Gender and Flag Question Essay

Feminists argue that gender matters because _____. Select one: a. it helps us bring some order to a chaotic world b. it structures social relations between people c. it emphasizes natural differences that exist between men and women d. there are roles for which men are each better suited and other roles for which women are better suited Question 2 Not yet answered Marked out of 3. 00 Flag question Question text Your introductory sociology professor believes that gender roles serve a purpose in society to fulfill certain functions. What type of theoretical background is your professor espousing? Select one: a. conflict b. postmodern c. structuration d. structural functionalism Question 3 Not yet answered Marked out of 3. 00 Flag question Question text Which of the following theories is associated with the idea that gender is a process—a product of our everyday social interactions? Select one: a. psychoanalytic theory b. conflict theory c. microinteractionist theory d. postmodern theory Question 4 Not yet answered Marked out of 3. 00 Flag question Question text How might a sociologist describe the difference between homosexuality and homosexual behavior? Select one: a. Homosexuality is a fixed social identity that is determined at birth, and homosexual behavior is the outward manifestation of that identity. b. Homosexuality is a lifestyle choice, whereas homosexual behavior is a choice about how to act in a particular moment and context. c. Homosexuality implies having a certain social identity, whereas homosexual behavior is a choice about a particular activity at a particular time. d. Homosexuality implies obtaining a social identity through repeated homosexual behavior Question 5 Not yet answered Marked out of 3. 00 Flag question Question text While policies that overtly discriminate against women have mostly been driven from the workplace, there still exist covert barriers that are often referred to as _____. Select one: a. the mommy track b. the glass ceiling c. hegemonic masculinity d. the glass escalator Question 6 Not yet answered Marked out of 3. 00 Flag question Question text _____ is a nearly universal system involving the subordination of femininity to masculinity. Select one: a. Patriarchy b. Sexism c. Matriarchy d. Hegemonic masculinity Question 7 Not yet answered Marked out of 3. 00 Flag question Question text Gender studies can be said to focus on the relationship between _____. Select one: a. nature and nurture b. sex and sexuality c. men and women d. sexual preference and social environment Question 8 Not yet answered Marked out of 3. 00 Flag question Question text Which of the following statements offers an essentialist explanation for gender differences? Select one: a. Women find themselves in lower paying jobs with fewer opportunities for advancement because such jobs make it easier for them to balance work and family. b. Women take on more responsibility for domestic tasks because men still think of such things as women’s work. c. There are far fewer women professors in the hard sciences because women are tracked toward the humanities and social sciences. d. Women are overrepresented in professions such as nursing, teaching, and social work because they are inherently more nurturing and caring than men. Question 9 Not yet answered Marked out of 3. 00 Flag question Question text Women working in male-dominated professions often find that there are _____ opportunities for advancement, and men working in female-dominated professions often advance _____ their female colleagues. Select one: a. limited; more slowly than b. limited; as quickly as c. ample; as quickly as . limited; more quickly than Question 10 Not yet answered Marked out of 3. 00 Flag question Question text The interview with Paula England highlights the changing gender dynamics of relationships for college students. In what way have the female college students that Dr. England describes lost a level of equality with male college students? Select one : a. Women have more limited choices in dating partners. b. Women encounter a lack of reciprocal sexual pleasure. c. Women encounter reduced communication about relationships from men. d. Women are burdened with a larger share of the â€Å"emotional work† required to keep a relationship function.

Philomena: A Film Analysis Essay

Among the many good films of 2013, this one has to be on my top 5 list. Directed with passion by Stephen Frears, Philomena is a film that questions your beliefs regardless of which religious sect you belong to. As a little exposition, Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), way back 1952, was impregnated out of wedlock and was therefore sent forcibly to a convent where she gave birth to a son she named Anthony. She and other young women of similar situation were only allowed to see their children once a week. This and other practices including oppression and prejudice among the nuns are presented well in the film in a way that could condemn the Catholic Church. These are presented in a tone that is sarcastic and ironic, with a mood that is mild and forgiving. Visually, the setting and production design will bring you back to 1950s Ireland, which is highly distinct with the present time. The cinematography is nothing too special; it was shot in polished angles, and with dim lighting to establish the gloomy environment the film is trying to convey. In my opinion, this is the style used to make it closer to reality so it will capture the emotions of people. As the plot develops to the rising action, you start rethinking about â€Å"morality† drawn by the strict administration of the nuns. The irony will later be exemplified when you see babies sold to Americans without the consent of the mothers; one of these babies was Anthony. And while he is being sent away, Philomena was watching from afar, not knowing that it is the last time she is going to see her child. The cinematography at this point was brilliant where the angle is trying to show the innocence of Anthony, and the agony of Philomena through an over-the-shoulder shot. Fifty years later, with the help of Martin Sixsmith (Steve Coogan), the search for the missing son will begin. Martin, who was rebuilding his career in writing, initially declined the idea of writing about Philomena’s lost son. However, as he hears more about the case and discovered that Philomena was only one of the many oppressed women, he decided to do it. Together, they travelled to the United States to find Anthony. Their journey together shows their stark differences. In most of their dialogues, it is very noticeable how different their perspective in life is. This is perfectly presented through the powerful performances by both actors, and subtle representations of their faith. Philomena believes  in God, Martin doesn’t. And while we see how unfortunate Philomena’s life can be, her faith is still strong. Martin, like probably many of the viewers, does not understand this irony. When they finally discovered who Anthony became, they found out that he died eight years ago from AIDS. Still, they traced back his identity just to know how he lived his life. Philomena wanted to know if Anthony ever thought of his hometown, or if she was ever thought of. As the plot boils down to resolution, they will discover that Anthony went back to Ireland and that his body was actually buried in that same convent because he knew his mother would find him. At this point, the film is scored with instrumentals that could bring hostility and liberation. Martin despised the senior nun who kept this a secret as part of her moral standards. She did not allow Philomena to see her son even once before he passed away—a suffering considered as â€Å"atonement for sin†. The tone at this point is aggressive while Martin demanded the nun to apologize. The nun did not ask for forgiveness, but Philomena forgave her anyway. This, I consider, is the best part of the film. It was t oo hard for her to forgive, but she did so. Why Philomena still has faith so strong despite all that has happened to her answers why we believe. At the end of it, they will find his grave and they will continue their lives. Martin will publish Philomena’s story not to upset the convent, but because it deserves to be heard by many. Like Philomena, we have beliefs; and even though these were taught to us by people who may hurt us or fail us, our faith clings to something unfailing. We believe because even if circumstances are not in our hands, we have the option to embrace them. And like Martin, although we do not understand other people’s beliefs, we respect them and we accept people for who they are. This is clearly presented when he gave a small sculpture of Jesus to Philomena. The film is not chronologically narrated, with an editing technique using flashbacks and home videos to illustrate what has happened in the past. It was well color-corrected to demonstrate tension and emotions through less-saturation. I find this very effective since the film does not hard-sell drama, yet can still give a highly emotional ride. The dialogue is  nothing so melodramatic and was instead written very lightly. This represents the character of Philomena as someone who is very graceful and humane. As for the performances, both Dench and Coogan did a brilliant job in portraying their roles. Frears was able to direct them so distinguished to the characters. This is probably one of the many strengths of this film. The acting was so balanced with the overall mise-en-scene that it easily captures the attention and the emotion of the audience. With a story so beautifully debauched, Philomena was told with heart and passion that even if it presents horrific things, it ended with a very positive attitude that is hauntingly terrific.

What Does it Cost to Attend The University of Washington - Seattle Campus?

The University of Washington – Seattle is consistently ranked one of the top public universities in the country by The U.S. News and World Report . It boasts a diverse student body and exemplary academic programs, which makes it clear why UW is on the minds of many prospective college students. Because of its popularity, UW is also one of the more competitive public institutions in the United States. At first glance, attending any college may seem overwhelmingly expensive. Even public schools like UW have a high list price. However, you can’t assume that the list price (the published cost) is what you’ll actually end up paying. Instead, pay attention to the net cost, the amount you’ll be expected to pay out of pocket. Taking into account financial aid (government aid, institutional grants, and merit scholarships), your net cost will likely be far lower than the list price. Families tend to pay different amounts because of their income, in- or out-of-state residency, and many other factors. Like at many public universities, at UW, the list price is lower for in-state students than for out-of-state students. In-state students pay $29,948, while out-of-state students pay $49,986. Most families don’t actually pay the list price, though. In general, only families earning more than $175,000 should expect to pay this figure. For students from high-income families, they may still pay less than the list price if they earn merit scholarships, or scholarships based on achievement. Financial aid greatly reduces the cost of attending college for many families. At UW, students receiving aid pay an average net cost of $22,586 in-state and $46,624 out-of-state. The price tends to vary greatly based on family income: * These numbers do not reflect any Pell Grants that families may receive. Families with an income of $0-30k often receive Federal Pell Grants, which reduce the amount of financial aid that individual institutions need to award. This is why there is a higher tuition rate for families with $0-30k vs. those with $30k-48k. Estimating your chance of getting into a college is not easy in today’s competitive environment. Thankfully, with our state-of-the-art software and data, we can analyze your academic and extracurricular profile and estimate your chances. Our profile analysis tool can also help you identify the improvement you need to make to enter your dream school. Both students receiving financial aid and those without financial need are eligible to receive merit scholarships, which are awarded based on students’ accomplishments in and out of the classroom. UW awards merit scholarships to 8.8% of students who don’t receive financial aid. The average award amount is $529, which places UW at 827th in a pool of more than 1,000 institutions analyzed with regard to merit aid generosity. The merit aid net cost for students without financial need is thus only marginally lower: $25,419 for in-state students and $49,457 for out-of-state students. That said, remember that these statistics only account for students without financial need. UW offers a handful of generous merit scholarships (discussed later in this post), but students with financial need often receive them. Many students take out government loans to help pay for college, which must be repaid according to individual timetables after graduation. At UW, 5% of students take out loans, with an average amount of $3,170 across their college careers. A high graduation rate and salary for alumni can indicate a strong return on investment (ROI) for an institution. At UW, 82% of students graduate within six years, and alumni earn an average salary of $57,700 after 10 years. Living in Seattle is expensive. The cost of living index is 204, indicating that it is over twice as expensive as the national average. Students are not required to live on campus at UW, although many do. According to the housing office , 68% of freshmen choose to live in university housing. If your student decides to live off-campus, they’ll be contending with an average one-bedroom rental price of $2,014 or a two-bedroom rental price of $2,775. Washington state’s minimum wage is currently $12. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the average hourly wage for all workers in the Seattle-Bellevue-Everett metropolitan area was $31.42 in 2017; it’s important to keep in mind, however, that this figure encompasses professions requiring a college degree and certain levels of experience. UW offers a number of merit scholarships to students, including Academic Scholarships and UW Undergraduate Academic Excellence Awards for in-state students. These scholarships are awarded in an average amount of $4,000 for two years and do not require separate applications. UW also offers scholarships to out-of-state students, such as the Purple and Gold Scholarship (for U.S. residents only), awarded in varying amounts. Students are automatically considered for this award as well. Students should also consider applying for scholarships awarded by external organizations, many of which take into account demographics, intended majors, accomplishments, and other factors. One popular scholarship is the National Merit Scholarship, awarded to top 1% scorers on the PSAT. For more information on the opportunity, read our post: How to Qualify for the National Merit Scholarship . Many students also work part-time jobs during the year, or over the summer. Getting a job can teach students about responsibility while helping them pay for their education. Seattle is a vibrant community offering plenty of local work opportunities. If your student prefers to stay on campus, they may be able to score a work-study job, allowing them to engage with the campus community while earning a paycheck. Common campus jobs include being a library desk aide, working in the dining hall, or grading for a professor. Looking for help navigating the Financial Aid process at UW and other colleges? Our Finances tool , available though ’s Applications program, will help you compare the ROIs of different colleges, understand what you’ll actually pay, and more. Learn more today!

