The Hunters: Phantom Chapter 21

When she opened her eyes, Elena found herself in someone's attic. Its wide wooden floorboards and low rafters were thick with dust, and the long room was crowded with objects: a hammock, sleds, skis, boxes with words like Xmas or toddler toys or B's winter clothes scribbled on them in black marker. Oilcloths were draped over larger objects that might be furniture, chairs and tables, by their shapes. At the far end of the room an old mattress lay on the floor, with an oilcloth crumpled at one end, as if someone sleeping there had been using it as a makeshift blanket and had shoved it off when they rose. Faint traces of pale light showed around the edges of a smal shuttered window at the nearer end of the attic. There was a soft rustling, as if mice were going about their private business behind the shelter of the stored furniture. It was al weirdly familiar. She looked back toward the far end of the attic and saw, without the faintest sense of surprise, that Damon was now sitting on the old mattress, his long black-clad legs drawn up, his elbows resting on his knees. He was managing to give the appearance of lounging graceful y despite his awkward position. â€Å"The places where we meet are getting less and less elegant,† she told him dryly. Damon laughed and held up his hands in denial. â€Å"You pick the locations, princess,† he said. â€Å"This is your show. I'm just along for the ride.† He paused thoughtful y. â€Å"Okay, that's not entirely true,† he confessed. â€Å"But you do pick the locations. Where are we, anyway?† â€Å"You don't know?† Elena said with mock indignation. â€Å"This is a very special place for us, Damon! Ful of memories! You brought me here right after I became a vampire, remember?† He looked around. â€Å"Oh, yes. The attic of the house where the teacher was staying. Convenient at the time, but you're right – an elegant setting suits us both much better. May I suggest a nice palace next time?† He patted the mattress next to him. Elena, crossing the floor toward him, took a moment to marvel at how realistic and detailed her dream was. Each step she took sent tiny puffs of dust up from the floor. There was a slight scent of mildew: She couldn't remember ever having smel ed anything in a dream before these visions of Damon. When she sat down, the mildew smel got stronger. She nestled close to Damon anyway, resting her head on his shoulder, and his leather jacket creaked as he put his arm around her. Elena closed her eyes and sighed. She felt safe and secure within his embrace, feelings she had never associated with Damon, but they were good ones. â€Å"I miss you, Damon,† she said. â€Å"Please come back to me.† Damon leaned his cheek against her head, and she breathed in the smel of him. Leather and soap and the strange but pleasant woodsy scent that was Damon's own. â€Å"I'm right here,† he said. â€Å"Not real y,† Elena said, and her eyes fil ed with tears again. She wiped them roughly away with the backs of her hands. â€Å"It feels like I've been doing nothing but crying lately,† she said. â€Å"When I'm here with you I feel safer, though. But it's just a dream. It won't last, this feeling.† Damon stiffened. â€Å"Safer?† he said, and there was a strained note in his voice. â€Å"You aren't safe when you're not with me? Isn't my little brother looking after you properly?† â€Å"Oh, Damon, you can't imagine,† Elena said. â€Å"Stefan†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She took a deep breath, put her head in her hands, and began to sob. â€Å"What is it? What's happened?† asked Damon sharply. When Elena didn't answer, just continued to cry, he took her hands and tugged them gently but firmly away from her face. â€Å"Elena,† he said. â€Å"Look at me. Has something happened to Stefan?† â€Å"No,† said Elena through her tears. â€Å"Wel , yes, sort of†¦ I don't real y know what's happened to him, but he's changed.† Damon was looking at her intently, his nightblack eyes fixed on hers, and Elena made an effort to pul herself together. She hated acting like this, so weak and pathetic, sobbing on someone's shoulder instead of cool y formulating a solution to the problem at hand. She didn't want Damon, even a dream Damon who was just part of her subconscious, seeing her like this. She sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Damon delved into an inner pocket of his leather jacket and handed her a neatly folded white handkerchief. Elena stared at it, then at him, and he shrugged. â€Å"I'm an oldfashioned gentleman, sometimes,† he said, straight-faced. â€Å"Hundreds of years of linen handkerchiefs. Some habits are hard to break.† Elena blew her nose and wiped her cheeks. She didn't quite know what to do with the soggy handkerchief – it seemed gross to hand it back to Damon – so she just held on to it, twisting it between her hands as she thought. â€Å"Now tel me about what's going on. What's wrong with Stefan? What happened to him?† Damon commanded. â€Å"Wel†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Elena said slowly, â€Å"I don't know what's wrong with Stefan, and I don't know if anything happened to change him that you don't already know about. Maybe he's just reacting to your†¦ you know.† It suddenly seemed weird to refer to Damon's death when he was sitting next to her – impolite somehow – but Damon nodded at her to go on. â€Å"It's been hard on him. And he's been even more tense and weird for the last couple of days. Then, earlier this evening, I was visiting my parents in the cemetery†¦Ã¢â‚¬  She told Damon about Stefan's attack on Caleb. â€Å"The worst part is that I never suspected this side of Stefan existed,† she finished. â€Å"I can't think of any real reason he had to attack Caleb – he just claimed that Caleb wanted me, and that he was dangerous, but Caleb hadn't done anything – and Stefan seemed so irrational, and so violent. He was like another person.† Elena's eyes were fil ing with tears again, and Damon pul ed her closer, stroking her hair and gently peppering her face with soft kisses. Elena closed her eyes and gradual y relaxed into his arms. Damon held her more firmly, and his kisses got slower and deeper. Then he was cradling her head with his strong, gentle hands and kissing her mouth. â€Å"Oh, Damon,† she murmured. This was more vivid than any dream she'd ever had. His lips were soft and warm, with just a little roughness to them, and it felt like she was fal ing into him. â€Å"Wait.† He kissed her more insistently but, when she pul ed away, let her go. â€Å"Wait,† Elena repeated, sitting up straight. Somehow she had lain back until she was half reclining across the musty old mattress with Damon, her legs entangled with his. She moved away from him, toward the edge of the mattress. â€Å"Damon, whatever's going on with Stefan scares me. But that doesn't mean†¦ Damon, I'm stil in love with Stefan.† â€Å"You love me, too, you know,† Damon said lightly. His dark eyes narrowed. â€Å"You're not getting rid of me that easily, princess.† â€Å"I do love you,† Elena said. Her eyes were dry now. She thought she might be al cried out, at least for the moment. Her voice was quite steady as she added, â€Å"I'l always love you, I guess. But you're dead.† And Stefan is my true love, if I had to choose between you, she thought, but did not say. What was the point? â€Å"I'm sorry, Damon,† she went on, â€Å"but you're gone. And I'l always love Stefan, but suddenly I'm afraid of him, of what he might do. I don't know what's going to happen to us. I thought things would be easy now that we're home again, but awful things are stil happening.† Damon sighed and lay back on the mattress. He stared up at the ceiling in silence for a moment. â€Å"Listen,† he said final y, lacing his fingers across his chest. â€Å"You've always underestimated Stefan's potential for violence.† â€Å"He's not violent,† Elena said hotly. â€Å"He doesn't even drink human blood.† â€Å"He doesn't drink human blood because he doesn't want to be violent. He doesn't want to hurt anyone. But Elena† – Damon reached out and took her hand – â€Å"my little brother's got a temper. I know that if anyone does.† Elena shivered. She knew that, back when they were humans, Stefan and Damon had kil ed each other in a fit of rage over what they thought was Katherine's death. Katherine's blood had been in both their systems, and they had risen again as vampires that night. Their anger and jealousy over a lost love had destroyed them both. â€Å"However,† Damon continued, â€Å"much as it pains me to admit it, Stefan would never hurt you, and wouldn't hurt anyone else without a real reason. Not without the kind of reason you would approve of. Not these days. He might have a temper, but he's also got a conscience.† He smirked a little and added, â€Å"An annoying, self-righteous kind of conscience, of course, but it's there. And he loves you, Elena. You're the whole world to him.† â€Å"Maybe you're right,† Elena said. â€Å"I'm scared, though. And I wish you were there with me.† She looked at him, as sleepy and confiding as a tired child now. â€Å"Damon, I wish you weren't dead. I miss you. Please come back to me.† Damon smiled and kissed her softly. But then he pul ed away and Elena could feel the dream changing. She tried to cling to the moment, but it faded and Damon was lost to her again. â€Å"Please be careful, Damon,† said Sage, worry lines marring his bronzed forehead. It wasn't often that the muscular Keeper of the Gates looked worried – or spoke only one language at a time – but ever since Damon had staggered back from death and out of the ashes, Sage had spoken softly and clearly to him in English, treating the vampire as if he were likely to shatter at any minute. â€Å"I usual y am careful,† said Damon, leaning against the wal of what they cal ed, for want of a better term, the mystical elevator. â€Å"Unless I'm being heart-stoppingly brave, of course.