Understanding Leadership Styles Essay Example for Free

Understanding Leadership Styles Essay There are a number of factors that will influence the style of leadership a leader may choose, such as: The working environment, The task or project that is being tackled, The staff themselves and their preferred style of working, along with their personal traits and qualities How do you determine what is an appropriate style? Any leader uses a range of different styles at different times during the course of a single day. Decisions have to be made and it may be appropriate for different styles of leadership at different times, and for different situations during that day. Another factor that has to be considered when choosing a leadership style is that the leadership style at the beginning should be consistent with what people in the organization expect. Transactional leadership This is done by enticing staff with rewards such as bonuses, prizes, something that will be of benefit to the staff member; these are achieved by setting targets. The outcome of this will be that the target is achieved but the morale of the team may be affected with some doing very well and gaining great recognition, others not so well which can demoralise the staff and affect their enthusiasm for future tasks. Transformation leadership This is a beliefs and values type of leading getting the team to believe the vision of the final aim. This is done by talking and listening to the team and being positive and enthusiastic about the aim. One of the benefits of this type of leadership in comparison with Transactional leadership is that no one feels like they are being singled out for under achieving as they are all working together and believe in the leaders vision, this is done by encouraging individuals values and enthusiasm for the task. Authentic Leadership This is a leader who is extremely good at what they do whilst remaining grounded and in touch with their workforce, an assumed leader rather than elected. They can inspire their staff to achieve great things with their passion commitment and drive, whilst still connecting with their team by showing their appreciation and encouragement to team members. Autocratic Leadership Autocratic leaders insist on doing it all themselves. They have all the power, make all the decisions, and dont often tell anyone else about what theyre doing. An autocratic leader often maintains their authority by force, intimidation, threats, reward and punishment, or position. Although they may or may not have a clear vision, and may or may not be steering the organization in the right direction, they are not concerned with whether anyone else agrees with what them or not. One positive with autocratic leadership is that it allows quick decision-making, and eliminates arguments over how and why things get done. On the negative it may reduce the likelihood of getting a range of different ideas from different people, and can make people feel as though they are being treated badly, or as if they dont matter. If, as is often true, the leader is concerned with his own power and status, hell be looking over his shoulder, and moving to squelch any opposition to him or his ideas and decisions. Innovation or the use of others ideas is only permissible if its part of the leaders plan. Effects on the organization. Autocratic leaders often leave fear and mistrust in their wake. Others in the organization tend to copy their protection of their position, and their distrust of others ideas and motives. Often, autocratically -led organizations are not particularly supportive of personal relationships, but much more keyed to chain-of-command. Everyone has her own sphere, and protects it at all costs. Communication tends to go in only one direction up as a result of which rumor can become the standard way of spreading news in the organization. At its best (and there are decent autocratic leaders see the box directly below ), autocratic leadership provides a stable and secure work environment and decisive, effective leadership. All too often, however, it can sacrifice initiative, new ideas, and the individual and group development of staff members for the predictability of a highly structured, hierarchical environment where everyone knows exactly what hes supposed to do, and follows orders without  question. Although the above paints a pretty bleak picture, many autocratic leaders are not hated and feared, but rather esteemed, and even loved. It depends on their own personalities like anyone else, they can be nice people, or highly charismatic, or even willing to listen to and act on others ideas on the organization itself (in the military, most soldiers want someone firmly in charge), on the quality of their decisions, and on the needs of the people they lead. If theyre generally decent and not abusive, make good deci sions for the organization, and fulfil the parent-figure or authority -figure image that most people in the organization are looking for, they can be both effective and well-respected. 2. Managerial. The leader who sees herself as a manager is concerned primarily with the running of the organization. Where its going is not at issue, as long as it gets there in good shape. She may pay attention to relationships with and among staff members, but only in the service of keeping things running smoothly. Depending upon the nature and stability of the organization, her main focus may be on funding, on strengthening the organizations systems and infrastructure (policies, positions, equipment, etc.), or on making sure day-to-day operations go well (including making sure that everyone is doing what hes supposed to). If shes efficient, a managerial leader will generally be on top of whats happening in the organization. Depending on the size of the organization and her management level, shell have control of the budget, know the policies and procedures manual inside out, be aware of whos doing his job efficiently and whos not, and deal with issues quickly and firmly as they co me up. What she wont do is steer the organization. Vision isnt her business; maintaining the organization is. Effects on the organization. In