Human Nature Illustrated in Arthur Millers The Crucible...

Arthur Miller’s play, The Crucible, focuses on the inconsistencies and injustice of the 1692 witch trials of Salem, Massachusetts. The restrictive Puritan society of Salem in the 17th century was based upon religious intolerance, where faith was demonstrated through physical labour and by strict adherence to religious doctrine. Material, physical and sexual desires were considered the Devil’s work and a threat to the very fabric of society. In summary, it is said that Puritanism discouraged individualism on all levels. The literal way in which the Bible was interpreted by the Puritans, provides a paradox within the play. This is because although the Bible says â€Å"thou shalt not kill,† the people of Salem are willing to sentence innocent†¦show more content†¦Thus, staying true to one’s self is the most virtuous act humanely possible. This response, through the exploration of the main themes of the play, truth and justice, in relation to the main character John Proctor, aims to prove that man, in no way, can ignore or isolate his responsibility or duty to establish truth and justice in the face of turmoil and sacrifice. The girls at the beginning of the play, avoided punishment by accusing others of the very things they were guilty of themselves. This desperate act of self-preservation resulted in the mass paranoia and atmosphere that gripped Salem for the continuance of the witch trials. By allowing audiences to see how dark desires and hidden agendas subsequentially drive people, Miller explores human motivation and the behaviour that results from it. Ironically, it is desire, sexual, material and physical desire that drives the people of Salem. For example, Abigail, full of desire for Proctor, seizes an opportunity to reverse fate and eliminate Elizabeth Proctor, by accusing her of witch craft. Elizabeth was the only person in Abigail’s eyes that was preventing her from marrying Proctor. In addition, Abigail’s status within the community is elevated and she gains power a young woman of her social status could have only dreamt of. Furthermore, the Putnam’s also seize the oppor tunity the witch trials create. Putnam has a hidden agenda, namely, land lust and his desire to elevate himself within theShow MoreRelatedThe Handmaids Tale And The Crucible1695 Words   |  7 PagesIs Resistance Futile? What do The Handmaid’s Tale and The Crucible suggest about the nature of resisting and rebelling against social order? Margaret Atwood’s, The Handmaid’s Tale, and Arthur Miller’s ,The Crucible, explore the consequences surrounding the nature of resisting and rebelling against social order. Resistance the refusal to accept or comply with something or to actively and passively fight against something. Atwood’s new government of Gilead in The Handmaid’s Tale enforces unthinkableRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Miller893 Words   |  4 Pages In 1952 Arthur Miller published one of his best and well respected novels, The Crucible. The story tells about the dreary town of Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 and how the town became infamous after the occurrence of the well-known witch trials. In these trials, people would be accused of being witches, and having consultations with the Devil (which was the most unforgivable thing a person could do in a hyper-religious environment) which would result in death, by hanging. In the story, thingsRead MoreThe Crucible By Arthur Mille r1131 Words   |  5 Pages Arthur Miller’s play The Crucible show the hysteria that took place in Salem in 1692. Even though this play is fiction, Miller based the plot of his play on a real historical event which was McCarthyism in the late 1940’s and early 1950’s. There’re many connection in The Crucible to be considered as an allegory due to similarities themes and how the characters are being portrayed. Miller does an excellent job of portraying numerals characters used fear for benefit and they showed selfishnessRead More Tragic Hero in The Crucible Essay2240 Words   |  9 PagesTragic Hero in The Crucible What is a tragic hero? The most well known definition of a tragic hero comes from the great philosopher, Aristotle. When depicting a tragic hero, Aristotle states The change in the heros fortunes be not from misery to happiness, but on the contrary, from happiness to misery, and the cause of it must not lie in any wickedness but in some great error on his part.† In addition, he explains the four essential qualities that a tragic hero should possess, which areRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Last Of The Mohicans Essay1813 Words   |  8 Pagesexplains his reasoning’s for specific conditions to be carried out by all mankind; which is the persons, the works, the end, and the means. His writings inspired various novels like the â€Å"Scarlett Letter (1850)† by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Arthur Miller’s â€Å"The Crucible (1953)† which have popularized and perpetuated impressions often still occurring today. In order for John Winthrop to direct his ideas on how the Puritans should treat one another to help each other- and the colonies- survive the new hardshipsRead MoreHumanities Test4641 Words   |  19 PagesOedipus at Colonus: Despite the warning, Theseus agrees to help Oedipus. Theseus does in fact return with Oedipus’s daughters shortly. 17.   Which of these are least likely to be found in the theater of ancient Athens? (Violence never occurred but illustrated by a messenger or no female actors) 18.   Who was Thespis? Thespis is the semi-historical, 6thCentury B.C. inventor of acting 19. What is Medea and how does it end? Euripedes Medea opens in a state of conflict. Jason has abandoned his wife,Read MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 Pagesbeen changing the fundamental dimensions of business strategy and the meaning of its implementation. These changes affect a broad range of decisions, including the following: ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  ââ€"  How to invest in technology How to lead meaningful human resources initiatives How to maintain alliances successfully What the speed of new product or service development should be What the appropriate time horizons for investments and financial planning are How to implement productive cost reduction How

Stop And Frisk During The United States Essay - 1300 Words

