Application and Evaluation of SSM as a Problem Solving Methodology Essays

Application and Evaluation of SSM as a Problem Solving Methodology Essays Application and Evaluation of SSM as a Problem Solving Methodology Essay Application and Evaluation of SSM as a Problem Solving Methodology Essay Introduction: Soft System methodology: The soft system methodology (SSM) from Peter Checkland is a qualitative technique that can be used in for applying System Thinking to non-systematic situations. It is way of dealing with problem situations in which there is high social, political and human activity component. This distinguishes SSM from other methodologies which deal with HARD problems that are often more technology-oriented. SSM applies System Thinking to the real world of human organizations. But without crucially without assuming that the subject of enquiry is itself a simple system. SSM therefore is useful way to approach complex situations and corresponding messy questions. Origin of SSM: SSM originate from the understanding that Hard System Thinking. It was developed by Peter Checkland for express purpose of dealing with problem of this type. In 1960 he goes to University of Lancaster in an attempt to research this area, and to deal with these soft problems. He conceives his Soft System Methodology through a number of research projects in industry and its application and refinement over a number of years. Usage of SSM applications: Any complex, organizational situation where there is high social, political and human activity component. Steps in Soft System methodology: There are seven stages in SSM they are given below: 1. Investigate the unstructured problem. 2. Express the problem situation through Rich Pictures. 3. Root definitions of relevant system. 4. Conceptual model. 5. Comparison of 4 with 2. 6. Feasible, desirable changes. 7. Actions to improve the problem situations. (1) Investigate the unstructured problem: It is first stage of managers and/or employees (problem owner) deciding the review or change of tasks and the way they are performed is required, and an analyst (problem solver) was called in. Soft system believes that the problem situation is more appropriate since there might be many problems which are perceived need to be solved. (2) Express the problem situation through Rich Pictures: In this first stage people think that there might be a problem or room for improvement, and initiate the analysis or review. In this stage they analyst collects and sorts information and provides some description of the problem situation. These are the information that we are looking for are given below: * The structure of the organization: those factors that do not change easily (e.g. building, locations, environment). * Processes or transformations which are carried out within the system: many of these are changing constantly. * Issues that are expressed or felt by organizational members (complaints, criticisms, suggestions, endorsements). * The first and second stages are an expression phase during an attempt is made to build the richest possible picture, not of the problem but of the situation in which there is perceived to be a problem. Rich pictures: These pictures are used to provide a model for thinking about the system and to help the analyst to gain appreciations of the problem situations. It provides representation of the how we can look at and think about the system. It can be refined as our understanding of the system becomes clearer, and what we want becomes clearer. These pictures are artistic and individualistic expressions, and therefore not right or wrong. (3) Root definitions of relevant system: A root definition is expressed as a transformation process that takes some entity as input, changes or transforms that entity, and produces a new form of the entity as output. Each root definition involves two important things. The first is that we must involve a certain view of the world. Definition of the world view is not always trivial. Also, not all world views may be desirable to the definer. Rich pictures will involve a variety of world views. Each root definition involves a transformation of one input to one output. CATWOE: Root definitions are written as sentences that elaborate a transformation. There are six elements that make up a well formulated root definition, these are given below: * Customer: everyone who stands to gain benefits from a system is considered as a customer of the system. * Actor: the actors perform the activities defined in the system. * Transformation process: this is shown as the conversion of input to output. * Weltanschauung: the German expression for world view. This world view makes the transformation process meaningful in context. * Owner: every system has some proprietor, who has the power to start up and shut down the system. * Environmental constraints: external elements exist outside the system which it takes as given. These constraints include organizational policies as well as legal and ethical matters. CATWOE is used for the analysing the analysis of root definition sentences, but may be used as building block for derive of root definition. It is also recognizes the need to account for ownership, performance, beneficiaries, victims and external constraints, which are important things to account for in documenting the system. (4) Conceptual model: Given a root definition of a system, a conceptual model can be drawn. A conceptual model is a human activity model that strictly conforms to the root definition using the minimum set of activities. System thinking is applied in this development. System Thinking: is an iterative process that combines three concepts. They are: * The perceived world: each one of us has our own views of the world. * Ideas: we perceived the world through the framework of ideas that are internal to us. * Methodology: there are many of these for thinking about the world. Formal system model: This model