Euthanasia Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Euthanasia - Essay Example For example, a doctor who decides to give a lethal injection to his patient who had given him the advance directive not to hasten his death and is now unconscious suffers his/her final stages of an illness that is terminal. There are times when the terms used in defining euthanasia bring about confusion or not clear like the use of the word â€Å"mercy killing† in describing non-voluntary and voluntary euthanasia situations. Countries like European and most especially Netherlands, the major differences between euthanasia, homicide, suicide, and suicides that are assisted are clear. In Canada and the United States, suicide assisted deaths and suicide assisted by physicians are confusing many people when used. Assisted suicide is when the acts of killing an individual are intentional. The word assisted has been added to mean that there is an individual who is providing assistance in the suicide act hence supplies the means like lethal medication prescription or gun, the specific knowledge on how to induce the medicine or use the gun appropriately, or both means and knowledge. North America has used the term assisted suicide in the media industry to mean that act which is directed by an individual intentionally to end the life of another. The reason behind this is because the legal sanctions associated with assisted suicide are less than those of killing a person with an intention of relieving them from the pain of a long term illness thus referred to as â€Å"euthanasia.† Jack Kevorkian a pathologist who made headlines in 1990 for killing over 130 people put his claims of participation in those deaths as that of assisted deaths and not euthanasia. There exists a very fine line between assisted suicide and euthanasia. For instance, Northern Territory of Australia between July 1996 and March 1997 legalized euthanasia through the use of a computer machine that pumped lethal substance to the individual after he/she successfully answers the question aske d by the computer and presses the required key. There are those arguments that are in favor of euthanasia based on individual liberty beliefs and situations of life considered unacceptable. These arguments in favor of euthanasia are based on religious/moral values and those of value and human life quality. The good death is the one that a person falls into eternal sleep thus euthanasia assures an individual dies dignifiedly and appropriately. David Hume a philosopher agreed that an individual has a right to choose the kind of death they would want hence emphasizes on individual liberty value. The right to human dignity maintenance aims at avoiding poor life quality during the process of death than to seek a particular way of having a good idealized death, as is the case of good death. There are also arguments against euthanasia which include sanctity of human life, the wrong diagnoses and new treatments given to patients, the slope that is wedged or slippery, disadvantaged, weak, an d incompetent protection, wrong reasons of choosing death, clinical depression undiagnosed, physicians confidence eroded, and the compromise one makes when choosing to involve others in his/her death. Active and passive euthanasia Active euthanasia occurs in situations where another person or medical professions do something deliberately that,

Benefits of Balanced Scorecard Implementation

Benefits of Balanced Scorecard Implementation Introduction Business organizations are facing increasingly complex markets, customers and suppliers, and fierce global competitive pressures. In such competitive environment, access to the right information is important to ensure high quality decision making and thus, the success of the organization. Resulting from the changing needs of information in a competitive environment, pressure was put on accounting information to increase its relevance. Extensive and exclusive use of financial measures has been criticised due to their historic nature. Financial measures reveal a great deal about an organisations past actions but nothing about its future alertness. Exclusive reliance on financial indicators could promote behaviour that sacrifices long term value creation for short term performance (Dearden, 1969). Indeed, an overemphasis on achieving and maintaining short term performance can cause a company to overinvest in short term fixes and underinvest in sustainable value creation, which would be detrimental to its future success. In an attempt to remedy the shortcomings of financial performance measures, Kaplan and Norton (1992) devised the Balanced Scorecard which integrates financial and non financial strategic measures. The Balanced Scorecard will be discussed in this paper focusing on what the Balanced Scorecard is, the theory underlying it and how it is being practiced. The manner in which the Balanced Scorecard is practiced in two companies, namely Metro Bank which is adapted from Kaplan and Norton (1996) and Asia Telecom, a telecommunication company whose name is disguised to preserve confidentiality is also discussed in this paper. What is the Balanced Scorecard? The Balanced Scorecard is a tool, which systematically expands the measurement areas traditionally involved in accounting. It provides a system for measuring and managing all aspects of a companys performance. The scorecard balances financial measures of success with non financial measures of drivers of future performance. These non financial measures include measures on customer satisfaction, internal processes, the organisations innovation and improvement activities. The Balanced Scorecard measures organizational performance across four different but inter-related perspectives: financial, customer, internal and learning and growth perspectives (Atkinson, Kaplan and Young, 2004). The Balanced Scorecard, as devised by Kaplan and Norton (1992), is thus a balanced performance measurement system that enables companies to track financial results while simultaneously monitoring how they are building their capabilities with customers, internal processes, employees and systems for future growth and profitability. It provides feedback around both the internal business processes and external outcomes in order to continuously improve strategic performance and results (Kaplan and Norton, 1996). The Balanced Scorecard is a comprehensive framework that translates a companys vision and strategy into a coherent set of performance measures. It is an integral part of an organizations strategy execution process that emphasizes communicating strategy to employees and providing feedback to help attain objectives. The scorecard can be used at different levels of an organization. For each level, the Balanced Scorecard approach identifies the key components of operations, sets goals for them, and finds ways to measure progress toward achieving these goals. Taken together, the measures provide a holistic view of performance both inside and outside the organization, and allow each constituent of the organization to see how his or her activities contribute to attaining the organizations overall mission (Von Bergen and Benco). Essentially, the Balanced Scorecard measures are used to translate vision and strategy into concrete directions for action by people throughout the organization. The measures prescribe a plan for strategic execution and create focus for the future. The measures communicate important messages to all organizational units and employees and thus, influence their actions. To take full advantage of this power, companies soon integrated their new measures into a management system (Kaplan and Norton, 2001). Thus, the Balanced Scorecard concept evolved from a performance measurement system to a strategic management system. The strategic management system focused the entire organization on implementing long term strategy by aligning and supporting key processes. The essence of the above discussion can be summarized using Atkinson, Kaplan and Youngs (2004) definition. The Balanced Scorecard is a strategic management system