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From the latter part of the 20th century and especially since the advent of the 21st century, modernization, globalization, and concomitant legislation for human rights and equity has opened up more space for women in leadership, though the results have been limited in some cases. In 2002, data circulated by the US Bureau of Labour revealed that of all the executive, administrative and managerial positions held in the US, female leaders held about 46% and this was an indication of women’s zest for amassing required management or line experience that was initially thought to be missing or lacking.
Get original essayBroadbridge and Simpson (2011) assert that the extensive research carried out in the last decades in the area of leadership and gender, show that challenges in the progression of women to more seniour positions, are still present and need to be further analysed. In many cases due to equal rights legislation, the problem of gender is often assumed to have been solved. The reality however is that there are still barriers for women such as the glass ceiling or the ‘hidden dimensions of power’ (Broadbridge et al., 2011:477) that undermine female careers. Eagly and Carli (2007) claim women are not well represented in managerial positions, however instead of discussing negative barriers like the glass ceiling, they prefer to introduce the metaphor of the labyrinth. The shift of paradigm emphasises that ‘for women who aspire to top leadership, routes exist but are full of twists and turns, both unexpected and expected’.
The glass ceiling is a term that denotes the challenges that women face when trying to ascend to the higher echelons of leadership. It means that women can ascend the leadership ladder up to a predetermined point, at which time they are locked out of most leadership roles. However, Eagly et al. (2011) contest the term with the argument that it implies that women do not face any challenges in the workplace until they reach a certain hierarchy where they face challenges advancing further. Eagly et al. (2011) argue that this is not true because women face workplace challenges from the time that they enter the workplace. A study of workplace harassment and bullying revealed that women are more likely to be harassed at work than their male counterparts. Similarly, women are more likely to lose their jobs for private issues such as starting a family.
Accordingly, these issues lay the groundwork for excluding women from top leadership positions. Northouse (2018) claims that the leadership gap is attributable to three main factors namely differences in human capital, gender differences, and prejudice.
Northouse (2018) attributes the leadership gap to differences in the human capital claim that women are less educated, have less experience, and train less.
The argument that women are less educated than men differs from country to country. In countries with a culture of gender egalitarianism, women are just as likely as men to have a higher education. However, the opposite is true for countries where there is less gender egalitarianism such as Saudi Arabia and the Middle East in general. Considering the paternalistic culture of the Middle East, women are relegated to domestic roles where they are unlikely to develop the skillset that is necessary for formal leadership. Nonetheless, evidence from gender-egalitarian countries shows that even if women have as much education or even more education than men, they are still left out of top leadership. For example, despite women having the same qualifications as men, they are underrepresented in top leadership (Northouse, 2018). This begs the question of whether women are perceived as bad leaders who, despite being educated, cannot lead. However, this would lead to another question of whether education is necessary for great leadership. There are leaders especially in theocracies like Saudi Arabia, whose bloodline and not education, is the prerequisite for being a leader. Evidently, education does not justify the leadership gap.
The other argument is that women have less training and experience to be eligible for leadership positions. This postulation might present some truth. Despite being as or more educated than men, women are likely to lose time in their careers during life transitions like when they have children. The domestic duty of raising a child falls more aggressively on the woman than a man. Physiologically, women are more likely to lose time off during pregnancy and after having a child because they are the primary caregivers for the child. Meanwhile, the men have this time to build an advantage over the women. The more children that one has during their career, the more they fall behind those that have not had any children, or the males who do not play an active role in parenting.
Gender differences are consistently cited in leadership literature as an antecedent for the leadership gap. Some studies argue that women are more nurturing and participatory leaders, while men are more task-oriented and are better at taking risks. Northouse (2018) argues though, that the studies which show this difference were heavily skewed by the homogeneity of the samples that they used.
Additionally, Moss-Racusin & Rudman (2010) argue that women are less likely to promote themselves and negotiating their way to leadership positions. Ascending to positions of leadership is demanding for individuals. There is no definite blueprint for ascending the leadership ladder so someone must be aggressive enough to explore what the path is, and promote their capabilities in a manner that improves their chances of rising higher. When men practice this behaviour, they are perceived as driven and ambitious (Moss-Racusin & Rudman, 2010). However, the same behaviour from women attracts scorn and an attack on their character. Ambitious women are perceived as aggressive and masculine, so they are perceived as a threat by the very social circles which they must navigate to ascend the leadership ladder. Take the example of the case of Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins. The firm argued that the plaintiff failed to ascend to a partnership position not because she was incompetent, but because they believed that she was not behaving in a feminine manner. The firm believed that she was acting like a man, and was advised to begin acting more feminine to improve her chances of becoming a partner. Naturally, the firm lost the discrimination lawsuit. It is evident therefore, that women are perceived as bad leaders if they fail to adhere to the social roles that are attached to their gender. To refrain from incurring such social backlash, Moss-Racusin & Rudman (2010) argue that women forego higher leadership roles.
Lyngsie & Foss (2017) argue that when in charge of large groups, women are worse leaders. Inferably, this performance deficit is based on the stereotypes that people expect women to fulfil. A large group is almost always going to be diverse. For example, a multinational firm cannot just hire females only. This means that women are faced with groups that contain males and females from multiple cultures. Klenka (2017) proffers that people prefer when women are inclusive, humble, and practice servant leadership. This comes from a psychological phenomenon that is known as transference. People associate women with motherhood because this is usually the first and most influential female association that they make. Mothers are typically mild and nurturing so when people are under the rule of a female leader, they expect that leader to behave in the same manner as their mother or mother figure. If they do not, people judge them as poorly as they would judge a mother who has failed to meet the stereotypes of motherhood. This is the reason why firms that are highly competitive and high risk, may prefer male leaders to female leaders. They expect that women are too docile to handle the pressure of leadership, and would make bad leaders.
Prejudice is a form of bigotry that manifests in someone having an irrational disrespect or hatred for people from another demographic. The prejudice against women in leadership roles is rooted in the historical gender roles that expect women to be domestic caregivers and followers while men are the leaders. When women venture into leadership roles, men might perceive this as an affront to their territory, especially in countries that have little or no gender egalitarianism. Accordingly, the followers of a female leader are likely to perceive them poorly whether or not they perform as well or better than a male. This might result in a biased judgment of females as bad leaders despite there being no foundation for this argument.
The homosocial nature of humans is also a source of prejudice in favour of or against female leaders. Trompenaars & Hampden-Turner (2006) argue that people prefer others like them, to those that are not like them. This perception is based on an irrational tendency for self-preservation. Accordingly, the male followers may favour male leaders while the opposite is true for females. The paternalistic social construct has exposed females to male leadership for so long that women are unlikely to resist male leadership as much as males are likely to resist female leadership. This is especially common in areas without gender egalitarianism, such as the Middle East. One example is the assassination of the Pakistani presidential candidate, Benazir Bhutto, for one, among other reasons, being a woman that was running for the presidency. Islamic culture perceives women as subservient to men and therefore, has less tolerance for female leadership.
