Problems in Group Interaction and Ways to Overcome It Essays

Problems in Group Interaction and Ways to Overcome It Essays Problems in Group Interaction and Ways to Overcome It Essay Problems in Group Interaction and Ways to Overcome It Essay [pic] FACULTY OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT ASSIGNMENT SUBMISSION AND ASSESSMENT ____________________________________________________________ ____________ COURSE CODE : OUMH1303 COURSE TITLE : ENGLISH FOR ORAL COMMUNICATION SEMESTER : SEPTEMBER 2011 NAME OF STUDENT: EVA KOAY ASSIGNMENT TITLE: You are an employee of Softskills Training Consultant, a company which conducts soft skill training. You have been asked to give a speech entitled â€Å"Problems faced in group interaction and ways to overcome these problems† to the employees of Santander Bank. ___________________________________________________________ ____________ TABLE OF CONTENTS TOPIC PAGES |Index |Description |Page No. | |(1) |Introduction |1 | |1. 1 |What is Group Interaction? | | |1. 2 |The importance of learning skills | | |1. 2. 1 | | | |2. | | | |2. 1 | | | |2. 2 | | | |2. 3 | | | |2. 4 | | | |2. | | | |3. 0 | | | |3. 1 | | | |3. 2 | | | |3. 3 | | | |3. | | | |3. 5 | | | |4. 0 |C onclusion | | Good Afternoon , Dear Bankers, Ladies and Gentlemen, WELCOME TO THE TALK Today, the topic I am going to share with you is, â€Å"Problems faced in group interaction and ways to overcome these problems† 1) INTRODUCTION 1. 1 What is Group Interaction? How do we define ‘group’? Groups are commonly found in which people or working people are together to form a whole. Groups signify the collectivity of friends in circles, families, communities and co-workers. Groups are an essential part of our community life. As they can be in a small group of two or three people or in a large number of people. Groups that are interacting and interrelating with each other. Group interaction in general can be defined as a group of people interrelate and interact together to target the tasks or resolving conflict of issues at in order to reach a good understanding in communication, building team rapport and spirit. Organizations, school or societies which organize or form a group of students , committees or co-workers to interact and work together for any meetings, events or in any kind of discussions for the purpose of reaching a better understanding by discussing together in team to target the unsettling issues or to cater to any key tasks in their organizations. In order to reach a better understanding and interaction, it is good to have the groups to interact with good and effective skills, brainstorming and share experience, seek explanation and find solutions to resolve the issues together in order to obtain good decisions . . 2 The importance of learning skills The importance of learning skills determine the effectiveness of interaction in groups for an end result of attaining solution. Learning of interaction skills are important steps that enables the ability to speak comprehensibly and convincingly and to listen the needs and analyzing response of others, by exchanging ideas and shari ng of experiences. These are the fundamental skills in carrying out the knowledge of communication theory and process in interaction. . 3 How learning these skills will benefit your audience in order to work effectively in a group By learning up effectively in groups motivate us to ask and respond to each other, elaborate and support each other’s opinions, enunciate own thoughts, brainstorming and share experience to reflect own knowledge. A member of the groups in general will open up the discussion issues, suggests the members to provide their ideas and opinions, seek explanation and find solutions to resolve the issues. Discussions would conclude well if the whole process of group interaction is managed well. Active group participation will also benefit the members of the group in building team spirit. Nevertheless, the benefits of group interaction would very much depend on the well managed teams and their cooperation. Besides, learning the skills will help the group to be more productive and completed their tasks effectively. Effective skills will help the group to generate and develop a good and effective interaction. 1. 3. 1 Instill individual responsibility and accountability Effective skills will help to instill individual responsibility and accountability as groups will reach an understanding in what they need to do, what are the next steps to carry out and how would they complete within the deadline, each of them hold responsibility and accountable for their own tasks. 1. 3. 2 Positive feedback Focusing and listening well on people’s ideas and comments in one the skills in interaction which help the group members to receive and provide feedback about others’ opinions, questioning of doubts. This will help to open up the members for improvement. Problem solving: Group members help the group to develop and use strategies central to their group goals. As such, they can facilitate group decision making and deal productively with conflict. In extreme cases, they know when to approach the professor for additional advice and help. Management and organization: Group members know how to plan and manage a task, how to manage their time, and how to run a meeting. For example, they ensure that meeting goals are set, that an agenda is created and followed, and that everyone has an opportunity to participate. They stay focused on the task and help others to do so too. Knowledge of roles: Group members know which roles can be filled within a group (e. g. , facilitator, idea-generator, summarizer, evaluator, mediator, encourager, recorder) and are aware of which role(s) they and others are best suited for. They are also willing to rotate roles to maximize their own and others’ group learning experience. â€Å"This paper presents a model of collaborative learning designed to help an intelligent collaborative learning system identify and target group interaction problem areas. The model describes potential indicators of effective collaborative learning, and for each indicator, recommends strategies for improving peer interaction. This collaborative learning model drove the design and development of two tools that automate the coding, and aid the analysis of collaborative learning conversation and activity. Empirical evaluation of these tools confirm that effective learning teams are comprised of active participants who demand explanations and justification from their peers. The distribution of conversational skills used by members of a supportive group committed to their teammates learning is compared to that of an unfocused, unsupportive group. The results suggest that structured, high-level knowledge of student conversation in context may be sufficient for automating the assessment of group interaction, furthering the possibility of an