Of Mice and Men Essay

The action comes full circle as George destroys Lennie at the end of the novel. Steinbeck purposely wrote the novel so that it could be turned into a play. Each chapter starts with the description of a scene; the characters come in, speak and then go off as they would in a play. The story is set in 1930’s America. It was written in 1937. America and Particularly California was the land of opportunity. It was believed that any person could make their fortune and achieve success by working hard. This was called ‘The American Dream’ and is what Lennie, George and later on in the film Candy hoped to achieve. This was the America that Steinbeck knew of and experienced this kind of life, because he was alive at this time. ‘The American Dream’ was destroyed by the depression of the 1930’s. The Wall Street Crash in 1929 when the stock markets collapsed triggered this and thousands of people lost everything they had. Hardly anyone could find work easily and many people were driven to become workers travelling from place to place not getting much money, like George and Lennie. Other problems of that time were that farming was easier, they used combine harvesters and other machinery, and so fewer men were needed to do the same jobs. Poor farming methods of that time meant that thousands of acres of farmland dried up rapidly, and became dry deserts. The landscape in the new film reflects the reality of the landscape more clearly and the viewers understood what it was like by watching it. There have been three film versions of the novel ‘Of Mice and Men’. Now I will compare the two film versions. Both versions are very effective and brilliant techniques have been used. The older version was made for television, it is episodic, and the new one is in film version. The new film contains well-known actors. Gary Sinise and John Malkovich, this makes more people want to watch it. In the new film we see no action until the titles have finished, which is more effective. In the opening of the new film the camera crosscuts between long shots and close-ups during the chase to highlight the danger. They focus on George and Lennie a bit more than they do with other characters at the beginning. I think they do this so the viewers realise who the main characters are and can get to know them. There are close-ups in Aunt Clara’s house. Lennie is given a big piece of pie and George gets a small piece. Lennie is shown as being a big kid. In the 1992 version there close-up shots of the men’s faces on the train, we see their relief of escaping. They are safe. You hear the sound of the train as the white writing comes down over the black screen. This is very effective and makes you want to keep watching. The train scene is not actually used in the text. The director has added this to make his film more interesting and effective. The lighting in both versions of the novel were quite natural, no use of fake lighting. The director does this to make it more realistic. In the new version of the film the scene changing is very effective. The music in the opening of the old version is varied; it is played on a flute to give a pleasant and optimistic feeling. It becomes intense as the action picks up. This is to reflect the danger and the fear of Lennie and George as they are running. George doesn’t want to take care of Lennie anymore and he plans to leave him. When he does this the music becomes quieter. It reflects what’s happening in the plot. In the 1992 film version the music is more dramatic. It keeps you in suspense and is more atmospheric. It starts with piano music and then the sound of the train comes in. They do this to make the opening more effective and attention grabbing. The costumes are more or less the same in both versions of the film. They are ragged and dirty. George and Lennie have cravats tied around their necks, and hats. When George and Lennie go to visit Aunt Clara in the old version of the film, Lennie repeats George when presented to Aunt Clara. â€Å"Yes mam†. The director has added this scene into the old version. In the novel the only time she appears is in Lennie’s imagination. This scene has been included to put Lennie into context; it gives him a background, and shows that he has always been looked after and that the people who know him still treat him like a baby. It also serves to highlight Lennie’s reliance on George. As an audience we feel really sorry for Lennie when George tricked him to try and free himself from responsibility of looking out for Lennie. Lennie is more childish in the new film. You feel more sympathy for him in the old version. In the 1981 version of the film Curley’s wife is portrayed as a bit of a tart, her dressed are tight fitting and she wears lots of makeup. In the scene when she is murdered, she is wearing a tight fitting, black knee length dress with a flower on it. Black represents experience. She has bright red shoes and red earrings. The description of her in the novel is more or less the same as the way she is presented in the films. In the newer version she is wearing a white dress. This represents innocence. She speaks quietly and is quite flirtatious; she is attentive when Lennie is speaking to her. When Lennie murders her, she screams a lot and is more dramatic in the new film. This draws attention to the viewer and gives a slight chill. The men are outside playing their game, they are so near, yet they don’t hear her screaming or come to help. It makes it more sinister. When Lennie and Curley’s wife are talking in the old film, Lennie doesn’t listen to her much and interrupts, but in the newer version he sits and looks like he understands and he listens to her carefully. This makes the audience feel sorry for Lennie in a way because he acts like a big baby. He interrupts and talks about his things and doesn’t listen to what Curley’s wife is saying. Also, it gives a slight chill because one minute Lennie is being nice to Curley’s wife and the next, he kills her. Curley’s wife becomes very flirtatious and asks Lennie to stroke her hair. This all leads to the murder. He enjoys this and she looks like she enjoys it. She is more excited in the newer version, there is heavy breathing and she shows that she likes it a lot. Lennie stares at her a lot and there are lots of close-ups of this. In the older version when Lennie kills her, you see the close-up of his hand over her mouth. The camera switches from a low angle shot of her feet to a close up of her face where we see the fear in her eyes and then the camera goes back to her feet where one of her shoes fall off. This is very effective because we see just enough of her eyes to see how scared she is. Then there is the very sad and final indignity where she loses her shoe in death and she has been so proud of her appearance. Then the episode ends to create suspense. The newer version is much closer to the novel. There are only long and mid-shots of Lennie holding her enough to break her neck. There is quiet music up until Lennie starts becoming fierce. The music is more dramatic and brings an atmosphere. The volume increases to show that it’s important. It keeps the audience hooked. In the older version there is slow haunting music when she dies. This makes it creepy for the viewer.

