what a vacancy. (B) In my own definition, acceptance can be considered to be; the evaluation of the terms contained in the offer and yielding to them in a bid to considered being engaged in the contract qualifying it to be a legal obligation. (C) As I have stated in the above explanation, if an employer stipulates the terms of the contract and them the prospective employees ratifies the terms and get to be engaged in the contract legally by appending their personal signature and having unconditionally read and understood the content of the offer, it is said that acceptance has taken place. After acceptance, the employee is legally bound to operate within the stipulations. (D) The website http://www.thefreedictionary.com/acceptance provides step wise definition of the term from the general English version to the legal definition. In this regard, it gives an array of the definition that foster further understanding of the term. (B) According to my own definition, consideration is that resonance that results after the employer and the employee strikes a balance by ratifying legal obligation of each side given satisfaction of their side of bargain. I other words we say that the offer has been ratified by the prospectus in legally required manner and thus acceptance of the offer to undertakes to the needs and responsibilities as stated in the offer. (C) An example relating to the above is when an offer is

Business Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Business Report - Essay Example The most recent count of the dead in 7,000 and rising, and as rescue efforts escalate various problems are starting to emerge relating to the difficulties in distributing aid, and the challenges in successfully managing the logistics tied to the relief process. In some areas that are the most badly hit and where the people have been chronically in need of help, the aid simply has not arrived. It is in this spirit that this business report is written, with an eye to exploring new products that can be deployed and used in disaster areas such as Nepal, with the aim of helping the displaced Nepalese in the most effective manner. The logistics of delivering aid to those who are most in need of them in disaster-struck areas such as Nepal require novel solutions, and require creativity in the use of available new technologies and products in order to crack seemingly intractable problems, save lives, and give hope to both rescue providers and the most desperate and destitute victims. The ear thquake in Nepal and the dire situation of the people who are in the disaster areas highlight the importance and the urgency of the use and availability of such new products. The problem lies in unearthing these products and creatively making use of them for them precisely in order to help in the direst situations in badly hit parts of Nepal and other such zones of disaster. The purpose of this business report is to present new products that can be deployed and used in disaster-hit areas (Khan; Burke).

Discrimination in sport Essay Example for Free

Discrimination in sport Essay The Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport is a collaborative effort involving seven leading national organizations and is designed to create an educated public that respects all athletes and sports-affiliated personnel regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity/expressions. The Project has four main goals: EDUCATION Educate athletes, their parents, guardians, coaches, administrators and the public, plus other key influencers about the origins and effects of homophobia in sport and the relationship of homophobia to sexism and gender oppression. RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT AND DISTRIBUTION Cultivate and develop diversified resources to ensure the effectiveness, durability and strength of the Project to Eliminate Homophobia in Sport. ADVOCACY Advocate for fair policy guidelines on teams, at events and within the workplace for lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender (LGBT) sport professionals, athletes and fans in sport. RECOGNITION To publicly recognize the athletic achievements and professional successes of openly LGBT sports participants, thereby providing healthy role models. Active Sports Partnerships achieve Racial Equality Standard Three Active Sports Partnerships (ASPs) have become the first ASPs to achieve the Preliminary Level of the Sporting Equals Achieving Racial Equality: A Standard for Sport. The three Active Sports Partnerships Bucks and Milton Keynes, Humber and West Yorkshire were assessed by a separate panel chaired by Chris Hudson of Sheffield Hallam University reporting to the Sporting Equals Assessment Panel. The ASPs joined five governing bodies Amateur Athletics Association, Amateur Swimming Association, British Canoe Union, Rugby Football Union for Women and UK Athletics who were also awarded Preliminary Level by a panel consisting of representatives from Sport England and Sporting Equals, as well as representatives from other national governing bodies of sport. The sports and sports organisations already awarded the Preliminary Level are basketball, cricket, hockey, gymnastics, Institute of Sport and Recreation Management, lawn tennis, rugby league, rugby union and sportscoach UK and Sportsmatch. Chris Hudson, a Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University and the Chair of the Active Sports Assessment Panel, said: We hope that this recognition of the commitment and success of the first three Partnerships will be a catalyst to encourage others to achieve the Standard. Trevor Brooking, the Chair of Sport England said: I would like to congratulate these Active Sports Partnerships on signing up to the Standard and would like to see all the Partnerships follow their lead. Sport England expects all sports to put policies, procedures and plans in place to tackle racism and promote racial equality. What Is Discrimination? Discrimination has various forms and it happens very day. Discrimination involves making choices about how we treat other people. Those choices can be made using real and relevant information or they can be based on prejudice, stereotypes and bias. Some is unlawful (for example, sexual harassment and racial discrimination)and some is not (for example, a coach who shows favouritism towards their child over other players). All discrimination is undesirable if it leads to unfair treatment of players, members and other participants in recreation and sport. What is Fair Discrimination? A good example in sport relates to team selection. If you are a coach/selector, and you have more players than you can fit in your team, you must discriminate between the available players. You must choose who will be in the starting team and what positions they will play, to arrive at the best possible team. In junior and sub junior sport you have the additional responsibility to ensure fair participation. Those choices should be based upon relevant criteria such as ability, attitude, effort, and attendance at practice. These are all fair and legitimate criteria to apply to team selection. What is Unlawful Discrimination? In sport, this is not easy to define. The Equal Opportunity Act makes discrimination on the grounds of race, sex, age, disability, pregnancy, sexuality and marital status unlawful. The laws also say that two behaviours, sexual harassment and victimisation are also unlawful. However, things like age, gender and disability can have very significant effects on sporting ability. These differences are most evident at the elite sport level. For example compare the power of the best male tennis players with the power of the best female tennis players. To take into account these differences, and to make sure there is fair competition, the law allows for teams to be organised into groups such as age groups, or single sex groups.