intelligent collaborative learning system that can support and enhance the group learning process. † |Available: International Journal of Artificial Intelligence in Education (IJAIED) 12 (2001) 40-62 | |(http://aied. nf. ed. ac. uk/members01/archive/vol_12/soller/full. html) | |Learning Research and Development Center (LRDC), University of Pittsburgh. | |[| |p| |i| |c| |]| â€Å"To function successfully in a small group, students need to be able to communicate clearly on intellectual and emotional levels. Effective communicators: * can explain their own ideas * express their feelings in an open but non-threateni ng way * listen carefully to others ask questions to clarify others’ ideas and emotions * can sense how others feel based on their nonverbal communication * will initiate conversations about group climate or process if they sense tensions brewing * reflect on the activities and interactions of their group and encourage other group members to do so as well â€Å"Regular open communication, in which group members share their thoughts, ideas, and feelings, is a must for successful group work. Unspoken assumptions and issues can be very destructive to productive group functioning. When students are willing to communicate openly with one another, a healthy climate will emerge and an effective process can be followed. † â€Å"Skills for a Healthy Group Climate To work together successfully, group members must demonstrate a sense of cohesion. Cohesion emerges as group members exhibit the following skills: * Openness: Group members are willing to get to know one another, particularly those with different interests and backgrounds. They are open to new ideas, diverse viewpoints, and the variety of individuals present within the group. They listen to others and elicit their ideas. They know how to balance the need for cohesion within a group with the need for individual expression. # Trust and self-disclosure: Group members trust one another enough to share their own ideas and feelings. A sense of mutual trust develops only to the extent that everyone is willing to self-disclose and be honest yet respectful. Trust also grows as group members demonstrate personal accountability for the tasks they have been assigned. # Support: Group members demonstrate support for one another as they accomplish their goals. They exemplify a sense of team loyalty and both cheer on the group as a whole and help members who are experiencing difficulties. They view one another not as competitors (which is common within a typically individualistic educational system) but as collaborators. # Respect: Group members communicate their opinions in a way that respects others, focusing on â€Å"What can we learn? † rather than â€Å"Who is to blame? † See Constructive Feedback in the process section for more details. † Available: (Online)http://cte. uwaterloo. ca/teaching_resources/tips/teamwork_skills. html Individual responsibility and accountability: All group members agree on what needs to be done and by whom. Each student then determines what he or she needs to do and takes responsibility to complete the task(s). They can be held accountable for their tasks, and they hold others accountable for theirs. Constructive Feedback: Group members are able to give and receive feedback about group id eas. Giving constructive feedback requires focusing on ideas and behaviours, instead of individuals, being as positive as possible, and offering suggestions for improvement. Receiving feedback requires listening well, asking for clarification if the comment is unclear, and being open to change and other ideas. Problem solving: Group members help the group to develop and use strategies central to their group goals. As such, they can facilitate group decision making and deal productively with conflict. In extreme cases, they know when to approach the professor for additional advice and help. Management and organization: Group members know how to plan and manage a task, how to manage their time, and how to run a meeting. For example, they ensure that meeting goals are set, that an agenda is created and followed, and that everyone has an opportunity to participate. They stay focused on the task and help others to do so too. Knowledge of roles: Group members know which roles can be filled within a group (e. g. , facilitator, idea-generator, summarizer, evaluator, mediator, encourager, recorder) and are aware of which role(s) they and others are best suited for. They are also willing to rotate roles to maximize their own and others’ group learning experience. As an instructor, use some of these strategies to encourage students to develop an effective process within their small groups: Design the group task so that the students must work together. Group members will be more motivated and committed to working together if they are given a group mark; if you choose to evaluate in this way, be sure to make your expectations extremely clear. See the CTE Teaching Tip sheet â€Å"Methods for Assessing Group Work† for additional ideas. Once students are in groups, have them develop, as one of their early assignments, a group contract in which they articulate ground rules and group goals. See Teaching Tips â€Å"Making Group Contracts† for details. Be sure that groups discuss how they will respond to various scenarios such as absentee or late group members and those who do not complete their assigned tasks. Distribute a list of decision-making methods and strategies for conflict resolution. The CTE Teaching Tip sheet â€Å"Group Decision Making† is a good place to start. Have each group articulate, based on this list, a set of strategies for decision making and conflict resolution; this list should become part of the group contract. You may also want to offer yourself as an impartial arbitrator in emergency situations, but encourage students to work out problems among themselves. Provide students with guidelines for running a meeting, such as setting and following an agenda, specifying time limits, and monitoring progress on the agenda. Consult the CTE Teaching Tip sheet â€Å"Meeting Strategies to Help Prepare Students for Group Work† for additional suggestions. Teach students effective methods for giving and receiving feedback. For sample methods, see Teaching Tips â€Å"Receiving and Giving Effective Feedback. Create an assignment that involves them giving feedback to group members, and make it part of their final grade. To help students recognize and make the most of their own and one another’s preferred roles, outline with them a list of team roles (see Teaching Tips â€Å"Group Roles† for one such list), have them determine which role(s) suits them best, and give them time to discuss within their groups how their particular role(s) will complement those of other group members. Requiring them to rotate their roles helps them to expand their skills set. 2. 0Problems faced in group interaction