Reasonable Fear of Imminent Danger: Good Social Policy

Reasonable Fear of Imminent Danger: Good Social Policy? BY gotten Reasonable Fear of Imminent Danger: Good Social Policy? Giovanni Mike 4324324 LISTENED 1001 sum 13 Professor James Barney A sobering fact Is that our government has a monopoly on the use of force, but It cannot protect everyone at all times In an Immediate fashion. Joel samara, criminal Law, at 1 55 (1 lath De. 2014). Therefore, citizens are permitted to use proportional force in a â€Å"self-help† fashion as long as 1. The necessity is great 2. The need exists â€Å"right now' 3. The force is used for prevention only. D. At 155. However, preemptive tribes or retaliation are not justifications for force used in self-defense. ‘d, at 155. There are also four elements of self-defense: unprovoked attack, necessity, proportionality, and reasonable belief. ‘d, at 156. The first three were alluded to earlier and are fairly self-explanatory, but reasonable belief will be the primary focus in this discussion . This element requires that a defender must have the â€Å"reasonable† belief that It's necessary to use deadly force to neutralize an Imminent deadly attack. D, at 156. However, what Is â€Å"reasonable fear? † How does It play out In the courtroom? Is the burden on the person using force against an aggressor to show that he or she possessed â€Å"reasonable fear? † Does this requirement change whether a person is at should be look into whether the person using deadly force had a â€Å"reasonable† opportunity to retreat and avoid violence? Should we offer civil immunity to those who used deadly force legitimately? Overall, are the recently more aggressive self- defense laws good for public policy?Do they allow those with â€Å"itchy' trigger fingers to have a virtual license to kill, or do they take an extra necessary step to put the safety f law-abiding citizens ahead of the concerns of violent law-breakers? Newer self- defense laws, such as the one p assed by Florida, unnecessarily presume â€Å"reasonable fear† in defending one's home and fail to adequately consider whether a person using deadly force had a duty to retreat (in public spaces) when violence could have been easily avoided.Citizens should reasonably be expected to show that their deadly use of force was Justified due to their legitimate fear for their safety whether they're at home or in public; they're burden of proof shouldn't be beyond a seasonable doubt since the prosecution could probably cast doubt on this with relative ease since it's based on the subjective measurement of fear. Subtle wording differences in these laws can sway protections to either the aggressor or defender in these situations?it's critical to strike a healthy balance. So how did we get to the self-defense laws used today?According to Joel Samara, Criminal Law, at 164 (1 lath De. 2014), since the thirteenth century English common law required that a person had to prove that he'd â₠¬Å"retreated to the wall† before being Justified in killing another errors. The US began to reject this practice in the nineteenth century and replaced it with a â€Å"no duty to retreat† requirement, which holds that a person can be Justified in killing someone in self-defense. ‘d, at 164. This new approach to the use of force by the common man was thought to be more accommodating to the bravery of a â€Å"true man. † ‘d, at 164.This â€Å"true man† was thought to be someone who would do whatever he had to do to protect his wife, kids, and the nation. ‘d, at 165. Legislators and judges carved out the â€Å"stand your ground† rule from these previously mention values, which states that if a man didn't start the fight they could stand their ground and kill in self-defense without having to retreat from a place they had a legal right to be. ‘d, at 165. Also, the retreat rule was also created that obligates a person to retreat i f they â€Å"reasonably' believe that they're threatened with death or serious harm and they are able to retreat without continuing to be subject to this danger. D, at 165. Furthermore, the â€Å"castle doctrine† was created as an exception to the retreat rule when the context is within someone's home, where they have no duty to retreat as Eng as they reasonably believe there is an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm. ‘d, at 165. Since 2005, more than forty states have passed or proposed new â€Å"castle doctrine† legislation intended to expand the right to use deadly force in self-defense. ‘d, at 172. Florida was the first state to pass this type of statute, and it continues to be the model for the rest of the states. D, at 172. Their statute states that a person is presumed to have held a reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm if: (a) The person against whom the defensive force was used as in the process of unlawfully and forcefully entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a dwelling, residence, or occupied vehicle (b) The person who used defensive force knew or had reason to believe that an unlawful and forcible entry or unlawful and forcible act was occurring or had occurred†¦ Old, at 172.Pennsylvania, they have a right to be in (2) they believe that the use of deadly force is immediately necessary to prevent death, serious bodily injury, kidnapping, or rape (3) the aggressor displays or uses a firearm (or replica) or any other deadly weapon. Joshua Light, The Castle Doctrine?The Lobby is my Dwelling, Volvo 22 Widener Law Journal 236 These types of laws do not exist without controversy, since there are those (2012). That claim that they give citizens a virtual â€Å"license to kill. † Supra, at 174.On one side, people like Marion Hammer, president of the National Rifle Association, contend that these new laws are Just protecting a right that has been around since the asses and that we shouldn't have a duty to retreat only to get chased down and beaten to death. ‘d, at 174. Indeed, Florist's intent when they passed their castle-doctrine law n 2005 was that it was â€Å"necessary to restore absolute rights of law abiding people to protect themselves, their families, and others, and their property from intruders and attackers without fear of prosecution or civil action.Wyatt Holiday, The Answer to Criminal Aggression is Retaliation: Stand-your-Ground Laws and the Liberalizing of Self-Defense, Volvo 43 University of Toledo Law Review 417 (2012). Supporters of the castle doctrine-type laws recognize that there are times when the government's monopoly on violence must be set aside to allow law-abiding citizens to protect themselves when time is limited. Benjamin Levin, A Defensible Defense? : Reexamining Castle Doctrine Statues Volvo 47 Harvard Journal on Legislation 540 (2010).When an aggressor poses an immediate threat, the defender's preservation of self should take precedence over the aggressor's culpability. ‘d, at 539. Others like Jim Brady from The Brady Campaign believe that these laws are â€Å"ushering in a violent new era where civilians have more freedom to use deadly force than even the police. † Samara, Criminal Law, at 174 (2014). They also claim that these laws allow those who have an â€Å"itchy trigger finger† to simply claim that they were in fear and therefore justified in using deadly force. ‘d, at 174.To make things even more complex, states have their own versions of the law that are still in flux and fairly open to interpretation by courts?it is not always straightforward when someone is legally entitled to use deadly force to protect themselves. Levin, A Defensible Defense 534-536 (2010). What does â€Å"reasonable fear† even mean? Unfortunately, this is not easy to answer. Ohio's depiction of reasonable fear is somewhat helpful: the actor using deadly force must have a bona fide belief that he/she was in imminent danger f death or great bodily harm and the only means of escape was to use deadly force in retaliation.Wyatt Holiday, The Answer to Criminal Aggression is Retaliation: Stand- Your-Ground Laws and the Liberalizing of Self-Defense, Volvo 43 University of Toledo Law Review 425 (2012). The â€Å"honest† and â€Å"reasonable† requirements make it seem like a hybrid objective/sub]active requirement, but it's still a subjective standard as highlighted by the Ohio Supreme Court. ‘d, at 424. This court's instructions on this standard recommended that to determine whether a defendant had reasonable fear of imminent danger: †¦ U must put yourself in the position of the Defendant, with her characteristics, knowledge, or lack of knowledge, and under the same circumstances and conditions that surrounded the Defendant at the time. You must consider the conduct of [the victim] and determine if such acts and words caused the Def endant to reasonably and honestly believe that she was about to be killed or â€Å"reasonable fear† is so subjective, because of the wide range of situations people find themselves in; it doesn't seem feasible to create an objective test that measures such a subjective and virtually immeasurable emotion such as fear.Keep in mind how the law mentions that the only means of escape is the use of deadly force. Even though â€Å"reasonable fear† is such a subjective concept, it still has an impact in the courtroom compared to how self-defense laws used to be written. Before Stand- Your-Ground laws came about, defendants had the burden to show that their life and limb was actually in danger. Light at 234 (2012). Now, in certain Jurisdictions, citizens have to only prove that they had a â€Å"reasonable fear† that their life and limb were at jeopardy, and that they believed that deadly force was immediately necessary to peel this threat. D, at 234. This amounts to a sm aller burden of proof on the defendant, which is more challenging for the prosecution because disproving facts is a lot easier than disproving perceptions. ‘d, at 234. Is this a fair balance? The â€Å"reasonable fear† requirement is fair since it allows the state to make an inquiry into whether deadly force was used in a legitimate fashion without putting an excessive burden on citizens to Justify their use of force that can be easily defeated by prosecuting attorneys. What about the â€Å"duty to retreat? Should it still play a part n today's laws? Eric Del Bozo, Retreat Does Not Equal Surrender: Defensive Deadly Force in Dwellings After People v. Keen, Volvo 82 SST. John's Law Review 360-381 (2008) points out that the duty to retreat should still play a part in these self-defense laws, especially when retreat is a safe and reasonable option that could save a lot of violence. He concedes, however, that â€Å"one need not calmly evaluate exit strategies when faced wi th a pressing danger, for detached reflection cannot be demanded in the presence of an uplifted knife. ‘d, at 364. Also, it isn't reasonable to focus in midnight at whether the defendant could have safely retreated, which is a reason why â€Å"reasonable fear† is appropriate in order to focus on what the person knew at the time. ‘d, at 364. The way retreat is treated as an option and the thoughts of the person using force varies among states and even Jurisdictions within those states; some deemphasize the need to retreat while others focus more on the Justification of force and options for retreat. ‘d, at 363-364.In 2006 alone though, between 10 and 15 states repealed their laws that required persons to consider retreat before using defensive deadly force. D, at 377. This might not bode well in a case where a person shoots his neighbor over an argument over trash bins; Del Bozo suggests that stories making headlines tend to be neighbors and acquaintances fre ely assaulting each other rather than repelling home invasions. ‘d, at 377. However, he doesn't offer any statistics or empirical evidence that there is a trend in unjustifiable killings due to these laws.Nonetheless, the duty to retreat still has merit to allow the whole situation to be analyzed in court, and hold people accountable who may engage in â€Å"senseless† killings. ‘d, at 378. The prosecution should be able to show that retreat was indeed a viable option out of a respect for human life; there must be a balance between protecting the safety of both the assailant and the victim, but retreat should be looked at with the burden being on the non-aggressor. ‘d, at 380. There are five different concerns that law enforcement authorities have concerning these new and more aggressive self-defense laws.One unintended consequence could be police officers since citizens Just have to claim that they have â€Å"reasonable fear† in order to use deadly fo rce. ‘d, at 175. On the other hand, Florist's statute contains a revision which holds that citizens are not Justified in using deadly force against law enforcement officers as long as they are acting in an official capacity, have identified themselves as a police officer, or the person using force should have â€Å"reasonably' known it was a law enforcement officer. D, at 173. Indiana struggled with this unintended consequence, but actually ended up ruling that citizens cannot reasonably use deadly force against law enforcement officers. Jon Laramie, Indiana Constitutional Development: Debtors, Placements, and the Castle Doctrine, Volvo. 45 Indiana Law Review, 1049-1051 (2012). In Barnes v. Tate, 946 N. E. Ad 572 (2011), the Indiana Supreme Court stated that â€Å"public policy disavows recognizing a common law right to forcibly resist unlawful police entry into one's home. ‘d, at 1050. They also recognized that it isn't easy for citizens to recognize when a given poli ce entry is lawful or not, that injury is high due to upgrades in police equipment, and citizens have other remedies for unlawful entries (civil litigation, police disciplinary hearings, exclusionary rule, etc. ) ‘d, at 1050. The court did concede that a person has the right to â€Å"reasonably resist† an unlawful entry, but this doesn't amount to a defense of eatery or other violent acts against law enforcement. D, at 1051. The court also claimed that most other states have followed suite in this decision in the interest of law enforcement safety. ‘d, at 1050. Another concern is that the interpretation of these castle-type laws is in its infancy. Some believe that law enforcement training will constantly have to adapt to changing views on these laws, and that it will be almost impossible for police officers to determine whether these new laws are being invoked [applied properly. Supra, at 176.The next concern is that instead of Just avian to determine whether dan ger was imminent or there was a duty to retreat in a public place, police officers will now have to anticipate more â€Å"self-defense† claims. ‘d, at 176. This will increase the investigative burdens on officers, and proving a negative is difficult when the evidence is â€Å"in the hands of the defendant. † ‘d, at 176. This concern is exacerbated by the fact that law enforcement agencies are often understaffed and are already overworked. ‘d, at 176.Furthermore, police authorities are worried that these new laws will lead to a sort of apathy and degradation of vigilance among officers. D, at 176. They may get used to seeing â€Å"self- defense† claims and may dig deep enough into every claim as these new castle-type laws call for, especially if both parties have criminal records. ‘d, at 176. The last concern of law enforcement on castle-type laws are that citizens (a) will not be adequately aware of their right to use force in self-defens e and (b) will be considered a deterrence by criminals who may now view them as more able to defend themselves. D, at 176. Overall, people might feel safer because they are given more latitude to protect themselves, but they may not since they might be worried about there with â€Å"itchy trigger fingers. † ‘d, at 177. Also, there is a lack of empirical evidence that shows that the positive impacts outweigh the positive negative impacts. ‘d, at 177. However, the ironic part is that we will not know if these types of laws will â€Å"work† unless we employ them uniformly on a generalize sample size (many states/ jurisdictions) and then evaluate them over time using sound research methods. Ensure that citizens are able to defend themselves when they legitimately need to. Nobody said it would come without any consequences at all. A legal issue with hose castle doctrine-type laws according to Elizabeth Mega, Deadly Combinations: How Self-Defense Laws Pairing Imm unity with a Presumption of Fear Allows Criminals to â€Å"Get Away with Murder,† Volvo 34 American Journal of Trial Advocacy 105-134 (2010), is that reasonable fear and immunity can combine to create a virtual bar on prosecution for self-defense cases involving an individual's â€Å"castle. The state of Florida provides both a presumptive reasonable fear clause and an immunity clause; reasonable fear by itself can be rebutted by the prosecution at a later time, but immunity won't ever allow that to happen. D, at 108. Mega contends that such an â€Å"irrefutable conclusion† is unconstitutional and puts law enforcement in an awkward position to determine immunity. ‘d, at 108. Also, once immunity is granted it cannot be withdrawn and someone who was entitled to immunity cannot fight for it later on. ‘d, at 109.However, if someone is outside of their home they have to prove the reasonableness of their use of force before being qualified for immunity?this is p resumed in cases involving the home and motor vehicles though. ‘d, at 113.. Furthermore, at least in situations located at the defender's home, Florist's law sakes it impossible to make the determination that the defender's use of force was unlawful. ‘d, at 118. The law contains a provision that states that reasonable fear can be â€Å"presumed† when a person uses deadly force in the protection of their home?the police cannot make a probable cause determination. D, at 119. Florist's law puts law enforcement in a situation where they have to make determinations on the spot that prosecutors would normally make: they have to make determinations of immunity and attempt to disprove a presumption rather than establish a case. ‘d, at 120. Law enforcement normally investigate â€Å"unlawful† acts, but Florist's law tells officers to presume that acts of violence within the home are â€Å"lawful. † ‘d, at 121 . As for how to fix these statutory is sues, Mega contends that they are beyond fixing with Just guidelines and require rewording.Police could become so dependent on the guidelines that they may fail to see the big picture, defendants could end up in Jail trying to assert immunity, law enforcement may not understand the guidelines, and law enforcement have to engage in prosecutorial duties that they were not trained to do. D, at 130. Although â€Å"immunity' certain presents more problems, what about â€Å"reasonable fear† itself? Mega claims that the previous duty to retreat laws still allowed someone to use force, but only when there is no safe method of retreat. ‘d, at 115.In this way, common law held the respect for life on a higher level than the right to possess and use a gun. ‘d, at 115. However, with the new castle-type laws individuals can now react violently with little incentive to try and diffuse the situation by safely retreating. ‘d, at 115. The duty to retreat makes someone think twice about sing force instead of harming someone before considering whether an actual threat exists. ‘d, at 116. With these new Stand Your Ground and castle-type laws, individuals are authorized to act violently in the face of a â€Å"perceived† threat, which is very subjective and open to interpretation. D, at 129. In Florida, however, the law allows the state to prosecute individuals when probable cause is established that the force used was unlawful, at least outside of one's home. ‘d, at 130. This type of provision who use deadly force in a senseless or reckless manner without giving reasonable Hough into whether they're really facing impending danger. As mentioned earlier though, in the heat of the moment people's perceptions and their ability amount to think clearly in these intense situations will vary. How does â€Å"reasonable fear† play out in the context of a Jury trial?Stay Lee Burns, Demonstrating â€Å"Reasonable Fear† at Trial: Is it Science or Junk Science? Department of Sociology, Loyola Martyrdom University, Los Angles, CA 107-131 (2008) examined one murder trial in depth that involved reasonable fear. In this case, the Maddened brothers were charged and invoiced of first degree murder for shot-gunning their parents in their own home in August 1989. ‘d, at 109. During the trial, they confessed to parricide but claimed they held reasonable fear because of their prior sexual abuse by their father and acted in self-defense Justification defense). D, at 110. The Jury deadlocked at the first trial, which indicates the ambiguousness that reasonable fear can have at trial. ‘d, at 129. The defense proposed expert testimony that would show that the abuse the defendants underwent altered their mental state at the time of the killings because heir susceptibility to fear and perception of imminent danger were heightened. ‘d, at 112. U Timely, the Judge did not allow expert testimony pertaining to what h appened in the Maddened brothers' situation, but could attempt to generalize prior research on fear perception.Although there has been research on the limbic system, the part of the brain that processes fear, for the lastly years the results are far from conclusive and there is no test available that can show what the Maddened brothers' fear levels were at the time of the killing or whether their susceptibility had indeed been heightened because of trauma. ‘d, at 118- 127. Social science is only able to provide statistics and the likelihood that the Maddened brothers would act a certain way in a given situation. ‘d, at 122.There is a blood test available that can give insight into what a person's level of fear is, but the sample would have to be taken right at the moment of the crime (not feasible). ‘d, at 124. This case illustrates the tension between social science and the Judicial system that requires facts to relate to the particular case at hand. ‘d, at 128. It came down to what the Jury felt was â€Å"reasonable fear,† and how much they thought the expert testimony applied to the Maddened ease?it's no surprise that the Jury ended up deadlocked. D, at 128-129. In conclusion, the â€Å"reasonable fear† requirement is fair since it allows the state to make an inquiry into whether deadly force was used in a legitimate fashion without putting an excessive burden on citizens and giving too much of an advantage to prosecuting attorneys. Although â€Å"duty to retreat† shouldn't be strictly imposed or evaluated in hindsight, it is still applicable in situations where violence could have been easily avoided by practically walking away.While there are legitimate concerns such as Alice safety in no-knock searches with these more aggressive self-defense laws, the sad fact remains that little empirical evidence is out to date that shows any negative or positive trends associated with these laws. In addition, these laws and their interpretation are still in their infancy and are written differently among the states and their Jurisdictions. A legal issue that may not be empirically measurable, however, is how reasonable fear can be paired with immunity to create a bar on prosecution of those defending their home perhaps too readily.These people should burden of proof that can easily be discredited. Additionally, this presumption would leave police officers with the difficult task of making determinations on the spot that would normally be left to prosecuting attorneys. As for immunity, citizens should be granted immunity from civil litigation if their use of deadly force was Justified; they shouldn't have to be mired with legal action from the aggressor after they've already been in court.The Maddened case illustrates the limitations of science to prove reasonable fear in a court setting, and can only offer potential generalizations and statistics. Bottom line, â€Å"reasonable fear† ends up get ting determined by Juries, which ay not be that easy or uniform. Overall, the new and more aggressive self-defense laws are good for public policy with the exception of the presumption of reasonable fear in situations involving defending one's home.These laws necessarily give citizens more latitude in defending themselves without an undue burden of having to sit there and think about whether they should retreat or fear of future civil litigation. However, those who are inclined to resort to violence in the face of any perceived threat need to justify their actions in order to prevent senseless killings. They should only have to how that they had reasonable fear without a heavy burden of proof that prosecutors can easily defeat, which could be the beyond a reasonable doubt standard.An understandable concern is that these new laws will put a further burden on an already stressed and backlogged criminal Justice system, but we cannot put police officers in a position to try to make thes e determinations on the spot. We also cannot allow potential senseless killings to go unchallenged. Omitting the presumption clause and putting a little more emphasis on retreat options can better balance the defender's right of safety and the aggressor's culpability.

