Stefan’s Diaries: The Craving Chapter 1

I picked out a heartbeat, a single life, in the near distance. The other noises of the city faded into the background as this one called to me. She had wandered away from her friends and left the well-worn paths. The sun had just set over Central Park, where I'd exiled myself since arriving in New York City fourteen long days ago. The colors in this expanse of wilderness were softening, sliding toward one another, shadows blurring with the things that made them. The oranges and deep blues of the sky morphed into an inky black, while the muddy ground dimmed to a velvety sienna. Around me, most of the world was still, paused in the breath that comes at the end of day when the guards change: Humans and their daylight companions lock their doors and creatures of the night like myself come out to hunt. With the ring Katherine gave me I can walk in the daylight like any normal, living human. But as it's been since the beginning of time, it's easier for vampires to hunt during the uncertain hours when day slowly becomes night. Dusk confuses those who aren't equipped with the eyes and ears of a nocturnal predator. The heartbeat I now pursued began to sound quieter . . . its owner was getting away. Desperate, I took off, forcing my body to move quickly, my feet to push off from the ground. I was weak from lack of feeding, and it was affecting my ability to hunt. Added to that, these woods weren't familiar to me. The plants and vines were as alien as the people on the cobbled streets a quarter mile away. But a hunter transplanted is still a hunter. I leaped over a twiggy, stunted bush and avoided an icy stream, devoid of the lazy catfish I used to watch as a child, until my foot slipped on mossy stone and I crashed through the underbrush, my chase growing far louder than I intended. The bearer of the heart I followed heard and knew her death was close. Now that she was alone and aware of her plight, she began to run in earnest. What a spectacle I must have made: dark hair askew, skin as pale as a corpse, eyes starting to redden as the vampire in me came out. Running and leaping through the woods like a wild man, dressed in the finery Lexi, my friend in New Orleans, had given me, the white silk shirt now torn at the sleeves. She picked up speed. But I wasn't going to lose her. My need for blood became an ache so strong that I couldn't contain myself any longer. A sweet pain bloomed along my jaw and my fangs came out. The blood in my face grew hot as I underwent the change. My senses expanded as my Power took over, sapping my last bit of vampiric strength. I leaped, moving at a speed beyond human and animal. With that instinct all living creatures have, the poor thing felt death closing in and began to panic, scrambling for safety under the trees. Her heart pounded out of control: thump thump thump thump thump thump. The tiny human part of me might have regretted what I was about to do, but the vampire in me needed the blood. With a final jump, I caught my prey – a large, greedy squirrel who'd left her pack to scavenge for extra food. Time slowed as I descended, ripped her neck aside, and sank my teeth into her flesh, draining her life into me one drop at a time. I'd eaten squirrels as a human, which lessened my guilt marginally. Back home in Mystic Falls, my brother and I would hunt in the tangled woods that surrounded our estate. Though squirrels were poor eating for most of the year, they were fat and tasted like nuts in the fall. Squirrel blood, however, was no such feast; it was rank and unpleasant. It was nourishment, nothing more – and barely that. I forced myself to keep drinking. It was a tease, a reminder of the intoxicating liquid that runs in a human's veins. But from the moment Damon ended Callie's life, I had sworn off humans forever. I would never kill, never feed from, and never love another human. I could only bring them pain and death, even if I didn't mean to. That's what life as a vampire meant. That's what life with this new, vengeful Damon as my brother meant. An owl hooted in the elm that towered over my head. A chipmunk skittered past my feet. My shoulders slumped as I laid the poor squirrel down on the ground. So little blood remained in its body that the wound didn't leak, the animal's legs already growing stiff with rigor mortis. I wiped the traces of blood and fur from my face and headed deeper into the park, alone with my thoughts while a city of nearly a million people buzzed around me. Since I'd sneaked off the train two weeks earlier, I'd been sleeping in the middle of the park in what was essentially a cave. I'd taken to marking a concrete slab with the passing of each day. Otherwise moments blended together, meaningless, and empty. Next to the cave was a fenced-in area where construction men had gathered the â€Å"useful† remains of a village they had razed to make Central Park, as well as the architectural bric-a-brac they intended to install – carved fountains, baseless statues, lintels, thresholds, and even gravestones. I pushed past a barren branch – November's chill had robbed nearly every tree of its leaves – and sniffed the air. It would rain soon. I knew that both from living in plantation country and from the monster senses that constantly gave me a thousand different pieces of information about the world around me. And then the breeze changed direction, and brought with it the teasing, cloying scent of rust. There it was again. A painful, metallic tang. The smell of blood. Human blood. I stepped into the clearing, my breath coming rapidly. The thick stench of iron was everywhere, filling the hollow with an almost palpable fog. I scanned the area. There was the cave where I spent my tortured nights, tossing and turning and waiting for dawn. Just outside it was a jumble of beams and doors stolen from knocked-down houses and desecrated graves. Farther in the distance there were the glowing white statues and fountains installed around the park. And then I saw it. At the base of a statue of a regal prince was the body of a young woman, her white ball gown slowly turning a bloody red.

Girl Interrupted Character Analysis Essay

Borderline personality disorder is characterized by intense shifts in mood. This is often accompanied by periods of intense aggression, substance abuse, and self damaging behaviors. People with borderline personality disorder will sometimes attempt suicide impulsively in periods of extreme depression or anger. Often times people with borderline personality disorder feel extremely bored, empty, mistreated and alone. Intense feelings of loneliness usually are followed by frantic efforts to avoid being alone. Suzanne is initially institutionalized for taking a bottle of aspirin with a bottle of vodka. She claims that she was not trying to kill herself, but only get rid of a headache. At the beginning Suzanne claimed that she had no bones in her hand. This fits more with a delusional disorder. Suzanne often exhibits spontaneous damaging behavior that is mainly sexual. Other spontaneous behaviors include breaking out of the hospital, stealing her medical files, and not taking medication. She also aids in drugging a nurse and steals a guitar from the art room to help cheer up another patient. Spontaneous dangerous behavior is one of the major signs of borderline personality disorder. Suzanne has strange ideas about her symptoms and diagnosis, the major example being the bones in her hand disappearing and then reappearing. She often seeks to be alone; shows many social anxieties around people and had a lack of close friends on outside of the hospital. These symptoms go along with schizotypal personality disorder. Contradictions to the possible schizotypal personality disorder would include that she is sometimes the â€Å"life of the party† which falls in line more with borderlines. She also desperately seeks male attention leading to her promiscuous sexual behavior that goes against the seeking of complete isolation often exhibited by others with scizotypal personality disorder. Her social anxieties are not clear in the movie and it is unknown whether they are because of negative feelings about her or whether she has paranoid fears. Despite the schizotypal possibility it is more likely that she has borderline personality disorder. This is because she clearly exhibits the majority of the signs of someone with borderline personality disorder including self destructive behavior, feelings of emptiness, intense shifts in mood lasting only a short period of time, consistent suicide ideation, feelings of â€Å"rejection and not fitting in.† Even the schizotypal symptoms can be explained by borderline personality disorder. People with borderline personality disorder often have odd thinking, quasipsychosis, and unusual perceptions. Although Suzanne showed symptoms of many types of disorders, the Borderline that she was diagnosed with was the most fitting and prevelant in her actions in the movie.

Art Review on Piece of Art Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Art Review on Piece of Art Work - Essay Example The woman in the piece equally has two necklaces that appear modern and trendy. The artist has also chosen to have the piece in black and white. Significance of the title The title Walks like a Duck, Quacks like a Duck’ is significant in its ability to draw attention to the piece because of its catchiness. It is not only catchy in rhymes that denote it but also prompts an observer to find deeper meaning on the work of art by provoking comparisons between quacking and the female body, that makes a significant part of the piece. The title is vague enough to elicit mixed interpretations yet narrow in an artistic way to provide a first impression opinion on the piece (Arnason & Mansfield, 2010). Attraction to the work The attraction to the work was from the unique combination of the hand and a woman’s upper body in the piece. On close examination, further interests grew in the sign symbol of the ‘head hand’ that aroused a connection between the piece and its ti tle. The combination opens the piece to a broad interpretation on whether the piece depicts woman as quacking ducks or have duck tendencies or if there is a deeper meaning than the gender issue in the work. On first observation, the piece may be interpreted as an illustration of modern women who whine and yap without much substance. From this perspective, the piece gives a picture of traditional stereotypes in modern women. Since time immemorial, women have been regarded as poor managers of their tongue with men depicted as more reasonable and laid back. This has an element of truth depending on one’s point of view; feminists totally disagree with the traditional depiction of women as loose talkers and lifetime gossipers while men have always seen their female counterparts as â€Å"mouths first and brains later† to imply that they usually talk without giving much thoughts to their utterances. Research has a revealed that a man uses about 15000 words per day while woman uses 30000 within the same day. I f this finding is true, then, feminists must agree with their male counterparts that women are indeed more talk and less thought as stereotyped by art the society (Butler & Mark, 2007). The modern woman is said to said to a more serious talker than her previous predecessors, this is subject to debate but should it be true, which it most likely is, then the piece lives to its title of ‘walks like a duck, quacks like a duck’. Art from the days of Leonardo Da Vinci, has been used to depict significant events and changes in a society, even to this date, art still serves that function and contemporary artists, in as much as they may not use expensive and different colure tones, still use art work to pass important messages. From graffiti to modern painting, 21st century art is achieving similar results in terms of conveying messages like the ancient artists (Robertson & McDaniel, 2010). The piece under review gives a clear picture of the mo dern trends as seen in the woman’s dress code with the hand symbolizing the changing traits of a modern woman. Traditionally women were meant to be submissive to their husbands and take second place after them. That is not the same anymore with women stepping up and being very vocal on issues that were traditionally handled by men. The modern woman knows her rights, dresses as she pleases and fights for masculine positions that were in the past left for men with her male counterparts. The piece by the Andrew Stenehjem therefore

