Marginalia free essay sample

The poem, â€Å"Marginalia† is written by Billy Collins, American poet. In his poem â€Å"Marginalia† Collins expressed how notes in the margins share reading experiences with others. He addressed every reader that they must contribute by expressing their views in Margins. He used different expressions, to relate the meaning of Marginalia and its importance for every reader. â€Å"Marginalia is defined as, â€Å"marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book) or â€Å"nonessential items† (merriam-webster. com). In this poem, Billy Collins reflects his thought on the people and their important as they find certain notes in the margins of the book. Poet begins with explaining that how notes in the margin are â€Å"ferocious† and â€Å"skirmish† against the author. By these words, he means that notes in the margins are very irritating, cruel, and argumentative. These notes serve against the author as they directly challenge. Even if the reader is a philosopher like Kierkegaard, or a learned and intellectual man like Conor Cruise OBrien, these marginal notes are a challenge and threat for them, to explain more meanings and logical assumptions to the author. We will write a custom essay sample on Marginalia or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page There is another meaning by these notes in margins, which is to argue and fight against the author and philosophers of the text. In the second stanza of the poem, Billy also provides a contrasting view to enhance the importance of margins and notes. He begins with considering these notes and comments as â€Å"offhand†, â€Å"dismissive† and â€Å"nonsense†, but he soon explained the importance of such notes for the reader. Words are a link and connection between author and reader and reader always find links with the thoughts and circumstances in which the author or poet has written the text or readers have read it. â€Å"I remember once†¦ what the person must look like why wrote Dont be a ninny alongside a paragraph in The Life of Emily Dickinson. † (billy-collins. com) In the next stanza, he explained how students use margins. They keep writing notes at the margins of the page and these appear like â€Å"splayed footprints†, which provides the appearance of the footprint on seashore. It gives an idea that someone passed from here. This also provides an idea that how different readers or students, understand and read a text in a number of different ways, and how these notes acts like fans cheering for the thoughts and ideas of the author. Different â€Å"Check marks, asterisks, and exclamation points† assist and guide the reader about the text. According to Billy Collin, it is a custom, to write in margins, and if a person has never attempted this, it is the time that he or she should try it. He further adds in his next stanza that these white margins are like our property, and a platform to express our views. It is like a â€Å"parameter† that provides us opportunity to prove that we have not wasted our time or just read the text without understanding. He further gives various examples for the importance of marginalia such as along the borders of the Gospels, reading Joshua Reynolds with Blakes furious scribbling, etc. In his last stanza, he shared his experience that how these marginalia can also connect the reader with another person and the situation, in which the person read the same book. He borrowed a book, â€Å"Catcher in the Rye† from the library, and once when he was feeling lonely, he found a text written in margin â€Å"Pardon the egg salad stains, but Im in love. (billy-collins. com) In conclusion, marginalia have very important connection with the reader, apart from what author meant by the text, these marginal notes provided by different readers assist in understanding the text. Sometimes serve like footprints of old readers, sometimes like fans, Sometime these notes have no connection to the text, but these interesting margins can give enjoyment to the reader by thinking what was the situation in which the book was read previously.

Free Essays on Enterprise Computing

Enterprise Computing (ERP Systems) Table of Contents Enterprise Resource Planning – An Overview . . . 3 ERP Vendor Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ERP Providers and Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Pros and Cons of ERP Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Companies With ERP Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Enterprise Resource Planning – An Overview Enterprise Resource Planning systems are a new type of business management computing systems that integrate all the facets of a business including planning, marketing, sales, and manufacturing. ERP systems were originally used to serve the information need of manufacturing companies. Over time they have grown to serve many other industries such as health care, financial services, and the consumer goods sector. The first ERP systems ran on mainframe computers. They then migrated to the more popular client/server systems and today they are moving towards a web based network system that includes numerous applications. These web-based ERP systems help automate a company’s business process by employing an integrated user interface, and integrated data set, and an integrated code set. Today, ERP systems software lies at the heart of any large enterprise’s computing activity. ERP software integrates all the information used by an organization’s many different departments and other cross functional groups into a unified computing system. This software enables everyone within the company to access information from the same database. Information such as employee records, customer data, purchase orders, and inventory can all be stored and accessed within the same network. ERP systems are being positioned as the foundation of enterprise wide information systems. Such systems will link together all of a company’s operations as well as c... Free Essays on Enterprise Computing Free Essays on Enterprise Computing Enterprise Computing (ERP Systems) Table of Contents Enterprise Resource Planning – An Overview . . . 3 ERP Vendor Selection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 ERP Providers and Products . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Pros and Cons of ERP Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Companies With ERP Systems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Enterprise Resource Planning – An Overview Enterprise Resource Planning systems are a new type of business management computing systems that integrate all the facets of a business including planning, marketing, sales, and manufacturing. ERP systems were originally used to serve the information need of manufacturing companies. Over time they have grown to serve many other industries such as health care, financial services, and the consumer goods sector. The first ERP systems ran on mainframe computers. They then migrated to the more popular client/server systems and today they are moving towards a web based network system that includes numerous applications. These web-based ERP systems help automate a company’s business process by employing an integrated user interface, and integrated data set, and an integrated code set. Today, ERP systems software lies at the heart of any large enterprise’s computing activity. ERP software integrates all the information used by an organization’s many different departments and other cross functional groups into a unified computing system. This software enables everyone within the company to access information from the same database. Information such as employee records, customer data, purchase orders, and inventory can all be stored and accessed within the same network. ERP systems are being positioned as the foundation of enterprise wide information systems. Such systems will link together all of a company’s operations as well as c...