† The words were right, but to Damon's own ears, his voice sounded off: hoarse and hesitant. Sage seemed to hear the wrongness there, too, and his handsome face furrowed in a frown. â€Å"You can stay longer if you want.† Damon leaned back against the plain white wal . â€Å"I have to go,† he said wearily, for what felt like the mil ionth time. â€Å"She's in danger. But thank you for everything, Sage.† He wouldn't be here now without Sage. The powerful vampire had cleaned Damon up, given him clothes – stylish black clothes in the right size – and fed him blood and rich Black Magic wine until Damon had been hauled back from the edge of death and realized who he was again. But†¦ Damon didn't feel like himself. There was a strange empty ache inside him, as if he'd left something behind, buried deep under the ash. Sage was stil frowning, staring at him with grave concern. Damon pul ed himself together and gave Sage a sudden bril iant smile. â€Å"Wish me luck,† he said. The smile helped: The other vampire's face relaxed. â€Å"Bonne chance, mon ami,† he said. â€Å"I wish you the very best of luck.† Bilingual again, Damon thought. I must be looking better. â€Å"Fel ‘s Church,† he said into the empty air. â€Å"The United States, the mortal realm. Somewhere I can hide.† He raised a hand in solemn salute to Sage and pushed the elevator's single button. Elena woke up in darkness. She ran a quick and automatic mental check: smooth, fabric-softener-scented cotton sheets, dim light from the window past the foot of her bed on the right, the faint sound of Robert snoring in his and Aunt Judith's bedroom at the other end of the hal . Her own old familiar room. Home again. She heaved a deep sigh. She didn't feel quite as mired in despair as she had when she climbed into bed; things were dark, but she could admit there was a possibility they might someday get better again. But her eyes and throat felt raw from crying. She missed Damon so much. A floorboard creaked. Elena stiffened. She knew that creak. It was the high, complaining whine the floorboard over near her window gave if you stepped right in the middle of it. Someone was in her room. Elena lay very stil , running through the possibilities. Stefan would have announced himself as soon as he heard her sigh. Was it Margaret, quietly wandering in to crawl into bed with Elena? â€Å"Margaret?† she asked softly. There was no answer. Her ears straining, Elena thought she could make out the sound of slow, heavy breathing. Suddenly the lamp on her desk was switched on, and Elena was temporarily dazzled by the bright light. She could see only the silhouette of a dark figure. Then her vision cleared. And at the foot of her bed, a half smile on his chiseled face, dark eyes wary, as if he was unsure of his welcome, stood a figure dressed al in black. Damon.

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Because these skills and abilities give an organization a competitive advantage, organizations must continually monitor their structures to find the most effective way of motivating and organizing human resources to acquire and use their skills. Changes made in human resources include investment in training, socializing employees, changing norms to motivate a diverse workforce, monitoring promotion and reward systems, and changing top management. 2. Each organizational function needs to develop procedures that allow it to manage the particular environment it faces. Crucial functions grow in importance while those whose usefulness is declining shrink. Thus, key functions grow in importance. Organizations can change structure, culture, and technology to improve the value created by functions. 3 Organizational change often involves changing the relationships between people and functions to increase their ability to create value. 10. 2 Forces for and Resistance to Organizational Change Forces for Change If managers are slow to respond to the forces of change, the organization will lag behind its competitors and its effectiveness will be compromised. (Refer to Figure 10. 1) Competitive forces spur change, because unless an organization matches or surpasses its competitors it will not survive. Managing change is crucial when competing for customers. To lead on the dimensions of efficiency or quality, an organization must constantly adopt the latest technology as it becomes available. To lead on the dimension of innovation and obtain a technological advantage over competitors, a company must possess skills in managing the process of innovation. Economic, political, and global forces, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) or other economic unions, are significant forces of change. The European Union (EU) includes over 27 members eager to take advantage of a large protected market. Global challenges facing organizations include the need to change an organizational structure to allow expansion into foreign markets, the need to adapt to a variety of national cultures, and the need to help expatriate managers adapt to the economic, political, and cultural values of the countries in which they are located. Demographic and social forces include an increasingly diverse workforce. Changes in the demographic characteristics of the workforce require managers to change their styles of managing all employees and to learn how to understand, supervise, and motivate diverse members effectively. Many workers want to balance work and leisure. Managers need to abandon stereotypes and accept the importance of equity in the recruitment and promotion of new hires. Ethical forces such as increasing government, political, and social demands for more responsible and honest corporate behavior are compelling organizations to promote ethical behavior. Many companies have created the position of ethics officer. If organizations operate in countries that pay little attention to human rights or to the well-being of organizational members, they have to learn how to change these standards and to protect their overseas employees. Resistances to Change Resistance to change lowers an organization’s effectiveness and reduces its chances of survival. Resistances or impediments to change that cause inertia are found at the organization, group, and individual levels. (Refer to Figure 10. 1) Organization-Level Resistance to Change Power and conflict: When change causes power struggles and organizational conflict, an organization is likely to resist it. If change benefits one function at the expense of another, conflict impedes the change process. In the old IBM, for example, managers of its mainframe computer division fought off attempts to redirect IBM’s resources to produce the PCs that customers wanted in order to preserve their own power. Differences in functional orientation: This means that different functions and divisions often see the source of a problem differently because they see an issue or problem primarily from their own viewpoint. This tunnel vision increases organizational inertia. Mechanistic structure: Mechanistic structures are more resistant to change. People who work within a mechanistic structure are expected to act in certain ways and do not develop the capacity to adjust their behavior to changing conditions. A mechanistic structure typically develops as an organization grows and is a principal source of inertia, especially in large organizations. The extensive use of mutual adjustment and decentralized authority in an organic structure makes it less resistant to change. Organizational culture: Organizational culture, values, and norms cause resistance to change. If organizational change disrupts taken-for-granted values and norms and forces people to change what they do and how they do it, an organization’s culture will cause resistance to change. Group-Level Resistance to Change Many groups develop strong informal norms that specify appropriate and inappropriate behaviors and govern the interactions between group members. Often, change alters task and role relationships in a group; when it does, it disrupts group norms and the informal expectations that group members have of one another. As a result, members of a group may resist change because a new set of norms must be developed to meet the needs of the new situation. Group cohesiveness, the attractiveness of a group to its members, also affects group performance. A highly cohesive group may resist attempts by management to change what it does or even who is a member of the group. Groupthink and escalation of commitment also make changing a group’s behavior very difficult. Individual-Level Resistance to Change People tend to resist change because they feel uncertain and insecure about what its outcome will be. Selective perception and retention suggest that people perceive information consistent with their views. If change doesn’t benefit them, they do not endorse it. People’s preference for familiar actions and events is a further impediment to change. Lewin’s Force-Field Theory of Change Force-field theory is a theory of organizational change that argues that two sets of opposing forces within an organization determine how change will take place. When the forces are evenly balanced, the organization is in a state of inertia and does not change. To get an organization to change, managers must find a way to increase the forces for change, reduce resistance to change, or do both simultaneously. Any of these strategies will overcome inertia and cause an organization to change. (Refer to Figure 10. 2) Managerial Implications Managers must continuously monitor the environment to identify the forces for change. They must analyze how the change will affect the organization and determine which type of change to pursue. 10. 