Andrew Tabata Persuasive Speech CMM 100-07 Professor Watson October 26, 2016 Stop and Frisk Did you know that about 88 percent of all Stop and Frisk incidents result in finding the victim to be â€Å"clean† meaning ruled completely innocent without cause for an arrest? Remember this statistic and several others that I give you, because they are alarming. Currently, the Stop and Frisk situation in the United States seems to be at a crossroad. The Stop and Frisk practice originated during the 1950’s, when crime rates were at an all-time high within cities. The purpose of this practice was to help eliminate crime off the streets within these major inner cities. This practice was used by law enforcement during a time where racial segregation and racial tension began to build up; and a feud between black citizens and white law enforcement grew rapidly. Unfortunately, we still today live in a world where individuals often times find themselves in the middle of a â€Å"wrongdoing† in the eyes of the law enforcement. The results of these situations through hist ory have not always turned fatal, but recently it seems that the end result from these situations do so. How many of you are aware of the incident that occurred between Eric Garner, a 43-year-old black Staten Island male, and the New York Police Department (NYPD)? For those of you who are not, victim Eric Garner was approached by the NYPD under the suspicion of selling untaxed cigarettes. This led to a Stop and Frisk altercation betweenShow MoreRelatedStop And Frisk During The United States1894 Words   |  8 Pagesthe constitutional rights of its citizens. However the New York City aggressive program of Stop and Frisk have been widely criticized and considered unconstitutional. However, Stop and Frisk, per se is not unconstitutional unless people are being stopped illegally. 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As technology continues to advance, it seems as if the government has been slowly gaining more power, without the public noticing major concerns in terms of law and policy making. The United States has the highest incarcerationRead MoreThe Stop And Frisk Policy772 Words   |  4 PagesThe stop and frisk policy allows police officer to search only to an extent where it is enough to protect the safety of the officer. The stop and frisk policy has caused racial disparities in minority communities; furthermore, it also inflicted pain, resentment and anger among minorities. NYPD’s aggressive style of policing has caused great distrust between the minority community and law enforcement. Law enforcement agencies and the criminal justice system must understand the importance of trustRead MoreStop and Frisk1557 Words   |  7 Pagesï » ¿ My name is _________ and I am here to bring attention to the â€Å"Stop and Frisk Laws† and how they affect our youth and damage ou r society. Also through this exchange of information I hope to show how these type of laws go against our constitutional rights. First let’s ask what does Stop and frisk actually mean legally? â€Å"It’s the situation in which a police officer who is suspicious of an individual detains the person and runs his hands lightly over the suspects outer garments to determine ifRead MoreThe Second Amendment Of The United States1666 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction The fourth amendment of the United States Bill of Rights states that â€Å"The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.† (â€Å"Bill of Rights†). 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Leadership and Performance Free Essays

CHAPTER ONE (1) INTRODUCTION 1. 1Background of the Study Globally, educating a nation remains the most vital strategy for the development of the society throughout the developing world (Aikaman Unterhalter, 2005). Many studies on human capital development concur that it is the human resources of a nation and not its capital or natural resources that ultimately determine the pace of its economic and social development. We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership and Performance or any similar topic only for you Order Now Since education is an investment, there is a significant positive correlation between education and economic-social productivity. When people are educated, their standards of living are likely to improve, since they are empowered to access productive ventures, which will ultimately lead to an improvement in their livelihoods. The role of education therefore, is not just to impart knowledge and skills that enable the beneficiaries to function as economies and social change agents in society, but also to impart values, ideas, attitudes and aspirations important for natural development. In spite of the government initiatives in improving access, equity and quality of education, the secondary sub-sector continues to face challenges, particularly the low participation rates, low transition rates from primary to secondary and from secondary to tertiary (particularly to universities), as well as gender and regional disparities. From the researches that have been conducted on the impact of the government efforts to improve access equity and quality on performance indicate that most public schools have a lot of wastage, very poor performance in national examinations and poor learner preparation to face the world after school. It has become alarming since the number of secondary school graduates from public day and boarding schools exit without entry grade to university is increasing day by day. This has increased crime rate, drug and substance abuse, immorality and cases of HIV and AIDS on the increase. It is, on this backdrop that the research endeavors to establish reasons why even when the Government has done so much to increase access, equity and quality to education still good performance remains for a few secondary chools (without the district) and many Kenyan children are still coming out of school with poor grades that can not help them move to the next level or get meaningful training. How can the problem be remedied and which adjustments need to be made. To this end, this proposed research will analyze the effect of management or leadership styles of the principal on the teachers and students performance. The theoretical framework adopted for this study is derived from the systems theory of orga nizations, which emerged as part of an intellectual ferment following the World War II, although its roots are much are much older. Its founder, Ludwig von Bertalanffy, was concerned about growing compartmentalization of knowledge and argued that certain general ideas could have relevance across broad spectrum of disciplines: that despite obvious differences among the many kinds of organizations, they share very general characteristics and that is important to discover what they are(Hong et al. , 2004). The systems theory cuts across all the four paradigms of management thoughts, for every organization that produces output in a system of some of sort (Katz Kahn, 1966). And an organization, including a school, regardless of its size and purpose, and the management perspective adopted not withstanding, basically concerned with relationships, structures and interdependence rather than just constant attributes (Katz Kahn, 1966). This study will be modeled on the postulates of systems theory because schools, like other organizations, are always in constant exchange with the larger society. Rosemary as cited in BPP (1999) defines management as ‘‘the art of getting things done through others’’ (p. 6). Fabunmi (2001), however, defines management ‘‘as the coordination of all the resources of an organization through the process of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling in order to attain organizational objectives’’ (p. 12). Resser (1973), on the other hand asserts that management is the utilization of physical and human resources through cooperative efforts, which is accomplished by performing th e functions of planning, organizing, coordinating, directing and controlling. By management styles, I refer to, new leadership and management approaches in order to enhance efficiency and effectiveness. Improved efficiency is achieved through management reforms; raising the learner teacher ratio, increasing teachers’ time on task, reducing repetition and improving accountability (Nsubuga, 2003). Leadership at work in education institutions thus needs to be a dynamic process where an individual is not only responsible for the group’s tasks, but also actively seeks the collaboration and commitment of all the group members in achieving group goals in a particular context (Cole, 2002). Leadership