High and Lows of Bangladesh Textile Industry Essay - 23

High and Lows of Bangladesh Textile Industry - Essay Example The move to join was seen by many as a setback to the economy, but this was not the case. The textile export in Bangladesh continued to grow while, in 2008, the rest of the country suffered economic recess, but Bangladesh enjoyed an export rise. The textile industries rose to 5000 factories that provided employment to about 3 million people (2). The developed countries underwent economic recess in 2008-2009 and were forced to import low- cost garments from Bangladesh to meet the demand of their customers who wanted low prices. These companies included Walmart and as a result, a Hong Kong manufacturing company- Li & Fung enjoyed a 25 % rise in 2009 as compared to China whose sales dropped by 5%. The underlying factors that triggered an increase in the exports were based on the fact that labor costs were low due to the presence of hourly rates of wages. The wages were low in Bangladesh with the minimum of $ 38 a month as compared to China that went up to $138 a month. Other factors included; few regulations that are equivalent to no rules at all, a good network of supplies which saved on transport costs, import duties and time. Bangladesh also benefited from not being China as the importer had become too independent on their imports and wanted an alternative. This came as a result of an increase in costs if the problem was no t addressed. All these factors favored Bangladesh, and it became the second largest to China garment exporter (2). Some of the main setbacks to economic development include power disruption, poor infrastructure since the government has underinvested as compared to China. Apart from these, Bangladesh underwent economic crisis after the collapse of the Rana Plaza building that hosted five garment factories. The collapse came as a result of not following construction procedures as the building could only hold five floors.

Question-1 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Question-1 - Coursework Example In the current times, the diversity and technology have emerged as important issues within organization that significantly impact performance outcome. The various stakeholders that are influenced by the issues are: employees, consumers, suppliers, interest groups, shareholders etc. The major objective of change management is to bring about organizational change smoothly. Thus, integrating the needs of the various stakeholders and empowering them with information regarding change considerably facilitates the change process. Promoting diversity and affirmative actions within organization hugely helps to create credible image of the firm. Moreover, diverse workforce greatly promotes diverse views and cultural competencies which can provide firms with unique capabilities and help them gain competitive advantage within the industry (Adidam, Phani et al., 2009). Effective communication regarding change is key tool that promotes better understanding of change processes and how change can be exploited as new opportunities. The different beliefs, value system, ideology and cultural paradigms have become essential elements of human interaction (Bloisi, 2007). Thus, promoting cross-cultural understanding across diverse workforce greatly facilitates resolution of workplac e conflicts and helps build constructive relationship and strong teamwork based on mutual respect resulting in higher productive outcome. (words:

Cognitive Biases Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cognitive Biases - Essay Example Cognitive bias affects objectivity, perceptions, relationships, and organizational learning in a multitude of positive and negative ways. Cognitive biases affect the quality of decision making by making the decisions compliant to the biases and instincts which may or may not be true. "The way an organization chooses and obtains from its environment the inputs it needs to produce goods and services determines how much value the organization creates at the input stage" (Jones, 2008, p. 3). The negative effect of cognitive biases can be removed by constantly reminding and discussing the mission and vision of the organization with the organizational personnel. Open dialogue, easy and effective channels of communication, and more interaction is the solution of any misperceptions and the cognitive biases that can develop in an organizational set up. The responsibility of keeping everybody on the same board rests primarily with the top management and leadership of an

