About Architect David M. Childs, Design Partner

Architect David Childs (born April 1, 1941 in Princeton, New Jersey) is best known as the designer of the One World Trade Center we see today in Lower Manhattan. His long relationship with Skidmore, Owings Merrill (SOM) has given this senior statesman of American architecture wide-ranging experience and success. David Magie Childs was priviledged to attend the best private schools in the United states — from the Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Massachusetts to his 1963 Bachelors degree from Yale University. His career as an architect began after completing a graduate degree from Yale School of Art and Architecture in 1967. He began his professional career in Washington, D.C. when from 1968 to 1971 he joined the Pennsylvania Avenue Commission. Fresh out of Yale University, Childs formed a strong relationship with both Nathaniel Owings, a founding partner of Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM), and Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a future U.S. Senator from New York State. From 1964 until 1973, Childs future employer, Nathaniel Owings, was chairman of President Kennedys Temporary Commission on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC. In the early years of the Kennedy administration, the plan to redesign Pennsylvania Avenue was the most significant redevelopment project in the country, claims the SOM website. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, the young Assistant Secretary of Labor in the Kennedy Administration, led the governments plan to revitalize Pennsylvania Avenue and the National Mall. Through this Commissions hard work, negotiations, and consensus, Pennsylvania Avenue is now a designated National Historic Site. One could argue that Childs early experiences on the Commission led the young architect to a lifelong proficiency in public architecture, city planning, and the politics behind construction and design — skills needed to accomplish his goals in the complicated days after September 11, 2011. David Childs has been associated with SOM since 1971, at first working on projects in Washington, D.C. From 1975 until 1981 he was Chairman of the National Capital Planning Commission involved in the 1976 Washington Mall Master Plan and Constitution Gardens. He worked on the 1984 National Geographic Society M Street Building and then the U.S. News and World Report Headquarters, both in Washington, D.C. By 1984 David Childs had moved to New York City, where hes been working on SOM projects ever since. A portfolio of his projects highlights a number of buildings in New York City  Ã¢â‚¬â€ the Worldwide Plaza at 825 8th Avenue (1989); Bertelsmann Tower at Times Square (1990); Times Square Tower at 7 Times Square (2004); Bear Stearns at 383 Madison Avenue (2001); AOL Time Warner Center at Columbus Circle (2004); and, of course, 7 World Trade Center (2006) and 1 World Trade Center (2014). Moynihan Station Redevelopment at the James A. Farley Post Office and 35 Hudson Yards are his latest project for the City of New York. Outside of The Big Apple, Childs was the design architect for the 1998 Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse in Charleston, West Virginia and the 1999 U.S. Embassy in Ottawa, Canada. In May 2012, David Childs was one of fifteen Architects of Healing receiving a special AIA Gold Medallion for his redesign of One World Trade Center and Seven World Trade Center in New York City. Childs is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (FAIA). David Childs In His Own Words I like big complicated projects where you have to assemble teams, deal with the down-and-dirty contractors, the marketplace and the leasing agents with an imagination level only as high as what made money last time. — 2003, The New York Times Each of us architects has had mentors and teachers whose work and words have guided us as well. For me they include Nat Owings, Pat Moynihan, Vincent Scully. It is thus been a very collective effort in the fullest sense, and I believe every American can equally take pride in what is and has been accomplished. — 2012 AIA National Convention You know what a Richard Meier building will look like; theres a style. Im more like Eero Saarinen, whom I revere. His buildings all look different. — 2003, The New York Times The U.S. invented skyscrapers, but weve fallen behind. WTC 1 is a solution to many technical problems, and it represents the very best in codes, structure, and safety. Its a concrete core with steel exterior, which is an efficient and safe system, but it had not been done in New York for a host of reasons, mostly because of the arrangement between trade groups. The form tapers on its four corners, which buildings — like trees — want to do anyway. — 2011 AIArchitect What Others Say Throughout his years of practice in Washington, Mr. Childs became noted for his design of appropriate architecture, buildings and spaces that respond to their settings and programs rather than pursue a preconceived architectural image. — U.S. Department of State Your work demonstrates that architecture is the art of compromise and collaboration, that it is a social act, never created by one person working alone and always creating community. As a creative artist successfully negotiating within a world governed by corporate objectives you have shown that aesthetic vision and functional considerations can coexist, that architecture is the art of both the real and the visionary. You compose steel and glass the way a poet constructs phrases and in so doing create physical entities that reflect personal aspirations and a collective self-image. Your buildings grace our environment and enrich our lives. — Colby Collge Sources Pennsylvania Avenue National Historic Site, National Park Service, https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/wash/dc41.htm [accessed September 2, 2012]Nathaniel A. Owings, FAIA, Architect and Founding Partner, 1903-1984, Skidmore Owings and Merrill (SOM), www.som.com/content.cfm/nathaniel_a_owings [accessed September 2, 2012]The New Ground Zero: The Invisible Architect, Julie V. Iovine, The New York Times, August 31, 2003 [accessed August 15, 2012]Architects of Healing Videos, American Institute of Architects, 2012 [accessed August 15, 2012]AIArchitect Talks with David Childs, FAIA, John Gendall, AIArchitect, 2011 [accessed August 15, 2012]U.S. State Department, http://canada.usembassy.gov/about-us/embassy-information/frequently-asked-questions/embassy-architects.html [accessed September 5, 2012]Citation for David M. Childs, Colby College, May 22, 2005, http://www.colby.edu/news_events/commencement/2005/honorary/citation-childs.cfm [accessed August 15, 2012]

Factors that Influenced Shakespeares Writing of Romeo and...

Factors that Influenced Shakespeares Writing of Romeo and Juliet Shakespeare was clearly influenced by the events of his time, and this is apparent especially in Romeo and Juliet. To dismiss this play as a mere fable is to overlook some very important religious and political changes of the time which are evidently woven into the storyline of the play. Shakespeares religious beliefs are uncertain, but it is known that his father was Catholic, and that he lived in a time of religious stratification across both community and family ties. As a result of the queens toleration for vagueness in this area, people became accustomed to religious tension and confusion at a very personal level. Many†¦show more content†¦The youth of England however, were not content with the Settlement. This applies especially to the Protestant youth who wanted the Reformation to be completed on a model provided by Jean Calvins Geneva. Otherwise known as Puritans, they viewed the Settlement as a kind of intermediate state. This extreme version of Protestantism, as well as the remaining Catholics whose loyalty still belonged only to the Pope, continued to prevent the nation from reaching religious stability. Shakespeare, who was a loyal subject and supporter of the queen, offers a commentary on this situation in Romeo and Juliet. The Queens church reflected her own likings for the externals of Catholic worship and she hated the religious enthusiasm of the Puritan movement. The Settlement also allowed her to stay in control over the state religion, whereas the Puritan belief in independent church government undermined her power and the national unity she tried to reach. Although it would seem that Romeo and Juliet is a criticism of the well-known social rules that regarded marriage as being contradictory to actual romantic love, a closer reading of the text shows that the youth in the play are the ones whose actions result in violence and death. Shakespeare seems to dispute the individualsShow MoreRelatedShakespeare in Love Essay2078 Words   |  9 Pagesworking on, Romeo and Juliet, in which love is not meant to be due to the many obstacles in the way. Shakespeares life in the film is very comparable to Romeos life in Romeo and Juliet. William Shakespeares life in the film and the play he is writing has several similarities and differences. In my opinion, this is one of the best movies and books to compare. Shakespeare in Love is a fairly accurate representation of the life of William Shakespeare at the time he was writing Romeo and JulietRead MorePoe vs. Shakespeare Essay1556 Words   |  7 Pagessimilarities and differences between the two. 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Adapting Plays Into Movies Free Essays