Discussed below, are the different motives for changing the gender imbalance that females face in the current leadership environment.
Women are more likely to be equitable leaders according to Klenke (2017). As mentioned prior, inequitable leadership causes dissatisfaction among the followers, so it is synonymous with bad leadership. Women’s affinity towards justice and fairness is likely to improve the output of the followers towards the mission. One of the examples of women being more equitable is the leadership of Indra Noori. Under her tenure, the company became more socially responsible and managed its waste better. Previously, PepsiCo was cited as a reckless polluter and a health risk, because it at once even sold drinks that contained dangerous amounts of pesticides. The company also used to sell diabetes-inducing foods without much consideration for the consumers. PepsiCo would also waste resources in the name of profit. At one time, it was using so much water in India even though there was an ongoing drought, despite producing a discretionary product. When Indra Noori took over, the company categorized its products into what it called 'Good for You' which was a group of foods and beverages that retained or promoted the consumers' health. The products that were labelled 'Fun for You' are the ones that carry a high risk of diabetes. The products that were perceived as ' Better for You' were neutral and stuck in the middle between the previous two categories.
Women are also more likely to be ethical leaders than men are, because of their higher emotional intelligence (Cliffe, 2011). Considering that women are more likely to lead through relationship building rather than with tunnel vision ambition, they are more open to being ethical than men are. To refer back to Hofstede's culture model, ambitious cultures that focus on achievement and personal gratification are considered to be masculine. Cultures that focus on group utility and social wellbeing are called feminine. This extends into leadership. The fact that women are more oriented towards overall social wellbeing rather than personal achievement, aligns with the utilitarian ethical perspective. To exemplify from a political perspective, most of the leaders that have spearheaded the worst human rights atrocities of those that were supposed to be their followers, were male. Hitler, Stalin, Kim Jong Un, and King Leopold all committed several atrocities. However, this does not mean that all female leaders are ethical by default. Even if there are barely any Middle Eastern female leaders to exemplify, Aung San Su Kyi is a great external example. Voted and sanitized under the belief that she was a freedom fighter and a female who would be ethical, time has proven the opposite. There is a genocide against the Burmese Muslim minority of Rohingya people that are happening under the watch, and she denies it. This was not the case before she was a leader. Before she was the head of state, she was a freedom fighter who endured a lot of harassment from the military but remained an outspoken freedom fighter who even won a Nobel Prize for Peace. Right now, she is an accomplice in some of the worst human rights crimes in modern history and is defending the military that is performing them. Therefore, women can also be bad and unethical leaders.
Klenke (2017) argues that women are better at mentoring than men are. The relationship-oriented leadership of the women is likely to make then inclusive, calmer, and more communicative leaders. Resultantly, they are better at nurturing because mentorship requires extensive nurturing and communication. Klenke (2017) posits that women received better mentorship outcomes. Noteworthy though, this assertion might be skewed by the assumption that all male leaders have relatively aggressive personalities that are destructive to mentoring. Furthermore, the argument that women are better mentors than men ignores the cultural differences that are likely to come with leadership. A female leader from acculture with a high-power distance score and high gender egalitarianism score, might be less nurturing than a male leader from a culture with low power distance and high collectivism or high human orientation.
Women are less risk-tolerant than men. If the firm operates in an industry that is in the maturity stage of its lifecycle, risk-tolerance is unnecessary and might even be detrimental to the firm. The reckless risk-taking behaviour could cause losses such as the development of unnecessary new products. In such an industry, female risk-aversion might be a welcome trait. Alternatively, a firm that is operating in a highly competitive industry in its growth phase might benefit from the risk-taking behaviour of the male leaders. The environmental uncertainty in such an environment demands bold risk-taking, but it should not be extreme. If the leader in such an environment is averse to risk, their firm might go obsolete. This same reasoning applies to firms that are in the decline stages of their lifecycle and need to reinvent themselves. In the example of Nokia, the mobile industry was approaching a decline when Apple took the risk to introduce an unprecedented type of mobile device. Nokia's dismissal of Apple's iPhone as gimmicky contributed to the company's downfall. Rather than deploying its extensive experience and resources to defend its territory by introducing a smartphone if its own, it trusted its brand loyalty to protect it. The result was the company becoming obsolete while newcomers like Samsung and Chinese budget smartphones responded to Apple's new product. Had Nokia taken that risk, it might still have been the market leader in the smartphone industry. However, its CEO was male, and this proves that gender and risk-tolerance are not invariably related.
A female's ability to lead is often questioned in terms of how well she can handle leadership, compared to men. There is a plethora of literature on leadership that describes how males tend to rate themselves as better leaders than females, based on their perception of leadership. Often, women find themselves caught up in stereotypes by acting different than prevailing female values in an attempt to comply with the male definition of leadership, charisma! Much of the literature suggests that for decades more females tend to underrate their leadership abilities and competencies than men in similar roles but there seems to be a growing perception among today's women that they are capable, that tends to move away from orthodox thinking of women as subordinate parties in leadership in both the public and private sectors. Most leadership research prior to the 1980s was carried out by men and dealt almost exclusively with male leaders, variously defined as supervisors, managers, administrators, or commanders.
Doubts about women’s leadership skills have been attributed to their feminine traits. This has been linked to perceptions of incompetence and a devaluation or exploitation of women’s labour. Given the prejudice men harbour about women in authority, men may work well with female subordinates but become uncomfortable when working with female peers and superiors, particularly in male dominated work settings. This is because women are viewed as suited to service tasks and subordinate positions which reinforce the impression of nurturance, dependence and lack of leadership ability. Women have to deal with these responses of male peers and subordinates who may not welcome their entry into previously male dominated territory. This may explain why some women do not aspire for certain powerful positions and even if they do aspire, end up adopting male attributes and suppressing aspects of femininities. What becomes evident is that women’s presence in the world of men is conditional on their willingness to modify their behaviour to become more like men or risk being perceived as more male than men.
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Get custom essayTo conclude, in all areas of society, both men and women should be brought together in equal measure. Women empowerment is very important for the bright future of country. Women need a clean and suitable environment so that they can take their own decision in every field even if it is for themselves, country, family or society. It is a part of women's involvement in the population of the whole country and all round development of women and children they need freedom in all areas.
To be a successful future front-runner or influencer it can’t be easily achieved by accident, rather it is by track records of dedication, resolute and accomplishments over a certain period of time embodied with the intention and willingness to do so.
Get original essayIt is with bold notes, I will like to express my profound account of achievements saddled with the demonstration of leadership and influencing qualities from my early days till date with almost no much impediment.