iPad: Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down? Essay -- Environmental Issues

Technology has always fascinated me due to its fast evolution of electronic devices, especially the revolution of computers. In this very case, the iPad, a truly global product, particularly caught my attention. Digging deeper, it is the components of the iPad that accomplish this high quality of product, making it a popular demand. However, the Apple company itself did not produce the components. The other reputable companies and their factories overseas did. The iPad contains so many components that it is unbelievable. It is quite a fascinating journey walking through most of the components that are accessible to the location of productions, not to mention overall impact the product has on the environment, such as carbon emissions. It is expected that every product has its downside, and the iPad is no exception. Unfortunately, Apple products are known as the the most environmentally-unfriendly brand amongst all other brands of electronics. The fast production of the iPad due to th e popular demand is not helping much on this aspect of the product either. Not to mention the fact that a new edition of iPad comes out every year. Hence, it is time to reveal the negative side of the popular global product, the iPad. The components in the iPad are various and complicated. There are so many that it is quite easy to get lost from all the introduction of the intricate parts. Opening up the iPad, the components revealed. Not surprisingly, the components are from all around the world with different reputable companies that are known for their technological advancement and promising high quality. The iPad has unbelievably amount of parts inside of it; imagine the potential hazard it can bring to the environment, not just how the constitue... ...to stop the terrible consequences that the human beings would have to face sooner or later. Works Cited "Apple - The Story Behind Apple's Environmental Footprint." Apple. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. . Miller, Michael J.. " iPad 2: Designed in California, Manufactured Everywhere ." Forward Thinking . N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. . Sherr, Ian. " Breaking Down the iPadà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s Components - Digits - WSJ." WSJ Blogs - WSJ. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. . "iPad Environmental Report." iPad Environmental Report. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. .

Using Two Contrasting Case Studies, Discuss Management Schemes in Fragile Environments.

