Lives of Women in the Renaissance Essay -- European History Feminism F

Lives of Women in the Renaissance The renaissance began a momentous time in the history of Western Europe. Many new forms and styles of arts, literature, and customs emerged during this period. Economic, social, and cultural changes affected the lives of everyone. Particularly the role of women in society was affected. There were four categories of women: wives, mothers, widows and daughters. Within each of these categories, certain duties were expected. Jacob Burckhardt once wrote, 'to understand the higher forms of social intercourse in this period, we must keep before our minds the fact that women stood on a footing of perfect equality with men.'. It is a widely known fact that this in no way was true. Inequalities between men and women have always affected society. Men were constantly gaining up on women and spoke of them with contempt. They believed that woman was more sinful than man. This belief goes back to original sin when Eve had been seduced by the devil. Eve's actions made men assume that women deserved to suffer. However, the Renaissance helped to narrow the gap between the two sexes. All women whether they are of noble blood, a shopkeeper?s sister, or a farm worker?s daughter, were placed on a higher pedestal then they had expected during this time. Women?s positions in society had effects on the Renaissance period just as great as any mans. Noble women don?t appear to have a hard life, but when you look between the lines they have it just as rough as any other women of that time. From the beginning, young women were required to learn the basic household skills that they would be expected to execute as wives and mothers. These women did perform textile work, but they did it for luxury, they did not actu... ...his time. The highest praise which could then be given to a woman was that she had the mind and the courage of men. Although they did earn some rights, women were still forbidden to hold office, paternal powers in the family, receive inheritance and many other things. The wealthy women who were fortunate enough to receive a small form of education potentially could have done much more if they were given the same opportunities that men were given. Labor class women who did everything around the house, from shearing the sheep to raising the children, were also highly depreciated. The Renaissance in Western Europe brought forward new ideas and as Renaissance is defined, ?the revival or rebirth? so was the circle of society surrounding the women. Women were given the chance to take the higher step in society, which they tried jumping on, but were often pushed back down. Lives of Women in the Renaissance Essay -- European History Feminism F Lives of Women in the Renaissance The renaissance began a momentous time in the history of Western Europe. Many new forms and styles of arts, literature, and customs emerged during this period. Economic, social, and cultural changes affected the lives of everyone. Particularly the role of women in society was affected. There were four categories of women: wives, mothers, widows and daughters. Within each of these categories, certain duties were expected. Jacob Burckhardt once wrote, 'to understand the higher forms of social intercourse in this period, we must keep before our minds the fact that women stood on a footing of perfect equality with men.'. It is a widely known fact that this in no way was true. Inequalities between men and women have always affected society. Men were constantly gaining up on women and spoke of them with contempt. They believed that woman was more sinful than man. This belief goes back to original sin when Eve had been seduced by the devil. Eve's actions made men assume that women deserved to suffer. However, the Renaissance helped to narrow the gap between the two sexes. All women whether they are of noble blood, a shopkeeper?s sister, or a farm worker?s daughter, were placed on a higher pedestal then they had expected during this time. Women?s positions in society had effects on the Renaissance period just as great as any mans. Noble women don?t appear to have a hard life, but when you look between the lines they have it just as rough as any other women of that time. From the beginning, young women were required to learn the basic household skills that they would be expected to execute as wives and mothers. These women did perform textile work, but they did it for luxury, they did not actu... ...his time. The highest praise which could then be given to a woman was that she had the mind and the courage of men. Although they did earn some rights, women were still forbidden to hold office, paternal powers in the family, receive inheritance and many other things. The wealthy women who were fortunate enough to receive a small form of education potentially could have done much more if they were given the same opportunities that men were given. Labor class women who did everything around the house, from shearing the sheep to raising the children, were also highly depreciated. The Renaissance in Western Europe brought forward new ideas and as Renaissance is defined, ?the revival or rebirth? so was the circle of society surrounding the women. Women were given the chance to take the higher step in society, which they tried jumping on, but were often pushed back down.

The Lottery vs State of Grace Essay -- essays research papers

Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" talks about a community that follows a tradition. Every year the people take everyone's name, put it in a black box, and pick the name of a person. This person they stone to death. Their reason range from an idea that having the lottery makes them civilized to an idea that the lottery makes for good crops. The author suggests that the real reason is society’s need for a victim. When talking about communities that have given up the tradition of choosing one person to stone to death, "Old Man Warner snorted, 'Pack of crazy fools' he said. 'Listening to the young folks, nothing's good enough for them. Next thing you know, they'll be wanting to go back to living in caves, nobody work any more, live that way for a while. Used to be a saying about "Lottery in June, corn be heavy soon."'" (Jackson, The Granta... Page 66) This tradition causes the people of the town to destroy each other instead of working together to destroy the tradition. As Tessie Hutchinson is getting stoned, someone from her community puts a stone in her son's hand. Even the closest family member participates in the horror. "The children had stones already, and someone gave little Davey Hutchinson a few pebbles." (Jackson, The Granta... page 62-63) This action shows how tradition is being passed on literally from hand to hand. This stoning is the way that the people of the community act out their fear of being ...