Adapting Plays Into Movies â€Å"In theatre, you can change things ever so slightly; it’s an organic thing. Whereas in film, you only have that chance on the day, and you have no control over it at all,† These insightful words were once spoken by actress (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace) and Oscar winner Judi Dench, and they very clearly illustrate one of the biggest differences between theatre and film. However, a small hint of bias seems to be depicted in this point of view. We will write a custom essay sample on Adapting Plays Into Movies or any similar topic only for you Order Now The quote (and many others) seem to suggest that one form of acting is more difficult than the other. It seems the opposite is true; that when taking one of these art forms (i. e. theatre) and transforming it into the other, one would come across a wide array of differences, as well as similarities. When researching a topic such as this, one must go beyond reading. One must not only dive into a script or a periodical or academic journal, one must immerse themselves into the films that have come about as a result of the transformation of turning a play into a cinematic experience. When going about researching this topic, I watched the movie Chicago (Dir. Rob Marshall, 2002) as well as looked over the original Broadway script (By Jon Kander, Fredd Ebb, and Bob Fosse 1975). The original Broadway production opened June 3, 1975, at the 46th Street Theatre and ran for 936 performances. Chicago’s 1996 Broadway revival holds the record for the longest-running musical revival and the longest-running American musical in Broadway history, and is the fourth longest-running show in Broadway history. After all the success, What better way to continue the magic of this thrilling show than create a movie out of it? The story tells of two women (Roxie Hart and Velma Kelley) who live in Chicago and are responsible for murdering their husbands and must fight to get out of prison, in order to pursue their dreams of Broadway stardom. After deciding to delve a bit deeper, I chose to go a bit farther back in history. The story of Romeo and Juliet (William Shakespeare 1591-1595) has been adapted into film over thirty times in one form or another. The original storyline is about two star-crossed lovers that end up tragically committing suicide as a result of their undying love for each other and their families’ undying hatred for the opposing kin. The one adaptation that seemed to stick out to me was director Baz Luhrmann’s rendition that he released in 1996 starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes. The film is an abridged modernization of Shakespeare’s play. While it retains the original Shakespearean dialogue, the Montagues and the Capulets are represented as warring business empires and swords are replaced by guns. With a bit of help from Wikipedia, and the old Romeo and Juliet script I had lying around from a past high school production (in which I portrayed the vivacious, yet dim-witted Nurse) I was on my way to analyzing the differences and similarities of adapting plays into movies. When finding key differences in movies created from plays, it is important that one realize that differences are very necessary. This comes about when dealing with time constraints. The average Broadway musical is about two hours, whereas the average movie is about an hour and a half. It is imperative that movie directors be wary about what parts of the storyline they cut, as to not disappoint the audience or remove an important portion of the play that the story relies on. I found this when watching the Movie Chicago, after looking over the script. In the original play, Velma Kelley and Mama Morton engage in a short and comical musical number entitled â€Å"Class,† soon after Velma discovers that Roxie is rather talented at keeping the paparazzi on her tail. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, Rob Marshall made the decision to cut the number, as it served no real purpose in the plot of the show. As aforementioned, Baz Luhrmann made some very important and possibly story-altering changes in the presentation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Swords were replaced with guns, in order to bring the story a bit up to date, however he maintained the original Shakespearean language found in the original script. In addition to this change, Luhrmann decided that a more dramatic way to end the tragedy would be to have Juliet awaken, leaving the lovers to see each other one last time before Romeo dies and Juliet commits her infamous suicide. The differences that one encounters when dealing with these adaptations goes far beyond the decisions of the director. The small concrete details that make up how the story is told are vastly different when dealing with on-stage shows versus movies. For example, things as simple as make up and facial expression are very different between the two. When an actor is on stage performing for a live audience, there are no close-ups. The actor must depend on his/her facial expression and gestures. On stage, an actor must become comfortable with over exaggerating their gestures and expressions (often highlighted with heavy stage make up) in order to ensure that the emotions of the scene are adequately conveyed to the audience members in all parts of the house. In film, the cameras are able to do a close up on an actor’s face in order to show these emotions. This means that the actor does not need to wear heavy stage make up (in most circumstances) nor must they â€Å"over act. † This also seems to be the case when it comes to projection of an actor’s voice. On stage, one must be sure to project in order to establish clarity to audience members, whereas in film, it is not necessary due to microphones and audio technology. There are several similarities when converting a play to a film as well. It is obvious that preparation is very similar, in the way that actors must commit to (in my opinion) the most dreaded part of theatre of all types: memorization. In both film and stage shows, actors must memorize things such as lines, blocking, and choreography. Also, actors must establish clear characterization to create a believable person on stage or in movies. This means one must work very hard to establish their characters’ back ground story and tendencies, in order to become one with their role. Also, in both forms of art, there are the same â€Å"roles† backstage as well. There is always need for a director, stage designer, and stagehands, etc. In conclusion, it seems that one art form is no better or worse than the other, as they both have obstacles to overcome when attempting to illustrate a plot for audience members, whether live or recorded. There is a variety of similarities and differences between the two, but it seems one is not easier than the other, considering the two seem incomparable after close analysis. Chicago on stage may be longer than Chicago on a DVD, however both required work and preparation to create a masterpiece. Shakespeare had his own idea of the tragedy of Romeo and Juliet, where Baz Luhrmann chose to take a different approach, while still maintaining the original storyline. These wo art forms are both different and similar, but one does not outshine the other; it is when viewing other art forms that we may find this inequality. The gorgeous George Clooney once stated, â€Å"There is a strange pecking order among actors. Theatre actors look down on film actors, who look down on TV actors. Thank God for reality shows, or we wouldn’t have anybody to look down on. † However, one must leave that discussion for another day and realize film and theatre are both equally entertaining, just no t equally done! How to cite Adapting Plays Into Movies, Papers

Obama care free essay sample

â€Å"The Presidential election of the United States of America is behind us (November 2012), and yet US citizens seem to be dealing with the same political debates as last year and the year before. Much of this hinges around ideological, political and intellectual differences over what kinds of policies are right for the American population. The most controversial is the implementation of the Affordability Care Act, popularly known as Obama Care† (see, question). This act was officially signed into law on March 23rd 2010. â€Å"The Affordable Care Act is the result of a joint effort between all sides of the isle, health insurance companies, and law makers and has been in the works for decades. The law itself is based on ‘Romney Care’, The Massachusetts health care insurance reform law, St. 2006, c.58† (www.obamacarefacts.com). Obama Care is useful to the citizens of the United States of America. It regulates the health insurance industry, and helps to increase the quality, affordability, and availability of health insurance. It was projected that Obama Care will enable thirty million uninsured individuals to be able to obtain health insurance. Given the facts I believe that Obama Care is ingenious, thus the thesis of my essay is that Obama Care promotes equality, enables freedom, and creates solidarity in the United States of America. This legislation is needed to make the necessary changes in the United States of America. In order to understand the assertion that Obama Care enables freedom, promotes equality, and creates solidarity, the purpose of the Affordable Care Act has to be understood, the past healthcare system of the United States of America has to be explained, and the scepticism on the Affordable Care Act has to be eradicated. To begin with, Obama Care is also known as the Affordable Care Act, and the Patient Protection Act. It was signed into law on March 23rd 2010. This act affirms the principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to healthcare. The purpose of Obama Care is to create new rules for insurers, and to expand medical security to millions of individuals. This is achieved by implementing a health insurance marketplace, where Americans can buy subsidized and regulated health insurance plans in a competitive private market. This Act expands Medicaid and Medicare to many people. It is beneficial to the vast majority of the American population, but most especially the less privileged. The less you  make, the more the Affordable Care Act is of benefit to you. This Act does not constrain the freedom of individuals. Its target audience are those who do not like their current health insurance plan and those who are making fewer than 400% of the Federal Poverty Level. â€Å"The Federal Poverty Level is another way of referring to the Federal poverty guidelines. It is one measure of poverty within the United States, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services issues it annually to determine financial eligibility for certain federal programs and benefits†¦ These include but are not limited to Medicare, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, Migrant Health Centers, Community Health Centers, Family and Planning Services, [and now Obama Care]. The characteristics used to determine poverty thresholds include family size, number of children and whether or not those in 1- or 2-person units are elderly† (www.healthedeals.com). Before the introduction of Obama Care, the primary source of health protection for the American society was Medicaid. â€Å"Medicaid is the largest source of funding for medical and health related services for people with low income in the United States of America. Medicaid is jointly funded by the state and Federal government, and is available to people who not only have low income but also meet other criteria such as; being a citizen of the United States of America, be a Permanent Resident in the U.S.A, and someone with a disability† (see.www.healthcare.gov). However, Medicaid is no longer capable of providing the citizens with their needs and enough coverage. â€Å"The United States of America seeks to close budget gaps, and it was proposed that Medicaid be put into a block grant or capped program, with significantly reduced funding, which would also result in cuts to eligibility and to services that are covered by Medicaid† (www.familiesusa.org). This means that a vast amount of the population would not have health insurance. Unlike Canada, the United States of America does not have free healthcare, thus such legislative action would endanger the lives of many of its citizens. The Affordable Care Act makes many provisions for people. These include people with the grandfathered plans (â€Å"plans that were in existence up until March 23rd 2010and haven’t been changed in ways that substantially cut benefits or increase costs for consumers† (www.dol.gov.com), those who have a legible insurance plan from work, a legible personal insurance plan, and for cultural and religious reasons. Firstly, Obama Care promotes equality in society. Equality is derived from the term equal. â€Å"To be equal is to have the same as† (www.merriam-webster.com). In this sense, citizens should have the same or a relatively equal amount of healthcare protection. It is accurate to state that not everyone in the American society is equal. People are at different hierarchies; they earn different wages, have different jobs with different benefits, and have different educational backgrounds. Regardless of these disparities, the life of each person should be equally valued and protected. Healthcare insurance can be quite expensive to purchase. â€Å"Different factors influence the price of an individual’s healthcare insurance premium. These include; the medical history of an individual, the location in which the individual resides, the level of coverage, the deductible and co-payments† (see, www.sbis.ca). These factors filter a lot of people who wish to purchase health insurance by making their premium unaffordable, or a strain on their way of life. Although, Medicaid is put in place to provide people who cannot afford health insurance with some coverage, Medicaid offers very basic protection and the majority of Americans do not qualify for Medicaid. In the United States of America, â€Å"about 44 million people have no health insurance, and another 38 million have inadequate health insurance. This means that nearly one-third of Americans face each day without the security of knowing that, if and when they need it, medical care is available to them and their families† (www.pbs.org). It is unfair to exclude people from having equal medical protection most especially if it is based on the fact that their income is not low enough, and (or) they have poor medical conditions. Obama Care reduces this disparity, because â€Å"it prohibits health insurers for charging you more, because of pre-existing health conditions. Insurers can only charge an individual based on whether it is an individual coverage or a coverage for multiple people, where the person lives, the age of the person, and if the person uses tobacco† (www.obamacarefacts.com). The implementation of these criterias is projected â€Å"to enable thirty million uninsured people purchase health insurance† (www.obamacarefacts.com). This creates vast more equality in society, with relation to medical care. Thus, it is evident that Obama Care promotes equality in the American society. Secondly, Obama Care enables freedom. Obama Care places health care insurance on a subsidized, and competitive private market. This provides more citizens with the opportunity to compare and select the type of healthcare insurance plan the need, want and will purchase. Obama Care expands and improves Medicaid. â€Å"It provides citizens with the opportunity to keep their current insurance plan ‘if they like it’ and provided that it complies with the terms of the Affordable Care Act, or it has Grandfathered status†(www.obamacarefacts.com). â€Å"Additionally, if you have government based insurance then you are covered† (www.pbs.org). Therefore, Obama Care enables citizens with not just the freedom to purchase sufficient medical coverage, but also the freedom to keep their healthcare insurance if it already provides them with sufficient coverage. Thirdly, Obama Care creates solidarity. Solidarity is a unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group. The implementation of Obama Care means the vast majority of Americans will have medical coverage. Every legal American citizen contributes to Obama Care. New taxes were implemented for the citizens of America because of Obama Care. â€Å"The new tax related provisions in the Affordable Care Act (Obama Care) include tax hikes, limits to deductions, tax credits, tax breaks, and other changes† (www.obamacarefacts.com). This is because, â€Å"Obama Care includes many new benefits, rights, and protections including the requirement for health insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions. It also expands access to affordable health insurance to almost 50 million low-to-middle income men, women, and children across the country by offering reduced premiums via tax credits and expanding Medicaid and CHIP. Expanding the quality, affordability and availability of health insurance (along with other aspects of the law) come at a high cost. Assuming all tax provisions remain in place, the revenue generated from these new taxes help to cover the costs of the program and reduces the deficit. † (www.obamacarefacts.com). This shows that with Obama Care, health insurance is no longer a premium paid based on your age, gender, medical history, and location. This plan ensures that American citizens will be working in unison to make health insurance affordable for one another, and are working together to reduce the deficit and better the American economy. Although the Affordable Care Act appears to be a progressive solution for the United States of America, some people do not agree with the implementation of Obama Care. The most prominent opponent of the Affordable Care Act is the Republican Party of the United States of America. They argue that the implementation of Obama Care will; â€Å"iincrease health care costs, cause insurance premiums to rise, hurts the quality of health care, create nearly $570 billion in tax hikes, and add over $500 billion to the debt† (www.gop.com). Personally, I do not support the argument of the Republican Party. Although Obama Care might cause all of the stated, the benefit is greater than the cost. The change in cost does not seem to be substantial enough to cause great distress to the majority of American citizens, and whatever initial debt Obama Care may cost will be paid off in the long run. Furthermore, this Act is for the benefit of the greater good, and it enables most citizens to live a better lifestyle. In conclusion, the Affordable Care Act promotes equality, enables freedom, and creates solidarity in the United States of America. It is evident that this legislation is democratic, because its founding principles rest on equality, freedom and solidarity. â€Å"No consensus exists on how to define democracy, but equality, freedom and rule of law have been identified as important characteristics since ancient times† (Wikipedia.ca). The United States of America is not only a democratic country, but also one of the superpowers of the world. Such a dignified country should always aim to maximize the comfort and welfare of its citizens. The goal of Obama Care is to maximize the comfort and welfare of American citizens; which is how it should be.

