AP by John Updike

Presentation The universe of writing is the wellspring of new thoughts, musings and motivations. The creators make us thoroughly consider our life. Without a doubt, everybody has the option to have their own conclusion and the writing supports us being receptive and free in our decisions. The epic AP by John Updike is one of the works, which has a fairly straightforward plot however includes the significant message to the public.Advertising We will compose a custom research paper test on AP by John Updike explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More The point of this article is to sum up the plot of AP by John Updike and to talk about the fundamental thought of the novel. The Summary of the Plot The plot of the novel unfurls at the basic food item shop AP, where a youngster Sammy works. He is the fundamental character and the storyteller of the story, which transpired in the work place. Sammy is just 19 years of age and, as opposed to the a large portion of populace, he has rather insubordinate perspectives on the American commercialization. Simultaneously, individuals, whom he watches each day at the shop, are, clearly, the brilliant instances of the customer society impact. Additionally, Lengel, an administrator of the store, assumes a significant job in the plot of the novel. He is the moderate and severe man, who considers any person’s conduct, which is unique in relation to the conduct of the lion's share, as a forbidden. At some point, three young ladies in swimming outfits enter the shop. Sammy gets enchanted by them. While watching they are shopping at the store, he is looking at their bodies. His sexual dreams don't leave his brain. Nonetheless, we become more acquainted with that he is fairly skeptical about the two of the young ladies. It appears as though they have bombed his assessment and can't contend with the third one, whose appearance he considers as great. In his musings, he calls her Queenie. It appears as though she is a pi oneer among the three companions. The encounter happens when the supervisor of the store reprimands the young ladies for their look and demonstrates to their swimming outfits with criticism. The young ladies need to leave the store. Sammy feels himself hurt and disturbed. In an attack of temper, he leaves the activity. The Discussion The shopper society is, without a doubt, the fundamental topic of the novel by John Updike. The creator shows how much individuals are worried about the fulfillment of their wants. He underscores that the clients at the shop are happy to purchase the snacks instead of the food staff vital for living.Advertising Looking for inquire about paper on american writing? How about we check whether we can support you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More They, basically, spend their cash on nothing. The character of Sammy is unmistakably progressively convoluted as it appears at the primary look. Albeit, incidentally, he is driven by his physical wants a s the clients do, he feels an internal dismissal of the usually acknowledged lifestyle just as of the affectation and conservatism of the director. Sammy opposes the customer society when he finds employment elsewhere. The debate is clear in the plot of the novel. From one perspective, the fundamental character feels dismissal of the industrialism, and, then again, he investigates the figures of the young ladies from the customer viewpoint. I surmise the principle thought of the novel isn't just the disgrace on the crude estimations of the shopper society yet in addition, and perhaps more critically, the disgrace on the traditionalism and disapproval of the perspectives unique in relation to the ones, which are spread in the general public. The creator reprimands the general public for the bad faith and the trickery. The uncertainty can be seen in the demeanor and conduct of the director of the store. He chides the young ladies for their indecent look however is anxious to encourage the deals at his store simultaneously. It turns out to be evident that he is a piece of the shopper society too be that as it may, as opposed to Sammy, his exacting and ordinary perspectives don't permit him being receptive and adaptable. The subject of human body likewise assumes the focal position in the novel. I think the creator attempts to show that individuals like a supervisor Lengel are thought about the look, which the others have, significantly more than about their internal nature. They disregard the otherworldly side of the world. The subjects of the customer society and the human body are firmly interconnected. The attractive figures of the young ladies and the demeanor of Sammy to them emblematically speak to the enticements of the cutting edge world. The inquiry is how much the figures of these young ladies are not the same as the a lot of the tidbits and different wastes of time offered at the store in the assessment of Sammy. End In request to summarize all previou sly mentioned, it ought to be said that the novel AP by John Updike delineates the truth of the cutting edge society. The subject of industrialism assumes the focal position in the plot of the novel. The primary character opposes the lip service and trickery of the advanced society. Simultaneously, he is enticed by it as well.Advertising We will compose a custom research paper test on AP by John Updike explicitly for you for just $16.05 $11/page Learn More The creator stresses the uncertainty of the demeanor of numerous individuals these days. From one viewpoint, they go to bat for the humility just as for the specific model of conduct and are anxious to appreciate the joys of the buyer society, then again. This exploration paper on AP by John Updike was composed and put together by client Madeline Robbins to help you with your own investigations. You are allowed to utilize it for research and reference purposes so as to compose your own paper; nonetheless, you should refer to it appropriately. You can give your paper here.

Case Analysis Leo Burnett Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Case Analysis Leo Burnett - Essay Example Leo Burnett combined its activities with a comparable organization in the publicizing industry in 2001 (O’Neil). Be that as it may, LB retained its name. Janet Carmichael was virtual group pioneer who headed the activity of the organization. Picking up trust as a group chief requires creating exact plans and targets, which would characterize the idea of relationship that should exist between the virtual gatherings. It is obvious that land contrasts isolated the gatherings. Be that as it may, the group head didn't create exact target, which could implement trust among the groups. The case ventures absence of trust among groups, which prompted their lackluster showing. Achievement of any undertaking relies upon its execution plan. Carmichael didn't create usage plan that would characterize the sort of job each group would play. Coordination is a significant perspective that the virtual groups didn't grasp. Correspondence office is a column in any effective organization. LB London and its sister organization in Toronto had a correspondence pass, which is liable for the troubles that the organization confronted. Group pioneers ought to guarantee that they create systems which would upgrade correspondence and ideal data conveyance. It is clear that calls and messages are insufficient for business to understand its prosperity. Group pioneer must have the option to meet the virtual groups, share their issues and achievement, lastly venture the manner by which the group ought to work. Virtual groups must have the option to see characterized conventions, which handle the issues that they might be having. Gatherings are significant, particularly when an organization has different groups working in various areas. Gatherings help the pioneer to recognize any slip by that their group is confronting. This would make trust between the group and its pioneer. The case outlines insufficient correspondence between virtual groups and its results to the organization. It is clear that group head should gadget powerful ways which would give intelligent

The Man In The Moon :: essays papers

The Man In The Moon I lie on the grass, gazing above me, my arms stretch high into the twilight sky, they twist and turn and lengthen and they reach up and my hands handle the moon and its mine and nobody else's and my fingers become a piece of it and afterward I'm the moon, see me I'm the Man in the Moon and I Can See All, I Can See You, and my arm extends down and my goliath finger uncurls and focuses and my voice profound and blasting says ITS YOU and the individual I'm pointing at gazes directly toward me and his arms are coming to towards me and he's grinning and afterward I understand with a beginning that its me. I get up and shake my head. At that point I rests again and shake my head. At that point I sit up and shake my head and rub my eyes and scratch my head and yawn and this appears to work thus I get up. I rests once more: it didn't work. I think I'll remain here some time and consider things until I can get up and stand and perhaps walk once more. I might be some time. I'm turning upward into the sky. Its night however it isn't so dim. The moon's out as are the stars and there are no mists in the sky. Valid, its not as splendid as it seems to be, say, during the day, yet by the by it's moderately brilliant. It's a damn sight more splendid then within an extremely dull cavern with your head shrouded in a thick, thick cover with your eyes shut. Yet, our own isn't to bandy on the brilliance, or deficiency in that department, of this night being referred to. Along these lines, the condition of the night cleared up, I can proceed. I'm investigating the sky and I'm lying on the grass, which is somewhat peculiar in light of the fact that grass isn't, so to speak, the most plenteous of materials in this spot. I'm lying on a little fix of such grass that is encircled on all sides by sand. Out there I can hear the ocean and its running into the sea shore and I stress over all the poor little animals trapped in it.

Article Review - Great and Sore Affliction Essay

Article Review - Great and Sore Affliction - Essay Example The article began with a verifiable foundation of the colonization of the European Old World that began the New World. This is appropriate to the way that Anne Marbury Hutchinson began in Europe and moved to the new world. The article sketched out the various arrangements executed by the England explicitly in identified with religion. The Church of England was considered as the most impressive strict gathering and incredibly bolstered by the administration chiefs from Queen Elizabeth, James I, and Charles I. The article however is centered around the life of Anne Marbury Hutchinson who was considered as a lady strict pioneer paying little mind to the way that ladies were not permitted to offer solid thoughts and lead during her time. So far as that is concerned, she was remembered for the numerous ladies in the early piece of history who has been charged of black magic and different types of wrongdoings because of articulation of their perspectives. From her life in Alford as a girl of a Church of England minister and a Puritan mother, she grew up and created in a group of solid strict establishment. Her dad was otherwise called a man of will and solid sentiment, in this manner, her was attempted in court for his straightforward perspectives on the practices of the uneducated pastorate of the Church of England. As Anne grew up, her inclinations in fields disallowed for ladies, for example, examining and perusing turned into her qualities. As she grew up, her enthusiasm for the strict occasions explicitly the oppression of the ladies in the general public who lecture, instruct or express their feelings turned into the focal point of her turn of events. In the rustic Alford where she grew up and got hitched, she was allowed to lecture her assessments and express her translations of strict lessons. Be that as it may, through the adjustments in administrations, the usage of progressively exacting principles caused greater threatenin g vibe against ladies. This activated Anne and her family’s choice to additional to the New World. Be that as it may, to her stun, comparable instance of disparity was winning in

What Does SAT Stand For

There’s a story behind this one, so bear with me. The SAT has had a couple of official names over the years, starting with†¦ The Scholastic Aptitude Test For the majority of its history, from the ‘20s up until the early ‘90s, the test was the â€Å"Scholastic Aptitude Test†. So why’d they scrap that? Besides sounding like a cold, robotic form of torture (which you may or may not think the test actually is), the original name of the SAT didn’t sit right with a lot of people. â€Å"Scholastic† means academic, and â€Å"aptitude† means innate skill; it implied that they were able to test you on how well you were bound to perform in school settings. Even if you think the SAT is a pretty good measure of IQ—and it’s not an IQ test—there’s a whole lot more that goes into academic performance than just that, including motivation, social skills, creativity, and more. Your â€Å"scholastic aptitude† is much more complex than what the SAT tests you on. So they changed it! Great. The Scholastic Assessment Tests For years, nobody really understood the change that the College Board made. In 1993, the company started giving what we now know as the SAT Subject Tests (initially called the â€Å"SAT II: Subject Tests†). The original SAT was renamed the â€Å"SAT I: Reasoning Test†, and altogether they became the Scholastic Assessment Tests. It made sense that they took out the â€Å"Aptitude† from the original name, since that’s what was causing the problem, but officially the original test was now called a â€Å"reasoning test,† which sounds more like an IQ test than it does a â€Å"scholastic assessment†. And the individual test wasn’t called the â€Å"Scholastic Assessment Test I†. That long form was only applied to the tests collectively. So what did SAT stand for, then? Years later, the College Board finally cleared it up. SAT didn’t stand for anything at all. The Abbreviation â€Å"SAT† It’s pretty weird to think that an abbreviation could stand for nothing at all, but that’s what the College Board says about the SAT. The point of it is pretty simple: whatever words they used in the name (like â€Å"aptitude†), were automatically a possible target for critics to aim at. By taking away the words, they kept the brand recognition of the letters â€Å"SAT† but got rid of any other associations. It’s pretty similar to how KFC took the words out of their logo to avoid having â€Å"fried† give them an unhealthy image. But that has to make you wonder: who do they think they fooled? Personally, I think that’s not possible. It’s clearly an abbreviation when it’s all caps like that†¦. So maybe we should use lowercase and start calling it â€Å"the sat†, rather than spelling out the letters when we say it. You know what? I’m going to start doing that, and see who understands what I’m referring to. Maybe I can start a trend. The â€Å"New SAT†? With the new test, the abbreviation is even more distanced from the original. Really speaking, SAT is almost like a brand. The New Coke, the New Ford Mustang. The fact that it once actually stood for something has become a piece of trivia. You’re better off knowing what the test is testing than what it actually stands for. Now crack open the new Official Guide and learn something that is actually useful.