How to Finish Writing a Book 8 Actionable Steps to Finish Your First Draft

How to Finish Writing a Book 8 Actionable Steps to Finish Your First Draft How to Finish Writing a Book: 8 Actionable Steps to Finish Your First Draft Do you struggle with actually finishing a full draft of your manuscript? Do you actually know how to finish writing a book?Trust me, it can be a lot harder than you think and Ill explain why belowIf youre someone who hops projects when you get bored or stuck, we have the solution to your common problem- and it might be different than you think. Here are our top tips to help you finish writing a book:Outline your bookSchedule writing timeBudget save for publicationBe realistic with your goalsGet accountability partnersMake finishing your book a part of your lifePower through to finish your bookAvoid burnoutWhy Many Aspiring Authors Dont Finish Writing a BookI think weve all been there beforeWe have fantastic story ideas or even writing prompts, are so motivated to sit down and write a book, but we end up hitting the midway point andstopping.So many writers out there fall short when actually finishing their books.Sure, you might be able to write a poem and finish that, or even complet e writing a short story or twobut manuscripts are different.But why?Theyre longer and take a lot more time and discipline to finish.Most writers are going through the process of writing and publishing a book blind. And without the right process (or help) in place, its easy to fall off the rails and end up with only half a manuscript shoved in a desk drawer somewhere collecting dust.Most writers fail to finish writing a book because they dont have a process to keep them accountable in order to finish.But thats where we come in.NOTE: If youre ready to actually FINISH your book, tune in to our FREE training to get it done. Dont let that amazing idea sit dormant for years and years, only to feel regret 5 years down the line. Get it done by starting TODAY.How many authors do you know who sit around and say, I wish I would have waited to start? Learn more about it hereHow to Finish Writing a BookObviously youre ready to commit- to take the leap and actually finish your book. Maybe youve s truggled for a few months or maybe youve been trying to finish your book for years. Either way, weve got the best tips to actually complete your manuscript.#1 OutlineThe best way to finish a project (and finish it quickly!) is to have a plan. A book’s plan is your outline. Now, not everyone is on board with book outlines. There are â€Å"plotters,† there are â€Å"pantsers,† and there are the in-betweeners (which we affectionately call â€Å"plotsers†).However, even writers who finish books regularly and claim they are vehemently against outlines are usually outlining.Whats the difference between pantsers and plotters?â€Å"Pantsers† tend to call their first draft something like a discovery draft, or draft zero, or, as Nora Roberts calls it, the piece of shit draft.Even though they say they don’t outline, this first draft is a type of outline. Even though Stephen King says, â€Å"Outlines are the last resource of bad fiction writers,† we know what he really means is, â€Å"My first draft is actually a type of outline, and that’s the method I’ve found that works for me, personally.†Ã¢â‚¬Å"Prose is architecture. It’s not interior design.† Ernest HemingwaySome people love every single detail planned before they begin writing, while others think outlines make their stories too formulaic. The good news is, there’s a type of outline for everyone! If there isn’t one already penned in existence, you can make. one. up. 😠®There are so many different kinds of outlines:Extremely detailed outlines with a sentence for every action in each sceneBasic bullet points of the ideas you want to cover, or â€Å"first draft† outlines where you plan your book by writing a version of itDraft zero, a pansted first draft, is one you can finish in roughly the same amount of time it takes you to plan and outline your bookYou don’t have to follow certain outline rules or g uidelinesyour outline is a tool for you and the way you work. So find a system that works best and utilize it!Pro Outlining Tip: If you’re more of a â€Å"pantser,† use what I call a â€Å"liquid outline.† Let it be flexible as your project progresses. For example, start with a bullet point outline of what you expect to happen, then as you write each chapter, go back and revise your outline when things change. This will keep you on track and organized, but it will also allow you the freedom and on-the-spot creativity of â€Å"pantsing† your book.#2 Schedule your writing timeA great way to stay productive is to set a writing schedule in order to develop a writing habit.Here are a few questions to ask yourself in order to finish writing your book:Which days and times will you write?How long will you write in each session?Will you hit a time limit each day, or do you want to reach a certain word count?Further than scheduling your writing, you can schedule t he entire publication process to keep your book on track through production and into marketing! Having a timeline for drafting, editing, beta rounds, cover, and interior design, book release, marketing, etc., will help you work more efficiently and coordinate the steps that require other people.For example, many cover designers require you to book months, or even years, in advance! Scheduling and planning will help you stay ahead of possible roadblocks.#3 Budget and saveSelf-publishing might be more expensive than you think it will be! If you haven’t done it yet, take some time to research possible costs of publishing a book.For example, do you want a cover designer? A professional editor? Special marketing? Determine out how much it will cost and how long you have to save, then set up a savings plan to be sure you can cover these costs.Heres a breakdown of potential costs you have to consider when writing your book:If you have no idea how to set up a savings plan, Jenna Mor eci has a great video on budgeting and savings basics!If you don’t take the time to budget for book production and save ahead of time, you may happen upon a charge you weren’t expecting and aren’t prepared to pay. Then your options are to halt production to save for it, go without, or take a loan.Saving ahead of time is much better than all three of those options, so do your research!If you want more information on the publishing expenses you can expect, check out the video below- and the biggest cost might be the most surprising. #4 Be realisticIn scheduling, budgeting, and saving, be realistic about your goals and timelines.If you convince yourself you have four hours of writing time each day to finish a draft in a month, but you have a full-time job and three kids? That’s probably not a realistic goal. Maybe you can only write for twenty minutes a day. Maybe you can only write on weekends. Maybe writing a few paragraphs during lunch breaks is your onl y option for now.Be honest, be logical, and set goals you have a chance of achieving. While you can always find ways to write faster in order to make the most of that writing time, you still have to set reasonable goals.Nothing is more demoralizing than never reaching your goals.#5 Consider finding a team to hold yourself accountableI have a critique group with two other writers who are also writing fantasy novels. Every Sunday, we exchange the chapter we wrote that week, as well as the other two writer’s chapters from the previous week with our critique comments.When utilizing a critique partner or group, I recommend the following:Find people with similar WIPsSet up a schedule for swapping chapters, stories, poems, scripts, etc.Keep open lines of communication!Having other people expect your routine updates, as well as having other people to discuss issues and setbacks, will help to keep you on track with a writing schedule.At Self-Publishing School, theres actually a Maste rmind Community each student gets to be a part of where accountability partners run rampant. All these writers are looking for others to help them finish writing their books.#6 Make your WIP a part of your lifeLet your book take up a lot of real estate in your mind, your home, and your daily life.As you grow your writing platform and market your book, talk about your work in progress. Tell your friends and family about it.The more people who know youre writing a book, the more theyll ask you about it.This hold you accountable to actually finish writing your book.You can even make a Youtube channel, like mine, in order to have more people familiar with you writing a book. (This is also a great strategy to market yourself as a writer)If you make a physical outline or a moodboard, hang it by your desk where you can see it. Set your main character’s profile sketch as your phone background.Make it where you can’t skip a writing day without thinking about it.This will keep your mind working toward solutions for your project every day.#7 Power through!Don’t let yourself get hung up on edits before your draft is finished. Don’t overthink itjust focus on getting through your first draft.Of course it won’t be perfect!But, like Nora Roberts said, â€Å"you can fix anything but a blank page.†You can’t edit nothing! Don’t slow down, keep your momentum, and pound out that first draft!The hardest part of writing a book is finishing the first draft. After that, its all downhill so just get it done!#8 Avoid burnoutWriting burnout is when you feel like your work is trash. You think you have nothing important to say. Maybe you think no one cares about what you’re writing or maybe youve fallen into a pit of writers block. Don’t fall into this hole!Your first instinct when confronted with writing burnout is usually to stop writing. Never stop writing. Maybe this WIP is sucking your joy, but realize that it is n’t you, and it isn’t your writingit’s the project.Try swapping to something a little easier, like a short story or a poem, but set a time to return to your book. Don’t let so much time slip away that you get too far away to return. Remind yourself of the reason to write a book in the first place.Ask yourself these questions if youre feeling writer burnout:Where does your inspiration come from?Who are you writing for?Why is it important to you?Write down your motivation and hang it somewhere you can see itDon’t let yourself get burned out before you can finish your project. Take a breather, but make a promise to yourself that you’ll get back to work and set a specific time to do so.Moral of the story: plan ahead and DON’T STOP UNTIL YOU’RE FINISHED!Are you ready to start- and finally finish- your book? Turn in to our free training to help you go from blank page to published author in as little as 90 days.Yes, how long it takes to write a book can be as little as three months with our methods!