Overt or covert observations

Overt or covert observations Question 1 The researcher says that [i]ntense observations in the classroom and playground area were completed [and] detailed observations were conducted in lessons(p.184). What can you infer about the things she observed and the methods she used to record her observations? Qualitative research is an effort to understand situations in their uniqueness as part of a particular context and the interactions there. (Merriam, 2009:14) An ethnographer participates, overtly or covertly, in peoples daily lives for an extended period of time, watching what happens, listening to what is said, asking questions; in fact collecting whatever data are available to throw light on the issues with which he or she is concerned. (Flick 2005:146) The author, Lisa Russell is a young female ethnographer entering the research field for the first time. This paper is a description of The implications of investigating student resistance and the importance of how the researchers; personal dispositions influence the research process are discussed. (Russell, 2005:181) The research was conducted in three culturally diverse schools of Birmingham and Sydney and the information was gathered through observations and interviews. Students in the age bracket of 14-16 years were identified for observation, especially the ones finding the experience difficult either academically or emotionally (Watts, 2001; Russell, 2005:184) According to Esterberg, ethnography is intensively studying a specific social group by observing the group in its natural setting (Esterberg, 2002:8). Sometimes ethnography and participant observation are used interchangeably. But to its contrary, ethnography requires a participation observation style of fieldwork. Participant observation thus can most usefully be seen as a means of producing ethnographies rather than as synonymously with ethnography. (Thorpe Holt, 2008:100) Russell being new to the field entered her research ground with no ideal, logical step-by-step approach (Russell, 2005:182). She used her relative inexperience to her advantage. She started her research by observing students in various classes and free time. She observed them in their favorite and least favorite modules, covering one of the most popular aspects of student resistance. Once the trust between them grew, she advanced to spending time with them in their own comfort zones, which gave her more of an insight to their personal lives. This way she managed to get valuable information concerning their behavior and problems. There were instances when she witnessed highly disruptive behavior of students, like that of a male student kick and bash a school vendor machine during break-time (Russell, 2005:193) but blinded herself to the situation. At the same time, there were occasions when she found herself caught in uncomfortable circumstances like the time she landed up in the deputys office as she was with students who got late for class. Names like the follower and leech suggest that during the initial stages Russell was not accepted by the students as she shadowed them all around. But gradually she managed to gain one of the most vital aspects of the study trust. Ethnographers are viewed differently as a relationship is built up and trust developed. (Cassell Symon 2004:316). I feel her main tool for recording data was a daily logbook, but filling the same in front of her research subjects could make them very suspicious and inquisitive. Although as her relationship with the students strengthened, she allowed the researched the chance to see what was being written about them (Russell, 2005:187).This she did to gain feedback and more importantly trust. To conclude, I feel the main aspect she focused throughout was to develop a trustworthy relationship with the students. This she did over a gradual period as she observed and learned from them. Question 2 The author is a young ethnographer researching teenagers (p.193). What difference does our knowledge of her age and personal details make to the account? Qualitative research is a form of interpretative inquiry in which researchers make an interpretation of what they see, hear and understand. Their interpretation cannot be separated from their own backgrounds, history, contexts, and prior understandings. (Creswell, 2009:176) The author, Lisa Russell is a young, novice, female, white, northern English ethnographer (Russell, 2005:181). Her smallness in height and build influenced how students and teachers interacted with [her]. (Russell, 2005:182) Russell used a very reflexive approach towards her research and took into consideration how different aspects of her personal disposition affected her entire study. Researchers reflections on their actions and observations in the field, their impressions, irritations, feelings and so on, become data in their own right, forming part of the interpretation, (Flick, 2005:6) I feel her age -23-24 at the time of field work (Russell, 2005:182) and youthful nature helped her immensely in developing a trustworthy bond with the students. The students opened up to her about their grievances which they might not have done with someone older and more experienced. The researchers ability to build relationships and develop rapport with subjects is crucial. (Thorpe Holt, 2008:151) Her repetitive emphasis on her age and naivety throughout the paper shows that these facets of her personal disposition helped her to engage in discussions and activities with the teenaged students, which if she was older wouldnt have been able to do. Her closeness to their age made it simpler for both herself and the students to be able to relate to each other. Although, at the same time it was difficult for her to develop a similar bond with the teachers and she felt exceptionally uncomfortable in staffroom discussions. In my opinion, she put in a lot of effort and time into understanding the point of view of the students and didnt do the same with the teachers. But as she graduated to the third school her heightened confidence and greater experience (Russell, 2005:188) made it easier for her to relate to and interact with the teachers. This paper also brings into account the being there quality. Good ethnography is about communicating the impression of having truly been there, of having had close-in contact with far-out lives while at the same time making the reader feel he or she has been there too. (Bate, 1997:1163) In the context of Russells paper the way she elucidates her experience and subsequently her problems, make it very easy for us to believe and understand her observations. I as a student believed that the intense description about her personal characteristics played a significant role in helping me comprehend her entire research. I also inferred that as an amateur, she mentioned her young and novice personality keeping in mind that even if her study was not up to the mark it would have been excusable. I held a degree of emotional attachment towards some students given the significant time I had spent with them and the nature and detail of their lives they had shared with me. (Russell, 2005:196) This confession of hers illustrates that she let herself get emotionally involved with the students. Students also, at times would seek for support and guidance (from her or consider Russell as a shoulder to cry on (Russell, 2005:196). Since this was her first ever ethnography leaving the field and detaching herself from her research subjects, became difficult. Russells reflexive approach and personal disposition especially her age influenced and widened her scope for the study. This nature of the report helped her retain authenticity throughout the paper. Question 3 Russell claims that her ethnographic research investigates the complex and sometimes contradictory culture(s) of student resistance to schooling (Wills, 1977) (p. 181). How is this claim supported in the paper? According to Russell This study examines the significance and relationship between class, gender and ethnicity in the construction of resistance. It aims to understand how the wider societal and cultural environment influences the working of a school and the behaviour of the actors within it. (Russell, 2005:182) Student resistance is often perceived as explicit rejection of formal education. It is a deliberate yet hesitant activity of students arising due to social, cultural, emotional and academic concerns. According John Deweys comment that teaching and learning are much like selling and buying: One might as well say he has sold when no one has bought, as to say that he has taught when no one has learned'(Dewey, 1910,p.29) (Provenzo, ed. 2006) The students selected for the research ranged from truancy issues and students negative attitude towards school and learning to low self-esteem concerns.