Socio Cultural Dimensions of Learning free essay sample

Lev Vygotsky’s theory focuses on Socio-Cultural dimensions of Learning and development, emphasizing that individual cognitive processes are continuously embedded on a social and cultural context. It is referred to as â€Å"social constructivist theory†. In order to understand the influence of Lev Vygotsky’s work addressing socio-cultural dimensions of learning and development, it is important to understand the three central concepts of his theory which all have direct implications for the classroom. These are the concepts of the zone of proximal development, scaffolding and the socio-cultural context of learning. Zone of Proximal Development. Vygotsky stated that a child follows an adults example and gradually develops the ability to do certain tasks without help or assistance. Vygotskys often-quoted definition of zone of proximal development presents it as the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers. We will write a custom essay sample on Socio Cultural Dimensions of Learning or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Vygotsky among other educational professionals believes the role of education to be to provide children with experiences which are in their ZPD, thereby encouraging and advancing their individual learning. Scaffolding. For Vygotsky, scaffolding is the process of providing a child or adolescent with a good deal of support during the time he is learning something. To successfully apply it in a classroom, it is important to know not only where a child is functioning now and where that child will be tomorrow, but also how best to assist that child in mastering more advanced skills and concepts. This is where scaffolding comes in. Although not used by Vygotsky himself, the concept of scaffolding helps us understand how aiming instruction within a child’s ZPD can promote the child’s learning and development. Socio-cultural context of knowledge. Vygotsky emphasizes the important role of culture in influencing how individuals learn and think. His thinking has had a significant impact on research demonstrating that cognition is â€Å"situated† – occurs in content. Social Processes in Learning Situated Learning (Situated learning is related to Vygotsky’s notion of learning through social development. Situated learning is a general theory of knowledge acquisition. It has been applied in the context of technology-based learning activities that focus on problem-solving skills. Lave (1988) argues that learning as it normally occurs is a function of the activity, context and culture in which it occurs. This contrasts with traditional classroom learning activities which involve knowledge which is often presented in an abstract form and out of context. Social Interaction is a critical component of situated learning – learners become involved in a ‘community practice’ which embodies certain beliefs and behaviours to be acquired. Learning becomes a Social Process dependent upon transactions with others placed within a context that resembles as closely as possible the practice environment. Principles: 1. Knowledge needs to be presented in an authentic context, i. e. , settings and applications that would normally involve that knowledge. 2. Learning requires social interaction and collaboration. The two approaches to learning: decontextualized (classroom) versus contextualized (situated) learning. General Idea of situate learning: â€Å"If you put a learner in a real world situation (authentic context) and interact with other people then learning occurs. † Situated learning as well can be applied in technology based learning activities focused on problem solving skills. In this type of learning and participative methods can be used extensively by the teacher so that students will learn more effectively. Communication Patterns in Learning Sociolinguistics Is the study of language in society. Sociolinguistics is the study of the linguistic indicators of culture and power. Sociolinguistics is the study of the effect of any and all aspects of society, including cultural norms, expectations, and the way language is used. It studies how dialects differ between groups separated by certain social variables, e. g. , ethnicity, religion, status, gender, level of education, age, etc,. and how creation and adherence to these rules is used to categorize individuals in social class or socio-economic classes. Sociolinguists also study the grammar, phonetics, vocabulary, and other aspects of this sociolect much as dialectologists would study the same for a regional dialect. Sociolinguistics is the effect of the society on the language, while the latter’s focus is on the language’s effect on the society Fundamental concepts in sociolinguistics Speech community: describes a more or less discrete group of people who use language in a unique and mutually accepted way among themselves. High prestige and low prestige varieties; certain speech habits are assigned a positive or a negative value which is then applied to the speaker. Social network is another way of describing a particular speech community in terms of relations between individual members in a community. A social network may apply to the macro level of a country or a city, but also to the intrapersonal level of neighborhoods or a single family Recently, social networks have been formed by the intern. et, through chat rooms, online dating services. Types of Classroom Interaction To avoid overemphasizing the theory and memorization of the material presented in class, teachers employ classroom interaction to give students the ability to think critically, focus on specific details and practice what they have learned. Teachers have access to many methods of creating an interactive classroom. Common methods include classroom conversation, question-and-answer, reading aloud and role-playing. Reading Aloud Reading aloud is a classroom activity in which one person is reading while others listen. Reading aloud may be performed by the teacher or student. Reading aloud may be performed by a single person or by a group taking turns. This form of highly structured classroom interaction allows all students to be focused at exactly the same point in a reading. This allows students to easily focus on vocabulary and pronunciation. Conversation Classroom conversation is a form of classroom interaction in which students in the class discuss a given topic. The conversation may be held across the whole class or in smaller groups. Conversation is an important form of classroom interaction because it helps students develop their language skills. In a conversation, students may apply the skills and knowledge they have acquired in the class, making classroom conversation a practical form of interaction. Role-Play Role-playing is an activity in which students take on given or chosen roles and act out a scene with others. This form of interaction lends itself to almost any situation, and the only restriction is a students imagination. Role-playing allows students to demonstrate their creativity and knowledge about their roles, and it allows students to think outside of the constraints of the classroom and consider how they might apply the learned material to the real world. This form of interaction can integrate different subjects into one activity. Question-and-Answer Question-and-answer is a traditional form of classroom interaction in which a teacher or student explains and poses a question for the other. Questions asked by the teacher are usually for the purpose of assessment, while questions asked by the students are usually for obtaining new information. The Socratic method is also a form of question-and-answer interaction. The Socratic method is a form of asking questions with the intent of leading students to discover the answer themselves. Question-and-answer as a form of interactive learning allows students to have a large influence on the agenda of the classroom, because it allows them to freely express their thoughts and feelings.

Maternity and Masters in Education Essays

Maternity and Masters in Education Essays Maternity and Masters in Education Essay Maternity and Masters in Education Essay Having taught third grade for the last six years I am well entrenched in my school district where I have really come to be at home with the kids, their parents, and our extended school community. But at this time in my life I was taking a break from teaching every day as I stayed home with my newborn daughter. I was on long term maternity leave from my school with a year ahead of me to be with my child and enjoy the many milestones that were going to take place over the coming months. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to have this time with my baby but I was also looking at this period of time as an opportunity to further my education. I had long wanted to pursue my Masters in Education. But the reality was that I was not able to put the hours into teaching that I needed to in order to be successful and get my Masters Degree at the same time. I had taken some classes over my summer breaks in addition to working a part time job. But this time I would have uninterrupted time to really focus on my studies. But because I was home with my baby driving to a college campus like I had been doing in the summers was simply out of the question. I chose instead to go after an online Masters in Education. With an online degree program I could sit at the computer when my daughter was sleeping and do my school work – and I would never have to be away from her in order to get my education. This online Masters in Education program was the absolute greatest opportunity at this time in my life – a chance to be with my daughter and further my education.