Leading in the Darkness and the Light - Answers Essay

Leading in the Darkness and the Light - Answers - Essay Example As the rescue went on, the miners demonstrated different forms of leadership. First, there was evidence of servant leadership as one of the miners who was a trained paramedic went about helping his colleagues and giving advice on what they should do. That demonstrated empathy, which is a characteristic of servant leaders (Northouse 220). Also, the shift foreman demonstrated servant leadership as he made sure he was the last to come up. The miner that used humor demonstrated transformational leadership as he tried to motivate the rest and keep their morale up (Northouse 186). The pastor demonstrated authentic leadership as he remained hopeful and kept their hope up during the time. Above the ground, there was a demonstration of various forms of leadership. President Pinera demonstrated authentic leadership as demonstrated by his optimism and commitment to the rescue (Humphrey 259). Mining Minister Golborne, on his part, proved to be a servant leader. That was evident from the empathy he showed towards the trapped miners as he spent most of the time at the site. Engineer Sougarret led the drilling project. In the process, he enabled creativity as his team sought different ways to locate the miners. He thus demonstrated transformational leadership. Unlike the case of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill, the miners’ crisis in Chile saw the government take responsibility. The President and his Mining Minister took over the rescue operation as contrasted to the US situation where the Government left that to someone else. Unlike the US cases where the operation moved from one solution to the other, the Chilean rescue had some organization and control. There was a plan A, and B. They had a plan and knew the steps they would take. To keep things running, the mining Minister was ever present at the site and the President made an appearance from time to time. That was not the case in the case of Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil spill.  

Companys letterhead Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Companys letterhead - Assignment Example I have gone through each of the applications as they have come in and picked out the best candidates to be passed into the second round of consideration. You are an amazing candidate, so I am really excited to learn more about you. If soon you will be informed that you are passed into the second round of consideration, you will be hearing from us soon, if you haven't been contacted by us already. If you don't hear anything more from us it means that you got passed over. It may be that you are a strong writer though you just aren't a great fit for what we are trying to do (you don't have enough experience in clean technology and green media). So in case if you want to break into environmental writing without enough of the right experience I would advise you to start a personal blog and write about the things you want to get paid to cover. You are welcome to get back in touch with us in the future after you've built a more focused portfolio. I was helped by the fact that we are hiring writers; that is why I paid particular attention on how you were crafting an email applying for a writing job. It turns to be that you are unlikely the kind of writer we are looking to hire, if you didn’t succeed in doing this task. So if you don’t pass into the second round of consideration, pay attention on your job hunting email skills. A lot of people out there looking for work right now and you need every advantage that you can get if you want to beat them to a good job. If you are interested in my suggestions of how to improve your writing skills, please just subscribe on our mailing and you will get a list of 42 writing job application dos and don'ts.

Florence Golden Age 1400-1500 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Florence Golden Age 1400-1500 - Essay Example hat which is concealed in the soaring of the mind and the spiritual adventure of the soul in the birth-giving process of the revelation of a renaissance masterpiece called the city of Florence. â€Å"Florence saw itself as the ideal city state, a place where the freedom of the individual was guaranteed, and where many citizens had the right to participate in the government. In 1400 Florence was engaged in a struggle with the Duke of Milan. The Florentine people feared the loss of liberty and respect for individuals that was the pride of their Republic.Luckily for Florence, the Duke of Milan caught the plague and died in 1402. Then, between 1408 and 1414 Florence was threatened once again, this time by the King of Naples, who also died before he could successfully conquer Florence. And in 1423 the Florentine people prepared for war against the son of the Duke of Milan who had threatened them earlier. Again, luckily for Florence, the Duke was defeated in 1425. The Florentine citizens interpreted these military "victories" as signs of Gods favor and protection. They imagined themselves as the "New Rome" -- in other words, as the heirs to the Ancient Roman Republic, prepared to sacrifice for the cause of freedom and liberty. The Florentine people were very proud of their form of government in the early 15th century. A republic is, after all, a place that respects the opinions of individuals, and we know that individualism was a very important part of the Humanism that thrived in Florence in the 15th century. â€Å" [2] What signifies Florence as a subject matter is that It has been the land of birth of the genuine renaissance of Italy as well as of the European world during the dark ages, which are depicted in the area age of 1400’s. Florence, in the times of the Medicis, Machiavelli, Galileo, Leonardo Da Vinci and as well as of the times of the crusades, have all established the process of the stardom of Italy during the time of decadence in Europe. Much is observed in

Family variables Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Family variables - Essay Example The youth is important for it constitutes the highest world population. Therefore, if proper measures are not taken to control and monitor their activities, they would definitely transform into an uncontrollable force once they get into their adulthood thereby graduating into committing more serious crimes which would be a threat to the society (Bynum and William 1996). The family is the basic foundation over which a child is brought up. The parents act as the best teachers and administers of discipline in the house hold. It is therefore necessary for parents to ensure that their children grow up in a safe environment and also ensure that they teach lessons on moral issues. Parents also determine the behavior of their children by setting examples on the manner in which they solve their personal differences. In families that have parents who keep on quarrelling and fighting, the children are most likely to indulge in delinquent activities due to the bad example set by their parents as compared to those that have limited conflicts (Bynum and William 1996). This is because, violent parents have little time for their children and the level of communication is also poor. Parents who are disciplined do not show their disagreements in the presence of their children. As a result the children accord them respect and are more likely to prevent juvenile delin quency. The family’s social class is also a key variable that influences the possibility of child delinquency. Children who come from poor families are more affected than those from rich back grounds (Schmalleger 2007). This is due to the fact that they tend to be discriminated by the society which makes them feel misplaced and unwanted. Poverty makes the parents desperate and sometimes, they forget their role of offering guidance and instead concentrate on searching for basic necessities. In these cases, educating their children may become difficult

Literature Review and Report (The Woolworths Management Success Story) Essay

Literature Review and Report (The Woolworths Management Success Story) - Essay Example This literature review analyzes the problems associated with overworking employees and provides alternative solutions. When employees work beyond a normal 40 hour week people sometimes develop an addiction to work. These types of employees are workaholics. According to a study performed at the University of North Carolina about one-fourth of the American workforce suffers from â€Å"workaholism† which is defined as a compulsive need to work at the expense of everything else in one’s life (All the Work and no Play Makes Your AP Staff Less Productive, 2008). When people put in extra hours at work it does not necessarily mean they are being more productive. These workers are typically exhausted from the excessive work load. They become more inefficient as a consequence and it takes them longer to accomplish tasks. Giving your employees excessive work tasks is not a sound business strategy and is actually counterproductive. In the United States businesses lost nearly $150 billion last year due to overworking their employees (All the Work and no Play Makes Your AP Staff Less Productive, 200 8). Overworking employees is detrimental to both the company and to the health of the employees. Overworked employees developed health issues such as panic attacks, headaches, tiredness, fatigue, sleeping disorders, irritability, and chronic stress among others. These health issues many times cause employees to lose work days due to sickness. When employees are overworked they lose motivation in the workplace and their job performance suffers. Overworking create a hostile business environment in which the employees feel consumed by the long hours they have to put in everyday. Employees that suffer from work related stress are susceptible to weight loss and to developing bad habits such as caffeine and nicotine addiction (News from Personnel Today, 2009). These addictions cause the employees to take extra

Financial Trends Paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Trends Paper - Essay Example The trend was a fall before the rise. The same could be observed in the behavior of net income of the company for the same three-year period, that there was a fall and an improvement after the fall. Net profit margin measures the company’s profitability performance (Bernstein, 1993) and is computed by dividing net income over the total revenues. In case of general motors a consistent 0.01 net profit margins were observed for the three year period. This indicates a rather lack of improvement in the company’s performance for the past three years despite the seeming increase in revenues from total sales for 2005 of US$192.6 billion to US $207.3 billion for 2006. This means the cost of the company was very high for the company which needs a deeper analysis as shown below: It would appear the company was still having some mark-ups from revenues, hence it may deduced that it is selling at above is production cost as evidenced by the positive gross profit rate from 2004 through 2006. The loss was felt only in 2005 when operating loss showed a rate of negative 0.01 value. This means that the company has higher operating expenses for 2005 compared with 2006 and 2004. Further analysis revealed that 2005 has high selling and administrative expenses in addition to the decline in revues from 2004 to 2005. Over all 2005 operation was a losing year by the company. When the three year ratios above are analyzed in relation to the trends established earlier in the behavior of the revenues and net income, it may be observed that there was big improvement in the return on equity (Meigs and Meigs, 1995) of the company from 2004 to 2006 although there was a deterioration in the return on assets from 0% in 2004 to -1% in 2006. This means that changes made were beneficial to the stockholder and that having too many assets are not necessarily better for the company if it will result to a better return to equity.