Firstly, my first role was a position of a house captain in my primary school at the age of 11 in 2000. I then served as an assistant class representative and as a class representative at my year one and two of my secondary school in 2001 and 2002 respectively. I was likewise a senior prefect in my final year in 2006. These series of positions held almost with no stop begin the stepping stone for me to engage in leading and influencing others. And since that time, there is never a place I went to without finding myself overseeing the affairs and advising as could be seen in the next paragraphs.
Among the most important qualities I often demonstrate are trust, fairness, hard work and dedication, selfless service, perseverance, patience, willingness to act, among others
Secondly, as a results of success in winning the Etisalat merit scholarships for the top ten students of each Nigerian universities in computing courses in 2010, during my undergraduate studies, I was nominated by my universities to launch of zero tolerance for corruption (ZTC) at the Bayero University, Kano. The ZTC is the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s initiatives to support anti-corruption campaigns in university campuses. I managed the ZTC as an acting chairman in order to participate in influencing and inculcating the culture of integrity and accountability to students.
After graduating from university, I was one time a public relations officer with MDGs/NYSC where we advocated MDGs in Sokoto. Similarly, I submitted my business proposal with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for consideration to a CBN/NYSC venture award competition of which I won as a second position out of hundreds of applicant indicating my influence drive in creative writing.
Currently, I am a System Analyst, Department of Management Information System of my alma mater, responsible for analysis and design of the e-library infrastructures. I headed a team that developed the new portal for the ICT Library in order to have adequate collections of e-resources that are accessible to library users. This improved the university standing and earned the 2016 National Universities Commission’s Accreditation for the Library ICT standards.
I strongly believe that, the opportunity of the prestigious Chevening Scholarship would potentially enhance my leadership capacity and service delivery especially in
The George Washington UniversityMedStar Washington Hospital Center is the largest hospital in Washington D.C.; With 926 beds and roughly 2400 employees within MWHC’s nursing department, it is also among the 50 largest in the entire nation. The oversight and management of such a large and busy organization is a job which requires a leader who is innovative and accountable, with the ability to adapt to stressful scenarios and inspire team members to perform at their best. Luckily, Susan Eckert, senior vice president and chief nursing executive, is the perfect person for the position.
Get original essayBeginning her Medstar career as an ICU nurse in 1979, Susan, or “Sue” as she prefers to be called, has dedicated nearly 40 years to the hospital and become a hugely significant figure in its progress and development. In an interview, Sue discussed her experience in the role of a nurse leader, the aspects of it that she finds most challenging as well as the most rewarding, and what she believes makes her so good at it. Leadership InnovationNursing is a discipline that is constantly growing and developing. This impacts all nurses, but nurse leaders in particular are needed in order to understand and take initiative in how they respond to these changes (McElmurry, Kim, & Al Gasseer, 2000).
The use of innovation in an ever-changing field allows us to create and implement change that has a positive effect on our careers, as it can improve patient care and nursing satisfaction. The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) defines innovation as “a new way of doing things to improve healthcare delivery” (Brach, Lenfestey, Roussel, Amoozegar & Sorensen, 2008).For Sue, the concept of innovation as a leader is one which she chose to make her primary focus for many years. After having been at MWHC for over 25 years, she began to have concerns about being there for so long, and so she decided that she wanted to try something different. “I was very worried that I was very parochial and narrow in my view, because this is what I knew,” Sue explained. When a physician at MWHC, Dr. Mark Smith, founded the Medstar Institute for Innovation and asked Sue to work with him, she readily agreed, and became the first nurse to work there.
She describes this experience as a “game changer” in terms of how she viewed innovation, not only in how it relates to nursing, but how it impacts health care as a system. Sue admits that she never saw herself as innovative, stating that she thought of herself as “more of an analytical brain as opposed to a creative brain.” Working at the Institute for Innovation for six years changed this belief. She recalls that “when I understood that innovation can also be an open approach to doing something differently, or openness to, in support of, getting to an outcome could be achieved 10 different ways—it really doesn’t matter, as long as you get there—then I would say yes, I’ve gotten so much better at harnessing innovation to try and make sure we get to the best solution.”Emotional competenceFor leaders, few things are as important as emotional competence. Studies done on the subject have demonstrated that “emotional intelligence abilities improve communication, support constructive conflict resolution, and improve individual and team performance” (Codier, D., 2017; Codier, E., 2017).
Sue exemplifies what it means to lead with emotional competence, and emphasizes her passion for staying connected with nurses on all levels. One way in which she displays this is by making a point of periodically visiting each unit to talk with the staff nurses working on them. In a hospital where 48 departments have nurses, this is no small task, but “I feel like it is extremely important to stay in touch with the nurses in the hospital. I want to be seen as approachable, and I want them to know that I am listening to what they have to say, and if they aren’t happy with something, I want to know about it.”
In a hospital as large as MWHC, she is aware that when sitting down with nurses, there are bound to be complaints and concerns voiced. When asked how she approaches these situations, she says that “I just know sometimes it’s going to be hostile, so you’re always equipping yourself to be calm, and not to personalize it, and I need to hear this and to maintain a demeanor so that people feel safe, because if they don’t tell me I can’t fix it.” The significance of emotional intelligence cannot be understated, which is something that Sue learned from her time as a SICU nurse. “I know that nursing is an intense profession, and that it is very emotional. I know because I’ve been there. So in all of my interactions, in all of the decisions I make, I try to keep in mind what is best for the nurses, because I want them to feel understood and supported, because then they are able to do their job and care for patients to the best of their ability.”
Crisis managementThe ability to be a leader in a time of crisis or disaster is no easy task. For Sue, serving as incident commander of Medstar Washington Hospital Center on September 11, 2001 is what she describes as the most difficult day of her entire career. “We stood on the helipad outside of Medstar, and we could see the Pentagon burning,” she recalls. In times like this, it is essential that the hospital have a nurse leader who is well-equipped to handle crisis management in order to ensure that operations run smoothly and productively. Part of this requires always keeping in mind the “human dimension” of a crisis. Leaders must be able to reassure their team of their strengths and inspire confidence “in spite of the fear and anxiety triggered by an incident” (Edmonson, Sumagaysay, Cueman, & Chappell, 2016).
Sue stated confidently that she is an excellent crisis manager. She attributes this to several traits, one of which is her ability to stay collected no matter how stressful the situation. “I’m very calm, and people feed off of it, so I can get everybody calmed down,” she says of herself. She also believes that her ability to collaborate with all members of a team is key to handling crises. She summarizes her approach as one where “I will tell everybody, I need your intellect, I need your human capital to solve this problem. It’s not me, it’s the team.” Sue wrote an article dedicated entirely to the topic of disaster preparedness which was published in the well-respected nursing journal, American Nurse Today.