Humanness in the Film Nell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Humanness in the Film Nell - Essay Example This sets her apart from the rest of the â€Å"civilized world.† Yet despite the difficulties in accepting and adapting to the new world she faces, despite the recent loss she experienced, despite the loss of the feeling of belonging, Nell still manages to push herself to learn to at least understand the new surroundings she is brought into. This presents viewers with several issues about the development of an individual as a human, and how the people react to things that are beyond the norms of the society. While one may obviously focus on the character of Nell to provide answers to these questions, one should also consider that while Nell portrays several qualities of a human despite being â€Å"superficially† different, the two doctors, Jerry and Paula, represent the society's standards of what it takes to be human. There is a general consensus that for an individual to be considered human, one 1) should know proper socialization; 2) should display proper nature and nurture, and; 3) should be able to blend well within a society through common language and set of values. It is interesting that despite Nell displaying these three major characteristics, society still views her as â€Å"abnormal,† and this is despite the society's grandstanding about diversity. Nell obviously possesses proper socialization, proper nature and nurture, and the ability to blend within a society through common language and set of values --- and despite these qualities being different from what is considered standard, Nell is human and society should view her as such. Nell knows proper socialization. According to the observations and findings of Dr. Lovell and Dr. Olsen, Nell's â€Å"personal† language is a product of her life-long interaction with her now deceased mother and twin sister. Nell's language is English, and just appears to be a bit gibberish because she adapted her mother's aphasic words due to the paralysis of half of her face after suffering from a stroke. Even though the bigger society may not see this as the most common example of proper interaction, the way Nell was able to fully integrate herself in the lives of the only two people she has ever known is already a presentation of her ability to socialize. Furthermore, even when presented with a new environment when the two doctors who are trying to help her first bring her to town, she is immediately able to befriend the sheriff's depressed wife. Even though society may still see these interactions as too limited to really show Nell's social skills, it does not necessarily mean that society's standards should be the benchmark for everything. It is clear that Nell is able to â€Å"attempt† to communicate to other â€Å"humans† who are obviously, to speak in scientific terms, of the same species as her --- which is somewhat a sure display of her unspoken awareness, and acknowledgment that yes, she is human, and yes she can try further. Nell displays prop er nature and nurture. When Nell shows how she treats her twin sister's remains with love, respect, and emotion, one can easily see how human she is. No other species in this planet can show such natural attachment of emotions to a family aside from humans. In addition, when one pays attention to her mental flashbacks, it is obvious that she was nurtured well even within just a small family since Nell's memories of her dead mother and sister are so fondly remembered even when she is already in a different world. Nell is also able to trust a person who shows her concern,

Human Resource of SCG Limited Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Human Resource of SCG Limited - Coursework Example Armstrong (2009), Foot and Hook (2005) and Lyster and Arthur (2007) emphasize that the process of performance evaluation should be based on the organization’s goals and objectives. Condrey and Perry (2010), Armstrong (2010) and Lyster and Arthur (2007) express that the process should be based on job performance as it motivates the employees to work hard. Communication is one of the key features of an effective appraisal system as noted by DeIpo (2007), Armstrong and Applebaum (2003) and Armstrong (2009). Armstrong (2010) further reinforced on the significance of communication in this process. Employee participation is vital in the process as it shows their worth and impact in the business operations as stated by DeIpo (2007), Foot and Hook (2005) and Marquis and Huston (2008). The employee performance evaluation should be conducted in a fair and transparent manner as asserted by Marquis and Huston (2008), DeIpo (2007) and Condrey and Perry (2010). Armstrong (2010) further expl ains that there should be no personal bias in the process. The process should be conducted in accordance to set rules and regulations as explained by DeIpo (2007), Lyster and Arthur (2007) and Condrey and Perry (2010). Armstrong (2010), DeIpo (2007), Warner (2002) further add that an effective appraisal system should be standardized. External appraisers may also be involved to reinforce its reliability and credibility. Armstrong and Applebaum (2003), Armstrong (2010) and Condrey (2010) assert the need to train appraisers to eliminate the number of errors in the process. Analysis and Discussion SCG is an insurance company that conducts an annual performance appraisal of its employees. Ingrid Aspwell recently joined the company as a finance manager and is... The intention of this study is SCG as an insurance company that conducts an annual performance appraisal of its employees. Ingrid Aspwell recently joined the company as a finance manager and is making preparations to do her first performance appraisal. She has taken the necessary measures before the procedure by communicating to the staff members. This is by use of a standard performance appraisal form to be completed before the review meeting and a document containing the date and time of the process as expressed by Condrey and Perry. One of the longest serving employees in the department has received the documentation and is not pleased with the idea of the formal meeting. He had an excellent working relationship with the previous manager and his performance was outstanding as reflected in yearly salary increments. He considers himself as more than competent and has worked well in the previous years. He does not understand the purpose of the company’s strategy and targets fo r the following year and fails to understand how they relate to his job. The manager fears that other employees share the same sentiments as she overheard their discussion. These opinions held by employees worried her as they would have a negative impact on the performance appraisal process. The previous system lacked the features of effective performance appraisal. The new manager, on the other hand, introduced a system where the activities of the employees were governed by a system based on management’s objectives as explained by Armstrong and Applebaum.

Biotechnology in healthcare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Biotechnology in healthcare - Essay Example Biotechnology has been around in some form for a very long time, but in the last few decades it has changed drastically to become a modern science that is crucial to the determination of the molecular mechanisms behind disease. Early biotechnology included baking bread and making such fermented food products as beer, wine, cheese, and yoghurt; all of these processes could be considered biotechnology as they require the use of bacterial enzymes to complete. However, this is not what most scientists today consider to be biotechnology, and the first modern use of the term ‘biotechnology’ was in a 1919 publication by Karl Ereky. Ereky was a Hungarian engineer and economist. In his paper on biotechnology, he predicted an â€Å"age of biochemistry† which would rival previous technological periods in human history (Bruggemeier 2006). Given the current state of modern medicine and pharmacology, it seems that Ereky's prediction is correct; biochemistry and its brain child, biotechnology, are the way of the future. Modern medicine would be nearly impossible without the many almost miraculous discoveries of biotechnology. Biotechnology has infiltrated medical practice at all levels, from basic preventative care by family doctors and general practitioners all the way to specialized diagnostic techniques and highly individualized and effective treatments. The article seeks to provide basic and applied information on how biotechnology has been useful in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of disease. Prevention: Preventive medicine is the prospective treatment of disease, an attempt to stop an illness from occurring before it starts and to keep patients in an overall healthy state. Prevention of the disease and/or illness is the objective. This is done through screening patient populations for high-risk groups and providing education and early interventions to those patients, and by providing general prophylactic care such as vaccination or vitamins. Biotechnology in preventative care is best exemplified through the recent advantages of vaccination. A classic example is the vaccination of humans with attenuated bacteria in order to control diseases caused by such bacteria. This type of vaccination with attenuated bacterial vaccines or its modified derivatives to express antigens from the pathogens has the merit of inducing protective immunity to those pathogens (Curtiss, 2002). Furthermore, vaccination with live recombinant attenuated bacterial antigen affords the in vivo production of the antigen in immunized individual long after immunization. This is an effective yet inexpensive vaccination approach. Vaccination is not restricted to the bacteria. Other pathogenic organism, such as viruses, fungi, etc can be use. For instance, a live, oral attenuated vaccine developed from the pentavalent rotavirus vaccine (RV5) has been shown in a trial study conducted in Finland and the United States to prevent 98% of severe rotavirus diarrh ea (Patel et al. 2009). As shown in Table 1, an association did exist between the rotavirus vaccine and the rotavirus disease (Patel et al. 2009). Table 1. Association between Rotavirus Vaccination and Rotavirus Disease Requiring Hospital Admission or Intravenous Hydration adapted from Patel et al. 2009. The ability to sequence viral genomes offers another vaccination approach that applied biotechnology fundamentals. Understanding the genome of a virus means researchers