Cheating in sports Essay Example for Free (#2)

Cheating in sports Essay The topic that I am researching is â€Å"Cheating in Sports†, from illegal drugs use, gambling, to federal indictments, NASCAR, all types and its impact economically and socially on society. Because millions and millions of dollars are won and lost in the world of sports, as well as the social impact it has with the public/society. So the questions that come to mind are, why do we care and identify with our teams so much? What is the appeal, what do we find so admirable about winning in a sporting game? Where do we draw the line when it comes to cheating in sports? Why as a society do we place such a high emphasis on winning in sports! Narrative Hook #1 – Is society’s obsession with winning jeopardizing the integrity of sports? This hook draws readers in and creates interest because it immediately captures their attention by asking the reader to consider societies role in possibly jeopardizing sports integrity. Readers can relate because every society in the world has some type of sports team, either, locally, or nationally they relate to, from the young to the old. Also, the majority of most people are not, were not athletes or involved in sports as a profession or employment or even at the amateur and recreational level. Most people (society) are fans of a particular sport and follow it, whether closely or as a casual interest. Narrative Hook#2 – Who is to blame, the athlete, the sport, the public for the wide spread cheating in sports? This hook draws and captures readers’ interest because it now specifically looks at several possibilities to consider and that most people will fit into. Depending on their own personal position, as an athlete, or former, involved in a sport as an employee, recreationally, or just a fan, they can relate on a personal level as it pertains to cheating in sports. I ask though, who is to blame, the athlete? How do you tell a young kid who’s family has been living in poverty, and has the chance to earn millions and change their lives by taking a little blue, white, pill that will give him a competitive advantage and possibly make that dream come true! When millions upon millions are at stake, a Super Bowl, a World Series and your team has the tapes of the opposing teams plays, or the signals of the pitcher, and it can mean the difference of being crowned the victor or not, what stops you, the coach, owner, to not cross that line, or should we say who stops you? That World Series winning home run, or that kick-off returning touchdown to win the Super Bowl, or that last round knockout by the underdog to win the match for the championship, what if you found out they all were the result of cheating? Would it make a difference, or would it not? Week 4 Significance of the purpose statement is multifaceted. It is to provide the goal or intended outcome of a study (in this scenario). Sets the objective, based on the need or problem and then particular or specific questions are developed (research questions) focusing on a single concept (phenomenon) or idea. The overall intent of this grounded theory study is to understand the ethical and economic impact that cheating in sports has on athletes and society. This will focus on exploring the experience of the fans (society), individual athletes and sports organizations. Conducted with individual interviews via phone or in person, at sporting events, sports organization, both professional, collegiate, high school, and recreational in the Charlotte and surrounding region, as well as various internet sites. At this stage in the research, the impact that cheating has in sports will generally be defines as the economic gain and the short term ethical effects on society and athlete. Fellow classmates, as I worked on developing my purpose statement, my challenge was what and how to narrow down to a single phenomenon. There is much to consider! I am trying to connect the dots of a few things. How cheating by some athlete effects the ethics of others to cheat, when they can see the competitive gain and possible financial as well! Then there are the fans, society, and how it impacts them, and their perspective of the individual athletes, their specific team and finally the sports organizations! As I stated last week, to the fans, does it make a difference, if their favorite athlete was caught, or their team? Is the problem with the athlete, or is it with us? In the reading it does state, that in a qualitative study, â€Å"advance a single phenomenon, recognizing that the study may develop into an exploration of relationships or comparisons among ideas†. So, I ask your help, should I just state, that my single phenomenon is maybe just the ethical aspects of cheating, or just the economical and additionally, should I focus on just one specific group, the athlete, society, sports organizations or leave as is with the thought that as stated above it will develop into other relationships or comparisons that can be expounded on in the research? Cheating in sports. (2017, May 31).

Innovation and Leadership Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Innovation and Leadership - Assignment Example This paper illustrates that as contemporary experts in leadership and academic researchers highlight congruent aspects of the new era and draw attention on potential disruptive points and discontinuities, leadership emphasizes that only innovative, anticipatory, courageous and flexible individuals and organizations are capable to cope with the present uncertain and unpredictable business arena. Development studies confirm that creative companies, able to use innovation in order to improve value creation process or to differentiate products and services surpass their competitors in terms of market share, profitability, growth or capitalization. Innovation and technology management is still a complicated and risky problem: most new technologies fail to be translated into products and services, and those who become products and services not always gain the status of commercial success. In short, innovation can stimulate and strengthen competition, but in order to enhance a strong leader ship, it needs skills and knowledge different from those used for everyday business management. One of the first issues that arise when analyzing innovation consists in the multitude of interpretations that are attributed to the term; many times people even confuse innovation with invention. In a more limited sense considered by many researchers and practitioners, innovation is the process of transforming favorable situations into new ideas and putting these ideas in practices or products widely spread. Innovation does not necessarily mean selling a single significant breakthrough in a certain moment of technical and technological development (radical innovation) but also includes the use of changes (improvements) of less important technological know-how (an improvement or incremental innovation).