In this article, she gives advice on what she feels are the most important parts of crisis management and disaster preparedness: protecting yourself, protecting patients, understanding the chain of command, knowing how to communicate, and the importance of collaboration. “Nurses are extraordinarily resourceful and creative,” she states. “Adding emergency preparedness to your knowledge base can greatly enhance the power of your practice—and can help you save lives when the unimaginable happens” (Eckert, 2006). SpiritualityDiscussions on the role of spirituality in nursing have become more prevalent and open minded. Ledlow & Coppola (2014) explain that “it is well known that spiritual principles are the basis for many values and enduring beliefs that guide the moral and ethical development or health leadership practices in our society.”
While it is a concept that is open for interpretation, one consistent theme within the realm of spirituality is a desire for life to have a higher purpose or meaning (Sartori, 2010). For many nurses, spirituality is embodied in the belief that nursing is what they were meant to do. For Sue, the idea of nursing being her calling is debatable. One thing that she knows definitively is that “I wanted to do something with my life that would help people.” This desire helped pave the path to her role as a nurse leader. “I began my career as a bedside nurse in the surgical ICU,” Sue recalls. “I loved it, and it gave me a great sense of fulfillment, but I also believed that I could make just as much of a difference in a leadership role.” While many equate spirituality with religion, Sue believes that they are two entirely different concepts. “While I am religious, being of the catholic faith, I don’t see it as being a major part of my role as a leader.
Spirituality, to me, can manifest in how people interact. It can be as simple as treating others with respect and receiving the same in return.”Change and conflictWhen asked for an example of a time when she disagreed with a change that was being made, and it resulted in conflict, Sue said that there was one she was currently dealing with while serving as one of the CNOs on the Medstar Health CNO council. At several medstar hospitals, they have the role of clinical specialist. The systems CNO made the decision that only Advance Practice Nurses should be hired to fill this role. Sue, who herself once worked as a clinical specialist, disagreed with this decision, as she believes that clinical specialists have a huge influence on the system, and that only filling the role with APRNs would limit this.
The systems CNO wanted a consensus on the new rule she was proposing, and only Sue was blocking the change from being made. “So, I voiced my concerns, shared my different perspective,” but realizing that the council ultimately needed to move forward, “I chose to abstain.” For someone in a nurse leadership role, it is important to remember that you cannot always get your way; sometimes the best thing to do is “pick your battles.” Sue admits that conflict is something that is unavoidable, especially in a role like hers, but it must be dealt with head on. She feels strongly that “in nursing, conflict must be addressed, because if it isn’t, it can ultimately become a patient safety problem.”Transformational Coaching and Leading TeamsWhen asked about the leadership styles that Sue feels best represent her, one of the first ones she mentioned was transformational leadership.
In 1978, James MacGregor Burns came up with the theory of transformational leadership. He defined it as the process of building commitment to the organization’s objectives and empowering followers to accomplish these objectives.” Benjamin Bass later expanded on this idea, saying that “transformational leadership must be grounded in moral foundations that include inspirational motivation, individualized consideration, intellectual stimulation, and idealized influence” (Ledlow & Coppola, 2014). Within the realm of leading teams in nursing, a leader practicing the transformational style is able to build confidence, respect and a strong rapport with their team by acting as a role model. Their example inspires those under their leadership to perform at a higher level and they place value in innovative strategies and solutions, priding creativity and efficiency. They give respect to all team members and their ideas to ensure a feeling of security in expressing outside-the-box solutions.
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Get custom essayCrucially, a transformational leader provides a level of motivation and inspiration which persists with nursing team members even without the leader physically present. “I believe transformational leadership and having emotional competence is really critical when you start getting into these roles where you’re mostly influencing as opposed to directly doing,” Sue explained. Medstar Washington Hospital Center recently received Pathway to Excellence designation, making it the first hospital in the District of Columbia to achieve this. Granted by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, this designation is given “only to hospitals that have created a work environment where nurses’ contributions are valued, professional development is supported, and nurses are integral to decision-making” (Pathway to Excellence, n.d.). This honor could not have been achieved without Sue’s leadership, commitment to success, and dedication to the hospital, which show the way for those who follow her to bring the same qualities to their work.
King Lear is one of the most tragic parables ever brought forth in literature, dealing with betrayal, familial deception, madness and violence. In presenting such tragic themes and ideas in his work Shakespeare uses a subplot to mirror the main action which therefore increases the effect of the parable's lessons. In both stories, parents are deceived and betrayed by their own children, one of the most abhorrant crimes in Shakespeare's time. It is this mistreatment by children that lead both Lear and Gloucester to madness and then death. But they are not completely innocent victims who have fallen to their children's ill intentions. Both have made critical and constant errors in judgment that caused their downfall, and they both must realize their errors before their deaths.
Get original essayIn the first scene in the first act, we are presented with Lear's misguided dependence on artifice and flattery that catapults the action of the play and leads to both his positive transformation and sadly, his death. Before dividing up his kingdom among his three daughters Lear asks "which of you shall we say doth love us most,/That we our largest bounty may extend" (King Lear I.i.51-52). From the beginning it is obvious that Lear equates quality with quantity, as he so blatantly states that whoever says they love him most will receive the most. He does not realize that inflated praise and flattery are not the same as love and honest affection, something that Lear will have to learn very painfully. The responses of his daughters Goneril, Regan and lastly, Cordelia show further Lear's lack of understanding. Goneril and Regan both make inflated and obviously dishonest claims of love. For example, Goneril describes her love as "a love that makes breath poor, and speech unable" (King Lear I.i.60), quite amazing considering she is in fact speaking at that moment. When Lear's one loving and honest daughter Cordelia explains to Lear that her sisters are lying to him, "why have my sisters husbands if they say/They love you all?" (King Lear I.i.99-100), and that she loves him too much to lie and flatter him and will therefore say nothing, he quite sorely misses the point. This opening scene clearly presents the reader with Lear's chief error in judgment that he will have to overcome by the end of the play.
While Lear so heavily depends on words and flattery Gloucester trusts what his eyes see too much, and therefore falls prey to Edmunds cunning and deception. In the second scene Edmund begins his plot to discredit Edgar in Gloucester's eyes so that he, the illegitimate son, will get everything, including property, title and material wealth. Whereas Goneril and Regan use words to illicit the response they desire from Lear, Edmund plays off of Gloucester's trust of appearance and his own eyes to trick him. He pretends to have a letter from Edgar that he is trying to hide from him when in fact he knows that Gloucester will demand to see the letter. Gloucester alludes to this dependence on sight and appearances himself when asking for the letter from Edmund in his use of vocabulary. He says "let's see. Come, if it/Be nothing, I shall not need spectacles...Let's see, let's see" (King Lear I.ii.35-44). Because he has read these words himself, Gloucester does not even for a moment truly doubt their validity and immediately is put in a violent rage against his son without even questioning the situation. As he says moments after reading the letter, "O villain, villain! His very opinion in the/Letter. Abhorred villain, unnatural, detested, brutish villain;/Worse than brutish! Go, sirrah, seek him. I'll apprehend him. Abominable villain!" (King Lear I.ii.77-80). Just like Lear, Gloucester is easily led into the trap that his child devises by his own fault.