in that context pursues effective performance in schools, because it does not only examine tasks to be accomplished and who executes them, but also seeks to include greater reinforcement characteristics like recognition, conditions of service and morale building, coercion and remuneration (Balunywa, 2000). It is this scenario that the researcher needs to establish whether it is practiced in Nyamira North District and if it is, what is its impact on the teacher and student performance This is also described by Sashkin and Sashkin (2003) as visionary leadership. However, according to them, the concept of leadership that matters is not being limited to those at the top of the organization such as the chief executive officer or principal/head teacher, but depends on certain characteristics of the leader. It involves much more than the leader’s personality in which leadership is seen as more of mutating followers to achieve goals (Shashkin, 2003:2). This is supported by Lav Tzu (as reported in Shashkin, 2003:7) that good leadership commits to doing less and being more. However, Cole (2002) defines leadership as inspiring people to perform. Even if an institution has all the financial resources to excel, it may fail dismally if the leadership does not motivate others to accomplish their tasks effectively. It is therefore this consideration that has made it necessary to determine the impact of the management or leadership styles on the teacher and learner performance in secondary schools in Nyamira North District of Nyamira County. . 2STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM Although it is the Kenyan government’s policy to ensure the delivery of quality education in secondary schools in Kenya, performance, particularly in Nyamira North District has remained poor, despite the various interventions by policy makers and implementers. Such a situation is alarming, bearing in mind that secondary education play a pivotal role in the development of any country. Equally important, are the overarching policies of Kenya’s education, which strongly emphasize the importance of science education in attainment of vision 2030. Scholars, policy makers and school managers have resolved to address the poor academic performance in secondary schools in Nyamira North District by conducting research on its would be antecedents such as a lack of instructional materials, ensuring quality teachers, admitting good students, remuneration and the motivation of teachers, improving discipline and community participation in schools. Nevertheless, all the above studied and recommendations implemented there is still poor academic performance in our public secondary schools which makes it necessary to make a study on the management or leadership styles adopted and the impact of them on teachers and students performance. Hence this study is intended to investigate the relationship of head teachers’ leadership or management style and the performance of secondary schools in Nyamira North District. It is deemed that an investigation in this area would shed light on the factors affecting performance and in particular the effect of leadership /management styles on school performance. 1. 3The purpose of the Study The purpose of this study is to establish to what extent the leadership/management styles adopted by principals have influence on the teacher and school’s performance Nyamira North District, using cross – sectional survey design with the aim of examining how leadership styles adopted by school principals influence the schools overall performance in secondary schools in Nyamira North District. Leadership styles will be characterized by behavioural tendencies, and characteristic methods of a person in a leadership position. An important dimension of leadership style is the extent to which the leader is willing to delegate responsibility and encourage input from followers. Another basic dimension is the extent to which a leader is task-motivated (concerned with defining goals and the means to achieve them) or relationship-motivated (concerned with supporting and encouraging subordinates). A distinction can also be drawn between the charismatic leader, who relies on his or her personal qualities to inspire followers, and the bureaucratic leader, who depends on his or her position in the hierarchy and an established set of rules and procedures. In particular the study will determine and describe the effects of the various leadership styles (the authoritarian or autocratic leader, democratic leader, transformational leader, situational or contingency and laissez-faire leader) adopted by principals on teachers and student performance. 1. 4Specific objectives The study will be guided by the following specific objectives: a)To establish the relationship between the demographic characteristics of principals and teachers and school performance. b)To establish whether performance in Nyamira North District secondary schools is dependent on the management or leadership styles c)To establish whether performance in secondary schools in Nyamira North District is dependent on the autocratic leadership style, democratic leadership style, transformational leadership style, situational or contingency leadership style of school head teachers. )To elicit the viewpoints of head teachers, teachers and students on the preferred leadership styles. e)To make recommendations for the improvement of schools on the basis of an analysis of leadership styles. 1. 5Research Questions/Hypotheses The guiding questions will be: 1. What is the relationship between the demographic characteristics of principals and teachers and school performance? 2. What is the relations hip between management styles of principals and staff performance? A case study of secondary schools in Nyamira North District (Nyamira County). 3. Is the performance in secondary schools in Nyamira North District dependent on the autocratic leadership style, democratic leadership style, transformational leadership style, situational or contingency leadership style of school principals? 4. What are the viewpoints of principals, teachers and students on the preferred leadership styles? 5. What recommendations can be made for the improvement of schools on the basis of an analysis of leadership styles? Hypotheses 1. The demographic characteristics of principals influence teachers’ and student academic performance 2. There is positive relationship between management styles of principals and staff, and student academic performance. 1. 6Significance of the study While some may still ascribe to the old adage that ‘leaders are born, not made’, there remains a societal responsibility to provide school leaders with the skills and practices needed to orchestrate schools in a way that can maximize sustained achievement for all students. The continued research on behaviors and practices of leaders (Fullan, 1985; Murphy Hallinger, 1992) remains important in the light of the changing role of the principal. The findings from the study would help to augment and enrich theories and principles on school leadership. It would also have a direct impact on the future training of school leaders and teacher leaders. Data generated from this study could serve as a practical framework for the Ministry of Education, or other training agents and higher institutions, to plan, organize and provide leadership-training program for school leaders and prospective leaders. The study could also be important for school leaders as the findings can help them take heed of their leadership behavior and become more sensitive to the process and importance of human interaction. The findings from this study may offer more insights and serve as a critical friend in academia, encouraging principals to reflect, break out of their traditional practices, raising consciousness, and questioning deeply entrenched assumptions. Hopefully, all principals would ultimately fulfill their leadership dream, and lead the schools in the direction as Bath (in Fullan, 1997) puts it, ‘you can lead where you will go. 1. 