The Pearl by John Steinbeck Essay Example for Free

The Pearl by John Steinbeck Essay This Essay will discuss the use of symbols in the novel The Pearl by John Steinbeck. In this novel there are many themes explored. These include the destructiveness of greed, how love can give someone great courage and strength, knowledge is power, but a power which can be abused, and how a dream is good until it starts to destroy the things of value in a person’s life. The destructiveness of greed is shown when the doctor comes to Kinos house and heals Coyotito after Kino has found The Pearl. When Coyotito had been bitten by the scorpion, his father and mother take Kino to the doctor in order to get a treatment. But the doctor refuses to heal Coyotito because Kino is poor. Later On, after Kino owns the pearl, the doctor automatically comes to Kinos house and offers a treatment for Coyotito. After he treats Coyotito, he pretends that he does not know that Kino has found a pearl and asks Kino about the medical expenses. You have a pearl? A good pearl? The doctor asks with curiosity. The reality is that the doctor cares more about Kinos pearl more than giving people treatments. The doctor does this because he values materialistic things more than he cares about others. Although the doctor has a lot of money and he has an abundance of everything he needs and wants in his life, he still wants more and his is dissatisfied. Obviously, the greed had already controlled the doctors mind and the way he acts towards people. Another example of the destructiveness of greed is seen in Kino As Kino tried to find a way to gain wealth and status through the pearl. During this, Kino transforms from a happy, comfortable father to an unhappy criminal. In this quick transition Kino displays the way the ambition of success and greed can destroy innocence. Kino’s desire to gain wealth changes the way we see the pearl. When we first visualize the pearl we see it as a natural beauty and good luck. As the story continues we start seeing it as a symbol of human destruction. Therefore, Kino’s greed leads him to behave violently towards his wife and it also leads to his son’s death. During his mission he loses sight of his cultural traditions and his society. His dreams start to destroy him. This leads the theme of how a dream is good, until it begins to destroy the things of value in a person’s life. Because Kino believes The Pearl will help him achieve all the dreams he has in store for his son Coyotito Kino does not want to give up the pearl. Juana, who is smart enough to figure out that the pearl is going to cause trouble, asks Kino to throw the pearl away multiple times. And even tries to get rid of it herself. Juana says, This pearl is evil. This pearl is like a sin. It will destroy us all! † Even though Juana warns Kino that the pearl will bring great misfortunes to the family and asks him to throw the pearl away, Kino decides not to listen or take the advice his wife is giving because Kinos mind is already overtaken by his dreams he wishes of achieving with The Pearl. He is blinded by the dream of: Juana and Coyotito and himself standing and kneeling at the high alter in the new white clothes holding a Winchester carbine and ‘’Coyotito sitting at a little desk in a school. It is now clear to us that he is slowly starting to become greedy and that his selfish thoughts are suddenly starting to control his actions and what he says. After Kino has found the pearl of the world, everyone is eager to own it and they all begin to start thinking of their own dreams and what they can achieve if they had a pearl like Kino’s, Every man suddenly becomes related to Kino, and Kinos pearl [goes] into the dreams, the schemes mans enemy. And so, the narrator says, For it is said humans are never satisfied, that you give them one thing and they want something more. In the scene where people try to steal Kinos pearl after the pearl is found, they do whatever they can possibly do in order to steal the pearl. Jealousy has grown in the heart of these people and jealousy has turned them into greedy, selfish people. But in the end Kino was only trying to help his family. This relates to the theme of how love can give someone great courage and strength. Kino loves Juana and Coyotito and he wishes to provide them a luxurious and comfortable life style. Through Juanas character we can see the she was chosen to be shown as an â€Å"iron lady† figure. Being a decent wife and the woman behind his man, Juana chose to remain quiet on their long mission. She shares the joy and sorrow with Kino and Coyotito. When Kino acts offensively towards her, she quietly bears the emotional and physical pain she’s being put through. She pledges her loyalty and faithfulness to Kino and her son Coyotito. Her love for Coyotito gave her courage to suck out the venom from her sons shoulder when he was bitten by the scorpion. When Kino is ready to set off to the ocean, Juana insists in following him because she wants to prepare poultice. The traditional cure made of seaweeds. Compared to Kino, her idea of family love is far safer than Kinos ideas of family values. But Kino’s lack of knowledge stops him from being able to provide a luxurious lifestyle for his family. This is linked to the theme of how knowledge is power. Kino believed that if he could afford to give Coyotito an education, Coyotito would move up in social status and he and Juana’s lives would have improved also. â€Å"And my son will make numbers and these things will make us free because he will know-he will know and through him we will know,† Because of his simple lifestyle and their lower social status in life Kino felt powerless against the doctor. Because of his status Kino could not question the doctor’s procedures or his motives. â€Å"Kino felt the rage and hate melting towards fear. He did not know, and perhaps this doctor did. And he could not take the chance of pitting his certain ignorance against this man’s possible knowledge,† Kino knew that if he had a higher social status he wouldn’t have been manipulated. In conclusion there are many symbols in this novel. The symbols are shown through the use of different themes. The symbols help us to realize the main idea of this novel; that materialistic things can change a civilized man.