It is not until Lear is presented with Tom the beggar, a character completely stripped of artifice, that he can see the errors of his values and judgments. After speaking with Tom and spending time in the cave Lear makes his transformation into a man who cares not for artifice or flattery, but rather honesty and truth. As he says to Tom, "Thou art the thing itself; unaccommodated man is no/ more but such a poor, bare, forked animal as thou art. Off, off, you lendings! Come, unbutton here" (King Lear III.iv.107-109). By trying to literally undress himself, Lear is trying to shed himself of all of his artifice and unnaturalness. By the time he sees Cordelia again he realizes the error in his judgments, saying "if you have poison for me, I will drink it./I know you do not love me...You have some cause" (King Lear IV.vii.75-78) and looks forward to passing the time in prison to "pray, and sing, and tell old tales" (King Lear V.iii.12).
As king, Lear has lived his life with the comfort of always being flattered and treated with the utmost respect and importance. Once he has given up his power and authority to Goneril and Regan, he is faced with a situation in which he is not treated with such respect. All of Goneril and Regan's elevated prose of their false love for Lear is replaced with a forthright lack of respect and love. When Lear begs Regan to take care of him in his old age she simply replies, "Good sir, no more. These are unsightly tricks./Return you to my sister." (King Lear II.iv.155-156). This change in his position is more than the weary old king can bear and he must reach madness from this ingratitude and hypocrisy before he can realize his faults of equating flattery and materialism with happiness and love.
Just as Lear must suffer such great disrespect and harshness of words and actions to learn not to depend on them, Gloucester must lose his vision before he can depend on his mind and heart to judge situations instead of depending on what he thinks he sees. While Lear may be slow to transform, Gloucester quickly realizes the error of his ways, saying to Tom the beggar, "I have no way, and therefore want no eyes;/I stumbled when I saw. Full oft 'tis seen/our means secure us, and our mere defects/prove our commodities" (King Lear IV.i.18-21). He realizes that when he could see he was overconfident and did not judge situations carefully, but now that he is blind he has learned to not depend on his eyes to show him the truth.
While both of these characters have in many ways made a positive transformation, both recognizing and attempting to change their flaws that caused so much harm, Shakespeare's work is still a tragedy. By the end of the play, after both characters fully realize their mistakes, they both die from a combination of shock and old age. Lear realizes his mistakes in the way he quantified the love of his daughter, culminating in his excitement to pass time in prison with Cordelia, but she is killed and the shock of her death kills him. Like Lear, Gloucester realizes he misjudged Edgar's character and is deeply repentative. But it is too late, and he dies from the shock of discovering Tom's true identity, that of his son. King Lear ends sadly, but also with a sense of a positive future. Though it may have been too late for these characters to realize their mistakes and change their lives, the message their stories give is that of working to change what is wrong in one's character.
America has always been recognized as the land of opportunities or the land of prosperity. In fact, America was based on several revolutionary principals including “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. One of the biggest issues that America currently faces is its inadequate public education system. Initially, the American public education system was one of the best learning structures available. Today however, there are several issues surrounding this nation’s public education system. The main issues about America’s public education system are the disciplinary measures that take place and the accuracy of the state mandated exams.
Get original essayThe purpose of having a code of social conduct in schools is so that the schools can minimize the amount of behavioral infractions caused by the students. Theoretically speaking, utilizing this disciplinary system should be enough to deter the students with poor dispositions. Since the genesis of the disciplinary system, the control that disciplinarians had over their students has faded greatly. According to the City Journal, “Over the past 30 years or so, the courts and the federal government have hacked away at the power of educators to maintain a safe and civil school environment” (City Journal). The authority of the teacher has been destructed over time and as a result of moral differences and societal influences that dictate how a school should be run. The City Journal goes on to say that “kids today are more likely than ever to go to disorderly schools, whose only answers to the disorder are ham-fisted rules and therapeutic techniques designed to manipulate students' behavior, rather than to initiate them into a genuine civil and moral order” (City Journal). If students do not receive the appropriate disciplinary attention that they need to be successful, then the authoritative bodies in control of the situation are failing at their jobs and positions. If the individuals in charge of a situation cannot control the inappropriate actions of the students, then the students are heading towards failure and possibly even harsher punishments.
One of the biggest issues that occur in the educational world is making sure that students properly learn the material that they are being taught. This practice is called “learning for understanding”. Students must be able to truly remember and comprehend the information they are subjected to. This form of pedagogy was initially used by the early authoritative individuals. After a while, it became evident that not all students could learn material at the same pace. Because of this realization, the United States Government established a standard for learning and how much material a student should be able to understand at a given time. To achieve this standard, each state in America must have their students take an exam to demonstrate their knowledge. According to James Popham of the Educational Leadership Society, “These days, if a school's standardized test scores are high, people think the school's staff is effective. If a school's standardized test scores are low, they see the school's staff as ineffective. In either case, because educational quality is being measured by the wrong yardstick, those evaluations are apt to be in error” (Popham). According to this statement, the government is more focused on high test score as opposed to the students truly learning the material. As a result, students learn how to become decent test takers. With that being the case, the students lose their motivation to truly learn and gain knowledge. A nation without knowledge is a harmful to the individuals that live in that nation.
Generally speaking, the students and children in school today will be in control of the nation in the relatively near future. In order for this nation to be successful, the United States Government needs to understand the moral values of the people. One of the biggest deterrents from a proper education would be the amount of social conduct that people feel is necessary for success. However, it is more harmful to students when they only receive information and then regurgitate it after an exam or test. The government and the United States School Board need to fully understand the value of knowledge and what it truly means to society. Government officials constantly question as to why the United States education system is performing so poorly. The answer to their questions can be found in the morals of the people who form this nation.
Graduating from Middle School is hard enough, but it is harder when one is considered a minority. Regardless of one's race rather Hispanic, African American, or Asian, the statics are against the individual. In Maya Angelou's "Graduation," the main character accomplishes a monumental milestone when she graduates from middle school despite having limited resources, being black, being belittled by a politician and notwithstanding her circumstances.
Get original essayBy virtue, many schools for blacks had limited resources. Unlike central High School, which had “ivy bushes climbing” the buildings, separate basketball courts, and a baseball field, Lafayette County Training school had none of those. It consisted of a limited baseball diamond and “two buildings. ”The situation was so dire that before anybody could borrow one of the few balls they had, the coach must view one worth of touching the ball. The situation the students were in at Lafayette showed that the two schools were not equal. Things commonly perceived as a minor achievement in today's standards were over-celebrated, such as graduating middle school.
Maya Angelou had a less fortunate life due to the fact that she was black. It is common knowledge that minorities dominate the charts for low-income households. This is no different with Maya Angelou whose family lived in “Stamps,” Arkansas. Furthermore, blacks are regulated to manual labor and farming jobs due to the fact that they were perceived as not having the same intellect and ability as the common white man. She even mentioned that she "had no control over her life. ”It set the tone for the last part of the writing as it shows that she truly gave up on what was such a massive accomplishment before. That was until Henry Reed, the valedictorian, started to read the "Negro national anthem. "This shows that it was easy for her to be picked on due to her color.