Integrating business perspective Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Integrating business perspective - Essay Example Hence, the investor looks into certain factors with a keen eye before investing into something. First and foremost, it is important to know complete detail about the business that is about to start up, its complete assessment and the analysis of the risk involved in the business. Analysis of risk factor is very important thing to know when considering to invest in a small startup business since this risk is what actually defines how much money you will earn or how much money you will lose in the future. But in certain cases the loss is worthwhile since the profit gained after a certain time period is far from the losses. For this purpose it is important to look into the idea that the party is selling and whether it has potential to grow or not and whether it will go down the drain. Generally speaking those who want to invest in such type of business should have an open mind and should know that investing in such type of business always involves the factor of risk and the elimination of this factor is hardly ever possible. To be sure of the idea that the students are selling, w e should see the product sample being shown to us and various other factors which are all linked to ache other. Another important factor to look upon when investing in such small scale business is time. Time is one of the most important factors of such type of businesses because such startups may require more than average time to get a return i.e., there should be no expectations of getting any money out of this business for three to five years. In such a case, the investor can put in his money in the form of loan which can be returned to the investor within a specific time period but there will be no profit earned in such case. The team involved in the business should also be evaluated since they are the people who are going to run the business and these people will be responsible on giving you your money back in the form of profit or in case of losses. If the team is

The Availabilityof Safe and Clean Water in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

The Availabilityof Safe and Clean Water in Nigeria Essay One would agree that something so basic and necessary should readily be available but that has not been the case with Africa. Africa is home to most of the poorest people in the world. It is a continent faced with numerous conflicts, trials and challenges; and a severe lack of access to safe water is amongst its biggest. An estimated eight hundred and eighty-four million people do not have access to safe drinking water, while some one and a half million children under five died each year from sickness caused by water-borne diseases. In Sub-Sahara Africa in general, there is no water shortage, but there is a lack of storage capacity and distribution systems. Nigeria is Africas most populous nation and is home to an estimated one hundred and sixty-seven million people. It is a country that receives a relatively high level of annual rainfall which is not distributed evenly through time or space. Because of these variations in time and space, people in different parts of Nigeria use water in different ways. For example, in the drier northern parts of Nigeria where rainfall is lower and less evenly distributed throughout the year, efforts have been made to develop irrigation. Down south, the rainfall is more abundant and supplies the teeming population who use it as a source of portable water. While irrigation is important in a few parts of the country, the vast majority of people use water mainly for day-to-day household activities like cooking, drinking, and washing. In a relatively well-watered country like Nigeria, one would think that acquiring water would not be a problem. Providing safe, abundant supplies of household water, has been an immense challenge however. Unfortunately, access to safe drinking water is far less than thirty percent on the aggregate. In a poor country like Nigeria, gaining access to safe, continuous water supplies is an ongoing struggle for many. Human wastes and pollution make many water supplies unsafe for many people. In addition, the state has been unable to provide safe, affordable water. This is particularly true in rural areas. In many rural areas, where the majority of the population live, women and girls are forced to walk long distances to acquire household water. In extreme cases, women and children may spend from two to three hours per day gathering water. It goes without saying that most rural households do not have their own pipe-borne water supply. In the best of circumstances, small villages or neighborhoods will have their own wells. While water supply is somewhat better in urban areas, major challenges still remain. In cities without a functioning public water system, individual households and groups of households must either drill their own well or purchase their water. The proliferation of small urban wells and boreholes is not a thorough end to the problem, however. There is no guarantee that the water drawn from the wells especially is safe for drinking. Due to a lack of sanitation facilities, household wastes filter into the cities underground water supplies. Furthermore, with an eighty-five percent increase in urban population from 1990 to 2004, the number of urban dwellers unserved with either safe drinking water or basic sanitation doubled from 1990 to 2004. In addition to rapid urbanization, ineffective governance and persistent poverty remain the root cause of water infrastructure associated problems. Access to safe water is also a critical factor in Nigerian public health. The most damaging drinking water-borne illnesses are typhoid, cholera, and diarrhea. Other human diseases are spread merely through contact with contaminated water. Bathing water illnesses include schistosomiasis (formerly known as bilharziasis), dracunculiasis (guinea worm infection), and roundworm infections. Drinking and bathing are not the only methods through which water-borne illnesses are spread. Contaminated water is often used to wash foods like fruits and vegetables. This often provides another channel for diseases to spread. Bad management of the water bodies too has led them to even becoming breeding sites for vectors of parasites that cause diseases such as malaira, river blindness, dengue fevers, sleeping sickness and so on. Nigeria is masked with challenges of coping with failing infrastructures, inadequate finance, poor legislation, lack of appropriate institutional capacity for regulation and control and often the political will to enforce control measures to bring about change. The position is complicated by the fact that governments have been at a loss on how to set standards to improve the water situation. Consequently, they resort to dependence on adopted standards, policies and guidelines as presented by international organizations. But in the midst of these seemingly insurmountable challenges efforts, are being made to bring about a shift in the status quo but they have not been enough. The theoretical and practical knowledge of water, sanitation and hygiene are of relevance in overcoming this water crisis and providing safe and clean water to Nigerians. The practical aspect may be undertaken in the form of a community development project. Objectives of such water supply projects will involve the following: †¢ Assessing community needs in relation to water supply. †¢ Developing a joint plan of action with the government, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and community members for the supply of water and romotion of environmental hygiene and health. †¢ To promote the adoption of safe hygienic practices within the project communities in order to limit the occurrence and effects of water and sanitation related diseases. To assist in empowering the communities for behavioural changes through participatory approaches. †¢ To establish a powerful network with international organizations working on water, the environment and health in order to provi de technical assistance for the project, especially as regards training of trainers. Establishment of a joint planning committee including all the stakeholders and community members is very necessary for the project. This is important in order to have active participation and a sense of ownership of the project; such multisectoral committee will enhance the sustainability of the programme. The second stage of the planning involves the determination of a hierarchy of the project goals, objectives and targets which is to provide clean and safe water to members of the community. Going further, a generation and assessment of the various options available for achieving the set objectives and targets, as there are usually several ways of reaching a target. This will result in preferred options or a combination of approaches, which will then form part of the plan to bring safe and clean water to Nigerians. The programming stage translates the results of the option appraisal into a series of programmes, each with a budget, over the plan period. The penultimate stage involves the implementation of the plan, bearing in mind the various dynamics of the Nigerian poplulation. This involves transforming the broad programmes drafted to suit the smaller rural communities, into more specific timed and budgeted sets of tasks and activities, and involves the drawing up of a more operational plan or a work plan to service the bigger cities and the nation at large. The work plan is closely monitored during the implementation stage. This is to see that the corruption so frequently encountered in the system does not hamper the progress being made in providing clean and safe water to Nigerians. Simple behavioural changes have complex repercussions. However, such changes will not occur unless they are appropriate, affordable and acceptable, considering the complex web of socio-cultural and economic factors impacting at the individual and the community level in Nigeria; ultimately determining whether or not people are willing or able to make basic changes in their lifestyles in order to help serve them clean and safe water. These changes are geared towards safeguarding public health and delivering a better life to Nigerians, and must involve each and every one of us. Countless lives will be saved, and the attending socio-economic advancement would be rewarding to every Nigerian.