Organizational Culture And Leadership Styles Education Essay

Organizational Culture And Leadership Styles Education Essay Human learning in the 21st century will be as different from human learning in the 20th century as the micro-chip and neural networks are from the valve. (Lepani,1994, p. 3). In this century the scope and pace of change seem to be accelerating in all areas of human existence. We have to move with it or ahead of it if we are not to be left behind. Academic institutions are feeling this tidal wave of change in ways that have left many educators consciously or otherwise confused, exhausted and disillusioned. (Deal, 1990, p.131) Change can be seen as evolutionary and dynamic with an emphasis on continuous learning and adaptation (Dixon, 1994; Fullan, 1991; Fullan and Miles, 1992). The challenge for academic institutions is to adopt change strategies that provide internal stability while moving ahead. This challenge may be able to be met in education and elsewhere by focusing on a change strategy where learning comes to be seen as the single most important resource for organizational re newal in the postmodern age (Hargreaves, 1995). The nations that lead the world into the next century will be those who can shift from being knowledge transformational bodies to those that will have the capacity to possess, renew and utilize knowledge successfully. The major issue that confronts educators is whether or not we can transform education and create academic institutions that can successfully prepare our nations students for life. This process calls for leadership at all levels, a good school culture and personal commitment of those who are responsible for these institutions. They must take the time to seriously consider the kinds of changes that are needed. They have to address the needs of students and teachers and then a fundamental transformation of education could happen. There are many routes for organizational development through change, which can be used to improve an organizations quality. Learning organization models provide one administrative method that can be used to provide direction for organizational achievement for both public and private organizations (Makasarnont, 1997). As Hoy and Miskel (2001) state, academic institutions are service organizations that are committed to teaching and learning. The academic institutions functions as a learning organization in order to continue to improve performance and build capacity to manage change (Corcoran and Goertz, 1995) in an environment where academic institutions are becoming increasingly borderless. Conceptualizing academic institutions as learning organizations is appropriate, given the new challenges of a fast-changing world. To be relevant in a knowledge society, new skills, capabilities and knowledge are required. The focus of each academic institution should therefore fall on the enhancement of individual commitments to continuous learning by creation of an enabling enterpreutionial culture and transformational leaders for the development and growth of academic institutions as Learning Organizations. Teachers have to be awake to these changes and must try to improve their skills all the time. They cannot stop their learning simply because they have graduated from school or the university and have been employed; if they would like to be successful, they must grow. They have to keep on learning from their experiences, environment, or their organization. As Lassey (1998) shows successful people are people who learn. Without learning, there is no improvement; and without improv ement the institutions stagnate. The institutions should be places where participants continually expand their capacities to create and to achieve. If academic institutions are to be effective learning organizations, they must find ways to create structures that continuously support teaching and learning and enhance organizational adaptation. Therefore the learning organization is the important thing that an administrator has to create in her/his school in order to give leaders, teachers and students an opportunity for learning continuously, based on the belief that the more people learn, the better they can perform when they go on in life. Need for the Study Many academic institutions are struggling to meet the requirements for academic performance. In this study academic institutions is narrowed down to only schools, as they are base in the description of an academic institution. Despite numerous promising initiatives from the government to promote student success in schools, overall gains in student performance have been disappointing. Some commentators have suggested that nothing less than a fundamental redesign of the educational system will begin to address the hurdles faced by students in succeeding at school (Boyd Shouse, 1997). Coleman (1997) noted that the highly bureaucratic nature of Government schools stifles creative problem solving and blocks receptivity to large-scale and transformative system reform. He described schools as administratively driven organizations with long feedback loops from the top of the organization (for example, the principal) to component subsystems (for example, teachers and students). Coleman consi dered schools with decentralized authority structures and norms of accountability and social support, which he labels as output-driven organizations, as having more promise than ones with traditional bureaucratic forms for increasing teacher and student performance. With growing concerns about the ability of the public education system to respond to the needs of students (Orfield et al., 2004), many voices in the school reform movement have discussed the need for schools to operate as learning organizations, which addresses the importance of faculty and staff working together to solve problems through networking and team learning (Senge et al., 2000). The degree to which schools function as learning organizations may not only influence the willingness of school employees to embrace new innovations for promoting student achievement, but also their personal well-being, their sense of efficacy in working with students, their work satisfaction, and their evaluation of the school as a hi gh-performing organization. A burgeoning number of empirical investigations offer support for these types of positive effects from schools functioning as learning organizations (Lick, 2006; Orthner et al., 2006). I believe that understanding schools as learning organizations offers the potential to unlock the creative and dynamic processes that schools require to undergo fundamental and significant change initiatives. Only then do we believe that schools will begin to address the challenges they face in educating children and youths and in closing the significant gaps in educational achievement and life success. The phenomenon known as the learning organisations has during the past three decades been discussed widely in the literature (Khadra Rawabdeh, 2006; Moilanen, 2001, 2005; Hawkins, 1991; Watkins Marsick, 1993; Senge, 1990; Pedler, Burgoyne Boydell, 1991). Unfortunately, the concept of the learning organization remains abstract and elusive for many school level practitioners, which reflects, in part, a strong leaning toward a constructivist approach in the study of organizational learning. School personnel also have relatively few tools available to examine this aspect of their schools, and assessment is the first step in the evidence-based practice planning sequence. During the past century much has been learned about how the brain works and how students learn. We have also learned that how schools can be organized in what that can enhance the quality of learning that students experience and we know a great deal about the kinds of conditions that are necessary for change to occur. The issue in Indian Educational system is to find a way to create the conditions that will encourage the learning organization concept which is needed to transform Indian academic organizations. What is also clear is that leadership is a critical component of the transformation of education. However, the kind of leadership that is needed is fundamentally different than what has traditionally been the case. Leaders