The politician was very driven to make sure that the children from Lafayette County Training School know that they were not as good as everyone else. The politician "exposed" them. He made their accomplishment look as if it was nothing. While graduating middle school might not be the largest thing to everyone, Maya Angelou's friends and family were all supportive of it. Mr. Donleavy's words showed the exact opposite. He pointed out how they were "maids and farmers, handymen and washerwomen. " Which made Maya Angelou feel as if everything she has learned and worked on was for nothing. He treated the graduation speech as if it was not of importance. Unlike Mr. Donleavy intended to make us feel, Maya Angelou was a very successful student.
In fact, Maya Angelou was one of the top students at her school. She had "no absences, no tardies", and she competed with the class valedictorian for the "best academic work" of the year. She was able to show a large amount of self-worth, as well as achieve such a large accomplishment. Being one of the best students, the graduation ceremony meant a lot to her. Sadly, as mentioned before, her moment of joy and happiness was ruined by Mr. Donleavy. At the end of the story, even though she was brought down, she was able to regroup herself with the help of Henry Reed. Even though she was above average, it still took her until the end of the writing to be proud of her race.
Maya Angelou made an enormous accomplishment when she graduated despite being, belittled, at a disadvantage, being a minority and against all odds she was a successful student. Maya Angelou showed us that she would persevere through even the most difficult situations. No matter the situation that you are put in, it is important that you are able to find the best way to get through it.
This journal will indicate the ethical issues related with Adani's Carmichael Coal Mine, including environmental issues involving to sustainability, human rights violations such as exploitation of workers, and corporate social responsibility such as consideration for people and the environment in Australia. It will identify stakeholders and debate how to apply Utilitarianism, ethics of rights and normative stakeholder theory are able to be used to ameliorate the impact and consequences of the Adani’s Carmichael mine.
Get original essayThere are some primary stakeholders in this case. Firstly, the State and the federal governments provided grants to Adan to advance the project. Government seeks to reduce unemployment and economic benefits in Australia. Adani announced that the Carmichael coal mine project will provide 10,000 jobs, which is the incentive for the government to support this project. In addition, Secondly, Adani provided jobs locally for this project, allowing Australians to get job opportunities as employees. This Adan project can help many people get out of unemployment. However, there are actually deaths, illnesses, and injuries at Adan's workplace. Reportedly, Adani exploits the labor force, including the use of child labor, and low wage payments. If Australian workers were treated like any other workplace, this Australian project could have the same result for the worker, and Adan is unreliable. Thirdly, Adani’s Coal Mine is located around the Great Barrier Reef, where large quantities of coal are produced and shipped. Large amounts of groundwater drainage and air pollution are expected in the area, which may cause enormous damage to the environment including global warming, Great Barrier Reef, land, and water. Finally, for people and farmers living in the area where the Adani mine is located, Adani's unrestricted access to groundwater could limit local people's water use, and carbon pollution could adversely affect the body. Locals are concerned about the destruction of their bodies, environment, land, and water by this Adan project.
This Adani project provokes ethical conflicts. Firstly, Adani needs to safely and reliably provide more energy to the Indian market, considering the workers, the law, the environment, and the communities in which it works. However, considering past Adani’s human rights abuses, corruption, and illegal trade, Adani has no hesitation in violating laws, contract conditions, or moral boundaries for his own benefit, and has no respect for any person and society. Therefore, if this awareness of Adani is not improved, this Adani’s project could lead to human rights ethics issues. Secondly, it is the corporate social responsibility of the project to carry out the business of producing and shipping coal, considering Australian workers, the law, the environment, and the communities in which it works. If this project is executed, Adani will provide much coal to the Indian market and earn many profits. In addition, the Australian Government believes that the project will be an opportunity to reduce the unemployment rate as it suffers from the unemployment rate in Australia, and it can also promote economic growth. However, environmental pollution from mining, transportation, and burning of coal, and the use of large amounts of water from acarine can cause great damage to local people and the environment. Therefore, it's unclear if the implementation of this project could increase the number of profits.
Australians are concerned that the impact of the Adani project will cause serious environmental issues. Coal-burning promotes air pollution and promotes global warming, and the use of large amounts of water at the Adani mine can lead to drought in Australia.
The two theories that is applied in this case are ethics of rights and utilitarianism. Human rights are owned by individuals, are a high priority on very important issues, and are inviolable. They cannot simply be waived. Even if you are not interested in this right or its human rights, you cannot waive it if another agent, government, or business, breaches it. Exploiting labor or having workers work long hours in a low occupational health and safety category is a violation of human rights to workers, and ethical issues related to it can be considered using the ethical theory that determines respect for human rights.
Utilitarianism is a moral theory, and the goal of utilitarianism is to maximize overall utility. This theory can be used to determine if Adan's project will increase stakeholder, societal and environmental interest and that it will bring happiness to society.
Another theory that can apply in this case is the normative stakeholder theory. The perspective of Normative stakeholder theory deserves consideration for the interests of all stakeholders, not only for their ability to promote the interests of other groups such as shareholders but also for themselves. The company also needs to consider the interests of its stakeholders, and this theory helps Adani to determine if they are paying attention to stakeholders and whether they can benefit from this project.
Considering Adani's social responsibility and whether Adan's project is sustainable is very important in implementing Adani's project. It seems best to address social responsibility from a problem perspective and address pressure from any origin, regardless of the particular label or concept facing MNE. Adani is a company that does not consider workers, the law, the environment, or the communities in which it works. In addition, the cheating committed by other Adani projects already exposed has not been explained to Australia. As a result, Australia has had many frictions and many ethical, social, and environmental issues that will make this project difficult to sustain. The United Nations Agenda 2030 and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) taken in 2015 are the most synthetic international political endeavor to accomplish sustainable development. Each goal provides a purpose and a clear way for creating a sustainable business. With reference to goals 6, 8, 11, 14, and 15 of the 17 goals, these are the solutions to the problem between Adan and Australia, and the use of these goals improves sustainability. Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation, Goal 8: Decent work and economic growth, Goal 11: Sustainable cities and communities, Goal 14: Life below water, and Goal 15 Life on land.
This journal revealed some ethical conflicts, environmental issues, and social responsibilities that need attention. It is described the major stakeholder groups and devised ways to address stakeholder impact using three theories: utilitarianism, ethics of rights, and normative stakeholder theory. Moreover, It was considered to use SDGs to avoid ethical, social, or environmental problems, and to take measures against the effects on the problems.