7Limitations and Delimitations of the Study This study will be concerned with effects of leadership or management styles on teacher and learners performance. It will be conducted in Nyamira North District (Nyamira County) between September 2011 and December 2011 using cross – sectional sample survey design and a sample of 25 secondary schools will be sele cted from 43 secondary schools in the district. Data will be collected by the researcher using questionnaires, interviews and document analysis techniques. The following are limitations of the proposed study. The study will include public secondary schools in Nyamira North District. Therefore, the results of this study may not be generalized to private schools. †¢It will not be possible to cover the opinions of parents and other stake holders in this district because tracing them will require considerable time, resources and other logistics Though only public secondary schools in Nyamira North District will be included in the study, nevertheless, Nyamira North is typical of many districts with regard to recent emphasis on school reform and school improvement projects. Therefore, the results of this study may apply to other, similar district of the county and Kenya at large. 1. 8Theoretical and conceptual frameworks The theoretical framework adopted for this study is derived from the systems theory of organizations developed by Ludwig Von Bertalanffy in the early 1950s. It emerged as part of an intellectual ferment following the World War II, although its roots are much are much older. The systems theory has had a significant effect on management science and understanding organizations. A system is a collection of part unified to accomplish an overall goal. If one part of the system is removed, the nature of the system is changed as well. A system can be looked at as having inputs (e. g. , resources such as raw materials, money, technologies, and people), processes (e. g. , planning, organizing, motivating, and controlling), outputs (products or services) and outcomes (e. g. , enhanced quality of life or productivity for customers/clients, productivity). Systems share feedback among each of these four aspects of the system. The systems theory is an alternative to the classical and neo – classical organizations theories which the researcher felt cannot suffice because of their emphasis on schools as fragmented and closed social units independent of external forces (Baker 1973). The only meaningful way to study an organization (school) is to regard it as a system. Thus schools should be managed more like organizations where educational programmes are innovated and re – innovated to realize the importance each part makes to the whole, and the necessity of eliminating the parts that make negative contributions. With the development of the various educational disciplines and departments, considerable overlap is inevitable among the different fields. The proliferation of specialization, as in many branches of education, also leads to further overlapping. Because of these interactions, schools are better studied as wholes rather than parts (Baker, 1973). Systems theory postulates that schools are like other on systems which of necessity engage in various modes of exchamge with the environment (Katz Kahn, 1966). The theory emphasizes the consideration of the relationships between the school and its environment as well as what goes on within the school (Hall, 1977). The systems theory is basically concerned with the problems of relationships, of structures and of interdependence, rather with the constant attributes of objects (Katz Kahn, 1966). The fundamental concept in the general systems theory is the notion of emergence and interaction. As adapted in this study the systems theory holds that management actions influence the internal efficiency of a school. That staffing and control of students’ admissions coordination of teaching and learning resources, school fees budgeting and leadership styles adopted in school influence the drop outs and repetition rates, and promotion rates and general climate in a school. In the application of the systems theory to this study on the effect of management/ leadership styles on teacher and student performance the variables will be identified as follows: 1. Management is the process of designing and maintaining an environment in which individuals, working together in groups, efficiently accomplish selected aims (Koontz and Weihrich 1990, p. ). This basic definition means several things. First, as principals, carry out the managerial functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling. Secondly, managing is concerned with productivity – this implies effectiveness and efficiency. Effectiveness and efficiency is the ability of the school to keep or reduce, to as low as po ssible, the dropout and repetition rates, increase completion and promotion rates and to produce high outcomes that is good academic performance and no wastage. It also ensures that students complete an educational cycle in the possible minimum time. 2. Thus, management refers to the development of bureaucracy that derives its importance from the need for strategic planning, co-ordination, directing and controlling of large and complex decision-making process. Essentially, therefore, management entails the acquisition of managerial competence, and effectiveness in the following key areas: problem solving, administration, human resource management, and school leadership. First and foremost, management is about solving problems that keep emerging all the time in the course of an organization (school) struggling to achieve its goals and objectives. Problem solving will be accompanied by problem identification, analysis and the implementation of remedies to managerial problems. Second, administration involves following laid down procedures (although procedures or rules should not be seen as ends in themselves) for the execution, control, communication, delegation and crisis management. Third, human resource management should be based on strategic integration of human resource, assessment of workers, and exchange of ideas between stakeholders, teachers and workers. Finally, school leadership should be developed along lines of interpersonal relationship, teamwork, self-motivation to perform, emotional strength and maturity to handle situations, personal integrity, and general management skills. However, in adopting the systems theory of organizations this study, the researcher is not ignorant of its shortcomings. The interrelationships among parts of a system have to be recognized and understood by ‘all’ people involved. This theory also requires a shared vision so that ‘all’ people in the school have an idea of what they are trying to accomplish. It requires a cohesive effort from all participants, a task that is not easy to achieve especially where ‘all’ is involved. Conceptual frame work In the conceptual framework depicted in the figure above the management or leadership style is hypothesized to influence the teachers and student performance. Management or leadership style is defined as having managerial competence and effectiveness in the following key areas: problem solving, administration, human resource management, and school leadership that is being able to carry out the managerial functions of planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and controlling and teacher and student performance as early syllabus coverage motivated staff reporting to work early and leaving work place late, no school drop outs, no repletion cases, there is increased completion rates and good academic results in national examinations. The frame work postulates that managerial competence and effectiveness in leadership will affect the rate of drop outs, repetition, completion rates and academic performance of students in a school. However, this relationship may be modified by age, faith of the staff, background as well as families from which the staff comes from. Chapter Two (2) Literature review 2. 