is applied to the development of conceptual model. It serves as a guideline for checking the conceptual model we draw. Lets S represents a human activity system. S is a formal system if and only if its the following criteria: * S must have mission. * S must have a measure of performance. * S must have decision making process. * S must have components which interact with each other. * S must have resources at the disposal of its decision making process. * S must be bounded from the wider system. * Components of S must be systems having all the properties of S (sub-system). Monitoring a system: This system consists of three activities: * Define a measure of performance: we can use any or all of the three Es for measurement of operational system. (1) Efficacy- does it work. (2) Efficiency- how much of work completed given consumed resources. (3) Effectiveness- Are goals being met. * Monitor the activities in the operational system, in accordance with the metrics defined in step 1. * Take control action: use the outcomes of these metrics to determine and execute action to control the operational system. However the three Es are not the only metrics that can be used. Many firms will use metrics including economical, ethical, elegant, and other metrics which may be dependent on the context of the work being done. (5) Comparison of 4 with 2: This is stage back to reality world. At this stage, conceptual models built at stage 4 will be compared with real world expression at stage 2. The work at this stage may lead to reiteration of stage 3 and stage 4. Previous experience of using SSM indicated that the comparison at this stage is not in fact a proper comparison of like with like. There are four ways of doing comparison from number of experiences. Four ways of doing comparison are given below: * Using conceptual models as a base for ordered questioning. * Comparison history with model prediction. * General overall comparison. * Model overlay. (67) Feasible, desirable changes and Actions to improve the problem situations: In stage 6, feasible and desirable changes are identified and discussed, and they will be put in action in stage 7. The purpose of comparison stage is to generate debate about possible changes which might be made within the perceived problem situation. The outcome of stage 6 and 7 for both hard and soft system is the creation and implementation of a system. It is more likely to be introduction of a more modest change. Normally, there are three kinds of changes: * Changes in structure, which is the changes made to those parts of reality which in the short term, in the on-going run of things, do not change. * Changes in procedure, which is the changes to the dynamic elements. * Changes in readiness to rate certain kinds of behaviour good or bad relative to others. Basic Framework of SSM Newport Business School (NBS): Newport Business School is a part of university of Wales Newport. It is governed by UK government. NBS is the best institution for under graduates and post graduates business courses. NBS ranked best in Wales and second in UK for student satisfaction. In NBS they encourage students and support them to enable fulfils their highest potential. In NBS students came for studies all over the World. Like every school NBS has also soft problems. In this report we will see the problems of NBS through SSM. Problem situation expressed: As we mentioned earlier NBS has also face many problems in terms of students prospective view. These problems are faced by students. Some of the main problems are given below: * The size of class is big in most of the batches there are more than 50 students. * There is no work placement after completion of course. * No tie-ups with industries for employment. * Less contact hours each weeks with tutors. * Waiting for staff to meet them. * No sufficient notes. * Insufficient information. * Library books are small in numbers and always borrowed. * No guest lectures. * Problems in MLE notes. * Resources are short. * No seminars. * Safety is not good as they are using old technology. * No industries visit. * Tutors are very busy. * Important information of results is not given properly. * No course representative. * Small number of presentation compared to other schools. * Not good facilities compare to other universities. * No help for weak students. * Finance department is not in the school students have to go to Caerleon campus and miss the lectures. * No facility of transportation after 6pm as it is far from city centre. * Fewer case studies. * Research is very low. * Less information evenings for students. * Tutors didnt give real problems to solve them. Rich picture: Rich picture of NBS Communication: * Problem of interaction between student and tutor. * No communication in case of emergency. * Tutors are busy. * Important information of result, meetings and module. Teaching: * Absence of presentation. * No seminars. * No guest lecture. * No industry visits. Resources: * PowerPoint, off-heads, cases, handouts. * MLE, library, IT suite. * Shortage of books, modules not available on MLE. Structure: * Tall structure Safety: * Security, CCTV cameras. * Poor technology. Feedback: * Hard to measure improvements. * No course representative. Root Definition: There is need for stronger management participation to solve the problems of the students of NBS. They have to ask the students about their problems and appoint there representative who can give suggestions to the management. CATWOE Analysis: Customer: Students and Parents. Actors: Tutors and Management. Transformation: Participation of tutors, stronger and better involvement in students problems. World view: From the world point of view NBS is doing very well thats why it ranked first in Wales and second in UK for student satisfaction. Owner: UK government. Environment constraints: UK government and Waless government to promote the business school and other existing business schools.