Public Against Smoking Via Culturally Tailored Approaches - 550 Words

Sensitizing The Public Against Smoking Via Culturally Tailored Approaches (Essay Sample) Content: SENSITIZING THE PUBLIC AGAINST SMOKING VIA CULTURALY TAILORED APPROACHESStudents NameInstitutional AffiliationIntroductionSensitizing the public against drug abuse can be a challenging task to partake, whether the drug is legal or illegal, there is a high possibility that these substances have a negative effect on the individual and also the people around them. Diseases such as cancer and many other health complications can be traced back to drugs and substance abuse. In most cases, some of these habits are deeply embedded in a society that it needs one to take a different approach to educating the public on the negative effects of drugs. Studying the societal practices and the means by which they justify their action can be a good place to start. While cigarettes are known for being readily available and acceptable not regulated by law, many people tend to abuse it and surround themselves with a mythical lie that the drug does not cause much damage. Due to some of th ese myths and false beliefs, there is the need to study the society's culture that will help in sensitizing people against smoking.Principles to considerIn order to increase the utilization of the Stop Smoking Program among the ABC people, a number of principles must be considered. The fact that smoking is viewed as a gender-based activity, smoking being used as a rite of passage, interactive activities such as hanging out and working seem to be complete and exciting if the individuals are smoking and the fact that smoking is being used as a measure of strength among men.Application techniquesA culturally tailored approach can be used to determine the effectiveness of the Stop Smoking Program, in order for this process to be more effective, there will be the need to educate the individuals on health inequalities. The fact that women should not smoke just because the act makes them seem loose and not well brought up is not fair. In as much as the men are smoking and not getting judge d, they should be educated on determining a woman's worth not just based on their measuring unit which at this point is smoking but based on morals (Egbe, 2014).The people of ABC should also be introduced to a different rite of passage, for example emphasizing ion the need for education among the youths. This can be used as a perfect example of a rite of passage instead of picking a smoking habit which put individuals at the risk of cancerous infections. People should also pick new habits to partake in whenever they are hanging out. They can be involved in a game of chess or even discuss ways to improve the community when they are working. This will keep their minds occupied and they will not be thinking of smoking (Allen, 2017). Smoking has been used as a rite of passage which is not a healthy right of passage given that the habit that one picks is very harmful. The Stop Smoking Program educates the public on the importance of school and comes up with an internship opportunity for new graduates. This will make education important and it might be viewed as a rite of passage.ConclusionSuch measures can be effective and the whole idea is to replace a bad habit or perception with a good one. The Stop Smoking program can achieve all the above recommendations by first creati...

Pscyhology - 1772 Words

s paper one will discuss two myths from different cultures. The two myths chosen for this paper are the Genesis creation (Hebrew origin) of the Christian culture, and the Norse culture of Iceland (the Vikings). Both of these creation myths start with an emptiness where conflict and chaos eventually develop. The Genesis crearion is between God, nothing, blackness, emptiness, loneliness, and the need to create something. The Norse creation is between the dark cold realm of Niflheim, within the emptiness of Ginnungagap, and the fiery realm of Muspell, where nothing can grow. There are nine classifications of creation myths, which most include more than one motif. The Genesis cosmogonies applies both ex nihilo, and deus faber motifs. The†¦show more content†¦Day five, God created every living creature of the seas and every winged bird, blessing them to multiply and fill the waters and the sky with life (Fairchild, 2013, para. 6). Day six, God created the animals to fill the ea rth (Fairchild, 2013, para. 7). Then God created man in his own image, both male and female, and instructed them to multiply and replenish the earth (Genesis 1: 27-28). He made them rulers over the earth to cultivate and care for it, and every living thing upon the earth (Genesis 1: 28). On day seven, God said his work was done, so he blessed the seventh day, making it a day of rest. The Norse creation myth does not have one maker of good, but many events and elements that emerge from one evil giant. In this story a cow slowly licks away mountains of ice from two beings, creating the god Buri and his goddess wife (Distant Train, Inc., 2011). They had a son named Bor, and his son was named Odin, who became the king of all the gods (Distant Train, Inc., 2011, para. 6). Ymir was an evil, brutal, and cruel giant. One day Odin and the other gods plotted to kill Ymir because they could no longer follow his evil ways. Ymirs body became the earth, his flesh became the land, his blood became the sea, his hair became the trees, and his bones became the mountains (Distant Train, Inc., 2011). Odin and the other gods created the sky from Ymirs skull, which was held up by four pillars (Distant Train, Inc., 2011). Odin created the moon and the sun byShow MoreRelatedInformed Consent in Counseling785 Words   |  3 Pages References Appendix 1: Ethical Principles for Conducting Research with Human Participants. (2013). http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/DeafStudiesTeaching/dissert/BPS%20Ethical%20Guidelines.htm Plous, S. (2013). Tips on informed consent. Social PScyhology Network. Retrieved: http://www.socialpsychology.org/consent.htm Walsh, Robert J. Dasenbrook, Norman C. (2013). Implementing informed consent. American Counseling Association. Retreved: http://www.wvbec.org/images/Implementing_Informed_ConsentRead MoreSymptoms and Effects of Primary Insomnia Essay924 Words   |  4 PagesInoue, Y. (2011). 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Essay on The Human Genome Project - 711 Words

A genome is all the DNA in an organism, including it’s genes. Genes carry information for making all the proteins required by all organisms. These proteins determine, among other things, how the organism looks, acts, processes and fights infections. DNA is made up of four similar chemicals (bases, adenine , Thymine , cytosine , and guanine ) that are repeated millions or billions of times throughout a genome. The human genome has three billion base pairs. The order of these base pairs are extremely important and determine everything in an organism. The Human Genome Project started in the mid-1980’s and was discussed widely throughout the scientific community and public press in the last years of the decade. In the United States, DOE†¦show more content†¦The massive amount of data and related technologies generated by the HGP and other genomic research presents a wide array of commercial opportunities. These opportunities range from medicine and food to energy and environmental resources. Older companies are racing to retool and newer companies are seeking parts in the information revolution with DNA at it’s core. IMB, Compaq, DuPoint, and other big pharmaceutical companies are among those interested in the potential for targeting and applying genome data. In HGP there are two types of sequences, the draft and the high quality. To get the draft sequence, scientist determine the order of base pairs in each chromosomal area at least four to five times to ensure data accuracy and to help with reassembling DNA fragments in their original order. This repeated sequencing is known as genome quot;depth of coverage.quot; The draft sequence for the human genome was completed on June 26, 2000. To generate high quality sequencing , additional sequencing is needed to close gaps, reduce mistakes and allow only a single error in 10,000 bases. The finished version will provide an estimated eight to nine times the coverage of each chromosome. Thus far, high qualityShow MoreRelatedThe Human Genome Project1460 Words   |  6 PagesGene Essay Assignment: The Human Genome Project A genome is the complete DNA set of an organism. These DNA molecules are made up of two strands. Every strand is composed of four nucleotide bases: adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine. Complementary strands are paired in certain ways. Cytosine always pairs with guanine and adenine always pairs with thymine. The human genome holds about 3 billion base pairs, found in the chromosomes. Each of the 46 chromosomes are composed of thousands of genesRead MoreThe Human Of Human Genome Project995 Words   |  4 PagesThe Human Genome Project has been introduced to us more than twenty-five years from now. It was Initiated and sponsored by the National Human Genome Research Institute, the project was introduced aiming at researching more human genes in order to understand, read genes and find cure for diseases. It guided the medical field to new direction but at the same time created new challenges and problems. The primary objective of the project isn’t wrong or questionable but s ome believe its implications areRead MoreThe Human Genome Project?1023 Words   |  5 Pages The Human Genome Project Today we are learning the language in which God created life . . . humankind is on the verge of gaining immense new power to heal. Genome science will have a real impact on all our lives, and even more on the lives of our children. It will revolutionise the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of most, if not all, human diseases. - Bill Clinton, June 2002. 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Researchers from across the world are working in conjunction to understand the sequence of amino acid base pairs and how they interact with one another to elicit specific genetic reactions. Once the decoding of the genome takes place, scientists will be able to develop individual treatment plans and understand a number of diseasesRead MoreEssay on The Human Genome Project1579 Words   |  7 Pages Does the Human Genome Project effect the moral standards of society? Can the information produced by it become a beneficial asset or a moral evil? For example, X chromosome markers can be used to identify ethnicity. A seemingly harmless collection of information from the Human Genome Project. But lets assume this information is used to explore ways to deny entry into countries, determine social class, or who gets prefer ential treatment. Whether or not this type of treatment is acceptable to a moralRead MoreThe Human Genome Project ( Hgp )1324 Words   |  6 PagesIn 2000, the $3 billion dollar project--The Human Genome Project (HGP)--came to completion. Geneticists can now provide a patient with a comprehensive map of their DNA sequence. Obtaining such information can tell a patient if they have the gene variant associated with many different genetically linked diseases such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart conditions or even cancer. This medical revolution can indicate what drugs to take, at what dosage and what lifestyle choices can be made in order to preventRead MoreThe Human Genome Project : A Research Project1097 Words   |  5 PagesThe human genome project is a research project which had a purpose of being able to map and understand all the genes of human beings and organisms (National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health 2014a) and to determine the DNA se quence of the complete genome (National Human Genome Research Institute, National Institutes of Health 2014b). The Human genome project enabled researchers to obtain the instructions they needed to gain an understanding of how to build an individualRead MoreEvolution Of The Human Genome Project1273 Words   |  6 PagesWhile many diseases and viruses are caused by outside sources, some diseases occur from within the human body. Regular ailments can be cured with medicine, or fought off overtime by getting a vaccine, but certain diseases and anomalies cannot be directly treated. This is because they are genetically inherited by certain parts of one’s DNA. DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic Acid, and is inherited from the parents of a person. These strands, found within the nucleus of all cells, determine the appearanceRead MoreThe Human Genome Project A Go Or No?1319 Words   |  6 Pages Is the Human Genome Project a Go or No? Rapid growth in the health field over the past several decades has brought with it many advancements even in the prenatal stages of life, one may think this is all positive, but is it really? With all new technology and advancements in the health field the lives of humans can be heavily impacted by these advancements in the study of human genes. The study of the human genome began in the early 1990s and involved into a global project. The purpose was to

Human Resource Management Functions Of The Company

Human Resource Management Function Based on Bandag’s size, it is important for the company to look closely at the human resource functions of the company. Currently, Jim’s executive assistant handles the day-to-day human resource management. It is important to first ask if Jim’s executive assistant has the expertise to deal with the day-to-day human resource tasks or is this an additional burden on the assistant. It may appear as a burden due to the many problems the company is experiencing. It may be in the company’s best interest to employ an in-house employee who will specifically deal with the daily human resource management tasks. This person should be a highly trained individual. This individual should be able to competently†¦show more content†¦If Jim decides he does not want to employ an in-house human resource employee, he will need to carefully select an outsourcing firm to handle the all duties of a human resource department. This action is needed in order to find a firm that offers the solutions to the problems targeting Bandag. This decision should not be taken lightly. It is a decision that should be well thought out and researched because the outsourcing firm will work as an extension of the organization. In Jim’s case, cost alone should never be the deciding factor in the selection of an outsourcing firm to handle human resource processes. There are a host of other factors to consider, such as reputation, organizational fit, and degrees of experience. It is often advisable to meet those who will be performing the work itself (Caruth, Haden, and Caruth, 2013). Additionally, if outsourcing of all operations is needed, open communication is needed in order to solidify the relationship between the companies. It is also important to note regardless of the choice that is made, organizational leaders need to approach either scenario with the mindset of building a long-term relationship. Neither option should be viewed as a short-term solution to human resource management problems—it is a long-term arrangement that requires commitment from both parties (Caruth, Haden, Caruth, 2013). Dismissal of Employee Henry The case with Henry, there is a need to gather more information regarding his claim.

Ethics Ethics And Behavior - 1585 Words

Ethics is a critical issue in today’s workplace. If employers and employees do not consistently follow high standards of conduct, companies cannot prosper. Workplace ethics and behavior are a crucial part of employment, as both are aspects that can assist a company in its efforts to be profitable. In fact, ethics and behavior are just as important to most companies as performance as high morale and team work are two ingredients for success. Every business in every industry has certain guidelines to which its employees must adhere. Effective and appropriate workplace ethics-principles and practices that define the duties, obligations and, by implication, the rights of an organization’s members-builds on the individual and collective values found in society. Any workplace ethical standards sharply at variance with those privately or publicly embraced by its members are likely to be protested, resisted or at least questioned by them. All companies specify what acceptable b ehavior is, and what is not when hiring an employee. Many even summarize expected conduct in job descriptions or during the interview process. Behavior guidelines typically address topics, such as harassment, work attire and language. Workers who do not follow codes of conduct may receive written and verbal warnings, and ultimately be fired. The behaviors that a company wishes to instill in managing workplace ethics will primarily be determined by the organizational culture and priorities that guideShow MoreRelatedThe Ethics Of Ethical Behavior1491 Words   |  6 Pages Ethics can be described as the ideals and principles considered by individuals when determining acceptable behavior. Many individuals take into account socially established normalities and expectations when examining their own behavior. 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Barnes & Noble - Inc. Versus Borders Group - Inc.