For two companies with which you are familiar, compare and contrast Essay

For two companies with which you are familiar, compare and contrast the main operations processes in terms of their volume, vari - Essay Example In simpler terms, operation management is the conversion of input into output using the resources available to the organization with an aim to meet the organizational objectives such as efficiency, consistency and effectiveness (Kumar and Suresh, 2009). This assignment will highlight the factors such as volume, variety, variation and visibility of two automobile organizations, i.e. BMW and Nissan. To further highlight the importance of operation management in company’s success, the performance objectives, i.e. speed, quality, dependability, flexibility and cost, would be analyzed in order to evaluate the respective operation strategies of both the companies. COMPARING AND CONTRASTING OPERATION MANAGEMENT To compare and contrast the operation management in automobile industry, two familiar and recognized organizations BMW and Nissan have been selected. Both companies would be analyzed and evaluated in terms of volume, variety, variation and visibility characteristics. NISSAN Ni ssan is the world’s fourth largest automobile manufacturer. The company is located in Japan. With its aim to enrich the lives of its customers by providing them with high quality cars, the company operates in a number of countries. With the use of technology, the company aims to provide its customers with innovative vehicles. In order to evaluate the company’s operation management and its processes, volume, variety, variation and visibility characteristics have been analyzed one by one. Volume In order to consistently meet the demands of the customers, the company manufactures vehicles in high volume. This repetition of the processes has made the workforce specialize in the operation processes which eventually lead to the low units cost. With the ability to manufacture vehicles at low cost, the company is capital intensive. Variety To effectively meet the needs of the customers, Nissan provides them with variety of vehicles. With extensive product line at Nissan, the c ompany is able to attract the customers in the market. The variety in product line at Nissan includes sports cars, minivans and vans, trucks and pickup trucks (Nissan, 2013). With such variety, the company is able to match the needs of the customers effectively. Variation The variation in demand for Nissan’s vehicle is low. This implicates that the demand is predictable and the variation in the vehicle is stable. With low variation in demand, the cost associated with the manufacturing of vehicle is also low. Visibility characteristics In operations management, visibility character indicates the level of activities that can be observed by the customer. In Nissan’s case, the visibility characteristics are low which indicates that the company utilizes its staff effectively. Since the time lag between the production and consumption is high, the visibility factor could be said as low. BMW BMW continuously strives to become the leader in the automobile industry and to do so, the company provide its customers with high quality vehicles to enrich their customer’s experience. The company is one of the top quality vehicle providers in the globe due to which the company charges premium price from its customers. Being the world’s leader of premium products, the company has its own unique identity and persona. The same way Nissan

To what extent does Twitter's mission statement reflect its usage Literature review

To what extent does Twitter's mission statement reflect its usage - Literature review Example The organisation claims it to be ‘the fastest, simplest way to stay close to everything you care’ (Twitter, 2012). Twitter is based upon the four fundamentals, namely, Microblogging, Social Networking, Social Media and Computer-Mediated Communication. In recent times, the importance of social networking and media has been noticed largely among the youth generation. Not only have the young people, but also companies in modern days, use social networks to transfer information among the people who are by large the users of these social media. The organisations have been using a tool named microblogging which can be stated as the process of posting smaller digital contents such as, pictures, short videos, links and other media contents in the internet. Although, there are many social networking sites, Facebook has been another social media which have recently gained huge popularity, in comparison to Twitter. The difference between Twitter and Facebook is the class of users, i.e. while Twitter is generally used by most of the celebrities and dignitaries; Facebook is used by all the classes of the society. Micro-blogging According to Java & et. al. (n.d.), Twitter is currently the most accepted microblogging stage which enables users to update their current statuses through short message services (SMSs), digital photos or short videos. In other words, an online community is formed by inviting friends and colleagues who share information of their recent happenings through short texts or audio-visual clips. Furthermore, it can be stated that microblogging in recent times has become an extremely famous media for both personal and professional recreation. Friends use it to keep in touch, professionals use it to co-ordinate business meetings and share important resources; similarly, celebrities and political dignitaries use it for gaining publicity by posting comments regarding their tour schedules, concert presences and film releases (Java & et. al., n.d.). According to a publication of the 17th European Conference on Information Systems (2009), it has been observed that the term microblogging has developed additional terms such as microsharing and activity streaming which are being used commonly by recent users. It has also been noted that Twitter is being used at a higher degree for micro-blogging in comparison to other accessible social networking sites; although, many people have complained about its reliability and functionality (17th European Conference on Information Systems, 2009). As stated by Ehrlich & Shami (2010), posts or ‘tweets’ can be viewed by anyone who is following the person or even attempts to view the public profiles. Furthermore, the authors state that the concept of ‘following’ is very different from ‘friending’ as in social networks consent from both the parties are required to share and view other people’s information. Whereas in the case of Twitter, consent is not necessary and a person can automatically follow other person according to their likes and tastes. Thus, it can be stated that the popularity of Twitter has grown rapidly due to its unique qualities (Ehrlich & Shami, 2010). In this respect, Ebner & Schiefner (2008) observed that the success of microblogging or ‘weblogs’, shortly called as blogs are due to the three factors;

Geology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Geology - Essay Example Similarly, the Heilbrunn Cosmic Pathway is another wonder to be marvelled at in the way markers signify that each path implies a billion years of expedition. Every vital piece of information concerning the Milky Way Galaxy including elliptical galaxies, galactic disks, and initial generation of stars among others is quite fascinating. Our journey along the Pathway is comparable to a journey down the astronomical history of objects that were essential in the creation of the solar system. We learned that the light coming from such objects would have to travel billions of years prior to being seen by our naked eyes. In the Hall of Minerals, everyone was further astounded by bearing witness to several minerals which may consist of a single element or a range of elements in combination. I was specifically enthralled by the Patricia Emerald which was found to be a 632-carat rare uncut gem. It is perhaps with its illuminating effect of green at varying light shades that enabled me to feel a mixed sense of awe and calm at the time. Altogether, the collection of stones makes an impressive scene of priceless treasures to behold. Upon arrival at the Hall of Human Origins, we discovered certain facts that have not been encountered yet in the class. It is such a delightful learning experience to have come to find out that human evolution is truly a complex process across times. With the evolving species of mankind as demonstrated in the exhibit, I am inclined to adhere more to faith that God does exist though the theory of evolution is irreconcilable with the biblical accounts because the formation of human intelligence since the earliest human form and epoch has been a work in progress. While this developmental stages take place, one certainly could not help thinking of a possibility of an intervention by an all-knowing being

FBI Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

FBI - Coursework Example In the context of the Reform Era, it is warranted to argue that there was a dire need by the government to institute measures that would deal with crime in the country. In response, the government undertook an initiative to hire detectives to investigate criminal issues in the country. The Reform Era was characterized by absolute reliance and dependence on the criminal detectives. For reforms to be attained, in the country there was a dire need to institute federal dexterity of crimes in the U.S.A. It is this move, which led to the dawn of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) that investigated all manners of crimes ranging from banking, land disputes, fraud amongst other federal crimes. The early 1990s in the U.S.A have been described by many analysts as years of lawlessness that needed reforms through criminal investigation bureau. With the creation of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Edgar Hoover is credited for his endless contribution into making the Bureau successful. Hoover is recognized for his ability to direct the Bureau since its early stages of operation. Studies indicate that Edgar Hoover has been dedicated to the Bureau since 1917, and managed to escalate to the position of assistant director at the tender age of twenty six years. Seven years later, Edgar Hoover became the director of the Bureau. During his tenure, he was able to improve the manner in which his staff was operating whilst conducting various errands in the Bureau. Hoover spent a great deal of his time recruiting the best personnel to perform roles in the Bureau. In the year, 1926, Hoover managed to come up with the greatest finger print file the world has ever witnessed. Hoover is also credited for his ability to push for reforms in the Bureau by championing permit to carry guns by the Bureau’s agents. This is an interpretation of the permit to the

The role of the judge is to declare what the law is, and not to make Essay - 1

The role of the judge is to declare what the law is, and not to make it.Discuss this statement with reference to the theory and practice of both statutory interpretation and the doctrine of precedent - Essay Example The application of the law in particular controversies has been a contentious matter of this nature. Laws necessarily are framed in a general way so that they apply to a group of circumstances. When the judge seeks to apply these general principles to a specific case, he necessarily has to restate the law to a certain degree in order to put the case within its context. Similarly, the judge in common law cases is tasked to apply judicial precedent to subsequent cases to maintain stability in the law. The idea is that once meritorious, always meritorious – and, necessarily, the same for non-meritorious cases. Occasionally, however, the judge finds the need to modify or differentiate from precedent, to serve the ends of justice. In his treatise on the history and theory of statutory interpretation, William D. Popkin observed that originally, the judiciary and Parliament were not formally separated. Until the thirteenth century, Parliament was a mere group composed of powerful people summoned at the pleasure of the king. The function of Parliament at the time included â€Å"agreeing to pay taxes (it did not legislate taxes so much as assent to requests for money), dealing with matters of state (often foreign affairs), responding to petitions (what we would call private legislation), and passing some general rules (often prompted by petitions). Parliament was not so much a body as an occasion at which people met to parley or speak with the king as they saw fit† (Popkin, 1999). What may be deduced here is that judicial techniques such as statutory interpretation could not have existed while the legislature had not developed a sense of separation from judging. Until that was achieved, there was nothing to â€Å"interpret† as judges, being part of Parliament, could claim absolute competence in understanding the law. There was therefore a â€Å"shared sense of common enterprise† between Parliament and the judiciary because of the