Intrinsic Power And Political Organisations

Intrinsic Power And Political Organisations This papers first aim is to analyse as well as evaluate the different thoughts and views exist in the literature about Power and politics are intrinsic to organisations. The second goal is to represent the motivational approaches related to power and politics in organization. The final goal is to show and illustrate the concept of power and politics through the film Devil Wears Prada. The review of the literature on organizational power and politics reveals a growing interest on this subject throughout the last few decades. Power and politics are the two indisputable part of organization. Decision making and problem solving are the two vital factors which are interconnected with Power and politics. Actual conflicts in organisations are resolved by power and political skills of managers and leaders. Power and Politics, though closely related, share similarities and differences but ultimately work together for the success of an organization. Unity in diversity should be the positive ou tcome of power and politics in organization. Power and politics are the crucial medium through which conflicts and divergent interest are managed and resolved. Power and politics are called the heart of organization. In the first part I want to discuss different aspects of power in organizations. Power is defined as the ability to get someone to do something you want done or the ability to make things happen in the way you want them. (Schermerhorn, Hunt, and Osborn). Throughout history, human beings have been fascinated by power. In the earlier periods power is prescribed by the structure of the organization. Without reference to the works of Marx (1967) and Weber (1978) it is hard to make sense of organizational power. Power is conceptualized broadly within a system-rational model of organizational structure. Decision making and concomitant exercising of power (logical, optimal and adaptive response) bring changes in the organization and we can say that The Devil Wears Prada is an example of a movie which is unapologetically or maybe semi-apologetically fascinated with power of Miranda. Power is important within the organizations and moreover for the management to influence individuals to make t hings happen. Power is to organization as oxygen as to breathing (Bernard Crick 1982). All organizations require power but all power dont require organization. We cannot make serious enquiry in to the organization without an enquiry of power. Main conception of power is concentrated on Webers (1947) classic definition that power is the probability that a person can carry out his or her own will despite resistance. The concept of power is often expressed in the literature by the words the ability to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ as by Salancik and Pfeffer (1977) and the ability to bring about outcomes you desire (Power politics and organizations: Andrew Kakabadse and Christopher Parker,P 22). There are four dimensions of power such as behavioural view (Dahl), political view (Bacharach and Baratz), radical structural view (Lukes) and relational approach (Foucault). (Management Organization, Linstead and Fulop ,2nd Edition P 282). Great men are almost always not good men as they exercise influence and authority. As example in the film Devil Wears Prada we have seen how Miranda has treated her assistant Andy. In organizations, power is considered to derive from numerous sources. French and Raven (1959) identified five sources of power such as coercive power, reward power, exert power, legitimate or position power and referent power. Etizoni has classified power as coercive power, utilitarian power and normative power. Robbins (1984) has discussed the comparisons between the sources of power and the means to exert influence that refers to bases of power. Blau(1964): Power is the ability of persons as groups to impose their will on others despite resistance through deterrence either in the form of withholding regularly supplied rewards or in the form of punishment inasmuch as the former, as well as the latter, constitutes in effect negative sanction. The definition by Parsons (1956) is an interactive formulation but within a structural framework: Power we may define as the realistic capacity of system-unit to actualize its interests within the context of system-interaction and in this sense exert influence on processes in the system. Organizations should have formal and informal rules for coordinating actions of different people. People of diverse background, particular interests and different understandings abide by these rules. A famous thought by Lord Acton: Power tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men, even when they exercise influence and not authority: still more when you super add the tendency or the certainty of corruption by authority (Lord Acton, 5 April 1987 to Bishop Mandell Creighton). The pluralists (Dahl1957, Wolfinger1971) claimed that power was equitably distributed around the society and no particular group had undue influence over decision making processes. The elitists (Bachrach and Baratz, 1962, Hunter1953, Mills1956) argued that power was concentrated in the hands of privileged few who controlled political agendas. The term power takes on different meanings when the unit or power holder is a formal group in an open system with multiple go als and the system is assumed to reflect a political-domination model of organization rather than only a co-operative model(Perrow 1970,P 84). In the film The Devil Wears Prada Miranda occasionally takes time from Andys daily routine and spreading fear and anxiety in her mind wherever she goes. In a scene Miranda tells Andy that I am your Master, you are dying to be like me, that is what Master (Miranda) never should say. This is all about her organizational power. In this part I want to represent the organizational politics with critical and mainstream approach. Organizational politics can be expressed as a social influence process in which behaviour is strategically designed to maximize short term or long term self-interest. Power and politics are the top two elements used in a company that either can cause the downfall or success of that organization. Politics is defined as the tactics used to obtain a desired goal, position or status in an organization. The power relationships in day-to-day relations could be understood by the political metaphor. If we consider the positive side then politics can be defined as A style of interaction which allows us to read and understand the situations, interpret them and exhibit the right kind of behaviour for inducing others to do what we want and do it willingly (Ferris,G.R,Davidson,S.l, and PerreweP.L (2005), political skill at work, P 9.Mountain view) And if we look at the negative side then it can be defined as The actions of individuals which are directed toward the goal of furthering our own self-interest without regard for the well-being of others or organization.(Kacmer,K.M. Carlson,D.S(1997),POPS A multiple sample investigation.Journal of Management,23, P 627). Political skill can influence organizational performance in different ways. The politically skilful managers and professionals often have higher job performance which is the building block for organizational performance. In the film Devil Wears Prada we have seen the politics of Emily (assistance of Miranda) as well as Miranda with Andy. For example, for facilitating the manufacture of a major new piece of equipment that is in demand from several customers, a project manager might use political skill. Political skill is positively associated with job performance in terms of quantity of work output, quality of workout and accuracy of work in organization. Thirty years ago J. Pffefer observed that organizations are more political than rational. Aristotle told that politics stems from a diversity of interests. Almost all employees bring their own interests, wants, desire, and needs in the organization. Robbins (2001) suggested that there are two forms of organizational politics, one is legitimate and other is illegitimate politics. Organizational leaders seek to satisfy not only organizational interests, but also their own wants and requirements, driven by self-interest. According to Farrell and Peterson the successful practice of organizational politics is perceived to lead to a higher level of power, and once a higher level of power is attained, there is more opportunity to engage in political behaviour. Politics are generated by structural cleavages in the organization among various component elements and identities, different values, affective, cognitive and discursive styles. Other causes of generation are the complexity and the degree of uncertainty, the external pressure coming from stakeholders or other actors and the history of past politics in the organization. If we accept the existence of power relations in organizations then politics and politicking are essential part of organization. Kissing up, passing the buck, apple polishing, covering your rear, creating conflict, forming coalitions, cunning, arrogant, scheming etc. are the negative terminology which are often used in organization as the political activity. Developing working relationships, encouraging change and innovation improving efficiency, facilitating teamwork, planning ahead, astute are the terminologies of positive aspect of organizational politics. The lack of concern with politics is the main void of organizational theory. Political alignment such as interest group of politics and coalition politics has an important effect on relations within organizations. In the film The Devil Wears Prada Miranda gives short orders and never likes to repeat herself. Andy is just supposed to know what she is talking about. Miranda wants her coffee as hot as brimstone, and sometimes even demands the unbelievable as at one point she demands a copy of a yet to be published Harry Potter book for her daughters. All these activities show the influence and organizational power of Miranda. The understanding of organizational politics requires a collective influence which is used by departments or subunits of organization to counter control and establish resistance pattern is described in Michel Croziers famous study The Bureaucratic phenomenon (1964). Most of the management and organization studies are based on Webers work as a simple affirmation of bureaucratic rationality. As example his work on Verstehen as an interpretive method for analysing human behaviour is almost completely ignored. The community power debate which was conducted during 1950s, 1960s, 1970s described the status of power as an empirical phenomenon. At the time of answering the question what is the structure and distribution of power in contemporary society? people were divided into two camps, one is pluralists (Dahl 1957, 1958, 1961, Wolfinger 1971) and other is elitists (Bachrach and Baratz ,1962,1963,Hunter 1953, Mills, 1956). The pluralists claimed that power was equitably distributed throughout society and there is no particular had undue influence over decision making processes. On the other side the elitists argued that power was concentrated in the hands of a privileged few who controlled political agendas. Then Dahl (1957) expressed that A has power over B to the extent that he or she can get B to do something that B would not otherwise do (Dahl 1957, PP. 202-203). On the other hand Bachrach and Baratz (1962) criticize Dahls explanation on concrete decision making situation , claiming that power is also exercised in non-decision making situations. All forms of political organization have a bias in favour of the exploitation of some kinds of conflict and the suppression of other because organization is the mobilization of bias. Some issues are organized into politics while others are organized out. (Schattschneider 1960, P 71, emphasis in original). Debate was increased when Lukess(1974) radical three dimensional view of power criticizes both Dahls one dimensional model and Bachrach and Baratzs two dimensional model. Decision making is a political interest which is resulting from the conflicts of interest characteristic of sub-goal differentiation within organization (Ganz and Murray, 1980, Mayes and Allen 1977, Rogers 1971, Vredenburgh and Maurer 1984). The dynamics of political behaviour is essential to understand for a full understanding of organizational functioning. The political character of organization life is rooted in non-bureaucratic decision mechanisms (Salancik and Pfeffer 1974, P 454) which is used to resolve the conflicts between organization and subunits. Gandz Murray (1980) expressed the difference between political and non-political uses of power. Miles (1980) asserts that it is important to recognize that politics need not be bad, though common parlance uses the term in a pejorative sense. The survival of an organization may depend on the success of a unit or coalition in overturning a traditional but out-dated formal organization objective or policy. Political activity can also be beneficial to organizations. If through the politicking of the marketing manager, changes in product are brought about which in turn provide commercial gains for the organization, then it could be claimed that such political behaviour is beneficial for organizations. A recent study developed a profile of individuals active in office politics based on a survey completed by a number of managers. The result indicated that managerial level, job function and sex were unrelated to political activity. However certain personality traits corresponded highly with the individual managers propensity to engage in office politics. The managerial person should avoid making their power open and explicit. Self-serving behaviour has a bad effect on organizations and its employees. Kanter (1979) told that People know who is holding power. Kanter has claimed that explicit claims to power are only made by the powerless. Office politics does exist in the organization regardi ng issues like departmental budget, space allocation, project responsibilities and salary adjustment (Robbins 2001). In the film Devil Wears Prada Miranda has done politics by choosing Andy to go to Paris with her over Emily and asked Andy to inform this to Emily, Again Miranda bypasses Nigel for a promotion so as to keep her own job secure as she was to be replaced and the information for which came from Andy. Thus organizational politics is blatantly portrayed here and is thus an excellent example. So far we have discussed the key aspects of power and politics. In this part I want to focus on motivation and discuss the relation between motivation and organization. Motivation is an essential part in organizations, both for the individual and for the organization as a whole. Motivational state or condition of a person has an impact or influence upon both behaviour and performance. Motivation to work is of great importance to us since we spend a lot of our time working in organizations (Michael W.Drafke and Stan Kossen., The Human Side of Organizations, Massachusetts: Addison/Wesley,1998,p.2-12). Pffefer (1981) has suggested that major characteristic often accompanying political behaviour is the attempt to conceal its true motivation. True motive was concealed because the actor believed that it was unacceptable. Motivation is equal important for manager and employee. In 1970 David McClelland and David Burnham published an article in Harvard Business Review called Power is the great Motivator. This article directly focused on managers motivatio n. A good manager is one who, among other things, helps subordinates feel strong and responsible, rewards them properly for good performance and sees that things are organised so that subordinates feel they know what they should be doing(McClelland,2003,P-109). In the film Devil Wears Prada Andy has motivated herself in different ways to be familiar with the new job environment in spite of rude behaviour of her boss Miranda. Recently the boundaries have widened and work and private life is much more connected to each other than past. In the past when one left his workplace, the person had less obligations or responsibility against the company (Karl Weick., Making sense of the Organization,Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 2006,P 207-210). Then Karl Marx stated that Freedom begins at the gates of the factory (Robert Tucker,The Marx-Engels reader,NewYork Norton,1978, P-440). Today people often bring their work home as well as colleagues socialize outside work (Weick). If employees are not motivated, no one would make an effort to work and companys performance would be less efficient. Vroom (1964) has developed expectancy theory from the original work of Tolman and Honzik(1930) and produced a systematic explanatory theory of workplace motivation. It claimed that the motivation to behave in a particular way is determined by an individuals expectation that behaviour will lead to a particular outcome, multiplied by the preference or valence that person has for that out-come. Vroom has argued that human behaviour is controlled by subjective probability. The equation is Motivation (M) = Expectation (E) * Valence (V). Abraham Maslows (1943, 1954) theory of motivation was the first theory to be applied to the world of work. He proposed that human beings have five needs (Self-Actualisation, Esteem, Social, Safety, and Physiological) and when these are not satisfied they provide the drive to act and set up the motivating mechanism. The most significance and potential value to managers attempting to understand the motivation in the workplace is the work of McClellands (1961) achievement theory. Herzbergs (1968) two-factor theory on intrinsic and extrinsic motivational factors affect what individuals perceive as the value or valance of particular outcomes which will influence both their performance and job satisfaction. Communication between employees and managers within the organization is an essential and vital ingredient of motivation. Employees are motivated by recognition and constructive feedback from their manager. Motivation is a complex, dynamic and culture based concept so there is no one universal theory which is applicable to motivation. Karl Marx said that Men make history but not under conditions of their own choosing. In spite of covert nature of power and politics it is real and important aspect of all organizations. We have discussed the unitary, pluralist, radical and relational view of power and politics in this essay. Managers can prevent the misuses of power by confirming that clear organizational goals, plans, and individual roles, and responsibilities are understood and followed. Power should be used to manipulate the understanding and interpretation of organizational events. According to pluralist, radical and relational perspectives on power and politics it is generic to organization. The unitary as well as pluralist views provide a comfort zone to deal with power and politics. Managers should be highly skilled in reflective practice and critical thinking if they want to understand the relational view of power and politics. Smart and clever manager can boost themselves or their career through power and p olitics. Politics involves cultivating influential allies, controlling the flow of information and influencing decisions through ones power base. Organizational politics have detrimental effect on employees moral, loyalty and trust. Some people think that practice of politics can be cunning and deceitful while other people believe that it can be motivator with positive result. To understand the organizational political behaviour Farrell and Peterson (1982) proposed a three dimensional typology. One dimension is where the political activity takes place (inside or outside the organization), second one is the direction of the attempted influence (vertically or laterally) and last one is legitimacy of the political action (Functional vs. Dysfunctional conflict) .The processes by which the organization is operated should be ethically based. There are many internal and external aspects of organization which are the cause of success and failure of organization. Organizations must insure th at decisions are not based on personal agendas or outside influences. Organizations should abide by their code of conduct to avoid conflict of interest. The effect of Power and Politics depends on how they are practiced in organization. All the approaches of power and politics have their own advantages and disadvantages. It is very important to understand the limits of power and authority, resistance and obedience in organizations. Fundamentally, power is shaped by what we know and how we know what to do in organization. Throughout this essay I have represented the critical approaches of power and politics and the relation with mainstream approaches. I am unable to point out any organization which has no implications of power and politics. I agree with the topic that power and politics are intrinsic to organization. I think that there should be more research on this topic to clarify in a more broad vision. REFRENCES Amos Drory, Tsilia Romm Politics in Organization and its Perception within the Organization. Andrew J. Dubrin Political Behaviours in Organizations Bronston T. Mayes, Robert W. Allen Toward A Definition of Organizational Politics Cavanagh G F., Moberg D J.,Velasquez M. The Ethics of Organizational Politics, The Academy of Management Review, Jul 01, 1981; Vol. 6, N. 3, p. 363-374. Clegg, Courpasson and Phillips Power and Organizations. Clegg CHAPTER 5 Managing Power And Politics in Organizations, Resistance, Empowerment, Ethics (P 151-190). David Buchanan, Andrzej Huczynski Organizational behaviour( Third Edition, P 667-702) Dennis K. Mumby, Purdue University Power and Politics ,(Chap 15) Ferris,G.R,Davidson,S.l, and PerreweP.L (2005), political skill at work, Mountain view. Gerald F. Cavanagh, Dennis J. Moberg, Manuel Velasquez The Ethics of Organizational Politics Gibson, Ivancevich, Donnelly, Konopaske Organizations behaviour, structure, Processes (Chap 10, P 275-295). Gilbert W. Fairholm, Organizational Power Politics, Tactics in Organizational Leadership Harvey, E., and R. Mills. Patterns of Organizational Adaptation: A Political Perspective, in Mayer Zald (Ed.), Power in Organizations (Nashville, Tenn.: Vanderbilt University Press, 1970), pp. 181-213. Ian Brooks Organizational Behaviour (P 233-258). Jackson, N Carter, P (2007). Rethinking Organizational Behaviour: A Poststructuralist Framework, Pearson Education. John Martin organizational behaviour Second Edition, P (807-884) John Bratton, Peter Sawchuk, Carolyn Forshaw, Militza Callinam and Martin Corbett Work and Organizational behaviour( Second Edition) Joseph W.Weiss Organizational Behaviour and Chang, managing diversity, cross-cultural dynamics and ethics.(Second Edition). Julieta Dà ¡vila, Samuel Hernà ¡ndez, Vicente Peralta Organizational Conflict, Power and Politics (June 2004). Kacmer,K.M. Carlson,D.S(1997), A multiple sample investigation Journal of Management. Kakabadse ,A Parkar,C(eds) Power and Politics and Organizations: A Behavioural Science view, London John Wiley Knights, D. and H. Willmott (eds.) (2007) Introducing Organizational Behaviour Management. London: Thomson. Laurie J. MullinsManagement and Organizational behaviour (Ninth Edition). Linstead, S., L. Fulop and S. Lilley, (eds) (2004) Management and Organization: A Critical Text. Basingstoke: (Second edition). Samuel B. Bacharach and Edward J. Lawer Power And Politics in Organization Zaleznik, A. Power and Politics in Organizational Life, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 48, No. 3 (1970), 47-60. . .