Purpose And Objectives Of Meeting Social Workers Social Work Essay

Purpose And Objectives Of Meeting Social Workers Social Work Essay The purpose of this meeting was to carry out an update SAP assessment, under Section 47, NHS and Community Care Act 1990, because Dianes needs have changed. Diane is a 69-year-old White British Female who has been living in Critchill Court since her discharge from hospital in Jan 2010. Diane had a Sub Arachnoids Haemorrhage, which has caused memory loss, confusion and depression in 2009. Earlier review in Feb 2010 reveals that Diane expressed a wish to return to independent living. Since then, an OT has supported Diane in re-learning independent living skills. Prior to the meeting, I went to social service to discuss with Dianes social worker to initiate information sharing and ask advice. We agreed on the need to complete the assessment before Dianes review in May 2010. I also obtained permission to have this meeting from Diane, and her daughter and their agreement that my placement supervisor would attend the meeting but only to assess me. My aim was to identify Dianes current and future needs with her and her daughter, who specifically stated her wish to be involved during earlier casual conversation. To do this I gained permission from Diane and her daughter during the meeting that I would seek the views of other professions, (OT, key worker, and CPN) to fill in some parts of the assessment. Diane has also given permission for me to share the information that she provided with others on a need to know basis. My role as a student gave me flexible time to commit in more supportive work with Diane. I had been working in partnership with Diane, her daughter, OT and social worker for 3 weeks before the meeting. I have taken Diane out, building her confidence in accessing local resources, and importantly, a relationship based on empathy, trust, and confidence. Authority/requirement for carrying out this piece of work (Legislative context/ agency policy/ government guidelines) The NHS and Community Care Act 1990, Section 47, which requires a needs-led assessment when appropriate and services provided accordingly if practicable. The Mental Health Act, 1983 and the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 apply because Diane has Sub Arachnoids Haemorrhage, which has caused memory loss and confusion. Particular attention is required, as these laws require that one must assume a person has capacity to make decisions unless established otherwise, and that one may not treat a person as unable to make a decision unless established otherwise. In my casual interactions with Diane, I have observed considerable ability to take decisions with regard to her life. The National Occupational Standards for Social Work (2002) and The GSCC Code (Code 1 for social workers) require the social worker to empower the service user by informing them their rights and entitlements and listening to what they have to say to involve them in taking any decision that may affect them. The Code also requires the social worker to recognise the users expertise in their own lives and make informed choices about services they receive. The Disability Discrimination Act 1995/2005 defines discrimination as, treating an individual less favourably than treating another. This legislation is important because it states what the government expects and requires of local authorities in relation to good practice (Trevithick, 2005: 17). Macdonald-Wilson et al (2001) defines disability as the condition of being unable to perform, because of physical or mental unfitness; to this extent, this definition follows the medical model. In the case of a person with a disability, a person is being discriminatory if they fail to comply with a duty to make a reasonable adjustment in relation to the disabled person. Higgins (1980: 123) defines stigma as a deeply discrediting trait, which may also be called a failing, a shortcoming, or a handicap. The Equality Act 2006 and the Care Standards Act, 2002 also have bearing on this case as it involves assessment of the care provided against need. Community Care (Direct Payments) Act 1996 enables local authorities to make direct payments (cash payments) to individuals to enable them to secure provision of care in lieu of social services provision. The Data Protection Act 1998, which requires the express consent of the individual prior to sharing any personal information obtained on individuals and shared with others. Additionally, all the information gathered should be kept in accordance with the data protection guidelines. Diane and her daughter had given me consent to collect and share information with other agencies if required. Knowledge (e.g. legal, psychological, sociological, political, socio-political, procedural, social work method) applied In undertaking this meeting I carefully prepared by brushing up on my knowledge of the relevant laws, guidelines, and different perspectives on empowerment, anti-oppressive, and anti-discriminatory practice. Besides these laws, my reflection on the case before the meeting showed me the values that would help in obtaining a positive outcome of the meeting. Theory and guidelines on best practice in social work required that I adopt an approach that would place Diane in a position where she feels empowered to make decisions. This approach requires me to work with the person-centred theory (Rogers, 1959) that requires me to work on the premise that Diane is an expert on her own life, and to focus on her strengths i.e. what she can do rather than on what she cannot (Saleebey, 2006). Using the person centred method enables the creation of a comfortable environment where the caseworker demonstrates genuineness through a non-judgmental and non-directive approach that bases itself on empathy and unconditional positive regard (Rogers, 1957). Therefore, my approach had to demonstrate feelings of warmth, liking, caring, and being drawn to Mary instead of aversion and anger (Barett-Lennard, 1986: 440) I also reflected on Egans recommendations (SOLER) that help display an encouraging and open attitude towards Diane. In considering the assessment process, I have adopted Milner and OByrnes five state model of assessment (1998). These are preparation, data collection, weighing up the data, analysing the data and utilising the data. I used Systems Theory in the assessment process, for example, in preparation stage I sought information not only from the service user but also from family members, other professionals, etc. In data collection stage, I used brief solution focused techniques, which allowed me to use supportive questions aimed at enabling Diane to recognise her own strengths and abilities. I particularly chose to use scaled response questions, asking Diane to score the present, when she was came to Critchill and what she hope to achieve on a scale of 1 to 10. By using this technique, I was able to support Diane to identify the successful strategise she has used in the past and this gave her confidence to apply her own strategies to improve her situation now and for the future. The brief solution focused therapy has been useful when I addressed one of the problems in the running records about the use of language to others. Diane has acknowledged this issue and was able to identify an occasion when all the triggers were present that could have caused the problem but she was able to deal with it herself and prevent the problem occurring. Erik Erikson (1950) says that when the person is aged about 60 years old or more, The person has time for reflection and as they look back on their life, they may have a sense of satisfaction; this will lead to a feeling of integrity. If the persons reflection results in them feeling they missed key opportunities, then there is an increased risk of experiencing despair In his article, Rogers (1957) quotes a study by Kinner that found that the client who sees his problem as involving his relationships, and who feels that he contributes to this problem and wants to change it, is likely to be successful. The client, who externalizes his problem, feeling little self-responsibility, is much more likely to be a failure. This highlighted the need for me to help Mary see that change in her life situation is more likely if she feels responsibility for at least a part of the problem and make her want to change. A complaint that Diane has voiced is that people (particularly her social worker) treat her like a child. Thompson (2006) says that this happens when a younger person sees an older person not able to make her own decisions and takes decisions on the older persons behalf thinking this is natural and normal without realising the discrimination and oppression this causes. It is often the case that the social worker or the carers see the older person as disabled to take decisions, particularly if the person suffers from some disability. The medical model of disability focuses on physical deficits and individual health needs, and it is a challenge for the worker not to fall into disablest [sic] perceptions by accepting this model (Parker Bradley, 2005: 76). The individual may experience loss and bereavement (Kubler-Ross, 1976), feel they have suffered a personal tragedy, and therefore label themselves as disabled as has happened in Dianes case. It was therefore essential that I approach the assessment with this knowledge and ensure non-discriminatory practice, not attaching any stigma to Dianes needs and disability caused by her medical condition. The social model of disability switches focus away from any physical limitations the impairment to physical and social environmental limitations, thus requiring promotion and empowerment of disabled people (Oliver Sapey, 2006). Additionally, the social workers own attitudes and values affect how he/she applies theoretical models of disability (Crawford Walker, 2004). The social model of disability is inclined to focus on cultural or structural aspects of disability (Priestley, 2003) and is the predominant model of disability used in social care. This is because social work approach does not look at mending something that is broken, but relies on overcoming societal barriers, which enables the treatment of a person with a disability just as others are (DDA, 1995/2005; Davies, 2002). While it is easy to comprehend the difficulties faced by an individual with a visible disability (e.g. using a wheelchair), it is also easy to ignore the wider cultural and structural factors that affect a person with a disability (Thompson, 2001). Herein lies the problem of seeing the disability as a problem with the person themselves (ibid). What Skills did you use for this piece of work? (please distinguish between those you have and those you need to develop) I used Planning and preparation, research, information gathering skill before the meeting and this has helped me to carry out the meeting well In terms of working anti-oppressively I think I have made Diane feel less oppressive by reducing the power imbalance. I have involved her daughter whose presence has been a great comfort to Diane as she sometimes looks at her for answers due to her short-term memory. I have successfully conveyed my respect and understanding of her strengths and limitations by adopting Egans empathy skills, active listening, summarising. I used Rogers person centred to focus my attention on Diane and this in term helping me to forget that I was assessed by my placement supervisor. I used unconditional positive regard to make Diane feel a sense of acceptance of herself when addressing an issue. I need to develop assessment skills as I feel I dont feel comfortable with the forms which have so many questions. Also some of the questions are very sensitive to ask for example the section of assessment of physical health there are questions like bladder control, bowel control, etc Also I need to develop liaising skill, sharing information with other agencies. As evident prior to the meeting, there were some miscommunication between different agencies. Which aspects of anti-oppressive practice were relevant to this piece of work? In terms of working anti-oppressively, I was aware my role as a student social worker this may have lead Diane to feel oppressive and not valued because she may think that she was not good enough to have a qualify social worker. To reduce this potential oppression, I have involved Dianes daughter and have been open and honest to tell them that I was inexperienced and has never carry out a SAP assessment before. I also offered them opportunities to decline or cancel the meeting. My ethnic origin as a non-white British may have attributed discrimination or oppression to myself from Diane or her daughter. However, this has never been an issue in the meeting or prior to my engagement with Diane and her daughter. the black perspective has made clear that racism is based on white European/ white north American ideological beliefs about the claimed superiority of white people over non-white people (Maclean and Harrison 2008:58). Considering my gender, which is different from Diane may present a difficulty for both of us. From the feminist perspectives if I had not recognise the extensive inequalities in society based on gender with men consistently being dominant, I may act oppressively unaware. Women is socially constructed to be a better carer as a wife, mother and daughter and the fact that the majority of social worker are female. As a male student social worker, my role may present oppressive to Diane. the feminist perspective has noticeably failed to adequately address structural inequalities within social care and social work organisations. In employment terms some 75% of the workforce in social care organisations are women. The proportion of men in senior management has remained stubbornly high and has only recently dropped below 75% of all senior managers (Maclean and Harrison 2008:56) there has been a recognition that societal developments and social policy initiatives affect men and women differently (because of their gender). The role of women as unpaid carers of family members with personal care needs is one example (Machean and Harrison 2008:55) If I have not used Social vs medical model to see Dianes depression, I may have not recognised the negative stigma associated with the labels applied to people and may have act in an oppressive way, overseeing the facts that her depression may be attributed by her despair for her current environment and loss of her abilities, eg, health and memoey,etc In what ways would the service user and or carer have preferred your practice to be different After the meeting, I apologised to Diane and her daughter that the outcome of this meeting may not have been as productive as they had expected and I told them that I would like to have another meeting again with them in the near future to discuss a plan to support Diane. (as I feel I have failed to conduct the meeting well, because my placement supervisor joined our discussion in the midway, and this i think should not be happen because she was there to assess me, unless she think she I needed help.) However, Diane, her daughter said they were happy with the outcome and she especially appreciated what I have done for her mother. My placement supervisor said to me. What do you mean this meeting is not productive she said I did very well. The only thing that Dianes daughter asked me was to inform her of anything I do for her mother. As there was an incident the week before that I took Diane out but forgot to ask her to check her daily. Dianes son and daughter in law came to visit when we went out and as a result they have not spent much time together that day. I asked Dianes daughter how she would like to be contacted and she gave me her email address as she may not be convenient to answer her mobile in her workplace. My placement supervisor also told me that I need to share the information with her about what I do or who I have contacted for Diane. Which key Roles, units and Values/Ethics do you think were demonstrated in this piece of work and how? (these must refer to practice discussed within the direct observation) In making a thorough preparation for the meeting with Diane, where my placement supervisor would observe me, I demonstrated delivery of all the units of Key Role 1. I had reviewed the case notes, spoken with the staff at the Home, her social worker, and daughter to carefully evaluate my involvement. My efforts to build a trusting relationship with Diane during my placement, and discussions with her about her preference for those elements of her care plan she likes to be included, show that I achieved important aspects of Key Role 2 (Unit 5 and 6). In my thorough research on best practices, legal and practice guidelines, and reflection on the best way to achieve my aim showed that I have responded well to the requirements of Key Role 6 (Unit 18 and 19). With regard to the values and ethics, I demonstrated awareness of my own values, ethics, dilemmas, and conflicts of interest (VEa). I have shown respect for and promotion of the wellbeing of Diane (VEb). I have also responded with oral and non-verbal communication skills in a way not to make Diane feel oppressed (VEc). Finally by showing my ability to build and maintain a relation of trust with Diane I have met the need identified by (VEe). What evidence did you use to evaluate your practice?(e.g. supervision notes, user feedback etc) In evaluating my practice, I have used two resources. The first is a feedback from Diane, whom I asked to judge how I had done. This feedback, in the form of a written response to a questionnaire I prepared for this specific purpose. However, the feedback given by my placement supervisor after the meeting has been valuable for me in terms of understanding my performance and identifying ways to improve in future practice. Give your evaluation of this piece of work (e.g. what went well, what did not go well, what if anything would you do differently next time?) I have learnt from my previous mistake in my first direct observation. I have used a mixture of open and close questions. Also I have used paraphrasing, clarifying techniques appropriately. In terms of choosing a place for the meeting, I have considered the noise and disruption and asked Dianes opinion where she would like the meeting to be. The location of the meeting in her room turned out to be a good choice. I feel I have reduce the potential of oppression by involving Dianes daughter whose presence has been great comfort to Diane as Diane has short-term memory and she feel more confident as she could get answer or help from her daughter. Also, I feel that working together we have achieved more than I had expected, as I have made the meeting like informal discussion rather than a job interview or assessment. I have achieved the aim I set for myself and completed parts of the assessment, by working in partnership with Diane and her daughter. However, I have achieved more by building a open and trusting relationship with them, this would in term enable me to devote my supportive work with Diane in the future. I did not complete the SAP assessment in the meeting as I have not planned or anticipated. I will continue to work on this assignment with Diane, her daughter and other professionals. I have however, failed to share the information about what I do with Diane with my placement supervisor. This has resulted in miscommunication between different agencies. I need to develop skill in liaising and sharing information with other professionals in the future. What additional learning, in relation to knowledge, skills or anti-oppressive practice and values and ethics, would enhance your performance in the future? In terms of working professionally I need to work in accountability way within agency, sharing information with others. System theory will help to improve my practice in the future. I also need to use my supervision session to discuss theories, values, dilemmas and anti-oppressive practice I have improved considerably about the use of interview techniques but with more practice I will be able to communicate in more confidence. Signed Placement Supervisor_________________ Date _____________ Student ____________________ Date _____________