general, a well-managed organization, regardless of its leadership style, is a reasonably pleasant place to work. Staff members don t have to worry about ambiguity, or about whether theyll get paid. As long as oversight is relatively civil no screaming at people, no setting staff members against one another things go along on an even keel. Good managers even try to foster friendly relationships with and among staff, because they make the organization work better. On the other hand, good management without a clear vision creates an organization with no sense of purpose. The organization may simply act to support the status quo, doing what it has always done in order to keep  things running smoothly. That attitude neither fosters passion in staff members, nor takes account of the changing needs (and they do change) of the target population or the community. The organization may do what it does efficiently and wellbut what it does may not be what it should be doing, and it wont be examining that possibility any time soon. Obviously, the leader of any organization as well as any other administrator has to be a manager at least some of the time. Many are in fact excellent managers, and keep the organization running smoothly on a number of levels. The issue here is the style that person adopts as a leader. If she sees management as her primary purpose, shes a managerial leader, and will have a very different slant on leadership than if her style is essentially democratic, for instance. 3. Democratic. A democratic leader understands that there is no organization without its people. He looks at his and others positions in terms of responsibilities rather than status, and often consults in decision-making. While he solicits, values, and takes into account others opinions, however, he sees the ultimate responsibility for decision-making as hi s own. He accepts that authority also means the buck stops with him. Although he sees the organization as a cooperative venture, he knows that he ultimately has to face the consequences of his decisions alone. Democratic leadership invites the participation of staff members and others, not only in decision-making, but in shaping the organizations vision. It allows everyone to express opinions about how things should be done, and where the organization should go. By bringing in everyones ideas, it enriches the organizations possibilities. But it still leaves the final decisions about what to do with those ideas in the hands of a single person. Some models of democratic leadership might put the responsibility in the hands of a small group a management team or executive committee rather than an individual. Effects on the organization. Democratic leadership, with its emphasis on equal status, can encourage friendships and good relationships throughout the organization. (In more hierarchical organizations, clerical staff and administrators are unlikely to socialize, for instance; in a democratically-led organization, such socialization often happens.) It helps people feel valued when their opinions are solicited, and even more so if those opinions are incorporated into a final decision or policy. What a democratic leadership doesnt necessarily do although it can is  establish staff ownership of the organization and its goals. Although everyone may be asked for ideas or opinions, not all of those are used or incorporated in the workings of the organization. If there is no real discussion of ideas, with a resulting general agreement, a sense of ownership is unlikely. Thus, democratic leadership may have some of the drawbacks of autocratic leadership a lack of buy-in without the advantages of quick and clear decision-making that comes with the elimination of consultation. 4. Collaborative. A collaborative leader tries to involve everyone in the organization in leadership. She is truly first among equals, in that she may initiate discussion, pinpoint problems or issues that need to be addressed, and keep track of the organization as a whole, rather than of one particular job. But decisions are made through a collaborative process of discussion, and some form of either majority or consensus agreement. Toward that end, a collaborative leader tries to foster trust and teamwork among the staff as a whole. A collaborative leader has to let go of the need for control or power or status if she is to be effective. Her goal is to foster the collaborative process, and to empower the group whether the staff and others involved in an organization, or the individuals and organizations participating in a community initiative to control the vision and the workings of the organization. She must trust that, if people have all the relevant information, theyll make good decisionsand she must make sure that they have that information, and provide the facilitation that assures those good decisions. Effects on the organization. Collaborative leadership comes as close as possible to ensuring that members of the organization buy into its vision and decisions, since they are directly involved in creating them. It comes closest to the goal of servant leadership explored in the previous section (Please see Chapter 13, Section 2: Servant Leadership: Accepting and Maintaining the Call of Service), and it also comes closest to reflecting the concepts of equality and empowerment included in the philosophy and miss ion of so many grass roots and community-based organizations. It thus removes much of the distrust that often exists between line staff and administrators. David Chrislip and Carl E. Larson, in Collaborative Leadership How Citizens and Civic Leaders Can Make a Difference, equate collaborative leadership not only with servant leadership, but with transformational (see below) and  facilitative leadership as well. They identify four characteristics of the collaborative leader: * Inspiring commitment and action. The collaborative leader helps people develop the vision and passion to start and maintain the work. * Leading as a peer problem solver. The collaborative leader facilitates problem solving by modeling and teaching a process, and by helping others bring their experience and ideas to