(Russell, 2005:184). Taking the instance of a student who had an alcoholic mother and [was struggling] to cope with her domestic responsibilities (Russell, 2005:185) shows that how a family related problem can hamper a persons education and make her unenthusiastic about school. In my opinion this supplement is a conflicting account. As mentioned clearly in the paper it aims at providing an insight to student resistance to schooling, where as there is not much mentioned about the same. According to my inference, it explores the experience and problems faced by the researcher, Lisa Russell during the course of her research. She at the same time concentrates on describing the methodologies used for observations and to gather information. On the other hand, she made the study interesting for readers to read by providing examples to support her content. Ethnography is art, science and craft rolled into one. As artists we seek to capture experiences in images and representations which symbolize reality; in this regard, expression is more important than precision. (Bate, 1997:1153) This repository statement, expression is more important than precision holds true in this study. I as a student found the report very engrossing because of the way she articulated her encounters with her research subjects. Some which put her into awkward situations while trying to gain trust from disruptive students made the account appealing. A few others were when she witnessed students truant, thieve, damage school property, take illegal substances and even [asked her] to participate. (Russell, 2005:193) Russell subconsciously seemed to be bias towards the students. Bias may be viewed as unavoidable as researchers often hold sympathy for some groups over the others. (Russell, 2005:190) Since this study was centered around students she preferred to take their side predominantly, intending to gain further insight into student resistance. I personally would have preferred to know more about the teachers since they played an equally important role in the research. She could have discussed the teachers reaction to some of the above instances in detail. In conclusion I believe this paper constitutes more about Russells experiential data and personal disposition than on its primary topic of student resistance. Reconsidering Work-Life Balance Debates: Challenging Limited Understandings of the Life Component in the Context of Ethnic Minority Womens Experiences Nicolina Kamenou Question 1 The author appears to have had difficulties recruiting interviewees (see especially p.s102). Why, for example, might an organization withdraw from the study claiming restructuring was in progress? (p.102) Work-life balance means that individuals have successfully segmented or integrated life and work so as to achieve a satisfying quality of life, overall satisfaction and less strain or stress around juggling conflicting role demands. (Blyton et al., 2006:2) The work-life balance equation (Kamenou, 2008:S99) is a vast concept covering a number of aspects ranging from career, ambition, family, pleasure and culture. Suitable prioritising between the same helps to accomplish ones goal in life. This article is centred on ethnic minority womens experiences of managing their work and personal lives. (Kamenou, 2008:S99). The author, Nicolina Kamenou, collected the data via semi structured, in depth interviews primarily with ethnic minority females. The perception of ethnic minority men, white women and white men was also taken for comparison. The broader study aimed to investigate best practice on the equality issues but also to examine whether the reality matched the rhetoric of equality of opportunity within organizations by exploring employees perceptions and experiences. (Kamenou, 2008:S102). The author evidently faced difficulties in recruiting interviewees, since only three out of the twenty organisations approached responded positively to the invitation (Kamenou, 2008:S102). Further to this, one of them withdrew claiming restructuring was in progress. The basic strategy for in depth interviews should be in three stages prepare, contact, and follow up (MacDougall Fudge, 2001). These stages include preparing for the research by describing and constructing a sample, negotiating with the key people or organisations personally, and providing feedback and maintaining relationship with the participants. Initially I feel a loop hole in the recruitment procedure could have led to rejection from many of the organisations contacted. Besides this there could be many reasons for it. This study is mostly based on topics such as ethnicity, culture, religion, racism and sexism which are very sensitive in nature. One of the main reasons for companies to withdraw from the research could have been to avoid any controversy. They would not want to risk their reputation and find themselves involved in any problematic situation as a consequence of the research. The firm which withdrew claiming restructuring was in progress was a financial organisation. This shows that the management could have been worried about the companys inside information since such a research could have revealed confidential data to the market and its competitors and thus affected its integrity. The company possibly had something to hide. On the other hand if a company is confident, a research is a good way of gaining credibility and even one of the cheaper ways of getting feedback from its employees. I also feel, stating the real names of the participating organisations could have been avoided. Kamenou should have used pseudonyms instead as confidentiality is a significant factor of researches. Confidentiality must be assured as the primary safeguard against unwanted exposure. All personal data ought to be secured or concealed and made public only behind a shield of anonymity. (Denzin Lincoln, 2000:139). Kamenou could have most definitely got a better response from the companies initially contacted, had she offered to keep the names anonymous. In my opinion, the sensitive character of the study and the matter of confidentiality, were the main reasons which lead to the difficulties faced by the researcher while recruiting interviewees. I also believe, that a better response could have been achieved had the interviewees been assured about the authenticity of the information being published. Regarding the financial company no conclusion can be drawn as we have no proof against them. Question 2 Would you expect differences between the people in organizations where formal access had been been granted and the independent group identified through personal networking? (p. s102) If so, what might these differences be? In this article, Kamenou focuses on the specificities in the experiences of ethnic minority women, incorporating other groups experiences where necessary, with regard to balancing their work and personal life (Kamenou 2008:S107). For this purpose both males and females from different cultural backgrounds were selected to be interviewed. The researcher recruited these interviewees formally from organizations. An independent group of participants was also identified through personal networking across a range of various public, private and voluntary organizations. All the participants varied in their occupations. The researcher derived information from a number