0Introduction This chapter discusses the literature related to the effect of management/leadership style on teachers and student performance. It particularly focuses on the relationship between the demographic characteristics of principals and teachers and school performance, establish whether performance in Nyamira North District secondary schools is dependent on the management or leadership styles, establish whether performance in secondary schools in Nyamira North District is dependent on the autocratic leadership style, democratic leadership style, transformational leadership style and situational or contingency leadership style, elicit the viewpoints of head teachers, teachers and students on the preferred leadership styles and make recommendations for the improvement of schools on the basis of an analysis of leadership styles. These are considered the pillars of the study. In this chapter, the researcher reviews literature related to management/leadership styles and its effects on school performance. The review is conceptualized under the objectives and focuses mainly on autocratic leadership style, democratic leader ship style and situational or contingency leadership style and their relationship with teachers and students performance. 2. 0 Transformational leadership Bush (2003) links three leadership models to his ‘collegial’ management model. The first of these is ‘transformational leadership’. This form of leadership assumes that the central focus of leadership ought to be the commitments and capacities of organizational members. Higher levels of personal commitment to organizational goals and greater capacities for accomplishing those goals are assumed to result in extra effort and greater productivity. (Leithwood et al. 1999: 9). Leithwood (1994) conceptualizes transformational leadership along eight dimensions: †¢ Building school vision †¢ Establishing school goals †¢ providing intellectual stimulation †¢ Offering individualized support †¢ Modeling best practices and important organizational values †¢ Demonstrating high performance expectations †¢ Creating a productive school culture †¢ Developing structures to foster participation in school decisions. Caldwell and Spinks (1992: 49–50) argue that transformational leadership is essential for autonomous schools: ‘Transformational leaders succeed in gaining the commitment of followers to such a degree that higher levels of accomplishment become virtually a moral imperative. In our view a powerful capacity for transformational leadership is required for the successful transition to a system of self-managing schools. ’ Leithwood’s (1994) research suggests that there is some empirical support for the essentially normative transformational leadership model. He reports on seven quantitative studies and concludes that ‘transformational leadership practices, considered as a composite construct, had significant direct and indirect effects on progress with school-restructuring initiatives and teacher- perceived student outcomes’ (p. 506). The transformational model is comprehensive in that it provides a normative approach to school leadership, which focuses primarily on the process by which leaders seek to influence school outcomes rather than on the nature or direction of those outcomes. However, it may also be criticised as being a vehicle for control over teachers and more likely to be accepted by the leader than the led (Chirichello 1999). Allix (2000) goes further and alleges that transformational leadership has the potential to become ‘despotic’ because of its strong, heroic and charismatic features. He believes that the leader’s power ought to raise ‘moral qualms’ and serious doubts about its appropriateness for democratic organisations. Transformational leadership is consistent with the collegial model in that it assumes that leaders and staff have shared values and common interests. When it works well, it has the potential to engage all stakeholders in the achievement of educational objectives. The aims of leaders and followers coalesce to such an extent that it may be realistic to assume a harmonious relationship and a genuine convergence leading to agreed decisions. When ‘transformation’ is a cloak for imposing leaders’ or governments’ values, then the process is political rather than collegial. 2. 2 The situational or contingency leadership style The situational theory stipulates that leaders are the product of given situations. Thus, leadership is strongly affected by the situation from which the leader emerges and in which he operates. The contingency theory is a combination of the Trait Theory and Situational Theory. The theory implies that leadership is a process in which the ability of a leader to exercise influence depends upon the group task situation and the degree to which the leader’s personality fit the group (Sybil, 2000). 2. 3Autocratic leadership style The autocratic leadership style is also known as the authoritarian style of leadership. Power and decision-making reside in the autocratic leader. The autocratic leader directs group members on the way things should be done. The leader does not maintain clear channel of communication between him/her and the subordinates. He or she does not delegate authority nor permit subordinates to participate in policy-making (Smylie and Jack, 1990; Hoy and Miskel, 1992; Olaniyan, 1997). 2. 4Democratic style of leadership The democratic style of leadership emphasizes group and leader participation in the making of policies. Decisions about organizational matters are arrived at after consultation and communication with various people in the organization. The leader attempts as much as possible to make each individual feel that he is an important member of the organization. Communication is multidirectional while ideas are exchanged between employees and the leader (Heenan and Bennis, 1999). In this style of leadership, a high degree of staff morale is always enhanced (Mba, 2004). Performance Performance is described in various ways. It is an act of accomplishing or executing a given task (Okunola, 1990). It can also be described as the ability to combine skillfully the right behaviour towards the achievement of organizational goals and objectives (Olaniyan, 1999). Teachers’ job performance is described as the duties performed by a teacher at a particular period in the school system in achieving organizational goals (Obilade, 1999). It can also be described as the ability of teachers to combine relevant inputs for the enhancement of teaching and learning processes (Akinyemi, 1993; Okeniyi, 1995). However, Peretemode (1996) argued that job performance is determined by the worker’s level of participation in the day to day running of the organization. It is noted that employees behave differently under different situations. 