must be able to transform their academic institutions. This has been widely discussed the literature (Jones Rudd, 2007; Reed, 2006; Bartling Bartlett, 2005; CASEL, 2006; Bamburg, 1997; West, 1999; Telford, 1996; Barnett, Marsh Carven, 2003; Stander Rothman n, 2009) and hence the inclusion of this as a variable in this study. As small schools become more autonomous, they create new identities and establish unique school cultures. It is also believed that the schools culture is inextricably linked to classroom culture. Many researchers have explored the challenges of building school culture (Silver, 2003; Zilwa, 2007; Ferreira Hill, 2008; Niemann Kotzà ©, 2006; Thomas Willcoxson, 1998; Raywid, 2001;). The researches explore various approaches to the issue of organizational culture, including techniques from the business world, the connection to physical spaces, and the use of traditions (Berg Wilderom, 2004; Fard.et.al, 2007;). A schools culture includes the obvious elements of schedules, curriculum, demographics, and policies, as well as the social interactions that occur within those structures and give a school its look and feel as friendly, elite, competitive, inclusive, and so on. Just as culture is critical to understanding the dynamics behind any thriving community, organization, or business, t he daily realities and deep structure of school life hold the key to educational success. Reforms that strive for educational excellence are likely to fail unless they are meaningfully linked to the schools unique culture and hence the inclusion of this variable in this study. Teachers play an important role in the success of any school. The personal commitment of the teacher has a very strong influence in the smooth functioning of the school and the school to develop into a learning organization. Personal commitment could be commitment for ones own development and commitment for the development of the school and students. Research on commitment has generally focused on either the antecedents or the consequences of commitment. Early studies of commitment explored the antecedents of commitment and found four general antecedents, namely: personal characteristics, job characteristics, work experiences, and role-related characteristics (Mathieu and Hamel 1989; Mowday, Porter and Steers 1982). Some of the earlier studies also explored the role played by demographic variables on commitment. The demographic variables found to have influence on commitment are: age (Mathieu and Zajac 1990), organizational tenure (Mathieu and Hamel 1989), position tenure (Gregersen and Black 1992), and education (DeCotiis and Summers 1987). Furthermore, Glisson and Durick (1988) identified skill variety and role ambiguity as predictors of satisfaction and leadership, and the age of the organization as predictor of commitment. The impact of commitment on organizational level outcomes has also been explored in a number of studies. However, it is the consequence of affective commitment which is more often studied in the literature. This is because high levels of affective commitment are shown to be related to a number of positive behavioral level outcomes and job attitudes (Hislop 2003; Cooper-Hakim and Viswesvaran 2005). Further Organizational commitment and professional commitment of teachers in schools have been researched on (Sood Anand, 2009; Karakus Aslan, 2009; Weber, 1990; Coladarci, 1992; Menep. I, 2010; Iqbal, 2010; Borgei. et.al, 2010;). Although the study of commitment has been advanced from a range of theoretical perspectives, it is interesting to note that very few attempts have been made by researchers to work on personal commitment. The belief is that an understanding of the relationship between leadership, culture and commitment is necessary. As a teacher educator I think that personal com mitment of teachers is very important in transforming schools into a learning organization and no researches have been done in this area, hence the inclusion of the variable in this study. Conceptual Framework Schools as Learning Organization To present a theoretical framework in which the school as learning organization can be grounded, the study is using The learning disciplines (Senge et al., 1996:4). According to Peter Senge (1990: 3) learning organizations are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦organizations where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together. While all people have the capacity to learn, the structures in which they have to function are often not conducive to reflection and engagement. Furthermore, people may lack the tools and guiding ideas to make sense of the situations they face. Organizations that are continually expanding their capacity to create their future require a fundamental shift of mind among their members.  For Peter Senge, real learning gets to the heart of what it is to be human. We become able to re -create ourselves. This applies to both individuals and organizations. Thus, for a learning organization it is not enough to survive. Survival learning or what is more often termed adaptive learning is important indeed it is necessary. But for a learning organization, adaptive learning must be joined by generative learning, learning that enhances our capacity to create (Senge 1990:14). The dimension that distinguishes learning from more traditional organizations is the mastery of certain basic disciplines or component technologies. The five that Peter Senge identifies are said to be converging to innovate learning organizations. They are: Systems thinking, Personal mastery, Mental models, Building shared vision Team learning Personal mastery According to Senge et al. (1996:194) the term mastery evolved from the medieval French, maitre, which meant someone who was exceptionally proficient and skilled a master of a craft. Maitre as it is used today means the capacity, not only to produce results, but also to master the principles that underpin the way an individual produces those results. Mastery is a commitment to be the best in whatever is done (Secretan, 1997:54). Educators who strive to become masters of their craft are often those who would be described as being committed to their work in their respective schools. According to Zecha (1994:6) and Kushman (1992:6), there are two types of educator commitment, namely organizational commitment and commitment to student learning which are effective ingredients for transforming schools into learning organisations. Mental models Research by Senge et al. (1996:235-236) indicates that mental models are subjective images, deeply ingrained assumptions, generalizations and stories that people carry in their minds about themselves, other people, institutions and events that take place in the world. These mental maps act as a filtering system for our judgments and influence how we take actions based on these judgments. If these mental maps or models are not questioned they could become blockages to change. To succeed in transforming schools into learning organizations it is important that individual educators learn how to unearth their internal pictures (subjective images) of the world and bring these to the surface and critically scrutinize them. This can be done if meaningful conversations are encouraged in the school, where educators expose their own thinking patterns and also listen to other colleagues. These conversations can influence individuals to shift their thinking patterns and see the other side of the story. Shared vision A shared vision is an all-encompassing world view which provides focus for an individual and the team concerning what is to be learnt and what is to be valued (Bierema Berdish, 1996:6). This shared vision answers the question: What will success look like? This question acts as a motivating force for sustained action to achieve individual and school goals. It is a guiding image of success formed in terms of a contribution to the school. According to Johnson and Johnson (1994:9) a shared vision creates a basic sense of sink or swim together among the members of the school. A powerful vision binds educators to mutual commitments through collaboration to achieve individual and school goals. Team learning The discipline of team learning starts