Question: Describe about the Report for Barnes Noble, Inc. Versus Borders Group, Inc. Answer: Introduction Continuous technological innovation is rapidly overtaking the retail information management that has been in place for years. Holistic information systems that can be used for management and retail at the same time are essential for the success of a business. Companies that create and implement strategic plans on information systems (IS) at the right time have higher chances of doing better and standing out amidst challenges while the others fail. This paper describes two organizations in the book retail industry. Barnes Noble is an example of an organization that succeeded in gaining competitive advantage via IT. On the other hand, Borders Group is an example of an organization that was unsuccessful in enhancing its competitive advantage through IT/IS. Barnes Noble, Inc. - Successful Example Barnes Noble, Inc. is one of the largest book retailers in the United States. It is a Fortune 500 company, previously ranked at position 423. In addition, the organization is a leading digital media content and educational products retailer throughout the country. According to Fortune 500 (2016), the company has 649 stores in all States within America and has 37,000 employees. After a series of bankruptcies and merges of firms in the American bookstore industry in the last two decades, Barnes Noble still stands as the remaining national bookstores. Barnes Noble was founded in 1886 under the name Arthur Hinds Company. The name was changed in 1894 to Hinds Noble when Gilbert Clifford Noble became a partner. In 1917, Noble bought Hinds and partnered with William Barnes, after which they named the company Barnes Noble (Barnes Noble Inc, 2013). The company has been transforming to include information technology in its activities in order to keep the company at the top of the indust ry. Currently, the company is well known for NOOK, a suite for e-book readers it developed. The Nook is in competition with Kobo eReader, Amazon Kindle as well as other e-readers such as iBooks that are used in iOS devices. The current version of the NOOK is customer friendly because it has Wi-Fi connectivity, Sudoku games, a dictionary and chess among other things (Rosen, 2015). Barnes Noble has done all this and much more to gain and maintain a competitive advantage that its competitors were unable to cope up with. Success Factors The success of this organization has been as a result of the strategies that have been put in place to embrace Information Technology (IT) as the world advances in technology. Besides the brick and mortar stores the company has established all over the country, IT has enabled it to gain a broad online presence. Different internal and external factors have enabled the company to enhance its competitive advantage as indicated in the subsections below. Internal Factors that influenced Barnes Nobles Success Over the years, the company embraced changes that came on the way. For instance, in 1931, the company opened a publishing division and began opening stores in other States. In 1970s, the company was under a good management of Leonard Riggio, who made great changes to revive it after about two years of mismanagement. In order to embrace IT in its marketing strategies, Barnes and Nobles was the first bookseller to make adverts on television in 1974 (Barnes Noble Inc, 2016). In addition to the television advertisements, the company started selling books on 40 percent discounts so long as the title ranked the bestselling in The New York Times newspaper. Under its good management, the company purchased Dalton stores in 1986. By 1999, the company became the second-largest bookseller online in the United States. Company critics claimed that the company led to a decline of the other local booksellers (Barnes Noble Founder, 2016). As a move to integrate more IT to its already existing mail-order catalogs, the company created a website, where it began selling books online by 1980s. The website was launched in 1997. Currently, the site carries more than 2.3 million titles. On October 2007, the company launched an online literary style site by the name Barnes Noble Review. It featured columns, book reviews and interviews from different authors and critics. The site also provided essays for music critics such as Robert Christgau. The company also ran Gameshop retail outlets, between 1999 and 2004, where video games were sold. More IT was incorporated into the company as technological advancements continued. In 2010, William Lynch, who was the Website president, became the Companys CEO. As the Companys overall manager, he made the company embrace Information systems to a maximum. During his time there, the company launched the electronic book store. Later on, the Nook, an electronic book reader was introduced. It was under his management that the company became famous for its digital books. Lynch resigned in 2013. External Factors that Influenced Success Several external factors influenced the success of Barnes Nobles. Between 1965 and 1990s book industry was growing at a high rate but companies in the industry were reluctant to grab the opportunity. During the same time, discovery of computers led to innovation of information systems for different industries. In the retail industry, companies like Barnes Noble got the opportunity to gather customer feedbacks so that they could make improvements for higher customer satisfaction. Using the information systems, that were available at that time, the company collected data on market in order to determine what the customers needed. It was after this that the company opened small discount stores that were later replaced by the larger stores. In addition, the data collected indicated that more sales would be made if the company published its own books. The started publishing its books. Later on, in order to raise customer satisfaction, the company started selling the books they published to mail-order customers. It was at this time that the company saw the benefits of embracing IT. Books that were sold in mail-order catalogs were affordable reissues that enabled the organization to reach new customers all over the country (Barnes Noble Inc, 2016). By the end of 1974, Barnes and Nobles Fifth Avenue store had overtaken Londons Foyles bookshop, making it the biggest bookstore worldwide. In 2011, the closure and bankruptcy of competitor, Border Group, left Barnes Noble the only remaining national bookseller in the U.S. A series of bankruptcies and mergers in the American book industry followed. Waldenbooks, Crown Books and B.Dalton, among others were closed down. That trend expanded Barnes Noble's market and made it succeed during those tough times. The current biggest physical Barnes Noble's bookstore competitor is Books-A-Million, a company that does not operate in the West of U.S. Other companies that currently compete with Barnes Noble include general retailers such as Amazon.com, independent and regional booksellers (Townsend, 2013). Although the company shares the small market with more technologically upcoming organizations, the company has always embraced IT/IS to enhance its competitive advantage. SWOT Analysis Strengths The firm is well established and has a market capitalization of more than $ 2 billion. Its selling of DVDs, CDs, magazines, e-books and books makes it a one-stop outlet for media. It is among Fortune 500 companies. The firm uses several channels to distribute products online and stores. It also has a strong financial position (Barnes Noble, Inc., 2013). Weaknesses Most stores are within U.S. meaning that the market is limited. Opportunities Ecommerce is growing. The firm should use internet to cover a larger area than the U.S. market. The spending of consumers is also increasing. The company can take over and jointly venture on the small significant firms that have best brands. Threats Firms such as Amazon, and public libraries are a threat to this firm. Online competition and book store retails are increasing. Books are substituted by ebooks at a high rate (Barnes Noble, Inc. SWOT Analysis, 2013) Borders Group- Unsuccessful Example Borders Group is a good example of a company that failed because it did not fully incorporate information technology or information systems as its competitor was doing so. Borders Group, a global book retailer was founded in the year 1971 by two brothers and Michigan graduates, Tom and Louis Borders. The two established the organization when they failed to interest booksellers that were already in the industry, in their inventory and sales tracking system (PR, 2015). Their Information system could predict demand in certain communities. The failure of other booksellers to be interested with their innovation prompted them to start a firm, Border Group. The company had a good start because it was based on an IT idea that no other bookseller was interested in. Internal Factors that Influenced Borders Failure Borders was not any other book retailer that occupied a large retail area. The individuals who started it were also the managers that saw its success several years that followed. In the first two decades, the employees were devoted to the job that they did. They had pride on the knowledge of the sections that they were assigned. To customers, the store had transformed into a library and a refuge, where they would get in and were lost (Grossman, 2016). All these changed when the Borders was acquired by Kmart and the management changed. In 1992, Kmart acquired Borders Group. The firm, Kmart, had also acquired Waldenbooks in 1984. Waldenbooks was a mall-based book chain. Kmart had been struggling with book division ever since it acquired Waldenbooks. One factor that led to the failure of Borders Group was change of management and merging an area of struggle. Kmart merged Waldenbooks with Borders with the hope that Waldens book division would be revived by Borders senior experienced management that were doing well. However, the senior management team resigned before they could do much. External Factors that Influenced Borders Failure Several external factors accelerated the failure of the company. First, there was high competition in the book retail market. Border Group competitors, Crown and Barnes Noble were aggressively expanding to cover up a wide market. Borders was facing pressure from stakeholders, and it was also experiencing its fiscal problems. As a move to try and strategize, the management named the new merge, Borders-Walden Group (Cody, 2012). However, before the year ended, the company was renamed Borders group. Border Group Companys story is full of irony and a lot of slap-your-forehead missteps. By 1990s, it was clear that both competing companies, Barnes Noble and Borders Group dominated the books industry. The missteps for Borders began immediately it achieved dominance. A Series of Missteps taken by Borders First, the company engaged in an aggressive expansion that made the company acquire long-term leases that later proved the companys bankruptcy. The company should have assessed performance in each new store it opened by collecting information through the IS that were available at that time. Secondly, Borders focused on creating selections that were more superior to those of Barnes Noble. They were ignorant of the fact that customers were not aware of those selections and they were not interested by them. The company should have used IT/IS to collect customers view of the selections. Thirdly, the company lost the control of internet sales channel. According to Valds (2012), the company negotiated a deal, in 2001, to allow Amazon control Borders online business. A lot of time was wasted before the company launched its website in 2008. Figures indicate that the sales dropped by nearly 34% between 2001 and 2008 (Rosen, 2015). Again, instead of the company focusing on its product, books, it increased its focus on DVDs and CDs. At this time, book retailer competitors were focusing on how they would digitally deliver their products using IT. Borders lost the opportunity of delivering e-books in time to its customers. This led to a loss in market niche. When the company launched Kobo, the e-reader, it did not gain traction because it had insufficient support. When introducing a certain technology, it is important to ensure that it is released at the most opportune time. On 2005, the firm wasted valuable finance of $600 million on the stock buyback program (Johnston, 2015). The end of Borders was an ugly one. In the last years, the company did not have money and it was burdened by long-term leases for its big stores that were located very far. The firm filed for bankruptcy when it was too late. Its creditors concluded that the best option was to maximize recovery through total liquidation. SWOT Analysis Strengths The firm was recognized for being the best bookstore. It had bookshops all over the globe. The company had diversified to books, music, CDs and DVDs. Weaknesses It provided the easiest products to customers- paperback books. It outsourced online sales to Amazon. The company ran from market trends, leaving the opportunity to Barnes Noble. It misread signals within the market and ended up diversifying products, thus losing focus on real deal. There was poor management within the firm (PR, 2013). Opportunities The firm could have partnered with universities to supply textbooks. With ebooks introduction, the firm could have reduced its costs because the books do not require much space. The market had few players and the company would have remained as the leader. Threats Newer competitors in the online field were using technology rapidly. Globalization threatened the firm because customers were expected to stop going for the books but acquire the ebooks online. The firms competitor, BN collaborated with the best brands and increased their competition worldwide (PR, 2013). Lessons Learned The two retail firms which were at one time dominating book retail industry took different strategies at some point. One was successful and still stands out in the industry, while the other one failed and had an ugly ending. Various lessons can be drawn from the cases. First, its hurts when people fail to foresee a revolution, but to companies, it is fatal (Books Industry Profile, 2015). When managers fail to predict the future through the changes that take place, they are treated as failures in their lives whereas the companies they lead die without hopes of resurrection. Another lesson that can be learned is that the marketplace has the ability to swiftly punish those who delay to adapt to new digital realities. While Barnes Nobles created a website and started working with it until its full launch, Borders started online book selling but later stopped it because the online business was not profitable. Later on, in 2001, the firm made a deal with Amazon so that it could maintain its online presence. Getting into that deal was a form of delay because the firm later launched a website in 2008 where it continued with online retail. It is important that retailers make strategies once they notice opportunities on their way. How can competitive advantages gained via IS/IT be sustained? In the modern times, distribution channels are sophisticated and technology driven. The next step after gaining a competitive advantage should be to carefully observe the trends and act accordingly. For instance, since more people currently rely on content they can access on their handheld devices, it is important to make products and services readily available and easily accessible on such platforms. This makes distribution to be customer-friendly. Current trends should be monitored closely because they determine the future of a business. Once a firm gains a competitive advantage through IS/IT, it should strive to maintain it. This should be done by conducting continuous assessments and evaluations that indicate the performance of the company. Performance indicators should be clear enough so that any slight changes can be observed and worked on (Gilbert, 2015). Borders lacked indicators that discretely indicated that the firm was headed to a fall. If such indicators were in place, better timely strategies might have been utilized. Research and development (RD) is an important division in firms that gained competitive advantages through IT/IS. Research should continuously be carried out so that ways of improving the IS can be discovered. RD should always focus on customer satisfaction and how to remain ahead of competitors (Johnston, 2015). Borders was established after Barnes and Noble had already established. However, the innovation that Borders proprietors introduced propelled the company to make it the best in that industry. Conclusion In conclusion, as markets enlarge and become complex, the retailing process that was once simple changes. In order to cope with the trend, retailers need to employ more intelligent and sophisticated information systems (IS) where all transactions are involved. The key to maintain a competitive advantage in this globalized retailing industry, is to efficiently control information, data and knowledge of the market. It is important that retailers invest in and exploit information management that is available. Barnes and Noble were always open-minded such that the most crucial book retail information did not pass them by. The company new the exact moment it was required to open new stores in certain locations. In addition, the company knew the exact Information Technology (IT) to use at different times in order to enhance its competitive advantage. Borders, on the other hand, started well, and it was once at the same dominance position with Barnes and Noble. The company failed to maintai n its competitive advantage by doing miscalculations and applying the right IS/IT at the wrong time. References 'Barnes Noble Founder: Retail Environment Is Worst in Years', 2016, Investors Business Daily, 8 September, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 December 2016. 'Barnes Noble, Inc' 2016, Barnes Noble, Inc. Marketline Company Profile, pp. 1-31, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 5 December 2016. Barnes Noble, Inc. SWOT Analysis' 2013, Barnes Noble, Inc. SWOT Analysis, pp. 1-10, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 4 December 2016. Books Industry Profile: United States' 2015, Books Industry Profile: United States, pp. 1-31, Business Source Complete, EBSCOhost, viewed 3 December 2016. Cody, T 2012, 'Borders CEO Recalls the Moment it was over', Mergers Acquisitions: The Dealermaker's Journal, 47, 1, p. 8, Fortune 500, (2016). Barnes Noble. Fortune. Available at: https://beta.fortune.com/fortune500/barnes-noble-427 [Accessed 4 Dec. 2016]. Gilbert, RJ 2015, 'E-books: A Tale of Digital Disruption', Journal of Economic Perspectives, 29, 3, pp. 165-184, Grossman, L 2016, '64. The Death of the Bookstore Was Greatly Exaggerated', Time, 188, 2/3, pp. 54-55. Johnston, N 2015, 'How Borders' demise is a crucial lesson in data', Campaign, p. 42, PR, N 2013, 'Online Retailers Gained, While Brick-and-Mortar Lost In Wake of Borders Exit', PR Newswire US, 6 August, Regional Business News, EBSCOhost, viewed 5 December 2016. Rosen, J 2015, 'Filling the Void', Publishers Weekly, 262, 7, pp. 1-3, Townsend, M 2013, 'The Barnes Noble End', Bloomberg Businessweek, 4340, pp. 52-55. Valds, RD 2012, 'Life after Borders', Shopping Centers Today, 33, 5, pp. 42-44.