Advocacy and issues in physical education Essay

Advocacy and issues in physical education - Essay Example A lot of them are so fat! In the last two decades the number of obese children in our country has tripled. In fact, they comprise 17.1% of children including teenagers (Advocacy Issues). The figure is daunting!There is need for setting up after-school physical activity program in the school's main gym for non-athletes, increase in the amount of physical education currently offered in the school, adding physical education to No Child Left Behind law, and maintain 30 minutes recess in the regular school day.In the absence of adequate physical activity, the actual performances of the students suffer. They are unable to attain peak performance. They do not maintain the level of concentration required. They tire easily. They lack resilience.You can see that there are serious consequences awaiting these kids. From the viewpoint of health, obesity is the single cause for most diseases like cardiovascular problems, blood pressure, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, stroke, etc. (Advocacy Issues) . Apart from this, obesity comes in the way of physical activities and fast thinking that make careers. Parents too urge physical education in view of this situation.In a few years from now, these kids could be looking back with regret why they could not partake of a healthier system. They may feel they ought to have done more in the physical realm. They may even consider starting at that point. However, a great number of these students may drop out in the absence of sustained efforts of others over them, something that they can get in the school. It is here that we could do something positive and have the students put on the right track so that they can continue with it even after they complete school. I think there is the need to nurture physical exercise. Much of the time is spent on the mental aspects. Indeed the best times are spent studying. The physical attributes are hardly touched upon. It is high time the physical aspects are given their due. If we fail to act now the day is not far off when we will pay for the lapse with serious consequences to the individual and to the nation. Build better society The inclusion of physical education in school will have tremendous impact in the hearts and lives of the students. Given the right approach, they will grow to appreciate life better. The level of their thinking will improve. They will have better self-respect and they will learn to make more correct evaluations. Apart from better learning, their contributions to society will improve. It is important to bear in mind that we are handling children entrusted to us by parents who are keen to see that their wards receive the best attention and nurture not only mentally but also in the physical domain. Besides, society needs strong, self-oriented students. The capacity to perform and excel is inculcated in students who are well disposed to physical education. These students possess the attitude to awaken in society the right beliefs and traits so that the composite whole is reflected in the students. Building self-respect Students with physical education not only receive training and workout whereby they have better build physically but also score on self-evaluation. They are also well-informed and

Comparison history paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Comparison history paper - Essay Example This was the indication of the unique forms of continuity in space. It makes part of the sculptures that Boccioni made during the 1913 era of art. It is a form of the moving beings without bipedal structures like the arms (Boccioni, paragraph 4). The continuity here is represented in that the sculpture was in a movement position where all the indicators in it showed the walking athlete while the figure lacked the arms. This showed determination in walking into the future. The sculpture was an indication of a futuristic muscular ma with a lot of determination to pursue into the dreams of the future world. The movements as depicted in the sculpture are very swift and enthusiastic to meet the future. The face of the sculpture was made in a symbol of a cross which was an indication that there was a foreseen futurist warlord in the times to come. The futuristic representation by the artifacts was a mode of revealing to the world and the Italian culture the possibilities of the wars in future cultural settings. The wing-like arms seem to be in the position of the arms on the figure which was an indication of the unfinished part of the sculpture as it is revealed that Boccioni was not intending to reveal anything of educational value to the societies of the world. It is shown that the two figures that he made in the futuristic unique forms of continuity, in space, together or rather combined with their immediate environments. This can only show that the immediate environments are depicted in the figure, and this was an archeological evidence of the surrounding environments where the figure was sculpted (Boccioni, paragraph 5). The configuration of the figure indicates some swift sharp corners in the panels in its knees, thighs, and chest and head carving, which were the parameters to involve the air movement past the standing statues. It is clear that the air or

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT - Term Paper Example Kraft was founded in 1903 and currently operates in the United States and Canada. Pepsi Company manages three types of inventories. These are: raw materials, work in progress and finished goods. Kraft Foods Company maintains two kinds of inventory: raw materials and finished products. Raw materials comprise unprocessed items to be consumed in the production process. Raw materials also include purchased components that will be used in making the finished product. Work-in-progress comprises partially completed merchandise in terms of raw materials, costs and labor. Finished product include merchandise held by the company that is readily available for sale (Olson, 2011). How Pepsi and Kraft Foods goods and service design concepts are integrated Pepsi Company employs a vendor managed inventory system to integrate goods and service. The design manager is responsible for hands on design and design management of branding and packaging. The supply chain managers play an active role in the in ventory optimization to address the factor of variability in supply of key commodities and seasonal variability in consumer demand. The supplier assumes the responsibility for management of a retailer’s inventory. Kraft Foods Company owns the product until it crosses the checkout counter. The grocery store acts as the broker between the producer and the consumer. The managers of both companies along with other employees integrate products design by identifying customer needs, generation of product concepts, prototyping and design-for-manufacturing. The role of inventory in Pepsi and Kraft foods performance, operational efficient and customer satisfaction Getting a product or service to the right place at the right time in the modern business remains a challenge, as most businesses have to grapple between the cost of maintaining huge inventory while operating efficiently and effectively. Pepsi maintains a stock of inventory up to a period of twelve days (Hieber, 2002). At the same time, Pepsi Company employs an N-tier demand management, which is a classic bull-whip. N-tier demand management seeks to further suppliers from customers as far as possible. An N-tier demand management helps the company and suppliers to see the final consumer demand at the same time (Radhakrishnan, 2001). Kraft Food Company adopts just in time mode of inventory, where the company makes just the right amount of products for the market and gets them quickly into the consumers’ hands, thus customer satisfaction. By keeping inventory at the lowest, Kraft Foods Company operates efficiently as low level of inventory helps in freeing up the cash. In turn, this results in operational efficiency. Similarities and differences of 4 different types of layouts and the importance of the layouts For an organization to have a successful manufacturing unit, it is pertinent that special care and attention is given to the layout of the facility (Radhakrishnan, 2001). Facility layout refers to the arrangement of diverse components of manufacturing in a suitable way in order to produce preferred production outcomes. Both Pepsi Company and Kraft foods operate four different kinds of layouts. Among the four, three kinds of layout operate in a similar manner. These layouts are: the fixed position layout, hybrid layout and the cell layout (Olson, 2011). The cell layout seeks to lessen the complexity of process and product layouts. A cell layout divides resources

Effects of Entire les Murs On Traditional French National Identity Essay

Effects of Entire les Murs On Traditional French National Identity - Essay Example This report stresses that someone who views this film for the first time may be obliged to have a negative attitude towards French culture due the fact that pupils are a force to learn it at schools. The fact that this teacher enjoys French does not mean that everybody will like it and failure to understand that will cause someone who might have been willing to learn the French culture to have second thoughts about it. If a certain pupil does not understand this language, then definitely he/she will assume that their culture is not that pleasing as well hence dislikes it. This paper makes a conclusion that the Entre les murs is a good representation of the French education system that has its guiding rules from the western ideas. However, these ideas have caused problems by affecting other cultural groups without taking into consideration their rights. Although public education is free in France and it has been every citizen's right to access it, the way it is made available violates other people's culture and rights. This is because the education system is public centralized and incorporates compulsory French language classes that are not liked by many. This film widely focuses on ethnicity and the failure of the French education system to incorporate other people's ethnicity into their system. If that were not possible, then the education system would try to avoid making the French culture compulsory to foreign students who were interested in learning in France.

Position paper 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Position paper 2 - Essay Example A mother cannot affirm the kind of child she is carrying until after birth whereby some prior screens can be proven wrong. All disabilities should be encouraged in the sense that a disability is not an inability hence the child should be given a chance to live and evaluate what he or she has to give back to the society (Collett, 2014). This paper examines the extent to which Yury and Yelena are not justified to do an abortion for their child on the basis of suspected Down’s syndrome. In life, we are given a chance to make alternatives on various people including our friends, husbands and wives but a blank fact that exists is that we have no alternative to make about the kind of children we give birth to. Therefore it is always difficult to tell the kind of qualities they will have hence Yury and Yelena should not take is a personal responsibility of their child’s disability, if at all there will be any. Instead, in case the child is born disabled, they should offer him or her enough parental love so that the child’s self-esteem is boosted and doesn’t feel rejected in the society (Sandal, 2007). In the present day world, scientists are trying to offer solutions to most complications associated with disability since genetic disabilities are on a rampant spread. This medical model works on reducing disability cases by curing existing ones and preventing new cases from arising. It is an obligatory role of the couple to visit places with such services so that their case is analysed in the most appropriate manner as compared to terminating the child. Dr. Samuel Gridley is a philosopher who argues that parents are totally responsible for ensuring that their deformed or disabled children get better help to address the conditions in their lives. On their moral side of view, philosophers affirm that parents should take responsibility to offer substantial help to their children, even if it involves medical help where abortion is excluded.

Performance in a Business Environment Essay Example for Free

Performance in a Business Environment Essay The purpose and benefits of continuously improving my own performance at work is to move one step forward and exceed my limitations, achieve further goals, self-motivation, not to be the same person and on the same position after a certain of time, to exceed my performance at work and doing work, improving my own performance helps me to progress on my career and give me a job satisfaction. However this leads me to evaluate my own work by looking at the work that takes the most time, and what actions can I take to do this task in a less time, however at the same time I look at the best part of the job that I do and also look for areas where I can improve. I normally speak to my colleagues that are more experience than me regarding this and take advice as well as guidance to do so. It is so important for me to get feedback and to accept it from others as this will help me to learn from my mistakes and be more confident in the work I am doing. Receiving feedback also helps me see myself from the perspective of others and how other people see me I always accept feedback whether positive or negative, as positive will help me to work harder and keep the good work I’m doing, as well as negative will help me to learn from my past failures and mistakes so I can correct them. In every organisation it is so important to provide a Good quality piece of work, as a very challenging person I always try new ways, different ways to do my work with a good quality and within less time scale. I always learn new things either in the office as my day to day tasks or at home for my long term career goals. My own learning and development does not only improve my work and productivity, it improves and benefits the team I work with as well as the whole organisation. The more I learn, the more I can do. This benefits the organisation by increasing productivity. It helps me to identify gaps between my job requirements or future work roles and the existing knowledge, understanding and skills. This is one of the reasons that we have in our organisation a private website that provides different short courses for self-development. The progression route from my current role will be towards a Management Information Analysts role, and then eventually a Business Analyst role as my long term role. This will also help me work towards my career I wish to pursue in the educational field, where I will have to also demonstrate data management tasks on my day to day tasks at work. After completing my Apprenticeship in Business and Admin L3, I am looking forward to starting an Apprenticeship L4 with a hard working to  develop my career to the next level as Management Information Analysts towards my long term career as a Business Analysts. I already have experie nce working in education, retail and IT. I will be working harder to meet my above career development with a good salary package and job description, where I can best use my skills, talents and capabilities. So by developing my skills I can look at possible interesting careers and sectors that I might be interested in and develop my opportunities in securing a good job. A learning plan is a way for everyone to set personal targets and record achievements. It helps me as a person to keep on track towards where I want to be in my life and my work. The reason for making a plan is, it simply helps me to take more control of my future, by reminding me what I have learned, achieved and enjoyed. Creating my plan can help me develop more confidence in my ability to tackle new things, become more employable, and get more out of life.