Unlimited Semiosis, Intertexuality and Ex-Centricity in Umberto

Dicle Erbay AKE 612/712 Assist. Prof. Dr. Bilge Mutluay UNLIMITED SEMIOSIS, INTERTEXUALITY AND EX-CENTRICITY IN UMBERTO ECO’S THE NAME OF THE ROSE The title of The Name of the Rose suggests many interpretations about the thick book at first glance. Umberto Eco talks about this first impression and why he chose this title for his book in his expository article he published in Alphabeta called â€Å"Postille† (after). He says that the idea for the title was coincidental and he liked it at the first thought because the rose is such a meaningful and symbolic object that it actually lost its original meaning- having almost no meaning.After giving many references of the rose (The War of the Roses, The Rosencrantz Cult, Gertrude Stein's poem Sacred Emily), Eco explains that a potential reader would be baffled by such a title as it both meant everything and nothing at the same time. It would be impossible for him/her to reach up to a quick conclusion; in fact, that conclusion i s never to come. The title of a book, he concludes, should stumble up ideas, not put them in order. This explanation actually is a small prototype of the entire book in terms of its meaning and â€Å"conclusion†.The Name of the Rose is a book that has a multiplicity of meanings, an unlimited intertextuality, and an important theme of ex-centricity. However even this explicit announcement made for the title does not satisfy some result-obsessed people who continually ask Eco why he has chosen that title upon which he answers in his article â€Å"Reading My Readers†: â€Å"Because Pinocchio and Snow White were already copyrighted† (Eco 819). He seems to have become overwhelmed but his answer is not that silly either. He continues: â€Å"My simplistic answer concealed the fact that authors do not speak in the void and are determined- and even ensured- by previous texts†. Even such debate over the title only captures the importance of intertextuality for both Eco and his book. In this sense, The Name of the Rose is a book all about other books. In the same article, Eco goes on to explain how to interpret a text with neither consulting the author nor falling for quick conclusions. â€Å"The text is there. Narrators, as well as poets, should never be able to provide interpretations of their own work. A text is a machine conceived for eliciting interpretations. When one has a text to question, it is irrelevant to question the author† (Eco 820).Still, Eco must have felt to bring some clarifications upon some academics that had fallen into the pit of symbolic explanations for Eco’s work. Some wrong interpretations included â€Å"fishing for ultraviolet analogies† by a â€Å"paranoid reader†. What he did was to code a series of characters in one of his Foucault's Pendulum according to their initial letters; Abulafia, Belbo, Casaubon, and Diotallevi, making a pattern of ABCD. Another thing he tried to do was to attr ibute J&B label to Jacopo Belbo as he is a heavy whiskey drinker.Umberto Eco’s answer to these cryptograms (which he sees as â€Å"interpretive waste†) are surprisingly patient: â€Å"The alphabetical series ABCD is textually irrelevant if the names of the other characters do not bring it to X, Y, and Z; and Belbo drinks martinis and furthermore his mild addiction to alcohol is not the most relevant of his features†(Eco 824). Although Eco highlights intertextuality and symbolic references, he is never too simple to connect them to trivial pursuits. Thus, he obviously needed to describe a model reader for his works to be understood accordingly: â€Å"A text is a device conceived in order to produce its Model Reader.Such a reader is not the one who makes the â€Å"only right† conjecture. A text can foresee a Model Reader entitled to try infinite conjectures† (Eco 821). Therefore, the readers of The Name of the Rose, instead of trying to achieve one s ingle meaning, should be open to a multiple and diverse of meanings so that the text can be achieved. The author should also be aware of this fact; when he writes a book and publishes it, it will be open to anyone who reads it and it will be open to interpretations not according to the author’s intentions but by a complex strategy of interactions.Applying the Model Reader to The Name of the Rose, Eco says in â€Å"Postille† that he wants an accomplice for his game. While he was writing, he wanted to be completely specific to the Middle Ages and he wanted to live in the Middle Ages as if it were his own age (and vice versa). Simultaneously he wished for a reader who would fall victim to him, or rather his book and would want nothing more than the book presents him. Then he directly speaks to the reader: In short, I will present you so much of Latin, few women, abundant theology, litres of blood as in Grand Guignol that you will say â€Å"But this is wrong!I am out! â⠂¬  There, at that moment you will belong to me and you will feel the shiver of the eternal almightiness of God who baffles the order of the world. Then, if you are smart, you will realize how I have entrapped you, because in the long run I have been telling you this with each step; I have been warning you well about the fact that I have been dragging you into ending up in hell. Yet the best thing about the contracts made with Satan is that people’s knowingly signing it with whom they are doing business. Otherwise what is the deal about hell and rewarding anyway? my translation 655) What he is doing here is to play with the conventions of the novel, which would normally and readily accept any eager reader submerging oneself in the book, resting peacefully in between its orderly pages without any threat or trap, and ending smoothly in the bliss of closure. He is questioning and playing with those conventions by threatening his readers and proving his postmodern attitudes towa rds his act of writing as well as his readers. In order to reach a full understanding of a text, Eco has his theoretical explanations about signs that constitute texts.The Name of the Rose will reveal itself more in his article â€Å"The Theory of Signs and the Role of the Reader†. He talks about the freedom of use of a text and goes on to say: A text is [not] a clear crystal-clear structure interpretable in a single way; on the contrary, a text is a lazy machinery which forces its possible readers to do a part of its textual work, but the modalities of the interpretive operations-albeit multiple, and possibly infinite-are by no means indefinite and must be recognized as imposed by the semiotic strategies displayed by the text. 36) We are again made aware of the plurality of meanings of a text and its certain boundaries made out of semiotics. Every single sign works with its context and they help us in the process of understanding what we are reading (or seeing). â€Å"If si gns