Preserving Minority Languages

Preserving Minority Languages On the other hand, according to Anthony Ellis, it would be trifling to insist that extinction of language causes extinction of culture because language is not whole culture but just one part of it (Ellis, 2005). Nevertheless, according to David Harrison, linguist and professor of the Swarthmore College, languages have been shaped by people to serve as repositories for cultural knowledge, efficiently packaged and readily transmittable across generations. (Harrison, 2007:7). In other words, it is crucial for human race to keep the conservation of minority language due to its cultural values: academic, ethnic and social values. The first cultural value of minority language is its academic value. Linguists especially have academic passion for protecting and researching minority languages. They should study many different languages to restore their all functions and structures of endangered languages. It must also be noted that linguists need to train many youngsters at school to transmit their native languages to next generations. Moreover, one of most important reason why it is needed to keep minority languages researching is that academically new and attractive facts are always discovered in minority languages. Ubykh, one of minority language of the North-western Caucasian group spoken by the Ubykh people until the early 1990s, was regarded as a language which has a large number of consonants (Romaine, 2007). Recent researches, however, show that some African language have more consonants than Ubykhs. Furthermore, linguists found an African language called Hixkaryana, which has about 350 speakers. The reason why this language and its adjacent languages have an attention is that they are cases of language which place their object first when they make a sentence. For an instance, if the English sentence, I love you, is made, the sentence in Hixkaryana should be you love I instead of I love you. In the case of Korean and Japanese, they have the archetypal structural order, Subject + Object + Verb(SOV). They say I you love whilst English speakers say I love you. It is clear that contemporary English has self-evident sentence order, Subject + Verb + Object(SVO). However, Irish puts its verb firs t. Unfortunately, linguists predict that object-initial languages such as Hixkaryana will vanish in the next century. (Nettle Romaine, 2000:11) At this point, it should be academically asked that why object-initial languages are hard to survive in the modern era. This is the academic question which needs to be examined by researching minority languages. There will be a number of these kinds of academic questions from minority languages. This academic knowledge will be a great legacy for human race. This is why we preserve minority languages. The second cultural value of minority language is the value about its ethnic identity. One of the most important factors of ethnic identity is language. In the time of globalisation, identity of people is defined by the language that they speak and write rather than the region that people live. For an example, although every people in London speak common language, English, it is unsure that all of them are English people because some of them have their native languages. It means that people can find their ethnic identity when they speak their native languages. The importance of ethnic identity acquired by using native languages is closely related with national stature of each country. For example, one of the urgent issues of Ukraine after independence in 1991 was to establish its linguistic identity to rise up the stature of nation-state. After breaking up Soviet-union, one of differences between other nation-states and Ukraine was the influence of Russian. Unlike other nation-states, Russians was used in more widely and still made an impact on culture, science, management and so on in Ukraine. In this situation, Ukraine declared the new constitution and it expressed clearly that there is only one national language. By this process, Ukrainian became only one official language of Ukraine. People who used Ukrainian thought that people who still used Russian didnt have any ethnic identity as the member of Ukraine (Zhurzhenko, 2002). For another example of historically dark side, during the Japanese occupation in the past, Hangeul, Korean native language made by Sejong the Great in 1443, was strictly banned to use among Koreans as a colonial policy for ethnocide. Koreans were forced to change even their Hangeul names to Japanese names. Koreas national stature could not help fall. These historical facts above clearly demonstrate that language can not be divided from the ethnic identity. For this reason, if minority languages become extinct, the ethnic identity of those who use minority language will be disappeared as well. The third cultural value of minority language is its aesthetic value. Every language has its aesthetic values. This is expressed by art works through languages such as novels, poets and even music. Research has shown that there is the tendency to regard analogies between artforms and linguistic structures as relevant and illuminating. (Kraut, 2007:177). It is said that Jazz improvisation is analogous to spontaneous speech.'(ibid). In other words, it means that all minority languages have their unique aesthetic values. For an instance, China is unified multiracial nation and 56 tribes are living together in an extensive land. The numbers of minority tribes languages are around 60. Even though they are minority languages, their aesthetic values are proved by their literatures. Tibetians literary value is excellent and its Gesaer, written in the 13th century BC, has been well-known as the longest heroic epic over the world. Dong, one of minority ethnic groups in China has their native language, Kradai. It is told that Kradai is a profusion of musical value because it has various tones and vocabularies. Kradai has been developed in unique musical ways of Dongs people. It is known that Kradai is the most complex language over the world because it has 15 tones whilst the language of the Han race in China has 4 tones. As a matter of fact, its complexity contributed to make its aesthetic value. Therefore, it is natural that this great value dies if minority languages of Chinas minority ethnic groups die. For these three cultural values, which are academic, ethnic and aesthetic values, it is self-evident that minority languages are definitely deserved to be protected and transmit to their next generations as their great legacy. That is to say, minority languages are not a part of culture and a method of communications but culture itself. When a language dies, a culture dies. Conclusion In conclusion, it is urgently asked at this time to protect minority languages. Firstly, it is essential that the endangered languages ought to be found, stabilised all linguistic functions and all people help them be transmitted to next generations. Secondly, it is needed to make preserving minority languages be an important part of Conservation ethic. It means that people should realise that our language is equally one of the great natural environments and endeavour to protect our linguistic environment. Lastly, there has to be unremitting exertion for native language education even if it is minority language. For an instance, some Korean scholars pointed out to Koreas education environment just focused on English instead of Hangeul, Korean language and predicted there will be no Hangeul after 200 years if we keep this education system. Minority language education is important especially for next generations. Therefore, the fact that extinction of a language engenders extinction of a culture should be remembered to all generations and make a great effort to preserve minority languages. Bibliography Ellis, Anthony (2005). Minority Rights and the Preservation of Languages. Cambridge Journals: 199-217. The Royal institute of Philosophy. Harrison, David. K. (2007). When Languages Die: The Extinction of the Worlds Languages and the Erosion of Human Knowledge. USA, Oxford University Press. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7206411.stm (Accessed 08 November 2010). Kraut, Robert. (2007). Artworld Metaphysics. Oxford Scholarship Online: January 2008. Nettle, D. and S. Romaine (2000). Vanishing voices : the extinction of the worlds languages. Oxford, Oxford University Press. Romaine, Suzanne. (2007). Preserving Endangered Languages. Language and Linguistics compass 1/1-2:115-132. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Zhurzhenko, Tatiana. (2002). Language Politics in Contemporary Ukraine: Nationalism and Identity Formation. IWM Junior Visiting Fellows Conferences, Vol. XII/2.

Analysis of Randall Jarrells The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Essay

Analysis of Randall Jarrell's The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner Many of the great poems we read today were written in times of great distress. One of these writers was Randall Jarrell. After being born on May 6, 1914, in Nashville Tennessee, Jarrell and his parents moved to Los Angeles where his dad worked as a photographer. When Mr. and Mrs. Jarrell divorced, Randall and his younger brother returned to Nashville to live with their mother. While in Nashville, Randall attended Hume-Frogg high school. Randall showed his love for the arts while in high school by participating in dramatics and journalism. Jarrell continued his career in the arts when he wrote and edited for Vanderbilt’s humor magazine, The Vanderbilt Masquerader. After earning his graduate degree at Vanderbilt, Jarrell accepted a teaching job at the University of Texas. While teaching at Texas, Jarrell met his future wife, Mackie Langham, a fellow English teacher. In 1942, Jarrell left home to join the Army Air Corps as a flying cadet. At about this same time, Randall’s first book of poetry was being published. When Jarrell wrote home, his family often said his letters were, â€Å"confined and dreary.† When Jarrell could not quite cut it as a cadet, he switched to being a navigation control tower operator. As a control tower operator, Randall began to write about the pilots, navigators and gunners of the war. This is probably when Jarrell wrote one of his most famous poems, â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner.† After being discharged from the army, Randall went back to teaching. Randall’s love for teaching showed by his famous quote, â€Å"if I were a rich man, I would pay money to teach.† Randall did have some psychiatric problems though. Many people thought Jarrell committed suicide when he was hit by a car on a dark road in 1965. People assumed suicide because at the time of his death Randall was in treatment for slitting his wrists in an attempt to kill himself. Most of Randall’s poetry reflects what he saw and experienced during the war. The structure that Jarrell uses in his poem, â€Å"The Death of the Ball Turret Gunner,† is quite unique. This poem consists of five uneven verses. All of these verses are combined into one stanza. The metric pattern in this poem is very hard to detect. All of the lines begin with at least two anapestic feet followed by at least one iambic foot. This poem i... ...between abortion and a gunner being killed in the belly of a plane. During an abortion, after the baby has been killed in the womb, the doctors, â€Å"wash† the dead fetus out of the mother with a hose. In the first part of the fourth line of this poem when Jarrell writes, â€Å"I woke to the black flak,† the reader heres the alliteration of the, â€Å"ck,† sound. With the repetition of this sound the reader can almost hear gunfire. Although there is no rhyme scheme to this poem, end rhyme takes place at the end of the first and fifth lines. The last thing one would analyze when explicating this poem would be the theme. Analyzing the theme of a poem consists of two things. First one would have to look at the topic of the poem. In this poem the topic is obviously the gunner getting drafted, the horrifying experiences of the gunner, and the death of the gunner. The second thing one would have to look at would be how the author feels about the topic. In this poem the author obviously feels that life is a very fragile thing. Whether you are a baby in your mother’s womb or you are a gunner in the belly of a bomber, Jarrell shows us just how fragile life is and how easily it can be taken away.

Research Paper on Gregory Rasputin -- Biography biographies bio

Grigori Rasputin was not a very great person in history. A great person in history does good and important things for his people, country and the world. Early Life and Family: Grigori Efimovich Rasputin was born on January 10, between 1864-1872, along the Tura River in the village of Pokrovskoye. Rasputin was married to Praskovia Fyodorovna in 1889. His mother was Anna Egrovna and his father was Efim Rasputin. Grigori had three children with Praskovia, named Varya, Maria and Dmitry. Because of his constant drunkenness and "sexual appetite," the people of Pokrovskoye resented Rasputin. He grew tired of peasant life and in 1901, left behind his family and home in Siberia as a pilgrim. During his travels, Rasputin visited Greece and Jerusalem and, in 1903, Rasputin arrived in St. Petersburg where he claimed to be a holy man with healing powers. In St. Petersburg, Rasputin was able to catch the attention of St. Petersburg's religious leaders with his stories and beliefs. Years as a Monk: At the age of 18, Rasputin spent three months at the Verkhoturye Monastery. Because of his exceptional physical endurance and perseverance, Rasputin was successful at Verkhoturye. During his time at Verkhoturye Monastery, Rasputin became fascinated with the Orthodox faith known as the Skopsty. Followers of this faith believed that, in order to reach godliness, you had to sin. This religious attitude explained Rasputin?s controversial personal life of drinking and sleeping with women. Rasputin left the monastery and traveled throughout Russia and the holy land as a holy man and healer. During his travels, Rasputin caught the attention of the Russian church with his knowledge of peasants and religious teachings. In 1905... ... disturbed by a group of Petrograd workers, after the February Revolution. They carried Rasputin?s body to a nearby forest and burned it. In Rasputin?s last days, he became suspicious and wrote a prophetic letter describing his death. In the letter, Rasputin wrote that if he were to be murdered by a noble, that noble would be cursed for twenty-five years and Russia would fall into chaos. Bibliography Arnold, Phyllis. The Soviet Union. Edmonton AB: Westweb Press, Canadian Social Sciences Services Ltd., 1984. Beeche, Arturo. The Evil Monk. www.eurohistory.com/rasputin.html, 2006. Fuhrmann, Joseph. World Book: Rasputin. Chicago IL: World Book, Inc., 2001. ________. Grigori Rasputin. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rasputin: Wikipedia Inc., 2006. Moynahan, Brian. Rasputin: The Saint Who Sinned. New York: Perseus Books Group, 1999.