The Role of Leadership in Organizational Development Free Sample

Question: Dicuss about the Role of Leadership in Organizational Development. Answer: Leadership refers to the quality to influence others to follow his footsteps. Every organization requires a leader to show them the right path of success (Van Wart, 2013). Leadership plays crucial role in organizational success. Leadership is the combination of both research and practical skill that encourages the employees or other team members to work together to achieve the organizational goal. The idea of leadership has fuelled many debates. There is a conflict about the concept of leadership between United States and European countries (Moriano et al., 2014). US academic environments has analysed leadership as a procedure in which a person can provide efficient suggestion to a group of people and motivate them to work together to achieve a common target. According to some European report, leadership is a view of leaders that helps the team to not only achieve any common goal but also search for personal qualities. Leaders are responsible to monitor the performance graph of his t eam members. The performance level of all the employees is highly dependent on the quality of the leadership. According to some report, effective leaders must identify the goal of the organization and influence the employees to give their best performance to establish a better future for the organization (Moriano et al., 2014). One of the key qualities of leadership is to encourage the productivity of the organization. It is evident that a person who provides effective advice to his team during any crisis to overcome the turbulence later on recognized as the leader of the group. In this competitive era, organizations are setting new goals every now and then to beat their rivals. Thus, every organization requires an efficient leader to enhance the productivity of their organization.Leaders are expected to provide enthusiastic and friendly environment to his subordinates. It will motivate the team members to contribute in the success of the organization (Paustian-Underdahl,Walker Woeh r, 2014). The below mentioned article reviews the nature of leadership. It emphasises on the impact of leadership on the organizational culture and decision-making process. It has enlightened all the aspect of leadership that helps the organizations to meet their desired target. The study of leadership has become crucial subject in last few decades. Recently some experts have claimed that leadership is a complete organization that research the goal of the organization, implement required strategies and tactics and influence other members to participate in the process of achieving the target. Leadership can be defined as the action to lead an organization or a group (Kollenscher et al., 2016). Some reports claim leadership is the social exchange between the leaders and followers. Merton has described leadership as the transaction between the leaders and his followers. As opined by some analysts, leaders are like other members of the group, but the quality of influencing team members distinguishes him from others. The two primary leadership approaches are traitist and situationist. There is conflict among the analysts about leadership. According to some analysts, leadership is based on some specific traits of the leader. On the contrary, Gibb (1988) has stated that leadership quality of the organization is dependent on the situation. There are many leadership theories that concentrated on fundamental nature of leadership. The four key leadership theories are- great man theory, trait theory, behavioural theory, contingency theory, transactional theory, transformational theory (Cheng et al., 2014). Leadership quality can be defined as a personal quality. This quality distinguishes leaders from other team members. Some famous qualities of effective leadership are: Leadership is highly dependent on the followers. A leader will not be able to perform his responsibility without his followers. Main objective of leadership is to identify the primary objective of the organization and adopt required strategies and techniques to the organization, influence others to participate in the the process (Lumby, 2013). Leadership is the process in which a person influence other member of his group to work together to achieve the common goal. They provide a healthy atmosphere to their employees so they can work properly (Silzer et al., 2016). It will influence the employees to give their best performance to establish a better future for the organization. The success of every organization is greatly dependent on the quality of leadership. An effective leader plays an important role in enhancing the growth of the organization. On the other hand, an active team can also fail to achieve the expected target due to the poor performance of the team leader. The leadership styles are based on different situation (Silzer et al., 2016). Several leaders perform differently under various situations. Leadership is not similar to bossism or management. Leaders are also a member of the group. They are not beyond the rules. However, their quality to influence and motivate others differentiates them from the rest of the group. Leadership is a function to stimulate the followers to participate in the development of the organization (Mihalache et al., 2014). Effective leaders always motivate their employees to sharpen their skills to enhance the productivity level of the organization. It is considered as one of the key nature of leadership. Efficient leaders always actively participate in the production process of the organization. Leaders must be able to accept all the responsibilities willingly in every situation. They must realize their responsibility towards the organization or the group. They must be loyal towards and dedicated towards the organization (Kollenscher et al., 2016). It will increase the effectiveness of their leadership and enhance the growth of the organization. Leadership is the quality of implementing vision in reality. An efficient leader must have the potential to turn their big ideas into reality (Kollenscher et al., 2016). It is not enough to make strategies; efficient leaders always look after the opportunities to implement their strategies into the practical world. Leaders must play the role of friend, philosopher and guide (Prakash et al., 2015). Good leaders always encourage their subordinates to learn new technologies and new practices. They know the value of learning. They always discuss about their experience and achievements with their team member to motivate them and boost their moral values. Followers are often motivated by the personality and behaviour of their leaders. Leaders play dual role. Effective leaders always stand by the side of their employees in all the circumstances and they support their organization as well. They influence their employees to provide their best performance for the betterment of the organization and the always look after the benefits of their subunits (Day et al., 2014). Effective leaders always encourage their employees by appreciating them. Many organizations offer bonus, insurance to their staffs to boost their performance (Dinh et al., 2014). They know the value of appreciation. It is one of the most important qualities of strong leadership. Leaders must offer their employees incentives, bonus and some extra leaves to make them feel as an essential part of the organization. Leaders possess the right to monitor the performance of the team members. They must review the performance of their employees and identify their mistake so it does not destroy the productivity of the organization (Hoch Kozlowski, 2014). Good leaders concentrate on the strengths of their team members. It does not mean they avoid their flaws. However, discussion about the positive qualities of the employees increases the confidence level among the employees (Leroy et al., 2015). It enhances the productivity of the organization. Efficient leaders always stand by the side of their organization in every crisis. It is often evident that leaders play crucial role to deal with difficult situation (Antonakis House, 2014). An exemplary example of this type of leadership is the TD industries. In 1980, while all the banks of Texas was experiencing massive crisis, TD industries was one of them. However, the leaders managed to tackle the situation by taking an innovative initiative. As there was a lack of fund, company offered their staffs a defined retirement plan and asked them to invest their money into their organization. Employees followed the instruction of the management and provided them 30% more from the companys expectation. This unique and sincere step of the leader helped the organization to deal with the crisis and provided them sufficient fund to stabilize the company("Mechanical Construction and Facility Services | TDIndustries", 2017). Effective leadership signifies a strong relation between the leader and his subordinates. Great leaders pay close attention to the problems of the team members. They include some strategies and policies like zero tolerance policy, sexual harassment policy to influence the participation of the employees in the organization (Bergh et al., 2016). Addressing every employees individually is the sign of a strong and transparent leadership. Great leaders often discuss with the subordinates about their work experience. It is can be seen in many organization that leaders provide some valuable advice to their employees about their personal life or health related issues. They refer them to another source that can be useful for the employees to give trauma support, financial support, counselling. An exemplary example of such organization is Canyon Coal. The leaders of this organization is very much concerned about the well-being of their employees (Canyon Coal. 2017). There are five primary styles of leadership, they are- Laissez- Faire, Autocratic, Participative, Strategic, Team leadership, Transactional, Transformational, cross-cultural, facilitative leadership. These leadership styles influence the organizational development and decision-making process differently (LussierAchua, 2015). In Laissez- Faire leadership leaders do not provide their regular feedback to their subordinates and do not supervise them properly. The employees with high experience and quality will be able to survive under this type of leadership (Tourish, 2014). However, not every employees of an organization possesses these high qualities. This type of leadership is harmful for the growth of the organization. This style of leadership hinders the productivity. This leads the organization to meet an awful consequence. Leaders do not interfere in employees activity. This leadership style is based on Behavioural theory of leadership, as this leadership style is influenced by the behaviour of the leaders. The lazy or distracted behaviour of the leaders do not allow him to participate in the decision making process of the team. Leaders often overlook many activities of the group due to such practices. An exemplary example of Laissez-Faire leadership style was US President Theodore Roosevelt under who se leadership the Panama Canal project was about to develop. The Canal was expected to start in 1914. The idle nature of the leader did not allow the project to complete. Autocratic leadership style can defined as a process in which a manager makes decision alone. Other members of the team cannot participate in the decision making process (Mihalache et al., 2014). They are bound to obey the decision of the manager. No one can question the decision of the leader. They are not provided any kind of platform to share their view over any issue related to the decision of the manager. This type of leadership is not beneficial for organizational development. Employees dissatisfaction can be increased due to this type of leadership that encourages violation among the team members (Bergh et al., 2016). Theis leadership style concentrates on the behavioural theory of leadership. The dominating nature of the leader leads him to take any organizational decision without consulting with other team members. The behavioural theory has analysed various behaviour or nature of leaders that influences their leadership style. This leadership style is highly influenced by t he nature of the manager. Hitler and Nepoleon Bonaparte was one of the famous examples of Autocratic leader. Participative Leadership is also known as Democratic Leadership. Leaders in this type of leadership frequently meet with their team members to discuss about the strategies and policies of the organization. This type of leadership encourages the employees to participate in the organisational development (Colbert, Barrick Bradley, 2014). It influences the moral value of the team members and makes them feel as an important part of the organization. As leaders in participative leadership discuss about the decision with their staffs before implementing any new strategy, it helps the team members to accept the changes easily. Participative leadership is considered as one of the effective leadership style but it faces difficulties in making decision within a short span of time, as managers do not get much time to discuss with their team about the decision. This type of leadership style is also a part of the behavioural theory. The nature of the manager influence him to to discuss about the new strategies and practices with his subordinates. John. F. Kennedy was a perfect example of Democratic leader. He had influenced the whole world by the unique leadership style. Indra Nooyi, the CEO of PepsiCo is an example of participative