were not endowed with a certain text-oriented meaning metaphors would not work, and every metaphor would only say that a thing is a thing† (37).Therefore we need the theory of signs for a clean interpretation: In order to understand, then, how a text can be not only generated but also interpreted, one needs a set of semantico-pragmatic rules, organized by an encyclopedia-like semantic representation, which establish how and under which conditions the addressee of a given text is entitled to collaborate in order to actualize what the text actually says. (43) The Name of the Rose is a huge pool of signs and unlimited semiosis from which the reader is challenged to absorb every meaning and not to choose only one out of all those choices.It is such a thin line between coming to an understanding of a whole set of meanings at the same time without feeling overwhelmed and drowning in the ocean of signs in case of attempting to pin them all. Rather than coming to a conclusion, the book has infinite layers of a rose, from which the reader cannot reach a final meaning. The point is to derive pleasure from the process of meaning, not its closure. Adso also is a naive reader who should learn this notion throughout the book.One critic named Rocco Capozzi interprets Adso’s development under the light of Peircean ideas: On his journey-and it is most appropriate that a â€Å"novice, â€Å"in his gradual formation, should learn through the experience of a journey (one of the main, and most obvious, over coded symbols of The Rose) Adso learns from William that the nature of books is similar to the nature of â€Å"signs. † As he loses more and more of his naivete, and as he acquires more and more what Peirce calls â€Å"logica docens,† Adso learns to accept that when speaking of signs, he â€Å"can always and only speak of something that speaks . . of something else†; perhaps without ever arriving at the â€Å"final something†-at th e â€Å"true one†. This is only one of the many clear â€Å"traces† of Peirce's principle of unlimited semiosis in The Rose. (416) Adso questions William’s method of logic in trying to disclose the murders in the monastery as the latter seems to delay the solutions rather than reaching to them. He addresses Adso: Solving the mystery is not the same as deducing from first principles. Nor does it amount simply to collecting a number of particular data from which to infer a general law.It means, rather, facing one or two or three particular data apparently with nothing in common, and trying to imagine whether they could represent so many instances of a general law you don’t yet know, and which perhaps has never been pronounced. [. . . ] In the face of some inexplicable facts you must try to imagine many general laws, whose connection with your facts escapes you. Then suddenly, in the unexpected connection of a result, a specific situation, and one of those l aws, you perceive a line of reasoning that seems more convincing than the others.You try applying it to all similar cases, to use it for making predictions, and you discover that your intuition was right. But until you reach the end you will never know which predicates to introduce into your reasoning and which to omit. And this is what I am doing now. I line up so many disjointed elements and I venture some hypothesis. I have to venture many, and many of them are so absurd that I would be ashamed to tell them to you. (295-296) William is the critical or the Model reader that Eco yearns for. While reading the book, the reader’s attitude toward it should be like William’s method.Adso, on the other hand is the naive reader who cares more about a single truth rather than enjoying the process. Adso wants to hear about the truth in vain: – But then †¦ you are still far from the solution. – I am very close to one, but I don’t know which. – Th erefore you don’t have a single answer to your questions? – Adso, if I did I would teach theology in Paris. – In Paris do they always have the true answer? – Never, but they are very sure of their errors. (297) It is also possible to see William here as a different type of monk- he questions everything; even God’s word, yet not so openly.Still, his novice loses some of his respect towards him upon hearing there is not a single truth. He is worried about the murders and impatient to solve it immediately. He thinks that William is wasting time and disregarding the horrible events in the monastery: I had the impression that William was not at all interested in the truth, which is nothing but the adjustment between the thing and the intellect. On the contrary, he amused himself by imagining how many possibilities were possible. At that moment, I confess, I despaired of my master and caught myself thinking, ‘Good thing the inquisitor has come. I w as on the side of that thirst for truth that inspired Bernard Gui. (297) While we are enjoying the process of reading The Name of the Rose, we are presented with countless references from various writers, thinkers, poets, and so on. These references are not directly there in front of our eyes but the competent reader is quick to grab the source of the references he has known. They are so absorbed in the text that only what the reader knows is available to him/her. Capozzi defines The Name of the Rose â€Å"as a mosaic of books- as a novel of books within books, and of signs and a system of signs within other systems† (417).Intertextuality is another important aspect of The Name of the Rose which adds to the multiplicity of meanings. In fact, Eco's novel is a perfect example of conscious (and unconscious) â€Å"hybridization†; it is a text in which many other texts merge, fuse, collide, intersect, speak to, and illuminate, one another-each with its own language and â₠¬Å"ideologue. † The Rose, succinctly put, is a skillful (con)structure of an intentionally ambiguous, polyvalent, and self-reflexive novel in-tended to generate multiple meanings.Moreover, it is a novel which wishes to be: an intersection of textual â€Å"traces† and â€Å"textures†; a dialogue with many texts; and a literary text generated through the end-less process of writing and reading, re-writing and re-reading, etc. Looking for the sources of these references, however, is a futile journey in reading the book. If overemphasized this practice undermines â€Å"the whole strategy of overtly using quotations and intertextuality as a foreseen textual strategy for generating other texts† (Capozzi 414).It also overlooks Eco’s way of literary journey through encyclopedia of literature in the act of writing and ignores the re-writing and re-reading other texts as a text or an interrelationship of different discourses and meanings. Many critics has fou nd in The Name of the Rose references from several writers such as William of Occam, Roger Bacon, Alessandro Manzoni, Jorge L. Borges, Conan