that translates an organizations strategy into clear objectives, measures, targets and initiatives organized by four perspectives. These four perspectives and other principles underlying the Balanced Scorecard will be discussed in the next section of this paper. The Balanced Scorecard: Theory The Balanced Scorecard is based on several underlying premises. The first is that financial measures alone inadequately measure the health of a company and that a single-minded pursuit of financial objectives could lead to long-term ruin. The second is that Balanced Scorecard focuses on process, not metrics. As such, it is forward-looking (e.g., How can our organization retain its best customers?) rather than backward-looking (e.g., What were our organizations earnings per share last quarter?). The third is that the scorecard is an analytic framework for translating a companys visions and business strategies into specific, quantifiable goals and for monitoring performance against those goals (Von Bergen and Benco). The Balanced Scorecard framework consists of four perspectives of which the organizations performance is measured. Across organizations, the relevant Balanced Scorecard components vary depending on the organizations specific goals and circumstances. There is no theory that four perspectives are necessary and sufficient for an effective balanced scorecard. However, there is some agreement that a typical BSC would include the following four components in some form (Horngren, Foster, Srikant, 2000): Learning and growth perspective: Can the firm continue to improve and create value for customers? Internal business process perspective: In which capabilities must the firm excel? Customer perspective: How do customers see the firm? Financial perspective: How does the firm look to providers of financial resources? The financial perspective Kaplan and Norton do not disregard the traditional need for financial data. Indeed, the ultimate objective for profit-seeking companies is a significant increase in shareholder value. Financial performance measures indicate whether the companys strategy, implementation and execution are contributing to its profitability. Financial objectives typically relate to profitability and measured, for example, by economic value added, return on investment or net profit. Companies increase economic wealth through two basic approaches revenue growth and productivity. Revenue growth comes from either growing wider (new products, markets and customers) and/or from growing deeper by achieving more price or volume from existing relationships. Productivity comes from reducing the cost structure, and/or the fixed and working capital required to support the business. The customer perspective The customer perspective is about the identification of the customer and market segments in which the company will compete and the measures of the companys performance in these targeted segments. Typical core measures of the successful outcomes from a well-formulated and implemented strategy include customer satisfaction, customer retention, new customer acquisition, customer profitability and market and account share. Beyond these measures, the companies must also identify the objectives and measures for customer value proposition, which describes the unique mix of product, price, service, relationship and image that a company offers its targeted group of customers. Customer value proposition that defines how company meets the needs of its customers vis-Ã  -vis its competitors is essentially a differentiation strategy. There are three generally acknowledged generic value proposition: Operational Excellence is characterized and differentiates itself by a combination of products/services that provide quality, selection, and competitive prices, and order fulfillment capability that is fast and timely. Customer Intimacy is characterized and differentiates itself by the quality and personalization of its relationship with its customers. Product Leadership is characterized and differentiates itself by the functions, features, and overall performance of its products and services. The value proposition is crucial because it helps an organization connects its internal processes to improved outcomes with its customers. The internal business process perspective Once the financial and customer perspectives are identified, the critical internal processes in which the organization must excel to achieve its objectives are defined. These processes enable the organization to deliver the value propositions that will attract and retain customers in targeted market segments and achieve productivity improvements for the financial objectives. Since organizations perform many different processes, it is useful to group the processes into four groups: Build the franchise by spurring innovation to develop new products and services and penetrate new markets and customer segments. Increase customer value by expanding and deepening relationships with existing customers. Achieve operational excellence by improving supply-chain management, internal process, asset utilization, resource-capacity management and other processes. Become a good corporate citizen by establishing effective relationships with external stakeholders. Measures of these processes allow managers to evaluate how well their business is running, and whether its products and services conform to customer requirements (the mission). The learning and growth perspective This perspective describes the infrastructure necessary for the achievement of the objectives identified in the other three perspectives. Under this perspective, objectives for the people, systems and organizational alignment that create long term growth and improvement are identified. The objectives for these three components normally lie in the following areas: Employees capabilities Does the employees possess the appropriate level of skill and knowledge to perform the work/function required to achieve strategy? Information system and database Is the information system and database available to provide excellent information to employees for process improvement required? Organization alignment Corporate culture and climate Do employees have the awareness and understanding of the vision, strategy and cultural values needed to execute strategy? Goal alignment Are goals and incentives aligned with the strategy at all level? Knowledge sharing Do employees and teams share best practices and other knowledge relevant to strategy execution? This perspective ultimately emphasizes the role of intangible assets people, system, climate and culture in driving organizational capabilities for learning and long term growth. Strategy Map A strategy map is a comprehensive visual representation of the linkages among objectives in the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard. Each objective in the four perspectives is portrayed in a cause and effect relationship where gains in the learning and growth perspective lead to improvements in internal business processes, which in turn lead to higher customer satisfaction and market share, and finally to superior financial performance. The strategy map tells the story of the companys strategy. It identifies for employees and management the importance of each perspective as a feeder of success into the next perspective. It also identifies and makes explicit the hypotheses about the cause and effect relationship between outcome measures (lag indicators) for example, customer satisfaction and return on investment, and performance drivers (lead indicators) for example, motivated and skilled employees, short cycle time processes and product development processes (Atkinson, Kaplan and Young, 2004). Lagging indicators indicate whether the strategic objectives in each perspective are achieved while leading indicators represent how the outcome should be achieved. The causal link between lagging and leading indicators not only occurs within the individual perspectives, but also across the four perspectives of the Balanced Scorecard (Figge, Hahn, Schaltegger Wagner, 2002) Organizations build