bear. * Building broad-based involvement. The collaborative leader invites everyone concerned into an inclusive process. * Sustaining hope and participation. Reaching goals may take a long time. The collaborative leader both helps the group set interim goals so it can see progress, and, by example and in other ways, helps to maintain the passion and commitment to keep going when theres no end in sight. Collaborative leaders also generally foster close relationships among staff members, making for more communication and cross-fertilization in their work, and leading to more effective ways to accomplish the organizations goals. On the down side, management can be neglected in favor of building a collaborative organization. Even more to the point, collaborative decision-making can be excruciating. Depending upon the group, ideas can be talked to death, and insignificant disagreements about insignificant areas of policy can take hours to resolve. Collaborative decision-making can be democratic based on a majority vote after discussion or dependent on arriving at consensus, with a range of possibilities in between. Consensus decision-making is particularly difficult, in that it requires everyone to agree before a decision can be made. A single determined individual can derail the process indefinitely. Even at its best, a consensus process can take inordinate amounts of time, and try the patience of all involved. Its not impossible to employ, but it takes real commitment to the ideal of consensus, and enormous patience. In practice, true consensus decision-making is most often used in collective organizations, which are significantly different from collaborative ones, and often involve everyone in leadership. Another way of looking at leadership style A different view, popularized by James MacGregor Burns, contrasts two styles of leadership: transactional and transformational. Transactional leadership, as its name implies, views leadership as based on transactions  between leader and followers. The leader sees human relations as a series of transactions. Thus rewards, punishments, reciprocity, exchanges (economic, emotional, physical) and other such transactions are the basis of leadership. In simplest terms, I lead this organization by paying you and telling you what you need to do; you respond by doing what you need to do efficiently and well, and the organization will prosper. Transformational leadership looks at leadership differently. It sees a true leader as one who can distill the values and hopes and needs of followers into a vision, and then encourage and empower followers to pursue that vision. A transactional leader thinks of improvement or development as doing the same thing better: an organization that reaches more people, a company that makes more money. A transformational leader thinks about changing the world, even if only on a small scale. Combining the two views of leadership style These two ways of looking at leadership style are not mutually exclusive: in fact, its easier to look at leadership in the context of both. Assuming, as almost all leadership theorists do, that transformational is either better than, or a necessary addition to, transactional leadership, what elements go into creating a transformational leader? What styles are transformational leaders likely to employ, and how? Elements of transformational leadership The transformational leader conceives of leadership as helping people to create a common vision and then to pursue that vision until its realized. She elicits that vision from the needs and aspirations of others, gives it form, and sets it up as a goal to strive for. The vision is not hers: it is a shared vision that each person sees as his own. Martin Luther Kings overwhelming I Have A Dream speech derived its power not only from the beauty of his oratory, but from the fact that it crystallized the feelings of all those citizens, of all races, who believed that racism was a great wrong. In that speech, King spoke with the voices of the hundreds of thousands who stood before the Lincoln Memorial, and of millions of others who shared in his vision. That speech remains as the defining moment of the Civil Rights struggle, and defined King who had already proved his mettle in Birmingham and elsewhere as a transformational leader. The conception behind transformational leadership is thu s providing and working toward a  vision, but also has elements of empowerment, of taking care of people, and even of task orientation. The job of the transformational leader is not simply to provide inspiration and then disappear. It is to be there, day after day, convincing people that the vision is reachable, renewing their commitment, priming their enthusiasm. Transformational leaders work harder than anyone else, and, in the words of a spiritual, keep their eyes on the prize. The methods that transformational leaders might use to reach their goals can vary. Theyll virtually always include involving followers in the goal, as well as charisma, which comes, if not from personal characteristics, from the ability to put a mutual vision into words, and to move a group toward the realization of that vision. Transformational leaders may also use sharing power, setting an example, and/or persuasion to help move a group toward its goal. What style does all that imply? The managerial style is perhaps least appropriate to transformational leadership, since it pays no attention to vision. The autocratic pays little attention to the ideas of others, and is not generally congenial to the transformational leader. On the other hand, there was Hitler, who tapped into the deepest emotions of those he led, and voiced them in a frightening but highly effective way. There is no guarantee that a transformational leader will work for the betterment of humanity, although he may c ouch his vision in those terms. The intersection of the transformational and the autocratic is not impossible, but it usually has, at best, mixed results. Fidel Castro initiated and has maintained desperately-needed land, education, health, and other reforms in Cuba, for which he is still revered by much of the islands