3 Evolutionary and Revolutionary Change in Organizations Evolutionary change refers to change that is gradual, incremental, and specifically focused. It adds small adjustments to strategy and structure to handle environmental changes. Sociotechnical systems theory, total quality management, and the creation of empowered, flexible work groups are three instruments of evolutionary change that organizations use in their attempt to make incremental improvements in the way work gets done. Revolutionary change refers to change that is sudden, drastic, and organization-wide. It has repercussions at all levels in the organization—corporate, divisional, functional, group, and individual. Three ways to implement revolutionary change are reengineering, restructuring, and innovation. Developments in Evolutionary Change: Sociotechnical Systems Theory Sociotechnical systems theory is a theory that proposes the importance of changing role and task or technical relationships to increase organizational effectiveness. It emerged from a study of changing work practices in the British coal-mining industry. The socio-technical systems theory argues that managers need to fit or jointly optimize the workings of the technical and social systems. A poor fit between an organization’s technology and social system leads to failure, but a close fit leads to success. When managers change task and role relationships, they must recognize the need to adjust the technical and social systems gradually so group norms and cohesiveness are not disrupted. By taking this gradual approach, an organization can avoid the group-level resistance to change. Researchers suggest that a team-oriented system promotes values that enhance efficiency and product quality. Total quality management uses sociotechnical systems theory. Total Quality Management Total quality management (TQM) is a technique developed by W. Edwards Deming to continuously improve the effectiveness of flexible work teams. It was embraced by Japanese companies after World War II. Changes frequently inspired by TQM include altering the design or type of machines used to assemble products and reorganizing the sequence of activities—either within or between functions—necessary to provide a service to a customer. Changing cross-functional relationships to help improve quality is important in TQM. The changes associated with TQM are changes in task, role, and group relationships. Implementing a TQM program is not always easy because it requires workers and managers to adopt new ways of viewing their roles in an organization. Managers must be willing to decentralize control of decision making, empower workers, and assume the role of facilitator rather than supervisor. The â€Å"command and control† model gives way to an â€Å"advise and support† model. Flexible Workers and Flexible Work Teams In implementing socio-technical systems theory and TQM, many organizations are finding it easier to achieve their goals by using flexible workers and teams. Flexible workers can be transferred between departments and functions as demand changes. The advantages of flexible workers include quick response to environmental changes; reduced boredom and increased incentives for quality; better understanding by learning one another’s tasks; and combining tasks to increase efficiency and reduce costs. A flexible work team is a group of workers who assume responsibility for performing all the operations necessary for completing a specified stage in the manufacturing process. A flexible work team is self-managed; members jointly assign tasks and transfer from one task to another. In a flexible work team, separate teams assemble different components and turn those components over to the final-product work team, which assembles the final product. Each team’s activities are driven by demands that have their origins in customer demands for the final product. (Refer to Figure 10. 3) Developments in Revolutionary Change: Reengineering The term â€Å"reengineering† has been used to refer to the process by which managers redesign how tasks are bundled into roles and functions to improve organizational effectiveness. It involves rethinking business processes, activities that cross functional boundaries. Instead of focusing on an organization’s functions in isolation from one another, managers make business processes the focus of attention. A business process is an activity that cuts across functional boundaries and is vital to the quick delivery of goods and services or that promotes high quality or low costs. Because reengineering focuses on business processes and not functions, an organization must rethink the way it approaches organizing its activities. A good example of how to use reengineering to increase functional integration comes from attempts to redesign the materials management function to improve its effectiveness. In the traditional functional design the three main components of materials management—purchasing, production control, and distribution—were typically in separate functions and had little to do with one another. Thus coordinating their activities is difficult. Each function has its own hierarchy, and there are problems in both vertical and horizontal communication. Today, most organizations put all three of the functional activities involved in the materials management process inside one function. Three guidelines for performing reengineering successfully are as follows: Organize around outcomes, not tasks. 2. Have those who use the output of the process perform the process. 3. Decentralize decision making to the point where the decision is made. Reengineering and TQM are highly interrelated and complementary. E-Engineering This is a term used to refer to companies’ attempts to use all kinds of information systems to improve performance. The importance of e-engineering is increasing as it changes the way a company organizes its value-creation functions and links them to improve its performance. Restructuring Restructuring is a process by which managers change task and authority relationships and redesign organizational structure and culture to improve organizational effectiveness. Downsizing is the process by which managers streamline the organizational hierarchy and lay off managers and workers to reduce bureaucratic costs. The drive to decrease bureaucratic costs results from competitive pressures. Mergers and acquisitions in many industries, such as banking, have led to downsizing because fewer managers are needed. Other companies have reduced staff to match competitors. The negative effects of downsizing include overworked managers and lost opportunities. Companies that fail to control growth must downsize to remain competitive. The terms anorexic or hollow are used to refer to organizations that downsized too much and have too few managers to help them grow when conditions change. Restructuring, like other change strategies, generates resistance to change. Often, the decision to downsize requires the establishment of new task and role relationships. Because this change may threaten the jobs of some workers, they resist the changes taking place. Innovation Innovation refers to the process by which organizations use their skills and resources to develop new goods and services or to develop new production and operating systems so they can better respond to the needs of their customers. 10. 4 Managing Change: Action Research In Lewin’s view, implementing change is a three-step process: (1) unfreezing the organization from its present state, (2) making the change, and (3) refreezing the organization in the new, desired state so its members do not revert to their previous work attitudes and role behavior. Action research is a strategy for generating and acquiring knowledge that managers can use to define an organization’s desired future state and to plan a change program that allows the organization to reach that state. Figure 10. 6 highlights the steps in action research. Diagnosis of the Organization The first step in action research requires managers to recognize the existence of a problem that needs to be solved and acknowledge that some type of change is needed to solve it. In general, recognition of the need for change arises because somebody in the organization perceives a gap between desired performance and actual performance. Determining the Desired Future State This step also involves a difficult planning process as managers work out various alternative courses of action that could move the organization to where they would like it to be and determine what type of change to implement. Implementing Action 1. First, managers identify possible impediments to change at all levels. The second step is deciding who will be responsible for actually making the changes and controlling the change process. The choices are to employ either external change agents or internal change agents or use some combination of both. 3. The third step is deciding which specific change strategy will most effectively unfreeze, change, and refreeze the organization. The types of change that these techniques give rise to fall into two categories: Top-down change is implemented by managers at a high level in the organization, knowing that the change will reverberate at all organizational levels. Bottom-up change is implemented by employees at low levels in the organization that gradually rises until it is felt throughout the organization. Evaluating the Action The fourth step in action research is evaluating the action that has been taken and assessing the degree to which the changes have accomplished the desired objectives. The best way to evaluate the change process is to develop measures or criteria that allow managers to assess whether the organization has reached its desired objectives. Institutionalizing Action Research Organizations need to institutionalize action research—that is, make it a required habit or a norm adopted by every member of an organization. The institutionalization of action research is as necessary at the top of the organization as it is on the shop floor. Managerial Implications Managers must develop criteria to evaluate whether a change is necessary, and carefully design a plan that minimizes resistance. 