The Definition of Falling Action in Literature

The Definition of Falling Action in Literature The falling action in a work of literature is the sequence of events that follow the climax and end in the resolution. The falling action is the opposite of the rising action, which leads up to the plots climax. Examples of Falling Action in Literature There are many examples of falling action in literature because almost every story or plot requires a falling action to reach a resolution. Most storylines, whether in a memoir, novel, play, or movie have a  falling action that  helps  the plot progress toward its end. If you see some titles here that you recognize, but havent read them yet, then beware! These examples contain spoilers.   Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, by J.K. Rowling, the falling action occurs after the climax of Professor Snapes apparent hex upon Harry during the Quidditch match. Harry, Ron, and Hermione learn about the Sorcerers Stone, then Voldemort attacks Harry in the Forbidden Forest, and Harry faces Professor Quirrell and Voldemort. Little Red Riding Hood Another example of falling action can be found in the folk tale  Little Red Riding Hood. The story reaches its climax when the wolf announces that he will eat the young protagonist. The series of events that happen after this conflict to lead to the resolution are the falling actions. In this case, Little Red Riding Hood screams out, and woodcutters from the forest come running to the grandmothers cottage. The story isnt yet resolved, but these falling actions are leading to its resolve.   Romeo and Juliet   A final example is slightly less obvious, depicted in the classic play  Romeo and Juliet  by William Shakespeare. After the climactic moment in the play, following the point when Romeo kills Tybalt, the falling action indicates that the plot is headed toward a sad, but unavoidable, resolution. Juliets feelings are confused between her love for her new secret husband, who is banished from Verona and mourning her beloved cousin who just died by Romeos hand. The combination of confused emotion and distance ends up strengthening  the couples assumption that they can never be in a relationship that is approved by their families.

Reading Assignment #3 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Reading #3 - Assignment Example mation may be in the form of several ways, and people may not be aware such as kindness and offering comfort to a relative of the dying person (Hawkins, n.d ). Transformation is therefore by those who are very close to the dying person or their relatives, and it is necessary to give it out when desired. Transformation can occur to the person trying to provide care and compassion rather that the one suffering especially when one opens his/her heart to those that are in the greatest need for comfort. Humans have the mandate to provide the quality care that can transform the worst moments into tolerable ones or make a person accept a loss. In addition, suffering can be turned into peace through transformation. The case of the Pope John Paul II was a form of transformation as during his last moments his caregivers and health providers kept the rest of the world hoping that the Pope would recover. In fact, they gave him the best care and attended to every change in his health trying to keep him alive. They never reported that the Pope was dying yet his condition was very serious. When he finally did all tests to confirm death starting with the medieval and the modern medicine through an electrocardiogram were carried out. The Pope’s medical team could have informed the world that the Pope was dying instead of describing his conditions with such words as serious, grave, or

Ancient chinese civilization Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Ancient chinese civilization - Essay Example Ancient China had given the world a lot of useful inventions too, such as the use of paper, the introduction of currency and coinage, its discovery of gunpowder, a cultural heritage like the Great Wall of China built by the emperor Shih Huang Ti whose fairly-recent discovery of his impressive funerary arrangements in a big burial compound containing an impressive array of a terra-cotta army consisting of an 8,000+ life-sized warriors, 400 horses and 100 chariots had astounded archaeologists and historians alike, and the first use of a bureaucracy in the form of civil service to administer an empire. It is said Shih Huang Ti searched for an elixir of youth to attain immortality but failed. The main concern of Confucius was to attain social order and political stability. This is because the period in which he lived was marked by chaos and constant warfare among the various states and people were displaced and inconvenienced as innocent victims of ambitions of various warlords. The key to a peaceful existence, according to the analysis of Confucius, was a return to the virtues of humanity and benevolence in social relations by reciprocity. Confucius asserted that the younger generations must profess filial obedience as a form of duty, one that is forced or emphasized on them as dutiful sons and daughters, because children brought up this way will also end up as benevolent citizens when they turn into adulthood. This is what Confucius meant when he said, â€Å"a young mans duty is to be filial to his parents at home, and respectful to his elders abroad, to be circumspect and truthful . . .† [I:6] because young people who exercise filial piety also are expected to care for their parents when these parents grow old. Filial piety and benevolence translate into kindness for parents and all old people, caring for them always and sensitive to their needs, while benevolence in the larger social sphere will reduce