strategy map from the top down, starting with the destination and then charting the routes that lead there. The vision and mission of the company provides a picture of the companys overall goal. The strategy of achieving the companys vision and mission, when translated into objectives and measures in each of the perspectives provide more meaning and clarity to employees. Measures describe how success in achieving an objective will be determined and thus give clarify to the objective. Typically, the objectives in the four perspectives of a strategy map lead to 20-30 measures. However, the number of measures is irrelevant when these measures are viewed as inter-dependent measures that are instrumental for achieving a single strategy. The multiple measures on the Balanced Scorecard are linked together in a cause and effect network that describes the business strategy. Targets are set for each measure. A target establishes the level of performance or rate of improvement required for a measure. Level of performance required should represent excellent performance. Companies identify initiatives, that is, short term programs and action plans that will help companies to achieve targets. Initiatives that will not have a major impact on one or more scorecard objectives should be de-emphasized (Kaplan and Norton, 2004). The Balanced Scorecard: In practice Having discussed the theory and principles underlying the Balanced Scorecard, we will look at the manner in which the measures of the Balanced Scorecard are developed and communicated in the corporate world by taking the case of Metro Bank and Asia Telecom. Metro Banks case adapted from Kaplan and Norton (1996) is used to illustrate revenue growth strategy whilst Asia Telecom is used to illustrate both revenue growth and productivity strategy. Metro Bank case Metro Bank, a retail banking division of a major bank was facing problem of excessive reliance on a single product. The revenue growth strategy is undertaken to resolve this problem, that is, to reduce earning volatility by broadening sources of revenue with additional products for current customers. In the process of developing the Balanced Scorecard, the strategy is translated into objectives and measures in the four perspectives. The financial objective to support revenue growth strategy was to broaden the mix of revenue. The financial measure is the percentage increase in year to year revenue (lag indicator) and revenue mix (lead indicator). The existing customers of the bank however do not view their banker as the logical source for a broader array of products such as mutual funds, credit cards and financial advice. The banks executive concluded that if the banks new strategy were to be successful, they must shift customers perception of the bank from that of a transactions processor of checks and deposits to a financial adviser. With this, the customer objective was to increase customer confidence in the banks financial advice and increase customer satisfaction. This is done by building long term relationship with targeted customers so that the bank can sell them multiple financial products and services. The measures are share of customer segment i.e. number of Metros customers in targeted segment (lag indicator) and depth of relationship (lead indicator). Internal activities that need to be mastered if the strategy were to succeed were identified as 1) understand customers, 2) develop new products and services and 3) cross-sell multiple products and services. Each business process would have to be redesigned to reflect the demands of the new strategy. For example, the selling process had traditionally been dependent on institutional advertising of the banks services. The bank did not have a selling culture. The bank personnel were reactive. A major reengineering program was launched to redefine the sales process into one which is relationship based. Measures introduced were cross-sell ratio (lag indicators) which measured selling effectiveness and hours spent with customers (lead indicators) to send signal to salespersons of the new culture required by the strategy In order to improve employee effectiveness in implementing the revenue growth strategy, the learning and growth component of the scorecard identified the need for 1) salespersons to acquire a broader set of skills (to become a financial counselor with broad knowledge of the product line), 2) improved access to information (integrated customer file), and 3) realignment of the incentive systems to encourage the new behavior. The lag indicators included a productivity measure, average sales per salesperson, as well as the attitudes of the work force as measured by an employee satisfaction survey. The lead indicators focused on the major changes that had to be orchestrated in the work force. These indicators are 1) the upgrading of the skill base and qualified people i.e. strategic job coverage ratio, 2) access to information technology tools and data i.e. strategic availability ratio, and 3) the realignment of individual goals and incentives to reflect the new priorities i.e. personal g oal alignment. Asia Telecom Asia Telecom, a telecommunication provider strives to grow business profitability and improve operating efficiency in a highly competitive environment. The company embarked on the following strategy: Growth strategy: expand new business while defending the traditional fixed line business Productivity strategy: improve efficiency by managing new capital investment and increase asset utilization In the Balanced Scorecard development process, the strategy is translated into objectives and measures in the four perspectives. Prepared and motivated work force Productivity strategy Growth strategy Defend traditional business Expand Regionally Grow New Business Manage Capital Expenditure Increase Asset Utilization Improve cost efficiency Improve returns Delight the customer Exceptional value services One stop solution Enduring relationship Synergy with Partners Ensure win-win partnership Innovation Process Develop alternative channels Develop product services offerings/bundles Operations Process Focus on operational efficiency Optimize deployment of shared services Improve Strategic Skills Competencies Create conducive organization climate Access to strategic information Customer Perspective Internal Perspective Financial Perspective Learning Perspective Figure 1 The Asia Telecom Strategy Map Growth strategy is pursued by: 1) defend traditional business, 2) expand regionally and 3) grow new business. Productivity is increased by: 1) manage capital expenditure, 2) optimize asset utilization and 3) improve cost efficiency. The company intends to grow new business and expand regionally (acquisition of other business) while defending its traditional fixed line business. Asset utilization and capital expenditure management is important as telecommunication assets are costly, require high investment and can quickly become obsolete with the advent of new technologies. Operating costs efficiency is targeted to reduce costs in running the business. Financial measures are earning per share, return on investment, revenue growth, operating costs per staff and EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization) (lag indicators) and strategic business support (lead indicator). Asia Telecom offers a variety of products and services to customers and builds enduring relationship with its customers. The customers are valued as always right. The company aspires to improve service quality in its outlets to retain and satisfy its customers. A Mesra Pelanggan Project was launched to strengthen necessary capabilities and capacities, strengthen and build on customer relation basics and ultimately, delight the customers. The customer measures identified are 1) one stop solution, 2) enduring relationship, 3) exceptional value services, and 4) ensure win-win partnerships. The measures are service level agreement compliance, customer and partner satisfaction index and customer retention and acquisition (lag indicators) and service level agreement and satisfaction survey (lead indicator). In order to achieve the above objectives, internal business processes identified are 1) create product and services offerings/bundles, 2) develop alternative channels, 3) focus on operational efficiency and 4) optimize deployment of shared services. Business processes needs to be redefined and changed to reflect the needs of the new strategy. For example, product development process has been designated to a small group of product development personnel. The rest of the marketers are not involved in product development even though they have direct contact and interaction with customers. A change in mindset was instigated to encourage every personnel to spend more time talking with customers to learn about their emerging needs and to think of innovative solutions to these needs. The measures include new product revenue, new channel ratio, expense ratio and cost savings (lag indicators) and product and channel development cycle and cost control (lead indicators). These measures clarify w hat needs to be done in order to achieve the objectives identified. The work force must be motivated and prepared to produce the level of effectiveness required to support the objectives in the three other perspectives. In order to foster long term growth and improvement, there is need to 1) improve strategic skills and competencies, 2) create conducive organization climate and 3) provide access to strategic information. Positive work culture including integrity, sense of urgency, teamwork and group interest was instilled to improve quality of the work force. Employee innovativeness is encouraged to create employees that are capable of applying knowledge to produce new products and services. The outcome measures are competency index, employee satisfaction index and climate survey index. The lead indicators which are organized to create change in the work place are staff development vs. plan, employee survey, organization climate survey and strategic systems availability vs. plan. Figure 2 Asia Telecoms Balanced Scorecard Strategic Objectives Measures Outcome Measures (Lag) Performance Drivers (Lead) Financial Defend traditional business Expand regionally Grow new business Manage capital expenditure Optimize asset utilization Improve cost efficiency Earning per share, EBITDA Return on investment Revenue growth Operating costs per staff Strategic business support Customer One stop solution Enduring relationship Exceptional value services Ensure win-win partnerships Customer satisfaction index Customer retention acquisition Partner satisfaction index Service level agreement compliance Customer satisfaction survey Customer satisfaction survey Partner satisfaction survey Service level agreement Internal Create product and services offerings/bundles Develop alternative channels Focus on operational efficiency Optimize deployment of shared services New product revenue, % of contribution to profit New channel ratio Expense ratio Cost savings Product development cycle Channel development cycle Cost control Learning Improve strategic skills and competencies Create conducive organization climate Access to strategic information Competency index Employee satisfaction index Climate survey index Staff development vs. plan Employee survey Organization climate survey Strategic systems availability vs. plan Figure 2 summarizes the objectives and measures for Asia Telecoms Balanced Scorecard. The scorecard and strategy map (Figure 1) describes a system of cause and effect relationships, incorporating a mix of leading and lagging indicators, all of which eventually point to improving future financial performance. Based on the above cases, it can be seen that the Balanced Scorecard framework translates and communicate strategy to the whole organization. In the case of Asia Telecom, employees understand what needs to be done in order to achieve the companys strategy to increase productivity. The measures in place such as competency index send signals to employees of what is required and focuses change efforts. There is shared understanding of the companys vision. From the cause and effect relationship inherent in the scorecard model, employees are able to see how they contribute to the companys success. Balanced Scorecard as a Strategic Framework for Action Companies also use the Balanced Scorecard as the framework around which the management processes and programs are built. By identifying the most important objectives on which an organization should focus its attention and resources, the scorecard provides a framework for a strategic management system that organizes issues, information, and a variety of vital management processes. These processes are: Clarify and translate vision and strategy Communicate and link strategic objectives and measures Plan, set targets and align strategic initiatives Enhance strategic feedback and learning (Kaplan and Norton, 1996) By using the case of Asia Telecom, the manner in which the strategic framework is put into action is discussed next. Clarify and translate vision and strategy The Balanced Scorecard process starts with the senior management team working together to translate the business units strategy into specific strategic objectives. When translating the strategic into objectives in the four perspectives discussed above, the management must ensure that there is consensus on what objectives should be prioritized and what measures, targets and initiatives should be used. Consensus is important to ensure that everyone in the company is pursuing the same agenda. In Asia Telecom, sales and marketing has traditionally been regarded as important as they bring in revenue. However, as business becomes more competitive, the traditional fixed line business comes under attack, eating up the companys bottom line. There is increasing need for innovation to create new products and services to retain and win customers. New business needs to be developed and nurtured. In developing the scorecard, this strategy is agreed upon and translated into objectives in the four p erspectives. The development of the scorecard enables the management to agree, prioritize and be accountable for the objectives of the business. Communicate and link strategic objectives and measures The Balanced Scorecards strategic objectives and measures are communicated via company newsletters, bulletin boards, video conferencing and groupware to all levels of organizational constituents. The communication serves to signal to all employees the critical objectives that must be accomplished if the companys strategy is to succeed. The communication process enables the alignment of goals throughout the organization. Once employees understand the high level objectives and measures, they can establish local objectives that support the companys objectives. In Asia Telecom, the Balanced Scorecard is cascaded down to all levels and more than 180 Balanced Scorecards were developed at various levels of the company. The Balanced Scorecards reflect each organizational units objectives in achieving the overall objectives. These scorecards can be accessed online using a Balanced Scorecard system developed in house by the company. Plan, set targets and align strategic initiatives Managers should establish the following to use the scorecard in an integrated long range strategic planning and operational budgeting process: Set long term, quantifiable and stretch targets for the scorecard measures. Identify initiatives (investments and action programs) and resources for these initiatives which will enable the achievement of targets. These initiatives are intended to close the gap between targets set for strategic measures and current performance on those measures. Link to annual resource allocation and budgets i.e. formulate specific short term targets for the scorecard measures. This will allow managers to determine whether their strategy is valid and enable progress monitored. In Asia Telecom, the customer satisfaction index is targeted at more than 90% in 2006. The initiative to achieve the target is via the Mesra Pelanggan Project and customer relationship