population. He also eliminated any vestige of political freedom, imprisoned and executed dissenters and political opponents, and was at least partially responsible for destroying much of Cubas economic base in the name of ideological purity. As with the four styles described earlier, there is no guarantee that either a transactional or transformational leader will be an effective one. The democratic and collaborative styles are both better possibilities for transformational leadership. Both allow for input from everyone, and both encourage participation in the realization of long-term goals. It can be difficult for a highly motivated, charismatic leader to operate in the collaborative mode, but it can also be tremendously satisfying. There is an argument to be made  that, because of the high degree of ownership of the vision in a collaboratively-run organization, the collaborative style could be the most successful for transformational leadership. As noted above, David Chrislip and Carl Larson actually see collaborative and transformational leadership as essentially the same.  and of course the leaders qualities and personal traits are a major factor, whether they are confident , inspirational, approachable, committed, knowledgeable, disciplined, open minded, responsible, positive, energising , trustworthy,

The Cherry Orchard :: essays research papers

In drama â€Å" The Cherry Orchard† , Lopakhin and Madame Ranevsky are clashing individuals, who are not to be judged as either good or bad. Both characters are human, having honorable traits. Lopakhin and Madame Ranevsky's characters are incompatible in the other's mind. Madame Ravensky is a member of the falling aristocracy who is a lost romantic trapped in a fantasy world on the orchard while forgetting her troubles in the "real" world. Lopakhin is a money driven, sometimes vulgar, and socially rising individual. Lopakhin is trying to make a future by overcoming his past, but remains genuine and practical in his offering help. The orchard is a focal piece in the play, hence the name "The Cherry Orchard." The orchard is to be sold in a month after Madame Ravensky's arrival. Lopakhin believes that the only way the orchard estate can be saved is by chopping down the cherry trees and breaking up the property, which he intends to do if he buys the orchard. Madame Ravensky would rather the orchard be lost completely than changed from how it will remain in her memories forever. The orchard haunts Madame Ravensky. The orchard is where her son died, which is the saddest thing in her life, but at the same time the orchard was where Madame Ravensky grew up. She remembers all the innocence she had at the orchard, and the orchard would not be the same if it changed. No one can bring back the orchard in her family and she won't save it because the orchard is merely a memory. She is dropping in class as seen in her fifth floor apartment, but will still put on a pitying facade shown by her tipping a rupel. She seems ignorant, yet confident in her impracticality, because she loves the orchard so much but does not want to save it. This is true because Madame Ravensky may not want to save it. Her son died on the orchard as well as the orchard is where she used to live prosperously and like a little girl in her innocence and no worries. It is conceivable that she may not want to save the orchard and just keep it in her memories as she moves back to France excepting her fall in society but still living, acting wealthy. She the orchard reminds Madame Ravensky of the romantic times of her life and wants to hold onto them one last time.

Heart of Darkness Essay

Explore the narrative techniques used in the opening of Heart of Darkness Heart of Darkness opens with a sense of opportunity and adventure, which instantly created in the first paragraph by imagery of the Nellie, waiting for the turn of the tide; The idea of a river and the sea creates a sense of journey. However whilst there is an atmosphere of excitement, there is also sense of underlying tension. One way in which these conflicting impressions are created, is by contrasting the idea of opportunity through the river to London which is described as oppressive,. For example in the second paragraph, Conrad describes that the sea reach of the Thames stretched like an interminable waterway† whilst the â€Å"air was dark above Gravesend, and condensed into a mournful gloom, brooding motionless. Here the idea of an interminable waterway seems to suggest freedom, and journey which is juxtaposed by the oppressive atmosphere created by the words â€Å"gloom and brooding†. The oppressive atmosphere of London and the freedom of the river is reinforced through reiteration of gloom and darkness which contrasted against imagery of light. For example, the river is described as â€Å"shining pacifically, the sky without a speck was benign immensity of unstained light.† Imagery of unstained light, on water is one of beauty and also gives a sense of purity, and adventure; On the other hand the gloom brooding motionless seems creates a sense of foreboding Conrad uses repetition of the word â€Å"gloom† and â€Å"brooding† throughout to reinforce this ominous atmosphere. Further in the opening Conrad personifies the gloom and describes how it was â€Å"brooding over the upper reaches, became sombre every minute, as if angered by the approach of the sun.† That London is untouchable by the sun makes London seem unnatural and consequently reinforces a sense of unease especially when contrasted again. The idea of the natural and the unnatural is used throughout to emphasise a sense of unease about; London is described as â€Å"a monstrous town marked ominously on the sky/ a lurid glare under the stars.