Intention and Motive in Criminal Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Intention and Motive in Criminal Law - Essay Example The prosecutor can argue that his wife had the motive even though he may not have evidence to prove the case. Intent may be defined as acts that go before the actual crime and these acts then merge with the crime. Mohan (1975) defines intent as 'decision to bring about despite the fact that the accused wanted the consequence of his actions or not'. Intent can occur at the same time as the act or it can occur suddenly before the crime. A good example of intent is possession of a pistol by an accused in the case that he/she is facing violence with robbery charges. Possession of this weapon shows that this person had the intent of committing robbery with violence. Motive cannot be seen in the commission of the crime while intent can. When a criminal act has been committed, then it can be presumed that the person had the intention of committing the act. Take an example of someone who was seen carrying a firearm and pointing it to another, it can be said that this person had the intention of committing the crime because the most natural result of this action would be a crime. However, defendants can deny this by claiming that the accused thought that the weapon was a toy and did not intend on committing a crime. (Smith, 1998) Motive alone is not sufficient to convict while intent may be sufficient to cause conviction. Motive comes in handy when a given case does not have concrete evidence. This means that a judge may not have any other issue to fall back on except motive and may consequently pronounce an accused guilty or innocent depending on the which side can prove presence of motive. R v. Cunningham [1957 ER 863] it was held that the defendant was not guilty because the defendant was not aware of the effect of his actions and therefore did not have motive. However, intent is an element that must be proved in most crimes before judgement is passed. This means that the prosecutor must show that the person accused had the knowledge that he/she was committing a crime. These kinds of crimes are called general intent crimes. Some examples of such crimes include false imprisonment, rape, battery and kidnapping. In R v. Windle [1952 2 QB 826] A person was accused of murder after he gave his wife a hundred tablet of aspirin. However, the accused suffered from a mental disease and was not aware of the consequence of his actions. But this same person later told police that he knew they were going to hang him or it. The accused was found guilty because he understood what he was doing and therefore had intent. There are also other cases that require the defence team to prove that intent was specific. This means that there must be evidence independent from the commission of the act that shows that the person had the intention of committing crime. Some examples of crimes that require defence to prove specific intent are embezzlement, burglary, assault, forgery, conspiracy, false pretence, solicitation and first degree murder that were pre meditated. DPP vs. Majewski [1977 AC 433] Majewski was accused of causing bodily harm to members of a pub. This same person was drank and defence could not prove specific intent. It was held that he was not guilty. To every rule, there must be an exception. There are some crimes that fall under strict liability laws. These crimes do not require intent for conviction. These laws stipulate that the act is criminal whether or not the person who committed the crime had the intention

Favorite Place Essay Example for Free

Favorite Place Essay Peace and serenity. The feeling of wind swiping past your body is one of the things that just lead to a release of everything. Theres a sense of calmness that is incomparable to this sensation. For me, this sensation is one of the main reasons that the beach is my favorite place. The beach is one of the most peaceful and relaxing places there are, and the beach comes along with the quite a few possible adventures, which is what truly makes the beach the most spectacular place. The smell of salt and freshness make it so all you want to do is sit there embracing the scent for months. Its amazing to be so intensely amused by some of the seemingly smallest things in life. The fact that the beach makes it so that you appreciate all the little things is another one of the reasons that the beach is what I consider to be my favorite place. The beach has a sense of adventure and mystery among it. There are millions of creatures that live throughout the ocean and the sand. Each creature has its own special qualities. Every time you go to the beach it could be a new adventure. You could have an encounter with either one of the many types of plants there, or you could have an encounter with one of the animals there. The time that I had gone and swam alongside a group of manatees down the entire shore of the beach for nearly 50 feet was one of the most memorable and magical experiences that Ive ever had. The adventure to be had is truly endless at the beach. We already know millions of types of animals that use the ocean as their home, and we only have knowledge of five percent of the ocean to this day. That statement alone represents the absolute mystery of the beach, hence my fascination with it. The beach is one of the few places that include so many of the aspects of life that most people love. The calm atmosphere, the adventure, and the activities to be done. At the beach you have the ability to do so many different things. You have the ability to engage in so many different aspects of the beach. There is the ability to either swim, play with the marine life, or do some of the sports activities that the beach contains. Plus just the general joy of enjoying the sun and wind in the sand is always there. Whether it be building the sandcastles, trying to catch fish in a pale, searching for the prettiest of the shells, or playing volleyball with my family, the beach has always had something to offer me. Even if the weather is bad, making it nearly impossible to do any of the typical beach activities, simply looking at the skies and the water in the midst of a storm is an amazing view. No matter what the situation is, the beach always manages to see it through somehow and never let me down. The beach is what I consider to be my favorite place because of all of the different things that the beach has to offer. In any circumstance, there is always some reason to want to be at the beach. It is the perfect place to be alone, or the perfect place to spend time with either your family or friends. In any case, the beach is by far my favorite place to be.