with dialogue, which is the capacity of members of a team to suspend their assumptions and enter into a genuine thinking together. According to Senge et al., 1996:352), team learning is the discipline that has to do with learning about alignment. Alignment means functioning as a whole or in a cohesive group committed to a common purpose. This alignment is achieved through sustained dialogue that may result in knowledge sharing and recognizing interdependencies among team members (Murgatroyd Morgan, 1993:73). The discipline of dialogue involves learning how to recognize the patterns of interaction in teams that undermine learning. The patterns of defensiveness are often deeply ingrained in how a team operates. Therefore, the impact of team learning is the establishment of shared values, vision, mission, and core strategies to achieve individual and school goals. The fifth discipline, systems thinking, incorporates the other four learning discipl ines. Systems thinking Systems thinking is based on system dynamics; it is highly conceptual and provides ways of understanding practical school issues. It looks at systems in terms of particular types of cycles and it includes explicit system modeling of complex issues. The discipline of systems thinking teaches that in any social phenomenon it is important to look at the whole picture. In systems thinking the school is looked at as a system that is interconnected to different parts of life that intersect and influence each other. These interrelated parts are bound together in such a way that they become coherent to one another (French Bell, 1995:93). The components of a school include learners, educators, context, student learning processes and any identifiable component that affects learning. Therefore, the essence of systems thinking lies in a shift of mind to one that sees:à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ interrelationships rather than linear cause-effect chains; and à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ processes of change rather than sn ap shots. The discipline of systems thinking starts with understanding the concept of feedback: that is how actions can reinforce or counteract (balance) each other. In trying to build effective learning environments, educators have to learn to see the deeper patterns and interrelationships of change. Leadership Leadership is a described as being one of social sciences most examined phenomena (Antonakis, Cianciolo, Sternberg, 2004). Shoemaker (1998) suggested that leadership is difficult to characterize as the field is punctured by inconclusive definitions as to the role and function of leadership. The latest chapter in the almost 100 year history of leadership research is dominated by the development of transformational leadership theory embodied in the Full Range of Leadership Model (Antonakis, et al., 2004; Bass, 1998). This approach to leadership focuses on the charismatic and affective elements of leadership. Northouse (2004) described transformational leadership as a process that changes and transforms individuals. It is concerned with emotions, values, ethics, standards, and long-term goals, and includes assessing followers motives, satisfying their needs, and treating them as full human beings (p. 169). Furthermore, as Bass (1985) advocated, by engaging in transformational leadershi p behaviors a leader transforms followers. In reality this means that followers are changed from being self-centered individuals to being committed members of a group, they are then able to perform at levels far beyond what normally might have been expected (Antonakis, et al., 2004, p.175). The model of transformational leadership includes a continuum of transformational, transactional, and laissez-faire forms of leadership. Each form characterizes aspects of the dynamic process of interaction between leader and follower but identifies certain patterns and features to distinguish transformational leadership from transactional and laissez-faire styles (Avolio, 1999). The transformational leader pays particular attention to others needs, which, in turn, raises followers levels of motivation (Avolio, 1999; Bass, 1998). Furthermore, a leader of this type encourages others to reach their full potential while also adopting a strong ethical characteristic. Whereas, transactional leaders, approach followers with an eye to exchanging one thing for another (Burns, 1978, p. 4), with the leaders use of either reward or punishment contingent on the followers completion or non-completion of assigned tasks. Laissez-faire leadership involves indifference and avoidance as a leader with this profile will avoid making decisions, abdicate responsibilities, divert attention from hard choices, and will talk about getting down to work, but never really does (Bass, 1998, p. 148). Senge proposes that in learning organizations the leaders new work should include a commitment to: being the organizations architect; providing stewardship; and being a teacher. For schools to become learning organizations, the schools leader(s) must accept responsibility for creating conditions that promote and enhance that learning. Principals must create opportunities for teachers to acquire information about what is occurring in the school and engage them in finding solutions to the problems that occur. A fundamental difference between the old view of leadership and that proposed by Senge is that the leader has a responsibility to create opportunities for teachers to learn about current research and apply that research in their classrooms in an environment that promotes learning. Perhaps most important of all, principals need to create a climate that promotes risk taking and eliminates the fear of failure. If these things can be done successfully schools will then possess the capacity to develop a shared vision about what needs to be done and engage in the kinds of activities that are needed to make their shared vision a reality. Organizational Culture Organizational culture has been defined from various perspectives (Carroll and Nafukho, 2006; Popper and Lipshitz, 1995; Shien, 1990; Alvesson, 2002; Cook and Yanow, 1993; Adler and Jelinek, 1996; Argris, 1999). According to Marguardt (2002), culture is an organizations values, beliefs, practices, rituals and customs. The culture of a learning organization habitually learns and works to integrate processes in all organization functions. In effect, the learning organizations culture is constantly evolving and travels along an infinite continuum in a harmonious learning environment. Ultimately, the goal is an exchange of useful knowledge leading to innovation, and improved learning public organizations. The various terms used in the context of organizational culture are: values, ethics, beliefs, ethos, climate, environmental culture. Ethics refers to normative aspects to what is socially desirable. Values, beliefs: attitudes and norms are interrelated. Interaction between beliefs and values results in attitude formation and then produces norms. Values and benefits are the core, while attitudes are the next layer, followed by the norms or behavior. Then these get institutionalized, or when they accumulate and integrate we have social phenomena. The eight important values relevant to institution building are openness, confrontation, trust, authenticity, pro-action, autonomy, collaboration and experimentation. Openness: openness can be defined as a spontaneous expression of feeling and thoughts, and the sharing of these without defensiveness. Openness is in both directions, receiving and giving. Both these may relate to ideas (including suggestions, feedback (including criticism), and feelings. For example, openness means receiving without reservation, and taking steps to encourage more feedbacks and suggestions from customers, colleagues and others. Similarly, it means giving without hesitation, ideas, information, feedback, feelings, etc. openness may also mean spatial openness, in terms of accessibility. Confrontation: confrontation can be defined as facing rather than shying away from problems. It also implies deeper analysis of interpersonal problems. All this involves taking up challenges. Trust: trust is not used in the moral sense. It is