Throughout this class I have learned how much of a role psychology actually play in our lives. We are taught that there can be many different ways that we interact with others as well as how others interact with myself. This class overall has given me so many different perspectives on life and how to live life to the fullest. Every chapter in the textbook for this class has taught me something so substantial that I can apply it into my everyday life. This course PSY-102 has shown me the most beneficial understanding on the difficult language of psychology and how to apply it into my everyday life with.
Get original essayPersonal Life: Taking a Psychology class has definitely helped me learn how I go about my everyday living. I have learned such informative lessons about myself such as sleep. From the time you are younger you are told that eight hours of sleep are what is needed in order to function. But studies show that getting six hours is just as helpful for mind, body and spirit. Through our book I have also learned so much about other people. It has given me a new outlook on how to become more compassionate and understanding to others. It is such extremely beneficial to understand how others act and react. When knowing something like that, it can be extremely healthy for relationships. I now can know why people have different behaviors and attributes. Understanding those traits can help give me a deeper sense of someone allowing me to fully except others. Through this course I have also learned that anxiety and stress is a common factor of life. It can also be a good thing to go through. It helps the human body arise to the challenge that can be set before us.
Professional Life: Professionally, knowing how to use psychology to your benefit is such a helpful tool. You can learn what your strengths and attributes are. Through this course I have learned where I exceed expectations and where I can always improve professionally. I can use psychology tools to gain knowledge, establish repour, and deal with the stress of the professions that I am going into. Being a lawyer or a police officer comes with many different stressors. Psychology can help me deal with the stress of these jobs by using tools such as applying relaxation techniques and outputting that stress into something like physical activity. Through our course I was also able to learn people’s behaviors, this can come into play while being a police officer. I will be able to understand as to why someone does the crime they do. Understanding other behaviors can also help the social connections while having a professional career. It lets you relate to others in your professional world. Time management is also a large role in a professional career, especially for lawyers. While being a lawyer you are through many different cases that can become overwhelming. Having a concept of time management through psychology can help me build a schedule to attain the professional life that I aspire to have.
Academic Life: Academically, psychology hold the same value to me just as it does in my professional life. In my school life i believe that psychology can play an even larger role due to the large amounts of homework and stress that school sometime can cause. I need to do small amounts of homework and studying throughout the week and not pile it all into one day. I need to find a better time management schedule in order to not put myself into that situation anymore. This would also help me stress wise, I would then be able to enjoy a day off of work and school.
Psychology also has taught me my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to academics. I obviously know that I struggle with time management. Knowing more about myself though psychology has made me more self aware as well as more aware of those I go to school with, that even being said with online classes. When doing a group presentation with other students I tend to get frustrated if there are other students not putting in the same amount of work as me. But I have known learned that not even operates the way that I do. Psychology has also taught me which learning style that I am. My learning style is Auditory. I learn best while hearing and putting a connection between relevant information.
Through this course PSY-102 (General Psychology), I have been able to learn the meaning behind many things that go on in my day to day life. I am a firm believer that through a course like this we are able to learn the basis of psychology and learn what we need to understand to become a wholesome individual.
A memoir is typically a written account of a personal experience. It varies from an autobiography in that it usually focuses on a single, monumental period in the author’s life. When Mitch Albom penned his touching and insightful memoir, Tuesdays With Morrie, he recounted the precious moments that he was able to spend with his college professor, Morrie Schwartz, who was also his former mentor with whom he had lost touch. He characterizes in great detail Morrie’s last few months of life as he battled the debilitating and terminal disease ALS. Albom’s account of his reactions and the impressions he draws from his time spent with Morrie provide the reader with a clear image of who he is as the narrator. Mitch Albom’s use of extreme detail and imagery to promote meaning, his unique writing structure and the in-depth reflections he weaves throughout this story are particularly effective in conveying just how profound a time this was for him, deeming this a legitimate memoir, appropriately centered around a man who impacted him tremendously
Get original essayMitch Albom quickly establishes the fact that Morrie is quite ill and approaching death. In fact, within the first line of the memoir he explains, “the last class of my old professor’s life took place once a week in his house,” alluding to Morrie’s impending death (17). A short time later, in chapter two, Albom reveals that Morrie’s “death sentence came in the summer of 1994” (20). This introduction is abrupt and unusual. Rather than beginning the story with his childhood or young adult life, Albom chooses to begin at a much later point in his life—the end of his professor’s life. Opening the memoir with Morrie’s illness is an effective use of the literary technique in medias res, as it immediately places the reader in the heart of the story. The audience’s awareness of Morrie’s predicament, his fleeting life, allows them to experience the same sense of desperation and urgency Mitch does.
Mitch Albom consistently presents extensive details and strong imagery to the reader, effectively generating sympathy and a deep emotional connection to Morrie, Mitch, and the relationship they share. At the same time, Albom’s pervasive use of imagery allows the reader to relate to the severity of the situation. ALS is first presented as a serious disease that progressively worsens over time. This condition is gradual, and Albom’s descriptions of it mimic the progression of the disease. Each chapter reveals a new aspect of the disease, an element not previously apparent, creating for the audience the sense of living these challenges right alongside Morrie and providing a true connection to the author’s own experience as he observed Morrie’s deterioration over time. At the beginning of the memoir, Morrie’s struggles are minimal but apparent. He “kept tripping so he purchased a cane. That was the end of his walking free” (23). Later, “he hired his first home care worker (…) that was the end of his privacy” (33). Mitch Albom writes of these trials in order of occurrence. Rather than stating all of the hardships Morrie faced in his life, Albom presents them to the reader as they happen, allowing each challenge to impact the reader’s perception of Morrie’s degeneration. Albom also uses imagery clarify the condition of ALS to the reader. He explains that “ALS is like a lit candle: it melts your nerves and leaves your body a pile of wax” (24). The familiar action of a candle melting reinforces the brutality of Morrie’s disease. Everyone has witnessed a melting candle, but not many have witnessed the effects of ALS. Visually applying this relatable image of “melting” to Morrie’s deteriorating body allows the reader to fully grasp the gravity of his condition.
Mitch Albom often structures his sentences in Tuesdays With Morrie so that they emphasize important statements within the memoir. Brief statements at the end of his paragraphs highlight a significant theme. Albom consistently applies this quick writing style throughout the memoir, an effective tool to emphasize meaning. For example, “He would not wither. He would not be ashamed of dying” (24) its own paragraph entirely. Separating these statements from the rest of the reading emphasize certain messages. This disease will not define Morrie—a central theme throughout the memoir. Later in the book Morrie says, “not everyone is so lucky” (62) and “death ends a life, not a relationship” (149), both statements their own paragraphs. Because these statements sum up the message of the entire memoir, it’s crucial that the audience understand the importance of the words. Isolating these phrases from the rest of the writing focuses the reader on the critical points in the writing and allows them to understand these are the very points that resonate with the author himself.