Educating Rita :: English Literature

Educating Rita Willy Russell’s play â€Å"Educating Rita† only uses one main setting and two main characters. Some people may think that these would make the play seem boring. Russell actually makes the play quite interesting and entertaining by using dramatic devices such as the whiskey bottle and the telephone call. He does this to give us as much information as possible about the characters and their personalities. The play, which is set in the early 1980s, deals with the clashes between education and culture. It is about a middle-aged university lecturer called Frank. He is currently in a relationship with Julia. This relationship is not going too well as Frank is an alcoholic and would much rather go to the pub than go home to Julia. There is also Rita a 26-year-old woman who didn’t have a good education when she left school due to her parents’ working class background. She is now keen and eager to learn even though her husband Denny thinks that it is time for her to settle down and have children. Rita has set her sights higher than this. Rita is currently working as a hairdresser, but wants to achieve so much more than that, she wants an education. We get an idea of what sort of personality Frank has got by the conversation he has with Julia when she calls him to see when he was coming home. Although Frank had other Ideas, he was planning on going to the pub. We could see this by, â€Å" Yes I shall go to the pub† and â€Å"I don’t need determination to get me to the pub†. We get the impression that Frank does not care a great deal about Julia although it’s clear she loves him. When Frank was told that he was going to be tutoring Rita who is an open university student he was not very happy, the only reason he had took the job was so that he could make more money to spend on alcohol. Frank guessed that she was going to be â€Å"some silly woman†. This gives us the impression that Frank likes to use stereotypes and thinks that there is not much point. He soon realises that Rita has quite a lot to offer in regard to he uniqueness. The Playwright Russell wants to show how class affects education. When we first meet Rita we see that she is not the normal student Frank was expecting. She swears and uses informal colloquial language. This makes us think that Rita is not at all nervous about starting Open University and also makes her working class background obvious.