10. 5 Organizational Development Organizational development (OD) is a series of techniques and methods that managers can use in their action research program to increase the adaptability of their organization. The goal of OD is to improve organizational effectiveness and to help people in organizations reach their potential and realize their goals and objectives. OD Techniques to Deal with Resistance to Change Education and Communication: One impediment to change is that participants are uncertain about what is going to happen. Through education and communication, internal and external agents of change can provide organizational members with information about the change and how it will affect them. Participation and Empowerment: Inviting workers to participate in the change process is a popular method of reducing resistance to change. Participation complements empowerment, increases workers’ involvement in decision making, and gives them greater autonomy to change work procedures to improve organizational performance. These are key elements of most TQM programs. People that are involved in the change and decision-making process are more likely to embrace rather than resist. Facilitation: Both managers and workers find change stressful. There are several ways in which organizations can help their members to manage stress: providing them with training to help them learn how to perform new tasks, providing them with time off from work to recuperate from the stressful effects of change, or even giving senior members sabbaticals. Bargaining and Negotiation: Bargaining and negotiation are important tools that help managers manage conflict. Because change causes conflict, bargaining is an important tool in overcoming resistance to change. Manipulation: Sometimes senior managers need to intervene, as politics shows that powerful managers have considerable ability to resist change. Coercion: The ultimate way to eliminate resistance to change is to coerce the key players into accepting change and threaten dire consequences if they choose to resist. The disadvantage is that it can leave people angry and disenchanted and can make the refreezing process difficult. OD Techniques to Promote Change Counseling, Sensitivity Training, and Process Consultation: Recognizing that each individual is different also requires them to be treated or managed differently. Sometimes, counseling will help individuals understand that their own perceptions of a situation may be incorrect. Sensitivity training is an OD technique that consists of intense counseling in which group members, aided by a facilitator, learn how others perceive them and may learn how to deal more sensitively with others. Process consultation is an OD technique in which a facilitator works closely with a manager on the job to help the manager improve his or her interactions with other group members. Team building is an OD technique in which a facilitator first observes the interactions of group members and then helps them become aware of ways to improve their work interactions. The goal of team building is to improve group processes to achieve process gains and reduce process losses that are occurring because of shirking and freeriding. Intergroup training is an OD technique that uses team building to improve the work interactions of different functions or divisions. Its goal is to improve organizational performance by focusing on a function’s or division’s joint activities and output. Organizational mirroring is an OD technique in which a facilitator helps two interdependent groups explore their perceptions and relations in order to improve their work interactions. This technique is designed to get both interdependent groups to see the perspective of the other side. Appreciating others’ perspectives allows the groups to work together more effectively. Total Organizational Interventions: A variety of OD techniques can be used at the organization level to promote organization-wide change. Organizational confrontation meeting is an OD technique that brings together all of the managers of an organization at a meeting to confront the issue of whether the organization is meeting its goals effectively.

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Policy Cycles Politics Essay

Strengths And Weaknesses Of Policy Cycles Politics Essay The term of policy seems to have broader meaning than what government should do or not to do. Bridgman and Davis (2000, as cited by Colebatch, 2009: 47) define policy as a course of action by government designed to achieve certain results. These series of action is started with thought, moving to actions, and ended with solution. In ideal world, policies are made by government, as representatives of pubic, to eliminate some of social problems. In reality, the policy process is more complex and in certain circumstance it fails to meet the stated goals. Problems throughout policy process mean that policy phase or policy cycle is not necessarily effective in achieving its objectives. However, separately from the weaknesses, policy cycle is a useful tool to guide policy maker in policy-making. This essay will describes the strengths of policy cycle as a tool in making a policy through a good process, and its weaknesses when facing a reality in the complex world. The Strengths The strength of policy cycle in policy process lies on its stages. Each stage in the policy cycle enables decision makers to identify problems, identify and evaluate alternative policies, and selecting the most appropriate strategy. Moreover, Althaus et al. (2007) suggest that policy cycle provide policy maker with an understanding about what they should do since every stage in policy cycle is clear and identifiable steps. As an illustration, in agenda setting stage, policy maker normally set the agenda by checking problems which have emerged and gained a lot of public attention and require government intervention. In this stage policy maker should know what and why there are prevailing problems surrounding certain issues. They also need to analyze social and political context and check whether current policy is effective for being applied to certain issue as well as get the general idea that will be involved in this policy. When a set of policy alternatives have been analyzed, the n ext stage is a decision making which is then followed by implementation. Policy cycle does not stop at policy implementation stage, but continued with evaluation in which the results decision that have been taken are monitored by all parties, both inside government and other groups outside government. Each of these stages can be seen separately and it makes possible for the policy maker to identify, revisit, and reanalyze which phase has been conducted in a wrong way. In addition, stages in policy cycle can be compared separately (Davis et al 1993). For instance, the evaluation stage allows the policy maker to make a comparison between the stated goal and result that have been achieved. The next strength of policy cycle is it is a tool to get more rational decision. The policy process often involves the interaction of many parties, ranging from government itself, researchers, media to politicians (Sabatier 2003). Each of these actors and institutions have different views on an issue and policy cycle accommodate all inputs from these parties and then analyzed more deeply to get the best strategy (Howlett and Ramesh 2003). For example, in the making of energy saving policy which is one of the sensitive sectors policy maker should have a coordination with many stakeholders outside government, such as trade and industry as the parties that concerned with the utilization of energy in production activities, the private sector which have interest with this issue since it relates with the reduction of working hours, and consumer protection as a representative body of the consumer voice. All options and alternative decisions given by all stakeholders are accommodated for dee p analysis before deciding the final choice. The process involves a variety of interests is seen as the strengths of the policy cycle because the decisions are more rational. Good decisions are not solely generated from the implementation of all stages in the policy cycle however policy-making without all stages has less chance of success. As argued by Michael Keating (1996, as cited by Sabatier, 2003) good process does not always bring good policy however bad process leads to bad outcome. Policy cycle is not a series of stages that are fixed from one stage to the next. To get the best possible decision, each stage in the policy cycle could be returned to the previous stage if it is found some mistakes or insufficiency data for decision making. In many cases, the cabinet might ask policy maker to revisit the process of identification and decision analysis because of lack of information received. In addition, the policy cycle stages can be performed repeatedly to get a good policy. For example, it is possible that policy instrument stage to be repeatedly found that if taken the wrong alternative. The Weaknesses Like other approach, the policy cycle has weaknesses. Firstly, it is difficult to generate a decision when external factors, such as politics has entered into the arena (Edward, 2001, as cited in Everett, 2003). In a democratic system, policy is taken not only by the one-governance but it will involve a lot of participant or political parties, as suggested by Davis et al. (1993, as cited in Everett, 2003) that most policies resulting from negotiations between interests. These political leader are not completely independent, they bring the party goals that often does not meet with the government