of job profiles, to name a few there were nurses, managers, lawyers and psychologists. The researcher conducted semi structured, in-depth interviews. The main goal of these interviews was to explore a topic more openly and to allow interviewees to express their opinions and ideas in their own words. (Esterberg, 2002:86). The researcher must have certainly got different responses from the formally approached people and the independent group. Since the exact procedure of recruiting the interviewees has not been mentioned, I feel that the participants of the organizations where formal access was granted may not have been given a choice. Thus, they may not have voluntarily agreed and would have been least interested in the research. They would have restrained from giving out information concerning their organization with the fear of it reaching higher authorities and thus loosing their jobs. At the same time their response could have been manipulated by the employers to gain publicity. On the other hand, the independent group were people selected through personal networking and thus their cooperation was completely voluntary. We can refer to it as snowball sampling. This basically means when existing research subjects refer future subjects from among their acquaintances to help widen the information base. Such participants would have been interested and involved in the interview. They would have been more forthcoming with their response. Since these participants were being interviewed without any pressure form an organization, they would have been more willing and open about discussing their personal experiences. The only problem in such sampling is that of bias. The researcher could have recruited these participants according to her own convenience. She might have selected them with the point of view of extracting maximum information. In my opinion, the independent group would have been more fascinating and appropriate to interview since they would have provided with more intense and authentic information than the formal access participants. A key reason for including the independent group was to add richness to the data by looking at minority womens work and career experiences in a variety of sectors and occupations. (Kamenou, 2008:S103) On the whole, the author managed to acquire a wide range of experiences and data from both types of participants. Thus, this gave us a deep understanding of the problems faced by ethnic minority women while balancing work with other responsibilities in life. Question 3 From reading the paper, what do we know about the author? How might the identity of the author have made a difference to the research? This paper is an example of feminist research approach. In such a study the goals are to establish collaborative and nonexploitative relationships, to place the researcher within the study so as to avoid objectification, and to conduct research that is transformative. It is a complex area of inquiry with numerous frameworks (e.g., male oriented, white feminist oriented, able-bodied female oriented) and difficult issues (e.g., the absence and invisibility of women, who can be knowers) (Creswell, 2007:26) Of the various forms of qualitative research, ethnography is the most common one used by females. A researchers personal disposition plays a very significant role in a research, especially when done by a female. Reflexivity also has a big impact on such studies and makes the output of the same extremely relatable. In this paper, Nicolina Kamenou, explores minority womens perceptions of the reciprocal relationship of career demands and other aspects of their lives, such as family and community expectations and responsibilities (Kamenou, 2008:S99). The authors method in this research is not reflexive at all. At no point in the study does she reveal any personal information regarding herself. There is no mention of the influence her personality has on the study nor of the interpretations she derived from the same. In my opinion, if the author had made revelations about her personal details, the research would have been more engaging. Even though this article gives a rich insight into the work life equation, it does not elaborate on the authors experience and relationship with her research subjects. It would have been appealing to know her age and cultural background because these seem to be the two most important factors which could have influenced the research. She has left the readers guessing her identity. If the author was associated with the ethnic minority group, she could have given an account of her experiences and hence added some personal touch to the research. But at the same time, if she had adopted a reflexive approach, she would have left the readers questioning her objectivity towards the research. We as readers would have assumed that she was bias towards her subjects and thus she would need to justify herself to us. In my view, Nicolina Kamenous approach towards her research was very different as compared to Lisa Russells. Russells adopted a very reflexive approach and described in detail the impact her personal disposition had on her subjects, interpretation and conclusion of the research. She does not keep the readers guessing her identity and gives away a considerable amount of personal information which helps us as learners relate to her. On the other hand, Kamenous approach is far from being reflexive in nature. The readers gain no knowledge about her personal characteristics and the impact of the same on her research. In conclusion, Lisa Russells study gave an excellent account of the authors personal impact on the entire research, where as it didnt focus much on the information she derived from it. On the other hand, Nicolina Kamenous research offered a rich insight to her topic of discussion, while it didnt enlighten us with her thoughts towards the study. Overall, the papers gave me a good understanding of two contradicting accounts in the vast field of qualitative research methods. References: Bate, S.P. (1997) Whatever happened to organisational anthropology? A review of the field of organisational ethnography and anthropological studies, Human Relations, 50 (9): 1147-1175 Blyton, P., Blundson, B., Reed, K., Dastmalchian, A. (2006) Work-Life Integration: International Perspectives on the Balancing of Multiple Roles, 1st ed. New York: PALGRAVE MACMILLIAN Cassell, C. Symon, G. (2004) Essential Guide to Qualitative Methods in Organizational Research, Thousand Oaks: SAGE Creswell, J.W., (2007) Qualitative Inquiry Research Design : Choosing Among Five Approaches,2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Creswell, J.W. (2009) Research Design: Qualitative, Quantitative, and Mixed Methods Approaches,3rd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE Denzin, N.K. Lincoln, Y.S. (2000) Handbook of Qualitative Research 2nd ed. Thousand Oaks: SAGE MacDougall, C. Fudge, E. (2001) Qualitative Health Research: Planning and Recruiting the Sample for the Focus Groups and In-Depth Interviews [Online], 11(117) Available at: [Accessed 16 November 2009] Esterberg, K. G. (2002), Qualitative Methods In Social Research, New York : The McGraw-Hill Companies Flick, U., (2005) An Introduction to Qualitative Research, 2nd ed. London : SAGE Kamenou, N. (2008) Reconsidering Work-Life Balance Debates: Challenging Limited Understandings of the Life Component in the Context of Ethnic Minority Womens Experiences. British Journal Of Management, Vol. 19 s99-s109 Merriam, S. B., (2009) Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation 2nd ed. San Francisco: Joosey Bass Provenzo Jr, E.F., ed., 2006. Forthcoming in the Encyclopedia of the Social and Cultural Foundations of Education [online] Available at : http://danbutin.org/Resistance%20-%20Encyclopedia%20entry.pdf [Accessed 18 November 2009] Russell, L. (2005) Its a question of trust: balancing the relationship between students and teachers in ethnographic fieldwork. Qualitative Research Vol. 5 (2) 181-199 Thorpe, R. Holt, R. (2008) The Sage Dictionary of Qualitative Management Research. London: Sage