Skills Of A Manager Three Essential Skills Or Competencies Business Essay

Skills Of A Manager Three Essential Skills Or Competencies Business Essay A managers job is varied and complex. Managers need certain skills to perform the duties and activities associated with being a manager A mark of a good leader is to be able to provide consistent motivation to his team encouraging them to attain excellence and quality in their performance. A good leader is always looking for ways to improve production and standards. Here are six management skills you can develop as a leader in working to create a quality effective team The three essential skills or competencies are: 1. Technical skills involve process or technique knowledge and proficiency in a certain specialized field, such as engineering, computers, accounting, or manufacturing. These skills are more important at lower levels of management since these managers are dealing with employees doing the organizations work. The technical skill involves the managers understanding of the nature of job that people under him have to perform. It refers to a persons knowledge and proficiency in any type of process or technique. In a production department, this would mean an understanding of the technicalities of the process of production. Whereas this type of skill and competence seems to be more important at the lower levels of management, its relative importance as a part of the managerial role diminishes as the manager moves to higher positions. In higher functional positions, such as the position of a marketing manager or production manager, the conceptual component, related to these functional areas becomes more important and the technical component becomes less important and the technical component becomes less important. 2. Human Skills involve the ability to interact effectively with people. Managers interact and cooperate with employees. Because managers deal directly with people, this skill is crucial. Managers with good human skills re bale to get best out of their people. They know how to communicate, motivate, lead, and inspire enthusiasm and trust. These skills are equally important at all levels of management. Human skills are also the ability to interact effectively with people at all levels. This skill develops in the manager sufficient ability. a) To recognize the feelings and sentiments of others b) To judge the possible reactions to, and outcomes of various courses of action he may undertake and c) To examine his own concepts and values this may enable him to develop more useful attitudes about himself. 3. Conceptual Skills- involve the formulation of ideas, conceptualization about abstract and complex situations. Managers understand abstract relationships, develop ideas and solve problems creatively. Using these skills, managers must be able to see the organization as a whole. They have to understand the relationships among various subunits, and visualize how organization fits into its border environment. These skills are most important at the top management levels. Conceptual skills refer to the ability of a manager to take a broad and farsighted view of the organization and its future, his ability to think in abstract, his ability to analyze the forces working in a situation, his creative and innovative ability and his ability to assess the environment and the changes taking place in it. In short, it is his ability to conceptualize the environment, the organization, and his won job, so that he can set appropriate goals for his organization, for himself and for his team. This skill seems to increase in importance as a manager move up to higher positions of responsibility in the organization. Thus, technical skill deals with things, human skills concerns people, and conceptual-skill has to do with ideas. A manager is responsible for the successful implementation of management skills. A good manager needs to adhere to the basic management principles and exhibit the basic management skills in his/her personality. Basic Management Skills 1. Leadership: This is one of the most important management skills. Leadership comprises of the efficient organization of the resources in achieving a company goal. Leadership involves the management of human resources with an assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the team. It is about leading the people and guiding them towards the accomplishment of a common goal. Leadership includes a just allocation of work to the resources, planning of the implementation of tasks assigned and helping the team with task completion. 2. Team Building: This is another basic management skill that includes dealing with people, the most important asset of an organization. Encouraging the team members to speak up, come up with ideas and allowing them to make mistakes and learn from them can be described as a team building skill. To build a team, one needs to foster the team spirit in all of the team members. For the team to feel motivated to work, it is important for a manager to cater to their expectations, recognize their strengths and understand where they lack. The building of a team is about building the team spirit in members and maintaining it. The skill lies in knowing the team and encouraging them to take initiative and enthusiastically participate in every venture of the company. 3. Communication and Presentation Skills: After having achieved the knowledge of a certain domain and on having imbibed the technical skills and more importantly self-confidence needed to be a manager, what one may lack are the soft skills, which are equally important in management. The soft skills encompass the communication and presentation skills. A manager should be open to his/her team. A manager should be able to accept constructive criticism. It is important for the manager to communicate his/her plans to the team and accept the team members inputs on the plan of action. Communication is a two-way activity and for it to remain so, a manager needs to possess listening skills. They help a manager understand his/her team members, invite their participation and earn their regard. Good presentation skills help a manager impressively communicate with the team. How you communicate? is as important as what you communicate? So, the presentation skills definitely matter. 4. Decision-making Skill: Many a time, quick decisions have to be made. In such cases it becomes necessary for a manager to grasp the situation, think about what can be done and thoughtfully analyze the consequences of the decision to be made. A problem-solving approach is also considered as one of the basic management skills. To look at a situation analytically, one needs to bear a problem-solving approach. One needs to reason every consequence and come up with the pros and cons of the decision. A manager needs to be a quick thinker. For taking the right decision, one cannot afford to panic. One has to keep his/her cool, be aware of the results of the decisions and be prepared for them. A manager can get opportunities to celebrate a business success. But it is equally probable that a manager is forced to handle the consequences of a wrong decision. Hence while it is necessary to distinguish between the right and the wrong, it is also necessary to be ready to accept the wrongs and deal with them. In short management skills are about making the right decisions and getting them executed by the right people. Thus, management skills are indeed all those things that effective management professionals do! Management Skills A Manager must utilize skills to effectively organize the team, to achieve a successful goal, in the least amount of time, and cost. Management skills are learned in school, by experience, and information gathered from   employees that worked with managers. A manager knows how to lead the team, but never be a dictator Listed below are management skills: Recruit and Interview: Managers recruit and interview the best candidates for the organization. Matching the education, experience, and knowledge, for a specific job. Letting each candidate know, what are the expectations, and receiving any suggestions. Organization: Organizing the team to achieve a specific goal. Delegating each team member, to an assigned task. Remembering, never to over extend responsibilities to one person. Always, having the confidence and giving respect to each member. Budget: Managing a budget is critically important for the financial integrity of any project. Under budgeting a project, may undermine the ability to get the project done on time or failure. Managing a project that is under budget, certainly is most desirable for the cost savings. Motivation: Managers can motivate their staff by praise and incentives, to create a friendly working environment, and having diligent employees, that are less likely to resign. Ethics: Managers should uphold business ethics. Disregarding ethical standards can ruin the reputation of a manager and the loss of respect earned from his employees, and clients. Ethics can be learned, but honesty comes from the heart 8 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR MANAGERIAL SKILLS Each year, thousands of people make the switch from staff engineer or scientist to manager. And, although many of us look forward to the change, we find it frustrating once we get there. When we were engineers, we were rewarded for our technical skills and labors in direct proportion to what we accomplished. But now, as a manager, our success is measured not by our own output hut by the output and productivity of the people we supervise. And that sense of not being in direct control can be a frustrating feeling. Fortunately, working with others and getting them to give you their best can be just as rewarding as technical accomplishments . . . once you get the hang of it. Here are eight tips that will help you to manage and to guide your people more effectively. The Human Touch The most valuable qualities you can develop within yourself are patience, kindness, and consideration for other people. Although machines and chemicals dont care whether you scream and curse at them, people do. Your subordinates are not just engineers, scientists, administrators, clerks, and programmers theyre people, first and foremost. People with families and friends, likes and dislikes. People with feelings. Respect them as people and youll get their respect and loyalty in return. But treat them coldly and impersonally and they will lose motivation to perform for you. Corny as it sounds, the Golden Rule Do unto others as you would have others do unto you à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Ëœis a sound, proven management principle. The next time youre about to discipline a worker or voice your displeasure, ask yourself, Would I like to be spoken to the way Im thinking of speaking to him or her? Give your people the same kindness and consideration that you would want to receive if you were in their place. Dont Be Overly Critical As a manager, its part of your job to keep your people on the right track. And that involves pointing out errors and telling them where theyve gone wrong. But some managers are overly critical. Theyre not happy unless they are criticizing. They rarely accomplish much or take on anything new themselves, but they are only too happy to tell others where they went wrong, why theyre doing it incorrectly, and why they could do the job better. Dont be this type of person. Chances are, you have more knowledge and experience in your field than a good many of the people you supervise. But thats why the company made you the boss! Your job is to guide and teach these people not to yell or nit-pick or show them how dumb they are compared to you. Mary Kay Ash, founder and director of Mary Kay Cosmetics, says that successful managers encourage their people instead of criticizing them. Forget their mistakes, she advises, and zero in on one small thing they do right. Praise them and theyll do more things right and discover talents and abilities they never realized they had. Let Them Fail Of course, to follow through on Mary Kays advice, youve got to let your people make some mistakes. Does this shock you? Im not surprised. Most workers expect to be punished for every mistake. Most managers think its a black eye on their record when an employee goofs. But successful managers know that the best way for their people to learn and grow is through experience and that means taking chances and making errors. Give your people the chance to try new skills or tasks without a supervisor looking over their shoulders but only on smaller, less crucial projects. That way, mistakes wont hurt the company and can quickly and easily be corrected. On major projects, where performance is critical, youll want to give as much supervision as is needed to ensure successful completion of the task. Be Available Have you ever been enthusiastic about a project, only to find yourself stuck, unable to continue, while you waited for someone higher up to check your work before giving the go ahead for the next phase? Few things dampen employee motivation more than management inattention. As a manager, you have a million things to worry about besides the report sitting in your mailbox, waiting for your approval. But to the person who wrote that report, each days delay causes frustration, anger, worry, and insecurity. So, although youve got a lot to do, give your first attention to approving, reviewing, and okaying projects in progress. If employees stop by to ask a question or discuss a project, invite them to sit down for a few minutes. If youre pressed for time, set up an appointment for later that day, and keep it. This will let your people know you are genuinely interested in them. And thats something theyll really appreciate. Improve the Workplace People are most productive when they have the right tools and work in pleasant, comfortable surroundings. According to a study by the Buffalo Organization, a comfortable office environment creates an extra $1600 of productivity annually for professionals and managers. Having the right equipment is equally important. One of my clients recently hired a full-time technical writer at a salary of $25,000, but was reluctant to invest $2500 in a word processor for him to use. I explained that, in my experience, a word processor can easily double the productivity of a writer. Therefore, if the writer was expected to produce $25,000 worth of work with a typewriter, he could produce $50,000 with a word processor an extra $25,000 a year in productivity for a $2500 investment! The client bought the computer. Both the company and the writer were delighted with the results. Be aware that you may not be the best judge of what your employees need to do their jobs effectively. Even if youve done the job yourself, someone else may work best with a different set of tools, or in a different setup because each person is different. If your people complain about work conditions, listen. These complaints are usually not made for selfgain, but stem from each workers desire to do the best job possible. And by providing the right equipment or work space, you can achieve enormous increases in output . . . open with a minimal investment. A Personal Interest in People When is the last time you asked your secretary how her son was doing in Little League or how she enjoyed her vacation? Good salespeople know that relating to the customer on a person-to-person level is the fastest way to win friends and sales. Yet many technical managers remain aloof and avoid conversation that does not relate directly to business. Why? Perhaps its because engineers are more comfortable with equations and inanimate objects than with people, and feel uncomfortable in social situations. But just as a salesperson wants to get to know his customer, you can benefit by showing a little personal interest in your people their problems, family life, health, and hobbies. This doesnt have to be insincere or overdone just the type of routine conversation that should naturally pass between people who work closely. If youve been ignoring your employees, get into the habit of taking a few minutes every week (or every day) to say hello and chat for a minute or two If an employee has a personal problem affecting his mood or performance, try to find out what it is and how you might help. Send a card or small gift on important occasions and holidays, such as a 10th anniversary with the firm or a birthday. Often, it is the little things we do for people (such as letting workers with long commutes leave early on a snowy day, or springing for dinner when overtime is required) that determine their loyally to you. Be Open to Ideas You may think the sign of a good manager is to have a department where everybody is busy at work on their assigned tasks. But if your people are merely doing their jobs, theyre only working at about half their potential. A truly productive department is one in which every employee is actively thinking of better, more efficient methods of working ways in which to produce a higher quality product. in less time, at lower cost. To get this kind of innovation from your people, you have to be receptive to new ideas; whats more, you have to encourage your people to produce new ideas. Incentives are one way you can offer a cash bonus, time off, a gift. But a more po ­tent form of motivation is simply the employees knowing that management does listen and does put employee suggestions and ideas to work. Quality Circles, used by Westinghouse and other major firms, are one way of putting this into action The old standby, the suggestion box. is another time tested method. And when you listen to new ideas, be open minded. Dont shoot down a suggestion before youve heard it in full. Many of us are too quick, too eager, to show off our own experience and knowledge and say that something wont work because weve tried it before or we dont do it that way. Well, maybe you did try it before, but that doesnt mean it wont work now. And having done things a certain way in the past doesnt mean youve necessarily been doing them the best way. A good manager is open-minded and receptive to new ideas. Give Your People a Place to Go If a worker doesnt have a place to go a position to aspire to, a promotion to work toward then his job is a dead end. And dead-end workers are usually bored, unhappy, and unproductive. Organize your department so that everyone has opportunity for advancement, so that there is a logical progression up the ladder in terms of title, responsibility, status, and pay. If this isnt possible because your department is too small, perhaps that progression must inevitably lead to jobs outside the department. If so, dont hold people back; instead, encourage them to aim for these goals so that they will put forth their best efforts during all the years they are with you. Planning and Controlling Planning The process of setting goals, developing strategies, and outlining tasks and schedules to accomplish the goals. Controlling Management control describes the means by which the actions of individuals or groups within an organization are constrained to perform certain actions while avoiding other actions in an effort to achieve organizational goals. Management control falls into two broad categories-regulative and normative controls-but within these categories are several types. Planning and controlling are two separate fuctions of management, yet they are closely related. The scope of activities if both are overlapping to each other. Without the basis of planning, controlling activities becomes baseless and without controlling, planning becomes a meaningless exercise. In absense of controlling, no purpose can be served by. Therefore, planning and controlling reinforce each other. According to Billy Goetz, Relationship between the two can be summarized in the following points Planning preceeds controlling and controlling succeeds planning. Planning and controlling are inseperable functions of management. Activities are put on rails by planning and they are kept at right place through controlling. The process of planning and controlling works on Systems Approach which is as follows : Planning  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Results  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Corrective Action Planning and controlling are integral parts of an organization as both are important for smooth running of an enterprise. Planning and controlling reinforce each other. Each drives the other function of management. In the present dynamic environment which affects the organization, the strong relationship between the two is very critical and important. In the present day environment, it is quite likely that planning fails due to some unforeseen events. There controlling comes to the rescue. Once controlling is done effectively, it give us stimulus to make better plans. Therefore, planning and controlling are in separate functions of a business enterprise. Types of Plan A business plan is basically a road map to success for your business. Many individuals have great ideas for businesses, but can never get that business off of the ground. A business plan details all of the facets of a business and explains how it will be successful. If you are thinking of beginning a business, start with a business plan. There a few different types of business plans; as a business owner, you should use these as a guide to thinking about how to make your business work Feasibility Plan A feasibility plan should be the first thing you complete. This outlines the chances that a start-up venture will be successful. It should detail the money needed for the start-up, regular expenses and the price of offered goods and services. Essentially, it examines whether the venture is worth pursuing. Start-Up Plan This is the most common type of business plan. A start-up plan details all of the things you need to do to begin the business. It should cover many details, including the products or services that youll be providing, the marketing strategies you plan to employ, the team or employees that you will be using and a financial analysishow you plan to pay for all of it. Answering these questions can help you think more in-depth about your business venture and put a plan in action. Strategic Plan A strategic plan deals with the strategy you plan to employ for a certain project. Perhaps you plan to launch a new product or offer a new service. Perhaps you want to lower your marketing budget, or restructure the company. This can all be done with a strategy plan, where you brainstorm how a project can be done. Growth Plan A growth plan is necessary for those who own businesses that are moderately successful, and who are ready for the next level: growth. A growth plan details how the business will grow. It gives a target date or a basic itinerary for the projected growth period, and details how that growth will take place: perhaps through aggressive marketing, more investors or better production. Operations Plan An operations plan is an internal plan that is usually not meant for investors or clients, but for the owner and employees only. This should detail how the business is meant to run. It can include upcoming projects, events and milestones for the business. It can also detail different employees responsibilities. Long Term Plan A long-term planning for MIS is essential as its focus is strategic in nature, and are long term in nature and hence its development and budgeting has to be planeed for if MIS is to be used and expanded but some parts are also medium term as in tactical, and short term as in operational. Without a long term plan integrating MIS of all three levels is difficult. Since business plan are by nature long term, its integration with MIS and its support to strategic nature is also long term. MIS is very much part of a business operation as it is like any long term assets, such as building and equipment. Without infomation or MIS, a transaction, plans required to managed becomes very difficult to compete in todays world without information. Short Term Plan In real world business terms, short term plans are plan made to last anywhere between 3 and 12 months. Medium term plans can be between 1 and 3 to 5 years. In general, a plan with a planning horizon of five years or less. Also called short range plan. Single-Use Plans Single-use plans   are   essentially   one-time   use   plans having a specific goal or objective. They may run for a few days or last several years. Projects, programs, and budgets are commonly thought of as single-use plans. Planning is looking ahead and controlling is looking back Standing Plans Standing plans consist of policies,   procedures,   and regulations. They exist to guide you in the absence of higher authority. They enable you to make rational, informed, consistent decisions and plans   without constantly   Ã‚  consulting   Ã‚  higher   Ã‚  levels   Ã‚  of   Ã‚  command. Standing plans exist until canceled or changed by higher authority Planning is looking ahesd and controlling os looking back Planning is Looking Ahead is true because it contributes heavily to success and gives us some control over the future. By, planning we set aside our tasks and deadlines so we can enlarge our mental focus and seeing the bigger picture. By, planning we can set our Personal or organizational goals and for this defiantly we have to look ahead. But, Planning is not ending with such strategies or guidelines. It has relation with Implementation and controls. Because plans are not always proceed as conceived. The control process measures progress towards goal attainment and indicate corrective action if too much deviation is detected. Controlling investigates whether planning was successful. Controlling referred to as terminal management function, takes place after the other functions have been completed. And for this process we have to look back and have to analyze the performance of our planning, organizing and leading. And therefore we have to look back also. So, yes we can say Control is looking back for Investigation, Analysis, and Understandings and for checking our effectiveness and efficiency. Types of Control Regulative Controls Normative Controls Bureaucratic Controls Team Norms Financial Controls Organizational Cultural Norms Quality Controls The following section addresses regulative controls including bureaucratic controls, financial controls, and quality controls. The second section addresses normative controls including team norms and organization cultural norms. REGULATIVE CONTROLS Regulative controls stem from standing policies and standard operating procedures, leading some to criticize regulative controls as outdated and counter-productive. As organizations have become more flexible in recent years by flattening organizational hierarchies, expanding organizational boundaries to include suppliers in inventory management and customers in new product development, forging cooperative alliances with competitors, and developing virtual organizations in which employees are geographically dispersed and may meet only a few time each year, critics point out that regulative controls may prevent rather promote goal attainment. There is some truth to this. Customer service representatives at Holiday Inn are limited in the extent to which they can correct mistakes involving guests. They can move guests to a different room if there is excessive noise in the room next to the guests room. In some instances, guests may get a gift certificate for an additional night at another Holiday Inn if they have had a particularly bad experience. In contrast, customer service representatives at Tokyos Marriott Inn have the latitude to take up to $500 off a customers bill to solve complaints. The actions of customer service representatives at both Holiday Inn and Marriott Inn must follow policies and procedures, yet those at Marriott are likely to feel less constrained and more empowered by Marriotts policies and procedures compared to Holiday Inn customer service representatives. The key in terms of management control is matching regulative controls such as policies and procedures with organizational goals such as customer satisfaction. Each of the three types of regulative controls discussed in the next few paragraphs has the potential to align or misalign organizational goals with regulative controls. The challenge for managers is striking the right balance between too much control and too little. BUREAUCRATIC CONTROLS Bureaucratic controls stem from lines of authority and this authority comes with ones position in the organizational hierarchy. The higher up the chain of command, the more an individual will have authority to dictate policies and procedures. Bureaucratic controls have gotten a bad name and often rightfully so. Organizations placing too much reliance on chain of command authority relationships inhibit flexibility to deal with unexpected events. However, there are ways managers can build flexibility into policies and procedures that make bureaucracies as flexible and able to quickly respond to customer problems as any other form of organizational control. Consider how hospitals, for example, are structured along hierarchical lines of authority. Table 2 Definition and Examples of Regulative Controls Type of Regulative Control Definition Example Bureaucratic Controls Policies and operating procedures Employee handbook Financial Controls Key financial targets Return on investment Quality Controls Acceptable levels of product or process variation Defects per million The Board of Directors is at the top, followed by the CEO and then the Medical Director. Below these top executives are vice presidents with responsibility for overseeing various hospital functions such as human resources, medical records, surgery, and intensive care units. The chain of command in hospitals is clear; a nurse, for example, would not dare increase the dosage of a heart medication to a patient in an intensive care unit without a physicians order. Clearly, this has the potential to slow reaction times-physicians sometimes spread their time across hospital rounds for two or three hospitals and also their individual office practice. Yet, it is the nurses and other direct care providers who have the most contact with patients and are in the best position to rapidly respond to changes in a patients condition. The question bureaucratic controls must address is: How can the chain of command be preserved while also building flexibility and quick response times into the system? One way is through standard operating procedures that delegate responsibility downward. Some hospital respiratory therapy departments, for example, have developed standard operating procedures (in health care terms, therapist-driven protocols or TDPs) with input fro