goals. Leaders of the party could demonstrate their interests in almost every step of the policy-making process, either in the early stages such as agenda setting and decision-making which is sometimes led to take longer time to make a decision than what is expected. Not only in the agenda setting stage, these political leaders are also using the implementation process as one opportunity to br ing back the partys interests which are not accommodated in the early stages if they proposed alternative decision is not selected by the government (Howlett and Ramesh 2003). Furthermore Everett (2003) argue that even consultation, which is considered as the most important stage in policy cycle, cannot address controversy among political interest and sometimes fail to finish the policy process with concrete decision. She gives her case study on coal transport infrastructure location as an example of political influence in the content of policy. Secondly, it is un-doubtful that policy cycle is a tool to simplify policy process however this becomes less effective when the reality is more complex and challenging, as suggested by Everett (2003) that policy cycle is normative and impractical in decision making. This view is based on argument that policy process involves many hands from various level of government, and many of them are not addressing the same problem, or even have different ideas about what would be a good answer. All these different ideas and different interests are accommodated in the policy cycle, and sometimes they can slow decision making process or even change the decision. Moreover, good policy is not only determined by a series of stage but also quality of policy makers itself to analyze problems and choose the best strategy, pressures from interest groups, and political situations (Sabatier and Jenkins Smith 1993). It is therefore need more ability to understand activities and interaction of these differ ent parties than a set of stages. Finally, other thing that should be considered in policy process is urgency of policy. In certain circumstance, government should take a decision in a short time without passing all stages in policy cycle. For example, to anticipate the impact of the global financial crisis in Indonesia, the government issued fiscal stimulus policy to support the real sector activities. This policy was made à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ ¹without doing the stages in the policy cycle such as coordination with local governments as one of the recipients of this aid. In addition, the scope of policy also becomes one of consideration that policy cycle is not necessarily applied in policy process. In certain circumstance, some of the issues that emerged were simple problems, it is therefore direct action is more appropriate rather than follow stages in policy cycle, but the same treatment cannot be applied for the problems that have a broader impact. In other words, policy cycle is not necessarily be u sed in every circumstance. Conclusion It is un-doubtful that the policy cycle is a tool to improve policy through effective series of stage. The stages in the policy cycle can provide a systematic framework to policy maker that helps them in the policy process. It also make possible for the policy maker to view each stage separately to determine the best strategy. However, it is arguable that the policy cycle can be applied in complex situations where a lot of interests enter to the arena and influence the policy process, such as politics. The other thing need to be point out is that urgency and scope of policy also become the other consideration whether policy cycle effectively explain the policy process. Despite the policy cycle has its weaknesses, every stage in policy cycle is useful tools in policy process but it does not necessarily meet the real process in decision-making.

Dignity in Care for Adults with Learning Disabilities

Dignity in Care for Adults with Learning Disabilities The primary aim of the proposed research is to analyse the meaning, perceptions and quality of dignity in healthcare with respect to adults who have learning disabilities in the United Kingdom and study the range of healthcare services available for adults with learning disabilities. Specific Objectives To assess challenges of access, inclusion, choice, attitudes and legislation faced by adults with learning disabilities in healthcare. To determine whether dignity in care for adults with learning disabilities exists in reality as proposed and promoted by the UK Department of health or not. To understand and compare the types of health care services offered and available to adults with learning disabilities. To analyse the quality of healthcare provided to adults with learning disabilities in the United Kingdom and inequalities faced by them. Methodological Details The primary method that will be utilised in this research is based on systematic literature review whereby observations are made on the basis of data accessible in the respect of people with learning disabilities. Literature search will include key words such as about learning disabilities dignity and type of services offered and available for them in the United Kingdom. This method is implemented in this research because it would definitely be helpful because of various reasons identified in the proposal. The relevant literature will be gathered from various sources including journal articles, research reports and books. Ethical Issues Confidentiality and privacy of individuals participating in a research is quite important especially if the research topic is quite sensitive as the case is with dignity in care for adults with learning disabilities. The researcher needs to understand and realise the seriousness of ethical issues and considerations in such a research. Although there is a danger of participants being named or personal information being compromised, the approval from the ethical issues committee is not necessary, as the proposed study will only present a systematic literature review of the data already accessible by public. Relevance to Practice The entire research would be quite useful in enhancing the level of dignity in adults who are suffering from learning disabilities in United Kingdom. However, one of the major points that should be focused by different agencies and social workers would be how fast and effectively they can implement all these processes. Moreover, significant research has been carried out in this regard from different perspective and from different researchers but the reviewed literature shows several gaps in the standards laid down by different government health authorities and the current practices related to dignity in health care of adults with learning disabilities. Introduction: Dignity is a broad and complicated notion that can be used in legal, religious, bioethics, scientific and political contexts with different meanings. The term dignity signifies that a person has a birthright of being respected and treated morally and ethically by others. Dignity implies that people should be treated in such a manner that they feel their value and worth as individuals within the societal context (Soulen and Woodhead 2006). Dignity can be elevated and alleviated by several factors in a healthcare facility. These factors include the facility culture, surroundings and environment, attitudes and behaviour of caregivers and the practice of care being carried out in the facility. People feel more comfortable, confident and in control for making various decisions on their own in the presence of dignity but if there is a lack of dignity they may feel discomforted, devalued, embarrassed and humiliated (Weisstub and Pintos 2007). Dignity is concerned with how people feel, think and behave in relation to the worth or value of themselves and others. To treat someone with dignity is to treat them as being of worth, in a way that is respectful of them as valued individuals (RCN, 2008). As dignity creates a sense of comfort and control, it is quite important that caregivers in medical institutions realise the importance of dignity while giving care to adults with learning disabilities. The proposed research will analyse the literature associated with dignity in care for adults with learning disabilities in the United Kingdom. The study Aim: The primary aim of the proposed research is to analyse the meaning, perceptions and quality of dignity in healthcare with respect to adults who have learning disabilities in the United Kingdom and study the range of healthcare services available for adults with learning disabilities. The Study Objectives: To assess challenges of access, inclusion, choice, attitudes and legislation faced by adults with learning disabilities in healthcare. To determine whether dignity in care for adults with learning disabilities exists in reality as proposed and promoted by the UK Department of health or not. To understand and compare the types of health care services offered and available to adults with learning disabilities. To analyse the quality of healthcare provided to adults with learning disabilities in the United Kingdom and inequalities faced by them. The following section of the research proposal will discuss the literature as methods and methodology used to achieve the research aim. As it is systematic literature review in general and as it used to this study in research particular. Methodology: Research methodology is an important aspect through which researches are conducted. A research methodology will actually depict that what is the appropriate approach of conducting a research and which research strategy will be applied in this research. In the similar manner it would also depict that which data will be collected for the research and how it will be collected. This entire research would focus on learning disabilities