Genetic Analytical Report. exmamine the postive & negative effects of Essay

Genetic Analytical Report. exmamine the postive & negative effects of providing patrents with information - Essay Example Awareness of the genetic predisposition to diseases will trigger the notion of taking pro-active measures to ensure health safety in the public. Cooperation and encouragement of the government of Australia are some of the most fundamental requirements of this notion. This research report will generate useful information for a common man as well as for the government of Australia to some extent who will be able to use this information to make informed decisions while making the policies regarding the promotion or restriction of disclosing the genetic predisposition to diseases to people. Researchers hold the consensus that human genetic predisposition is the cause of most chronic diseases. In a vast majority of cases, it takes more than a single defective gene to cause the disease. Nevertheless, this remains a fact that genetic component is the most fundamental causal factor in a lot of common diseases experienced in adulthood including schizophrenia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and several congenital malformations that include but are not limited to neural tube defects, cleft lip, and cleft palate. This has conventionally generated a consensus among the doctors that many individual genes play a little yet considerable role in predisposing a person to a particular condition of genetics. Despite that, identifying the genes causing a particular disease is a very cumbersome target to achieve. In order to determine and sequence such a gene, it is imperative that the scientists are able to tell a gene that is equipped with the predisposing power for a specific disorder from the others. This raises a question for the scientists whether going through such a tough process is worth it when the information has mixed effects on the life of the individual whose genes are being assessed. Telling an individual that he/she carries a certain gene that caused an awful disease in his/her parents can be very overwhelming and stressful for the individual. On the other hand, kn owledge of the existence of a dangerous gene and the likelihood of acquiring the disease in the future gets very alarming for the individual and he/she is able to take preventive measures in time. Thus, informing the individuals about their genetic predisposition to diseases has both positive and negative outcomes. This research paper is directed at identifying the potential pros and cons of letting the people know their genetic predisposition to diseases. 1.1   Background and recent findings   In order to perceive the way of portrayal of genetics and the scientists’ role in it, popular media has been studied a number of times by different researchers (Condit, Ofulue, & Sheedy 1998; Henderson and Kitzinger 1999, Conrad 2001, Petersen 2001, and Bubela & Caulfield 2004). Other researchers have conducted in-depth analysis of the published editorials and journal articles with a view to examining the way developments in genetics have conventionally been recorded by the clinici ans and past researchers and what role they have played in advancing the field of genetics (Cunningham-Burley & Amos 1999). Editorials are one of the most fundamental sources of information about the portrayal of genetics. â€Å"Published in peer-reviewed journals, editorials allow leaders of the research and clinical communities to provide commentary on developments in science and clinical practice†

5 page in depth essay on any topic of criminal justice system of New

5 page in depth on any topic of criminal justice system of New York - Essay Example This paper will explore these and ultimately examine the relationship between incarceration and crime. The positive change in the prison statistics in the state of New York is attributed to the changes and reforms in the law enforcement policies of the state. The state has led reforms and innovations particularly in regard to the reformatory characteristic of its incarceration policy and its introduction of the modern parole. Reform was forced out of the policymakers because in the first half of 1990s, tightening revenues threaten the budget of correctional facilities and that the state correction facilities were then already overcrowded and still more prisoners are awaiting assignments. And so, one of the first acts as governor of the former Governor George Pataki was to loosen laws on minor repeat offenders in order to help decrease prison population and help ease the pressure on the correction system. (Clear, Cole and Reisig 15) Then the state legislature amended and relaxed the so-called Rockefeller Drug Laws, which made New York one of the strictest states when it came to polici ng drug offenders. Indeed, starting the latter half of the 1990s onwards, the prison commitments steadily dropped prompting the state to close some prison facilities and save millions of taxpayers’ money. The New York experience highlighted the requirement of effective prison policy – one that is characterized by a set of graduated options that can be tailored to specific situations. This led New York policymakers and criminal justice planners to one of its new policies - the use of a variety of alternative sentencing mechanisms, which include: residential community corrections; community service and alternatives to corrections; and, probation. (Mumpower and Ilchman 544) All these alternatives are considered to be less punitive and incapacitative than state prison, but in graduated degrees. Changes in law enforcement policies included the police making fewer

Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria Essay Example for Free

Democratic Consolidation in Nigeria Essay This development was heralded as an avenue to usher in democratic stability and good governance. However, contrary to widespread expectations, the post-military regime became an avenue for the explosion of violent ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria. As a matter of fact, since the emergence of democracy in May 1999, not less than one hundred ethnically and religiously instigated conflicts have occurred in Nigeria which resulted in loss of lives and unquantifiable material and psychological damage. Drawing from documentary research and findings, this paper probes the persistent spate of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria and its harmful implications on democratic consolidation in Nigeria. It investigates the history, causes and manifestations of ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria and maintains that unbridled lust for power, corruption, religious intolerance and the failure of the government to deliver democratic dividends, have resulted in these conflicts between ethnic and religious groups in the country. In the light of all these then, can democracy thrive in an atmosphere of crises? Can Nigeria come out of ethno-religious conflicts? If so, what steps can the government take to rein in the menace of these crises? Finally, the paper provides submissions for curbing this social epidemic, which has become a permanent feature of the Nigerian social polity. Keywords: Nigeria, Ethno-religious, Crises, Democracy, Development Introduction Democracy could be said to be a seed: when you sow bountifully, you reap bountifully. Thus, one of the dividends of democracy, which Nigerians have reaped in abundance since the transfer of power from the military to the civilians on May 29, 1999, is the rising wave of ethno-religious conflicts with devastating and untold consequences on lives and property (Jega, 2007: 116). Nigeria is a very populous nation in Africa with diverse cultural heritage. In fact, the country has a population of over 140 million and over 400 ethnic groups belonging to different religious sects as well (Salawu, 2010: 345). Since the attainment of independence, Nigeria has remained a multi-ethnic nation, which has been grappling with the problem of ethnicity on the one hand and that of ethno-religious conflicts on the other hand. At the inception of independence, for administrative expediency the various ethnic factions were fused and merged together by the colonialists. Then, the colonial masters left and things started falling apart, the center no longer held. No ethnic group desired to see the other. Little wonder then that the former Secretary of State at the British Colonial Office (1952-1959), Sir Peter Smitters regretted the action taken by the British to merge diverse ethnic groups into one in Nigeria. According to Ali (2004) cited in Adebayo (2010: 214), he was reported to have lamented that it was extremely dangerous to force diverse radical and social entities into single rigid political structure. However, that statement was medicine after death; the deed had been done. Indeed, a conglomerate of almost four hundred ethnic groups, each having its distinct history, language, culture and political systems before the colonial rule, all preserved in mitigated forms with the British system of governance super-imposed and named Nigeria really had future implications for unity. The colonial administration, for administrative convenience, compressed and merged the various ethnic groups in their respective regions, making Hausa/Fulani, Igbo, and Yoruba the major ethnic groups and reinforced the three political/administrative divisions – the north, the east, and the west, under appropriate constitutional arrangement. At independence and post independence era, the status-quo of the colonial era was retained under that infantile freedom, with every group retaining its tradition, language, and culture while sharing the common central institutions in a federal arrangement (Adebayo, 2010: 214). As a result, these major ethnic groups, because of their opportunistic positions were seen as consistently dominating the political and economic scene before and after the attainment of independence in 1960 and this led to agitations for state creation by the other â€Å"minor† ethnic groups who saw themselves as the marginalized groups. However, the more states were created, the more the complaints of marginalization and inequality by the new minorities against the new majorities in each state (Abdullahi and Saka, 2007). Consequently, the proliferation of ethno-religious and political turbulence in the country is therefore necessitated on the one hand by cultural, communal and religious differences and on the other hand by fear of domination nursed by the minority groups. As if what constitutes the federalism is not satisfied, there have been agitations for reversing back to the old regional autonomy of the different groups for the purpose of determining the pace of their development and control of their respective resources. These pernicious phenomena of ethnicity and religious intolerance led to the incessant surge of ethno-religious conflicts, which gave birth to the many ethnic militias today like the O’dua People’s Congress (OPC) put in place by the Yoruba in the south-western part of the country to fight for the protection and defence of Yoruba in Nigeria; the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), fighting for the cessation of the Igbo ethnic tribe in Nigeria; the Bakassi Boys; the Egbesu Boys; the Ijaw Youth Congress (IYC), the Igbo Peoples’ congress (IPC); the Arewa People’ Congress (APC) and the Ohaneze Ndigbo among others. This might probably be the feeling of Elaigwu (2005: 12) when he writes †¦the violent protests in the Niger-Delta over perceived injustice in resource distribution; the Itsekiri-Ijaw violence in the Delta; the resumption of the Ife-Modakeke communal violence; the menace of Odu’a Peoples’ Congress (OPC) and the accompanying violence in Lagos and Shagamu areas; the formation of the Arewa Peoples’ Congress (APC) and the Igbo Peoples’ Congress (IPC); the MASSOB feeble attempt to resuscitate Biafra; the Sharia crisis and the demands for a confederation; the South-South demand for the control of its resources; and all the recent interethnic/religious conflicts in various states across the country are all part of the bubbles of the Nigerian federation. They are based on the historical structures of mutual fears and suspicions among Nigerian groups in a competitive process. They reflect dissatisfaction of Nigerian groups with the state of the federation. With the emergence of all these ethnic militias and the deep divide between the various ethnic groups, religious intolerance became more violent and bloody with more devastating results using the ethnic militias as the executing platforms of ethno-religious agenda. Federalism thought to be an approach to national unity, resulted to anarchy in the country. A number of steps were taken to at least mend the disunity and disarray prevalent then and promote unity among the various ethnic groups. These included the establishment of federal institutions in some states of the federation, promotion of national cultural and sporting activities, and, more significantly, the National Youth Service Programme (NYSC), just to mention a few (Adebayo, 2010). Although these steps yielded pockets of successes in achieving national unity, the â€Å"unholy† marriage of convenience of the ethnic groups still begs for irrevocable divorce. While the ethnic rivalry held sway, religious pluralism, which culminated in many crises, shook the country to its very roots. The pernicious effect of this trend is not entirely surprising given the fact that religion is so sensitive to Nigerians that many are not only ready to defend it at all costs, but are ready to die for it. Hence, religious pluralism which resulted in religious intolerance was fused with ethnic rivalry, producing the recurrent spate of ethno-religious crises. And because of the violent nature of ethno-religious conflicts, which often take the form of riots, sabotage, assassinations, lynching and maiming, kidnappings, armed struggles, guerilla warfare and secession in Nigeria, they undoubtedly pose dangerous threats to democracy in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. Yes, as Jega (2007: 116) truthfully