Even though Mitch Albom is the author and narrator of Tuesdays With Morrie, it is apparent that for most of the memoir Morrie is the focus. As both the protagonist and main character, it is about Morrie that the audience is most concerned. However, it is important to understand that while readers share the point of view of the author and experience Morrie’s life as it impacted Mitch Albom, it’s through Morrie’s life that the audience learns most about the narrator. Albom’s takeaways and reactions to Morrie’s condition reveal most of who he is. The character development of Mitch prior to his Tuesdays with Morrie to after his visits is made apparent to the reader through Albom’s reflections and commentary. Before, Albom states, “my days were full, yet I remained, much of the time, unsatisfied” (43). It’s very clear at the beginning of the memoir that Albom’s days consist of routine work. It isn’t until he finds himself out of work that he gains clarity as he “was stunned at how easily things went on without [him]” (51). Mitch Albom was in desperate need of perspective; Morrie offered him this perspective. Later in the memoir, as he assimilates Morrie’s wisdom, Mitch’s growth is evident. He begins to recognize what matters in his life. An example of this breakthrough is when he asks, “learning to pay attention? How important could that be? I know it is more important than almost everything they taught us in college” (121). In the final chapter of the memoir, Mitch’s true character is fully revealed. While humbly rubbing his old professor’s feet, Mitch states, “[Morrie] had finally made me cry,” a statement young Mitch would’ve never admitted to at the beginning of his journey with Morrie (156). Mitch Albom learned most about himself when visiting with his professor. It’s during these meetings that his reflections and reactions are most genuine, in turn exposing the true character of Mitch Albom to the reader. These are the reflections that explain how profoundly he was touched by his mentor, Morrie, and all that he has learned. Because this is such a monumental event in Albom’s life, it’s fitting that his memoir would be centered around his old professor.
Some readers may argue the opposite—that the memoir is ineffective because it focuses too heavily on a single event in Mitch Albom’s life. Albom writes very little of his childhood and personal life. It’s fair to argue that these events should also be included in his autobiography; however, this memoir is not an account of Albom’s life experiences, it’s an account of the significant lessons and wisdom he has acquired. The memoirs importance centers on the fact that before his Tuesday visits with Morrie, Mitch Albom’s life was largely meaningless and repetitive. To dwell on that part of his life would also be largely meaningless and repetitive and thus ineffective since there are no real lessons to draw from. It is sufficient that Albom explains at the beginning of the memoir that he had a successful job, traveled often, and lived a decent life, but it wasn’t what he had imagined for himself. So in some ways, Albom’s life didn’t truly start until he rediscovered his purpose through Morrie. Therefore, it’s logical that the memoir begins at this point in his life.
The nostalgic tone of the author throughout the memoir offers the reader a better perspective of who Mitch Albom is. In between each chapter is a short essay in the present tense, about the past. While Tuesdays With Morrie is about the last few months of Morrie’s life, Albom includes brief excerpts of him and Morrie’s relationship in earlier years when Mitch was a student in college. These include the time when Mitch first stepped foot into Morrie’s class and when Morrie met Mitch’s parents. Providing these brief insights into the past give the reader more context and explains that Albom’s relationship with his professor is rooted deeply extending years back into Albom’s most developmental years.
The last chapter of the book is arguably the most critical reflection in the memoir because it includes the epiphany of the author. After having witnessed Morrie’s battle with ALS firsthand, it’s Albom’s takeaway from this experience that reveals the most about him as the author. At the end of his memoir, Albom writes, “I look back sometimes at the person I was before (…) I want to talk to that person (…) there is not such a thing as too late in life” (161). Mitch Albom’s memoir isn’t a collection of the things that have happened in his life as many autobiographies are, it’s about the lessons he’s learned through living, the lessons he’s learned from Morrie. In a successful memoir, some representation of growth or character development is conveyed. Albom draws something from every experience he writes about—this gives his story meaning.
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Get custom essayTuesdays With Morrie is an effective memoir because of the writing style and unique storytelling style. While most memoirs only include the opinion of the narrator, Tuesdays With Morrie includes perspectives from both the teacher and student. The reader learns most about the author through the experiences of Morrie Schwartz. Because of the pathos generated, unique point of view, and author’s epiphany, Tuesdays With Morrie effectively leaves a lasting impression on the reader.
The first stage can be explained by representing the learner’s concrete experience. At this stage, people learn intuitively and according to what they felt when they experienced any random or complex situation. By having positive feelings, it will have a huge influence on gaining motivation for further learning. Leading method: I will let people to design their own experiences which have a high learning potential such as internships and field trips.
Get original essayThe second stage is concentrated on watching or observing the new situation. This involves evaluating, searching, and analyzing connections. The learner begins to expand their perspective and develop different points of view, drawing new meanings from experiences. Leading method: I will help the people to reflect on their experiences. After that I will go further beyond asking them to share and recount what they did. I will make them challenge themselves to think deeply and link to other concepts.
At this stage, the learner will thinking about their past experiences and situations. Those existing experiences and situations will be engaged into the new information and brings the new concept. Leading method: I will encourage people to think, to create new ideas, and to come up with creative, unusual, or original ideas. I will make sure that they feel positive about the ideas they come up with.
The final phase involves practical actions in order to learn. The learner does not only influence other people or change the situation, but also applies new knowledge or skills in a new environment. The learner uses the theory of an existing concept and actively applies the concept. In other words, based on concrete experience, thinking, and doing, the learners are able to create new concepts. Leading method: I will support the people, ask questions, and encourage them to actively apply their knowledge. I will keep assuring them that failing is a necessary part of creating and creativity.
Learning happens in various ways in our daily lives, just like listening to the Professor Cheung’s lecture or going on a field trip. While there are different kind of learning methods, in order to learn effectively, there are a number of factors must be included. The learning process that emphasizes the importance of motivation, information, reflection, thinking, experimenting, and putting new ideas and concepts into practice, is referred to as “experiential learning. ”
Among the four concepts, I often utilize “Converging” as my learning method. Preferring technical tasks rather that interpersonal aspects, this learning method involves both doing and thinking. By making use of Converging method, I am able to solve problems by using the prior learnings to find solutions to practical issues. I have realized that I am skilled at finding practical uses for ideas and theories, which can solve problems and make decisions by finding solutions to questions and problems. I am always eager to experiment with new ideas, to simulate, and to work with practical applications. Going on a field trips is one of the experiential learning methods that can be used to incorporate specific content into the curriculum. It is beneficial because it provides a unique and challenging learning setting for the learners. Usually the course contents are taught with the typical frameworks and guide for the curriculum and syllabus. Instructor usually have some autonomy on how students can meet standards in their own criteria.
To me, as a learner who often use Converging as a learning style, field trip is a brand-new concept for me. In this course, I am able to elaborate both my original learning style and new learning methods to build a new concept for me to facilitate learning. Students, including myself are able to have better learning experiences based on content and by creating workshop by own so that everyone in this course is able to have maximum benefits from the course within a semester, and apply it in other learning processes.