Importance of Accountabilty in the Military Essay Example for Free

Importance of Accountabilty in the Military Essay Accountability is defined by answering or accounting for one’s actions and results. It is something every leader should aspire to obtain and uphold. Accountability is easily talked about but can be very hard and uncomfortable to apply to one’s self. You will rarely hear someone stating that they should be more accountable for their actions, yet we do hear that from our peers and leaders on how we should take more accountability for our day to day actions and how they could eventually affect our futures. In the Army it is extremely important to be accountable for one’s self and their soldiers. From the purposes of a squad leader it is always important to know where and what your soldiers are doing. Prime case is if you notice that your soldier is not at accountability formation and they never have missed that formation before it would probably behoove you to try and get in contact with the soldier. Granted their tardiness most likely may be due to something as trivial as oversleeping, forgetting to turn on or wake up to their alarm or being stuck in traffic on slight chances it could be something terribly worse such as hospitalization or death. In my own experience I have seen a stellar soldier who one day did not show up to morning formation and his squad leader failed to recognize his absence and towards the end of the day is when everyone found out that the same soldier had committed suicide the night prior. I am not saying that the squad leader is at fault in any way for the soldier’s choice to take his own life, however his entire chain of command failed to recognize his absence which could have resulted in an earlier reorganization of the tragedy. But I digress from my tangent and shall go on further to discuss the importance of personal accountability ranging from the lowest ranking private to the highest ranking officer. The bottom line is that accountability means letting your actions rise above your excuses. In the midst of everything accountability is really about being specific. Specific expectations and specific outcomes and specific consequences. All soldiers have learned since the beginning of their time in the military that there are certain expectations of them and the core facts are to be in the right place at the right time in the right uniform. If one soldier is constantly late or doing the wrong thing than as a leader it may be easier to turn a blind eye to the actions and dismiss them for forgetfulness but regardless of that one mustn’t sweep poor performance under the rug because it could cause friction in a unit or team. When one person’s performance is not up to par it brings the group down and gives the impression that this behavior is acceptable when in reality it is not, especially in the military world. As a leader you must always make your standards very clear and follow through with rewards and punishments, and that can only be done by being specific. Never beat around the bush about what your expectations are or what information needs to be put out. Failure to inform and plan is planning to fail. We tend to think of our actions and shortcomings as consequences to the now and that they may not have any effect on us in the future. Which in all means could be true but it might just be the seed to bad habits forming. Doing something mistakenly wrong once and never receiving reprisal may give the weak willed the false idea that they may repeat said actions and receive the same results, which could in turn show peers that this same behavior is tolerable and then it becomes a habit in the organization and reflects on leadership. When soldiers realize that their actions no matter how small either help or hinder their unit or organization and not just themselves their personal accountability becomes evident like a slap in the face. Once that becomes clear a soldier will recognize that their performance directly impacts their developmental opportunities which could include promotions, awards or schools. In all ones performance is a direct reflection of their commitment to their self and job. In the army one of the most important time of the day is morning accountability formation. It is where you get your orders and outlines of the day. For leaders it is pivotal for sending up personnel whereabouts. If a soldier is not present and it is not due to being on leave or on detail then there could possibly be a big problem. Accountability and duty go hand in hand. The Definition of that Army value is to fulfill your obligations and to accept responsibility for your own actions and those entrusted to your care. To find ways to improve yourself for the good of the group. It also is very similar to integrity by basically understanding that from bottom to top and left to right and anyway in between everyone is going to and willing to do what is right even when no one else is looking. Even when taking personal accountability into mind you must always keep an eye out for your buddy and hold them accountable also. Doing the job correctly and ensuring others do it as well and do it safely, because we all know that even when not in combat we could potential be in a very dangerous situations given with our various equipment, weapons and training environments. Certain examples include live fire ranges- needing to be accountable of where you are and that you have the right equipment on. If you do not have your plates in your vest and heaven forbid a misfire happens and you