Managing Information Systems Essay -- Business Management Studies Essa

Managing Information Systems The aim of this assignment is to see the requirements for developing and managing a comprehensive Management Information system for an organization. In today's business environment it is getting harder and harder for organization’s to not only survive but to compete against other organizations. Information technology plays a big part in helping companies compete and survive. Companies that have branches or franchises need to make sure that they can communicate with the head office so that orders can be passed down. Most of a mangers time is spent 1 Passing information and ideas upwards to senior management to aid their decision making 2 Providing other department managers with information which will help them do their jobs more effectively 3 Passing information down wards to subordinates 4 Conveying attitudes or creating them 5 Receiving and interpreting facts and data 6 Communicating with people out sides the company e.g. suppliers. The manager needs resources to aid him with the task mentioned above. Management information systems and decision support systems are two such resources. Computers and information systems play critical roles in the operation of most organizations. All organizations, from factories to banks, are highly dependent on information for their day-to-day operations. The vast quantity of information that large corporations and government agencies need to operate, and the speed with which that information is created and used, makes computer-based information systems critical to such operations. What is a Management Information System? There are different definitions of a management information system: â€Å"Management Information system products produce information products that support many of the day-to-day decisions –making needs of management. Reports, displays, and responses produced by such systems provide information that managers have specified in advance as adequately meeting their information needs.† Taken from Management Information Systems Third edition by James A. O’Brien PG 370 â€Å"Management information system can be defined as a network of computer based processing procedures that are integrated with manual and other procedures to provide timely, effective information to support managerial planning and control† Taken from C... ..., Vol. 28 No. 2, May 1990, pp. 89-101 Burrell, G. and G. Morgan, "Sociological Paradigms and Organizational Analysis", Heinemann Press, London, Chismar, William G. and Charles H. Kriebel, "A Method for Assessing the Economic Gallagher, Charles A., "Perceptions of the Value of a Management Information System", Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 17 No. 1, 1974 Hirschheim, Rudy and Heinz K. Klein, "Four Paradigms of Information System Development", King, William R. and Jaime I. Rodriguez, "Evaluating Management Information Systems", MIS Quarterly, September Lee, Allen S., "A Scientific Methodology for MIS Case Studies", MIS Quarterly, March Lucas, Henry C., "Performance and the Use of an Information System", Management Science, Vol. 21 No. 4, April 1975, pp. 908-918 Melone, Nancy Paule, "A Theoretical Assessment of the User Satisfaction Construct in Information Systems Research", Srinavasan, A., "Alternative Measures of System Effectiveness: Associations and Implications", MIS Quarterly, September Weill, Peter, and Margrethe H. Olson, "Managing Investment in Information Technology: Mini Case Examples and Implications", MIS Quarterly, March