History of Social Policy

1. Explain the meaning of the following terms: industrialisation; urbanisation; public health problems and the implications for state provisions The Industrial Revolution was a period from the 18th to the 19th century where major changes in agriculture, manufacturing, mining, and technology had an extreme effect on the society’s economic and cultural conditions. Starting in the United Kingdom, then consequently spreading throughout Europe, North America, and ultimately the world. The Industrial Revolution marks a major turning point in history. Almost every feature of daily life was influenced in some way. Most particularly, average income and population began to exhibit extraordinary sustained growth. This is known as urbanisation. Urbanisation is the increase in the proportion of people living in towns and cities. Rapid urbanisation took place during this period of industrialisation, many people moved from rural to urban areas to get jobs in the rapidly expanding industries in many large towns and cities. It is estimated that 1/6 of the British population visited London during the 18th century, and the most adventurous and ambitious stayed. This urbanisation had huge implications and resulted in complex societal changes which had adverse effects on the public health of communities. Diseases like typhoid and cholera were common. An outbreak of cholera in 1848 killed 14,000 in London. This was due to the housing shortages, sanitation problems, low standards of personal hygiene, polluted drinking water, exploitation of workers and widespread poverty. Great Britain in the nineteenth century was a great bastion of individualism where that unsympathetic principle of the political economists -laissez faire- dominated public opinion, and Parliament. The individualist theory of government holds that the position of state is to protect the liberty of individuals to act as they wish, as long as they do not infringe upon the liberties of others. Although there has been extended debate over whether this â€Å"age of -laissez faire† gave way to an â€Å"age of collectivism,† This is the period regarded as the source for the widespread collectivism that would ollow. Collectivism At its root is the belief that a collective is more than just individuals interacting together. It is the belief that the group is an entity itself, more important than the sum of the individuals. Put simply by John F. Kennedy â€Å"Ask not what your country can do for you. Ask what you can do for your country. † And that is exactly what happened , In 1875 state intervention meant that a public health act was passed. This implemented that all new residential construction had to include running water, and an internal drainage system. Also the act meant that all towns had to have pavements and street lights. Yet there was still alot that needed to be done which meant more state intervention was necessary. The national insurance scheme introduced by the liberal government in 1911, gave most workers health insurance and unemployment benefits for workers in industries with high risks of unemployment. But by the 1920s and 1930s the economic depression and widespread unemployment meant that the national insurance scheme was paying out more that it recieved. Benefits were cut and a means test was imposed. This did not change a thing however, poverty was pervasive and particularly among the families of the unemployed. 2. Assess the relationship between laissez faire and ideas of welfare and poverty in the 19th century. Give examples including reference to the poor laws. The original people that believed in and encouraged laissez-faire were the physiocrats (political economists). The physiocrats were followers of the physiocrat school of economic thought, and were in a way the predecessors of classical economists. Although some of their more renowned ideas were very backwards, like believing that only land (physical assets) produced revenue, they certainly were the first to come up with the notion of laissez-faire. (or no government interference) In 1563 the poor of Britain were branded for the first time into deserving, and the undeserving. The elderly and the very young, the infirm, and families who irregularly found themselves in financial difficulties due to a change in circumstance were considered deserving of social support. But people who often turned to crime to make a living such as, highwaymen or pickpockets, migrant workers who roamed the country looking for work, and individuals who begged for a living, were to be treated unsympathetically. The act of 1572 introduced the first necessary poor local poor law tax, an important step acknowledging that alleviating poverty was the responsibility of local communities, in 1576 the concept of the workhouse was born, and in 1597 the post of overseer of the poor was created. The great act of 1601 combined all the previous acts and set the benchmark for the next two hundred years. The Poor Laws passed during the reign of Queen Elizabeth played an essential role in the country's welfare. They signalled important progression from private charity to welfare state, where the care and supervision of the poor was embodied in law and integral to the management of each town, village and hamlet. In 1843, the newspaper The Economist was founded, and became an influential voice for laissez-faire capitalism. In response to the Irish famine of 1846–1849, in which over 1. 5 million people died of starvation, they argued that for the government to supply free food for the Irish would violate natural law. Clarendon, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, wrote, â€Å"I don't think there is another legislature in Europe that would disregard such suffering. † Laissez-faire policy was never absolute in any nation, and at the end of the 19th century, European countries again took up some economic protectionism and interventionism. France for example, started cancelling its free trade agreements with other European countries in 1890. Germany's protectionism started (again) with a December 1878 letter from Bismarck, resulting in the iron and rye tariff of 1879. 1929 was a crucial year across the globe. When the United States stock market crashed, ripples were felt across Europe. As hardship and insecurity walked hand-in-hand into the 1930s, they met increasing unemployment and poverty. As president of the United States, Franklin D. Roosevelt took action by implementing a new economic strategy in the New Deal. This model was the â€Å"optimistic activism, experimentation, and interventionist reforms† that the country so desperately needed at the time whilst the USA committed herself to social justice and firmly held the belief of government responsibility towards its citizens, the USSR praised socialism and developed communism. The United Kingdom saw the action other global governments were taking, and decided to follow the lead. In 1935 Attlee became the new leader of the Labour Party. At that time the Conservative government feared the spread of communism from the Soviet Union to the rest of Europe. In 1940 Attlee joined the coalition government headed by Winston Churchill. He was virtually deputy Prime Minister although this post did not formally become his until 1942. It was afterwards claimed that during the Second World War Attlee worked as a restraining influence on some of Churchill's wilder schemes The Labour party published the Beveridge Report (1942), the bestselling â€Å"report (that) set out social programs to slay the ‘five giants’: Want, Disease, Ignorance, Squalor, and Idleness†. In 1945 Herbert Morrison (who was defeated by Clement Attlee for the leadership of the Labour Party in 1935) was given responsibility for drafting the Labour Party manifesto that included the blueprints for the nationalization and welfare programmes. The Labour Party was a socialist party and proud of it. As a result, the Labour government â€Å"established free medical care under a newly constituted National Health Service, created new systems of pensions, encourage better education and housing, and sought to deliver on the unambiguous commitment to ‘full employment. In 1945, the United Kingdom gave birth to the first modern welfar e state. 3. How did the political ideology of the new right wing impact on social policies under Mrs Thatcher? What is a political ideology? Alcock (2003, p. 194, original emphasis) argues that ideology is ‘a concept that refers to the systems of beliefs within which all individuals perceive all social phenomena’. He goes on to stating that ‘in this usage no one system of beliefs is more correct, or more privileged, than any other’. Heywood (2003, p. 12) suggests, an ideology is a more or less coherent set of ideas that provides the basis for organized political action, whether this is intended to preserve, modify or overthrow the existing system of power. The new right, it is generally accepted that the political ideology of the New Right contains two interrelated but also sometimes contradictory strands of political thought: neo-liberalism and neo-conservatism. The core elements of neo-liberalism are support for individualism, laissez faire and limited government intervention in economy and society. Neo-liberals believe that individuals are rational and therefore the best judges of their own best nterests and that they should be allowed the utmost possible individual freedom to determine their own behavior subject only to the restriction that their behavior should not harm others. The core elements of neo-conservatism differ in several respects from those of neo-liberalism. Whereas classic liberals are all in favor of free individualistic decision making, conservatives put forward that this kind of individualism is a recipe for anarchy and that individual freedom, can best be guaranteed via respect for traditional norms, values and i nstitutions. They declare that traditional institutions and patterns of social behavior which have stood the test of time must have done so because they have been socially beneficial which leads neo-Conservatives to support the maintenance or at most only gradual change in the existing social order which implies support for traditional sources of authority, traditional patterns of social and economic inequality, traditional institutions and traditional values. They are therefore expected to be supporters of strong but limited government, the Monarchy and the Aristocracy, the Church, the traditional family and traditional education. Under the leadership of Mrs Thatcher the conservatives made it their duty to do away with socialism and to reduce the power of the trade unions. Thatcher’s government made changes to the N. H. S, by creating the internal market. This was down to the Griffiths reports (1983) which suggested that the N. H. S should be run like a super market. Instead of meeting patients’ needs, trusts would be run in competition with one another for patients. Administration costs in the N. H. S in 1979 were around 6%. After the introduction of the internal market these costs had doubled to 12%. this shows that Thatcher had introduced inefficiencies as a result of outsourcing and duplication of work. However, Thatcher’s intended privatisation was never carried through completely due to the backlash from the pub lic. Tebbit once described the N. H. S as the nearest thing in Britain to a â€Å"national religion†. The conservative government also contributed in making reforms to the state education system. The Conservatives' 1979 Education Act removed the requirements introduced by previous Labor Governments that Local Authorities whose secondary schools were not currently organized on comprehensive lines must prepare plans for the transition to comprehensive education. Also under the 1979 Act Local Authorities were requested to place greater emphasis on parental choice in the allocation of school places although it has been suggested that in practice this requirement had only limited practical effects. The 1980 Education Act introduced an assisted Places Scheme which subsidized students who passed an entrance examination but whose parents had limited funds to be educated at private schools in the hope that this would enable these more able students to develop their talents more fully than would be possible in the state sector of education. This policy is a sign of a Conservative belief that state schools were often incapable of developing the talents of the most gifted pupils and in effect provided a state subsidy to the private education sector which the Conservatives wished to support. An important reform was the 1986 Education Act. This abolished corporal punishment in state schools. Other than this the Thatcher lead conservative party made many more changes to the education system Under the terms of the 1988 Education Reform Act, the following education policies were introduced. A National Curriculum was introduced which was to be followed compulsorily in all mainstream state schools but remained optional for independent schools. The National Curriculum was originally to contain 10 compulsory subjects of which 3 [English, Mathematics and Science] were to be â€Å"core† subjects and 7 [History, Geography, Technology, Music, Art, PE and a modern foreign language {at key stages 3 and 4}] were to be foundation subjects. Welsh was to be a Core Subject in Welsh -speaking schools and a foundation subject in Welsh non-Welsh speaking schools. RE was to be a compulsory â€Å"basic† subject in all schools although problems would arise surrounding the precise nature of the RE curriculum which was to be primarily based around Christianity except where the ethnic/religious composition of the school population suggested that this was inappropriate. In conclusion Thatcher’s conservative party had an immense impact and made numerous reforms and changes whilst in government. After all she is not called a social policy expert (Clare Beckett: The 20 Prime Ministers of the 20th Century) for nothing.