leader. She always maintains a healthy relation with her subordinates and often meet with them to discuss about emerging projects and several other issues. Strategic leadership refers to a leadership procedure where leaders fill the gap between the requirement of change and requirement of practicality by their creativity (Wang et al., 2014). This type of leadership is not only restricted to the top position of the organization, people who possess the quality of strategic thinking can become effective and efficient leader in strategic leadership. This type of leadership can be effective to meet any specific goal. Bill Gates is a famous example of Strategic Leadership. His strategies have led Microsoft to become the most renowned brand in computing world. Due to his efficient leadership Microsoft still offers a wide range of products and services to its consumers worldwide. Leaders provide a clear picture of future of the organization and share their vision with their team members (Parris Peachey, 2013). This practice helps the subunits to identify the objective and right direction. Leaders discuss about their vision about the future of the organization, it helps to create a strong bonding with the employees. However, it is also evident that team leadership fails to achieve the target. According to Harvard Business Review, team leadership can fail due to the poor performance of the manager. An exemplary example of team leader is Angela Markel. She is well-known as the most effective leader European leader and chancellor for six decades. Leaders in transactional leadership style maintain two-way relation with their employees. In this type of leadership, leader and his team set a common goal. In order to achieve that goal, they willingly work together. During this procedure, leaders appreciate their subordinates for their performance, or sometime they can scold them as well for their mistakes. Such practices will motivate the staffs to give their best performance to meet the target successfully. Leaders in this type of leadership conduct different training programmes to provide a transparent picture of organizational policies and objectives (Shatzer et al., 2014). Such practices increase the quality of the employees performance and restrict them to be involved in any kind of unethical activities. In this type of leadership leaders, possess the right to review the performance of their team member and make important corrections to enrich their performance. Employees often receive many rewards like bonus, incentives due to their remarkable performance. An example of transactional leadership is Starbuck. Starbucks is one of the renowned organizations in the world and well known for its phenomenal treatment of employees. They consider their employees as a key element of their organization. They always try to match the expectation level of the employees. They frequently offer insurance, bonus, incentives to their employees. The organization has gone through a rough patch in 1997 when some of its employees were killed in robbery in one of its stores of Washington D.C. The CEO Howard Schultz took a remarkable step to fight with the obstacle. He went to Washing D. C and he was there for the entire week. He stood by the side of the employee's family and provided all kind of supports. The company successfully fought against the crisis under the strong leadership of Schultz. Being a responsible leader, Schultz helped his organization to deal with the massacre("Starbucks", 2017).It is an example of contingen cy leadership theory, as Howard Schultz, the CEO has set an example of smart leadership by taking this unique decision in the period of massive crisis. Transformational leadership style focuses on the communication between the leaders and their followers. In this type of leadership leaders maintain a healthy communication withtheir team members to motivate them to achieve the goal (Bergh et al., 2016).Many analysts claim that effective communication is beneficial for organizational growth. Leaders often follow effective communication strategies to motivate their team members. They use various communication tools to interact with the team, such as- group discussion, podcasts, blog, social network. This type of leadership is very much beneficial to enhance the productivity of the organization (McCleskey, 2014). It provides a platform to the employees to share their opinion about an issue. This type of leadership demands effective participation of managers. Effective communication increases the transparency level within the organization. Southwest Airlines is U.S based airline. It is well known for its low-cost carrier. Southwest has s tarted its journey in 1967. The airline has workforce of 53000 employees. It is one of the most preferred airline companies among the customer. It is renowned for its efficient customer service. Southwest always plays a significant role in maintaining the expectation level of their customers. During the 9/11 terrorist attack, all the airlines have experienced massive crisis. They were asked to stop their service until the country recovered from the crisis. Southwest authority took a notable initiative during this period. The employees of Southwest are asked by the authority to take their passengers to movies to entertain them. After the 9/11 attack, Airline companies were forced to terminate their employees. Within the three days of the terrorist attack, Southwest authority declared that they would retain all their employees. As opined by the James Parker, CEO of Southwest, Southwest preserves strong business principles. It helped them to take sincere steps during this crisis ("Sout hwest Airlines Airline Tickets, Flights, and Airfares", 2017). The CEO of Southwest has followed the transformational theory. He communicated about the problem with his employees and assured them about their job. Another example of transformational leadership is IBM. In this modern era, the use of social networking sites and blogs has become an integral part of our life. At the time when business blogging was new to the business world, IBM embraced the change and encouraged their employees to start blogging. They introduced a new policy for the employees to encourage them to share their views on any issue. It influenced the productivity of the organization. IBM always welcomes new technologies. It increases the satisfaction level of their employees and the stakeholders ("Ibm.com", 2017). The facilitative leadership is based on the outcome of the performance. Leaders in this type of leadership influence the group to function properly and enhance their skills (DInnocenzo, Mathieu Kukenberger, 2016)). They monitor the performance graph of their subordinates and identify their flaws. It is the responsibility of the leader to identify flaws of the employees and encourage them to rectify their mistakes to give quality service to the organization. It is responsibility of the leader to develop the skill of the employees. Abraham Lincoln is a famous example of Facilitative leadership. He is well known for his influential leadership style and motivating nature. As per the previous discussion, it can be stated leaders are one of the keypart of every organization. They play most crucial role in the success of their organization. In this competitive era, while every organization is giving their best performance to survive in the race they need the guidance of an efficient leader who can show them the right path to achieve their goal. Leaders must possess some basic qualities like determination, responsible, efficiency, effectiveness, so they can motivate them to achieve the target. The main objective of the leader is to lead his or her organization towards the right direction. They are responsible to describe everyone about their role in the organization. They are the representatives of the organization. Good leaders always encourage their subordinates to give their best performance for the betterment of the organization. They work as a friend, philosopher and guide of their team members. There are many theories that define the basic nature of leadership. These theories have enlightened all the aspects of a good and effective leadership. Different leadership styles influence the decision making process of the organization and performance of the employees in different manner. It is seen in the last few years leaders of some leading organizations have brought revolutionary changes in their organization through their effective and efficient leadership. They provide all the supports to their organization to overcome many obstacles. They have set an example of successful leadership. Reference: Antonakis, J., House, R. J. (2014). Instrumental leadership: Measurement and extension of transformationaltransactional leadership theory.The Leadership Quarterly,25(4), 746-771. Bergh, D. D., Aguinis, H., Heavey, C., Ketchen, D. J., Boyd, B. K., Su, P., ...Joo, H. (2016). Using meta?analytic structural equation modeling to advance strategic management research: Guidelines and an empirical illustration via the strategic leadership?performance relationship.Strategic Management Journal,37(3), 477-497. Canyon Coal. (2017) Canyon Coal (Pty) Ltd. Cheng, B. S., Boer, D., Chou, L. F., Huang, M. P., Yoneyama, S., Shim, D., ... Tsai, C. Y. (2014). Paternalistic leadership in four East Asian societies: Generalizability and cultural differences of the triad model.Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology,45(1), 82-90. Colbert, A. E., Barrick, M. R., Bradley, B. H. (2014). Personality and leadership composition in top management teams: Implications for organizational effectiveness.Personnel Psychology,67(2), 351-387. DInnocenzo, L., Mathieu, J. E., Kukenberger, M. R. (2016). A meta-analysis of different forms of shared leadershipteam performance relations.Journal of Management,42(7), 1964-1991. Daft, R. L. (2014).The leadership experience. Cengage Learning. Day, D. V., Fleenor, J. W., Atwater, L. E., Sturm, R. E., McKee, R. A. (2014). Advances in leader and leadership development: A review of 25years of research and theory.The Leadership Quarterly,25(1), 63-82. Dinh, J. E., Lord, R. G., Gardner, W. L., Meuser, J. D., Liden, R. C., Hu, J. (2014). Leadership theory and research in the new millennium: Current theoretical trends and changing perspectives.The Leadership Quarterly,25(1), 36-62. Hoch, J. E., Kozlowski, S. W. (2014). Leading virtual teams: Hierarchical leadership, structural supports, and shared team leadership.Journal of applied psychology,99(3), 390. IBM - United Kingdom. (2017). Ibm.com. Ibm.com. (2017). Ibm.com. Kollenscher, E., Popper, M., Ronen, B. (2016). Value-creating organizational leadership.Journal of Management Organization, 1-21. Leroy, H., Anseel, F., Gardner, W. L., Sels, L. (2015). Authentic leadership, authentic followership, basic need satisfaction, and work role performance: A cross-level study.Journal of Management,41(6), 1677-1697. Lumby, J. (2013). Distributed leadership: The uses and abuses of power.Educational Management Administration Leadership,41(5), 581-597. Lussier, R. N., Achua, C. F. (2015).Leadership: Theory, application, skill development. Nelson Education. McCleskey, J. A. (2014). Situational, transformational, and transactional leadership and leadership development.Journal of Business Studies Quarterly,5(4), 117. Mechanical Construction and Facility Services | TDIndustries. (2017). TD Industries. Mihalache, O. R., Jansen, J. J., Van den Bosch, F. A., Volberda, H. W. (2014). Top management team shared leadership and organizational ambidexterity: A moderated mediation framework.Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal,8(2), 128-148. Moriano, J. A., Molero, F., Topa, G., Mangin, J. P. L. (2014). The influence of transformational leadership and organizational identification on intrapreneurship.International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal,10(1), 103-119. Parris, D. L., Peachey, J. W. (2013). A systematic literature review of servant leadership theory in organizational contexts.Journal of business ethics,113(3), 377-393. Paustian-Underdahl, S. C., Walker, L. S., Woehr, D. J. (2014). Gender and perceptions of leadership effectiveness: A meta-analysis of contextual moderators. Prakash, A., Hritier, A., Koremenos, B., Brousseau, E. (2015). Organizational Leadership and Collective Action in International Governance: An Introduction.Global Policy,6(3), 234-236. Shatzer, R. H., Caldarella, P., Hallam, P. R., Brown, B. L. (2014). Comparing the effects of instructional and transformational leadership on student achievement: Implications for practice.Educational Management Administration Leadership,42(4), 445-459. Silzer, R., Church, A. H., Rotolo, C. T., Scott, J. C. (2016). IO Practice in Action: Solving the Leadership Potential Identification Challenge in Organizations.Industrial and Organizational Psychology,9(4), 814-830. Southwest Airlines Airline Tickets, Flights, and Airfares. (2017). Southwest.com. Starbucks. (2017). Starbucks Coffee Company. Tourish, D. (2014). Leadership, more or less? A processual, communication perspective on the role of agency in leadership theory.Leadership,10(1), 79-98. TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION GLOBAL WEBSITE. (2017). TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION GLOBAL WEBSITE. Van Wart, M. (2013). Lessons from leadership theory and the contemporary challenges of leaders.Public Administration Review,73(4), 553-565. Wang, H., Sui, Y., Luthans, F., Wang, D., Wu, Y. (2014). Impact of authentic leadership on performance: Role of followers' positive psychological capital and relational processes.Journal of Organizational Behavior,35(1), 5-21.