Students and Teachers :: Education School Papers

Students and Teachers Teachers and their students. When a person hears these words they think of a classroom and usually nothing more. The classroom, though, is only part of a student and their teacher. One might question, do they talk to each other outside of class? Do the students even like their teacher? Do their feelings about their teacher interfere with their willingness to learn? In response to the last question†¦YES! In my study of Mrs. M and Mr. B’s second hour English 10 class I noticed that there is a direct connection between students feelings of their teacher and their opinion of class. The site that I chose to observe was Capac Jr./Sr. High School located in Capac, Michigan. Honorable D.J. Walker developed the Capac school system in 1857, only 78 days after the town itself was founded. Until the year 1907, there were no 12th grade graduations in Capac. The current high school was built in the year 1931. In 1977 there were 24 rooms and a new gymnasium were added to the high school. In 1997 there was another wing added. This school includes five grades total (8-12), with 692 enrolled in Fall 2001. Capac High has four â€Å"wings†. These separate the classes and departments so that the science, English and math classes are in the same area. The wings are divided into 100s, 200s, 300s and 400s. Three of these sections are connected by one long corridor and the 400s wing is connected to the building by the 300 wing. The 400 classrooms are mainly for the junior high students so that they have a feeling of separation from the higher grades. The eighth g raders spend some of their time during the day in the main part of the school, but no other grades enter the eighth grade wing for classes. The specific class that I observed was Mrs. M and Mr. B’s classroom, room 112. This classroom is not large. It is, similar to the other classes in the school building, just the right size. The student’s desks face east, while the teachers’ desks face south. On the main wall (the east wall) is the dry-erase board. Every day the board has class assignments written on it, so the students know what to expect.

Parent - Teenager Relationships :: essays research papers

Parents are fragile things. There is a very fine line between approval and disapproval with most parents. No teenager I know ever seems to do anything right by their mum or dad. My mother always nags me to do things like clean my teeth, tidy my room, do my homework blah blah†¦. It's probably the same with many other teenagers out there. When asked why parents nag they often say "it's for your own good" or something equally insane. These comments rate right up there with "because I said so" and "because I'm your father or because I'm your mother" It is, in fact, very easy to judge if a particular child is or isn't nagged. If I were to take my friend Doug for example, I could very easily say that his mother didn't nag him much at all. This is because he simply does what he likes. I mean, who does the right thing when nobody cares if you don't? Now take myself, I have had more than my fare share of nagging in my time. How do you know? Well, everything I am was shaped by my mother. She is an epitome of understanding, a wealth of knowledge and of course I have inherited the other traits like beauty and genetic perfection. I know I certainly hate being nagged. If my mum gets on my nerves I'd say just about anything to shut her up sometimes. Have a look at Josephine in the novel "Looking for Alibrandi" and compare her to her mother. Jose may absolutely hate her mother sometimes but at others be unable to live without her presence. I don't think that Jose could ever imagine her mother being in the same position as her. What I don't understand is if our parents have been through this themselves, then why do they have such a hard time understanding why their children often hate them for the same reasons? My main point is that if our parents have resented their parents for the way

Internet Pornography: Solving Elusive Problem Essay

No one can deny the immeasurable benefits of the internet to the society as a whole. It is a limitless source of information that offers an array of helpful, constructive and educational material for people of all ages. However, like anything else, it does not come with benefits alone. Internet is highly susceptible to bring harm to users in general, and children and minors in particular, through its free and immense exposure to pornography. However small a content of the Internet on the whole this maybe, it is bound to bring a greater harm to the young minds as well as adult, than the benefits from the largely available advantageous information. This paper will examine the extent of this harm with support of latest research and literature, and the latest methods from a state and local level that are being used to combat the pervasiveness and easy access to the internet porn. Body of Paper The internet was originally built by the US military as a means of nuclear-assault-proof communication. The universities soon saw the value of a worldwide communication network and researchers from across the world began to distribute their work with contemporaries. But hackers began to break into the system so that eventually, for a small fee, it was decided to launch the network to all comers. Soon it was spread throughout the world at increasingly less cost and effort. The flow of information, knowledge and experiences thus shared was immense and of great value and benefit. However the information and content so readily available at this network has not necessarily been educational and enlightening. There is material sexually explicit in nature including pornography of all genders including children. The ironic part is that all such material is available freely without ant sort of restriction, in just a matter of keyboard punches. The internet users have a great number of children and minors who supposedly access to the internet for research and educational purposes. These children are conveniently exposed to such explicit materials, which harm their young minds and caste detrimental effects on their psychology. According to a study conducted by London School of Economics in year 2004, the children of age even as less as nine, are falling victims to the negative face of Internet every time they use it. The even more problematic element is the ignorance of parents of the risks associated with such a damaging issue. This study surveyed 1,100 children of ages between nine and nineteen and found that almost sixty percent of these regular Internet users frequently fell prey to the hurtful explicit material of pornography. Below are the key findings of this survey: ? â€Å"Nearly six in 10 have come into contact with online pornography. ? 38 per cent have seen a pornographic popup advert while doing something else. ? 36 per cent have accidentally found a pornographic website. ? 25 per cent have received pornographic junk mail by email or text. 10 per cent have visited a pornographic website on purpose. † (The Evening Standard, 2004, Pg. 6) In an article by Azy Barak and William A. Fisher (2001), the widespread porn on the internet and its progressive trend has been pointed out. â€Å"Current reports indicate variously that the online pornography industry will gross $366 million by 2001 (Spenger, 1999) or that it already grosses in excess of $1 billion (â€Å"Blue Money,† 1999), and reports indicate that a spectacular 69% of all e-commerce involves the purchase of sexual materials (â€Å"Blue Money,† 1999). Other sources report that 15% of all Internet users accessed one of the top five â€Å"Adult† websites in a recent month (Cooper et al, 1999), that sex is the most frequently searched topic on the Internet (Freeman-Longo & Blanchard, 1998), and that all of the top eight word searches on the Internet involve pornography (Sparrow & Griffiths, 1997). † (Barak and Fisher (2001)) The social and psychological effects of such ever more and cheaply accessible pornography on the minds of individuals, both adult and children is devastating. Such explicit images and videos contaminate the mentality and psyche leading towards appalling actions and exploitations. After engaging into extensive viewing of pornography, people get even more provoked and feel an even more intense need for sex. In order to satisfy such needs, people do incline towards forceful attempts, with both opposite genders and the same, even with children. According to an estimate, the attempts and incidents of rape in the United States rose substantially during 1995 to 1999. â€Å"This time interval is by all accounts a period of exponential growth in the availability and use of all forms of Internet sexually explicit materials (Cheney, 2000; Elmer-Dewitt, 1995; Freeman-Longo, 2000; Harmon & Boeringer, 1996; Mehta & Plaza, 1998; Rimm, 1995; Wysocki, 1998). † (Barak and Fisher (2001))