stated, the genetically engineered seeds of democracy planted by our colonial masters and further successive military regimes have grown to mature crops for harvest. Instead of democracy yielding peace, stability and security to lives and property, it seems to have yielded a return, full circle spate of ethno-religious conflicts and violent eruptions. Thus, the discussion of ethno-religious conflicts in whatever context becomes all the more necessary given the fact that there is a phenomenal recurrence of these conflicts around the nation thereby increasing its threat level to democratic consolidation in Nigeria. It is against this backdrop that this paper attempts to probe the history, manifestations and implications of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria since the dawn of democratic dispensation. Causes of Ethno-Religious Crises in Nigeria According to Awolowo (1990: 35), the notion of Nigeria as â€Å"a mere geographic expression† was engendered by the forceful packaging by colonial authoritarian fiat of unwilling communities of diverse origin and culture under the same polity. Consequently, relations and political behavior of the peoples are characterized by mutual suspicion and invidious hatred since they are strange bed-fellows, who were only coerced into the nation-state via amalgamation. Until 1960, Nigeria was a British colony. Like most colonies, it was not constructed for internal coherence, but rather for the administrative convenience of the British (Shively, 1997: 39). Over 400 different languages and dialects are spoken within its borders, and there is also an important religious split, as the north is primarily Muslim and the south is predominantly Christian, making her not only at ethno-religious crossroads but also at linguistic crossroads. As diverse as these ethnic groups are, they are also not accommodative of each other’s religion and professions of faith. This state of intolerance has added up to fuel the spate of crises in Nigeria. It should be noted that religion has always been the platform for frontal expressions of ethnic aggressions and conflict. Hence, ethnocentric politics, sectional solidarity and primordial interests became prominent features in the nation’s political practice. Sectional and individual virtues and interest rather than collective virtues and national unity are advanced and exalted. Thus, communal orientation precluded any attachment to the state and the syndrome of the ‘son of the soil’ took preference over merit and competence in the choice of policies and leaders. Although as Obasanjo and Mabogunje (1992: 4) aptly observed, colonialism provided scaffolding of holding the different communities together, not much change was achieved in altering communal mentality and predilection. Nonetheless, the persistent military incursion into government and politics did much harm for the body polity as national issues was mostly tribalized and primordial virtues extolled. These regimes had primordial outlook and sub-national mentality under which the northern part of the country was favoured brazenly, on one hand, and the southern part was deliberately dealt with in terms of appointments, contracts, location of government establishments, political oppression and repression as well as provision of social services and infrastructures. As a result, ethnic sectarianism has left a trail of destructive violence and even threatened the territorial integrity of Nigeria (International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance, 2001). Indeed, after long years of authoritarian rule, when the military clique and their civilian collaborators privatized the Nigerian state (Ukiwo, 2003), politicians in the emergent Fourth Republic were all too anxious to claim control of the state and its oil wealth as well. This thus led to an unbridled competition for political relevance and spheres of interests among politicians, especially in the context of the division of the country into geopolitical zones, states and local governments and the fact that distribution of benefits among the political class depended on the ability of each member of the ruling class to deliver his constituency. This lust for power has led to the neglect of the needs of the masses and the demand for peaceful co-existence. Instead, the rulers continue to enrich their pockets through corrupt dirty means and seek for elongation of tenures for selfish gains. In the circumstance, ethnicity, religion and other sectarian identities are exploited, resulting in avoidable violent conflicts among component units of the country. The persistence of mass poverty and increasing income inequality, largely as a result of the transformation of the fortunes of politicians and their allies from jobless neighbors to emergency billionaires in less than two years after capturing power, have deepened popular alienation. It has also called into question the legitimacy since 1999. Consequently, some of the easiest things to do in contemporary Nigeria are to mobilize an assassin, vigilante, ethnic-cum-religious militia, rioter, crowd or rented pro-government demonstrator. The result could only be imagined. The power lust of the political cliche is one of the perceived causes of ethno-religious crises in Nigeria. Another reason responsible for ethno-religious crises in Nigeria is the wrong interpretation by those who claim authority to the understanding of the holy books. If not so, one wonders why people act contrary to the teaching of the holy books (whether the Quran or the Bible) in matters pertaining to peaceful co-existence, unity and sanctity of life, and property. As it is a serious disease for someone who does not have a full grasp of the interpretation of any of the holy books to claim authority to knowledge, many of the so called ‘religious leaders’ use their shallow knowledge to put up interpretations to suit their selfish ends banking on the ignorance of their followers. Lamenting on the wide gap between the teaching and practice of religion among its adherents, Adebayo (2003) cited in Adebayo (2010: 219) identified some factors responsible for using religion as instrument of polarization, among which is leadership tussle, which also culminated in the proliferation of many denominations in the country. Also, sectarian jingoism, as well as excessive patriotism to one’s religious sect, which consequently transformed to fanaticism, is another major factor contributing to this social menace. Salawu (2010) also noted that the failure of the Nigerian leaders to establish good governments, forge national integration and promote what can be called real economic progress, through deliberate and articulated policies, has led to mass poverty and unemployment. This has resulted into communal, ethnic, religious and class conflicts that have now characterized the Nigerian nation. Poverty and unemployment have therefore served as nursery bed for many ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria because the country now has a reservoir of poor people who warmongers as mercenary fighters. What this means theoretically is that poverty and unemployment increase the number of people who are prepared to kill or be killed for a given course at token benefit. This explains why all ethno-religious crises that ever occurred in Nigeria have a large turnout of people (including the under-aged) as fighters. Lastly and very importantly, and not the least, the ethno-religious conflicts in Nigeria also have some historical antecedent (Salawu, 2010). This is because many governmental actions during the colonial rule and after independence encouraged, to a large extent, the sowing of the seeds of ethno-religious conflicts that are found to be rampant in the Nigerian nation today. Over the years, many events in Nigeria have led to the politicization of mistrust, intolerance, violence and acrimonious relations between the mainly Moslem north and the Christian south of Nigeria. To this extent, there has been an unfortunate insertion of ethno-religious discrimination and incompatibility in the structures of the Nigerian State since the colonial period. The political events of the January 15, 1966 coup and the July 1966 counter-coup further entrenched ethno-religious configuration in Nigeria. This is because the killings and counter-killing that followed the coups which took ethnic and religious colorations as the Muslim dominated tribes in the north were set against the Christian-dominated tribes of the southern region.