are struck there is no one to blame but yourself and lack of personal accountability. Another example is out in a field exercise- making sure you bring all the necessary equipment and that you have ensured that it has all of its components and is in working order. If you fail to do so you could put your health at risk in regards to sleep tents, extra clean clothing and weather appropriate clothing articles. In leadership accountability plays a special role in setting standards of behavior and actions that will ensure that they, their peers and subordinates operate with integrity and great moral values. With this in mind as a leader you should always lead from the front and never put yourself in situations that you yourself would punish a subordinate for. Leading by example provides junior soldiers a person to aspire to be and what a great leader looks like. In my years in the military it has been like finding a needle in a haystack when it comes to finding great non-commissioned officers. Too many are taking the easy road and falling well under the expectations that they themselves have imposed on their soldiers. I feel in the Army today many are too willing to become non-commissioned officers for the money and are not really thinking about the fact that they are leaders and they have to be the example. However, I have been honored to have to the experience of learning from a few great non-commissioned officers who have always tried to do the right thing at all times and are not afraid to admit when they are wrong or when they just don’t know, but they will find out. Keeping the mindset that you are now and forever, as long as you wear the uniform and those stripes, under a microscope be mindful of the actions you possess and the words that you say. Your actions justify to newly soldiers of what may or may not be right. Your words can both uplift and encourage or they can tear down a soldier’s views or spirit. Accountability formation is important for many reasons. It lets the commander and command team know where all of their soldiers are at that precise moment. It is also essential because it lets leadership know how many people are available for the day to perform daily duties or how many people they have readily available for additional tasking’s. At this formation most information on daily activities are put out. In this formation it is vital for leaders to look at their soldiers and assure that they are in accordance with all grooming standards held in AR 670-1. During this time there could also be a time for the urine lottery of a urinary analysis, if you are not at the formation to hear your name there could possibly be some consequences. Other types of accountability are with your gear for example weapons and ammunition. It is important that if you are entrusted with a weapon and ammunition to keep track of it and never leave it lying around. If there is a time that you are not able to keep up with these items you should either secure them in a locked safe place or entrust one of your fellow soldiers to keep track of it for you, this is a short time period solution. Losing or misplacing these things can get yourself in really hot water. Not only will you definitely be receiving punitive punishments for your ignorance you can also be allowing the military to take money from you. If it is lost you are going to pay in sweat, tears and cash. Looking beyond the fact of punishments that would immediately follow your actions what if that gear landed in the wrong hands. It could very well cause a very bad situation. Accountability doesnt just mean showing up on time. It means responsibility. It means that if you fail your small part of the mission (to be on time), you must be held liable for your failure. Lets say you were supposed to depart for a mission outside the wire on a deployment. You are late to the convoy brief, the convoy brief must be given to you again, everyone is late to mount up, and the convoy misses its SP time (departure). The Infantry unit waiting to link up with your convoy for additional protection might get ambushed because your convoy is late. All because you didnt arrive on time. I know that this example is a bit of an overreaction especially if you are just late or miss PT formation nevertheless it just goes to show a slippery slope that all actions have to impact the others around you. Accountability is the act of taking responsibility for that which falls under your domain—in other words, it’s doing what you say you’re going to do. Accountability is the cornerstone of integrity, which is the result of consistent honesty and responsibility in your actions. In the military, it is absolutely imperative that you do what you say you’re going to do and that you agree to be held accountable for those orders that are directed specifically to you or those in your command. A breakdown in leadership and responsibility can be bad anywhere, but it has the potential to be downright catastrophic in the military. Being in the military, you’ve obviously built some level of trust with those above and below you in order to get to your current rank. For those just starting out, the time in training helps superiors gauge your abilities and your commitment to the whole. Aside from all this, you have to build a trusted reputation with those with whom you work directly and are of equal rank. In the case of armed encounters, these are the people who will cover your back, and who need to be able to trust you to cover theirs. Nothing breeds trust like consistent, sustained accountability.