with adults and the issue of dignity will also be addressed in this research. The main objective of this research is to understand the issues of meaning, perceptions and quality related to learning disabilities and how dignity of these individuals is affected. The primary method that will be utilised in this research is based on systematic literature review which is useful for several reasons such gives a genuine, clear idea about the issue being studied. This method is implemented in this research because it would definitely be helpful because of several reasons. First and the foremost reason is that it would give a clear about the issue that is being studied. Wolf (2008) presented an idea about that systematic literature review that philosophy of science, development of health related materials etc can be analysed through systematic literature review. In the similar manner it gives a genuine and a clear idea about the issue that is being studied. Through this approach findings can be properly analysed and systematic literature review helps the researchers in the decision making process. Wolf (2008) believed that through this approach the information that is collected for this research can easily be summarised. The benefits of this approach would be that past researches can easily be utilised and this would definitely reduce the cost of researching. Another important factor for choosing this approach is the benefit of time that is at tached with systematic literature review. According to Britton and Jonsson (2004) systematic literature review is actually a cost effective approach for conducting a research. Both the researchers agreed with Wolf (2008) that generalisation and collection of data in this approach is quite simple and easy as compared to other approaches. Therefore, it can be said that because of these benefits this approach of systematic literature review is selected for this research. Ethical Considerations: Ethics is the term used for differentiation of right over wrong, good over evil and signification of justice or equality in the general behaviour or actions of individuals in a society (Hinman 2007). Confidentiality and privacy of individuals participating in a research is quite important especially if the research topic is quite sensitive as the case is with dignity in care for adults with learning disabilities. The researcher needs to understand and realise the seriousness of ethical issues and considerations in such a research. Although there is a danger of participants being named or personal information being compromised, the approval from the ethical issues committee is not necessary, as the proposed study will only present a systematic literature review of the data already accessible by public. The information collected in the proposed research will only be used for research purposes and real identities will be replaced by codes or false names when required. The following sect ion provides an analysis of literature relevant to the research topic that will be used in the proposed research. In this research proposal, there is no need to seek the prior approval of the research ethical issues committee because the study will be beleaguered to summarise the related literature only. All the subjects included as a part of the literature review and studied / observed are free from any such biases. This research does not use any kind of personal information of patients or people suffering from learning disabilities and hence there is no incidence of violation of rights on moral or ethical grounds. Study of the Literature: According to The UK Department of Health (2001) learning disability is a combination or collection of several disabilities and disorders. These disabilities may include disability to understand new information or skills, impaired function in society and an onset of any disability that started before adulthood and had a lasting effect. Learning disability or intellectual disability also referred to as learning difficulty in the United Kingdom is quite difficult to explain as it covers a broad collection of disorders or disabilities that people may face. These disabilities include but are not limited to challenges in processing information, understanding written or spoken language and other challenges that may affect quality of life (Corley and Taymans 2002). This notion by Corley and Taymans (2002) is backed by Turnbull and Chapman (2010) who suggest that people with learning disabilities face several problems in understanding and processing complex information and face challenges in developing new skills. These descriptions of learning disabilities indicate that adults with such disabilities may have difficulties in processing information in several social circumstances including healthcare. This implies that adults with learning disabilities will have a higher degree of healthcare needs as opposed to people with no learning disabilities at all. McGrath (2010) argued in an extensive literature review that people with intellectual disabilities have greater healthcare requirements as compared to the general population. While explaining the nature and intensity of these healthcare needs he argues that the health care needs of people with intellectual disabilities are more complex in comparison with the general population and can result in premature death, which could otherwise be prevented through effective care. This argument by McGrath (2010) is also backed by several other researches conducted in the context of healthcare needs of people with learning disabilities (Michael 2008; Leyshon et al. 2004; Cooper, Melville and Morrison 2004; Paxton and Taylor, 1998; Nocon, Sayce and Nadirshaw 2008). Gaskell and Nightingale (2010) also agree with McGrath (2010) regarding the greater healthcare needs of people with learning disabilities. They suggest that healthcare needs of adults with learning disabilities tend to be higher in comp arison to the general population due to a variety of reasons including visual and hearing impairment, challenges in mobility, heart conditions, diabetes and osteoporosis. The greater needs for healthcare of adults with learning disabilities are also perceived by caregivers as Vecchio, Cybinski and Stevens (2009) in their study analysed the effect of disability on needs of caregivers. They implemented descriptive statistics and regression analysis to conclude that caregivers of adults with disabilities indicated that they required assistance while providing care to such adults. It was also concluded in the study that the needs of adults with learning disabilities were even greater than the needs of adults with physical disabilities with respect to healthcare (Vecchio, Cybinski and Stevens 2009). Adults with learning disabilities face several challenges with respect to societal factors including unethical treatment, abuse, undue pressure in interpersonal communication and biasness from the general population due to their specific disability (Slater 2005). Slater (2005) argued that the most prominent challenges with respect to societal factors in healthcare were neglect, poor treatment and abuse by caregivers. He argues that adults with learning disabilities have every right to dignity in life as the general population and should not be subject to abuse due to a specific disability. The Department of Health (2001) provides a clear strategy regarding treatment and care of elderly people especially when they face challenges due to learning disabilities. The recommendations presented by Slater (2005) are in line with the department of health framework with respect to poor treatment and abuse. The framework clearly outlines that dignity should be a top priority in healthcare where people should be treated in an ethical, moral and respectful manner. The importance of dignity and equality in healthcare services is iterated by another report of The Department of Health (2002) by implying the importance of fair access to care services irrespective of age and any disabilities a person may have. Philp (2007) recommended that dignity in care should not be an afterthought and caregivers should understand and realise the importance of dignity in healthcare of adults with learning disabilities. He suggests that caregivers are very busy and they need to incorporate dignity into the overall framework for providing care. In his study, Philp (2007) emphasised the need for treating adults with respect and integrity while giving them a sense of freedom and control over their actions and behaviour. He concluded that there are various forms of abuse and caregivers need to provide care with thorough understanding and realisation of dignity in care of adults with learning disabilities (Philp 2007). Holland (2000) on the other hand, analysed how ageing affects people with learning disabilities with respect to social, psychological and biological issues. He argued that adults with severe learning disabilities faced more challenges in later parts of life with respect to services as compared to adults without any disabilities. He concluded in his study that gaps were present in the healthcare and social services provided to learning disabilities and the standards established by the department of health (Holland 2000). This implies that albeit healthcare providers may focus on providing the most effective quality of services but improvements can still be made to make the quality of services more effective especially with respect to dignity in care. Batesa and Davis (2004) in their study of social inclusion and services for people with learning disabilities presented several societal challenges faced by adults with learning disabilities. These challenges include hindrance in local community participation, perceptions of general population, problems in safety and trust, limited access to social networks and limited access to