Condolezza Rice :: Biography Biographies Bio

Introduction I. When I say the words "Condoleezza Rice", some of you are wondering what it was that I just said. A. Some may think I'm speaking another language. B. Others may know that this is a person's name. II. When I first heard the name Condoleezza Rice, I didn't know who she was either. III. Today, I am here to tell you about Condoleezza Rice, our Secretary of State. IV. I will tell you about her childhood life, what she did before she became involved with politics, and how her political career started. (Let me start by telling you a little information about when she was a little girl.) Body I. Condoleezza Rice claims that her childhood taught her determination against adversity. A. Born on November 14, 1954 in Birmingham, Alabama, Condoleezza Rice grew up in the South during the time of the civil rights movement. 1. She was the only child of Reverend John Wesley and Angelena Rice. a) Her father was a minister at Westminister Presbyterian Church. b) Her mother was a pianist, an organist, and a music teacher. 2. During the time her mother was a music teacher, she named her child Condoleezza because it was an Italian musical term that meant "with sweetness." B. When Condoleezza turned eight years old, she was attending school during the Brown vs. Board of Education. 1. She was affected by this because she lost one of her classmates. 2. The little girl's name was Denise McNair and she was killed in a church bombing. C. At the age of 15, Condoleezza's goal was to become a pianist. 1. At first she studied at a music camp. 2. When she finished there, she moved to Colorado and attended the University of Denver, where her father taught a class called "The Black Experience in America." D. But then she decided to change her mind about being a pianist and became interested in politics 1. She then took a course on International Politics, which was taught by Josef Korbel. With this, she became interested with the Soviet Union and international relations 2. She began to call her teacher "one of the most central figures in my life." (Now that you have heard her about her childhood, let me continue with her career.) II. Although she spent a lot of years in school, Condoleezza achieved her career and became a part of many different businesses. A. After graduating high school, Condoleezza attended the University of Denver. 1. When she was 19, she received her bachelor's degree in political science and Phi Beta Kappa , later she received her master's degree from the University of Norte Dame afterwards 2. When she turned 21, she decided to change her political affiliation from Democratic to Republican.

Dave Barry’s Where Did My Little Girl Go: Puberty in Girls

Have you noticed the rapid physical changes they're going through? If so, you are not alone. Countless parents are experiencing this, and so is Dave Barry. He recently explained this topic In his editorial, â€Å"Where Did My Little Girl Go? ‘ and for me, I completely understand his point of view. It seems as though the duration of puberty for girls Is Instantaneous. As young girl develops, many changes go on that seems to happen all at once. First, the monthly surprise that is a huge surprise for mostly male parents.Parents begin to acknowledge the fact that their child Is no longer a child. Barry even refers to this as the â€Å"hormone bomb† Secondly, young girls begin to develop physical changes. Girls become full-figured, and begin to grab the attention of young men. That Is where parents, mainly protective fathers, start to worry. Barras novel Is titled You Can Date Boys When You're Forty, which most parents force their daughters to do, but It never really happens . Finally, the main point to this argument is that boys develop ritually slower than girls.This is how parents are more resistant to letting go of girls, especially when thinking of how many bad things there are in the world. And for parents, those bad things are boys. Barry even talked on the subject about his disagreements with his wife in letting boys in the house. As you can see, Parry's point is valid for many reasons more than one. It is a true fact that girls experience rapid physical changes faster than boys even experience chest hair. The duration of puberty for girls is instantaneous.

Courage in To Kill a Mockingbird Essay

â€Å"Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities†¦ because it is the quality which guarantees all others,† (Winston Churchill). There are several different ways t be courageous. Harper Lee, in her 1960 novel, To Kill a Mockingbird, uses courage as a main theme. Harper Lee demonstrates that if one can tell the truth, change or remain rooted in their morals, they are a minority among people who lack the ability to do so. In To Kill a Mockingbird there are different characters that show it takes a certain amount of courage to tell the truth. When Dolphus Raymond said, â€Å"You little folk won’t tell on me now, will you? It’d ruin my reputation if you did,† (Lee 227) after he showed the kids that is was Coke in his paper and not alcohol. It was to make the children feel better about the trial. He had the courage to tell the kids the truth, right when there was a whole lot of lying going on in the courtroom, and risked them spreading his story. Another great example is that Tom Robinson, during his trial, had the courage to tell the truth about why he regularly helped Mayella. When Mr. Gilmer asked Tom why he was so obliged to do Mayella’s chores for free, Tom ruined any chance he had of winning the case by answering, â€Å"I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of ’em,† (224). Back in the 1930’s in the southern hills of Maycomb County, Alabama, where this story takes place, how dare a black man feel sorry for a white woman. The white citizens of the south believed that blacks were the lowest of the low. Lower than trailer trash, like the Ewells. What Tom said contradicted the mindset of the time and he died because of it. Not many characters have the strength to tell the truth, however some do and the make a world of change. Harper Lee, in To Kill a Mockingbird, shows the readers that having the ability to change is quite significant. Not everyone can, and change can take your life, shake it a bit and when it’s put back down you don’t know if it is for better or for worse. Scout always used to get into fights. One day, Atticus asked Scout to stop fighting. Scout loves her father very much and doesn’t want to disappoint him so she listened, no matter how much she got chided for it. When I committed myself to a policy of cowardice. Word got around that Scout Finch wouldn’t fight anymore, her daddy wouldn’t let her,† (92). It was courageous of her to change because fighting was a big part of her life and her peers were sure to tease her. Another character that exemplifies the courage to change is Mrs. Dubose. She was addicted to morphine but had the courage to change for the final hours of her life, even though she knew she would die soon no matter what. â€Å"I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. Courage is when you know you’re licked before you begin but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what,† (128). Mrs. Dubose had the courage to change and died content with herself. It’s clear that you need to be courageous to change because not many characters change in this story. Maycomb was born in ignorance and Maycomb continued to live in ignorance. The most courageous acts in To Kill a Mockingbird occur when a character is alone in their morals and remain rooted in those morals no matter what. Atticus is a perfect example of someone â€Å"sticking to their guns†. The reason that he gives his children as to why he is defending the black man, Tom Robinson is, â€Å"Before I can live with other folks, I’ve got to live with myself,† (120). A different example is at the end of the book, when Boo Radley kills Bob Ewell. Sherriff Tate sticks to his morals by reporting that Mr. Ewell fell on his knife. Sherriff Tate told Atticus that if Boo was charged with murder, the attention he would receive from the town’s women would kill Boo. Another example of a character being steadfast in their morals is when Calpurnia, knowing that everyone is equal, takes Jem and Scout to the black people’s church. Some of the black folks weren’t very welcoming to the kids because they were white. â€Å"Lula stopped, but she said, ‘You ain’t got no business bringin’ white chillun here-they got their church, we got our’n. It is our church ain’t it Miss Cal? ‘ Calpurnia said, ‘It’s the same God ain’t it? ‘† (136). These characters truly are minorities. That is when they shine and are model citizens of Maycomb County. Seems like being alone, fighting for what they believe in, makes them stronger. In To Kill a Mockingbird, it is the characters that have the courage to stand out against racism and break the status quo of Maycomb County that are a minority among the characters that don’t. Courage is one of the biggest themes in To Kill a Mockingbird and only a special few are able to possess it. As Reggie White said, â€Å"God places the heaviest burden on those who can carry its weight. â€Å"