2. Summary It is underpinned by the view that leaders should have an entitlement to appropriate preparation and support for their important and onerous role in leading educational change. To appoint school principals without specific preparation is a gam ble, and we should not gamble with children’s education. The literature review tends to give reasons for the enhanced global interest in the role of school leaders. It assesses the differences among the various leadership/management styles, and argues that all are essential if schools and colleges are to thrive. It also emphasizes the evidence that effective leadership is critical to school improvement. While the importance of leadership/management style is increasingly recognized, much less is known about which leadership behaviours are most likely to promote successful schooling. The study will examine the various models of leadership and assess the evidence of their effectiveness. There is great interest in ‘instructional leadership’ because of the widespread view that the main function of schools is to promote student learning. Transformational leadership is widely advocated because of its potential to harness stakeholder support for the school’s (or leader’s) vision but there is some concern that this may be a vehicle for imposing leaders’, or governments’, priorities on teachers, pupils and communities. These and other models that have been highlighted above are subject to scrutiny in this study. 2. 6 Conclusions Principals’ can therefore encourage effective performance of their teachers by identifying their needs and trying to satisfying or meeting them. Supporting this argument, Owoeye (1999) asserted that variables of job performance such as effective teaching, lesson note preparation, effective use of scheme of work, effective supervision, monitoring of students’ work and disciplinary ability are virtues which teachers should uphold effectively in the school system. In this regard, the teachers’ performance can be measured through annual report of his/her activities in terms of performance in teaching, lesson preparation, lesson presentation, mastery of subject matter, competence, teachers’ commitment to job and extra-curricula activities. Other areas of assessment include effective leadership, effective supervision, effective monitoring of students’ work, motivation, class control and disciplinary ability of the teachers. From the above researches done the effect of the leadership or management style adopted by principals in secondary schools has not been well researched on and as such not much is known whether it is the style the principals adopt that affects the performance standards or whether there are other issues in management in the secondary schools of Nyamira North District. There is a widespread belief that raising standards of leadership and management is the key to improving schools. Increasingly, this is linked to the need to prepare and develop leaders for their demanding roles. While this is the main focus of this study, a prior question is the nature of leadership/ management in schools. Which leadership behaviours are most likely to produce favourable school and learner outcomes? The study intends to examine the main models of school leadership and from the research consider the evidences on their relative effectiveness in promoting school improvement. 3. 0 Methodology This chapter presents a detailed description of the research methodology. Methodology refers to the detailed procedure to be followed to realize the research objectives. Methodology include a description of the research design, sampling techniques, instructions as well as data techniques. It describes in details what will be done and how it will be done. it comprises several sub-sections which are usually presented in the order given below. 3. 1 Research design This study will be conducted through correction research design. Correlation is a research design where the researcher determines whether or not and not to what extent an association exists between two or more paired and qualified variables. In this study the researcher will use semi structured interview method that places open – ended question constituting of various management and leadership styles assessment and the effect /impact it has on teacher and student performance. The survey will be done in terms of their leadership and management styles that they use in school and the effect it has on teacher and student performance by means of percentile ratio of every management and leadership style and rank those from highest to lowest from within survey questionnaire. Correlation will enable the researchers to provide vigorous and replicable procedure for understanding relationship and determination whether and to what degree a relationship exists between quantifiable variables. The locale of the study will be Nyamira North District in Nyamira County 3. 2 Population and Sampling 3. 2. 1 Target /Accessible Population The target population will consist of all 38 principals 360 teachers and 9000 student in Nyamira North District in Nyamira County has 38 secondary schools and they have constantly performed dismally in the national examination for the last 20 years. It is therefore considered appropriate for providing a focal point for the study of effect of leadership and management styles on the teacher and student performance. 3. 2. 2 Sample The sample will consist of heterogeneous respondents selected from the target population. 25 schools will be selected and from each selected school three categories of the target group will be targeted. These categories will be selected as one principal, 4 teachers and 12 students. The size of the sample will be 425 respondents distributed as 25 principals, 100 teachers, and 300 students. This number 425 has been chosen using non-mathematical or convenience method determined at the discretion of the researcher, due to pressure of time that cannot allow for all the target population to be surveyed. 3. 2. 3 Sampling techniques This study will employ stratified sampling, random sampling, purposive sampling, and convenience sampling techniques. Stratified sampling technique will be used to select schools and the category of respondents to be included in the sample. Stratified sampling technique is a technique that identifies subgroups in the population and their proportions and select from each subgroup to form the sample. It groups a population into separate homogenous subsets that share similar characteristics so as to ensure equitable representation of the population in the sample the sample. It aims at proportionate representation with a view of accounting for the difference in subgroup characteristics. The researcher is convinced that the target population is not uniform since mixed and single sex school and day and boarding schools do not necessary have similar characteristics, since even personnel in different departments within the same school environment may not always think similarly. As such the target accessible populations cannot be regarded as homogenous. Stratified sampling technique will therefore be used to ensure that the target population is divide into different homogenous strata and that each strata is represented in the sample in a proportion equivalent to this size in the accessible population. Simple random sampling will be used to select a representative sample without bias from the target population this will ensure that each school and its population has equal and independent chance of being included in the sample. Purposive sampling will be used by the researcher consciously to decide who to include in the sample in terms of getting focused information. This will also help to save time and money in cases where the target population may be widely spread. 