Historical Validity in The Alamo :: essays research papers

Historical Validity in â€Å"The Alamo†   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In the 2004 release, by Touchstone Pictures, â€Å"The Alamo† takes a famous story told throughout time and recreates it on the screen once again. This time was it really any better than the other releases? Maybe the flashy effects and better film quality could interest you in this movie but the real question is how valid is it. To the average person this story looks as if they have recreated it perfectly, but to a historian it might not look so genuine. Although this movie does depict many things with absolute efficiency some things are left out. Almost completely ignored in this movie are important instances in history such as the cowardly James Fannin and the battle at Goliad. This is an important part of the story that has been left out. It could have been nice to know what happened to the one person who could have helped but refused to due to his own growing situation. Also in the movie James Bowie is portrayed as a mildly sick person whereas in real l ife he deathly ill. He was known to have typhoid fever and a bad case at that. Beyond the fallacies in this movie there were many great things that were put to the screen. One of the best in my opinion is the removal of the â€Å"line† that was drawn in the dirt by Travis. According to much research the line was actually a story drawn up years later to help signify the sacrifices these men had made. They correctly portrayed how the men were outnumbered in this fight and the effort and courage that was put forth in this battle to defend the Alamo. The last and most controversial issue in the movie is how did David Crockett really die? In this movie they give him the courageous death that he was thought to have.

A Clausewitzian Analysis of the Thirty Year’s War Essay

When applying the Clausewitzian paradoxical trinity paradigm to the Thirty Year’s War, we see that the catalyst that sparked much of the conflict during that time was driven by civil unrest of the ‘People’ engendered by fear of religious persecution. Beginning with the divergence of religious and secular leadership resulting from the Protestant Reformation which was exacerbated by the rigidity of Catholic monarchy, we see how widespread fomenting dissent within the German States lead to the decline of the Habsburg ruling family. In his work, On War, Clausewitz describes the essence of war as a continual interplay between the ‘paradoxical trinity’ of the people, the government, and the military. As we apply this framework to the complex and varied influences of the early 17th century, this model provides clarity in determining the root causes that shaped this era – an era that has come to be characterized by the rampant internecine warfare of religious and political factions of the time. The Protestant Reformation, which had begun to take traction with many of the expansion-minded German nobility, set the stage for the conflict between Catholic and Protestant factions throughout the German Provinces. With the signing of the Peace of Augsburg in 1555, Lutheranism had been officially recognized by the Holy Roman Empire. The major outcome of this treaty enabled the Protestant movement in Germany to claim lands once belonging to the Catholics. This result had great appeal to the more secular rulers throughout Europe who sought to disentangle themselves from papal oversight and influence. Under the rule of the Holy Roman Emperor Mathias, Protest and Catholic factions had gained equity of representation and influence throughout the Hapsburg controlled regions. This unification was driven, in part, by the larger Muslim threat presented by the Ottoman Empire. This truce, however, was an uneasy one with all the characteristics of a 17th century Cold War between the two religious sects, and as the balance shifted with the rise of a new monarch, each side began an arms race to defend their interests from the other. The appointment of the intransigent Catholic monarch, Ferdinand II, posed a threat to Protestants throughout the various Habsburg controlled territories. Religious hegemony of individual States was the preferred condition of German rulers in the early 17th century. The religion of the ruler shall be the religion of his subjects† was a motto that was very near and dear to many of the European rulers of the day. This rang especially true among the Catholic territories where the Church exercised much greater political influence than their Protestant counterparts. So when the balance of Protestant and Catholic controlled States was disrupted with the ascension of Ferdinand II – a widely acknowledged Catholic zealot – to the throne of Bohemia it brought a face to the fears of the Protestant nobility. In an effort to limit his religious edicts, the Protestant Bohemians entreated for religious freedoms of their newly throned monarch. The harsh dismissal of these entreaties was the spark that ignited the powder keg that Central Europe had become, and the subsequent â€Å"Defenestration of Prague† resulting in the death of Ferdinand’s representatives by Protestant rebels signaled the start of uprisings in Hungary, Transylvania, and the rest of Bohemia. This uprising spread throughout Europe, drawing in both political and religious powers to become decisively engaged. The unresolved religious dissent among the people and the Habsburg ruler served as a lodestone for conflict throughout Europe and lead ultimately to the decline of the Holy Roman Empire into several small autonomous territories. Early successes by the Hapsburg against the Bohemians, and later the Palatinate States, led to the direct involvement of France and Holland allying against the Hapsburgs. Their efforts were later supported by England, Sweden, Denmark, Savoy and Venice. These State actors all had their own agendas but ostensibly acted in support of the Protestant rebellion whose secular distancing from Church control appealed to both the ruling classes and commoners alike. The war ravaged the German countryside and some estimates have nearly half of the population were killed, wounded, or displaced, with some areas such as Wurttemberg losing nearly 75% of their population. The Peace of Westphalia which was signed in the fall of 1648 signified the end of the war. Alsace became part of France, while Sweden gained much of the German Baltic coast, while the Emperor had to recognize the sovereign rights of the German princes, and equality between Protestant and Catholic states, while Spain, in a separate peace, finally acknowledged the independence of the Dutch Republic. † The Habsburg crown was now, more than ever, subject to the auspices of the Imperial Diet, also termed the Reichstag or German Parliament, which exists to this day. When viewing the root cause of the Thirty Year’s War under the Clausewitzian perspective, we see that the â€Å"People† node of the paradoxical trinity was the most influential during that time. This war is often termed the War of Religion as religion was either the root cause of conflict, or the excuse used to mask political machination in efforts to expand power and influence. But in truth, religion was merely the vehicle by which contention among the commoners and landowners took shape to facilitate change of the current governmental structure. Upon the conclusion of the war, after the smoke had cleared and the damage was tallied, Habsburg power was irrevocably shattered and France emerged as the new epicenter of European influence and might. But the consequences extended beyond the immediate outcomes of the war. The resulting Peace of Westphalia changed the very relationships between citizens and the State, extricating religion from the government and laying the foundation for modern civic relationships of today’s democracies.