Using two contrasting case studies, discuss management schemes in fragile environments. A fragile environment is when there the balance between climate, soils, vegetation, animal life and people could easily be upset and the ecosystem destroyed. In order to maintain a fragile environment dynamic sustainability needs to be established. An example of a fragile environment is the Serengeti National Park and Jau National Park. The Serengeti National Park is situated in the Tropical Grassland biome. This means that it has temperatures are high throughout the year averaging at around 28OC.There are wet and dry seasons due to the movement of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Conversion Zone). In the Serengeti there are long periods of drought during the dry season and during the wet season convectional rainfall results in heavy downpours. In the Serengeti management schemes are essential in order to maintain the ecosystem. One way that the ecosystem is maintained is through monitoring and controllin g the number of elephants and fires within the ecosystem. In the past fires and elephants have shaped the ecosystem.They both affect the vegetation within the Serengeti as they can destroy it. Elephants eat the tress and fires burn them into ash. The elephants and fires need to be controlled because if there are too many elephants or fires then the number of trees in the Serengeti will decrease but if there is not enough of them then again the ecosystem will change as they control the establishment of trees. Fire is monitored and controlled through the Park Ecology Department who ensure that there is enough fire but that they do not get out of hand.The Serengeti is also managed by having a top-down approach to management where the park authorities co-operate with the Masai (indigenous people in the Serengeti). There is a game management strategy, which means that the Masai who live around the edge of the park are able to some controlled and licensed hunting of game so they do not hu nt to much and endanger the animals there. This means that the hunting that the Masai do controls the herds, keeping them in balance with the grassland resources.Hunting can stop the tendency to overgraze the area that can arise if the number of animals grows too high. The Serengeti also uses a strategy when it comes to the use of land. In order to maintain a balance between crop production for the animals and the local people the authorities have zoned the areas so that there is enough grazing land, and enough space in areas around the park for growing crops. The Jau National Park differs from the Serengeti as it has a double maxima of rainfall.The National Park has very low annual temperature range with the temperature being between 26OC and 27OC throughout the year. The ecosystem contains three main vegetation types: dense tropical forest, seasonally flooded forest and dry shrub woodland. The Jau National Park also has management schemes in place in order to conserve the ecosyste m. Jau National Park is one of the few conservation units in the Brazilian Amazon with a management plan that is both compete and being implemented.To integrate local residents with conservation initiatives within the Park there are periodic meetings with residents to disseminate planning decisions, provide training for environmental education professionals and research on the economic valuation of natural resources. The management plan has three phases: I: protection, minimizing of impacts and integration with neighbors; II: research into and protection of biodiversity; III: specific activities. Jau National Park has a zoning plan in place with four management zones: 1.Primitive – where there is minimum intervention and maximum protection. Nothing is done to the area and it is left to have its natural vegetation and animal species. 2. Extensive use – some human activity. This is where small tribes of indigenous people are allowed to live their chosen lifestyle in the area. 3. Intensive use – already altered by humans. This is where farming is allowed. 4. Special use – the park services core – this is where hotels and buildings are with toilets etc. Using Two Contrasting Case Studies, Discuss Management Schemes in Fragile Environments. Using two contrasting case studies, discuss management schemes in fragile environments. A fragile environment is when there the balance between climate, soils, vegetation, animal life and people could easily be upset and the ecosystem destroyed. In order to maintain a fragile environment dynamic sustainability needs to be established. An example of a fragile environment is the Serengeti National Park and Jau National Park. The Serengeti National Park is situated in the Tropical Grassland biome. This means that it has temperatures are high throughout the year averaging at around 28OC.There are wet and dry seasons due to the movement of the ITCZ (Inter Tropical Conversion Zone). In the Serengeti there are long periods of drought during the dry season and during the wet season convectional rainfall results in heavy downpours. In the Serengeti management schemes are essential in order to maintain the ecosystem. One way that the ecosystem is maintained is through monitoring and controllin g the number of elephants and fires within the ecosystem. In the past fires and elephants have shaped the ecosystem.They both affect the vegetation within the Serengeti as they can destroy it. Elephants eat the tress and fires burn them into ash. The elephants and fires need to be controlled because if there are too many elephants or fires then the number of trees in the Serengeti will decrease but if there is not enough of them then again the ecosystem will change as they control the establishment of trees. Fire is monitored and controlled through the Park Ecology Department who ensure that there is enough fire but that they do not get out of hand.The Serengeti is also managed by having a top-down approach to management where the park authorities co-operate with the Masai (indigenous people in the Serengeti). There is a game management strategy, which means that the Masai who live around the edge of the park are able to some controlled and licensed hunting of game so they do not hu nt to much and endanger the animals there. This means that the hunting that the Masai do controls the herds, keeping them in balance with the grassland resources.Hunting can stop the tendency to overgraze the area that can arise if the number of animals grows too high. The Serengeti also uses a strategy when it comes to the use of land. In order to maintain a balance between crop production for the animals and the local people the authorities have zoned the areas so that there is enough grazing land, and enough space in areas around the park for growing crops. The Jau National Park differs from the Serengeti as it has a double maxima of rainfall.The National Park has very low annual temperature range with the temperature being between 26OC and 27OC throughout the year. The ecosystem contains three main vegetation types: dense tropical forest, seasonally flooded forest and dry shrub woodland. The Jau National Park also has management schemes in place in order to conserve the ecosyste m. Jau National Park is one of the few conservation units in the Brazilian Amazon with a management plan that is both compete and being implemented.To integrate local residents with conservation initiatives within the Park there are periodic meetings with residents to disseminate planning decisions, provide training for environmental education professionals and research on the economic valuation of natural resources. The management plan has three phases: I: protection, minimizing of impacts and integration with neighbors; II: research into and protection of biodiversity; III: specific activities. Jau National Park has a zoning plan in place with four management zones: 1.Primitive – where there is minimum intervention and maximum protection. Nothing is done to the area and it is left to have its natural vegetation and animal species. 2. Extensive use – some human activity. This is where small tribes of indigenous people are allowed to live their chosen lifestyle in the area. 3. Intensive use – already altered by humans. This is where farming is allowed. 4. Special use – the park services core – this is where hotels and buildings are with toilets etc.