Newspaper Report on a Town :: Papers

Newspaper Report on a Town I am going to write a newspaper article about my town, it is called Luton. It is thirty miles north of London. And has a population of around 187000 people. Its main features are the airport, which is currently being extended and the Vauxhall factory. The area, which I live in, is called Wigmore. It is on the very edge of the town and backs onto the countryside. There are a number of small villages beyond Wigmore, Tea Green, which has a small golf course, and Cockernhoe, which has a small junior school. They both have very few houses, as well as a church and of course a pub. All of the houses down my road are either four or three bed-roomed houses. They all have front and back gardens as well as a park. This is a good feature as it allows children to play in the comfort of their own road; this is very reassuring for parents. If you go out of my road there is a main road, which if you follow will either take you to Wigmore Valley Park, which is an enormous playing field that sits directly next to the airport. It is used mainly in the summer where you would have families with picnics, fun and games and people walking their dogs. If you go the other way you will be taken to the local supermarket, ASDA. Which is the second busiest attraction in my area, next to the airport. The supermarket consists of everything you could think of from designer clothes, ready cooked food as well as your every day shopping. It also has a music and video store which has a number of top of the chart products as well as a large archive of old music and videos. And all of this at exceptionally low prices. If you go slightly further than ASDA then you will reach Ashcroft area, this is where my School is. My school is an I.T communications college which means that its main interest is I.