reflected in maintaining the confidentiality of information shared by others, and in not misusing it. It is also reflected in a sense of a assurance that others will help, when such help is needed and will honor mutual commitments and obligations. Trust is also reflected in accepting what another person says at face value, and not searching for ulterior motives. Trust is an extremely important ingredient in the institution building processes. Authenticity: authenticity is the congruence between what one feels, says and does. It is reflected in owning up ones mistakes, and in unreserved sharing of feelings. Authenticity is closer to openness. The outcome of authenticity in an organization is reduced distortion in communication. Pro-action: pro-action means taking initiative, preplanning and taking preventive action, and calculating the payoffs of an alternative course before taking action. The term pro-act can be contrasted with the term react. Pro-activity gives initiative to the person to start a new process or set a new pattern of behavior. Pro-activity involves unusual behavior. In this sense pro-activity means freeing oneself from, and taking action beyond immediate concerns. A person showing pro-activity functions at all the three levels of feeling, thinking and action. Autonomy: Autonomy is using and giving freedom to plan and act in ones own sphere. It means respecting and encouraging individual and role autonomy. It develops mutual respect and is likely to result in willingness to take on responsibility, individual initiative, better succession planning. The main indicator of autonomy is effective delegation in organization and reduction in references made to senior people for approval of planned actions. Collaboration: Collaboration is giving help to, and asking for help from, others. It means working together (individuals and groups to solve problems and team spirit. The outcome of collaboration includes timely help, team work, sharing of experiences, improved communication and improved resource sharing. Experimenting: Experimenting means using and encouraging innovative approaches to solve problems, using feedbacks for improving, taking a fresh look at things and encouraging creativity. Personal Commitment Mowday, Steers and Porter (1979, p. 226), defined commitment as the relative strength of an individuals identification with, and involvement in a particular organization. Although many definitions of commitment have been presented since the seminal work of Mowday et al. (1979), it is the conception of Meyer and Allen (1991), which identifies three distinctive dimensions affective, normative, and continuance that has been the cornerstone of extant theorizing in the area of commitment (Herrbach, 2006). Mowday, Porter and Steers (1982) Model Commitment (Attitudinal Commitment), to an organization involves three components: (a) a strong belief in and acceptance of organizational goals and values, (b) a willingness to exert considerable effort on behalf of the organization, and (c) a strong desire to maintain membership in the organization (Mowday et al., 1982). Research on organizational commitment has been examined primarily in relation to labour turnover (Ferris Aranya, 1983; Hom, Katerberg Hulin, 1979; Huselid Day, 1991; Mowday, Steers Porter, 1979; OReilly Caldwell, 1980; Wiener Vardi, 1980; Steers, 1977; Stumpf Hartman, 1984). Meyer and Allen (1997) Model Meyer and Allen (1997) view organizational commitment as a three component concept. The three components in their model are Affective, Continuous, and Normative. The affective commitment describes the emotional attachment an individual has with the organization, their identification with the goals and values of the organization and the level of their involvement (Zanagro, 2001). Affective commitment is taken as a construct closely related to identification (Bergami Bagozzi, 2000). Continuance commitment is based on the cost that an employee associates with leaving the organizations, such as reduction in pay, pension, benefits, or facilities (Herbiniak Alluto, 1972). Normative commitment is associated with employees feelings of obligation to continue employment due to the work culture and other socially accepted norms (Weiner Gechman, 1977). The less common approach to viewing commitment is in terms of obligation. Of the three components least is known about the development of norm ative commitment (Meyer Allen, 1997). The three dimensions highlight commitment from the perspectives of attachment, obligation, and necessity respectively. From the above conceptual framework, a model is drawn for better understanding. Organizational Culture Openness Confrontation Trust Authenticity Proaction Autonomy Collaboration Experimentation Leadership Transformational Transactional Laissez-Faire Personal Commitment Own Development Student Institutional Development Learning Organization Personal Mastery Mental Models Shared Vision Team Learning Systems Thinking Review of Literature Schools as Learning Organization Bowen et.al., 2007-Assessing the Functioning of Schools as Learning Organizations: Using data from the population of employees in 11 middle schools in North Carolina and building on an earlier analysis, this study examines the reliability and validity of a new assessment tool for assessing schools as learning organizations: the School Success Profile Learning Organization. The results align with the conceptual model that informed the development of the measure, including support for the two hypothesized learning organization components: actions and sentiments. Kelleher Michael, 2007 Learning Organization: The author designed a model for a learning organization: The model of the learning organization, with its three dimensional approach, proposes strategies within the domains of individual, team and organizational learning. He concluded by saying if lifelong learning is to become a reality, it will become increasingly important to ensure that strategies and actions support the development of learning organizations. If overlooked, the world of work could well be that area of peoples lives where learning is not explicit, supported and developed. Moloi K.C..et al., 2006 Educators perceptions of the school as a learning organization in the Vanderbijlpark-North District, South Africa: This article outlines the principal findings of research that sought to provide a comprehensive understanding of schools as learning organizations in the Vanderbijl Park-North District of the Gauteng province of South Africa. The quantitative research methodology used was of major importance in obtaining data that were grounded largely on the theoretical framework of learning organizations as wel

hate crimes Essay -- essays research papers fc

Defining Hate Crimes Hate crimes has become an increasing problem here in the united states ranging from racial hatred to gender discrimination but what are hate crimes? According to Dr. Jack McDevitt, a criminologist at Northeastern University in Boston Hate crimes are message crimes, Hate crimes are defined as crimes that are violent act against people, property, or organizations because of the group to which they belong or identify with. The coined term â€Å"hate crimes† was first used No matter how many different definitions there are for hate crimes but we all can agree that hate crimes are wrong and immoral. But within hate crimes they are many different types of hate crimes. One of the main reasons that people commit hate crimes would have to be because of racial hatred. Racial Hatred is a major factor in hate crimes with African Americans being the main target. According to the FBI database in 1996, 4,831 out of the 7,947 such crimes reported to the FBI, or 60%, were promulgated because o f race, with close to two-thirds (62%) targeting African Americans. African Americans may be the most targeted race but other races are targeted as well, such as Hispanics, Chinese and after the recent September 11 attacks on the world trade center Arab Americans have become an increasingly alarming target in the United States. And in addition to racial hate crimes there are crimes that involve religious discrimination, gender discrimination, homosexuality and in some cases people with ...