management. Resource allocation required to achieve the target is included as part of the business plan. Any deviation from the initial target can be picked up during the business plan review. This is also available in the Balanced Scorecard system which links strategy, business plan and performance. It also makes all strategic initiatives and resources congruence to Asia Telecoms Strategy. Enhance strategic feedback and learning The Balance Scorecard enables managers to monitor and adjust the implementation of their strategy, and if necessary, make fundamental changes in the strategy itself. The learning process is of two types: Single loop learning process: feedback about whether the planned strategy is being executed according to plan Double loop learning process: feedback about whether the planned strategy remains a viable and successful strategy. This learning process will prompt managers to question their underlying assumptions and reflect on whether the strategy under which they are operating remains valid in consideration of the current evidence, observations, and experience. The strategic feedback and learning process feeds into the next vision and strategy process where objectives in the various perspectives are reviewed, updated, and replaced in accordance with the most current view of the strategic outcomes and required performance drivers for the upcoming periods. Suppose that the data reveal that the organizations employees and managers have delivered on the performance drivers employees skills and competencies has been improved, tools and technology are available, new products and services have been developed and introduced on schedule. Now, th

Martin Luther King Jrs Impact on the Civil Rights Movement Essay

Martin Luther King Jr's Impact on the Civil Rights Movement Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech directly contributed to the Civil Rights movement. While delivering his speech at a kairotic moment, King tells us how blacks have been serving an injustice and that they should be treated equally. Much had transpired before the speech was delivered. As civil rights protests spread throughout the nation, King continued to combine peaceful methods of protest and his theological training to work towards the hope of equal rights for blacks (Kauffeld and Lefrd, 1989). During this time, blacks were not treated equally and were often denied service. King was trying to get the merchants and the government officials to negotiate on their terms which would allow blacks to be allowed in all facilities that white people were and to be hired on a non-discriminatory basis (King, 1969). For example, in Birmingham, Alabama, black men and women held sit-ins and kneel-ins where they were denied service at lunch counters and attendance at church. Many demonstrators were fined and arrested for these acts. In 1963, King, Reverend Shuttlesworth, and Reverend Abernathy lead a protest in Birmingham. They were then arrested and taken to Southside Jail. Society treated blacks and whites differe ntly, like they didn't matter. King was raised to treat others in the same manner no matter what the circumstances, which lead to his speech that contributed to the civil rights movement and helped change blacks rights (Dyson, 2000). On August 28th, 1963, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C., the African-American civil-rights movement reached its high potential when Martin Luther King spoke to over 250,000 people attending h... ... our nation became one and is a better place because of it. The ?I Have a Dream? speech not only contributed to the civil rights movement, but it is the most influential speech in history. Works Cited Bond, Julian. "Kings 1963 I Have a Dream Speech." Seattle Times 4 April 1993. Dyson, Michael. I May Not Get There With You: The True Martin Luther King Jr. New York: Free Press, 2000. King, Corretta. "My Life with Martin Luther King Jr." Holt Rinehart and Winston: Canada. 1969 King, Corretta S. The Words of Martin Luther King Jr. New York: Newmarket Press,1987. Kauffeld, Fred and Lefrd, Michael. Texts in Context: Critique dialogues on Significant Episodes in American Public Rhetoric. Davis: Hemagoras Press, 1989. Rappaport, Dorreen. Martins Big Words: The Life of Martin Luther King Jr. New York: Scholastic Inc., 2002.

A Man with Five Children Essay

Prescriptions Statement In this elective students explore a variety of texts that deal with the ways in which individuals and communities experience and live in a global context. Students consider the positive and negative aspects of the global village and the consequences of these on attitudes, values and beliefs. Students also consider the role and uses of media and technology within the global village and different attitudes people may have towards them. Students respond to and compose a range of texts to investigate how and in what ways living in a global village may influence the ways we communicate, engage and interact with each other. Elective 1: The Global Village Background to term â€Å"The Global Village† The phrase â€Å"global village† was first used by Marshall McLuhan, a media theorist in the 1960s, to describe a world that has been â€Å"shrunk† by modern advances in communications. McLuhan likened the vast network of communications systems to one extended central nervous system, ultimately linking everyone in the world. McLuhan wrote that the visual, individualistic print culture would soon be brought to an end by what he called â€Å"electronic interdependence†: when electronic media replace visual culture with aural/oral culture. In this new age, humankind will move from individualism and fragmentation to a  collective identity, with a â€Å"tribal base.† McLuhan’s coinage for this new social organization is the global village, a term which has predominantly negative connotations in The Gutenberg Galaxy (a fact lost on its later popularisers). (Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marshall_McLuhan) Information on text Backcover Blurb â€Å"I want your child, and yours, and yours. What do I want from them? One day out of their lives. One day a year, till they turn twenty-one. One day for the camera to follow them.† Gerry is a documentary film-maker who, on day each year, follows five children around with a camera. He shows the results annually on television. Yet for the children who grow up under Gerry’s (and the nation’s) watchful eye, the experience creates its own dynamic. Are the participants his subjects, his children or his creations? What responsibility does a story-teller have to his subjects, his audience, and himself? How much does Gerry take? Does the presence of the camera distort the lives it is supposed to be capturing? Spanning more than twenty years, A Man With Five Children invites you into a world of fractured celebrity and distorted vision. Links to syllabus within the core text Students explore a variety of texts that deal with the ways in which individuals and communities experience and live in a global context. technology providing a window into people’s lives private lives in public space the cult of â€Å"ordinary† celebrities the connectedness among strangers Students consider the positive and negative aspects of the global village and the consequences of these on attitudes, values and beliefs. manipulation of both subject and representation of subject by media leads to manipulation of public opinion public misrepresentation of character leads to private questioning of identity loss of privacy Students also consider the role and uses of media and technology within the global village and different attitudes people may have towards them. attitude of media creators and their agenda various attitudes of subjects reflect different reasons/needs attitudes of consumer in the global village consider: the global village fills a gap in people’s lives Key Concepts Private Realm, Public Sphere How private is private? A personal blog on Myspace is regarded as â€Å"published† in the public realm. YouTube can project images of a girl dancing in her bedroom to millions around the world. What rights does an ordinary citizen have to privacy? What rights does a famous individual have to privacy? Habermas’ theory on the public sphere is based on the belief that a public sphere is â€Å"an accessible and independent realm in which each voice is equal to one.