The Sobibor Death Camp

The Sobibor Death Camp The Sobibor Death Camp was one of the Nazis best-kept secrets. When Toivi Blatt, one of the very few survivors of the camp, approached a well-known survivor of Auschwitz in 1958 with a manuscript he had written about his experiences, he was told, You have a tremendous imagination. Ive never heard of Sobibor and especially not of Jews revolting there.  The secrecy of the Sobibor death camp was too successful; its victims and survivors were being disbelieved and forgotten. The Sobibor Death Camp did exist, and a revolt by the Sobibor prisoners did occur. Within this death camp, in operation for only 18 months, at least 250,000 men, women, and children were murdered. Only 48 Sobibor prisoners survived the war. Establishment   Sobibor was the second of three death camps to be established as part of Aktion Reinhard (the other two were Belzec and Treblinka). The location of this death camp was a small village called Sobibor, in the Lublin district of eastern Poland, chosen because of its general isolation as well as its proximity to a railway. Construction on the camp began in March 1942, overseen by SS Obersturmfà ¼hrer Richard Thomalla. Since construction was behind schedule by early April 1942, Thomalla was replaced by SS Obersturmfà ¼hrer Franz Stangl, a veteran of the Nazi euthanasia program. Stangl remained commandant of Sobibor from April until August 1942, when he was transferred to Treblinka (where he became commandant) and replaced by SS Obersturmfà ¼hrer Franz Reichleitner. The staff of the Sobibor death camp consisted of approximately 20 SS men and 100 Ukrainian guards. By mid-April 1942, the gas chambers were ready and a test using 250 Jews from the Krychow labor camp proved them operational. Arriving at Sobibor Day and night, victims arrived at Sobibor. Though some came by truck, cart, or even by foot, many arrived by train. When trains filled with victims drew near the Sobibor train station, the trains were switched onto a spur and led into the camp. The camp gate opened wide before us. The prolonged whistle of the locomotive heralded our arrival. After a few moments we found ourselves within the camp compound. Smartly uniformed German officers met us. They rushed about before the closed freight cars and rained orders on the black-garbed Ukrainians. These stood like a flock of ravens searching for prey, ready to do their despicable work. Suddenly everyone grew silent and the order crashed like thunder, Open them up! When the doors were finally opened, the occupants treatment varied depending on whether they were from the East or the West. If Western European Jews were on the train, they descended from passenger cars, usually wearing their very best clothes. The Nazis had relatively successfully convinced them that they were being resettled in the East. To continue the charade even once they had reached Sobibor, the victims were helped from the train by camp prisoners dressed in blue uniforms and given claim tickets for their baggage. A few of these unknowing victims even offered a tip to the porters. If Eastern European Jews were the occupants of the train, they descended from cattle cars amid  shouts, screams, and beatings, for the Nazis presumed that they knew what awaited them, thus were thought more likely to revolt. Schnell, raus, raus, rechts, links! (Fast, out, out, right, left!), shouted the Nazis. I held my five-year-old son by the hand. A Ukrainian guard snatched him; I dreaded that the child would be killed, but my wife took him. I calmed down, believing I would see them again soon. Leaving their baggage on the ramp, the mass of people were ordered by SS Oberscharfà ¼hrer Gustav Wagner into two lines, one with men and one with women and young children. Those too ill to walk were told by SS Oberscharfà ¼hrer Hubert Gomerski that they would be taken to a hospital (Lazarett), and thus were taken aside and sat upon a cart (later a little train). Toivi Blatt was holding his mothers hand when the order came to separate into two lines. He decided to follow his father into the line of men. He turned to his mother, unsure of what to say. But for reasons I still cannot understand, out of the blue I said to my mother, And you didnt let me drink all the milk yesterday. You wanted to save some for today. Slowly and sadly she turned to look at me. This is what you think about at such a moment?To this day the scene comes back to haunt me, and I have regretted my strange remark, which turned out to be my very last words to her. The stress of the moment, under the harsh conditions, did not lend to clear thinking. Usually, the victims did not realize that this moment would be their last time to speak to or see each other. If the camp needed to replenish its workers, a guard would shout out among the lines for tailors, seamstresses, blacksmiths, and carpenters. Those who were chosen  often left brothers, fathers, mothers, sisters, and children behind in the lines. Other than those who were trained at a skill, sometimes the SS chose men or women, young boys or girls, seemingly randomly for work within the camp. Out of the thousands who stood on the ramp, perhaps a select few would be chosen. Those who were chosen would be marched off at a run to Lager I; the rest would enter through a gate that read, Sonderkommando Sobibor (special unit Sobibor). Workers Those selected to work were taken to Lager I. Here they were registered and placed in barracks. Most of these prisoners still did not realize that they were in a death camp. Many asked other prisoners when they would again be able to see their family members. Often, other prisoners told them about Sobibor, that this was a place that gassed Jews, that the smell that pervaded was dead bodies piling up, and that the fire they saw in the distance was bodies being burned. Once the new prisoners found out the truth of Sobibor, they had to come to terms with it. Some committed suicide. Some became determined to live. All were devastated. The work that these prisoners were to carry out did not help them forget this horrific news; rather, it reinforced it. All the workers within Sobibor worked within the death  process or  for the SS staff. Approximately 600 inmates worked in the  Vorlager, Lager I, and Lager II, while approximately 200 worked in the segregated Lager III. The two sets of prisoners never met, for they lived and worked apart. Workers in the  Vorlager, Lager I, and Lager II The prisoners who worked outside Lager III had a wide range of jobs. Some worked specifically for the SS, making gold trinkets, boots, clothing, cleaning cars, or feeding horses. Others worked at jobs dealing with the death process, sorting clothes, unloading and cleaning the trains, cutting wood for the  pyres, burning personal artifacts, cutting the womens hair, and so on. These workers lived daily amid fear and terror. The SS and the Ukrainian guards marched the prisoners to their work in columns, making them sing marching songs along the way. A prisoner could be beaten and whipped for simply being out of step. Sometimes prisoners were to report after work for punishments they had accrued during the day. As they were being whipped, they were forced to call out the number of lashes; if they didnt shout loud enough or if they lost count, the punishment would start over again or they would be beaten to death. Everyone at roll call was forced to watch these punishments. Though there were certain general rules one needed to know in order to live, there was no certainty about who could be a victim of SS cruelty. We were permanently terrorized. Once, a prisoner was talking to a Ukrainian guard; an SS man killed him. Another time we carried sand to decorate the garden; Frenzel [SS Oberscharfà ¼hrer Karl Frenzel] took out his revolver, and shot a prisoner working at my side. Why? I still dont know. Another terror was SS Scharfà ¼hrer Paul Groths dog, Barry. On the ramp as well as in the camp, Groth would sic  Barry on a prisoner; Barry would then tear the prisoner to pieces. Though the prisoners were terrorized daily, the SS was even more dangerous when they were bored. It was then that they would create games. One such game was to sew up each leg of a prisoners pants, then put rats down them. If the prisoner moved, he would be beaten to death. Another such sadistic game began when a thin prisoner was forced to quickly drink a large quantity of vodka and then eat several pounds of sausage. Then the SS man would force the prisoners mouth open and urinate in it, laughing  as the prisoner threw up. Yet even while living with terror and death, the prisoners continued to live. The prisoners of Sobibor socialized with each other. There were approximately 150 women among the 600 prisoners, and couples soon formed. Sometimes there was dancing. Sometimes there was  lovemaking. Perhaps since the prisoners were constantly facing death, acts of life became even more important. Workers in Lager III Not much is known about the prisoners who worked in Lager III, for the Nazis kept them permanently separated from all others in the camp. The job of delivering food to the gates of Lager III was an extremely risky job. A number of times the gates of Lager III opened while the prisoners delivering food were still there, and thus the food deliverers were taken inside Lager III and never heard from again. To find out about the prisoners in Lager III, Hershel Zukerman, a cook, tried to contact them. In our kitchen we cooked the soup for camp No. 3 and Ukrainian guards used to fetch the vessels. Once I put a note in Yiddish into a dumpling, Brother, let me know what you are doing. The answer arrived, stuck to the bottom of the pot, You shouldnt have asked. People are being gassed, and we must bury them. The prisoners who worked in Lager III worked amid  the extermination process. They removed the bodies from the gas chambers, searched the bodies for valuables, then either buried them (April to the end of 1942) or burned them on pyres (end of 1942 to October 1943). These prisoners had the most emotionally wearing job, for many would find family members and friends among those they had to bury. No prisoners from Lager III survived. The Death Process Those who were not selected for work during the initial selection process stayed in the lines (except those who had been selected to go to the hospital who were taken away and directly shot). The line made up of women and children walked through the gate first, followed later by the line of men.  Along  this walkway, the victims saw houses with names like the Merry Flea and the Swallows Nest, gardens with planted flowers, and signs that pointed to showers and canteen.  All this helped deceive the unsuspecting victims, for Sobibor seemed to them too peaceful to be a place of murder. Before they reached the center of Lager II, they passed through a building where camp workers asked them to leave their small handbags and personal belongings. Once they reached the main square of Lager II, SS Oberscharfà ¼hrer Hermann Michel (nicknamed the preacher) gave a short speech, similar to what is remembered by Ber Freiberg: You are leaving for the Ukraine where you will work. In order to avoid epidemics, you are going to have a disinfecting shower. Put away your clothes neatly, and remember where they are, as I shall not be with you to help to find them. All valuables must be taken to the desk. Young boys would wander among the crowd, passing out string so that they could tie their shoes together. In other camps, before the Nazis thought of this, they ended up with large piles of unmatched shoes, the pieces of string helped keep the pairs of shoes matched for the Nazis. They were to hand over their valuables through a window to a cashier (SS Oberscharfà ¼hrer Alfred Ittner). Having undressed and folded their clothes neatly in piles, the victims entered the tube labeled by the Nazis as the Himmlestrasse (Road to Heaven). This tube, approximately 10 to 13 feet wide, was constructed of barbed-wire sides that were interwoven with tree branches. Running from Lager II through the tube, the women were taken aside to a special barracks to have their hair cut off. After their hair was cut, they were taken to Lager III for their showers. Upon entering Lager III, the unknowing holocaust victims came upon a large brick building with three separate doors. Approximately 200 people were pushed through each of these three doors into what appeared to be showers, but what were really gas chambers. The doors were then closed. Outside, in a shed, an SS officer or a Ukrainian guard started the engine that produced the carbon monoxide gas. The gas entered each of these three rooms through pipes installed specifically for this purpose. As Toivi Blatt relates as he was standing near Lager II, he could hear sounds from Lager III: Suddenly I heard the sound of internal combustion engines. Immediately afterward, I heard a terribly high-pitched, yet smothered, collective cry- at first strong, surpassing the roar of the motors, then, after a few minutes, gradually weakening. My blood froze. In this way, 600 people could be killed at once. But this was not fast enough for the Nazis, so, during the fall of 1942, three additional gas chambers  of equal size were added. Then, 1,200 to 1,300 people could be killed at one time. There were two doors to each gas chamber, one where the victims walked in, and the other where the victims were dragged out. After a short time of airing out the chambers, Jewish workers were forced to pull the bodies out of the chambers, throw them into carts, and then dump them into pits. At the end of 1942, the Nazis ordered all the corpses exhumed and burned. After this time, all further victims bodies were burned upon pyres built upon wood and helped by the addition of gasoline. It is estimated that 250,000 people were killed at Sobibor.