The No Child Left Behind Act: Imperfect Legislation Essay example -- e

Through the years there have been many pushes for better education and each time new laws are implemented. Many of the old laws have been updated with improvements. These new laws are given a new name. The â€Å"No Child Left Behind† Act has given everyone a new approach to education while implementing many new stipulations and regulations. Schools have been classified as failing many times in the past and the government has made a goal to try and improve the education system in each instance. "No Child Left Behind" Act, when implemented, was a repeat of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (Background & Analysis). The Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 was â€Å" the major federal law authorizing federal spending on programs to support K-12 schooling,† with the primary goal â€Å"to improve educational equity for students from lower income families by providing federal funds to school districts serving poor students,† (Background & Analysis). It, Also, Strengthened Title 1, â€Å"the program targeting billions of federal dollars to education for the poor children,† (Testing: No CHild Left Behind). The "No Child Left Behind" Act was â€Å"designed to improve student achievement and change the culture of America's schools,† (Archived: Introduction: No Child Left B ehind). In essence, according to the U.S. Department of Education in 2001, the "No Child Left Behind" Act was designed to create broad leaps in improvement in the achievement of students and force more accountability on the schools and states for students’ progress (No Child Left Behind). Originally, the act was meant to be a â€Å"sweeping education law† determined to improve public schools (Testing: No Child Left Behind). "No Child Left Behind" Act was ... ...ind/>. "Testing: No Child Left Behind." PBS. PBS, 5 Sept. 2008. Web. 23 Jan. 2015. . Whitney, Suzanne. "No Child Left Behind - What Teachers, Principals and Administrators Need to Know About NCLB by Suzanne Whitney - Wrightslaw." Wrightslaw. Peter W. D. Wright and Pamela Darr Wright, n.d. Web. 23 Jan. 2015. . George W. Bush on Education â€Å"H.R. 1--107th Congress: No Child Left Behind Act of 2001.† www.GovTrack.us. 2001. January 30, 2015. "Standards and Assessment." NCLB Action Briefs. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Jan. 2015. .

Love and Friendship Essay

Aristotle once said, â€Å"Friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies.† As everyone knows, it is one of the important things in our lives. It is the only ship that doesn’t sink even without the captain or the crew. Love and affection must maintain its equilibrium otherwise, that friendship can’t be possible. Friendship is a gift by God; it is the beginning of love and care and it should be cherished by every individual. Did you ever realize life without it? Like your family, a friend is your number one supporter and maybe a favorer of a cause. A friend can be the best of all or your worst enemy. They can be your annoying sister who teases you, laugh at you and make fun of you or your loving mother who gives you advice, hug you and protect you. Friendship is between you and your friends and it depends on how you treat them and how they treat you back. If you haven’t learned the meaning of friendship, you really haven’t learned anything. For me, a friend’s argument hurts more than a broken partner’s relationship. A broken trust cannot easily rearrange your relationship with your friends. It’s like a crumpled paper, you can use it again but its appearance will be unpleasant. You can never straighten the wrinkles on the paper unless you replace it with a new one. Friendship is built on trust and it should be until the end of time. There are lots of benefits your friend can give you. First, they can be your light in the dark – you should never seek them because if they’re true, they will always be there for you. Next, they can be your shield to protect you and your strength to boost your confidence. Lastly, they can be your partner in crime. They can help you in times of need, they can give you a lot of advice, they can lift you up when you’re down etc. If life goes wrong, don’t worry, they won’t turn their back against you. As Plato said, â€Å"Friends have all things in common.† They teach us how to be strong in facing reality and how to fight for what we believe. This is one of the proofs why God created people with other people. People can’t leave without friends because a friend teaches everything and they don’t just benefit us, they benefit all. You’ll experience great and strange adventures if you have them and you’ll learn a lot because of them. Come; see the world behind your wall with me my friend.