†1 To this end, many may regard the function of mass media as a public sphere, representative of the citizenry and accessible to all. But is this the case? Is every voice equal? Is mass media really reflective of democracy? Who controls the public sphere of mass media, if anyone? Manipulation by Media In a society growing increasingly dependent on media and technology to inform and express ourselves, how reliable can the medium be regarded? How open to manipulation are we as an individual and as a society? Who is manipulating us? The media subject? The media maker? The media distributor? How is this information further warped by our own perceptions of the world? Who or what  can be trusted? What may be considered credible or authoritative? Will we believe only talking images, i.e. words coming out of a mouth that we can see? Can even this be misrepresented? The Unknown Celebrity McLuhan, in coining the phrase â€Å"global village†, was referring to a world whose borders of communication have effectively disappeared. Even now, what we see on TV can be immediately transferred to distribution via the internet, reaching an audience far greater than that which was originally intended. As a result, ordinary people become ‘celebrities’, transiently or long term, to the extent that, despite never having personal knowledge of these people, we feel that we ‘know’ them. To what extent can these people be known? Is knowledge of their lives and thoughts public property due to their fame or infamy? Is there a public right to know? Has the ‘celebrity’, willing or not, forsaken their right to fair representation or privacy? To what extent do celebrities control their public image? No Moral Bent McLuhan argued that technology has no per se moral bent – that it is a tool that profoundly shapes an individual’s and, by extension, a society’s self-conception and realization.2 Is the media and technology a forum devoid of moral values or moral discourse? Does the public right to information exceed a person’s individual rights to privacy? There are laws to protect an individual from slander and defamation, but none to protect a person from misrepresentation through editing or omission. The Positive Power of Media and Technology Mass media is a very powerful weapon in the right hands: it can unify and arouse a whole populace to action; it provides even access to information for all who seek it; it provides knowledge of the world of which we might otherwise remain ignorant; it provides a voice for the ordinary individual who chooses to speaks up or speak publicly; it allows understanding of  minorities, the underdog and the disadvantaged, it also provides a forum for the exchange of goods and services. Possible Theses The global village brings knowledge of the world into your living room; however, you are always consuming someone else’s perspective. Media and technology may be powerful tools for information and exchange, but come with a hidden cost to society. Suggestions for introductory activities Dependence on technology Students could keep a log over a 24 hour period or longer, recording every instance of use, engagement or interaction with technology. This activity leads into a discussion/exploration of our dependence on technology on a daily level. Students conduct a survey of those that have recently communicated with someone in another country via the web, phone, fax or email. How do we inform ourselves? In groups, students conduct a survey to establish all the ways that we inform ourselves as individuals and a population. What information do we rely upon to form opinions about what is occurring here and overseas? What kind of information and format do we regard as credible? What don’t we regard as credible? How do we know what information we can trust? The global village as strength and as a weakness Students in groups brainstorm all the ways in which we benefit from being so closely and immediately connected to other individuals around the world. Do all individuals benefit, or is there inequality in the global village? What  are the pros and cons of this kind of global network? Students should also consider the more complex questions of: Who controls the global village? How does living in or participating in the global village affect our perceptions of ourselves and the world around us? Text-Related Activities Students respond to and compose a range of texts to investigate how and in what ways living in a global village may influence the ways we communicate, engage and interact with each other. Looking at Gerry’s opening speech. Short answer questions. What is the effect of the direct address to the audience of this speech? What does Gerry promise about how the project will be conducted? What benefits does he offer the parents of these children? What reason does he give for the public benefit of the project? What is the symbolism of Gerry meeting the kids at the zoo? Would these arguments persuade you? Would you have liked to have been part of a project like this one, or Seven Up? 1) Write a letter to Gerry as a parent responding to his request for your child. Outline your feelings, concerns, objections, reasons for agreement etc. 2) Write a letter to Gerry as a one of the five children in the play at age 21. What do they have to say to Gerry in response to this speech he made to their parents at the beginning of the project? *** Gerry says in the opening speech: â€Å"You know that old maxim? ‘Give me a child at seven, I’ll show you the adult’. I don’t buy that. I say, give me a child at seven and let’s see where he goes, where she goes.† Compare the five children as you meet them at seven to the adult at the end of the play. To what extent can you see the adult they would become at the age of seven? To what extent are the adults these children become a product of Gerry’s role in their lives? To what extent does the media scrutiny affect their development and the perspective of themselves and the world they hold as adults? Select ONE of the children then write two short interviews, firstly, with a former teacher of the child and, secondly, with a spouse or friend of the child as an adult. Explore the character’s development throughout the play. *** Reverse the gaze of the camera. Write a short film scene of Gerry talking to the camera at the end of the play. Have him reflect on his actions throughout the project and the lives of the children. If possible, video tape the enactment of this scene. *** You are responsible for marketing the box set of Gerry’s Five Children documentaries. How will you promote it? What aspects of the children’s lives do you focus on? Produce a brochure and a print advertisement for distribution at the point of sale. Assessment Task Course: Standard English Module C: The Global Village Task: Viewing and Representing Weighting: 15% Syllabus Outcomes 2. A student demonstrates understanding of the relationships among texts. 6. A student engages with the details of text in order to respond critically and personally. 7. A student adapts and synthesises a range of textual features to explore and communicate information, ideas and values for a  variety of purposes, audiences and contexts. 