3. 3 Data Collection 3. 3. 1 Instructions The study will use questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis as the main tools for collecting data. The selection of these tools have been guided by the nature of data to be collected, the time available as well as by the objectives of the study. The overall aim of this study is to establish the relationship between leadership and management styles on the teacher and student performance. The researcher is mainly concerned with views, opinions, perceptions, feelings and attitudes. Such information can best collected through the use of questionnaire and interview techniques (Bell, 1993; Touliatos Compton, 1988) The researcher intends to use semi-structured instrument. This will enable the researcher to balance between the quality and quantity of data collection and provide more information. This delicate balance between the quality and quantity of information is useful for a fuller explanation of the phenomena under investigation. Questionnaire will be used since the study is concerned with variables that cannot be directly observed such as views, opinions perceptions and feelings of the respondents. Such information are best collected through questionnaire (Touliatos Compton 1988) the sample size is also quite large (510) and given the time constraints, questionnaire is the ideal tool for collecting data. The target population is also largely literate and is unlikely to have difficulties responding to questionnaire items. 3. 3. 2 Research procedure Qualitative data will be collected from 425, respondents/interviewees/observant, from 9398 target population during the month of October 2011 using questionnaires, interviews, and document analysis. The data will be collected by the researcher himself because this will save time and lower the cost of collecting data. 3. 4 Quality Control The instrument will be piloted in the schools that will not be included in the study sample and modified to improve their validity and reliability coefficients to at least 0. 70. Items validity and reliability coefficients of at least 0. 0 are accepted as valid and reliable in research (Kathuri Pals, 1993) Validity is the extent to which research results can be accurately interpreted and generalized to other populations. It is the extent to which research instruments measure what they are intended to measur e (Oso Onen, 2005). To establish validity the instrument will be given to two experts to evaluate the relevance of each item in the instruments objectives. The experts will rate each item on the Likert scale: very relevant (4) quite relevant (3) somewhat relevant (2) and not relevant (1). Validity will be determined using content validity index (C. V. I). C. V. I items rated 3or4 by both judges divided by the total number of items in the questionnaire. 3. 5 Data Analysis Chi-square ( test of goodness – of – fit will be used to analyze the data. Chi – square test is a statistical technique used to compare the different between categorical frequencies drawn from population with a uniform distribution which all alternative responses are equally likely chi-square( ) test of goodness – of – fit will be used because the data that the researcher intends to collect is of the type â€Å"one-variable-many levels† and are basically categorical frequenc ies of the description of views, opinions ,perceptions, feelings and attitudes of the respondents on the effects of management and leadership styles of principals on teacher and student performance. Chi-square is the most sustainable here since it will enable the researcher to identify whether there is any significant difference in the frequencies of the alternative responses. Data from open-added questionnaire items, interviews and group discussions will be grouped under broad themes and converted into frequency counts. All data will be analyzed at a level of significance of 95% or ? = 0. 05) the degrees of freedom depending on the particular case as will be determined. This value (? = 0. 05) has been chosen because the sample size has been adopted from figures calculated on the basis of 0. 95 level of confidence. 3. 6 Assumption and Limitations The following factors; leaner characteristics, and teacher qualifications are expected to influence the DV. The extraneous variable however many not be adequately controlled because the respondents are found in different institutions that are out of control of the researcher. But they will not have a significance effects on the results because the respondents opinions, views perceptions, feelings attitudes will not be influenced by EV. It is therefore assured that they influence will remain very insignificance. The major limitations of this study are: the reliability and validity of the data collected due to the various views, opinions, feelings and attitudes that can emotionally be influenced. If all factors were kept constant, the researcher should adequately explain to the respondents to be very objective in answering. But this was the most suitable technique in the circumstances the data to be collected involves what can not easily be measured. 3. 7 Ethical Considerations. The major ethical problem in this study is the privacy and confidentiality of the respondents. Obtaining lists and files and respondents giving their opinion, feeling and attitudes in writing the questionnaire which itself is an infringement. However the respondents will have the freedom to ignore items that they do not wish to respondent to. Reference and Biography: 1. Bell, J (1993) how to complete your research project successfully New Delhi: UBSPD. 2. Creswell, J. W (1994) Research Design Qualitative and Quantitative approaches . California: SAGE Publications, Inc. 3. Kathuri, N. J Pals A. D (1993) introduction to educational research Egerton: Egerton university education Burk services. 4. Onen, D (2007). The management and the internal efficiency of private secondary school in Uganda. 5. Touliatos, J. S Compton, N. H (1988). Research methods in human ecology /home economics. Iowa State University Press/AMES. 6. Willis Yuko Oso and David Onen a General Guide to Writing Research Proposal and Report (2nd edition 2008) Makerere University Printery 7. John Aluko Orodho,Phd. Elements of Education and Social Science Research methods. Kanejza Publishers, Maseno Kenya. 8. John Aluko Orodho,Phd. Techniques of Writing Research Proposal and Reports in Education and Social Sciences. Kanejza Publishers, Maseno Kenya How to cite Leadership and Performance, Essay examples

Stratification Theorists Karl Marx and Max Weber Essay Example For Students