To Kill a Mockingbird- How Maturity Affects the Characters

When growing up in today's world, people must face the many challenges of maturing. Whether it is physically, emotionally, or mentally, every person matures individually. In the novel To Kill A Mockingbird, the court trial of Tom Robinson matures three main characters in the book. They learn what growing up is all about. Jem, Scout, and Dill are the most affected by the trial and all matures throughout the book. Jem specifically matures throughout the process of the Tom Robinson case and learns a positive lesson from the trial.After seeing the unfair way Tom Robinson was treated, Jem wants to protect and care for people no matter their age, skin color, reputation and personality. Jem also learns a few lessons from Atticus regarding the judgement of others. At the beginning of Chapter 25, His sister Scout is about to kill a roly-polly bug, Jem stops her and she asks why, Jem responds, â€Å"Because they don't bother you. † (Lee 320) This quote relates to when Atticus teaches Sc out and Jem about the importance lesson of not to kill a mockingbird because they do not harm anyone and sing their hearts out.Jem takes this lesson, the way Tom Robinson was treated just for his skin color, and uses it, as a result of becoming more mature and sharing the lesson with Scout when stopping her. Atticus teaches his children very well about the meaning of treating everyone equally no matter what they hear from the people around them. Scout is who she is because of the way Atticus raises her. Scout learns from Atticus through the Tom Robinson case what can happen  when you lose hope and courage. During the second half of the novel, courage is portrayed by all blacks and Atticus as he fights for the case of Tom Robinson, but Tom Robinson has lost all hope.Scout is devastated by this but also learns bad things can happen when you lose hope and courage. Atticus is the first to teach Scout this important lesson, he says, â€Å"real courage is when you know you're licked be fore you begin but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what†, he continues by saying, â€Å"You rarely win, but sometimes you do†. (149) Scout learns how courage is important through Atticus and Tom Robinson's case, and this is an important aspect of growing up and maturing. While Scout and Jem are maturing quickly because of Atticus's influence, Dill Harris, the outsider of Maycomb County, matures urely but slowly when is exposed to the Tom Robinson case.He still shows child-like aspects such as crying uncontrollably at the injustice of Tom Robinson being treated so differently from the white witnesses. He also shows signs of maturity when Tom Robinson's trial is in action. Scout claims that Tom Robinson is just a Negro, therefore it does not matter all that much, Dill responds maturely and says, â€Å"I don't care one speck. It ain't right, somehow it ain't right to do ‘Em that way. Hasn't anybody got any business talking' like that, it just makes me sick. (266) Dill sees Tom Robinson for the mockingbird he really is. Jem,Scout, and Dill all learn lessons that impact their life and affect their maturity. A few of these lessons are learned from the Tom Robinson case. Learning to not judge people for what they hear, taking responsibility, and learning right from wrong are all a part of growing up, they do just that. It might be challenging, but courage and bravery bring them through it. As long as it may take, everyone grows up in one way or another, whether it is physically, emotionally, or mentally.

Free Essays on Kants C.I.