8. A student articulates and represents own ideas in critical, interpretive and imaginative texts from a range of perspectives. Viewing and Representing Task Technology brings the world closer together. Who does it serve and what impact does it have on society? Respond to the above statement and question in a visual representation based on your prescribed text The Man with Five Children and at least one other text of your own choosing. Your visual representation can be presented in any medium of production such as: Power point, flip chart or smart notebook Diorama Model Poster Slide show Short film Story board Dramatic monologue Free choice Your visual representation must contain: Visual images and graphics Text from the play and at least one other text of own choosing Connections between the texts and the positive and negative impact of technology on the global village You will be assessed on how well you: Represent the concept of the global village through graphics and text Represent the ideas of the play and at least one other text of own choosing Represent the positive and negative impact of technology on the global village Make integrated connections between the texts Module C: Standard English Texts and Society MARKING GUIDELINES Criteria Marks Skilful representation of the concept of the global village through graphics and text Perceptive representation the ideas of the play and at least one other text of own choosing Skilful representation of the positive and negative impact of technology on the global village Skilful integrated connections between the texts 15 – 13 Effective representation of the concept of the global village through graphics and text Thoughtful representation the ideas of the play and at least one other text of own choosing Effective representation of the positive and negative impact of technology on the global village Effective integrated connections between the texts 12 – 10 Sound representation of the concept of the global village through graphics and text Sound representation the ideas of the play and at least one other text of own choosing Sound representation of the positive and negative impact of technology on the global village Sound integrated connections between the texts 9 – 7 Limited representation of the concept using graphics and text Limited representation the ideas of the play and at least one other text of own choosing Limited representation of the positive and negative impact of technology on the global village Limited connections between the texts 6 – 4 Elementary representation using graphics and text Elementary representation the ideas of the play and at least one other text of own choosing Elementary representation of the positive and negative impact of technology on the global village Elementary or no connections  between the texts 3 – 0

Native Americans in the United States and Pocahontas Incident John

AMERICAN LITERATURE I Instructor: Dr. Le Thi Thanh Troy University – STU Campus The Pocahontas Incident John Smith Group members: Ho Truong Phuong Thao TranThi Hong Nhung Nguyen Van Huy Objectives: Understanding author's biography and his work Understanding Pocahontas's biography Answer three impotant questions about his work A. John Smith's biography John Smith (1580 – 1638) had have a heroic life since he was not only a English soldier but also became explorer and author.He contributed a part of his life to be the Captain of the first ship which made a landfall at Massachuselts in 1602 to explore New England. He was also memorized for the founder by setting up the English settement at James Town, Virginia. John Smith's life experienced many adventures when he was an adolescent in Europe. His life time had been through many coups such as fighting with the Turk, becoming a slave which was sold to Asia Minor, killing his captors†¦ At twenty-seven years old, hesailed to New Wold and explored the Chesapeake Bay, the shores of New England.He also got a friendly relationship with Native Americans. Moreover, he also was a famous writer and made some well-known books included A True Relation (1608), A Map of Virginia with a Description of the Country (1612), The General History of Virginia, New-England. The Pocahontas story appeared in the Summer Isles (1624). John Smith had been probably offer an important role to the first colonial writing in America. B. About the work: This work described the episode that John Smith had been saved by the princess Pocahontas since he was captured and in the hands of Indians.This account was narrated by â€Å"him† – the third person to told the audiences how the story happened. There were some detaited we should pay attention to this work: Who were the characters? John Smith, Powhatan, Pocahontas How many other Indian people were at the judiscation? more than two hundreds Where did the judiscation hap pen? Meronocomoco, Virginia How did it happen? Firstly, John Smith was brought to meet Powhatan and his courtiers. When he was prepared to be killed, Pocahontas had saved him by getting â€Å"his head in her arms† and laying â€Å"her own upon his† (p. 3). Two days after, John Smith was led to a great house and was going to be fired, Powhatan absolve him from death and â€Å"esteem him as his son†Ã¢â‚¬â€œ called â€Å"Nantaquoud† (p. 43) Why was he alive? Thanks to the Pocahontas's altruistic, he had been rescued. New words: bravery (n) s? l? ng l? y, s? an m? c sang tr? ng robe (n) ao choang train (n) doan tuy tung bedeck (v) trang hoang, trang di? m, trang tri babarous (a) da man, man r? contented (a) b? ng long disguised (a) tra hinh, c? i trang mat (n) t? m th? m, rem esteem (v) quy m? nC. Pocahontas's Biography: 1. What is the major in Pocahontas’s life? Matoaka was the beautiful and lively daughter of Powhatan, ruler of the land that the Engl ish named Virginia. â€Å"Pocahontas† was her childhood nickname, translated as â€Å"little wanton,† meaning she was playful and hard to control. When she was born, Powhatan sent her mother home to her own village, to raise Pocahontas. That was his custom. When she was about school age, Pocahontas left her mother to live in her father's capital, with her older brothers and sisters.As they grew up, Powhatan appointed some as chiefs of his other tribes. Pocahontas became her father's favorite, â€Å"the apple of his eye†. In this new account, his capture included the threat of his own death: â€Å"†¦ at the minute of my execution,† he wrote, â€Å"she [Pocahontas] hazarded the beating out of her own brains to save mine; and not only that, but so prevailed with her father, that I was safely conducted to Jamestown. â€Å"[Eight years later, in his Generall Historie, Smith expanded upon the story.Writing about himself in the third person, he explained that after he was captured and taken to the paramount chief, â€Å"two great stones were brought before Powhatan: then as many as could laid hands on him [Smith], dragged him to them, and thereon laid his head, and being ready with their clubs, to beat out his brains, Pocahontas the Kings dearest daughter, when no entreaty could prevailed, got his head in her arms, and laid her own upon his to save him from death .. When Smith returned, there were only 38 colonists left (out of 104).Pocahontas kept the colonists from starving to death that first winter, by visiting regularly with plenty of food. Pocahontas paid regular visits to her friend Captain John Smith, but in October 1609, she was told that Smith was dead. She stopped visiting after that. The following winter was known as the Starving Time. Actually, Smith wasn't dead; his leg was badly burned in a gunpowder explosion, and he had returned to England for medical treatment. The colonists thought the death story would work bett er with the Indians. Several years passed, with no sign of Pocahontas.Ralph Hamor heard that she had married one of Powhatan's chiefs, named Kocoum. Captain Argyle discovered that Pocahontas was staying with the Patowamekes, and captured her on June 4, 1613, intending to trade her for concessions from Powhatan. Powhatan only met enough of the demands to keep negotiations open. During her captivity, leading colonists worked to convert her to Christianity. One of those colonists, John Rolfe, fell in love with her, and she’s with him. Pocahontas was baptized as a Christian, and married John Rolfe in 1614. Her new name was Lady Rebecca Rolfe. She gave birth to a son, Thomas Rolfe.This marriage created the â€Å"Peace of Pocahontas†, six years of peace between the Jamestown colonists and Powhatan's tribes. Pocahontas' life ended on a high note, with a triumphal tour of England (arriving June 3, 1616) as a visiting princess. She visited many important people, including King James and Queen Anne. Sho also met John Smith and this caused a big shock for her as she thought he was