Doyle, Michail Bakhtin, Charles S. Peirce, Jury Lotman, Roland Barthes, Maria Corti, Eco's own theoretical and journalistic writings, and so on.The ultimate reference seems to be to the Bible as the books starts like Genesis and ends in an Apocalypse, adding the seven-day creation in the storyline by giving the account of the events in a week. It is also possible to see Bakhtin in Adso’s carnivalesque dream and the side ornaments that Adelmo draws on books. But the most significant of the references is undoubtedly to Borges as the book is so full of Borgesian elements like labyrinth, library, books about books and mirror that in fact some critics even claim that the true author of The Name of the Rose is Borges- not Eco.The most striking reference to Borges seems to be the name of the murderer: Jorge de Burgos. Eco personally answers to those who ask why the character’s name evokes the writer and why he is such a bad figure: â€Å"I do not know it myself, either. I was in need of a blind man in charge of the library (that seemed to be a good idea to me); and a blind library only begets Borges; because everything has a price† (my translation 644). It is also a revelation of his debts to Borges. In fact not only more than a few elements in the book are Borgesian but also Eco’s interpretation of a text finds its roots in the writer.Borges is known to see a book as a dialogue in which it engages with the reader and he does not accept it as an isolated entity. Moreover, Borges uses â€Å"a painstaking description of characters, dates, recondite historical facts, erudite philosophical debates, and detailed bibliographical references, each of which serves to blur the border between reality and imagination† (all of which is visible in The Name of the Rose) in the beginning paragraphs of many of his short stories (Corry 428).By such a detailed introduction, the reader is invited not to question the reality of the reported facts. Furthermore, â€Å"the profusion of characters, the scholarly questions, and the endless references to books and writers† also tell us that we are surrounded by a Borgesian jungle. Many short stories of Borges are also alluded to in the book. â€Å"A library representing the universe, its structure of a complicated and large labyrinth, the possibility of knowing the secrets of the world†, all remind us â€Å"The Library of Babel†.William’s role as a detective trying to â€Å"decipher the secret interior of the library only through examination of its exterior and with the help of mathematics† is similar to the detective Eric Lonnrot in â€Å"Death and the Compass† (Corry 428-429). The similarities are so many to count but Eco’s debt to Borges is undeniably great. The final significant feature of The Na me of the Rose that I am going to mention is its central theme of â€Å"ex-centricity†. It is the story of those who are driven away from the centre, the system and it is mostly used in historiograpic metafiction.The characters in the book are continuously struggling in and out of the centre. William and Adso are trying to enter the center of the library, Franciscans are trying to enter the center of the Church by making Avignon accept Jesus Christ’s poverty and Jorge is trying to keep his central position by protecting library at the cost of his and anybody else’s life. However, the ex-centrics in the book are mostly seen to establish their own meta-narrative; and thus creating their own circle. The most striking example is of the lepers.They are â€Å"misshapen, their flesh [is] decaying and all whitish, [they are] hobbling on their crutches, with swollen eyelids, bleeding eyes. † They do not â€Å"speak or shout†; they â€Å"twitter like miceâ €  (192). William explains their ex-centricity: â€Å"For the Christian people they are others, those who remain on the fringe of the flock. The flock hates them, they hate the flock, who wish all lepers like them would die. [†¦] The flock is like a series of concentric circles, from the broadest range of the flock to its immediate surroundings.The lepers are a sign of exclusion in general† (197-198). But the main point is revealed when William talks about the circles and their surroundings in general through the lepers’ exclusion as heretics: â€Å"This is the illusion of heresy. Everyone is heretical, everyone is orthodox. The faith of a movement proclaims doesn’t count: what counts is the hope it offers. All the heresies are the banner of a reality, an exclusion. Scratch the heresy and you will find the leper. Every battle against heresy wants only this: to keep the leper as he is† (194).The point is not to find a compromise or a remedy for the outsiders in all power relations but to keep them where they are. The Franciscans are also mostly desired to be excluded rather than to be listened and be given some credit. Instead of sharing an ocean of knowledge with the rest of the world, Jorge prefers keeping it all to himself for his own interpretation of order and submission and even kills himself by eating the poisoned pages of the book and burns the library. The meta-narrative, the center of the circle is so strong that its total destruction is more acceptable than its break.The argument of under which category The Name of the Rose is heated. It was labeled by many critics as: metaphysical, mystery, detective or anti-detective story, post-modern, historical, bildungsroman, gothic or essay novel, and so on. My impression is that the book might be all of this and none of this at the same time. Linda Hutcheon puts it under tha category of historiographic metafiction the definition of which is in the follows: Historiographic m etafiction works to situate itself within historical discourse without surrendering its autonomy as fiction.And it is a kind of seriously ironic parody that effects both aims: the intertexts of history and fiction take on parallel (though not equal) status in the parodic reworking of the textual past of both the â€Å"world† and literature. The textual incorporation of these intertextual past(s) as a constitutive structural element of postmodernist fiction functions as a formal marking of historicity-both literary and â€Å"worldly. † At first glance it would appear that it is only its constant ironic signaling of difference at the very heart of similarity that distinguishes postmodern parody from medieval and Renaissance imitation (see Greene 17). †¦ ] Nevertheless, a distinction should be made: â€Å"Traditionally, stories were stolen, as Chaucer stole his; or they were felt to be the common property of a culture or community †¦ These notable happenings, i magined or real, lay outside language the way history itself is supposed to, in a condition of pure occurrence† (Gass 147). [†¦ ] The intertextual parody of historiographic metafiction enacts, in a way, the views of certain contemporary historiographers (see Canary and Kozicki): it offers a sense of the presence of the past, but this is a past that can only be known from its texts, its traces-be they literary or historical.We are welcomed by Eco’s efforts to legalize the reality of his book; the book we are holding in our hands is actually a combination and edited version of many other writers other than Adso. The book is recorded by an Abbe named Vallet and it is the French translated manuscript of Dom J. Mabillon’s print, the author of which is Dom Adso of Melk. The book is made out of scattered notes, edited many times and travelled the most challenging journey- yet we have it in full and large form as it is. The suspense is there: what to believe in and what not to is always a mystery. The author as lost his authority by distancing himself from the origins of the book so far away that the reader does not give himself totally to what he has to say- there is a continuous and ongoing questioning. The intertextuality of the book is another marking of both literary and â€Å"worldly† historicity as Hutcheon says. It is a reminder of the past that we can never be sure to refer except from textual remaining. As the last line of the book suggests: â€Å"Stat rosa pristine nomine, nomina nuda tenemus. † [1] ———————– [1] Once a rose exists with its name, in our hands only names remain (my translation).

Philosophy of Leadership

The purpose of this research is to examine the Philosophy of Leadership. I will be discussing different terms that relate to philosophy of leadership, theories and definitions. I will be discussing transactional leadership how it relates to philosophy, situational leadership, and generative leadership. Leboeuf (1999) he defined philosophy as the rational investigation of the truth and principals of being knowledge or conduct(p. 28). Philosophy assumes that leadership rest in individuals who must be capable of inspiring and influencing others to solve problems and achieve goals (Sandmann, 1995). According to Peter (1966) philosophy should involve a particular mode of thinking directed to the disciplined demarcation of concepts, the patient explication of the grounds of knowledge and of the presuppositions of different forms of discourse (p. 15) The educational institution leader is first and formost a teacher. Their primary duties are to teach those that they lead and through them the students of the institution. Someone must make the decisions and take the responsibility to enforce them. There is no point in being a leader, however if no one is willing to follow and to be effective authority figures we must have the cooperation of those we lead. It is important for the leader to understand internalize and consider the perception of the host countrys leaders an the influence these leaders have in the smooth operation of the institution in conjunction with the local community . It is the responsibility of the leader to understand the complexities of the host community and to communicate to each of its member the attempt to actually participate in resolving issues. Leadership is personal unless you know who you are, what you are prepared to do and why then you cant hope to achieve anything very grand. Leaders are judge by how they stand up for their adopted principles and values, but most importantly by how they live a life according to these principles and values (Pelonis & Stefanos, 2010). According to Sergiovanni (1992) Our goal should be to develop a leadership practice based on professional moral authority (p. 29) . The uniqueness of the individual leader must be considerd and one should take cre to adopt strategies and behaviours that fit with the core personality (Pelonis & Stefanos, 2010). Generative leaders recognizes that there are multiple ways of knowing and surround themselves with other thought leaders, including those with whom they disagree. They use holistice, systems perspective in their thinking and move beyond perceived limitations of time,space,traditional thought and their own views of the world . Generative leaders are similar to transformative leaders in working with others to effect change, a generative leader however is one whose definition of success includes finding new options and solutions (Disch, 2009). Transformational leadership occurs when leaders broaden and elevate the interests of their employees, when they generate awareness and acceptance of the purpose and mission of the look beyond their own self-interest for the good group. Transformational leaders achieve these results in one or more ways. They may be charismatic to their followers and thus inspire them; they may meet the emotional needs of each employee and they may intellectually stimulate employees (Bass 1990). Transfomational leadership communicates a vision that inspires and motivates people to achieve something extraordinary. Transformational leaders also have the ability to align people and systems so there is an integrity through-out the organization towords vision (Hughes & Curphy,1994). According to Cacioppe (1997) Transformational leaders have a vision and an ability to inspire followers to incoperate higer values. It pulls them towards achieving an important challenge (p. 336) Context of Problem Academic leadership is necessary now more than ever. Leadership for today’s world requires enlarging one’s capacity to see the whole board. Leadership is define by the authors as the continuous act of influencing others to accomplish a common objective. Academic leadership is further define as the continuous act of influencing all constituents of an academic institution to accomplish its mission and to provide the best possible educational experience for students. Leadership is personal unless you know who you are ,what you are prepared to do and why, then you can’t hope to achieve anything very grand (Pelonis & Stefanos, 2010). Knowledge is define as the state or fact of knowing and it usually refers to knowledge gained by schooling and study. With that being said, it is very important to be knowledgeable about whatever your career of choice is. As an educator ,which I know that it is important to find different ways that one can become knowledgeable about what they do in the work place because most importantly teaching and interacting with others on a daily basis. Take this situation for an example, it is your first year as a teacher and the first semester is finally over. You are not an experienced teacher but you know the overall morale at your school is low, student achievement is down, and discipline issues are overwhelming. This is definitely not the atmosphere that they talked about in your teaching classes in college. You want to go to the administration but in your past meetings, you have not felt comfortable expressing your concerns. The principal talks to the teachers in a very