† Even against the vastness of the sky, London stands out making it seem menacing. In addition the imagery of the stars convey natural beauty which clashes against London which is described as â€Å"monstrous†. Another example is that the sea and sky are described as being welded together without a joint; The use of welded makes it seemed and forced reiterating a sense of something being incongruent about the scene. Arguably, the reason for this contrasting imagery is not only to create a feeling of suspense to the journey but also represents Conrad’s feelings towards colonisation; On the one hand there is the sense that colonisation is positive, it creates opportunity, yet there is also a notion that colonisation was corrupt. An important motif in the opening of the text which seems to epitomise both these notions is personification of the river Thames. The river Thames represents the power of London as it was the centre of trade and thus on one level, references to the river flowing remind the reader there is much to be gained by the journey. This is demonstrated as Conrad makes references to its historical past. Conrad describes † it had borne all those ships whose names are like jewels flashing in the night of time/, what greatness had not floated on the ebb of that river into the mystery of an unknown earth,† language such as the â€Å"an unknown earth†, makes it see that the journey will be mysterious and exciting as all journeys have started from the river Thames; There is a sense that history will be repeated. This is emphasised by a sense of constant movement of the river which is created by alliteration and the very structure of the opening. Joseph Conrad describes â€Å"we looked at the venerable stream not in the vivid flush of a short day that comes and departs forever but in the august light of abiding memories† The alliteration makes the sentence flow emphasising the idea of the river being continuous rather than a † vivid flush† and emphasising an idea of endless opportunities which can add to the â€Å"august of abiding memories†. This all adds to a feeling of optimism and idea of colonialism being positive. The very structure of the text also seems to mimic the continuity of the river by switching from the past to present, creating a nostalgic feel. For example, after the paragraph about the adventures of the men who had made the nation proud, the next paragraph switches to the sun setting. However, the use of the river as representing the power of London also reminds the reader of the † monstrous town† thus creating a negative impression. Like references to London being marked against the sky, the idea of the river continually flowing reinforces London’s power. Conrad could be insinuating that whilst there are some positive elements to colonisation such as freedom and adventure, there is something unnatural and corrupt about it as it is based on blood shed.. This idea is epitomised, by the idea of the sun setting and turning from flowing white to a dull red without rays and without heat. Here the imagery of the sun setting, reinforces the idea of a new journey, but the white to red also could be symbolic of the blood shed about to come and blood shed which made London so great.

Rhetorical Analysis of Constance Ruzich’s Article

Paul Lucas Professor Paisley Mann English 110B 19 October 2012 A Rhetorical Analysis of â€Å"For the Love of Joe: The Language of Starbucks† In the journal article â€Å"For the Love of Joe: The Language of Starbucks† (2008), Constance M. Ruzich analyzes the success and rise to popularity of The Starbucks Coffee Company around the globe. The article is written and structured for the general public to read and understand. It is meant to be an informative article and as such, Ruzich makes use of a lot of data and includes citations from a variety of other academic sources.She also uses different ways to measure the popularity of Starbucks, not just the financial aspect, but also in terms of its economic status in a global coffee market, just to give us different points of view in relation to her thesis. Her choice in the title is also very appropriate for the topic, which will be discussed later on in this paper. Ruzich begins her article by giving the readers a brief ba ckground on coffee. She is informing us, the readers, on how coffee came about and touches on the â€Å"The history of coffee production, consumption and advertising†¦ (428). Through this, those who are unfamiliar with the origins of coffee will also be captured, as they will get a sense of understanding about where her arguments will lead to later on in the article. It also gives the readers a chance to compare on how coffee was perceived by global consumers, before and after Starbucks was established. She explains, â€Å"The nineteenth century saw the rise of coffee as an international commodity and the accompanying development of coffee-based economies in South America and other developing nations†¦ † (430).Upon capturing the audience, she starts to state a lot of facts and she extensively uses quotations from other studies throughout the entire article. The facts become the structure of the article; they lead the readers to have a certain understanding of previ ous views and studies of the situation. The quotations on the other hand gives the author credibility, the use of the quotations makes it seem to be more accurate since she is not the only one who understands Starbucks in that manner and the readers are assured the information is unaltered.For example, in her discussion on the world’s coffee market, she quotes Wild citing, â€Å" ‘Vietnam had become the world’s second largest coffee producer after Brazil. ’ further depressing the falling price of coffee in the international market (Wild 6)†¦ † (430) She is in a way borrowing the credentials of scholarly and more popular people to make what she is discussing more acceptable to the audience. It also shows how knowledgeable she is of the topic that she can use these quotes to present and defend her thesis.The vast use of technical data would also make it seem that it was not written for the general public but she interprets them and puts it in ter ms more common to the public and through this, anyone could comprehend with what her idea is. Another thing that is evident in the article is how Ruzich compares Starbucks with a lot of its competitors, even those that are not directly competing with Starbucks; they are in the coffee business but they only sell instant coffee as opposed to specialty coffee.For example, she supports her argument by providing statistics of coffee in the global market