Uncle Toms Cabin And The Imagery English Literature Essay

Uncle Toms Cabin And The Imagery English Literature Essay In many ways the north may have been the starting point for many of the hard working religious, patient Individuals. Some might say that they may have bees somewhat like Harriet Beecher Stowe themselves however, this was a potential threat. The north and the south shared many economic and legal issues at that time because even though the north did not have slavery they still felt the issues that came with slavery. Stow made it very clear in her writing just how horrible slavery was. She shows us the legal consequences that slavery had on the north, and how many individuals lend a helping hand to help free slaves with the risk of being jailed. Stow tries to give the readers an accurate picture of the slavery in the south. Many of Stowes readers were mainly white women, so she used the opportunity to play on their feelings on the poor treatment of the slaves. Her main focus was to get the white women of the north to read it, because she hoped that they might be able to help her with the abolishment of slavery. She painted a very strong and real picture of the individuals that were suffering from the prejudice of slavery. The writing in Uncle Toms Cabin is so vivid that it feels like the reader is experiencing the same hardship as the slaves did in the south. The sentimental writing drew women of its time to read Stowes novels. Her main focus was to give the reader an unsettled emotion of guilt, to make individuals see how many lives and families were destroyed through slavery. In the early nineteenth-century human cruelty was a constant issue for the slaves, which makes this a vital part of American history. Harriet Beecher Stowe uses two but distinct ethical systems in Uncle Toms Cabin: One is the value of Christianity and two she uses parental values. When one reads the the beginning of the book, how Uncle Tom and Eliza find out they are getting sold. Both of these characters have different points of views. Uncle Tom puts all of his faith in God and says whatever happens will happen , were as Eliza who will face similar heart ship decides to get away. Both of these decisions are portrayed to fit each character in the book. Uncle Toms describes his sufferings in plain words though the bible. However, some models are not as clear because it over lapses the Christian fews. However, in Eliza case she decides to run away to save her children. However, the book describes how horrific the circumstances were and Uncle Tom was sold many times over. He said: If I must be sold, or all the people on the place, and everything go to rack, why, let me be sold. I spose I can bar it as well as any on em (Stowe, 1852). Looking at all the slave masters in the novel one can clearly see, that Uncle Toms master differed from all the other masters and his outlook on how slaves should be treated. It not only teaches Christian values but also family values. Stowe is mainly focusing her writing on the facts that slavery is wrong, cruel and evil. She not only writes an outstanding book but she also makes some excellent points at the same time. She quoted: I did not write it. God wrote it. I merely did his dictation (Stowe, Uncle Tom`s Cabin, 1879). In Stowes mind all of her writing came from God and not her, she cared deeply about God and his will. In her writing she is consistently telling the readers that slavery is wrong and cruel. Individuals are being beaten, starved to death and ripped away from their familys. Many individuals like Uncle Tome are being sold over and over again, and with each selling a new owner comes along. Slaves never knew what fate had in store for them, because every slave owner had their own way of controlling the slaves. However, Stowes novel shows that there were also good slave owners such as St. Clare. Uncle Tom was sold to a couple named St Clare and from reading Stowes novel they treated Uncle Tom very ki ndly. In conclusion Stowes writing is very effective, she points out that slavery is very wrong, in order to help the abolitionist cause. At the same time her novel has an enormous impact not only on the readers back then but also today.

A tree grows in brooklyn :: essays research papers

â€Å"A person who pulls himself up from a low environment via the boot-strap route has two choices. Having risen above his environment, he can forget it; or, he can rise above it and never forget it and keep compassion in his heart for those has left behind him in the cruel up climb.† (pg 129) Betty Smith’s novel A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is a tale of poignant family relationships and childhood and also of grim privation. The story revolves around the protagonist of the story, young Francie Nolan. She is an imaginative, endearing 11-year-old girl growing up in 1912, in Brooklyn, New York. The entire story revolves around Francie and the Nolan family, including her brother Neelie, her mother Katie and her father Johnny. An ensemble of high relief characters aids and abets them in their journey through this story of sometimes bleak survival and everlasting hope. As we find out, the struggle for survival is primarily focused against the antagonist of this story, the hard-grinding poverty afflicting Francie, the Nolan’s and Brooklyn itself. The hope in the novel is shown symbolically in the â€Å"The â€Å"Tree of Heaven†Ã¢â‚¬ . A symbol used throughout the novel to show hope, perseverance and to highlight other key points. Although the author, Betty Smith, denied ever writing a novel with socially political motives, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn abounds with references to class issues. Nearly every scene, every character illustrates or deals with the problem of poverty in early twentieth-century America. For the Nolan’s, being poor means they must always think about being poor – how they will buy the next load of coal, where their food will come from, their insurance, rent, medicine, all the necessities of raising a family. The novel also shows that poverty is not just the absence of food or comfort, it is the direct cause for Uncle Flittman to leave, Johnny’s utter nothingness and Francie’s inability to go to a high school. Every action in the novel is based around a limited amount of resources, as not only the Nolan’s but also the entire community suffers. Exploitation abounds, whether in the overpriced sale of candy, child labour in metal collection, dishonest grocers a nd butchers and employers with impunity to set their own rules. Katie does her best with the household money, and we find that for the poor sometimes a luxury isn’t in getting something, but in being able to waste it.

Artificial Intelligence :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Artificial intelligence is the study of how to makes computers do things which, at the moment, people do better. This definition is vague because of its reference to the current state of computer science. Artificial intelligence is a combination of computer science, physiology and philosophy. AI is a broad topic including many different fields, from machine vision to expert systems. AI can be described as the attempt to build machines that think and act like humans, that are able to learn and to use their knowledge to solve problems on their own. The element that is common in the fields of AI is the creation of machines that can â€Å"think†. Artificial intelligence has come a long way form its early roots, driven by dedicated researches. AI really began to fascinate researches with the invention of the computers in 1943. The technology was finally available, or so it seemed to stimulate intelligent behavior. Over the next four decades, despite many stumbli ng blocks, AI has grown from a dozen researches, to thousands of engineers and specialists; and from programs capable of playing checkers, to system designed to diagnose disease.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The ability to solve any problem no matter how big or small, it measures the intelligence in many different contexts. Intelligent machines cannot really serve any practical purpose unless the computers could cope with the big problem, which people overcome as a matter of routine. AI is a new step that is very helpful to the society. Machines can do jobs that require detailed instructions followed and mental alertness. AI with its learning capabilities can accomplish those tasks but only if the world’s conservatives are ready to change and allow this to be a possibility. There are many capabilities of AI. The more use we get out of the machines he less work is required by us. There would be less injuries and stress to human beings. Human beings learn by trying so we must be prepared to give a chance to AI. There is always that fear if AI is learning based, will machines learn that being rich and successful is a good thing? There are so many things that can g o wrong with a new system so we must be as prepared as we can for this new technology. Research into the areas of learning, of language and of sensory perception has aided scientists in building intelligent machines.

Spirit Of St. Louis :: essays research papers

The Spirit of St. Louis   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã¢â‚¬Å"I don’t think about it...There was no blinding light, no angels coming to take me home.†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Chris Pronger is one of the premier hockey players in the world. With his 6’6†, 220 lbs. frame, Chris Pronger dominates other teams while on the ice and has become one of those special players who can control a game. The defenseman out of Dryden, Ontario has come around full circle since arriving in the NHL as the second overall draft pick in the 1995 draft. After having to deal with troubles early in his career, which consisted of drinking and partying, Pronger has gotten his act together to lead his team, the St. Louis Blues to great success. Chris’ size, speed, and knowledge of the game helps him determine, understand, and acknowledge what other teams are doing, and enables him to shut opposing players down. Chris Pronger’s career so far is an incredible story, which makes all sports fans who have followed it respect and admire him.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the early postseason of the 1998 season, the St. Louis Blues found themselves leading the Detroit Red Wings one game to nothing in the best of seven series. Also, the Blues surprisingly had that lead on the road, with the first two games of the series in Detroit, one of the hardest atmospheres to play in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  At the 3:52 mark of the second period, on Mother’s Day, a blistering slapshot from Detroit winger Dmitri Mironov came tearing through the zone and caught the entire Blues defense by surprise. Every defenseman except Pronger. Chris Pronger, who is the youngest captain in St. Louis Blues history, was finally starting to settle down and learn the system Blues head coach Joel Quenneville was teaching. Pronger was finally starting to live up to his ability to be able to control the game. He was also finally getting the hang of being a 25 year old captain in the NHL.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The shot was aimed high, and Pronger got in the way of it and blocked it. Unfortunately, the puck hit him in a very odd place, right under the chest protecting padding of his shoulder pads, and caught him right in the chest, causing his heart to stop beating for approximately fifteen to twenty seconds. Seeing this tower of a man fall to the ice, and not being able to breathe, scared the rest of the Blues team, and messed with their minds and emotions, just enough for the Red Wings of Detroit to escape the game with a