services being offered. The study indicates that these challenges are faced by adults with learning disabilities mainly due to the perceptions of community and general population with respect to these people. The research concludes that social capital concept provides an effective model for services that focus on promoting social inclusion of adults with learning disabilities (Batesa and Davis 2004). The concept of social capital, which is based on social networks, and standards of trust and reciprocity Batesa and Davis (2004) can also be implemented in healthcare for adults with learning disabilities for bet ter outcomes. Health care services are of utmost importance to individuals who are suffering with different learning disabilities. McGrath (2010) believed that people with learning disabilities needs health checks to monitor the discrepancies they have. Annual health checks is a type of health care service that is offered and available to adults with learning disabilities. Usually, people who are facing these difficulties are less likely to receive continuous screening and they have less frequent routine checks. That is the reason why annual health checks should be offered by different health care institutions so that they can benefit from it in both the short and the long run. However, a concern is that whether these health checks are needed or not because if they are not viable enough so there is no need to have an exercise that would engage them in such activity. Albroze (2005) discussed that these annual health checks are very important because they assist the patients in every aspects and peo ple who are suffering from these difficulties can gauge that what is their current situation. People who have learning disabilities usually live in communities and they have the right to access different mainstream health care services. Deshler, Schumaker and Bulgren (2001) discussed that individual importance should be given to people who are suffering with learning disabilities and this can be considered as a health care service. Nurses should be effectively trained in this regard and they should help the individuals who are facing learning difficulties. These researchers also believed that equal health care services should be provided to patients who are suffering from learning disabilities. In the similar manner disability awareness should be given to them in different regards like trainings and workshops should be organised so that they can easily benefit from these activities. Certain special health care services should be allotted to those individuals that have complex and special needs (Bergmark, Parker, Thorslund, 2000). In the similar manner, certain action plans should be developed for this cause so that all these health care services would be implemented in a proactive manner. Besides certain annual che cks individuals suffering from learning disabilities should be offered regular checkups. This will provide an equal opportunity to learn about their health and they can lead a happy and a prosperous life. Certain picture-based books should be provided to them so that they can learn how they can face different complex situations (Deshler, Schumaker and Bulgren 2001). Emerson, Davies and Spencer (2005) analysed that learning disability in adults is a condition that is quite long lasting. A survey showed that about 62% of all the people who are suffering from this disability live with their parents or with their relatives. Similarly, 30% of the people especially adults live in certain form of residential care or they live with people who are also suffering from learning disabilities. However, only 7% of the people live with their partners or they live alone. There are different inequalities faced by adults when they are receiving health care facilities. Michael (2008) believed that at times people receive unequal health care treatment and this can be considered as an important issue for people who are providing learning disabilities and for those who are accessing it. People that are facing learning difficulties are not always offered the same level of services and treatment as the general population. People and health care service providers assume certain things when they are dealing with individuals facing learning disabilities (Kuntz, Minnes, Garcin, Martin, Lewis, Holden, 2005). In the similar manner the routine health care services received by these adults over the year in the United Kingdom is patchy too. Finally, people who are suffering from learning disabilities as not served and perceived as a priority (Michael 2008). Cooper, Melville and Morrison (2004) believed that people who are facing learning difficulties face unequal atmosphere. They are not treated as equal citizens in many conditions and this creates a sense of inequality in them. People with learning disabilities are discriminated in the society and there are different health care professionals who do not understand much about learning disabilities. In the similar manner many professionals in the society are not familiar with the laws associated with capacity to consent. There are certain professionals who are aware with this scenario but most of them do not consult the family of these individuals who are suffering with learning disabilities (Corley and Taymans 2002). Individuals that are suffering with learning disabilities may not understand the significance and importance of health care screening or it is highly probable that they may not recognise the symbols of ill health. This factor might create issues for the carers in both the s hort and the long run. Therefore, people with learning disabilities should be dealt with extreme care and the level of dignity should be maintained so that they can lead a healthy and a prosperous life. Summary: The primary aim of the proposed research is to analyse the issues related to dignity in healthcare with respect to adults who have learning disabilities in the United Kingdom and study the range of available healthcare services. This primary aim will be accomplished by achieving several underlying objectives. All the researches that were analysed in the literature review depict that adults with learning disabilities face several challenges especially with respect to dignity and they should be dealt with extreme care. There are certain discrepancies and difficulties in this regard and there should be a proper equal approach adopted to care for adults with learning disabilities. It was also stressed in this research paper that dignity of these individuals is the main issues and once the dignity of these individuals are present they can live with self respect in the society. Relevance to Practice: The entire research would be quite useful in enhancing the level of dignity in adults who are suffering from learning disabilities in United Kingdom. However, one of the major points that should be focused by different agencies and social workers would be how fast and effectively they can implement all these processes. A significant amount of research has been conducted in this regard but the reviewed literature shows several gaps in standards laid down by government health authorities and current practices. The proposed research will be helpful in filling these gaps. The proposed research would be beneficial for adults who are facing with learning disabilities and it would be beneficial for caregivers who are planning to implement these processes.

Musings on Caltech :: Graduate Admissions Essays

Musings on Caltech My parents convinced me to have a picture taken a couple of months after I graduated from high school, back when I still thought I was pretty smart. Now, I only take the trouble to dress up when I'm back at home, where I can be pampered by my parents. Here at Caltech, I'm usually slightly emaciated (they don't bother with feeding Techers over weekends here) with a wearier complexion (Sleep? What is this "sleep"?). Also, I tend to be a little more shaggy-looking, since haircuts are rather rare for many Scurve Techers. I like other people to think that I'm part of a multifarious cultural elite. My life is a superfetation of high culture: I enjoy classical music that turns normal humans insane (Glass's Floe from Glassworks, for example); I'd be first in line to pay millions for the mindless doodles of a preschooler; I take my dates to those enigmatic European films which people go to for the sole purpose of looking cultured; and my spewing about the untapped potential of the information superhighway will bore even Al Gore. Of course, my crassness and boorish manners probably automatically disqualify me from any elitist group I crave to be a member of; but that, of course, just apodictically identifies me as a cultural poseur. It doesn't end there. Though I'm not really all that white, I'm still male, heterosexual, Christian (Protestant, even), pretty conservative, and non-vegetarian (notice all the wrong groups). Having been fairly thoroughly corrupted in submission to Western indoctrination (MTV, and all that), I've been properly excoriated for oppressing more than my fair share of under-represented cultures: women, atheists, liberals, gays.... I've probably oppressed you, too, if you happen to be in any way different from me. Or maybe I'm the victim. When someone reaches the point where he's willing to give up 5,000 years of cultural tradition just to listen to the insidious chortles of Beavis and Butthead, we really can't tell who's been victimized. Or at least, that's what we all claim. These things should bother me constantly (I'm the kind of guy who thinks more about how he should think/feel than how he really thinks/feels), but I cope with the ennui by numbing my senses with my opiate of choice: studying Physics as a sophomore at Caltech. (This is odd, since I notice I probably waste more energy messing around with computers.