and how Starbucks places given its premium status. â€Å"Despite the attention the Starbucks has drawn, it has not yet reached the status of a major player in the world markets, and in the United States, Dunkin’ Donuts still sells more coffee than any specialty coffee retailer† (431). This was a fact during the infancy stage of Starbucks. Besides from this, she measures the company’s success in how little advertising it needed to become one of the leading specialty coffee house. Indeed, the company spent less than $10 million on advertising in its first twenty-five years† (qtd. in Pendergrast 378). Which clearly shows, Starbucks’ advantage towards the other coffee retailers. The title she gave for the article, â€Å"For the Love of Joe: The Language of Starbucks†, is as I said in the introduction, appropriate, particularly her use of the word â€Å"Joe†. â€Å"Joe†, according to the New Oxford American Dictionary, has two possible meanings. It can either be interpreted as coffee or the average person.Her article basically revolves around these two meanings of â€Å"Joe† and how they relate. In the article she studies how the average person or â€Å"average joe†, if you will, reacts or has reacted to Starbucks’ influence and practices of personal consumption. Therefore, this brilliant way of presentation has made it easy to remember the main topic since it can all be associated with just one word. With all these literary devices and technique s used, it is not hard to stay on the same track as Ruzich. The readers will more or less be able to reach the same conclusion and have the ame idea as she has. The article has clearly shown that many people have adapted Starbucks’ use of in-store language and it makes them feel like they belong. In truth however, the use of in-store language is an advertising scheme that has the end goal of manipulating, persuading and selling its well-known products to the â€Å"average joe† consumer (440). In-store language is used to implant the idea of Starbucks into the consumer’s mind. Works Cited Ruzich, Constance M. â€Å"The Journal of Popular Culture. † Journal of Popular Culture. 41. 3 (2008): 428–442. Print.

Free Essays on Experiences Reflected in Writing

Experiences Reflected in Writing Do authors use life’s experiences to depict events in their own writing? Not all authors’ lives are reflected in their writing but Kate Chopin’s life influenced and paralleled events in her short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† featured in Michael Meyer’s The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. The story was written in the late 19th century when women were inferior to not only their husbands, but men in general. Mrs. Mallard, the main character, experiences realistic situations that Chopin either experienced one way or another in her own life, or was exposed to by society. Chopin gathers thoughts and ideas from her own life, during this time period when the relationship between men and women differs from today’s culture, to express her beliefs and individuality through her writing. Both Chopin and Mrs. Mallard suffered the death of a close one from a train accident, lived and married in societies where women were to be subm issive to men, and experienced an unexpected loss of freedom and passion in their personal lives. Not only did Chopin and Mrs. Mallard both struggle through a death of a loved one, but the deathly situations were ironically the same. According to the article, â€Å"Kate Chopin: In Search of Freedom† from Classic Literature Weekly, Chopin lost the life of her father in 1855 to a train accident; he was â€Å"one of the first influences in her life† who â€Å"found her natural curiosity fascinating and encouraged her interests† (Classic Lit). Unlike Chopin, Mrs. Mallard did not lose her father. She lost her husband to a train accident; at least that is what she was made to believe. Mrs. Mallard’s sister, Josephine, broke â€Å"to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death† (Meyer 10). Mallard’s loss of her husband is parallel to Chopin’s painful loss of her father several years before writing the story. Chopin and Mrs. Mallard... Free Essays on Experiences Reflected in Writing Free Essays on Experiences Reflected in Writing Experiences Reflected in Writing Do authors use life’s experiences to depict events in their own writing? Not all authors’ lives are reflected in their writing but Kate Chopin’s life influenced and paralleled events in her short story, â€Å"The Story of an Hour,† featured in Michael Meyer’s The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. The story was written in the late 19th century when women were inferior to not only their husbands, but men in general. Mrs. Mallard, the main character, experiences realistic situations that Chopin either experienced one way or another in her own life, or was exposed to by society. Chopin gathers thoughts and ideas from her own life, during this time period when the relationship between men and women differs from today’s culture, to express her beliefs and individuality through her writing. Both Chopin and Mrs. Mallard suffered the death of a close one from a train accident, lived and married in societies where women were to be subm issive to men, and experienced an unexpected loss of freedom and passion in their personal lives. Not only did Chopin and Mrs. Mallard both struggle through a death of a loved one, but the deathly situations were ironically the same. According to the article, â€Å"Kate Chopin: In Search of Freedom† from Classic Literature Weekly, Chopin lost the life of her father in 1855 to a train accident; he was â€Å"one of the first influences in her life† who â€Å"found her natural curiosity fascinating and encouraged her interests† (Classic Lit). Unlike Chopin, Mrs. Mallard did not lose her father. She lost her husband to a train accident; at least that is what she was made to believe. Mrs. Mallard’s sister, Josephine, broke â€Å"to her as gently as possible the news of her husband’s death† (Meyer 10). Mallard’s loss of her husband is parallel to Chopin’s painful loss of her father several years before writing the story. Chopin and Mrs. Mallard...