Immanuel Kant bases ethics on the autonomy of good will. Kant attempted to figure out the way we act according to our ability for free choice. Autonomy is any act that is done because of our own free choice. Kant views ethics as an intrinsic good rather than and an instrumental good, or as a good that is built-in and is internal. So anything that you do is done because you decide that it can be accounted for publicly as correct or right. According to Kant, certain acts are morally right if they accompanied by good will, and we are morally good only if we act from duty. Acting morally is not enough according to our duty, we must act only because it is our duty. Kant believes that our main goal in thinking is to reason. In reasoning we come up with objective maxims with which we adjust our personal maxims which we intern use. We are able to step outside of a certain situation and act in a way which is a determined way that we ought to act. We need to look at ourselves critica lly and reflect so we can see ourselves through the views of others. So when considering a certain choice we have to make, we first think of how that choice will look publicly. We then make the choice according to whether it will be accepted or not. Because of this, people realize what they are doing and can be held accountable for the decisions as well as their actions. To Kant, virtue lies in the good will of us rather than any certain end to be achieved, while good will is shown in the performance of an action for the sake of carrying out a duty rather than for some other end. Humans may act as subjects of free will, but the effect of autonomy is morality. A maxim is something that is accepted on its own merits and relates to moral law in that one makes choices according to God as right or wrong. So if we are considering a choice to be publicly accepted we are really considering whether it would be considered right or wrong by God since that is ho... Free Essays on Kant's C.I. Free Essays on Kant's C.I. Immanuel Kant bases ethics on the autonomy of good will. Kant attempted to figure out the way we act according to our ability for free choice. Autonomy is any act that is done because of our own free choice. Kant views ethics as an intrinsic good rather than and an instrumental good, or as a good that is built-in and is internal. So anything that you do is done because you decide that it can be accounted for publicly as correct or right. According to Kant, certain acts are morally right if they accompanied by good will, and we are morally good only if we act from duty. Acting morally is not enough according to our duty, we must act only because it is our duty. Kant believes that our main goal in thinking is to reason. In reasoning we come up with objective maxims with which we adjust our personal maxims which we intern use. We are able to step outside of a certain situation and act in a way which is a determined way that we ought to act. We need to look at ourselves critica lly and reflect so we can see ourselves through the views of others. So when considering a certain choice we have to make, we first think of how that choice will look publicly. We then make the choice according to whether it will be accepted or not. Because of this, people realize what they are doing and can be held accountable for the decisions as well as their actions. To Kant, virtue lies in the good will of us rather than any certain end to be achieved, while good will is shown in the performance of an action for the sake of carrying out a duty rather than for some other end. Humans may act as subjects of free will, but the effect of autonomy is morality. A maxim is something that is accepted on its own merits and relates to moral law in that one makes choices according to God as right or wrong. So if we are considering a choice to be publicly accepted we are really considering whether it would be considered right or wrong by God since that is ho...