A Dissertation Proposal Essay

Chapter One: The Problems and Its Components The problem to be investigated in this study is school climate, considering and comparing teacher perceptions of both the actual and ideal psychological environment in three different African American private schools. The literature indicates that an open climate with lines of communication that are established at all levels, staff freedom, professional interest, and participatory decision making, among other similar factors, will lead to positive teacher attitudes and improved teacher performance. The relationship between teachers’ perceptions of the actual and ideal psychological school environment has not yet been tested for African American private schools. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay Problem Background As explained by Beachum and McCray (2004), school climate has a significant impact on the attitudes and performance of teachers in that it influences professional growth and development in academic and social terms, influences the ability to handle work pressures, and ultimately can lead to attrition if the climate is not open and does not have adequate lines of communication. The school’s value systems, work pressures, participatory decision making, resource adequacy, growth opportunity, and student support all play a part in the overall climate of the school (Cole-Henderson, 2000). The study of this climate is of critical importance to the well being, positive attitudes, and professional development of the school’s teachers. The current need to provide every child with qualified and committed teachers in the face of a national teacher shortage supports the importance of conducting research on factors influencing teacher attitudes and stressors in the teaching profession, particularly those that might affect burnout and turnover. It is also clear that a healthy school climate–a school with a strong academic emphasis and a principal who has influence with superiors and is willing to use it on behalf of teachers–is conducive to the development of teachers’ beliefs that they can influence student learning and make a difference. It is also clear that work pressures can exert additional stress on a teacher if the school climate is perceived in a negative light. Numerous studies (Harris, 1999; Jamal, 1999; Ma & Macmillan, 1999; MacDonald, 1999; Remy, 1999) have focused on teacher stress. According to Remy, research has shown that 40% of new teachers leave the profession within 5 years. These studies also have shown that approximately half of all teachers leave the profession within the first 7 years because of job-related stress. Because teaching is a stressful occupation (Ma & Macmillan; Remy; Weiss, 1999), teachers often self-select out of the profession. Schools must then scramble to replace these teachers. Remaining faculty and the school district become further strained in the attempt to make up for the shortage. Knowledge of how teachers perceive the current school climate and what teachers think the ideal environment should be would be of invaluable importance. Theoretical Orientation The literature review will focus on both the conceptual framework of the study and the major variables of concern. The conceptual framework will be based on attribution and motivation theory. The major variables of concern are the ideal and actual perceptions of the school climate by teachers. Initially, attribution theory was presented as a theoretical process in the late 1970s and middle 1980s (Frieze, 1976; Weiner, 1979, 1985, 1986). It provided the framework for examining the responses of teachers to such academic outcomes of students as failure or success in the general education classroom. Since that time a number of studies have been conducted that provide empirical support of its principles. According to Graham (1990; 1991), both ability and effort have been identified as the major perceived causes of individual teacher failure or success. In other words, failure can be overcome by effort, while success comes about as a result of personal competence. Teacher ability is comprised of aptitude and learned skills in an academic context. Effort, on the other hand, is the amount of exertion applied to a learning situation. Attribution can be applied in situations in which teachers try to understand their own behavior. It can also be applied when teachers try to assess the classroom performance of students in order to increase their teaching success (Graham, 1990, 1991). When teachers’ expectations are not met, the instructors may resort to any number of actions. They may often be tardy or absent. In fact, attrition is often the end result. The individuals may also withdraw from teaching psychologically–that is, not concentrate, do no more than absolutely necessary, and have no interest or initiative. As a result, the quality of teaching in general may suffer. Vroom (1964) stated that motivation is a product of the anticipated worth that individuals place on a goal and the chances they see of achieving that goal. According to Vroom, three factors influence achievement: force, valence, and expectancy. Force equals valence times expectancy. Force is the strength of the teachers’ motivation while valence is the anticipated satisfaction from the result. Expectancy is the probability of achieving the outcome. The impact of force depends on both valence and expectancy. For example, if teachers show indifference in achieving a goal, the valence becomes zero. Specifically in his expectancy theory, Vroom (1964) suggested the following: Motivation = Perceived Probability of Success (Expectancy) x Connection of Success and Reward (Instrumentality) x Value of Obtaining Goal (Valance, Value).   From this formula it is clear that a high value for one variables of the formula will result in a high motivation value and vice versa. In Vroom’s (1964) view, the three variables must exist for motivation to take place. Thus, when teachers do not think they will be successful at a task or do not value the results of becoming successful in their school or do not perceive a connection between their attitude and the school climate, it is more than likely that they will not apply themselves to the teaching activity. Organizational theory also relates to the proposed investigative study in terms of communication. According to this theory, restrictive and closed climates with closed lines of communication relate to poor teacher performance (Cole-Henderson, 2000). The school system is an organization, and thus communication theory applies. When lines of communication are closed teachers do not communicate with administrators or students, and school management does not communicate with teachers other than giving orders from the top down. Communication only flows from the top down. In such a school system, the perceived motivational climate is negative and achievement goals suffer (Bennett, 2002). Clearly, when there are open lines of communication, there is more interest in teaching and thus knowledge has more meaning. This translates into improved achievement on the part of both the teacher and the student. It is clear to see that school climate has a decided bearing on teachers in a number of different ways. Purpose of the Study The purpose of the study is to evaluate teacher perceptions of the climate of three independent Black private schools in relationship to the actual and ideal climate. Thus, the purpose is three-fold: 1. To determine if teacher perceptions of the actual school climate differs between and among the three African American private schools included in the study. 2. To determine if the teacher’s perceptions of the ideal or preferred school climate differs between and among the three African American private schools included in the study. 3. To determine if there is a correlation among teachers who teach at different levels in the three schools included in the study regarding their perceptions of their school climate. Research Questions The major research question can be stated as follows: â€Å"Is the actual school climate of independent African American private schools adequately meeting the perceptions of its teachers regarding their ideal school climate perceptions?† From this question several sub-questions have been formulated. These may now be listed as follows: 1. Do teacher perceptions of the actual school climate differ between and among the three African American private schools included in the study, as determined by scores on the actual environment answer form of the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? 2. Do teacher perceptions of the ideal or preferred school climate differ between and among the three African American private schools included in the study, as determined by scores on the ideal or preferred environment answer form of the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? 3. Is there a significant correlation among the perceptions of teachers employed in the three schools included in the study in terms of their view of their school climate, as determined from both answer forms of the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? 4. Do the perceptions of teachers differ for those who teach at different student grade levels, as determined by a comparison of results from the School Level Environment Questionnaire for teachers instructing at different levels? Limitations and Delimitation One limitation of the study relates to the fact that the research has no control over the teacher participants’ reliability. It will be assumed, however, that the teachers will answer the survey questionnaire items honestly and to the best of their ability. There is also a certain weakness associated with only the use of a survey questionnaire to obtain data for analysis. Researchers do suggest the use of two or more sources–that is, triangulation – to produce better support data (Babbie, 2003; Creswell, 2003). With respect to delimitations of the study, the data source of this case will be limited to three independent Black private schools located in an urban city. Definitions Several common terms and designations are used uniquely in the proposed study. These are defined as follows: Independent Black private school. This term refers to a school owned by African Americans which is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operation and is instead operated by tuition charges, gifts, and perhaps the investment yield of an endowment (Mahiri, 1998). School climate. This term refers to the school atmosphere. In restrictive and closed schools, authority emanates from the top down through hierarchical levels. Communication is restrictive and closed. In an open school climate, communication reaches all levels and moves in all directions (Moeller, 2005). School climate perceptions. Teacher views of their school environment will generally influence their motivation to teach, grow professionally, participate in decision making, and handle work pressures. In this study, the term will be operationally defined by scores on the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ)? Self-concept. Self-concept is considered the most basic and crucial components of personality and can be influenced by environment. Self-concept can become positive in an open school climate; conversely it can become negative in a closed and restrictive school climate. The proposed study views self concept in this context (Branden, 1999). Staff development. For this research project, this term pertains to any activities that attempt to improve the teacher’s ability to implement a new instructional program. Staff development includes an emphasis on attitude, competencies, and knowledge that enhances learning (Sykes, 1996). Teachers’ perceptions. In general, perceptions in the present study pertain to teachers’ thoughts, beliefs, and feelings about professional development training, work pressures, participatory decision making, innovation, staff freedom, student support, professional interest, and affiliation, among other related variables. Their thoughts and beliefs affect their teaching approach and presentation. Teachers are active information processors who affect classroom events as much as they are affected by them (Chance & Costa, 1998). Importance of the Study African American students are not doing as well in school as others and this may be related to their teachers (Tatum, 2006). The findings of this investigative study may provide valuable knowledge about the teachers of these students. Also, other independent schools can use these outcomes to improve their educational programs for teachers and improve teacher productivity. In addition, the implications may insure that the professional and development needs of the teachers are met at school. The proposed study will add to the scholarly research. School reform and restructuring as it relates to professional development of teachers have gained momentum in the United States for the past 2 decades (Sparks, 1997). Meaningful educational reform cannot occur, however, unless teachers are integrally involved in the reform process and unless they have the time and resources to conceptualize the implementation of the changes need in their classrooms. But more research is needed to identify the ways in which the school climate can become more open and conducive to these needs. The significance of the proposed study lay in its ability to add to the database in this respect. The significance of the study and its potential results touches a number of areas and addresses several different audiences. As noted, the findings will add to the scholarly research. For example, understanding factors that influence teacher perceptions of climate in African American private schools can help reveal the underlying logic that influences their motivation, professional development, and perhaps their participation in the decision making processes. Chapter Two: Review of Literature It is important to note that educational researchers have consistently found unequal levels of achievement between African American and Caucasian students (Bankston & Caldas, 1997; Graybill, 1997). Educational specialists such as Hurd (2001) refer to the problem faced by African American students, as the achievement gap and further point out that in today’s school systems less than 60% of African American high school students graduate in 14 years. Joseph (2000) noted that if Caucasian students were dropping out at the same rates as African American students, we would declare a state of crisis in teaching these students. According to Tyson (2002), it is time to require teachers and administrators to address the problem and to consider issues related to achievement motivation among African American students. According to Baldwin, Coney III, and Thomas (1993), the eleven areas of school effectiveness are â€Å"effective instructional leadership, clear and focused mission, safe and orderly environment, positive school climate, high expectations, frequent assessment/monitoring of student achievement, emphasis on basic skills, maximum opportunities for learning, parent community involvement, strong professional development, and teacher involvement in decision-making.† In these areas of school effectiveness, school climate is one of the most important things wherein it has been subject to extensive research. School climate is a term referring to the â€Å"personality of a school,† according to Hoy and Miskel (1982). It is a characteristic of a school which includes the school’s physical structure of its buildings and the interactions between students and teachers. These are the two factors that both affect and help to define the concept of school climate according to Marshall (2004). Les Gallay and Suet-ling Pong (2004), on the other hand, viewed school climate as â€Å"the part of the school environment associated with attitudinal and affective dimensions and the belief systems of the school that influence children’s cognitive, social, and psychological development.† They also cited Ashby and Krug (1998) and Griffith (2000) on what school climate is a how it affect the society. According to Ashby and Krug (1998), school climate is reflected in the social interactions within the classroom and within the school community. According to Griffith (2000), values, attitudes, beliefs and communications are subjective matters; many researches rely on the perceptions of the participants (teachers, students, parents) to measure the effect of school climate. For many years and up to the recent days, the concept on school climate influencing significantly in educational outcomes is still being researched by many researchers. Perceptions on school climate influence many people (e.g. students, teachers, parents) which may also influence the processes and outcomes in a physical, social, and learning environment. Research shows that both teacher and student perceptions of school climate influence student achievement. An early study by Fraser (1989) laid the groundwork for this research. Fraser (1989) studied the effects of classroom environment on student achievement, for example, and found that student outcomes could be improved by creating classroom environments that are conducive to learning. Classroom environments studied by Fraser (1989) used student perceptual data to assess the school environment and reach conclusions. A number of studies have been conducted since the 1980s showing a relationship between students’ perceptions of the school climate in various terms and their achievement in one form or another. In 1995, the study of Bulach, Malone, & Castleman on the investigation of variables related to student achievement showed that there is a significant difference in student achievement between schools with good school climate and schools with poor school climate. On schools with positive school climate, students develop a positive perception on school climate, making them comfortable with the learning environment they are in. On separate studies conducted by Hirase (2000) and Erpelding (1999) on the relationship between school climate and achievement of students, both studies came up with same result that schools with a positive climate had a higher academic achievement as compared to schools with negative climate. Another case presented by Freiberg (1998) showed that the students’ perceptions are important especially during the transition from one school level to another (e.g. elementary to high school). According to him, attending a new school can be frightening for students which could affect their perceptions on the school climate which could consequently affect their learning outcomes or performance. With that, the research showed that having good or positive school climate will result to an easy transition or adaption to the new school environment and a good performance of students may be easily achieved. This chapter will focused more on the theories and studies related to the teachers’ perception on school climate in order to have critical views on it. In addition, this chapter will also present and analyze established studies on the influences made by school climate on teachers’ perceptions and subsequently to the effect of having these perceptions to the assessment and improvement of the students’ performance in school. Conceptual Framework The conceptual framework of the study is related to attribution, motivational, and organizational climate in terms of lines of communication. According to attribution theory, teachers’ perceptions of their school teaching experiences will generally influence their achievement motivation and performance development more than the actual objective of those experiences (Weiner, 1985). School climate is also an important aspect of learning and effective instruction (Freiberg, 1998). When teachers are more empowered, students are able to voice their concerns and learn from the experience. When questions and answers are free flowing, the school climate is open. For example, understanding factors that are influenced by an independent Black school climate such as academic achievement can help reveal the underlying logic that influences teacher motivation and performance (Joseph, 2000). Motivation on the part of teachers is an important aspect of effective instruction (Joseph, 2000). Vroom (1964) defined motivation as a product of the anticipated worth that individuals place on a goal and the chances they see of achieving that goal, as mentioned in Chapter 1. According to him, three factors influence achievement: force, valence, and expectancy. Force is the strength of the teachers’ motivation while valence is the anticipated satisfaction from the result. Expectancy is the probability of achieving the outcome. The impact of force depends on both valence and expectancy. In his view, the three variables must exist for motivation to take place. Thus, when teachers do not think they will be successful at a task or do not value the results of becoming successful in their school or do not perceive a connection between their attitude and the school climate, it is more than likely