45 Parking Holidays! The Challenges of Cultural Sensitivity in 2016

45 Parking Holidays! The Challenges of Cultural Sensitivity in 2016 In my newsletter last week, I wrote about how the Jewish holidays are treated, and how that affects my sense of belonging as a Jew. I received so many responses that I am writing a full blog on the topic now. Slippery Slope: Parking Holidays and NYC How to handle holidays is a big question for governments and businesses. Between Jewish, Christian, Hindu, Muslim, Buddhist, and other religious holidays, it’s almost impossible to commemorate all of them. In New York City, there are 45 parking meter holidays- for everything from Christmas to Eid al-Adha to the Asian Lunar New Year. That’s an average of almost one each week, plus the standard Sunday suspension of parking rules. Many of you are probably aware that the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah, was last week, and that Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, will be observed Tuesday night and Wednesday of this week. In Israel on Yom Kippur, there are no radio or TV broadcasts, airports and public transportation systems are shut down, and all shops and businesses are closed. Where I grew up (New York City), everyone, regardless of their own religion, knew when these holidays were coming. Schools were closed and many businesses were closed. No one would even think of scheduling a major business event on one of these High Holy Days. Being Acknowledged Now I live in Wisconsin, where it’s simply not like that. â€Å"Taste of Tenney,† a neighborhood event offering fare from local restaurants, is scheduled for the evening of Yom Kippur. Several times, my coaching group has held their annual party on a High Holy Day. I have declined an invitation for this Wednesday to see a presentation by a top speaker in the entrepreneurial world, hosted by that same group. I keep letting them know when these conflicts arise, and I keep saying, â€Å"This would never happen in New York.† But it happens in Wisconsin. I feel hurt and unseen every time this lack of consciousness reveals itself. Like I am not accepted. Like I do not belong. In contrast, I went to swim at the Highland Park Rec Center in Illinois on Rosh Hashanah this year, where the lifeguard advised me that all swim classes had been cancelled for the holiday! I got a lane to myself, admittedly while many other members of my faith were in synagogue. And, as a nice surprise, I also received a sense of acknowledgment and belonging. Education: Another Slippery Slope After sending out my newsletter, I received many responses. A fellow resume writer sent me an article about how classes at Yale, our common alma mater, go on as usual on the Jewish holidays. I was surprised that I did not remember this tradition from my undergraduate years. I feel angry that there is not more of an observance of these holidays. And yet I also understand. Contemplating the 45 parking holidays in New York, I realize that accommodating all these days on a college schedule would be untenable. Still, there’s a strong voice in me saying that Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur hold enough weight that institutions should respect them. No one would ever think of scheduling classes on Christmas, would they? Give and Take In the workplace, what’s the best way to handle the holidays? Cultural sensitivity is paramount always. In some professions, workers can do a swap to accommodate everyone. For instance, Jewish police officers and nurses often work Christmas, and their Christian colleagues work for them on holidays like Yom Kippur. If you’re delivering couches to your customers, you want to be aware that sometimes a Jewish holiday will not be the appropriate time to do that. Do you send out holiday letters? Are they Christmas-themed? If so, you might be alienating some people. Do you wish people â€Å"Merry Christmas† or â€Å"Happy Holidays† in December? I have become more tolerant in my 40’s than I was as a younger woman. When people wish me Merry Christmas I say thank you and say it back to them. I’m not sure if I like this shift in myself, as it indicates some level of complacency. I still don’t like it when organizations schedule important events on days that make it impossible for practicing Jews to attend, or that flagrantly ignore the existence of sacred days. I want, at least, to be acknowledged. I’m curious to hear your own experience of your holidays. Are you acknowledged by your country’s trends and traditions? Do you acknowledge the traditions of others? What consciousness can you bring to your life and to the people around you this holiday season whenever and wherever that may be? Save Category:Life and LeadershipBy Brenda BernsteinOctober 11, 2016 2 Comments Jan says: October 12, 2016 at 8:16 am Having grown up in suburban Philadelphia (primarily occupied by White Anglo-Saxon Protestants), I always had to take a day off of school for Rosh Hashanah (only the first day) and for Yom Kippur. In college, I actually met a Jewish guy that I fell for and we got married after graduation. He was the first Jew I had ever dated! But then I found a job out in our state capital (part of PAs Bible Belt) and I was astonished at how little my circle knew about any of the Jewish traditions (or what matzoh or Hanukkah is). When I told my new acquaintances about my wedding (at this point, we had divorced) only taking 20 minutes and