Racism free essay sample

This paper focuses on the lives of a group of girls living in a periurban community outside of Maputo, Mozambique. Using participatory methodologies, we hear directly from the girls the influencing role gender and culture has in preventing girls from accessing a higher quality of life. Noticeably absent in girls and poverty related dialogue are the voices of girls living with poverty, as well as the fundamental role of gender inequality and culture in relation to the opportunity and capacity of girls becoming visible, having voice and agency and ultimately leaving a life of poverty. BIO Dr. Zainul Sajan Virgi’s research is based in Maputo, Mozambique where she is focusing on the lives of vulnerable pre-adolescent and adolescent girls and the possibilities for accessing a higher quality of life â€Å"as seen through their eyes†. Zainul is the first recipient of the Jackie Kirk Fellowship in Education. Zainul has worked as a community / international development expert in Canada, Mozambique,Tanzania, and India. We will write a custom essay sample on Racism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page She has utilized her research skills and translated the outcomes into recommendations which have been implemented successfully by governments, non-profit organizations, as well as donor agencies. â€Å"Children, particularly girls, continue to inherit family poverty. This cycle must be broken. † UNESCO, 2003 p. 5 INTRODUCTION Childhood poverty is a reality in every part of the world. Today, one billion children globally live with poverty (HDR, 2012). Of which 30 million children live in relative poverty in 35 of the world’s richest countries (UNICEF, 2012). Eradicating poverty and in particular girlhood poverty has been an elusive goal. In 1948, governments, decisions makers, donors and NGOs first committed to eradicating poverty by adopting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (OHCHR). A more concerted effort was made towards eliminating childhood poverty with the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in 1989. The CRC was designed to protect the child and ensure that s/he was able to access a higher quality of life. In September 2000, the largest gathering of world leaders in history approved the UN Millennium Declaration which included as one of its key goals, the eradication of poverty and hunger by 2015 (MDG website). With focused attention on poverty that began 64 years ago, some progress has been made, however much work remains as noted by the following statistics. One billion children or 1 in every 7 individuals continue to be deprived of one or more essential services for survival. 1. 1 million children do not attend primary school (UNICEF, 2010). 640 million children are living without adequate shelter; 400 million children do not have access to safe water, 270 million children do not have access to health services. 10. 6 million children died before they reached the age of 5 in 2003; about 29,000 children per day (Shah, 2010). An estimated 60 percent of the chronically hungry are women and girls and 20 percent are children under the age of five (WFP, 2009). Why Girlhood Poverty? A wide body of diverse research in the fields of anthropology, developmental psychology, medicine, sociology, and education (Shonkoff, 2009; UNICEF, 2008) all underscore the importance of development during the early years of childhood in relation to the formation of intelligence, personality, and social behaviour (Farah et al. , 2006; Brown Pollitt, 1996; Winick Rosso, 1969). The effects of neglect during the early years of life can be cumulative and lasting (UNICEF, 2008). There has also been a call since the late 1990s for research with girls and boys that engages their voices, particularly during their early adolescent years. Cannella (1998), for example, notes that â€Å"the most critical voices that are silent in our constructions of early childhood education are the children with whom we work. Our constructions of research have not fostered methods that facilitate hearing their voices† (Cannella, 1998, p. 10). I would add that the voices specifically of young adolescent girls are notably absent in relation to poverty, gender inequality and the affects of cultural and social norms in their lives. Considering that 70% of those classified as poor in the world are women (UN WOMEN), I presumed that girls living with poverty must face different challenges than those 3 xperienced by boys in transitioning out of a life of poverty. In reviewing data pertaining to childhood poverty used by leading organizations such as UNICEF, I noted that not all data pertaining to children in general had been disaggregated by sex or age. In the absence of sex and age disaggregated data, the statistics presented seem to give the impression that girls and boys of all ages experience poverty in similar ways. However, UNICEF indicates that there is still an incomplete understanding of how poverty specifically impacts girls. There is also limited research which analyzes the relationship between childhood poverty and girlhood (Delamonica et al. , 2006). Poverty research as seen through the eyes of girls would highlight a combination of elements including gender inequality, cultural influences, lack of property and land rights; lower status; lack of decision making ability; inconsistent access to basic rights including access to clean drinking water, sanitation, heath care and quality education, upward mobility employment; limited ability to protect oneself from physical and sexual violence (UN WOMEN). Why Use Participatory Methodologies? If we begin with the premise that the end goal is to develop effective policies that will address multiple real life issues faced by girls living with abject poverty, then a critical first step is to engage girls for whom the policies would have a direct impact and for whom poverty is an intimate reality. The second step is to develop space for them to critically reflect on their past, present and future lives. Space is needed to listen to their ideas for solutions that could transform individual and community challenges into strengths. Space is also important to learn directly from the girls the teps needed that would lead to effective and meaningful improvement in their quality of life. After all, creation of knowledge is the hallmark of empowerment. Numerous research studies have acknowledged the essential role of effective participation which leads to some form of empowerment. It also results in a more equal sharing of power between those who have access to power and those who ar e traditionally barred from having power (Nelson Wright 1995). Dominant narratives in many societies throughout the world hold the view that children are not able to participate in making important decisions that affect them. Girls, especially girls living with poverty are often not consulted or even asked to participate in civil society, nor in research about their lives. Challenging that perspective is the empowerment approach which encourages us to â€Å"question these dominant narratives and to seek out alternative stories that challenge assumptions about children’s capacities† (Rappaport, 2000, p. 5). Another growing area of research—the sociology of childhood— nudges us to listen to children’s perspectives and view children as experts in their own lives. Children’s expertise can be cultivated by teaching them specific skills. Participating in research, for example, can help them gain more control of the resources that affect their lives. Children, therefore, can become advocates for themselves and others (Langhout Thomas, 2010, p. 64). 4 Participatory research has great potential for marginalized girls, who are normally silenced, to develop a sense of self by offering their unique perspective on their lives, community, challenges and strengths. And in the process of participating in participatory research, they can have the potential to become leaders within their own communities (Mathews et al. , 2010). The Case of Mozambique Mozambique is a country that has been shaped by war, struggle and multiple ideologies which has resulted in its limited transition from being the poorest to the fifth poorest country in the world (UNDP 2010). Culture plays an influencing role on decisions made by governments and the policies they choose to support (Sen, 2004). Mozambique is a hegemonic patriarchal or male-dominated culture. The Portuguese colonizers for over 400 years also reinforced male supremacy in Mozambique (Stoler, 1995). The combination of culture, differing ideologies and long periods of war has had a direct impact on two critical sectors in Mozambique – health and education. For example, during 15 years of armed conflict between FRELIMO and RENAMO, public infrastructure was deliberately targeted, with schools and teachers in particular being singled out (UNICEF, 2006) along with doctors (Finnegan, 1992). In total, damage was estimated at $20 million (Hanlon, 2010), a staggering amount for an impoverished country. The combined human and financial losses left Mozambique with little choice but to turn to the international community for increasing financial assistance. Mozambique’s increasing financial dependence led to the neo-colonization of Mozambique, this time by South Africa and the West. The multiple forms of domination also led to increasing influence by foreigners on Mozambique’s policies, including health, education and the use of foreign funds (Paraskeva, 2006; Sousa Santos, 2002). Currently, Mozambique is considered to be the eighth most donor-dependent country in the world (de Renzio Hanlon, 2007). The support is limited to financial and does not adequately address gender, culture, poverty or capacity building issues, thus leaving Mozambique in a weakened dependent state (Porter, 2005). Health and education sectors considered to be key sectors towards alleviating poverty are heavily reliant upon donor aid. Issues regarding girls living with intergenerational poverty and the role of culture and gender inequality do not even appear on the agenda. Setting The fieldwork (see Sajan Virgi, 2011) was conducted in an all-girls’ school and community situated in a peri-urban area just outside the capital city of Maputo. The school is supported by an Italian church community and provides grade six to twelve education. During the first year of the three year program, girls commencing their education receive practical life skills training along with regular academic courses. The importance of sharing and working together is emphasized with the hope of enabling the girls to move out of the survival mode that has been their existence to date. The community members live a poor quality of life as 5 they confront the multiple challenges of poverty. i Many of the homes are headed by grandmothers. The girls move into the community to live with their grandmothers or other relatives, after having lost one or both parents, often to AIDS. Sometimes, they also move from other provinces in order to find better job prospects without having any family or relatives in the community. These girls often experience life challenging circumstances including death of their loved ones, loneliness and the bearing of responsibilities that are age-inappropriate. Participants Ten girls between ten and fourteen years of age were selected from Year 2 and Year 3 of the program by the Head and Class Teacher to participate in the study. The majority of the girls entering Year 1 of the program predominately speak Chagani and very little Portuguese. From a class of one hundred in Year 1, upwards of 10 different dialects were spoken. Since the girls from Year 1 were just in the process of learning the Portuguese language, the Head Teacher felt that their ability to be engaged and contribute in Portuguese would be limited. Design and Procedure The study was conducted over a six-month period. In all, the girls participated in sixteen sessions, some of which took place during school hours and others after school. I realized that if I wished to hear the voices of girls who had been silenced for generations, multiple data collection methods would be required to ensure that each girl found comfort and ease with at least one data collection method. Keeping this in mind, I used a variety of participatory tools including drawings, photovoice, focus groups, semi-structured qualitative interviews, informal conversations and reflection pieces to engage the girls and learn from them the complexity of barriers that are present in their lives as they attempt to access a higher quality of life. Photovoice is a term coined by Caroline Wang and Mary Ann Burris in 1992 which places a camera in the hands of the people and asks them to record their lives, experiences, strengths and challenges (Wang Burris, 1997). One of the most powerful outcomes of photovoice is the space it provides participants to create new knowledge and draw meaning from it. In total, the girls produced 30 drawings and 130 photographs on the issue of intergenerational poverty and their ideas regarding possible solutions. Analysis of Visual Data As Gillian Rose (2001) and others highlight, there are several different ways of working with visual data such as photographs, based on such questions as, ‘Who took the photograph? ’ and ‘What does the photographer say about the image? ’ and even ‘Where is the photograph stored or displayed? ’ In other works, two additional questions have been posed, ‘How can photos be used within a participant-analysis approach? ’(De Lange et al. , 2006) and, ‘How do we work with a single photograph? (Moletsane et al. , 2007). My main approach was to rely on what the girls themselves chose to photograph (in terms of categories), and their own passion and enthusiasm when choosing from the images and 6 photos on which to focus. They also provided the framework and context to the photos, thus enabling their readers to understand, following Freire (1970) the meaning they were making of their own lives. The photos permitted me to see the world through their eyes. Since photographs were used as an entry point for dialogue and debate, it was the follow-up discussions that provided even richer data with respect to the barriers the girls face in trying to acquire a higher quality of life. For example, I asked the girls to draw their perception of poverty, a higher quality of life as well as the elements needed to bridge the gap. The girls, while presenting their drawings, discussed the material aspects of poverty, as well as the emotional and social side of poverty. I also used photovoice to understand from the girls their perception of strengths, challenges and ideas for solutions in relation to poverty. The photographs produced by the girls visually depicted the life of a girl living with poverty. Discussions generated from the photographs taken by girls resulted in lively discussions and debates on topics ranging from gender inequality, inaccessibility to quality health, nutrition, education, and sanitation to gender violence and much more. During the focus group, I noticed that some girls remained silent. I introduced the idea of reflection pieces to enable these girls in particular to express their thoughts on issues raised. I also encouraged the girls in general to include in their reflection pieces unanswered questions pertaining to focus group discussions and/or to share their topic suggestions for the next focus group. The girls also conducted interviews with one older female relative. The interviews were organized around such issues as identifying female roles and responsibilities, discovering what older female relatives would have changed in their lives and why, as well as understanding from these female relatives what they thought could trigger the process of change in the quality of life of the younger generation of women in their community. Given that the families lived with abject generational poverty, I was interested in seeing how the girls themselves would discover similarities or differences between the lives of their grandmothers, mothers and aunts and their own lives and what steps they would take, if any, to address these issues. I also set aside time for unstructured qualitative interviews which evolved into dialogues. The girls directed the focus of the conversation according to the issues they raised. The use of multiple types of data resulted in richer information and diverse opportunities for the girls to express their thoughts and ideas. On a personal note, what I found remarkable was witnessing how photovoice (see Wang Burris, 1997; Sajan Virgi, 2011; Sajan Virgi Mitchell, 2011) enabled participants to switch from being participants in their lives to becoming observers of their lives. This change in perspective is the trigger needed, I believe, for critical reflection, analysis and for the development of appropriate solutions. As one girl said so eloquently, â€Å"I saw myself for the first time. † ii It was with this kind of realization that the girls, again following Freire (1970) saw themselves no longer as passive recipients of knowledge, but as active contributors to new and relevant knowledge, ideas and solutions. It was at this moment that they became visible to themselves and to each other. 