disrespectful manner, does not address teacher issues and concerns, and never gives any positive feedback at faculty meetings. On top of that administration has visited your room several times and has never given you any feedback about what was seen or how you could improve your teaching. You feel unsupported, overwhelmed, and headed toward a rocky second semester. You need someone to talk to and you begin to think about a upport group that can give you some knowledge about your profession. You more than likely want a teacher that has been around for a while that knows all the ropes about education. Support groups are a great way to grow professionally and create knowledge. As a teacher, you fulfill a number of roles for your students both intellectually and socially. In addition to learning about different teaching tech niques, support groups can help you deal with the responsibilities and pressures that come with the profession. I believe that every new educator needs a teachers' support group at their school. Taking the sole responsibility for starting a well-planned support group can be time-consuming but also be very rewarding for a teacher who is seeking to create knowledge in the workplace. It may also be helpful to invite colleagues to meet for a general discussion at least once a week so any questions or concerns can be addressed. As the group evolves, the details concerning agenda and procedures will iron out as you customize the group to fit whatever the knowledge one is seeking within the workplace. As we all know everyone does not know it is very important for an educator to be knowledgeable about what they do. Educator holds some very important lives in our hand and they need knowledge. For instance, if educators fail to make the goals attainable, students will never internalize or truly comprehend the skills and make them work in their own brains. Experts say they should steer clear of teaching children as if they were unfilled vessels for information (Barth, 2001). As an alternative, educator should allow them to construct knowledge in a process-oriented way. Instead of worksheets we should incorporate publishing and technology effectively. Then, your classroom will replicate the technological powerhouse society in which students live. Finally, always think about standardized test scores instead of unofficial evaluation statistics and urge parents to do the same. Teachers and teams of teachers must make certified, knowledgeable verdicts based on their individual students’ requirements and skill levels, in relation to curricular necessities and framework. To do this, teachers must be directed and sustained in an uninterrupted learning progression about successful ways to make students learn. Which brings me to my point, an educator must have knowledge and if they do not have knowledge then there are ways to create knowledge in the workplace as I mentioned before. Goodlad (2004) believe that school teaching and leadership are moral endeavors and that preservice teacher education programs seldom address the needs for moral leadership in democratic school (p. 27). According to Pelonis and Gialamas (2010) Successful leadership in the international academic arena calls for leaders to have the following qualities to be continuous learners, risk takers ,visionaries , performing well under stress and able to promote and accommodate change. The ability to cope with and promote change will in fact determine to a large degree the effectiveness of the leader during transitional times ( p. 73). Successful leaders are sensitive to the situation and their followers, are flrxible,and able to adopt to the use situation to ensure that the vision is achieved. A challenging, worthwhile vision is also characteristic of a good leader. The leaders helps the follower transcend their own self-interest and participate in a vision for greater good (Cacioppe,1997). According to Leboeuf (1999) the first element to consider in developing a philosophy of leadership is vision (p. 29). Nanus (1992) contends that vision must be idealistic a mental model of future state of the organization. He also stated that vision must also possess the properties of appropriateness, standards of excellence, purpose and direction (Nanus, 1992). Philosophy examins how meaning is determined and knowledge is established through language usage (Peter, 1966). Leadership philosophy reflects his principals , values,personal , professional goals and talents. It is essential to identify strategies and be st practice for implementing the adopted philosophy. If one adopts the model of leadership in partnership with flexibility, then strategy would require the leader and the leadership team to meet and clearly precisely define the authority and accountability of each (Pelonis & Stefanos, 2010). The idea of shared leadership is variously termed dispersed, roving, distributive,collective,or group-centered leadership, and organizations are referred to as leaderful. All of us have leadership qualities that can be pooled and drawn upon as needed. (Nirenburg, 1993) Generativity is the ability to produce or originate , and generative leaders are individuals who create new options or new approachers to old problems and work with and through others to effect needed change, Generative leaders are intellectually curious and never satisfied with the status quo; they are resilient and optimistic, seeing opportunties where others see insoluble problems (Disch, 2009). According to Disch (2009) Generative leaders model creativity and innovations,work with others to enhance their capabilities and create environ,environments in which people can do their best work (p. 173). Transformational leaders are individually considerate, that is, they pay close attention to differences among their employees; they act as mentors to those who need help to grow and develop. Intellectual stimulation leader are willing and able to show their employees new ways of looking at old problems to be solved, and to emphasize rational solutions. (Bass, 1990) Situational leadership is one of several transaction al approaches to leadership. Other transactional theories like path goal theory and leader-participation theory describes the major task of the leaders to guide motivate task of he leader to guide and motivate their followers in the direction of established goals and to reward their efforts in ways that are fair and valued by followers Situational leadership uses the two dimensions of supportive and directive to describe four leadership styles that are most appriopate depending on the situation and the developmental level of the person or group. The major advace of the situation approach is the recognition that for different development levels and different types of situation, different leadership styles are more effective (Cacioppe ,1997).