The Slave Trade :: essays research papers fc

Intro: Slavery, the owning of slaves as a practice or institution. The condition of being a slave, bondage, servitude. Slave, a human who is owned as property by, and is absolutely subject to the will of another: bondservant divested of all freedom and personal rights. Hard to believe but on of the most horrifying occurances in World History, is the Slave Trade. It was a time in which people were sold as merchandise, where human beings were being treated as if they were not human. Beaten, being taken on a ship to an unknown land, drowned because of rations, and space, inhumane........ yes, unrealistic........ no. What was it? The capture and forced labor of Africans by Europeans began in the early 16th century. Africans were rounded up by other Africans as objects of trade with the Europeans. Eventually, slave ships became a regular sight in what came to be known as "the Middle Passage." These ships provided a constant flow of African slaves to Brazil and the Caribbean Isla nds, where the human cargo was auctioned off and brought to Europe or the New World.. Many of the ships wee not cleaned. The "cargo" was not feed or cleansed properly. Many captives died from the inhuman conditions on these voyages. Who had control? England gained control of the slave trade under the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713, and managed the shipment of slaves to Spanish colonies. As the colonies gained independence from Spain, they outlawed slavery, and soon slaves were most in demand in North America, particularly on plantations. Few were fortunate enough to be house servants; most performed menial labor in the fields. How did it end? As far back as the mid-1500s, Jean Bodin, a French political philosopher, condemned the institution of slavery as immoral and unnatural.

My Teaching Philosophy Essay -- Philosophy of Teaching Education Essay

My Teaching Philosophy I believe that teaching is one of the most important professions in the world today. From the very beginning, until present time, teaching has been around. The book of Genesis speaks of God walking and talking with Adam in The Garden of Eden, God was teaching Adam. I will be proud to, one day, be a part of this great calling. There are many reasons why I want to be a teacher. Starting with the most important, I want to influence children positively with Christian perspectives that will help them achieve satisfaction in their life. I also would like the opportunity to coach. I believe coaches have more influence on children than teachers. I think this is true because sports are something that the child participates in because he/she chooses. For that reason, coaches are usually well respected by their athletes. Another reason I want to teach is for the opportunity to meet people. Teachers and coaches both have a great influence on children’s lives. I want to be a positive influence while helping prepare children for their future role in society. My father was a teacher and coach for many years and I am amazed at the lives he has touched. His students love him, even after not seeing him for years they remember the little sayings and quirks he said in the classroom. My father cared about the students, and he had a respect and trust for them all. Sometimes they didn’t deserve such trust, but I think the trust he put in them caused them to want to live up to his expectations. If I can be half the teacher that he was, I will consider myself a success. In addition, I want to be a teacher that instills Christian principles in all my students. I plan on being a lifetime learner by a... ... paid for our tuition, then, by paying taxes, paid for other people’s children to go to school also. I do not think that is fair, therefore, I plan on supporting the voucher system for all the United States. My decision to become a teacher was a major crossroads in my life. It took me a long time to decide which way to go, and now I feel great about the decision I have made. I have thought and prayed, and now I KNOW that this is what I want to do. I don’t want to be another teacher that does the same old thing. I want to be the best teacher that my students ever have. I want to be remembered by them and hopefully have a great influence in helping develop successful, happy adults. I understand the amazing responsibility and pressure that is placed on teachers and I am prepared to work hard and take on this great challenge of shaping our future generations.

Representation of Women in Horror Essay

Since the inventions of television and film, media influences have become extremely important in modern society with people constantly being inundated by images and messages that come from film, television, magazines, internet and advertising. Researchers and theorists such as Carol J. Clover and Jean Kilborne believe that the fact that people are going to be affected by the media is absolutely unavoidable. Films can act as guides to how people, particularly women, should act and look. Women in horror are typically shown as the ‘damsel in distress’ and are usually attacked by the killer after committing a sinful act like having sex or misusing drugs or alcohol. The females are usually very attractive, slim and quite often blonde. These characteristics are usually reinforced by seductive body language, heavy make-up and vulnerability giving the message that women are unable to take care of themselves and have to look a certain way to fit into society. Many directors have tried to change the messages in horror films my introducing the ‘Final Girl’ where it is a female who is a virgin and does not do drugs or consume alcohol that fights back and becomes the ‘hero’ rather than a male, giving the unrealistic message that if people don’t do wrong, nothing bad will ever happen to them but horror films are notorious for presenting women in a particular way, often making them victims of sexualisation. The representation of women not only influences the way that females think they have to be or the way males think that women should be but they also have a great impact on the values in society. Sexualisation in the representation of women is predominantly obvious in horror films, specifically Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Rosemary’s Baby, directed by Roman Polanski and Scream, directed by Wes Craven. All three movies display sexualisation using gender stereotyping, victimisation and the male gaze. Scream is known to be extremely unrealistic, being on a more imaginary level rather than a realistic one and is full of violence and sexuality while reinforcing the cultural and social values at the time of its release in 1996. It focuses on the issues of power, danger, sex and anger in females of the 1990s. It is important for adults to understand these issues in teenage girl’s lives although the ways they are presented in Scream make them seem far more disturbing than they actually are. Just like popular culture, Scream has used ideas influenced by other films but in attempt to capture and address different audiences, the messages are presented in different ways. The plot of the original Scream movie is similar to many modern day teenage films, set in American suburbia with white, affluent homes and a quiet community, which is ‘preyed on’ by a masked serial killer. The film begins with the stalking a brutal killing of a blonde teenage girl who is home alone and, ironically, about to watch a horror movie. After her murder, the focus moves to Sidney, who becomes the next target. A year prior, Sidney’s mother was found raped and murdered and on this particular weekend Sidney is home alone, as her father has gone away on business. As a result of her grief for her mother’s death, she constantly resists the recurring pressure for sex from her boyfriend who she has been dating for two years. In the meantime, news reporter Gale Weathers obsesses over the story of the recent murders. The subsequent events lead to a party during which Sidney decides to have sex with her boyfriend, Billy as the murderer gets most of the boys out of the house by calling to say that their principal has been killed and is hanging from a goal post at the school. Following the gruesome battle, an injured and bloody Sidney realises that Billy and his friend Stu have been working hand-in-hand as the killer, ‘Ghost Face†. Billy claims that his motive for killing her mother was that her mother was sleeping with his father and consequently, his mother left them. With assistance from Gale and Randy, Sydney kills Billy. Scream’s most dominant issues that are raised are common issues in the lives of teenage girls; sexuality and virginity, femininity and its connection to power and identity as it is shaped and influenced by the media, experiences and relationships, particularly a girl’s relationship with her mother and in this case, the death of her mother. Director Wes Craven confronts all of these issues and solves them in powerful ways which encourage girls to defend themselves by being assertive and finding their identity in their own  way and in their own time. Scream’s main focuses are sexuality and virginity and how they have an impact on anxiety in young women and have an effect on the reputation on the girl –â€Å"your mother was a slut bag,† Sidney is told.