7 HEARING AND SEEING THE PERSPECTIVES OF GIRLS In this section, through the girls’ stories and photos, they become visible, gain agency and voice. Their stories and photos enable us to understand the multiple challenges of poverty and the critical role gender inequality and cultural norms and values plays in erecting obstacles preventing them from leaving a life of poverty. Gender Inequality The term gender inequality can be problematic as it gives the impression that inequality experienced by girls and women will be the same. This is not the case. The inequality experienced by girls during their formative years, a unique period dedicated to intellectual and physical growth results in the under-development or limited development of girls’ physical and intellectual capacity. If girls do not achieve intellectual and physical growth during this critical period, the impact is permanent and difficult to alter at a later stage in life. This is because at the age of 10, a girl’s capacity for basic learning has been determined (Temin et al. , 2009). By the time she is 15, her body size, â€Å"reproductive potential and general health have been profoundly influenced by what has happened in their lives until then† (UNDP, 2004 p. 3). For the girls in the study, gender inequality, a fundamental barrier to accessing a higher uality of life appeared in many forms including lack of voice, agency, predetermined roles and responsibilities, disengagement from decision-making, power imbalance, vulnerability and inadequate quality of health as noted by their examples below. Girls Remain Invisible In The Home and Amongst Society Girls living with poverty face numerous forms of power which challenge their ability to contribute towards knowledge and meaning maki ng. The following are excerpts from the girls’ reflections pieces. Beatriceiiiexplains her invisibility: â€Å"In my class, I am the poorest girl. I know this because all the other girls can bring food to school, they have slippers that are not broken, and they have a school bag, notebooks, pens and pencils. I do not have these things. I usually wear the same clothes during my holidays. The girls at school all have different clothes to wear. I am often left out of the group. During recess, when everyone plays together, no one asks me to play with them. In class, the teacher pays more attention to girls that have a little bit of money. Often, my hand is raised because I know the answer, but the teacher rarely asks me to answer. Nine out of ten times, my answer would have been correct. But, no one will know that. No one will treat me differently. † Rita in her reflection piece notes the challenges of lack of agency: â€Å"At home, I am the last person that is heard, if at all. No one asks me for my ideas, even if it is regarding my school. My brothers and uncles always speak on my behalf. My mother I know she wants to know what I think, but she never asks me. I think it is because she does not want to make my brothers 8 and uncles unhappy because we are dependent on them for money. So many times I wish she would stand up for me and for herself. If we have less things or less food, that would be okay. But, to always be silent, that makes me unhappy. † In one of their collective reflection pieces written after girls had presented their drawings depicting poverty and their ideas for a better quality of life, the girls highlighted the necessity of Government support in their lives. They note: â€Å"without Government support, it will not be possible to change our lives, because we do not have money and need money from the Government. † During the first focus group session, the discussion turned to policies. The girls were asked to consider â€Å"what type of policies would you develop for women in your family and community? Fatima’s proposed policy addressed the long hours of work undertaken by their mothers and grandmothers for little pay: â€Å"I would ask the Government to pass a policy which ensured that our mothers did not begin work until 8:00am. Our mothers leave for work very early in the morning, sometimes before we even rise. They come home very late at night. They are too tired and often just go to sleep. We need our mothers at home with us. We miss them very much. We wish our mothers had different work opportunities like that of men in our community. The men work shorter hours and always seem to have money, unlike our mothers and grandmothers. † Beatrice made the observation that: â€Å"Isn’t the Government supposed to take care of poor people? Shouldn’t everyone have something to eat every day? My grandmother does her very best to take care of us, but, the only thing she can do is either work as a housemaid or work in the shamba (field). She is too old to do either. So often, we do not have any food to eat. † Power is the connecting thread in these excerpts. We learn that the power to engage, to participate in decision-making, to be heard as experienced by girls living with poverty is always in the hands of others: other girls living in poverty, but slightly better off; teachers; uncles; brothers; older women; aunties and mothers. Power in these girls’ lives is being shaped by culture, gender, tradition and policy. Role of Culture – No One Takes Us Seriously UNESCO during the World Conference on Education for Sustainable Development, Bonn, Germany organized a special side event entitled The forgotten priority: Promoting gender equality in education for sustainable development on April 2, 2009. The girls at this special side event spoke at length about the role of culture or social values as a tool to legitimize gender discrimination. In working with and learning from girls engaged in this study, culture also emerged as a root cause for the girls’ lower status and the limited opportunities and choices available to them to exit from a life of poverty. Patricia often commented, â€Å"no one takes us seriously when we talk about becoming a teacher, nurse, journalist or doctor. † At the same time, Fatima elaborated: 9 â€Å"So many of my friends’ mothers are sick. We have all experienced death. There is always someone who is sad. I want to become a doctor so that I can take care of them. But no one expects me to do this. They only expect me to get married and have children. When I talk about becoming a doctor, they do not encourage me. I know my mom wishes I could be a doctor, but she cannot give me any money to help me. So she just remains quiet. My dad, I think he thinks I am just being a child. But he doesn’t treat my brother like that. He encourages and expects my brother to make money. I want more, but I do not think I will have what I dream of†. A strongly patriarchal society like that found in Mozambique elevates the status of a son above that of a daughter, with respect to status, roles and expectations. Pre-Determined Lower Status of Girls and Women â€Å"The low status of girls and women is a formidable obstacle to poverty reduction† (UNICEF, 2001 p. 21). This powerful statement succinctly underscores the impact of the lower status of girls and her inability to independently exit a life of abject poverty. Patricia during a Focus Group shares her inability to challenge her brother: â€Å"I cannot challenge what my brother says. My mother will not challenge what my brother says. I am not allowed to make any decisions. I wanted to go to another school, but my brother decided this school was better for me. He did not even visit the school. He didn’t even have to give a reason for his decision. It was like he said it, so it had to be correct. My mom accepted his decision. I had to follow it†. Beatrice in her reflection piece writes: â€Å"My sister did not want to marry this man. He was much older. No one listened to her. She cried for days. She even stopped eating food. But, no one listened to her. She has been married for two years. She looks so thin and unhappy. She does not attend school. I cannot see her. I am not allowed. Her husband does not want me to see her. She is scared to disobey him. Last year, I saw her by chance. We exchanged looks, but could not speak to each other. He was with her. I am afraid that I will have to marry soon too† Yolanda shares her inability and that of her mother to engage in decision-making in her home: â€Å"Even though my brother is younger than me, he is able to make decisions for me. My uncles who live far away from me make decisions for me. My mother who works hard to take care of us, she cannot make any decisions for me or my brothers†. Lack of voice and agency is amplified in child marriages. Notably, it is young girls who are married to much older men, rarely the reverse. Rosa had been married for 1 year. She did not share her marriage status even with her closest friends for 11 months: 10 â€Å"I am so embarrassed. He is an older man. I wish my life was free like my friends. By marrying him, I am helping my family, so it’s okay, but I still feel sad, very sad and alone. My life will be forever different from my friends. I did not have a choice. I just had to accept it†. Culture And Its Influence On Girls’ Pre-Determined Roles And Responsibilities The Chronic Poverty Research Center (2005) has confirmed that poor families are heavily dependent on the labour of girls in particular. The cost of this increasing dependence is that school is seen as a less likely option (CPRC, 2005). Pre-determined roles and responsibilities assigned to girls leaves them tied to their homes and fields. The gender division of roles typically attributes collection of water, obtaining food and wood, as well as caring for the sick and elderly to girls and women. Paula in her reflection piece highlights her love for learning, but she also underscores how her chores interfere with her learning: â€Å"I enjoy coming to school. I like learning. But, often I cannot come to school. Sometimes it is because I am so hungry I just do not have the energy to walk to school. I try to sleep so that the time will pass by quickly. Other times, I am busy with my chores. When I miss a lot of school, I get left behind. It is difficult for me to understand what is going on in class. I cannot stay behind to ask my teacher to help me because she will ask me for money. I also need to go home and complete my chores, so I cannot stay behind†. Fatima shares her thoughts regarding the difference of opportunity between her brother’s ability to attend school and her lack of opportunity to attend school in her reflection piece: â€Å"My family makes sure that my brother is able to attend school. But for me, they feel it’s okay if I do not go to school. They feel it’s much more important for me to learn how to keep the house clean, cook and take care of younger siblings as this will be my responsibility when I grow up. When I say that I like going to school, I like to learn, they tell me that is my brother’s job not mine† The amount of time and energy expended by these girls’ daily chores including fetching water hampers their ability to attend school regularly. As Paula shared during a Focus Group: â€Å"We need water every day. If I wake up late and start collecting water later, then I have to miss school. Often, when I am sitting inside the classroom, I find it hard to concentrate. I have a headache. I am tired from collecting water. I just want to sleep. Carla highlights how boys are treated better than girls: â€Å"Boys are treated differently than girls. At home, I am expected to do all the chores which takes my time away from homework. Boys can walk down the street confidently, while we walk cautiously and in groups. I wouldn’t want to be a boy, because boys steal and don’t look after their families. I prefer to 11 take care of my family. But, I still wish I had the freedom and choices that boys have which are not available to me. Why do girls have such difficult lives in comparison to boys? No one even asked me what I wanted to do with my life. The main reason identified in literature for this imbalance between sons and daughters is the ‘mother substitute’ role that girls often play. The unequal gendered distribution of labour within the household is evident when women take on paid employment outside the home, in the absence of alternative affordable child care optionsor in times of illness of a family member, the girls bear the additional labour burden, usually at the expense of their education (Jones et al. , 2010). Adequate Nutrition – Basic Human Right Adequate and appropriate nutrition is a fundamental requirement for development. Important to note is that â€Å"the quality of care and feeding offered to children †¦ is critically dependent on womens education, social status, and workload (UN Sub-Committee on Nutrition, 1997). Appropriate nutrition is mandatory for a strong and healthy immune system leading to a significant decrease in illness and overall poor health. Children who are healthy are able to focus on their education and learn better than those that are hungry (WHO, 2010). â€Å"Better nutrition is a prime entry point to ending poverty and a milestone to achieving better quality of life† (WHO, 2011b). Food always played a role in every conversation with the girls. Even if the topic being discussed was unrelated to food, somehow food always became an integral part of the conversation. Notably more than 60% of chronically hungry people in the world are women (WFP, 2009). The girls during their reflection pieces, semi-structured interviews and Focus Groupsshared the scarcity of food in their homes. Their comments were similar to Patricia: â€Å"Food is not always available. We often have black tea and bread for breakfast. Our next meal is usually at night. † The girls’ lives are physically demanding which includes walking for long hours under the hot sun in search of water and firewood. With poor nutritional intake, it further taxes their already weakened bodies. The girls’ bodies are also still growing and therefore adequate nutrition plays a fundamental role for current and future health, as well as capacity to learn and retain new knowledge. Hunger and malnutrition are the worst outcomes of abject poverty (ECOSOC, 1999). The girls demonstrated the impact of hunger clearly in the following statements they prepared together during a Focus Group session: â€Å"It is hard to concentrate at school when we are hungry. Sometimes we just stay home if we haven’t had enough to eat. We try to sleep so that the time passes by faster and hope that our mothers and grandmothers will find food so that the pain in our stomachs would disappear. † 12 Figure 1: Feeling Strong â€Å"I like this picture very much. I remember clearly that in this picture I had eaten food that day†. â€Å"We are strong because we are happy and we are happy because we have eaten. † Photo Credit: Rita  © Sajan Virgi, 2011 The words spoken by these girls in relation to the photograph they took in response to the Feeling Strong prompt (Mitchell et al. , 2006) speaks volumes and underscores the importance of food in the lives of girls living in abject poverty. And it highlights the importance and value of engaging participants first if we wish to gain a deeper and more holistic understanding of the challenges they face, and then developing relevant and dependable policies and strategies. Critical information like the role of food can be missed without direct engagement of the girls as they cope with the harsh realities of their daily existence. Access To Clean Water – Basic Human Right Lack of access to clean water and basic sanitation is a silent crisis affecting more than 33 percent of the global population (Bartram et al. 2005). Approximately 443 million school days are lost each year due to water-related illness (Barry Hughes, 2008). Despite research endorsing â€Å"150 years of acceptance of the healthful effects of clean water, an estimated 1. 1 billion people still lack access to it, and 2. 6 billion people lack access to adequate sanitation† (Barry et al. , 2008 p. 785). 