dead. In England, her portrait was made and published. As she started home, smallpox – English disease took her life. She was buried in the church at Gravesend, England (Mar. 21, 1617) age 21 or so. (Her exact birth date is uncertain: roughly 1595. The meaning of Pocahontas’s life is that Pocahontas played a significant role in American history. As a compassionate little girl she saw to it that the colonists received food from the Indians, so that Jamestown would not suffer the fate of the â€Å"Lost Colony† on Roanoke Island. She is said to have intervened to save the lives of individual colonists. In 1616 John Smith wrote that Pocahontas was â€Å"the instrument to pursue these colonies from death, famine, and utter confusion. † And Pocahontas not only served as a representative of the Virginia Indians, but also as a vital link between the Native Amer icans and the Englishmen.Whatever her contributions, the romantic aspects of her life will stand out in Virginia history forever. Historic portrait of the real Pocahontas in London, age 21, dressed as the Christian lady she had become. Whatever her contributions, the romantic aspects of her life will no doubt stand out in Virginia history forever She died within months. This portrait hangs in the National Portrait Gallery of the Smithsonian, in Washington, D. C. This painting is a later copy of an engraving made during her London visit of 1616. It flatters and Europeanizes her more than does the original engraving, which failed to capture her celebrated allure. pic][pic] 2. Why did Pocahontas die? And what is her death's significances? According to Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition; Pocahontas was killed by smallpox – an White people's disease in a ship which returned from England to her homeland.. She died on March 21,1617 and was burried at Gravesend. Her death was one of the case which represent for the cultural chiasma between Native American and White people. The death of Pocahontas and the subsequent death of her father led the relationship between the colonists and the natives become worse. D. Understanding John Smith's work: . What specific details of Indian life and Indian nature does the account reveal? Indian life which was decribed by John Smith was familiar with current audiences since they could easily find out many similar characteristics which concerned to Native American on television program, newspapers or history researches. The first thing we could conclude about the Red people was they lived a simple life which closely to the nature as they used almost things made from the environment such as using feathers â€Å"instead of a towel† to dry hand, wearing skinned robe with â€Å"all the tails hanging by† (p. 3). â€Å"Their head and shoulders painted red† and used â€Å"white down of birds† to h elp them more beautiful (p. 43). They seemed not have any idea about tresury metals like gold, diamond which White people were looking for. They only focused on their simple, traditional comunity by using primitive and ancient tools such as â€Å"robes, shoes, bows, arrows†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ Moreover, Indian society was different from ours in some specific ways. Equality and justice was emphasized and took stock in each citizen no matter who they were, what their social status was.For example, in John Smith's work, although Powhatan was the chief King of Red people, he still made â€Å"his own robes, shoes, bows, arrows, pots; lant, hunt, or do any thing so well as the rest† (p. 43). In addition, democracy was the thing which could be revealed and complimented as well. For instance, when John Smith was captured, â€Å"a long consultation was held† between the King, courtiers and other people to make the final decision. Finally, their culture was special and colorful as the y often â€Å"disguised† and â€Å"bedecked† themselves with tail, â€Å"white down of bird† (p. 43)†¦Followed the account, the Indian nature was absolutely rich, wealthy and bounteous. It was also described through the Native people's appearence with red color on their head, â€Å"great chain of white beads about their neck†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ (p. 43) How much confidence do you have in the truth of these details as related by Captain Smith? In our group's work, since we considered that John Smith's account was veracious and had many similarities to the reality not only in Indian culture which we easily found in television, newspapers, films but also in the detail that Pocahontas had saved his life.There were many researched told this story and proved that Pocahontas used to rescue him such as Pocahontas and Her World (1969) by G. S. Woodward or Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2010). Thus, we concluded that there was about 90 percentage of John Sm ith's work is true and the rest part might be hyperbolized by his imagine and mannerism. 2. How do you account for the popularity of this story in American legend? The story of Pocahontas is very popular. Almost people in America and also around the world know this.So it really becomes the big inspiration for many people to institute their creation. For example: The very famous picture â€Å"The Baptism of Pocahontas† painted by John Gadsby Chapman in 1840. This explained the characters in the painting, and praised the Jamestown settlers for introducing Christianity to the â€Å"heathen savages. â€Å"[pic] In the 19th century, John Brougham produced a burlesque, Po-ca-hon-tas, or The Gentle Savage. It debuted in 1855 and became an instant hit. Po-ca-hon-tas remained a staple of theatre troupes and blackface minstrel companies for the next 30 years, typically as an afterpiece .Several films about Pocahontas have been made and two of the most famous film are Pocahontas (1995 ), It was produced by  Walt Disney Feature Animation [pic] The New World  (2005)  written and directed by  Terrence Malick [pic] The song â€Å"color of wind† is also mention about Pacahontas. Performed by Vanessa Lynn Williams who is the very famous singer and had won the miss American contest in 1984. [pic] 3. What typical American traits do you find in Captain John Smith? John Smith was an adventurer, discoverer, writer, and the best founding father of America.Captain John Smith risked his life, his reputation and property to establish a colony in America. He contributed a great deal to the creation and survival of the English Colony in America which is the birthplace of the United States. John Smith was a self-made man. He left his English homeland to seek a life of adventure with honor. His leadership quality during crisic was another American trait, optimistic and tolerance. Captain Smith did not have attention to revenge for his partners who was killed by Nativ e Americans. That means he got generosity in his heart. Moreover, he got along with Indian well.And he was also steptical when he was captured by Narive Americans. So John Smith’s characteristics look like the American people now. They are clever, self-made, friendly and especially they always like to find out a new change for their life Work Cited Hadas, Pamela White. â€Å"POCAHONTAS FROM HER NEW WORLD. † Kenyon Review 5. 2 (1983): 24-34. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. P. L. Barbour, Pocahontas and Her World (1969); G. S. Woodward, Pocahontas (1969). PhD. Le, Thanh Thi, ed. â€Å"Pocahontas Incident. † American Literature. Ho Chi Minh: Education, 2007. 42-44. Print. â€Å"Pocahontas. Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition (2010): 1. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. Silver, Marc. â€Å"Pocahontas, for real. † U. S. News & World Report 118. 24 (1995): 61. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. TRAT NER, MICHAEL. â€Å"TRANSLATING VALUES: MERCANTILISM AND THE MANY â€Å"BIOGRAPHIES† OF POCAHONTAS. † Biography: An Interdisciplinary Quarterly 32. 1 (2009): 128-136. Academic Search Complete. EBSCO. Web. 3 Oct. 2011. http://pocahontas. morenus. org/poca_pic. html http://www. preservationvirginia. org/rediscovery/page. php? page_id=26 http://pocahontas. morenus. org/index. html