Biography of Antonio de Montesinos, Dominican Friar

Biography of Antonio de Montesinos, Dominican Friar Antonio de Montesinos (?–1545) was a Dominican friar, attached to the Spanish conquest of the Americas and one of the earliest of the Dominican arrivals in the New World. He is best remembered for a sermon delivered on December 4, 1511, in which he delivered a blistering attack on the colonists who had enslaved the people of the Caribbean. For his efforts, he was run out of Hispaniola, but he and his fellow Dominicans were eventually able to convince the King of the moral correctness of their point of view, thus paving the way for later laws which protected native rights in Spanish lands. Fast Facts: Known For: Inciting the Spanish in Haiti to give up enslaving the native peopleBorn: unknownParents: unknownDied: ca 1545, West IndiesEducation: University of SalamancaPublished Works: Informatio juridica in Indorum defensionemNotable Quote: Are these not men? Have they not rational souls? Are you not bound to love them as you love yourself? Early Life Very little is known about Antonio de Montesinos before his famous sermon. He likely studied at the University of Salamanca before electing to join the Dominican order. In August 1510, he was one of the first six Dominican friars to arrive in the New World, landing on the island of Hispaniola, today politically divided between Haiti and the Dominican Republic. More clergy would follow the following year, and by 1511, there were about 20 Dominican friars in Santo Domingo. These particular Dominicans were from a reformist sect, and they were appalled at what they saw. By the time the Dominicans arrived on the Island of Hispaniola, the native population had been decimated and was in serious decline. All of the native leaders had been killed, and the remaining indigenous people were given away as slaves to colonists. A nobleman arriving with his wife could expect to be given 80 native slaves: a soldier could expect 60. Governor Diego Columbus (son of Christopher) authorized slaving raids on neighboring islands, and African slaves had been brought in to work the mines. The slaves, living in misery and struggling with new diseases, languages, and culture, died by the score. The colonists, oddly, seemed almost oblivious to this ghastly scene. The Sermon On December 4, 1511, Montesinos announced that the topic of his sermon would be based on Matthew 3,3: â€Å"I am a voice crying in the wilderness.† To a packed house, Montesinos ranted about the horrors he had seen. â€Å"Tell me, by what right or by what interpretation of justice do you keep these Indians in such a cruel and horrible servitude? By what authority have you waged such detestable wars against people who were once living so quietly and peacefully in their own land?† Montesinos continued, implying that the souls of any and all who owned slaves on Hispaniola were damned. The colonists were stunned and outraged. Governor Columbus, responding to the petitions of the colonists, asked the Dominicans to punish Montesinos and retract all that he had said. The Dominicans refused and took things even further, informing Columbus that Montesinos spoke for all of them. The next week, Montesinos spoke again, and many settlers turned out, expecting him to apologize. Instead, he re-stated what he had before, and further informed the colonists that he and his fellow Dominicans would no longer hear confessions of slave-holding colonists, any more than they would those of highway robbers. The Hispaniola Dominicans were (gently) rebuked by the head of their order in Spain, but continued to hold fast to their principles. Finally, King Fernando had to settle the matter. Montesinos traveled to Spain with Franciscan friar Alonso de Espinal, who represented the pro-slavery point of view. Fernando allowed Montesinos to speak freely and was aghast at what he heard. He summoned a group of theologians and legal experts to consider the matter, and they met several times in 1512. The end results of these meetings were the 1512 Laws of Burgos, which guaranteed certain basic rights to New World natives living in Spanish lands. Montesinos defense of the Caribbean people was published in 1516 as Informatio juridica in Indorum defensionem. The Chiribichi Incident In 1513, the Dominicans persuaded King Fernando to allow them to go to the mainland to peacefully convert the natives there. Montesinos was supposed to lead the mission, but he became ill and the task fell to Francisco de Cà ³rdoba and a lay brother, Juan Garcà ©s. The Dominicans set up in the Chiribichi Valley in present-day Venezuela where they were well-received by local chieftain â€Å"Alonso† who had been baptized years before. According to the royal grant, slavers and settlers were to give the Dominicans a wide berth. A few months later, however, Gà ³mez de Ribera, a mid-level but well-connected colonial bureaucrat, went looking for slaves and plunder. He visited the settlement and invited â€Å"Alonso,† his wife and several more members of the tribe on board his ship. When the natives were on board, Ribera’s men raised anchor and set sail for Hispaniola, leaving the two bewildered missionaries behind with the enraged natives. Alonso and the others were split up and enslaved once Ribera returned to Santo Domingo. The two missionaries sent word that they were now hostages and would be killed if Alonso and the others were not returned. Montesinos led a frantic effort to track down and return Alonso and the others, but failed: after four months, the two missionaries were killed. Ribera, meanwhile, was protected by a relative, who happened to be an important judge. There was an inquest in regard to the incident and colonial officials reached the extremely bizarre conclusion that since the missionaries had been executed, the leaders of the tribe- i.e. Alonso and the others- were obviously hostiles and could therefore continue to be enslaved. In addition, it was said that the Dominicans were themselves at fault for being in such unsavory company in the first place. Exploits on the Mainland There is evidence to suggest that Montesinos accompanied the expedition of Lucas Vzquez de Ayllà ³n, which set out with some 600 colonists from Santo Domingo in 1526. They founded a settlement in present-day South Carolina named San Miguel de Guadalupe. The settlement lasted only three months, as many became ill and died and local natives repeatedly attacked them. When Vzquez died, the remaining colonists returned to Santo Domingo. In 1528, Montesinos went to Venezuela with a mission along with other Dominicans, and little more is known of the rest of his life except that, according to a note in the record of St. Stephen at Salamanca, he died in the West Indies as a martyr sometime around 1545. Legacy Although Montesinos led a long life in which he continually struggled for better conditions for New World natives, he will forever be known mostly for that one blistering sermon delivered in 1511. It was his courage in speaking out what many had been silently thinking that changed the course of indigenous rights in the Spanish territories. While he did not question the right of the Spanish government to expand their empire into the New World, or their means of doing so, he did accuse the colonists of abuse of power. In the short term, it failed to alleviate anything and won him fierce enemies. Ultimately, however, his sermon ignited a fierce debate over native rights, identity, and nature that was still raging one hundred years later. In the audience that day in 1511 was  Bartolomà © de Las Casas, himself a slaveholder at the time. The words of Montesinos were a revelation to him, and by 1514 he had divested himself of all of his slaves, believing that he would not go to heaven if he kept them. Las Casas eventually went on to become the great Defender of the Indians and did more than any man to ensure their fair treatment. Sources Brading, D. A. The First America: The Spanish Monarchy, Creole Patriots and the Liberal State, 1492–1867. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1991.Castro, Daniel. Another Face of Empire: Bartolomà © de Las Casas, Indigenous Rights, and Eccleisastical Imperialism. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 2007.Hanke, Lewis. The Spanish Struggle for Justice in the Conquest of America. Franklin Classics, 2018 [1949]Thomas, Hugh. Rivers of Gold: The Rise of the Spanish Empire, from Columbus to Magellan. New York: Random House, 2003.Schroeder, Henry Joseph. Antonio Montesino. The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 10. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1911.