Challenges of special needs education Essay

Efforts involved in implementation of Special needs education in Uganda today have got challenges that are facing them. These challenges are Handling the problems of an inclusive classroom. The concept of having classrooms that contain both special needs students and students who are developing typically is becoming a popular one. This type of education poses new challenges for a special education teacher. For example, many students who have no disabilities are unaccustomed to dealing with those who do. Teachers in these classes are charged with eliminating cruelty and insensitivity from among  their students and ensuring that those with special needs are treated with respect. Professional Isolation. The nature of a special education teacher’s work is very different from that of traditional teachers; the result of this is that standard classroom teachers may not view them as colleagues. There may be a professional stigma attached to the work of teaching â€Å"slow† students. Special education teachers often work with smaller groups and may focus on skills rather than content, thereby leading to the perception that their work is easier or less important. Lack of support from parents. Some parents of special needs children are disinterested in the welfare of their children and fail to provide them with adequate care. Alternatively, they may be overly protective. Both can be problematic for the child and for their teacher. Disinterested parents may have no involvement with their child’s education or interaction with their teachers, WHEREAS OVERPROTECTIVE PARENTS MAY HAVE UNREALISTIC EXPECTATIONS FROM THE CHILD AND THE CHILD’S teachers. Both attitudes can shape children in negative ways. Parental disinterest may make special needs students less motivated and parents who are overprotective often diminish their  child’s confidence and make it harder for them to learn. 2 otydally@gmail. com The difficulty of discipline in a special needs classroom. Disabled children may have behavioral issues including restlessness and moodiness. They may also exhibit problems like a short attention span or an inability to understand what is being taught. Special education teachers have to learn how to deal with these problems as well as how to take appropriate disciplinary measures. Budget problems. Across the nation, special education programs are facing increasing enrollment and decreasing budgets. The result is that there are fewer teacher assistants available, which results in a greater workload for special education teachers. They may also face shortages of essential resources and equipment for delivering effective lessons. Shortage of teachers to handle learners with special needs. Most of the teachers refuse to offer a hand once told to handle a class and later identify that learners in that class are disabled in one way or the other. Many teachers like to teach only learners who are able to do things without any difficulty. They fail to understand that ability is not to everyone. Shortage of teaching materials. Some schools in Uganda today support the learners with special needs but they are faced with a problem of the materials they are to use to teach the learners for example having brails for the blind. This poses a challenge to special needs education in Uganda today. Statistics about the number of the children with special needs. There is no correct statistical approximation of the number of the children with special needs in Uganda today. Supplemented by the enumeration of people taking place after a long period. With miss appropriated number of  children with special needs, there comes a challenge to the state to budget for them in terms of the resources like human resource available. 3 otydally@gmail. com Rigid curriculum. Rigidity of the curriculum is also a challenge as it does not clearly show how to handle people with disabilities. The curriculum provides the content but not the pedagogy. This poses achallenge to the teachers who handle learners with special needs on how to handle and present or deliver the content. There are few schools that offer special needs education in Uganda today. They are faced with  a problem of handling the whole multitude of learners all over the country. The population of learners in those schools is high becoming a challenge to teaching and special needs education in general. There are few training institutions for those who would wish to understand the necessary basics of handling learners with disabilities. Assumptions tend to be taken that it is automatic that an individual cannot fail to handle a person with any form of disability. This is a real misconception as for example a person may just think that he knows but when a disabled person asks him for some help, he directs him to specialists. Despite the fact that Special needs education is faced with a number of challenges. Some of those challenges can be mitigated. I suggest the following ways that can be used to act as solutions t the number of challenges above are:- Comprehensive review of state laws, regulations and policies should be done to in cooperate policies for efficient implementation of special needs education in Uganda today. In addition government policies should be put in place with clearly well-defined measures to the rights of the disabled and what is expected from the community as far as providing special needs education is concerned. This will enable the learners to be helped in whatever form the help may be but not being isolated and thus their presence in society thought of as being useless. 4 otydally@gmail. com Tertiary institutions that train teachers should in cooperate into their curriculum courses that train teachers to handle learners with special needs. This will help increase the human resource that handle learners with special needs eliminating the challenge of the shortage of teachers with skills of handling learners with special needs. Sensitization of stake holders of their roles regarding the support they should render to people  with disabilities. This will make parents not to keep their children at home rather send them to schools where they may be fully partially included in regular classes thus will end up having achieved their right to education. Parents should made aware of the consequences of not rendering a hand in the education of their children. The government should consider the special needs education sector on their budget. This will make them cater for the materials that the students need to learn. With these materials like the brails available, the implementation of education of learners with special needs will not have  much trouble. Review of the curriculum to check where people with various forms of disabilities can be infused into the system needs to be done as this will help teachers have at least some basics of handling the disabled not leaving everything tothose whom they claim to be experts inthat field. With maximum cooperation of teachers in the school, all the students will thus be catered for. REFERENCES Fanning, B. , Veale, A. , & O’Connor, D. (2001). Beyond the pale: Asylum seeking children and social exclusion in Ireland. Dublin: Irish Refugee Council. Farrell, P. (1997). The integration of children with severe learning difficulties: A review of the recent literature. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 50(2), 26-31 Ferguson, D. L. (2008). International trends in inclusive education: The continuing challenge to teach each one and everyone. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 23(2), 109-120 Gutman, L. M. , & Midgley, C. (2000). The role of protective factors in supporting the academic achievement of poor African American students during the middle school transition. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 29(2), 223-248.

Education and Forthcoming English Olympiad

P. T. M. T. T. I MARUTHOORKONAM, BALARAMAPURAM Attention Students!!! ENGLISH OLYMPIAD-2012-13 P. T. M. T. T. I wishes to inform all teacher trainees the details of the forthcoming English Olympiad 2012 on 12th Dec 2012 at T. T. I Auditorium. Items for competition 1. Skit 2. Choreography 3. Book Review 4. Group discussion  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Details 1. A Skit of about 15 minutes can be staged by 10 participants. The dialogue, stage settings etc. hould be decided by the Trainees under the guidance of Teachers. Theme: Human Values 2. A poem composed by a student /a group of students of the school may be staged. Maximum 10 students can participate among whom not less than two students may be for recitation. Theme: Love. (Time. 10 Minutes) 3. Book Review.Three Books will be suggested for reading. The selected student can read the books and come prepared to answer the questions of the panel of judges. Time: 10 Minutes. Books will be informed. . Group Discussion. Time: 20 Minutes A group of ten trainees will be selected to participate in the discussion. G. D. Topic will be announced on the spot. Evaluation: All the items will be assessed based on the criteria in the English Source books. The decision of the judges will be final and may not be questioned. Please register the name and the participating items by 5th Nov 2012 to Smt. Sheeba Rani, Club Convener. Best of luck to all participants! R,Anu Krishnan, Teacher Educator.

Othello is incharge of his own downfall Essay

Othello, much like any other human being, is in charge of his own destiny. Despite the fact that his fatal flaw, which is his incapability to resist accusations or statements which are not in his favour, that of which leads to the Moor’s downfall, Othello, much like any other human being, has a choice – he, unfortunately chooses to believe anything and everything Iago places before him. Desdemona is nothing short of loyal to the Moor. She, even though is wrongly accused, is nothing less than a â€Å"true and loyal wife† to Othello. The genuine and passionate love she has for the Moor is so overwhelming that it leads her to disobey her father Brabantio in order to be with her â€Å"husband† which which she sees as her mother who â€Å"so much duty showed to [Brabantio] so [she] is due to the Moor.† The same amount of passionate love is felt for her by her â€Å"Valiant† spouse, Othello. However, Othello’s passionate love he has for his â€Å"white ewe† quickly turns in passionate hatred after having the seed of jealousy planted in him by â€Å"Honest Iago.† Although Iago is the initiator of Othello’s downfall, he is merely removing the â€Å"Valiant† facade the â€Å"Brave Othello† portrays which thus reveals his cannibalistic nature. The green-eyed â€Å"monster†, which was hidden behind the facade of a man who is of a â€Å"free and honest nature,† is revealed nearing the climax of the tragic play. Othello, by choice, now adapts to the cannibalistic and jealous nature which is inflicted by the Machiavellian character, Iago. â€Å"The Moor already changes with [Iago’s] poison.† Othello allows the vine of jealousy to overthrow him which results in his murderous killing of his â€Å"true and loyal wife,† Desdemona. During the revelation of his monstrous act, Othello cries out â€Å"O fool, fool, fool!† – this is indicative of his realization of his own cannibalistic actions which led to him creating a monstrous act, that of which is the murder of Desdemona. He, himself allowed his naivety and jealous emotions to take over him which leads to him killing his fair â€Å"maiden†, Desdemona, that of which he realizes was â€Å"a murder which [he] thought a sacrifice.† As a punishment for his monstrous actions, Othello kills, not Iago, but himself, The choice to kill himself rather than to seek revenge on Iago is indicative of his realization that the matter of his downfall and the death of his wife was because of his own doings – by making the choice to believe the Machiavellian that is Iago. The Moor than proclaims that he â€Å"loved not wisely but too well.† – This statement is indeed indicative of him making the wrong choice to allow his emotions overthrow him which utterly leads to his downfall.