B.F. Skinner :: essays research papers

B.F. Skinner Skinner believed in Behavioristic theories. When studying behaviorist theories you investigate the role of learning in the development of personality. The psychologist study conditions and situations that affect the learning of behavior. Skinner defines personality in terms of behavior. B.F. Skinner was born March 20, 1904, in the small Pennsylvania town of Susquehanna. His father was a lawyer, and his mother a strong and intelligent housewife. His childhood was old-fashioned and hard-working. He wanted to be a writer and did try, sending off poetry and short stories. When he graduated, he built a study in his parents’ attic to concentrate, but it just wasn’t working for him. At Harvard he got his masters in psychology in 1930 and his doctorate in 1931, and stayed there to do research until 1936. He was perhaps the most celebrated psychologist since Sigmund Freud. His first theory was of reinforcement. When a behavior is reinforced, or rewarded the chances of that happening again are likely. He is saying by reinforcement if the person knows they will get rewarded for it they will continue to do it. Skinner noted that the learning process should be divided into "a very large number of very small steps and reinforcement must be contingent upon the accomplishment of each step." Skinner also stated that by making the steps of learning small, the frequency of reinforcement can be increased and the frequency of being wrong is reduced. Another theory was that of punishment. He says in this way he does not approve. Skinner says that punishing a child for something will make him not do it again and that is good in some cases, but what if your parents are abusive. He says that the theory of rewarding is the way to go and punishment is not strengthening behavior, it is lessening the likelihood of that behavior to happen again.

Child Rearing In Victorian Times :: essays research papers fc

Child Rearing in Victorian Times   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Childhood barely existed for most British children at the end of the eighteenth century, since they began a lifetime of hard labour as soon as they were capable of simple tasks. By contrast, the fortunate children of the wealthy generally were spoiled and enjoyed special provisions for the need of a lengthy childhood, yet who in a way may have endured the same pain of those who were not as fortunate.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Child rearing in the Victorian times was not at all similar to child rearing today. There were of course two different categories on how the child was brought up. They went from one extreme to the other. They were the difference of the classes. The life of an upper class child during the Victorian era, was as one may put it, stuffy, conventional and routine, not to mention quite lonely at certain times. Yet others argue Victorian children should have been quite content, given the fact that they were treated to only the best of toys, clothes and education and it was absurd to even consider the child being neglected.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Mothers and Fathers were seen as special, glamourous guests, due to the fact that they were never around and rarely seen by their children. This was because child and parent led totally separate existences, they were only summoned to appear before their parents at a certain set hour of the day. Many Victorian children like Winston Churchill and Harriet Marden recall such cold relations between their selves and their mothers that they would be able to count how many times in their life they had been hugged. Family life was formal, although during that time child rearing manuals urged bonding and maternal ties, mothers remained cool and distant. Children were a convenience to their parents, they obeyed them as they would an army officer. Sir Osbert Sitwell once argued, Parents were aware that the child would be a nuisance and a whole bevy of servants, in addition to the complex guardianship of nursery and school rooms was necessary not so much to aid the infant as to screen him from his father or mother, except on some occasions as he could be used by them as adjuncts, toys or decorations. Although this only describes a minority of parents it was always in the best interests for the child not to be heard or in the way, it was rarely taken to the extent of screening the child.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It was the era of nurses and nannies, the child was not raised by the woman who gave birth to him, but by the hired help.

A career in Education Essay

Being a teacher is a career that I have always desired to follow ever since I was a young girl. It was at the end of my elementary years when I first decided I wanted to become a teacher; I thought it was a cool job to have. When I was younger I use to think how cool it would be to be in control of the whole class, it was like being the boss. When I reached high school I decided that I wanted to become an elementary teacher. I started to realize how interested I was in learning about children and how much I loved being around them. This is when I knew that pursuing a career in teaching is what would make me the happiest. People have their own opinions on how they portray teachers. Some may see them as mean and controlling, while others might see them as guidance in their educational life. I feel teachers make a difference in the life and future of their students. Teachers are educators as well as advisors. They help and give guidance to students in their educational choices, and day to day life. TV sitcoms are what I feel have influenced these stereotypes upon teachers. On some TV sitcoms teachers are portrayed as older women that are mean and always out to sabotage the students’ life. Other sitcoms portray the teachers as young women that are sweet and caring. This is why some may stereotype teachers as annoying and always trying to tell you how to live your life, or as a kind and helpful teacher. See more:  Manifest Destiny essay When one becomes a teacher there are some good things and not so good things, just as any other job. The pros about becoming a teacher are that one is able to influence children to become the best that they can be and knowing that one made a difference in someone’s life. Another pro is having an opportunity to help children learn and get acquainted with new thoughts. Some other good qualities are that teachers have steady daytime hours with the weekend off. They have excellent vacation days and often quite longer than any other occupations. With having most of the summer off, it gives the teacher more time to spend with their family or do anything else that needs to get done. The cons would be when you have a problem child in your class. Teachers have to have patience and learn how to work with struggling students. Teaching can sometimes be a bit stressful at times because you have to work and help with everyone’s problems. Also, a teacher’s salary is  not very lucrative. The requirements for becoming a teacher are that you must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university. You must complete teacher training through an approved program. The programs are offered through colleges and universities, school districts, regional service centers, community colleges, and other entities. You must successfully