that they will not apply themselves to the teaching activity. But when teachers are motivated to perform competently in the classroom, they will have more positive attitudes resulting to a positive result to the students. As noted by Banks (2001), school climate can also impact teacher identity. Banks reported that, â€Å"The school climate communicates†¦the school’s attitudes toward a range of issues and problems† (p. 24). School values not in agreement with those of its teachers and a lack of communication and perceptions of shared power and control on the part of administration (teachers and principals), may negatively influence teachers’ attitudes about the school itself and their chances for professional development (Hoy & Woolfolk, 1993). When the climate of the school promotes a harmonious value system that is in agreement school wide, and when high levels of communication exist, teacher attitudes are more positive. Thus it can be seen, as Karpicke and Murphy (1996) have noted, a positive school climate has a great impact on success of both teachers and students alike, significantly encouraging achievement on the part of all. Lynn and Hassan (1999) examined pedagogical practices and beliefs of African American teachers and students at a private middle school in an affluent African American community. Their investigative study provided a portrait of the school and the students in an attempt to raise the critical consciousness of the students. From their observations and interviews, they found the role of alignment between the school mission and teacher beliefs and practices was high. Also, there were shared views about the principles taught regarding the development of moral, intellectual, and spiritual aspects of students. According to attribution theory, teachers’ perceptions of their school climate experiences, whether they be the actual objective of the experience or not, will generally influence their attitudes toward teaching (Weiner, 1985). In other words, teachers try to explain their failure or success by relating (attributing) this to certain school climate characteristics. Weiner (1986) also linked attribution theory to achievement motivation in specific steps. In Weiner’s view, the first step starts with an outcome realization. Deciding whether or not the outcome is negative or positive represents the second step of this sequential process. During the third step, specific information about the outcome is gathered. Next, the search for a cause takes place. This involves a determination as to whether the outcome is the effect of a specific strategy, conscious effort on the part of the student in question (i.e., the doer), or just plain luck. In this way, achievement motivation is explained. McClelland (1985) also linked attribution theory to achievement motivation, but carried the analysis as well as the theoretical orientation a step further. McClelland identified variables or component parts that comprised achievement motivation and subsequently acknowledged some common characteristics. These included (a) concern for personal achievement over concern for external rewards for success, (b) an ability to set obtainable goals, (c) the desire for performance related feedback as opposed to attitudinal feedback, and (d) consistent thinking about ways in which progress can be made which thus increases their achievement levels. Expectancy theory as related to achievement theory is yet another theoretical orientation of the present investigative research. It should be explained that the emotional feelings of achievement and satisfaction are actually determined by each individual. Teachers decide on the degree to which their learning experiences are satisfying by comparing them with their own expectations (Whaley & Smyer, 1998). Aspects of learning that fall short of these expectations can cause discontent. Often teachers compare their perceptions of their school climate to their perceptions of what it should be. If a teacher’s subjective evaluation or perception of ratio of school climate inputs to output (e.g., positive attitudes and satisfaction) is lower than the comparison, the teacher is very likely to be dissatisfied. Expectations and comparisons of perceived worth, however, are subjective, and often biased or even erroneous. Private Schools As the achievement gap grows larger, African American parents have also lost faith in public school education, especially those who have enrolled their children in private schools (Sander, 1997). This is because of some factors such as racial discrimination of the white teachers and white students to black students, low interest of students to go to school for a reason that they develop low self-esteem in school because of diverse ethnicity, and many other more. Black and White parents alike believe that attending private schools would rid their children of such problems as bullying, skipping school, high dropout rates, and would give their children a better chance to higher academic achievement. According to National Center for Education Statistics (2008), there are 28, 384 private schools in the United States now with 6.1 million PK-12 students enrolled. Over 25 percent of the nation’s schools are private schools and about 11% of all students are enrolled in these private schools. On the other hand, the National Center for Education Statistics, which periodically test the grade 4, 8, and 12 students’ skills and knowledge using the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), showed their analysis on the score of students from private and public schools. Based on their results, students in private schools consistently score well as compared to public students. There are many factors that could affect students’ achievement. Factors may include the type of school the student is enrolled, number of students in a classroom (class size), the efficiency of the teacher teaching the subject, the student’s classmates, and many other more including family and social factors that could hinders students’ achievement (Betts et. al, 2003). However, one of the most influential on students’ achievement is the way the teacher is teaching the subject and the values he/she taught to the students. With this reason, the teachers’ perception on their school climate will greatly influenced the way they will teach the students for their perceptions will determine factors that motivates them to teach such as job satisfaction or secured environment. Attribution Factors in Terms of School Climate A number of attribution factors influencing achievement motivation are identified in the literature and are examined in the research. These include (a) school climate in terms of lines of communication, (b) peer influence, and (c) perceptions of educational experiences. Each has an important influence and is considered to be an important attribution variable influencing achievement motivation. With respect to school climate, perceptions are related to their overall educational experience. Studies have shown that perceptions of school climate affect a wide variety of social and academic success factors, and vice versa. For example, the social environment and climate of the school and the actions within those environments influence students’ perceptions of their own effort and success in school (Kaufman, 2004). Moeller (2005) found that students’ perceptions of school climate and their own sense of responsible behavior are correlated. Studies also found that school climate can be effective in many ways. Researchers found school climate positively affect academic performance/achievement. They also found that it influences the behaviour of a student and the decision to remain in school (Monrad et al., 2008). Similarly, according to Kuperminc et al. (1997), a positive school climate showed association with fewer behavioural and emotional problems for students. Smerdon’s (2002) study, which collected data from a nationally representative sample of high school students, discovered that students who may need perceived school membership and open school climate the most and may benefit most from it perceived lower levels of membership than did their peers. The cultural environment in schools can also contribute to African American students’ poor academic performance. Teachers often comment on the fact that these items give them little chance to help African American students in meaningful ways: (a) they often can only maintain minimal order in the classroom, (b) school violence is on the increase, (c) with curriculum requirements teachers have little time to help student’s to fulfill the requirements of the curriculum, and (d) these students become discouraged and very often drop out of school (Hale-Benson, 1996). Voelkll (1995) examined the influence that participation and creating a warm school environment would have on academic achievement. The study included a nationwide sample of 13,121 eighth graders. The finding showed, â€Å"that there was a direct relationship between warmth in the classroom environment parent involvement in the school and students willingness to participate. It seems that participation in class has a distinct and crucial influence on the relationship between students’ perceptions and achievement† (p. 112). In addition, on the study conducted on school climate in urban environments by Haynes & Comer (1993) showed that a positive school climate and is conscious of cultural differences can significantly improve academic success or performance among the urban students. Hoy and Woolfolk (1993), on the other hand, assessed teachers’ perceptions of the school climate as related to organizational health. Specifically, the researchers examined the relationships between two dimensions of teacher efficacy (general and personal teaching efficacy) and aspects of a healthy school climate as defined in terms of institutional integrity, principal influence, consideration, resource support, morale, and academic emphasis. The sample of the study consisted of 179 teachers from 37 elementary schools in New Jersey (Hoy & Woolfolk, 1993). A modification of the Organizational Health Inventory was administered to the teachers to obtain the data for analysis. The researchers concluded from their data analysis that a healthy school climate (strong academic emphasis and a principal who was able to influence superiors on behalf of teachers) was favorable to the development of teachers’ beliefs that they could influence student learning, â€Å"Thus, teachers’ confidence that they can reach students was supported by organizational factors that help teachers manage and teach students† (p. 355). Studies have shown that a positive school climate is associated with increased job satisfaction for teachers (Taylor and Tashakkori, 1995; Ma & MacMillan, 1999), level of work efficacy, and teacher autonomy. Teachers found satisfied in their jobs have more positive views or perception about school climate as compared to those teachers who were not satisfied (Bahamonde-Gunnell, 2000). While on the research conducted by Hirase (2000), the researcher found out that teachers working in a school with positive school climate have greater sense of work-efficacy. The research conducted by Erpelding (1999) found that there is a strong relationship between teacher autonomy and school climate. Same with the studies of Bempah et al. (1994) and Rosenholz (1989), when teachers feel that they have some power or autonomy and also involves into school-level decision-making, they are less likely to leave. Consequently, when teachers feel powerless and alienated, their efficiency to teach lowers (Ashton & Webb, 1986). With an increased in job satisfaction, work-efficacy, and teacher autonomy, teachers will be able to educate the students with quality education, thus, increasing the students’ performance or success in learning and making the school successful too. To support this favourable development of teachers in positive school climate which can lead to successful school, studies also found that a having a positive school climate is related to indicators of school success such as standardized test scores (Monrad et al., 2008). Chapter Three: Methodology Previous chapters introduced the problem of the study, explained the purpose, provided the theoretical orientation, and reviewed the literature pertinent to the major variables. The purpose of this chapter is to detail the methodology that will be employed to collect and analyze the data. Thus, this chapter presents the design, procedures, and analysis plan for carrying out the study. Research Design The method for this study is based on a non-experimental design that focuses on the use of data collected using scores from the SLEQ in a selected population. Thus, the research approach of the study will be descriptive and will essentially represent a quantitative study. Research provides us with a variety of perspectives from which to see things and a way of empirically analyzing our findings (Rinaldo, 2005). It enables use to see from where we have come, provides us with a description of where we are now, and gives us some semblance of the direction in which we seem headed (Rinaldo). Quantitative and qualitative research is vital part of any investigation. Quantitative research is defined as the collection of numerical and statistical data (O’Neil, 2006). Quantitative research is frequently used to investigate research questions. This research often starts with the collection of statistics, based on data, observations, or surveys. One popular quantitative technique is the survey. Surveys can be administered by telephone, face to face, mail, or more recently by the Internet. Quantitative data is described by O’Neil as data which can be sorted, classified, measured in a strictly objective way. The relationship between these variables is expressed using effect statistics, such as correlations, relative frequencies, or differences between means (Hopkins, 2000). The researcher is a very valuable component throughout the collection of data. According to Glesne and Peshkin (1992), when conducting a quantitative study, the researcher is described as being detached, impartial, objective, and portrayal. The researcher’s purpose is to generalize, predict, and provide causal explanations. There are several approaches the research can use. Some approaches are subject to hypothesis, theories, manipulation and control, experimentation, deductive, and component analysis (Glesne & Peshkin). According to Hopkins (2000), in a descriptive study, subjects are usually measured once and no attempt is made to change behavior or conditions; things are measured as they are. Hopkins stated that the aim in quantitative research is to distinguish the relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable in a population. Selection of Participants Babbie (2003) indicated that it is appropriate for a researcher to conduct purposeful sampling because of the researcher’s knowledge of the population, its elements, and the nature of the research objectives. In addition, Babbie (2003) suggested that a researcher may want to study a small subset of a larger population in which members of the subset are easily identified. It is for this reason that three African American private schools in one urban area in the United States were selected for inclusion in the study. These will be named A, B, and C to ensure anonymity. Together, the study population total will be 67 teachers instructing preschool through twelfth grade. All will become the target population. Those who agree to participate in the study will become the sample. Their responses will provide data regarding their perception of the climate in their school, both actual and ideal. School A focuses on educating students ages 2-12 and strengthening basic educational components to prepare students to be competitive in a global society. The co-educational school enrolls 121 students in grades prekindergarten to fifth grade and employs 20 teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 9.3:1. All of the students are African American. School B is a Christian school. The co-educational school enrolls 220 students in grades prekindergarten to twelfth grade and employs 26 teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 7.8:1. Ninety-eight percent of the students are African American. School C has built its program around the concept currently known as African-Centered education, a holistic approach based upon the premise that children excel academically and intellectually when the curriculum, teaching methodology, and environment reflect the builders of yesterday and the ideas of the future. The co-educational school enrolls 215 students in grades prekindergarten to eighth grade and employs 21 teachers. The student to teacher ratio is 10:1. Ninety-eight percent of the students are African American. Instrumentation Data used in the proposed study to analyze the perceptions of teachers will be collected through administration of a test instrument, the School Level Environment Questionnaire (SLEQ), as developed by Fisher and Fraser (1990) and published in the Handbook of Tests and Measurement in Education and the Social Sciences (2000). The SLEQ is comprised of 56 items that measure teacher’s perceptions of the psychological environment of a school. As explained by the originators, the SLEQ consists of two answer forms–one that measures the actual environment as perceived by teachers and the second that measures the ideal or preferred school environment. Three different teacher samples assisted in the development of the test instrument (Fraser, 1989). Alpha coefficients ranging from 0.70 to 0.81 were provided as an estimate of the internal consistency of each of the eight subscales. These subscales include student support, affiliation, professional interest, staff freedom, participatory decision making, innovation, research adequacy, and work pressure. Each subscale consists of seven items which, when added together, provide a separate score. The scale development for the SLEQ was derived from the Work Environment Scale (Fraser, 1989). It is divided into three basic dimensions. These include relationship, personal development, and system maintenance and system change dimensions. As reported by Fisher and Fraser (1990), these broad dimensions were used for the development of the SLEQ. Non-participatory decision making (suggesting a closed school climate) is indicated, for example, by such items as â€Å"I have little say in the running of the school† and â€Å"It is very difficult to change anything in this school.† Resource inadequacy is indicated by responses to such items as, â€Å"Tape recorders and cassettes are seldom available when needed† and â€Å"The supply of equipment and resources is inadequate.† Assumptions It will be assumed that all study subjects will answer the survey questions honestly and to the best of their ability. It is also assumed that the students in the three schools where their teachers are being surveyed will be representative of the larger population of African American students attending an independent Black private school. Procedures Data will be collected by the researcher from the teachers at each school at a time selected by the administrators and researcher. The purpose of the study will be presented to the teachers and the questionnaires will be distributed. The researcher will remain until the teachers have completed the questionnaires and will collect the completed forms before leaving the meeting. Those teachers who agree to participate and return completed survey forms will become the sample. All respondents will be asked not to sign their name. In this way this researcher can assure anonymity. Those who wish a copy of the results when the study is completed will be asked to provide an e-mail address to be used for this purpose only. Data Processing and Analysis Data collected from survey questionnaires will be assessed to determine whether teachers’ perceptions of their actual school climate are similar to their perceived ideal school climate. The perceptions will be compared. Teachers’ view of the ideal and actual psychological environment will also be compared across the three African American private schools included in the proposed study. Findings from the analysis of data will be reported as descriptive statistics. These include standard deviations, percentages, mean averages, and others of a similar nature. From this information, implications and conclusions will derive from the teacher perceptions. Findings from schools will be compared to each other and to those in the literature. References *Anderman, E. M., & Maehr, M. L. (1994). Motivation and schooling in the middle grades. Review of Educational Research, 64, 287-309. Ashby, Dianne E., and Samuel E. Krug. (1998). â€Å"Understanding and Promoting School Climate and Culture.† Thinking Through the Principalship. New York: Eye on Education Inc. Ashton, P. T., & Webb, R. B. (1986). Making a difference: Teachers’ sense of efficacy and student achievement. New York: Longman. Atkinson, J. 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