Organisational Development Assignment

I POL POYTECHNIC OF NAMIBIA Harold Pupkewitz Graduate School of Business ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET ————————————————- HP-GSB STAMP Assignments must be submitted in hard copy to:- The Secretary HP-GSB Reception Tel 061 207-2850 Date Received: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Time Received: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. ————————————————- I declare that this assignment is our own work. I further declare that where material has been used from other sources, whether by paraphrasing or by direct quotation, it has been fully acknowledged and referenced.I have retained a copy of this assignment for my records. ————————————————- Student’s Signature†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (Signed below) †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Date: 28 September 2012 SURNAME &| Mr. Anton Scheun | †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ | FIRST NAME:| | | STUDENT NUMBER:| | | COURSE TITLE:| Masters in Leadership and Change Management| | MODULE TITLE| ODOrganisational Development| | MODULE FACILITATOR:| Dr. S. Pillay| | ASSIGNMENT DUE DATE:| 10 October 2012| | This is to certify that the assignment is the work of the student, Mr A. Scheun and where sources were consulted; reference was made to them under he reference table. ii Mr. ANTON SCHEUN 9328548 ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSIGNMENT iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Learning Organisation A Learning Organisation is organisations or enterprises that continuously needs to learn and renew themselves. This indeed has many advantages for both the individual and organisation in that continuous transferring of knowledge and changing of behaviours takes place. The best way to implement such intervention, to become a learning or ganisation, is to link it to the Strategic, Tactical, Operational and Individual Plans of staff members in the organisation.This will ensure integration and everyone contributing to the achievement of the goals and objectives of the enterprise. By so doing, members and the organisation become learning organisations, because this create dialogue, debate, problem solving skills, communication, buy-in and a win-win combination to all parties. 2. Performance Management System The purpose of Performance Management systems for organisations is to measure the achievement and performance of both individuals and the organisation as a whole. The PSN has already implemented a PMS at Offices, Ministries, Agencies and Regional Councils.A Performance Management System can only â€Å"survive† if all staff members are committed, trained and have the culture to effectively implement such a system. The advantages are enormous of which individual as well as organisational goals are met at the e nd of the day. The effective implementation of a PMS for the OPM will indeed contribute to effective and efficient customer needs and satisfaction levels. 3. Total Quality Management Total Quality Management is an area which has been neglected in the past by the Public Service of Namibia (PSN).As an example, all secretaries, institutional workers, drivers and courier’s individual performance plans are integrated and aligned to the Strategic Plan of the OPM for the support and attainment of corporate functions. 2. 2. 4 Team Learning; Team learning involves relevant thinking skills that enable groups of people to develop intelligence and an ability that is greater than the sum of individual members’ talents. As an example, team meetings are conducted during Annual Management Strategic formulation and development sessions by all team unit members.This indeed creates team learning, because all ideas, inputs and strategies being formulated are considered and the best are in corporated in respective plans. By so doing, all team members are buy-in and all sub-units contribute to the achievement of the overall goal and objectives of the OPM. 2. 2. 5 Systems Thinking: Systems thinking involve a way of thinking about, and a language for describing and understanding forces and interrelationships that shape the behaviour of systems.It helps managers and employees alike to see how to change systems more effectively and to act more in tune with the larger processes of the natural and economic world. For example, all unit members of the OPM were involved with the formulation and /or review of their business re-engineering processes. These business processes, such as the recruitment process, were amended to consider and improve time, manpower needs, costs and approval authorities in order to improve, integrate and streamline such processes to the betterment of the OPM.Through this process, policies, structure and budgets were identified for further amendment and alignment to the organisations systems and strategic plans. System thinking also involves the identification of appropriate systems that should be upgraded, such as an appropriate Human Resources Information Management System in order to accommodate personal particulars, performance appraisals, rewards and salary increments to mention a few. 4 3. The under-mentioned interventions are recommended for the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM): 3. That the OPM’s Strategic Plan be amended to incorporate a goal: â€Å"Creating a Learning Organisation by 2015†, and objectives with strategies or initiatives, as spelled out below, be included. 3. 2 That the following strategies/interventions be considered: (a) That all management cadre and managers/supervisors be included in the review of the Annual Management Plan of the OPM on a yearly basis. This will allow for buy-in, developing of intellectual stimulating, argumentation and strategy formulatio n for the respective tactical, operational and individual plans of the units. b) That the same team retreat to review, amend and/or formulate all business re-engineering processes of the OPM. This will allow for team building, building a sense of commitment system thinking and creating mental models based on reflecting of where the units are and where they want to be in terms of business processes. (c) That a Training needs assessment be conducted by the training components in order to identify competency, skills and behavioural deficiencies. This will enable the OPM to identify and ectify these deficiencies and also to build capacity in the OPM and Public Service of Namibia. (PSN) (d) That staff members be identified and trained as mentors and coaches to affect mentorship programmes in the OPM and to become coaches in their respective units. This will enable transfer of knowledge, skills and change in behaviours of staff. Further that mentors and coaching will contribute to persona l mastery of individual needs and objectives with OPM’s objectives. e) That units should developed in-service –training programmes in areas of identified deficiencies, such as policy formulation, disciplinary procedures, recruitment and placement, etc. This will contribute to capacity building and attention to day-to-day deficiencies in the work place. It will allow for cross cultural and unit team building and problem solving issues. (f) That the training budget be utilised to accommodate for short courses and leadership/ management development for individuals, teams and the broader organisation.This will indeed contribute a link between individual and organisational goal achievement, capacity building, inputs, innovation and team learning. (g) That as part of career development, managers be transferred, every five years to new posts. Further, that job rotation and job enlargement is implemented in job descriptions to stretch the work and employee capacities for devel opment of prospective staff members to higher posts as part of the succession plan of the OPM. 5 (h) That a Bursary Scheme be created to allow staff members to study in identified fields where capacity is needed in the OPM.This will assist the OPM in skills shortages and to develop capacity of staff and the organisation. (i) That focus groups, tasks teams and committees be created as a stimulus for ideas, problem solving, creating of new innovations in the fields of disaster management, employment creation and measures to retention staff members at the OPM. (j) That a more generative learning approach be adopted by the OPM, whereby staff has the opportunity to take risks, make mistakes, reflect on their decisions they had taken and change their behaviours accordingly. 3. 3. Conclusion:The OPM, as well as any organisation are facing constant challenges in the creation of themselves to become a learning organisation. The creation of a learning organisation is not a short term strategy and cannot be done overnight, but should rather be long-termed focused and be part of any strategic plan of a given enterprise. In its guest to become a learning organisation, the Public Service of Namibia and the OPM are facing the problem to be used as a springboard to obtain relevant experience and qualifications, where after staff members resign to look for greener pastures.The organisational interventions that were recommended will definitely assist the OPM to become a more effective learning organisation in the near future. 1. 2 Performance Management 1. 2. 1 The following definitions are postulated: (a) Performance management is the process of creating a work environment or setting in which people are enabled to perform to the best of their abilities. Performance management is a whole work system that begins when a job is defined as needed. It ends when an employee leaves your organization†. (www. humanresources. about. com ,cited 6/10/2012) b) Performance means:† the act or process of performing or carrying out†. (Oxford Dictionary, page 885) (c) â€Å"An assessment of an employee, process, equipment or other factor to gauge progress toward predetermined goals† (www. businessdictionary. com,cited 6/10/2012) (d) The students own definition is: â€Å"Performance management is a management system, used by managers, to appraise employees with relation to goal achievement, corrective measures to be implemented and identifying future knowledge, skills and behaviours to improve performance of people†. 6 1. 2. What are the challenges with regard to a Performance Management System (PMS)? The challenges are: (a) Line managers are not always totally committed to the implementation processes of the PMS. (b) It requires total commitment from top management, management cadres, line managers, supervisors, performance champions and staff members. (c) It requires a mind shift to a new performance culture. (d) It is an integrated approac h that links to Directives, Rules, and Regulations.(e) It identifies and needs coaching, mentoring, training and in-service training programmes. f) It provides for an integrated budget approach. (g) Performance champions and drivers should be identified and trained. (h) PMDS Moderating Committees should be established to monitor, evaluate and provide corrective actions. (i) It is time consuming to conduct performance appraisals and keep records of performance and behaviours of employees. (j) It should be benchmark with other organisations to effect total quality management and to keep abreast with latest developments and performance management computerized systems. 1. 2. What are the benefits of a Performance Management System? The benefits are: (a) To generate information that supports other human resources activities, i. e. recruitment and selection, rewards and special treatment, disciplinary and grievances,HIV/AIDS and wellbeing, bursary, training and development to mention a fe w. (b) It serves as a two way communication channel between line managers and staff members through which clarity is obtained regarding the achievement of goals and objectives and what each party expects from the other. 7 c) It helps to clarify job descriptions, organisational goals and objectives. (d) It is a long term (continuous) process in which performance improves over time. (e) It relies on consensus and cooperation between employer and employee, rather than control or coercion. (f) It requires a management style which is open and honest and encourages two-way communication and constant feedback on level of staff members’ performances. (g) It assists managers and staff members to measure and assess performance against jointly agreed objectives, standards and key performance indicators. h) It contributes to organisational learning, organisational renewal and total quality management and to the achievement of Vision 2030 of Namibia. 1. 2. 4 The under-mentioned interventi ons are recommended for the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the OPM: (a) The PSN should establish and operationalized a PMS, based on the Balance Score card approach of Dr’s Kaplan and Norton. To do this, a PMS Policy framework and guiding manual for staff members should be compiled and linked to the Public Service Act, Act No. 13 of 1995.(b) In order to roll-out the PMS, the following sub-interventions are needed: 1) Strategic Plans need to be developed and explained to all staff members in order to get buy-in and change mind sets of public servants. (2) Strategic Plans should be cascaded to tactical, operational and group/individual performance plans and performance contracts to legalise and create accountability for the achievement or non- achievement of organisational goals, objectives and activities. (3) Strategic Plans should be supplemented by structural changes, job analysis, manpower planning to effectively integrate PMS with other main and sub-systems of the PSN. 4) The PMS should be market through a vision, mission, values, communication and training strategy. To this performance champions should be identified, trained and use to train –the –trainer in Offices, Ministries, Agencies and Regional Councils (OMARC’s). Training interventions should be develop to train ministers, permanent secretaries and management cadres to obtain buy-in and commitment. (5) Different committees should be established to oversee the implementation, monitoring, evaluation, corrective action, appeal procedures and reward systems of the PSN.To this, a PMS Management Committee, a PMS Working Committee and a PMS Training and Champion Committee should be established to effect implementation with terms of references. 