A mate worse than death review Essay

The essay is entitled â€Å"A mate worse than death† which was given justice on the proceedings. This is in particular to a definite type of clubwoman which is certainly not honored yet the acme of perfect clubwoman hood. The author explained the roles and virtues that a perfect clubwoman should/could have on her point of view. Among the roles were, a health addict, a public speaker, a civic leader, a fashion model, a model mother, an artist and an art lover considering the qualities manifested were a pillar of strength, a tower of hope, a symbol of fortitude, personification of charity and a dynamo of energy. Being a health addict was basically a challenge on the part of a perfect clubwoman. Though she be in the pink of health (in a good health condition), mad about boogaloo and vitamin-laden- to hop in different parties and forums seems to be difficult. But a tough devotion to responsibilities nevertheless tempts hors d’oeuvres (out of work) which bring in mind the relevance of a clubwoman’s hearty appetite. She truly believes in the adage â€Å"A sound mind in a sound body† which was a famous aphorism from a pre-Socratic Greek philosopher Thales. It only entails why clubwoman attends forums, which is to feed mind as well as to improve on health through food consciousness within different parties. A public speaker was one of the clubwoman’s roles. The sincerity, depth of feeling in addressing the plea for aid in country, makes her a convincing public speaker. This genuineness was developed due to the saying â€Å"Honesty is the best policy†, making her captivating as a public speaker. Transparency and accountability makes a clubwoman a person who could depend on even in strictest confidentiality issues. The merits of the author’s clubwoman as an art lover were also beyond excellence. Attending lectures on arts, actual demonstrations and applications made her a better one. Another role was model mother bearing on her role as a fashion model. She feels it would be extravagant on spending on her children’s clothes when they are not seen. As a result, she spends the whole thing on her dresses and clothes. And the money she saves for her children’s clothes were splurge on gowns she models at fashion shows benefited by one orphanage. Believing that she is being kind not only to her children but o the children of others. The glittering roles and multitude virtues provided by the author may give the readers a little hint on a clubwoman’s full worth. However, a wife resembling the author’s clubwoman entails the reason why man as overheard to have remarked that he had a mate worse than death. A MATE WORSE THAN DEATH (Analysis/Interpretation) The title â€Å"A mate worse than death† implies what the author is trying to expound in the essay. The author merely described the roles and virtues/qualities a perfect clubwoman is. The roles explained were all implied as a good individual/citizen without considering person as a wife and as a mother of her own children. The virtues portrays every single individual should have. It has been deeply expressed not just the self belongingness to the social and community affairs but the heartily devoted woman to the needs. Although it seems to be a perfect description of a clubwoman, it was never seem to be a perfect description of a wife and a mother. Nevertheless, socially aware and responsible is acceptable as long as you are individually responsible. Responsibilities adhere on very roles. Devoting almost all your time for yourself and for being a clubwoman might be dreadful for you and for your family. Because most of us believe that love does not only constitutes to only one but for all the things and beings surrounding us. Balanced time would be greatly a better one making you a perfect clubwoman and a perfect partner as well.