Historic Preservation and Environmental Conservation Essay

The preservation of historic sites and other historic artifacts is said to be significant if a society or a community values its heritage that paved the way to how far the society has reached. Historic preservation implies raising the public’s awareness regarding historical objects so as to ensure that these objects will be well taken care of through time. It is not only that these historic objects serve the purpose of reminding the public of their history and from where their society came from long before the present generation existed. It is also that these objects of historical value serve the purpose of providing an insight into the past which could very well contribute to the knowledge of the larger society, teaching lessons and principles from the past that still apply in contemporary times. As Donovan Rypkema explains, historic preservation â€Å"revitalizes and revalues the nearby existing investment of both the public and private sectors (1999, March). † However, there are criticisms against the purposes from which historic preservation is founded. For the most part, preserving large infrastructures that no longer meet the modern architectural standards faces the challenge of justifying the preservation of such historic architectures especially when health hazards to the general public are involved. Another consideration is when historic objects take a huge chunk of finances in maintaining their conditions through decades, if not centuries. While it is certainly convincing to say that the preservation of objects and landmarks that share a sizeable history of a community or a society is important, there remains the challenge of allocating the proper finances and other resources in order to address the task of preserving such objects through time. Moreover, the external conditions which are beyond the control of humanity such as the various forces of weather pose significant threats to the preservation of historical objects which further increase the allocated resources required to fulfill the task of preserving such objects. Nevertheless, the thought that historic preservation might demand for a huge share of resources while risking the health of the public to a certain extent does not necessarily entail that the task of preservation should be abandoned quite easily. Efforts to weigh and mitigate the competing public interests are equally paramount in order to bring about a shared sense for history. That goal can be done in various ways, from legislative efforts in the government to the collaboration of the government sphere with the sphere of private individuals and organizations. Historic preservation can overlap with environmental conservation precisely because these two things are interconnected in some areas. For instance, an effort to hinder the demolition of an ancient landmark to give way for the construction of a modern edifice is connected with the preservation of the natural resources surrounding the landmark. On the other hand, an effort to conserve the remaining flora and fauna in a tropical region can help in securing the area’s present condition which can give way to the preservation of the cultural heritage of the people whose ancestors have lived in the area many years back. In essence, any attempt to preserve history has a corresponding effect on the conservation of what remains of the environment and vice versa. In a more general sense, preserving historic sites and objects creates an impact on the demand of human beings on the resources of the world. That is, as old buildings and other significant landmarks are destroyed and are replaced with new structures, the environment surrounding the area is altered. Especially in cases where the historic landmark that is to be destroyed is situated in an environment teeming with natural resources such as trees and wildlife which local folks depend on for their daily needs to live, destroying the site will also alter the ecological footprint of these people in certain cases. Connecting Historical Preservation and the Environment Conservation The preservation of history and the conservation of the environment come hand in hand in many ways, one of which is the case where the demolition of an existing historic landmark so as to give space for a new building to be constructed requires the alteration of the current geographic and environmental location of the landmark. For example, the historic landmark may be a 19th century railway station which has been used until the beginning of the 21st century in America. The historic value of the railway station may come from the fact that it was the means of long-distance transportation of the people during those times, and that it was the first of its kind in the whole world. It may also come from the fact that the railway station is one which symbolized the beginning of the era of American interstate transportation, and that the landmark was built from the rising demands for an effective and efficient way of providing a cheaper transportation system in America. It may also come from the fact that the landmark has been built by the local people and, thus, the railway station stands as the concrete proof, literally and figuratively, of the common desires of the people and of the unity of the public consciousness during those times. With those things in mind, it can then be said that the railway station’s historic value justifies its preservation. If the landmark is to be destroyed, a portion of American history will vanish with it and that those who labored for its realization after years and years of work will soon just become another page in history books never to be seen firsthand by the generations to come. The part where the environmental conservation aspect comes in is the part where the actual demolition of the landmark transpires. The mere fact that in order to build a new edifice right on the spot where the railway station is built implies that the railway station has to be demolished. Architectural and engineering considerations oftentimes require not only a major altering of the exact location where the landmark is situated but also an altering of the vicinity around the landmark which in this example is the railway station. In the process of demolishing the old structure and building a new one in place of it, trees might be cut down, fertile topsoil might need to be excavated and replaced with cement, and wild animals might be driven away from their habitat just to name a few. Moreover, the debris and other wastes resulting from the demolition of historic infrastructures poses threats to the environment (The Greenest Building). However, if the historic site is retained and the goal of establishing a new edifice in its place is abandoned, there will be no need to cut the trees, to dig the fertile topsoil and to drive away wildlife from their dwelling place. In the end, the status quo of the environment around the old railway station is maintained and, thus, there will be no ecological concerns. Ecological Footprint First used by William Rees and Mathis Wackernagel in the early 1990s, the concept of â€Å"ecological footprint† involves the measurement of the demand of human beings over the ecosystems of the planet. With the planet’s capacity to regenerate its land and water resources, ecological footprint compares the consumption of natural resources with that capacity. Moreover, if all human beings lived a given lifestyle, then it is possible to know exactly how much human demand is being provided for by the planet’s ecosystem through its numerous natural resources in order to support humanity’s existence. Does historic preservation have an effect on one’s ecological footprint? Apparently, there is no easy answer to this question simply because it is not always the case that historic preservation affects one’s ecological footprint. Neither is it always the case that historic preservation does not affect one’s ecological footprint. Simply put, historic preservation may or may not entirely affect one’s ecological footprint depending on the circumstances. The calculation of the ecological footprint for areas with dense population, for instance, is said to lead to the perception that such populations are â€Å"parasitic† because small cities or countries with a huge population have little internal capacity to generate and regenerate its biological resources especially biological resources on the land to provide for its large population. Moreover, the ecological footprint would indicate that these small cities and countries might depend on the hinterlands just to meet the demands for natural resources for its dense population. Since historic preservation basically involves the preservation of historic sites and the objects that may be found in these sites, cities such as the first-class and heavily industrialized ones with historic sites may choose to demolish such sites in order to put commercial infrastructures in its place. And since these cities already depend largely on the hinterlands for its needs of natural resources, there will be a very minimal effect, if not a negligible one, on the ecological footprint of the whole city. There are instances, however, where historic preservation directly affects the ecological footprints of certain groups of people or certain societies. In the case of the people living in the hinterlands and where there are several historical sites which have been left untouched for several years by commercial or business ventures, the obliteration of local historic landmarks such as famous barns and classic farmhouses built in earlier times would alter the current state of the environment. For instance, removing the barns and farmhouses in order to give way to the construction of a new highway affects the production capacity of the locality in making use of the natural resources. Moreover, the construction of a new highway makes the lands in the hinterlands more accessible for capitalist ventures such as the creation of houses and other commercial infrastructures—like wood gathering facilities—in place of the barns and farms. These things would eventually lessen the natural resources available in the land while increasing the size of the population of the locality at the same time. Thus, the failure to preserve historic sites in the hinterlands, for instance, causes the alteration of the consumption rate of the natural resources by the hinterland’s population of both wildlife and the people. This in turn leads to an alteration in the capacity of the ecosystem in the hinterland to generate and regenerate its natural resources since an increase in the demand of resources such as land, water, plants and other animals and a decrease in the locations where the ecosystem can continue to regenerate its resources distorts the balance between the supply and demand for such resources. The hinterlands or the wilderness truly indeed have benefits, specifically from providing critical habitat for endangered animals to maintaining the important biological diversity (Wilderness Society, 2004, p. 1) In essence, the extent of the influence of historic preservation on the ecological footprint of a given population depends on whether or not the population lives in small cities or countries that rely on the resources found outside of their immediate territories to supply their population’s demands. A small city with a dense population that primarily depends on its neighboring hinterlands in meeting its needs for resources may not be directly and largely affected either by the failure or the success of efforts to preserve historic sites situated within its boundaries. On the other hand, a small town with a dense population that largely depends on its internal natural resources and barely depends on the resources coming from other towns will be greatly affected by the demolition of historic landmarks found at its vicinity. The removal of such landmarks for the intent of expanding the commercialization of the town will decrease the natural resources available and, thus, decreasing the resources that would have been regenerated by the town’s ecosystem. Depending on the existing demands, the size of the population and the location of historical sites, historic preservation may nonetheless affect ecological footprints. Demand and supply Conventional wisdom reveals that a high demand for natural resources requires a high supply of those resources as well. The interconnection between historical preservation and environmental conservation is further highlighted with the connection between the demand for resources and nature’s supply of resources. As more heritage sites and cultural landmarks are destroyed in order to give way to the construction of more modern buildings and sites, and while more farmlands are being transformed into residential and commercial areas, the supply of natural resources continue to dwindle. This is because the ecological footprint would reveal how the ecosystem is continuously losing the resources to generate and regenerate, outpaced largely by human consumption. On another note, the demand for knowledge about the heritage and history of peoples and societies is always present whereas the supply of the original sources of such history and heritage is on the decline. For instance, constant looting of ancient tombs in Egypt brings a decline in the artifacts which can be used for further investigative study and research on Egypt’s rich history. As a result, knowledge that could have been eventually derived from such artifacts never gets to reach the awareness of the public. Nevertheless, there are current efforts to preserve what is left of the Egyptian tombs and other important historical sites in Egypt (Aslan, 2007). Historic preservation and environmental conservation are two important factors in the existence of mankind. They not only give the people a sense of history and an attachment to the biosphere—more importantly, both things also give the people a sense of responsibility over the things that provide them sustenance to their physical and mental lives. While the preservation of historical objects and the conservation of the environment are tasks that require concerted efforts and a huge volume of tasks to be completed, the benefits at the end of it all far outweigh the challenges that may stand against the way of humanity. References Aslan, R. (2007). Rescuing Cairo’s Lost Heritage. Islamica Magazine, 15. Rypkema, D. (1999, March). Historic Preservation is Smart Growth. Speech presented at National Audubon Society of New York s Conference on Smart Growth, New York. The Greenest Building (2008). The Greenest Building is the One Already Built. Retrieved July 31, 2008, from < http://www. thegreenestbuilding. org/> Wilderness Society (2004). FACTS: National Wilderness Protection System: 1.

Contribute to Health and Safety in Health & Social Care Essay

1. Understand own responsibilities, and the responsibilities of others, relating to health & safety in the work setting; 1.1 My work setting is covered by the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 which is the overall act for other regulations. It has been updated by many sets of guidelines which support and explain it. 1.2 In the work place you share responsibility with your employer for your own safety and that of all the people you support. a) My responsibilities in the work place are; avoid wearing jewellery & tie long hair back Read more: Describe practices that prevent fires from starting essay understand and apply relevant legislation to situations undertake relevant training when provided, do not operate or carry anything out that I have not had training for ofollow the companies policy for health and safety take care not to put others at risk by my actions report any injuries, strains or illnesses I suffer as a result of doing my job otell my employer if something happens that could affect my ability to work b) My employer’s responsibilities are to; make sure the work place is safe prevent risks to health make sure that all materials are handled, stored and used safely oprovide adequate first aid facilities tell you about any potential hazards from the work I do, chemicals and other substances used by the organisation and give me information, instructions, training and supervision as needed make sure ventilation, temperature, lighting and toilet, washing and rest facilities all meet health, safety and welfare requirements ocheck that the right equipment is provided and properly maintained take precautions against the risks caused by flammable or explosive hazards, electrical equipment, noise and radiation oprovide health supervision as needed provide personal protective equipment (PPE) C) Other people’s responsibility’s in the work place would be; to if possible not bring a disease or illness into the work place oto not bring risk or harm to the residents or staff to be aware of the health and safety policy(s) 1.3 When working in a residential setting you have to have a balance between the need for safety and the rights of people to live the way they wish, as after all it maybe our workplace but it is the person’s home. Both the staff and residents are entitled to expect a safe place in which to live and work. Residents have the right to see whoever they wish but situations may arise where there are concerns about vulnerable people being exploited or at risk of harm, you can advise people of the risks of opening doors to strangers but you cannot force the level of security they adopt even though the people  they are inviting in could be a threat to you. People also need to assess the risks involved in doing the things they wish to do without placing themselves at harm or danger; for example one of the residents has vascular dementia and if she wanted to go out shopping alone this would be potentially very dangerous, they could become disorientated and forget their way home. Undert aking a risk assessment would help to look at the risks and control measures that can be put in place to reduce the risks of the activity i.e. the activities co-ordinator could arrange a shopping trip for a couple of residents to go shopping with a couple of support workers so they get to have a one to one but also do the activity they wished to do. 1.4 In the work place there are a range of tasks relating to health and safety that should not under any circumstances be carried out without special training. All manual handling must be carried out by people that have had the correct training to do it. Employers are required to provide training in manual handling which must be done once a year, it isn’t a one off training session- it is vital to keep up to date with the latest techniques, equipment and changes in regulations. Moving people without proper training is not only dangerous for the residents but for us staff too. Also administering medication requires support workers to undergo training to show you are competent and confident as residents are trusting you to give them the correct medication and correct dosage of that medication. Other training we undertake includes; first aid, food hygiene and COSHH training. 1.5 Sometimes we might need more advice or information on aspects of health and safety like what legislation and guidelines are involved, maybe the safety of an individual isn’t satisfactory or you are unhappy about the risks of an object causing hazards to staff and residents. The first person I would go to if I had a query would be my manager but if they were unavailable I would check the works policies and procedures and if after doing that I was still unsure I could seek information from trade unions or the Health & Safety Executive. 2. Understand the use of risk- assessments in relation to health and safety: 2.1 Risk assessment in health and social care is important for everyone whether they are employers or employees, who are required by law to identify and assess risks in the workplace including circumstances where potential harm may be caused. The 5 questions listed below are the key stages to  successfully undergo a risk assessment: The Health & Safety at Work Regulations 1999 say that employers must assess any risks that could be associated in the work place. Having carried out a risk assessment the employer must then apply risk control measures i.e. that actions need to be identified to reduce the risks. 2.2In health and social care it is important that within my role as a support worker I am constantly aware of health and safety risks and potential risks in everyday situations, creating a mental checklist helps me to do this. A few examples are listed below; – if I carry out the daily cleaning tasks I need to check that every substance is clearly labelled and stored safely – if people visit the home I need to make a judgement about if they are regular visitors (family, friends, staff, health professionals) or if they are an intruder who could bring danger into the home – if someone has recently mopped a floor I need to check the ‘wet floor’ sign is visible to people in the building and that people using that specific room are aware, even if I haven’t personally mopped that floor myself – and when I go up and down the corridors I need to check that pathways are clear of obstacles that could cause hazards I have a responsibility to report any unsafe situation to my manager however some situations have to be reported officially where special procedures must be followed. This is where the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences (RIDDOR) Regulations 1995 comes into place. Reporting accidents and ill-health at work is a legal requirement. We as a health and social care work place have to report deaths, major injuries, diseases, dangerous occurrences and any accidents resulting in more than three days off work.