Ellion essays

Ellion essays Cuba Brainwash of Elian Starts in U.S. The Atorney General Janet Reno authorized the early morning raid to gain custidy of young Elian Gonzalez on Saturday morning. Elian was reunited with his father at Andrews Air Force Base. Elian has a hearing set for May 8th where he will decide if he wants to stay in the U.S. or go back to Cuba. The U.S. government will not let anyone near Elian at the base. The column states that the U.S. is letting the Cuban psychiatrists brainwash Elian Gonzalez so he will want to go back to Cuba with his father. The column also states that if Elian were left with his relatives he would more than likely want to stay in the U.S. The column goes further to say that Elian is being persuaded to go back to Cuba by letting him know the fact that he will be living in the government guest house that has a swimming pool. There will also be 12 of his class mates taken from there families to The Atorney General Janet Reno decision of Elians fait was not easy. There was a lot of pressure put on her from the President who is trying to keep good relations with Cuba. In my opinion Elian needed to be with his dad. No one has the right to take a child from his parent if the parent is able to provide for it. Just because this country has a different government than theres doesnt mean that he should stay in the U.S. If that were so why arnt we taking all of the children from Cuban parents. These differences are what makes Cuba, Cuba. How would you like it if your relatives in Cuba had your child and wouldnt give him back because they thought it was better for him or her over there. We need to take a minuet and think about what has happened. The statement of Elian being brainwashed goes both ways. If he was left at his relatives house they would have been brainwashing him as well telli ...

Technetium Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements

Technetium Facts - Periodic Table of the Elements Technetium (Masurium)Â   Atomic Number: 43 Symbol: Tc Atomic Weight: 98.9072 Discovery: Carlo Perrier, Emilio Segre 1937 (Italy) found it in a sample of molybdenum that had been bombarded with neutrons; erroneously reported Noddack, Tacke, Berg 1924 as Masurium. Electron Configuration: [Kr] 5s2 4d5 Word Origin: Greek technikos: an art or technetos: artificial; this was the first element made artificially. Isotopes: Twenty-one isotopes of technetium are known, with atomic masses ranging from 90-111. Technetium is one of two elements with Z 83 with no stable isotopes; all of technetiums isotopes are radioactive. (The other element is promethium.) Some isotopes are produced as uranium fission products. Properties: Technetium is a silvery-gray metal that tarnishes slowly in moist air. Common oxidation states are 7, 5, and 4. The chemistry of technetium is similar to that of rhenium. Technetium is a corrosion inhibitor for steel and is an excellent superconductor at 11K and below. Uses: Technetium-99 is used in many medical radioactive isotope tests. Mild carbon steels may be effectively protected by minute quantities of technetium, but this corrosion protection is limited to closed systems because of technetiums radioactivity. Element Classification: Transition Metal Technetium Physical Data Density (g/cc): 11.5 Melting Point (K): 2445 Boiling Point (K): 5150 Appearance: silvery-gray metal Atomic Radius (pm): 136 Covalent Radius (pm): 127 Ionic Radius: 56 (7e) Atomic Volume (cc/mol): 8.5 Specific Heat (20Â °C J/g mol): 0.243 Fusion Heat (kJ/mol): 23.8 Evaporation Heat (kJ/mol): 585 Pauling Negativity Number: 1.9 First Ionizing Energy (kJ/mol): 702.2 Oxidation States: 7 Lattice Structure: Hexagonal Lattice Constant (Ã…): 2.740 Lattice C/A Ratio: 1.604Â   Sources: CRC Handbook of Chemistry Physics (18th Ed.)Crescent Chemical Company (2001)Langes Handbook of Chemistry (1952)Los Alamos National Laboratory (2001)

Preparing to teach Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Preparing to teach - Essay Example (Brown G., & Atkins, M., 1988) First of all, I'd like to emphasize that activities in class much depend on planning, that's why it's so important to make all the necessary preparations for teaching to provide a strong and authoritative background for good educational results. The information provided was gathered with the help of analyzing quantitative and qualitative data of questionnaires and test results provided for students at the beginning and in the end of teaching process to study the results of teaching methods and their impact on group learning. Preparing for teaching a teacher needs to determine the group size. Generally, the shorter the task the smaller must be the group (those of six or less), but for better cooperating process the optimum number of people is from eight up to twelve, where there is a possibility to work in pairs and in groups of three. There is also a task for the instructor to select the group. Groups selected by the researchers tend to perform much better than the self-selected groups. Heterogeneous groups are generally better. The length of teaching process depends on the specific collaborative learning activity, but there is a need of time for a group to become cohesive. (Dechant, K., Marsick, V. J., and Kasl, E., 1993) So that I organized the group of twelve students to be able to work in small groups of two, three and four people, that also gives an opportunity to provide them with different types of tasks and make the process more interesting and useful one. Also I've selected the group members (6 boys and 6 girls to avoid the appearance of possible gender differential misunderstanding in the process of teaching and fulfillment the tasks. Then, me, as a teacher, arranged the room for students to face one another and so the teacher can walk up to each group. While structuring the task and positive interdependence among the students, I provided them with academic task explanation, and criteria for success explanation, pointed out a group goal for the students to be able to rely on one another, thus emphasizing the fact they need to establish good collaboration between one another, and that much is dependent on the inner relations of the group members. (Smith, K. A., 1996) That's why on the second preparatory stage the teacher is to think over the possibilities of conflicts appearance inside the group and provide the best practice of their outcomes. So this reason I've studied theoretical material on conflict management to structure the group in its best way; then - explained the task and common group goals for students to know what they are to aim at. While planning group structure, the teacher must choose between three main group types: informal, formal, and base. Informal groups can be created in short term for solving some problems, have little structure, can have new group member with each class day, and is mostly useful during lectures, because it provides a quick check on student comprehension. Next type, which is formal group, requires more planning as to the size and composition of the group, because it has greater structure; has a specific purpose, and the same group members throughout its existence. Base groups, on the contrary, serve a broader purpose. They meet regularly, require planning as to the size and composition, have a constant membership and a specific purpose to complete. The teacher here should provide support, encouragement, and