A challenging question for research and practice arises Essay 2

A challenging question for research and practice arises 2 - Essay Example Organizations are, therefore, entitled to consider the ambivalence attitudes in their plan for change in order for them to achieve their goal. Improvement of internal communication within an organization is a basic measure taken during the transition of organizational change. The first consideration for an organization plan for change is the initial wrong perception to change. This might be coming from the managers, employees or even the customers. The wrong initial perception is brought by the inability of an organization to forward into the future and accept their vision. The stakeholders can deny the unexpected information on change or even wish that they could continue with their present thoughts even when the situation has changed. Poor communication can create an organizational silence in a company, which means that the stakeholders are not given a chance to express their thoughts about the change (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2009). Lack of motivation for change is another factor which should be considered in organizational change. Motivation for change can be hindered when the change is planned to increase the sale of a certain product but at the same time reducing the wages and salaries of the workers such that it is a sacrifice in order to achieve change. Past failures of the organizations trials for change can make workers feel not compelled enough for changing the organizational status (Piderit, 2000). An organization must consider a situation whereby there are different interests for change between the management and the workers. If the employees are valuing change more than the managers, the goal for organizational change cannot be easily achieved since the managers lack enough motivation (Hellriegel and Slocum, 2009). Resistance to change can also result from lack of creativeness in search for the most appropriate strategies for achieving change. This mostly happens

The Performance of the Global Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Performance of the Global Marketing - Essay Example In this regard, studies that serve the purpose of linking marketing activities to firm performance and stock value are exceedingly necessary. Undoubtedly these have been reasons for the Marketing Science Institute to list Marketing Metrics among top research priorities. The organization of this proposal is the following. Firstly, a description of the project is presented. Secondly, the methodology is proposed. Thirdly, an approximated time schedule of research is developed. Finally, a provisional table of contents is suggested. In reference to academic relevance, this research pretends to support empirical evidence to the field of marketing metrics in a global context. The suggestion of Rust et al. (2004) about search for empirical support to the chain of marketing activities has been taken into account. According to Holmstrom and Tirole's (1989:65) definition, a theory of the firm must address two central questions: (a) why firms exist, and (b) what determines their scale and scope. In the case of this thesis proposal, there are two theoretical perspectives central to explaining the relationship between Marketing Strategy and firm's performance in a global context: the Industrial Organization (IO) Theory and the Resource-Based View (RBV) Theory. Both of them postulate that the purpose of the firm is to maximize profits. Having fulfilled the first question of Holmstrom and Tirole (1989:65), the logic of this theoretical framework is to connect the drivers of the two theories to the relationship between marketing strategy and firm's performance. 2.1.1. Industrial Organization Theory The IO theory focuses on the external market to identify drivers of a firm's strategy which will consequently affect its performance (Zou and Cavusgil 2002). According to the IO framework, external market and industry environment (structure) determines a firm's strategy (conduct), which in turn determines its performance (Porter 1980). Under IO theory, the development of the marketing strategy has to allow for the structure of the external market and industry, hence being coaligment to environment for getting positive effects on performance (Venkatraman and Prescott 1990) and survive and prosper (Collis 1991). 2.1.2. Resource-Based View