Tips That Will Help You Spell Better in German

Tips That Will Help You Spell Better in German One wonderful thing about German spelling is that you basically spell how you hear the word. There are not many exceptions. The only trick is that you need to learn and understand the sounds of German letters, dipthongs, and disgraphs, some which are completely different from English pronounciation. (See The German Alphabet.)The following tips highlight in particular spelling traits of German consonants and digraphs, which once understood, will help you spell better in German. Generalities About German Consonants Usually after a short vowel sound, you will find a consonant digraph or a double consonant - die Kiste (box), die Mutter (mother). Be aware of similar-sounding consonants at the end of words, such as p or b, t or d, k or g. One good way to decipher which consonant is the correct one, is to extend the word if possible. For example das Rad (wheel, short form for bicycle)- die Rder; das Bad (bath) - die Badewanne. It will become clear then, which consonant is at the end of the word. When there is a b or p in the middle of a word, it is more difficult to distinguish them from one another. There is no hard and fast rule here. The best solution is to take note of which words contain b and which contain p. (Die Erbse/pea, das Obst/fruit, der Papst/the Pope). The Sound F f, v and ph A syllable that contains an nf sound, will always be written with an f. For example: die Auskunft (information), die Herkunft (origin), der Senf (mustard) Fer versus ver: The only words in German that begin with Fer are: fern (far), fertig (finished), Ferien (vacation), Ferkel (piglet), Ferse (heel). Any words derived from these words will also be written with Fer. -der Fernseher (t.v) The syllable for followed by a vowel does not exist in German, only vor. - Vorsicht (caution). The disgraph ph comes only in German words of foreign origin. (Das Alphabet, die Philosophie, die Strophe/ verse.) When encountering a word that has the sound phon, phot or graph, then the choice is yours to either write it with f or with ph -der Photograph or der Fotograf. The S and Double-S Sound See more... The X-Sound chs: wachsen (to grow), sechs (six), die BÃ ¼chse (a can), der Fuchs (fox),der Ochse (ox). cks: der Mucks (sound), der Klecks (stain), knicksen (to curtsy). gs: unterwegs (on the way). ks: der Keks (cookie) x: die Hexe (witch), das Taxi, der Axt (axe) unterwegs der Weg die Wege The Z-Sound In German words, the letter z will either be written as the only sole consonant in a syllable or accompanied with a t. (besitzen/ to possess; der Zug/ train; die Katze/cat. In German words of foreign origin, you can find a double z, such as in the ever so popular word Pizza.The K Sound K-sound. The k-sound is always written as either ck or k, the former the most prevalent. No double cc and double kk exist in German words, except in those of foreign origin, such as die Yucca.

The Visionary Constitution and America

The Visionary Constitution and America Free Online Research Papers In many ways our Constitution is very remarkable. It is visionary, and based on reality and compromise. This visionary document set up rules for government in the 18th century and rules for changing it for government in the future. A lot of the Articles and Amendments in the Constitution deal with the reality of life in America today. The Constitution is based on compromise that protects the rights of the states and the people. It was good for the country when there were only 13 states and it is good for the country now that we have 50 states. And it can change as our country changes. The Constitution is a visionary document because it has a process to change itself for the future. Article 5 says the Constitution can be amended through a two step process. For an Amendment to become part of the Constitution, two things have to happen: Congress or a State Convention has to propose and approve an amendment and three-fourths of the states have to ratify the amendment. The two step process makes it possible to change the Constitution and makes sure that the change is something the majority of the country wants. The writers of the Constitution made sure that the Constitution would be able to change as our country changed so it would last as our nation grew. The Constitution is a document that affects the reality of life. Article 4 requires the US to protect the states from violence and invasion. There have been times when the National Guard has been sent to protect citizens in the states. The New York National Guard was ordered to respond to the Rochester race riot in July of 1964. The California Army National Guard was mobilized during the Watts Riots, in August 1965, to provide security and help restore order. The Ohio Army National Guard was ordered to Kent State University to settle down anti-Vietnam War protests. The National Guard was sent to Little Rock, Arkansas in the 1950’s and the University of Mississippi in the 1960’s to protect individuals trying to integrate the schools there. The National Guard has been used to protect citizens from violence and to prevent violence from happening. The 2nd Amendment protects our right to bear and own guns in our homes. The Supreme Court upheld that right in the 2010 ca se of McDonald vs Chicago and the Castle Law that give us the right to use a gun to protect ourselves and our property also is based on the 2nd Amendment. In 1789 when the colonists met to discuss and create the Constitution, two plans were offered for how the legislative branch should be made up. James Madison presented the Virginia plan which stated that Congress would be made of two chambers and the representation in each chamber would be based on the population of the states. William Paterson came up with the New Jersey Plan which stated Congress would be made of one chamber and the representation would be equal for each state. The Great Compromise set up Congress with two chambers like the Virginia Plan proposed, with the House representation based on population and equal representation in the Senate like the New Jersey Plan proposed. A lot of the states thought that they would have to give up their rights to a strong government set up by the Constitution. The rights of the states and the people were protected in Article 10 which stated that any power not granted to the federal government belongs to the states or to the peopl e. States like California and Florida have been able to pass laws that Congress has not passed such as Jessica’s Law which increased the punishment for sex offenders. Proposition 8, the November 2008 California law that bans same sex marriages and the Arizona immigration law are two more examples of states passing individual laws for their states. The states’ right to do so is protected under Article 10. Even before the Constitution was completed it was based on compromise. The Constitution is visionary because even though it was written during the 18th century, it was written so that it could be good for the future. Through the rough times the Constitution creates a great government based on compromise. The Constitution deals with the reality of our everyday lives because it touches the lives of every American in some way: requiring the Government to protect us from violence, giving us the right to own guns in our homes for protection, giving states rights that the federal government does not have. The Constitution is remarkable because it will never be out of date. Our Constitution changes as our nation changes. 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William Apess and Frederick Douglass Research Paper