13 In Mozambique, most women, particularly in rural areas spend on average 15-17 hours per week collecting water. Using these hours of water collection per week as a basis of calculation, it translates into ~40 billion hours a year – a staggering number equivalent to France’s entire working force (UNDP, 2006). The time used to collect water takes away from completing homework, attending school, alternate training opportunities for girls and young women, as well as time to secure upward mobility employment for women. The girls during a Focus Group spoke at length about time it takes to gather water. In their collective reflection piece, they stated: â€Å"We start collecting water between 4am and 5am every day, including weekends. It is difficult carrying water while dodging cars and trucks as we try to cross busy streets. The truck/car drivers don’t stop; they keep driving fast and make us run across the road with our water. We wonder why they don’t slow down and consider how difficult our job is carrying water under the hot sun. When we come back from collecting water, we are always very tired. † From this brief reflection, the girls have raised issues related to gender, power, status and pre-determined expected roles and responsibilities. The girls all agreed that the collection of water was mainly the responsibility of children, predominately girls. Rita shares how tired she becomes after collecting water: â€Å"Some of us have to make 20 trips to the well, others have to make 10. The water sources can be far away, some as far as 60 minutes. It is very tiring. The water feels very heavy on our heads and our arms hurt from holding 20 liters of water. Some of us weigh 25kg others weigh 35kg. Carrying 20 liters of water, several times a day is very hard – particularly when we haven’t eaten anything from the night before†. Collecting water consumes ~30% of the girl’s day light hours in the winter, and ~25% of their day light hours in the summer from the data. The majority of girls living in economic challenging circumstances do not have access to electricity; consequently day light hours are critical for studying. Furthermore, given the amount of energy required to collect 20 liters of water several times in a day under the hot sun and only being rewarded with a cup of black tea is certainly taxing on the girls’ overall health. Their noticeable low levels of energy and their inability to concentrate on new materials being taught at school can be attributed to several factors, including physical stress on their body from collecting water compounded by limited nutritional and water intake. The photograph below captures Paula’s expression effectively as it communicates the burden she bears having to carry water every day. 14 Figure 2: ‘Collecting Water’ Every morning, I wake up at 5am to fetch water. I carry at least 20 large containers of water as shown in the photo. When, I’m finished, I am very tired, very tired. Photo Credit: Paula  © Sajan Virgi, 2011 Access To Proper Sanitation – Basic Human Right Sanitation plays a significant role in developing capacity for girls and women. Poor sanitation facilities severely disadvantage girls and women by increasing their probability of contracting illnesses. Girls and women have the greatest physical contact with contaminated water and human waste. They are expected to dispose of the family’s wastewater and feces; as a result they are vulnerable to biological pathogens and chemical hazards. Unsecure and unavailable toiletsoften prevent girls and women from relieving themselves the entire day. Accessing toilets at night also poses increased safety risks for girls given the distance of toilets from their home. Girls miss out on school once they begin menstruating due to unavailability of adequate washroom facilities at school (UNDP, 2004). This further debilitates girls’ attendance at school. Their ability to catch up on concepts that increase in complexity with each passing grade is difficult if not impossible. The girls in this study discussed issues related to poor sanitation and the impact on their lives. Yolanda writes in her reflection piece the problems of rain mixing with sewage water: 15 â€Å"When it rains, the water causes a lot of problems. It attracts flies that can cause cholera. The smells are unbearable. The washrooms become muddy and dirty with the water leaking both inside and outside the washroom. As a result, the waste and dirty water leak out into the yard. Children often play close to the washrooms because of limited space for play. They also play with the contaminated mud building different things and soon after fall sick†. In the picture below, Carla talks about issues related to poor sanitation, lack of playground space leading to children becoming sick. Figure 3: ‘Contaminated Water’ This picture shows the washroom. The water leaks from the washroom. As a result, the area is very smelly. Children play in this area as there no places for children to play. It is not healthy for the children to play in areas that are not clean. Photo Credit: Carla  © Sajan Virgi, 2011 DISCUSSION In analyzing the girls’ photos and dialogue, the data underscores gender inequality and cultural norms and values as root causes giving rise to feminization of poverty. Three important conclusions become apparent which should be addressed simultaneously in order to afford girls the maximum opportunity to secure a higher quality of l ife. These are: unavailability of age and gender disaggregated data; critical role of engaging girls in policy decision making; and, the role of culture in relation to pre-determined roles and responsibilities. Importance of Age and Sex Disaggregated Data Data informs policies. Decision makers develop policies based on data available to them. But it is important to keep in mind that â€Å"crucial in all policy practice is framing, specifically who and what is actually included, and who and what is ignored and excluded† (Gaspar Apthorpe, 1996 p. 6 emphasis mine). Harold Lasswell emphasises further the inequality that exists in policy development by indicating, ‘who gets what, when and how’ directly impacts the types of policies developed, who benefits and whose needs are not considered 16 Lasswell, 1950). Therefore it is important to ensure that decision makers have access to a holistic set of age and sex disaggregated data in relation to girls and poverty. However, the Center for Global Development indicates that governments and international agencies for the most part first focus on girls between 0 to 5 and then again at 15 years of age. Girls between the ages of 6 and 14 are neglected (Temin Levine, 2009). With limited esearch focusing on girls and poverty between the ages of 6 to 14 years, notably critical years reserved for intellectual and physical development, policies are being developed for girls that are void of comprehensive data related to the same. Also, current data does not identify the root causes giving rise to the feminization of poverty in relation to girls and poverty. Policy makers instead have access to more general conclusions like in order â€Å"to break the cycle, children must be provided with the appropriate food security, shelter, healthcare, education, public services (i. e. ater and sanitation), and with a voice in the community† (UNDP, 2004 in UNICEF, 2005 p 6). Such a conclusion makes the assumption that boys and girls do not experience unique obstacles whilst living with poverty even though UNICEF and UN WOMEN acknowledges that poverty has a female face. Therefore, a holistic set of age and sex disaggregated data is required to uncover the root causes that prevent girls from exiting poverty over and above boys. Only when policy makers are armed with appropriate data can they in turn develop high-impact and meaningful policies specifically for girls living with poverty. Hearing and Including the Girls Voices in Decision-Making Is Essential For Success Developing relevant and effective policies can only be possible if beneficiaries are being consulted in identifying their strengths, challenges and ideas for solutions that essentially results in the creation of new knowledge. Amartya Sen highlights the importance of engaging individuals who live in the multi-faceted world of poverty daily. Speaking at the Network of Policymakers for Poverty Reduction, an Inter-American Development Bank initiative, Sen underscored that â€Å"human beings are thoroughly diverse. â€Å"You cannot draw a poverty line and then apply it across the board to everyone the same way, without taking into account personal characteristics and circumstances† (Sen, 2003). What Sen highlighted is that poverty is not a homogenous experience and therefore requires the engagement of girls and women in order to understand how poverty specifically and intimately impacts their lives . UNDP argues that in order â€Å"to break the cycle, children must be provided with †¦ a voice in the community (UNDP, 2004). And in order to understand the role and impact of social institutions, policies and culture, girls who have intimate knowledge regarding the role of such institutions, policies and culture in their lives must be heard, particularly when girls’ experiences with poverty are multi-dimensional and intersect with other forms of social exclusion including ethnicity, disability, sexuality or spatial disadvantage (Jones et al. , 2010). In order to highlight the multi-dimensional reality of poverty experienced by girls, quality of life indicators could be designed to highlight the obstacles that are present in girls’ 17 ives at specific junctures that prevent girls from furthering their goal of exiting a life of poverty. Quality of life indicators would be ideally drafted in conjunction with girls living with abject poverty. These indicators would continue to provide decision makers and researches increased insight towards the root causes of poverty for girls. The girls’ participation through the use of visual methodologies to raise issues and seek solutions in their own community cannot be overlooked. It should be encouraged. For empowerment to become a part of these girls lives, there are a number of conditions that should be part of their lives. The girls must have consistent voice and space to reflect on their lives, challenges, strengths and ideas for solutions. There must be opportunities for contributions made by girls coming out of their own authentic experiences and presented to decision makers in order to develop dependable and relevant policies. As such, girls should be engaged in the entire process from identifying issues to prioritizing them to proposing solutions. The girls should not have token representation or be solely seen as providers of information. Otherwise, we will risk losing valuable information that comes as a result of their intimate experience with complex and multiple challenges related to abject intergenerational poverty that is notably part of their daily reality and not ours. It cannot be overstated that girls’ voices need to be heard and included in decision making to ensure that policies being developed are relevant to their lives and lead to dependable development and a higher quality of life for the girls and their succeeding generations. Acknowledging The Role Of Culture In Girlhood Poverty As highlighted by the girls, cultural norms, values and expectations are also a root cause that ensures that girls will remain the face of inter-generational poverty. Without incorporating culture as a distinct and critical category in relation to addressing gender inequality and disempowerment that currently exists and has existed for females for centuries, it will be challenging if not impossible for countries to achieve the goal of gender equality, empowerment and poverty alleviation for girls. At the local level, it would be important to identify internal gatekeepers noted by girls and their role in preventing girls from exiting a life of poverty. It would also be of value to include civil society and community leaders when designing gender equality and empowerment strategies and policies particularly in relation to cultural norms and values. Girl Development Rank In order to capture the unique obstacles faced by girls living with poverty, a tool should be developed to capture the girls’ diverse needs, strengths and ideas for solution. I am proposing a tool I have termed Girl Development Rank for the purposes of dialogue. The Girl Development Rank (Sajan Virgi, 2011) would be tool designed to increase our understanding of barriers that are present for girls living with poverty during their unique development years as they attempt to negotiate a higher quality of life. The development years as noted earlier are years in which girls have the opportunity to achieve maximum 18 intellectual, physical, social and emotional development. Since there is an absence of age and sex disaggregated data that holistically captures the diverse obstacles related to feminization of poverty, the Girl Development Rank would be designed to capture obstacles giving rise to gender inequality and the affects of cultural norms and values. Since the Girl Development Rank would identify the barriers experienced by girls living with poverty, it would also be used to develop high-impact solutions related to alleviating girlhood poverty. The Girl Development Rank could have age categories as follows: 0 2; 3 – 6; 7 – 10 and 11 – 15. The rank would be designed to measure quality of life including access to basic necessities including sanitation, water, nutrition, health and education. The Girl Development Rank would be a live tool evolving to meet the needs being identified by girls living with poverty. With respect to education for example, using the stories shared by the girls, it would seek to capture access, retention and completion. In addition, literacy would be included both in the primary and secondary language used for education and business. Time in relation to responsibilities in the home and field would be measured. Creative ways of measuring status, voice, agency would also need to be explored. Measuring a change in cultural, societal norms and traditions may be challenging. However, indicators outlining how political and legal reforms are responding to issues related to identity cards, inheritance, violence and child marriages could be used as key success indicators. An educational curriculum that demonstrates gender equality would also be an important indicator for a change in societal and cultural norms. Laws that are enforced which prohibit child marriages and violence perpetuated against girls will be strong indicators to demonstrate a change in cultural and societal values. Finally, the employment opportunities afforded to young women would be a strong indicator of gender equality. To better understand how pervasive the problem is from an age perspective, it would be important to include age-disaggregated data for all relevant indicators. CONCLUSION What is needed from researchers, decisions makers, donors, NGOs and governments in order to achieve a higher quality of life for girls is a ‘shift in our paradigm’ (Greene et al. 2009) from working for girls to working with them in partnership. It starts by listening to girls, identifying root causes, gaining deeper insight into their unique life experiences, understanding their needs, dreams and then enabling them to realize their potential. By engaging girls, enabling them to become part of the solution process, they wil l learn skills that are essential for moving their lives from abject poverty to a higher quality of life. It will only be through engagement that their voices will become stronger and more confident. In turn policies inclusive of girls’ input will have a great chance for optimum success enabling abject poverty to eventually become a distant memory (Greene et al. , 2009). The challenge before researchers, decisions makers, donors, NGOs and governments alike is to achieve this ‘shift in paradigm’, by identifying and addressing the root causes of poverty and ultimately achieve the elusive goal of releasing girls from a life of abject generational poverty permanently. 19 Notes Although I was not able to gather specific data on the community, discussions with school personnel and the girls indicate high levels of unemployment, female-led households which tend to have lower incomes, and illness. The girls throughout the research spoke in Portuguese. The comments made by the girls were translated into English and verified by the participants. iii ii i The girls’ names have been changed in order to protect their identity. Racism free essay sample Racism has been around for a long time. Dating back to the 17th century and continuing on through the 1960’s, and even into today. It has been a major issue since the colonial and slave era has existed. There were many rules regarding whom could be citizens, who could vote, and who could do what and where. Slavery may have been one of racisms biggest forms but that does not stop it from continuing on today. Far too often people are stereotyped by their skin color, or how they dress and choose to act. Trayvon Martin is the epitome of these stereotypes at its best; the 17-year-old Florida boy was fatally shot in February because of his clothing†¦ a hooded sweatshirt. Stage One: Racism has been alive in America since it was founded. African-Americans have been the targets of it for most of America’s history. In the 1860’s the Jim Crow laws were passed that required separate facilities for blacks and white in all public institutions. We will write a custom essay sample on Racism or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Both sides of the party observed this the blacks and the whites. African-Americans asserted the existence and offensiveness of the condition. Millions, even those who are not from our area of the world, have observed Travyon’s case. Everyone has taken offense to this specific case no matter what the skin color. Stage Two: In the past the government claimed that the laws were justified because the blacks were â€Å"separate but equal†. Today the law is involved in all sorts of hate crimes and victims of racism. When Travyon was shot many agencies responded, and it is still an on going matter. They are investigating and looking at both sides while trying to figure out what really went down. Stage Three: The African-American community asserted there claims and demands again, expressing their dissatisfaction with the public facilities the government provided which were always inferior to those provided to whites. Today the African Americans still rebuke the claims that are not fair. Victims of racism do not always get the outcome they are hoping for. Today, Travyon’s shooter remains free because no one â€Å"knows† what happened nd there is still no proof of anything. In the eyes of many, and all races, this is unjust and unfair because an innocent man was killed and no justice has been served. Stage Four: In response to the injustice of blacks, organizations known for anti-racist and civil rights activism emerge, such as the NAACP (National Association of the Advancement of Colored People). Travyon’s death will be another example in the fight against ra cism. It has sparked a new passion in the hearts of many which will lead to a bigger movement for justice and equality. It will only help to catalyze the movement of people who want to act against it and defeat it all together. The future is in are hands. Racism has come a long ways in the last few centuries and at times we thought we had conquered it. Racism is something that has been around for hundreds of years and sadly probably isn’t leaving any time soon unless we do something about it. It may take new faces and change its form but may never totally disappear. It is something that is wrong and unfair and we need to do our best to make it a better place to live.