European domination Essay

As the antebellum period began, America was approaching its golden anniversary as an independent political state, but it was not yet a nation. There was considerable disagreement among the residents of its many geographical sections concerning the exact limits of the relationship between the Federal government, the older states, and the individual citizen. In this regard, many factions invoked concepts of state sovereignty, centralized banking, nullification, popular sovereignty, secession, all-Americanism, or manifest destiny. However, the majority deemed republicanism, social pluralism, and constitutionalism the primary characteristics of antebellum America. Slavery, abolition, and the possibility of future disunion were considered secondary issues. Cultural and social changes were sweeping the cities of America during the period. Industry and urbanization had moved the North toward a more modern society with an unprecedented set of novel cultural values, while the South had essentially lagged behind in the traditions of the 18th century. The mixing of traditional folkways with a more modern vision of America had caused social influence, political authority, and traditional concepts of family to become uncertain, unstable, and somewhat ambiguous. (Volo & Volo, 2004) The history and sociopolitical influence of the African-American church documents an interminable struggle for liberation against the exploitative forces of European domination. Although Black religion is predominantly Judeo-Christian, its essence is not simply white religion with a cosmetic face lift. Rather the quintessence of African-American spiritual- mindedness is grounded in the social and political experience of Black people, and, although some over the years have acquiesced to the dominant order, many have voiced a passionate demand for â€Å"freedom now. † The history of the African-American church demonstrates that the institution has contributed four indispensable elements to the Black struggle for ideological emancipation, which include a self-sustaining culture, a structured community, a prophetic tradition, and a persuasive leadership. The church of slavery, which began in the mid-eighteenth century, started as an underground organization and developed to become a pulpit for radicals like Richard Allen and the platform for revolutionaries like David Walker. For over one hundred years, African slaves created their own unique and authentic religious culture that was parallel to, but not replicative of the slave-owner’s Christianity from which they borrowed. Meeting on the quiet as the â€Å"invisible church,† they created a self-preserving belief system by Africanizing European religion. Commenting on this experience, Alice Sewell, a former slave of Montgomery, Alabama, states, â€Å"We used to slip off in de woods in de old slave days on Sunday evening way down in de swamps to sing and pray to our own liking† (Yetman, 1970, p. 263). During the late 1700s, when slavery was being dismantled in the North, free Black Methodists courageously separated from the patronizing control of the white denomination and established their own independent assemblies. This marked the genesis of African-American resistance as a nationally structured, mass-based movement. In 1787, Richard Allen, after suffering racist humiliation at Philadelphia’s St. George Methodist Episcopal Church, separated from the white congregation and led other Blacks, who had been similarly disgraced, to form the African Methodist Episcopal Church (A. M. E. ) in 1816. The new group flowered. By 1820 it numbered 4,000 in Philadelphia alone, while another 2,000 claimed membership in Baltimore. The church immediately spread as far west as Pittsburgh and as far south as Charleston as African-Americans organized to resist domination. (3) Through community groups, they contributed political consciousness, economic direction, and moral discipline to the struggle for freedom in their local districts. Moreover, Black Methodists sponsored aid societies that provided loans, business advice, insurance, and a host of social services to their fellow-believers and the community at large. In sum the A. M. E. Churches functioned in concert to organize African-Americans throughout the country to protect themselves from exploitation and to ready themselves for political emancipation. During this same period, David Walker exemplified the prophetic tradition of the Black church with his â€Å"Appeal to the Colored Citizens of the World,† published between 1829 and 1830. Walker employed biblical language and Christian morality in creating anti-ruling class ideology: slaveholders were â€Å"avaricious and unmerciful wretches† who were guilty of perpetrating â€Å"the most wretched, abject, and servile slavery† in the world against Africans. To conclude, the church of the slave era contributed substantially to African-American social and political resistance. The â€Å"invisible institution† provided physical and psychological relief from the horrific conditions of servitude: within the confines of â€Å"hush arbors,† bondspeople found unfamiliar dignity and a sense of self-esteem. Similarly, the A. M. E. congregations confronted white paternalism by organizing their people into units of resistance to fight collectively for social equality and political self-direction. And finally, the antebellum church did not only empower Blacks by structuring their communities; it also supplied them with individual political leaders. David Walker made two stellar contributions to the Black struggle for freedom- -he both created and popularized anti-ruling class philosophy. He intrepidly broadcasted the conditional necessity of violence in abolishing slavery demanding to be heard by his â€Å"suffering brethren† and the â€Å"American people and their children† in both the North and the South. As churches grew in size and importance, the Black pastor’s role as community leader became supremely influential and unquestionably essential in the fight against Jim Crow. For instance, in 1906, when the city officials of Nashville, Tennessee, segregated the streetcars, R. H. Boyd, a prominent leader in the National Baptist Convention, organized a Black boycott against the system. He even went so far as to operate his own streetcar line at the height of the conflict. To Boyd and his constituents no setback was ever final, and the grace of God was irrefutability infinite. Then, with the advent of World War I (1914-1918) and the availability of jobs in the North, Blacks migrated to urban centers such as New York, Detroit, Chicago, and St. Louis–and they took their church with them. Hundreds of thousands of African-Americans packed not only their dreams, but also their Bibles, and struck out for the â€Å"promise land. † In exploding metropolitan enclaves they built thriving congregations like the 14,000-member Abyssinian Baptist church of Harlem, which won international acclaim for serving and organizing its people: it found them jobs, it secured them housing, it fought for their rights, and it directed their ballots. This was consistent with the â€Å"Social Gospel† as advocated by Black ministers who preached that societal sin–such as the starvation of children–could only be destroyed through Christian love and benevolent programs. To them the primary responsibility of the church was to establish ministries of social service that would eliminate injustice and abolish poverty in the African-American community, and this became the objective of many large urban assemblies. However, these impersonal metropolitan congregations with their grand strategies of social improvement did not appeal to all migrants, especially newcomers from the rural South. Instead, this group founded small assemblies in abandoned stores that offered them personal acceptance, belonging, identity, friendship–and perhaps most of all–a shelter from white racism. Hence, â€Å"storefront churches† had their genesis as part of the self-preserving culture produced by African-American Christians to ensure the survival of their communities. (Simms, 2000) Citing church membership figures accounting for fewer than twenty percent of the antebellum slave population, a number of revisionist historians have recently challenged the widespread view that Christianity was embraced by millions of slaves hungering for its message of love, hope, and salvation. And although revisionist critics have responded that such statistics provide a far from accurate gauge of just how deeply Christianity permeated the slave population, the question remains as to whether or not the mass conversion of as many as four million slaves within a single generation ever occurred, given that the vast majority had little or no exposure to Christian teaching prior to the Jacksonian period. Despite such controversy, nearly all interpretations of slave religion maintain that after about 1830, Southern planters, motivated by a desire for social control as well as sincere concern for the salvation of bondsmen, successfully introduced Christianity to the spiritually starved slave community. And even though support for this conclusion rests heavily on supposition and interpolation, it has nonetheless been presented in a number of the modern era’s most influential studies of slave religion. Local preachers were encouraged to minister to nearby plantations and, in regions lacking sufficient clergy, slaveholders, themselves, were urged to hold prayer meetings among bondsmen. Also, many churches invited slaves to join their congregations, often partitioning off separate areas such as balconies to enable them to worship alongside whites. Taken as a whole, then, it is difficult to deny that Christianity played an important role in at least some quarters of the slave community after 1830.