that I had to schedule is at 9:00 PM (due to being the longest Saturday of the year), they were astounded. Shortly after moving away from my home area, I found out that many of the suburban Philly schools were actually closed for the High Holidays. Certainly not true in this part of the state (100 miles West of my home area). Although there are a few synagogues in this city they dont have really good bagels or kosher thinly-slice corned beef. And trying to find matzoh (some of the grocery stores get a limited number of boxes 2 months before Passover and if you wait until a week before the holiday, youll be out of luck trying to find matzoh or any Passover foods). The schools around here are not closed for our High Holy Days. And events are frequently scheduled on a High Holy Day, without so much as giving it a thought, since its just a regular work day isnt it My Rotary club is selling Christmas wreaths, as a fund raiser. And our supplier only stocks wreaths not green swags (which I would have no objection to buying and hanging). My husband is not Jewish (2nd husband), so it never occurred to him that hanging a wreath on our front door just isnt something Im comfortable with. I have made the suggestion for a couple years, that we look to a new supplier so that we can have a variety of greens to sell during the holiday season. People are more comfortable hanging out with other people who are like them. But, very often, in sticking with people who are like me, I miss out on so many cultural traditions (language, food, religious observations, traditional activities). But were not just talking about religious differences what about people whose skin is a different color than mine? Or their sexual orientation? Or their gender? Or their political views? Or their physical/mental abilities? Our nation is so very diverse but are we inclusive as well? So many of us who are different from the majority do feel left out. How many women achieve C-Level management positions? How many women achieve that career status at the same pay level as men? Many of us are trying, but our society needs a lot of education about including people who are different and who are so valuable. Today is Yom Kippur. May we all be inscribed in the Book of Life for the new year!! Log in to Reply Brenda Bernstein says: October 12, 2016 at 8:46 am Thank you for this amazing addition and contribution Jan indeed my we all be inscribed in the Book of Life with all our beautiful diversity! What a good thing to remember as the elections approach :-). Log in to Reply

Multiple Intelligences Survey Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Multiple Intelligences Survey - Essay Example In a learning/teaching situation some of the different strengths are attributed to the students' different learning or cognitive styles (Larsen 1986). Therefore, if a teacher is able to recognize or take into account the multiple intelligences that her students are endowed with, and apply in her lesson plan then learners will be able to learn better. Taking into account the concept of multiple intelligences various tests and assessments for different levels have been developed that help in self-assessing one's own abilities in a particular area. The multiple intelligence survey that I undertook through the Internet search is specifically meant for teachers. The results with high score accurately indicated my strengths in areas that I am interested and good at. Most importantly the results have helped me to know where and why I am weak and what I can do to overcome my drawbacks. One of the learning strategies that I can adopt in order to improve my linguistic abilities is to reflect on what I read, maintaining a journal, recording or writing down stories etc. Similarly, my inclination towards nature helps and motivates me in learning and knowing more about the names of plants thereby enhancing my knowledge about nature. This again can be linked to improving linguistic ability by writing or describing what I experience and see, or hear in nature around me. Since, the results indicate that I am good at fine motor skills that include incorporating body movements into learning; I can adopt teaching techniques that involve call for body movements and gestures such as "dumb-charade" (a word-guessing game), where the students are divided into two groups and each student is prompted to explain an idea or meaning of a word through gestures and signs. In a classroom situation an activity can be developed in such a way that it has a sequence of activities that kindle different intelligences simultaneously. For instance, a blue print of a house plan is shown to the students and in the first step they are asked to study it (mathematical/logical) then they are asked to describe the plan (verbal) in step three the students are asked to discuss and share ideas (interpersonal). Conclusion Thus, as a teacher I think that incorporating the multiple intelligences concept into my lesson plan will certainly help me in judging the level of student's interest in a specific area and adopt a mode of teaching suitable to the individual in particular or a class as a whole. Besides, it also helps in formulating learning strategies according to individual abilities. It may not be really feasible to test on all the seven intelligences, but focus on those that facilitate in language acquisition. It can be concluded that the theory of multiple intellig