8 (6) In order for PMS to be effectively and efficiently implemented, it should be rolled-out as a project. To this J. P. Kotter’s Eight- Step model is recommended to implement the PMS as a change management initiative. (Robbins & Judge, 2011). Refer to Appendix: A- a presentation which was given by Group 2. (c) Performance Agreements or Packs should be compiled and sign-off between the supervisors and staff member. d) Job profiles or descriptions should be compiled and attached to performance agreements. These two elements display the incumbent position to what is required, whereby the performance agreement emphasized the goals and objectives that need to be achieved by the individual or group. (e) The Disciplinary Policy should be amended to cater for under performers and staff who fail to perform at all. (f) Rewards, both intrinsic and extrinsic should form part of the PMS Policy framework. (g) The appraisal procedure, assessment marks and template to enter performance data should form part of the PMS Operational Manual. h) Recognition to staff should be given, annually, on the 23 June of each year, to coincide with the celebration of Africa Public Service Day. (i) A budget vote should be given to OMARCâ⠂¬â„¢s to cater for financial expenses. (j) The appraisal of staff should be conducted on a quarterly basis. (k) OMARC’s should submit a performance report to the OPM on an annual basis as part of their Annual Report on their respective performances. 1. 2. 5. Conclusion: It is the opinion of the student that the OPM and any organisation should have a PMS system to track performances of people against those objectives in their performance contracts.The PMS system will not only contribute to performance per se, but will encourage open communication, feedback, problem solving issues which inter alia contribute to organisational learning and a system of total quality management. The effective implementation of a PMS for the OPM will indeed contribute to effective and efficient customer needs and satisfaction levels. 9 3. Total Quality Management 3. 1 Introduction: Total Quality Management (TQM) has started in the USA in the mid-1970’s. Philip Crosby, one of the founders of TQM claimed that over 90% of TQM initiatives failed.Studies in European countries found a failure rate of 70% or more. The reason for this is that managers experience problems how to manage the change process in implementing a total TQM system. (Burnes, 2009). TQM exceeds the product quality approach, involves all employees in the organisation and encompasses all functions, i. e. administration, communications, distribution, manufacturing, marketing, planning, training, etc. (www. businessdictionary. com ,cited 2012) 3. 2 The following definitions are postulated: a) TQM can be defined: â€Å"as an executive commitment to a management culture which fosters the improvement of quality of all activities and products via the prioritisation of quality plus companywide organisational development and training†. (Hill, 2011). (b) â€Å"Total Quality Management or TQM is an integrative philosophy of management for continuously improving the quality of products and processes†. ( www. wikipedia. com ,cited 2012) (c) â€Å"TQM is an improvement program which provides tools and techniques for continuous improvement based on facts and analysis; and if properly implemented, it avoids counterproductive organisational infighting†. www. acounting4management. com/total _quality management. htm, 2012). 3. 3 The meaning of Total QualityManagement: TQM has different meanings that include the following features: (a) The commitment and direct involvement of the highest-level executives in setting quality goals and policies, allocation of resources, and monitoring of results. (b) Realisation that transforming and organisation means fundamental changes in basic beliefs and practises and that this transformation is everyone’s job. (c) Building quality into products and practices right from the beginning. d) Understanding of the changing needs of the internal and external customers, stakeholders, and satisfying them in a cost effective manner. 10 (e) Institutin g leadership in place of mere supervision so that every individual performs in the best possible manner to improve quality and productivity, thereby reducing total cost. (f) Eliminating barriers between people and departments so that they work as teams to achieve common objectives. (g) Instituting flexible programs for training and education, and providing meaningful 3. 4 The advantages and disadvantages of Total Quality Management: .4. 1 The advantages are: (a) Lower costs. â€Å"TQM lower costs throughout the business infrastructure and organisation. Because it is an all-encompassing quality management programme, TQM helps different departments to communicate their needs, problems and desires with each other, so that workable solutions can be found that will help the organisation cut costs throughout the supply chain, distribution chain, shipping and receiving, accounting and management departments without losing productivity or the ability to operate rapidly in the face of chang e. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) (b) Improved Reputation. â€Å"TQM has the advantage of improving corporate as well as product reputations in the marketplace, because errors and defective products are discovered much more rapidly than other a non-TQM system, and often before they are ever sent to market or found in the hands of public†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) (c) Higher employee morale. â€Å"Workers are motivated by extra responsibility, team work and involvement in decisions of TQM†. (www. ehow. om ,cited 7/10/2012) (d) Quality control inspectors. â€Å"Inspectors will ensure that the products and services meet the requirements and standards of the client and organisation, which indeed contribute to better service delivery†. 3. 4. 2 The disadvantages are: (a) Resistance to change. † Workers may feel that their jobs or occupations within the company are at risks under a comprehensive TQM program, and as a result, they may be slow or resist ant to making the necessary changes for the TQM to work properly.In addition, skilled workers may be lost as they decide to leave because of their unease at the direction that things are headed within the company, or they may not implement things properly, costing increase cost†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) 11 (b) High cost of time. The high cost of implementing a TQM program, and the fact that it may take several years for the program to be fully implemented before results and benefits are seen, can be a huge disadvantage to a TQM program, especially in today’s uncertain economic conditions.TQM should be considered a long-term investment†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) (c) Resistant to change. Workers may be resistant to change and may feel less secure in their jobs†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) 3. 5 The under-mentioned interventions are recommended for the Permanent Secretary (PS) of the OPM: The Total Quality Management System is highly re commended for the Public Service due to the following reasons: (a) The PSN needs an instrument which can measure products (i. e. annual reports, speeches, etc. and services(i. e. Health, identity cards, Namibian passports, birth and death certificates, vehicle fleet services, maintenance and fuel consumption, the return on investment of training ) to improve service delivery clients, customers and the public at large. (b) Total Quality Management will ensure the minimisation of wastage. (c) TQM will contribute to effective and efficient service delivery to internal and external clients, and especially to the Presidents Office, Prime Minister, and cabinet. d) TQM will ensure that the food donated to crisis areas, such as Katima Mulilo and Oshikoto Region, during the extreme rainy seasons as well as drought relief programmes, be monitored and/or not get rotten. (e)TQM will contribute to team building and cross functional interaction, problem solving and sound debate between Offices, M inistries, Agencies and Regional Councils (OMASRC’s). (f) It will ensure that product and services could be branded which in turn will have a positive impact on the OMASRC’s and government as a whole. g) It will create stimulus to team work, higher sensitivity levels, greater responsibilities and even empowerment of staff members in the execution of this specific function. It may also make staff members proud to see the end results of product and services in which they were directly involved in. (h) It will force the OPM to set standards and requirements for products and services which will eventually lead to the creation of Namibia’s own government brand, such as the SABS standards. (i) It will create further employment of specialist as inspectors that will not only be utilised for inspection of such products and services, but can also 2 be incorporated in a Department of Inspectorate for the Public Service of Namibia. Such a Department doesn’t exist and need serious consideration. (j) As with resistance to change, it’s recommended that Kotter’s eight step plan be followed, as indicated in Appendix: A. (k) That a vote is created and the Ministry of Finance be assigned to allocated funds for the implementation of TQM in the PSN. (l) That the OPM, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Transport and Communications be used as pilot ministries in the first two years during roll-out of the project. 3. 6.Conclusion: The PSN and the government need a quality software system to evaluate its products and services. There is a public outcry that the PSN and Government should improve customer satisfaction by bringing their services to the public and that they should change. It’s the opinion of the student that TQM, as a management tool will provide for such a measurement in order to provide effective and efficient service delivery to clients, customers and stakeholders. TQM will significantly help to improve the standard and mea surement of performance management in the PSN. . Six Sigma: 4. 1 Introduction: The originator of the Six Sigma concept was Bill Smith in 1986. Quality improvement controls, such as TQM, were used to pioneer this concept. Six Sigma is the process of eliminating and perfect data entry. This concept is based on project methodologies used to strengthen performance levels, according to www. insigma. com. In 2006, Motorola issued a press release stating that they had $17 billion saved from Six Sigma†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012)4. 2 Definition: a) The project definition of TQM is defined as;† Six Sigma projects have clearly defined deliverables, are management approved, are not so big that they’re unmanageable and not so little that they’re unimportant or uninteresting, and relate directly to the organisation,s mission, according to www. isixsigma. com†. (www. ehow. com ,cited 7/10/2012) 13 4. 3 Advantages and disadvantages of six sigma: 4. 3. 1 The a dvantages are: (a) â€Å"The advantage is that Six Sigma is a quality standard that establishes a goal of no more than3. 4 defects per million units or procedures â€Å". b) â€Å"Six Sigma aims to maximize customer satisfaction and minimize defects†. (c) â€Å"Six Sigma is a tool that if used correctly, can identify key areas of business processes that need attention to lower effect rates. One of the greatest advantages is that all the measured improvements achieved through this technique can be directly converted into financial results†. (d) â€Å"Research proves that firms that successfully implement Six Sigma perform better in virtually every business category, including return on sales, return on investment, employment growth and stock value growth†.Source: (www. ehow. com , cited 7/10/2012). 4. 3. 1 The disadvantages are: (a) The eventual costs to implement Six Sigma are very high. To this, Becthel Corporation in the USA has spent USD 30 million to imple ment Six Sigma. (b) According to a quality expert, Joseph M. Duran, Six Sigma is described as â€Å"a basic version of quality improvement† stating that â€Å"there is nothing new there†¦they have adopted more flamboyant terms, like belts with different colors† Source: (Integrating Organisational Development and Six Sigma. Jeffrey, B. ) 4. Recommendations to the Permanent Secretary: (a) Six Sigma should not be implemented in the Public Service of Namibia in the short to medium term, but it should be considered whether the Namibia Defence Force can do research and conduct a feasibility study to determine the viability of Six Sigma for the PSN. Research indicated that the United States of America has introduced it in their Navy with success. Source: www. accounting4management. com, 2012). (b) The TQM intervention should be given first priority in OMASRC’s, before Six Sigma is considered in the PSN. c) It is further recommended that financial and manpower be a llocated to conduct such a feasibility study and that the Ministry of Finance release funds and a vote to source this research. 14 (d) The above should be carried out according to project management principles and procedures. (e) The feasibility study should be submitted, after presentation to the Permanent Secretaries meeting on 30 June 2013. During this meeting it can further be recommended whether Six Sigma should be introduced and be roll-out to the PSN. 4. 5 Conclusions:Although Six Sigma is widely used, especially in the USA and Europe, no evidence could be found that Namibia is using it currently. This may be, because it is not cost effective and/or there is not yet a market for it. It is strongly recommended that the NDF, especially the Navy should conduct a research and feasibility study to determine whether it is viable for Namibia and if the Defence Force may benefit in the long run. This report will indicate whether Six Sigma can be roll-out to the rest of the Public Ser vice of Namibia.REFERENCES Burnes, B. Managing Change. Fifth Edition. 2009. Pearson Education Limited. England. Nel, P. S. , Gerber, P. D. , Van Dyk, P. S. , Haasbroek, G. D. , Schultz, H. B. , Sono, T. , Werner, A. Human Resources Management. 5th Edition. 2011. Oxford University Press. Southern Africa. Hill, M. Study material on Managing People and Organisations. July 2011. Windhoek. Robbins, S. P. , & Judge, T. A. A. , Organisational Behavior. Global Edition. 2011. Prentice Hall. New Jersey. www. acounting4management. com/total quality management. htm, Definition and Explanation of the Concept of Total Quality Management System. Cited 7/10/2012. www. businessdictionary. om. Definition of Total Quality Management System. Cited 7/ 10/2012. www. businessdictionary. com . Cited 6/10/2012 www. ehow. com. Advantages and disadvantages of TQM. Cited 7/10/2012. www. humanresources. about. com. Cited 6/10/201 www. hrfolks. com. The Learning Organisation. Review- Rohan Nagwekar. Cited 1/ 10/2012. www. see. ed. ac. uk. Learning organisations. Cited 1/10/2012. www. wikipedia. com. Cited 6/10/2012. 15 APPENDIX Appendix: A- Leading change: Why transformational efforts fail. Presented by Group 2 of Masters in Leadership and Change Management, dated September 2012