complete the appropriate teacher certification tests for the subject and grade level you wish to teach. There are many different resources that will help pay for a teacher training program. There is the â€Å"Teach for Texas† program, which offers conditional grants to help some future teachers with expenses if those individuals agree to teach in Texas public schools for a specified period of time. The â€Å"Teacher for America†, offers cash awards that can be applied to past student loans or future educational costs for recent college graduates who commit to teaching in urban and rural public schools for two years. The â€Å"Certified Educational Aide Exemption Program†, is another program that Texas offers tuition exemptions for some educational aides seeking to become certified teachers. These are some of the programs and grants that are specifically designed to help individuals become teachers. The starting salary of a teacher varies, depending on the district they work for. Texas teacher starting salaries, for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree and no teaching experience is $43,216. The more experience they have the higher the pay will be. Also, if they teach in a district with a lot of students the pay will be higher. When becoming an elementary teacher the number one thing the teacher should posses is patience. They need to be able to communicate well with the parent, and have a good relationship with them. They need to ensure a high quality educational experience. The teacher must have a sense of humor because children can tend to say some crazy things at times. You will have to learn to just laugh about it and not take things to seriously. They must be kind and loving. Teachers need to have a happy attitude, because children can sense when you are not having a good day and it can affect the children’s learning environment. A great teacher creates a sense of community and belonging in the classroom. They have a variety of activities for the day that will keep a child’s attention. The environment of the class should be welcoming and colorful. Children will feel more comfortable, and encouraged to do well in a friendly classroom. When working with children it is a good idea to put comments on their papers like â€Å"great job†. It shows them that they are doing well and should keep up the good work. Teachers will be responsible for preparing and delivering age-appropriate lessons, giving and grading tests and homework, working with children individually and as a class and maintaining an orderly and functional classroom environment. Other tasks may include meeting with parents to discuss their child’s progress and working with parents and other staff members to track and assist children in making progress. Some additional tasks teacher can do are after school tutoring and taking children on fun and educational field trips. Becoming an elementary teacher is a career that I know will make me happy, and a goal I plan to accomplish. Since high school I have been taking classes that will give me some experience and help me pursue my career. During my senior year of high school I was in a class that would allow the student to be an assistant aide to a teacher. I was assigned to a first grade class and loved it. It was a good learning experience and gave me the opportunity to see what activities went on during the class. I learned a lot from the teacher and hope to carry on some of her good tactics in my future class. For me, becoming a teacher is a career I have always desired and plan to work hard for.

Manchild in the promised land

First generation blacks in New York had the unique situation of being in the urban life for the first time, having come from slave work conditions on southern farms, they brought their experiences of living as slaves, they brought their religion and they brought hope that life in the city would be different, that life would be better in the promise land.   As we seen in Manchild in the Promised Land, life in New York is hard, harder than the south in new ways that blacks could not have prepared themselves for. Poverty, violence, and prejudice followed them where ever they went in America, including New York.   Black children growing up in this urban setting are like weeds growing between the cracks in the pavement—they are hearty, they do what they have to do to survive.   The streets are their playground, their school and hope is only in the luck one has that they won’t get busted.   How did this lifestyle develop?   A number of factors, namely poverty and prejudice caused other problems to develop such as violence, child abuse, drugs, prostitution etc. Child Abuse One social ill that often stems from poverty is child abuse.   In the book child abuse is seen in homes such as Claude’s friend Bucky whose mother, who is on welfare, is in such a state of despair that she chooses her drink and gambling over feeding her own four children.   These children liked living in the child welfare house because at least there they had three meals a day and a place to sleep.   Of his friend Claude says, â€Å"Bucky was the only kid I knew who could stay out all night long and not be missed† (p 32). This clearly instilled in these youth the struggle to survive at all costs whether it be violence or stealing.   School also became something that hardly seems worthwhile when a child could be out â€Å"catting† on the streets and come home with food, money, clothes or other items when school only meant that you would probably get in trouble for something and get beat when you got home.   Claude doesn’t seem to realize the benefits of going to school, learning to read etc. until almost his high school years when the prison warden encourages him and believes that he could do well. Just as a master abused the slave, many a black parent abused their children under the pretense of â€Å"spare the rod and spoil the child,† raising them up with violence in their hearts from the start.   Black children in Harlem were to respect their parents and do what they were told or pay the cost. For punishment for his various crimes and school skipping, Claude is beaten progressively more seriously until his father resorts to hitting him with his fists because it seems that no matter what punishment Claude is given, he continues to get into trouble and his father is frustrated to the point of serious violence.   So from the age of six years old, violence is instilled in Claude as a means for upholding authority and for punishing wrong doing but interestingly enough, violence was not enough to make Claude respect his father and the day his father used his fists on Claude seems to be the day that Claude’s relationship with his father was severed. Violence Violence is a part of survival in Harlem.   One must defend their manhood, their reputation or fear losing important alliances with other men who help make street life livable.   In prison one must protect their rank of power, which is more clear cut than on the street. Examples of violence in the book include when Claude disowns his friend for allowing himself to be beat up by white men—to Harlem street youth this was the most disrespectful thing one could do to oneself. Big Bill, a man in Claude’s neighborhood, encouraged the kids to fight because he knew they needed to learn how to defend themselves on those hard streets.   Big Bill was preparing them for life, as he saw it.   