Stratification Theorists Karl Marx and Max Weber Essay The area of social stratification has been the starting point of many arguments about how and why societies are divided. Some societies will shout that they are classless whilst others will construct a whole culture around the divisions within. Individuals will vehemently point out that they are from one class when others have said differently. Some groups within society will inform other groups that they are in an especially disadvantaged position because of all the other groups advantaged position. In short, social stratification is a minefield waiting for the sociologist to jump into, backwards and blindfolded. However, even with this hostile environment, sociologists have tried to explain the reason why society is stratified. What follows is a brief analysis of the ideas of the two major stratification theorists, Karl Marx and Max Weber. For Marxists, class is a matter of economics, that is, how the individual fits into the pattern of modern capitalist society. Put simply, there are two main classes: the bourgeoisie and the proletariat. The bourgeoisie consist of those individuals who own the means of production, property, factories, and etc, and exploit the proletariat who only own, or can sell their labour to the bourgeoisie. The bourgeoisie gain profit from the proletariat by extracting surplus value, that is, by paying them less than the product is worth. Marx argued that the whole of capitalist society was constructed in order to support this idea including the societys infrastructure. One of the most important support mechanisms for the bourgeoisie being the creation of a false class consciousness for the proletariat, by which individuals do not feel that they are exploited. Marx distinguished between a class in itself and a class for itself. A class in itself is simply a social group whose members share the same relationship to the means of production. He goes on to argue that a social group only fully becomes a class when it becomes a class for itself. At this stage its members have achieved class consciousness and class solidarity. Class consciousness means that false class consciousness has been replaced by full awareness of the true situation, members of the same class develop a common identity and recognise their shared interest, with the end result being unity and the insight that only collective action will overthrow the bourgeoisie. The important thing to remember is that for Marx and Marxists, class is all about conflict between economic groups. This conflict has the bourgeoisie (the minority) along with societys infrastructure (education, religion, bureaucracy etc) on the one side and the proletariat (the majority) on the other. All relations between the two classes are economic and therefore there will be little chance to move from one class to another. Weber, on the other hand, argued that social stratification was not about economics alone. Weber argues that classes develop in market economies in which individuals compete for economic gain. He defines a class as a group of individuals who share a similar position in a market economy, and by virtue of that fact receive similar economic rewards. Therefore, according to Weber, a persons class situation is basically their market situation. Their market situation will directly affect their chances of obtaining those things defined as desirable in society, for example access to higher education, good quality housing and health care. Like Marx, Weber argues that the major class division is between those who own the means of production and those who do not. However, Weber sees important differences in the market situation of the propertyless groups in society, that is, different occupations and skills are judged as having different market values. Therefore factors other than ownership can affect social stratification. Weber identifies several other factors which can determine group formation and the stratification of society. While economic class forms one possible basis for group formation, collective action and the acquisition of political power, Weber argues that there are other bases for these activities. .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 , .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 .postImageUrl , .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 , .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2:hover , .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2:visited , .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2:active { border:0!important; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2:active , .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2 .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u75b9663649578d36c80d5b898c66e5f2:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Early History Of The Celts Essay In particular, groups form because their members share a similar status situation. Whereas class refers to the unequal distribution of economic rewards, status refers to unequal distribution of social honor. Occupations, ethnic and religious groups, and, most importantly, lifestyles are accorded differing degrees of prestige or esteem by members of society. This status is maintained through group/social closure whereby said groups make in difficult for individuals to join (a simple example would be that you can not become a recognised tradesman unless you undergo the official training recommended by said trades official body). In modern societies, class and status are closely linked. Weber, however, identifies another important factor in determining social stratification, that of party. Weber defines parties as groups which are specifically concerned with influencing policies and making decisions in the interest of their membership that is, they are concerned with the acquisition of social power. Parties include a variety of local and global associations, national political parties and a range of pressure groups and trade unions. Parties can represent interests determined by either/or class and status situation. At the end of the day the individuals stratified position is determined by their economic class, their occupational status and their access to the polity of their society. Webers analysis of classes, status groups and parties suggest that no single theory can point and explain social stratification. The interplay of class, status and party in the formation of social groups is complex and variable and must be examined in an historical and cultural context. Marx attempted to reduce all forms inequality to social class and argued that classes formed the only significant groups in society. Weber argued that there exists a more complex interaction of factors when it comes to determining social stratification. It is important to realise that there have been many attempts at explaining social stratification since both Marx and Weber formulated their work. There is not, however, space does not permit me to enlarge upon my discussion. Both Marx and Weber were instrumental in starting the ongoing and increasingly fractured debate concerning social stratification. Contemporary writings have used their writings as a basis for understanding modern social divisions. Both the analysis of gender divisions and race divisions have taken on the views of the above classic theorists, thus trying to undermine the generally accepted view that class and other social divisions are a functional necessity in modern western societies, a false view which ascribes degrees of success via a reward system based upon ones occupational achievements. As I pointed out in the introduction to this essay, the study of social divisions is a minefield through which sociologists must trample, but to a large degree both Marx and Weber handed us the tools to make mine detection easier.