Admission to the Masters of Accounting Program

1. The Masters of Accounting program requires teamwork and leadership skills. Please give examples from your past that illustrate your abilities in both these areas and show how you’ve applied them.I have faced a number of knotty situations in life. On one occasion, I was working with the ADA or the American Diabetes Association. We worked as two groups and our principal task was to count and reconcile the checks, cash and credit card donations, which used to arrive in large quantities. One day an older man joined our team. Then our troubles started. Till that time we had worked without any mutual misgivings or bickering. With the advent of this person, our time schedules and procedures went haywire.I studied the situation and realized that all this was due to his reluctance to follow the established procedure. Every one, in both the groups, was compelled to go home late, due to this person’s obduracy. All felt that he should be suitably reprimanded, but no one was will ing to undertake this unpleasant task. The question that was foremost on every one’s mind was ‘who would bell the cat?’ I jumped into the fray and gently but firmly convinced him that what he was doing was unacceptable. He was happy with this way of communication, because I had talked to him in private, so that his pride was not hurt. This had the desired effect and we were able to complete the work in time.In addition, I was also the secretary of the African Cultural Society. I was instrumental in planning and implementing the IREP Africa program at the College of William & Mary. This task entailed coordination between and interaction with a number of fellow students, faculty and departments. I emerged much stronger as a coordinator, facilitator and administrator after this novel experience. The professed objective of this program was to unite African student organizations in Virginia and to improve their relations with each other.   I actively participated in several campaigns to raise funds for the underprivileged in Africa and one of them was in respect of poverty stricken women of Uganda.A successful and efficient accountant is one who is reliable, thorough, ingenious, a seeker of solutions, well organized and performance oriented. Of these the most important is trustworthiness, because accountants, in addition to their usual work, have to offer reliable advice regarding the conduct of business in the present day economic and legal context. Moreover, if accounting standards are not adhered to, then the company stands the risk of having to close down. The Sarbanes Oxley Act was enacted in the year 2002, in order to deal with such eventualities.Another important trait of an accountant is attention to detail. I possess this in ample measure. This fact was disclosed in my tenure as the treasurer of the African Cultural Society, between the years 2006 to 2007; and as the Vice President of the Syndicate. In these tasks, I maintained authen tic and comprehensive financial records. I reviewed the internal financial controls and ensured that the organization’s moneys were safe. This club has a number of advantages and I took up aggressive marketing to ensure that its membership increased.The lack of ethical and moral accounting practices in business organizations results in financial frauds. This was clearly established in the following cases.In the year 2001, Enron announced a net loss of $ 618 million for its third quarter and that it would reduce the shareholders’ equity by $ 1.2 billion. The SEC immediately stepped in and demanded financial information from Enron. The Enron team of Auditor’s lead by their leader Anderson systematically destroyed a large number of financial documents. Subsequently, the Enron officials and its auditors were charged and convicted of fraud.This company had engaged in malpractices relating to financial accounting, with the result that the company became bankrupt. To c onceal its malafide practices, this company indulged in complicated accounting practices. This illustrates the fact that accounting has to be ethical, transparent and morally upright. The consequence of the Enron case was that the law relating to accountancy was made more stringent. However, more than even legislation; personal attitude, morality and ethical behavior should have greater influence.WorldCom was another company, which also attempted to camouflage its fraudulent activities by resorting to fudging of figures and falsification of financial reports. The procedure adopted by its accountants was less sophisticated than that of the Enron team; nevertheless, it committed a much greater fraud than Enron. However, these cases were not isolated incidents and proved to be merely the tip of the iceberg. Several more such fraudulent corporations were investigated by the Federal and state regulators. The principal among these are Adelphia, HealthSouth and Tyco, to name a few.I have a flair for leadership and I often volunteer to lead in various academic projects. Recently, I took over the reins of project, involving the formulation of a business plan to be presented to the board of directors. This project emerged as a huge success, despite the difficulties encountered, due to having to lead a team of peers. The team comprised of persons with different temperaments and it required a lot of innovativeness and ingenuity to extract the best from them.I have tremendous patience, as can be attested to by the students of the second grade, whom I teach as a volunteer teacher in the Waller Mill Elementary school, in Williamsburg. The foregoing incidents from my life reveal that I possess a high level of integrity, reliability, planning and implementing capacity, motivational skills, inspiration, ability to work in a team and patience.2.   What are you hoping to achieve during your studies in the MAcc Program?I will complete my Bachelor’s degree in accounting by the month of May, 2008. Subsequently, I intend to pursue the Masters of Accounting Program at the College of William and Mary's School of Business. This course is truly outstanding and the faculty is the third best in the nation. Classes are typically small and informal. The emphasis is on acquiring expertise. The faculty is easily accessible, if one wants to clarify doubts. In conjunction with my considerable management and leadership skills, this knowledge in accountancy will render me highly suitable for obtaining the Certified Public Accountant license. My principal objective is to become a CPA.

FLOOD DAMAGE TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

FLOOD DAMAGE TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES - Essay Example bviously, the client is left with no choice other than relocate for some time until the water in the basement is flushed out and the necessary repairs to the damaged service infrastructure comprising the main electricity intake room, telecommunications hub and the IT server room are carried out. Firstly, it is necessary to assess the damages caused by the flood. This comprises the damages suffered by the basement interiors, electricity wiring, telecommunications hub and the IT server. Damages were also done to the ground floor although not to the extent of the one in the basement (Flood Prevention Schemes, 2005). The client is right in questioning the suitability of the current flood prevention measures because the flood prevention measures have not effectively shielded the building against the flood and the consequent damages. Obviously, the flooding in the area is a recent phenomenon because of changes in climatic conditions and global warming that is causing floods and hurricanes ubiquitously. Undoubtedly, repairs needed in the basement are extensive and it is going to involve time. The entire wiring may require to be changed and even the telecommunications hub and IT server may require replacing. Now the waters still present in the basement have to be flushed out, and the interior walls thoroughly cleansed and treated against organisms like molds (Brandt, Mary et al, 2006). Moreover, the ground floor too suffered some damages and process to remove the sewage water in the ground floor of the building must be carried out. Apparently, the floodwaters have been in the basement for quite a while now, perhaps a couple of days. Nothing could be done earlier because of the continuous inflow of floodwaters and/or due to rains (Brody, Samuel D et al, 2007). The client has questioned the suitability of the current flood prevention measures in the building and surrounding area and has asked for outline proposals that would improve the current provision. As mentioned