In order to survive, Claude learned, you had to be a â€Å"bad nigger,† which meant that you had to be willing to do anything; you had to be willing to die.   One time when Claude was beat up over a quarter he said, â€Å"It wasn’t the value of money†¦ It was just that these things symbolized a man’s manhood or principles† (p. 256). Violence is used to keep racial segregation—Claude is raised being told that if he were to ever sleep with a white woman he would be lynched.   The police use violence to control violence.   Violence is also used by the everyday inhabitants of Harlem to protect themselves against the people who live the street life.   Claude caught a bullet in the stomach from a neighbor who was simply trying to keep their sheets from being stolen.   One man’s head was cracked open by a landlord for peeing in the hallway of his building.     Ã‚  The cycle of wrong doing seems to be perpetuated by violence; it cuts the psyche and makes a person grow callous to what has to be done to protect oneself and one’s belongings in Harlem or any poor urban ghetto. Role of Women Black women in Harlem are the lowest on the totem pole so to speak and are treated as if they were objects to own or use.   Women are considered to only exist to please men and men like Johnny, a pimp, treat women very badly in order to get what they want.   Claude’s own mother is helpless to control her son, simply ringing her hands and saying, â€Å"Boy, why you so bad?† (p 27).   In the case of Sugar and Melvin, Sugar must step up when her man decides that he is not going to struggle to survive in hostile Harlem but simply give up—she must take on a more important role in the relationship and lead the household. Drugs Drugs are another result of urban poverty in Harlem.   Drugs are an escape, a chance to make a quick buck.   Claude also said that drugs became associated with manhood, â€Å"the young cats wanted to take drugs because they used to listen to the way the junkies talked, with a drag in their voice† (p 261).   Many a black man in Harlem got caught in the web of Heroine, thinking that they were in control and selling it, the drug took control of them.   Pimp, Claude’s little brother, was just such a character and Claude spent a lot of time trying to show his brother that this just wasn’t the way. Religion Religion in Harlem harks back to the spirituals of the South.   Charismatic church services were held in old stores, apartments or where ever there is space to be had. The preachers, such as Mrs. Rogers, a jackleg preacher, have no formal training but lead their family and peers in a sermon and loud prayer sessions. Claude was very skeptical of his experience in Mrs. Roger’s church and for years later he remembered church as a place where, â€Å" somebody lined up a lot of kitchen chairs in a few rows, a preacher did a lot of shouting about the Lord, people jumping up and down until they got knocked down by the spirit, and Mrs. Rogers put bowls of money on a kitchen table and kept pointing to it and asking from more† (p. 27).   Claude believes throughout the book that religion is just another distraction, like a drug, to take one’s mind away from the suffering of hard living. Black Muslims in Harlem represented a little different form of faith that dealt with the issues of the ghetto by turning the philosophy of prejudice around so that the black man was the superior race and the whites inferior and according to Floyd Saks, â€Å"The time has come for all back men to rise up, band together and do something for themselves† (p 319).   These Muslim’s encouraged blacks to â€Å"buy black† to better the black economy.   Although Claude recognizes the need for change in his community he quickly sees that Floyd’s faith is simply exchanging one hate for another. Role Models The only role models that urban youth in Harlem seemed to have were negative ones.   Those that worked hard did not make enough money to survive or live well.   Those that seemed to have enough money and to have control over their life were the â€Å"street heroes† or the men who were able to lie, cheat and steal their living.   Claude was influenced by friends his own age such as Danny, who taught him how to steal from cash registers and skip school or Johnny who taught him how to hustle on the street. Claude in turn became a â€Å"street hero† and influenced his little brother Pimp who then ended up becoming a drug user.   The influence of siblings was such that Pimp was expected to live up to his brother’s tough reputation so he had to be a â€Å"bad nigger† and he had to get in as much trouble as possible to catch up to his brother’s years of street experience.   Claude has to beat up an older boy for his sister Carole’s honor in order to preserve his own as well as hers. Claude finds a positive influence only in the â€Å"comforts† of the regimented prison where everything is clearly laid out with purpose.   Mr. Papanek and Mrs. Coen are the only two people in Claude’s life who positively influenced his actions and helped him to realize that he was going no where doing the same things that got him in trouble before and got other men in trouble before and after him. Papanek kept telling people that, â€Å"Claude Brown is going to be a real success† and as a result, Claude believed it and made it happen (p 167).   Doing something different had not occurred to Claude before this or to other youth like him because there just weren’t any successful young black men to be found. Reverend James was a positive role model in the Harlem community that Claude sought to help his brother Pimp get off drugs and to find a track into college.   Claude respected Reverend James because he was as intelligent as Mr. Papanek but he was black and he lived in Harlem with the rest of those struggling to survive and had found a way to survive outside of the mores of the street.   â€Å"Reverend James is a pretty hip guy for a minister,†Ã‚   Claude admitted to Pimp and it is the Reverend’s ability to be â€Å"hip† that made him capable of really making a difference in the lives of Harlem youth (p 390). The Ghetto Mentality Poverty, violence, crime and the lack of any hope or any positive role models caused a â€Å"ghetto mentality† to develop that made people have low aspirations and to focus on the appearance of things such as making sure to have fine clothes rather than planning ahead with finances for the future.   Success was seen only in the street heroes: pimps and successful criminals. Tilto, Danny and Mac are good examples of boys with no aspiration to ever do anything else but hustle and hope for a quick showy success.   When asked what he was going to do with his life Claude’s friend Mac says, â€Å"I don’t know man. I guess I’ll deal drugs† like every one else in the neighborhood was already doing (p 237).   This ghetto mentality was re-enforced by the fact that men with a criminal record after the age of sixteen were unable to find gainful employment or become a successful citizen in society so there was a sense of, â€Å"why try, I can’t do anything about it now.† This mentality is broken only by the influence of someone like Claude, who everyone respects on the street and who decided to get out of the lifestyle and to find something more fulfilling in life.   The likelihood of urban youth to come in contact with a Mr. Pancheck, like Claude did is less likely than for them to be impressed to change by someone like Claude.