William Apess and Frederick Douglass - Research Paper Example William Apess and Frederick Douglass were both men who accepted and adhered to the Christian faith while championing social causes for their people. William Apess is a Christian minister and missionary who works among his people and fights for their recognition of their status as worthy human beings. Apess’ writings â€Å"illuminates the meaning of the colonial and post-colonial relationship between Native Americans and the white dominant culture as well as an understanding of the violence that permeates that relationship† (Moon 45). Equally, Frederick Douglas is an ex-slave who was educated and sought to sensitize the American public on injustices against slaves and African Americans. Both men persist in laboring as advocates of human rights through their writings. Their writings classified as protest writing â€Å"found enthusiastic supporters among the entire literate black population whose resentment and indignation it voiced†¦the motivating force was that onc e they became aware of the situation, the powerful white minority would do something to improve matters† (Gaylard 20). Composed during the Abolitionist Movement and Reconstruction Era, these literary works stress the superficiality and hypocrisy of the Christian Whites in their support of institutionalized, discriminatory oppression - employing their own ideologies and religious doctrines to control the masses. The superficiality of the White man's doctrine is a point of argument in Apess' work. Apess observes that one â€Å"may learn how deep (the White man's) principles are...I should say they were skin deep† (Apess). The foundation of the objections to non-Whites’ enjoyment of their human dignity and privileges is based on the skin pigmentation. Skin color has no inherent value in any substantial and profound argument since what lies on the inside forms the core and matters most. Contrary to the racial Whites, Apess’ major concern is â€Å"†¦not talking about the skin, but about principles† (Apess). In his day, Apess would have been familiar with the Great Chain of Being philosophy which privileges the Whites at the head of the human race and relegates the Other to occupy lower tiers (Lovejoy 27). American Whites manipulated this concept to justify their subhuman treatment of other races. Frederick Douglass also perceived the superficiality of racism re alizing that â€Å"there was a skin aristocracy in America; no not exactly the skin, it was the colour of the skin, that was the mark of distinction or the brand of degradation† (Blassingame 50). Greed and prejudice constitute the vices that spurred discrimination. As a consequence, millions have lived broken lives and died deaths worse than an animal’s. The slavery was founded on skin color without regard for other more sterling and lasting qualities such as character. Douglass marvels at the preoccupation with something so trivial, yet which bears so much weight. The usage of skin color as a means to exalt oneself and debase another reveals the superficiality of the premises of racism. In time, the surface of any object is defaced and gradually stripped away. External appearances deceive however, only the content of character is real and enduring. As a Christian minister himself, Apess makes a stirring appeal to the tenets of Christianity, the so-called White man's r eligion. White men would use their religion to validate conquest, segregation, and the institution of slavery, however, Apess wields the Holy Bible, the book which instructs Christians in defense of human rights, equality, justice and brotherhood. Apess cites in his stirring appeal that â€Å"God is no respecter of persons; †¦By this shall all men know that they are my disciples, if ye have love one to

Management by culture is another way of exercising control in Essay

Management by culture is another way of exercising control in organizations. Critically discuss this statement with reference to issues of power and resistance - Essay Example This study will also focus on the issues of power and resistance as they pertain to management by culture. Journal articles, online research, and textbook readings are used to help define organizational culture, power and resistance within organizational culture, and exercising control using organizational culture. Examples from the real time functioning organizations will be used to provide insight into how management by culture can be successfully used to meet mission goals. Organizations develop a culture all their own whether or not the organizational leadership wants it. But, organizational leadership can help develop a culture among workers that works to the organization's advantage. Management by culture does just that. Management can incorporate symbols, stories, heroes, slogans, or ceremonies to create an environment that encourages positive operations within the organization. The organization identifies what it considers positive attributes, abilities, or behaviours that need to be rewarded within the organization. The ultimate goal of management by culture is to accomplish the mission of the organization. Management by culture reduces friction between management and staff by directly addressing resistance within the organization. Organizational culture or corporate culture is defined as "The values, customs, rituals, attitudes, and norms shared by members of an organization, which have to be learnt and accepted by new members of the organization."1 Organizational culture can be further subdivided into integrative culture, differentiated culture, and fragmentation culture. It is important to note that an organization's culture can have positive attributes and negative attributes. Obviously, an organization will want to support the positive culture that develops and discourage any negative culture that develops. Integrative culture includes an agreement on what should be adopted and what should not. Integration provides "unity, predictability, and clarity to work assignments".2 Differentiated culture consists of subcultures that may develop that do not share the common goals and objectives of the organization. This encourages inconsistencies in the organization that are not wanted by management. Fragmentation culture consists of multiple definitions of organizational values and assumptions within the organization. This happens when an organization grows too quickly, has a very diverse work force, or enters the global marketplace. 3. Building a Positive Corporate Culture/ Management by Culture The challenge of any organization is to create, and nurture, a positive corporate culture that includes all that work for, or lead, the organization. Management at this level works to reward desired behaviours among its employees. Positive reinforcement of desired behaviours lowers the incidences of power struggles and resistance. In short, people like to be recognized and rewarded rather than punished or fired. Management by culture requires the organization to put into place set standards and practices. The organization will be better able to recognize high performance with set standards and practices. The task environment and internal environment need to be clearly identified. The cultural environment needs to be clearly ide