Has our Political System Succeeded? Essay

Our political system originally began with the Declaration of Independence written by Thomas Jefferson on July 4, 1776. Following that document were the Articles of Confederation, which were adopted in 1777. This was the first attempt to set up a government. Then came our Constitution in 1787, which was made into three plans. These were the Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, and then the Connecticut compromise. The four things our Constitution accomplished were indirect democracy, limited government, checks and majority rule, and an outline of what the different branches of government do. Our nation’s two main parties are Republican and Democrat. The Democratic Party was founded in 1828, and our Republican party was founded in 1854. Since 1856, these have been the only major parties. Our political system has succeeded in many ways. One way would be our checks and balances within the federal government and on a local level. Provisions have been made and improved over the years to regulate proper placement of funds and equal rights with citizens. The root of our political system begins with congress. The main responsibilities of congress are making laws, overseeing the FBI and CIA, casework, representing their districts, setting an agenda, and conflict resolution. Our society has relied upon a bicameral system, where there have been a House of Representatives and a Senate for well over 100 years. Some of the responsibilities of the House of Representatives include reviewing bills and beginning the impeachment process. The Senate’s duties include giving advice and consenting on treaties, conducting impeachment trials, and appointing upper-level judicial officers. Where I feel our political system has not done so well is with bureaucrats. Bureaucracy has some positive aspects like specialization, making sure rules and regulations are carried out, and neutrality. There are two types of bureaucrats. The first one is a civil servant who is hired based on merit, and the second one is a political appointee who is selected based on whom they know. It is a common issue that bureaucrats are given too much power and that they abuse those powers, which causes flaws in our political system. It does, however, seem that bureaucrats are vital for the functioning of any political system; they are generally not well liked, though. Several attempts to reform bureaucracy have been made, such as the Sunshine laws, which are laws that dictated that agencies have to be conducted in the public eye. Sunset laws are congressional reviews that are conducted over existing programs to determine laws and their effectiveness. Privatization is another reform where the government turns over more jobs to private sectors. A good change for our society was when the Government Performacy and Results Act of 1997 was introduced. This sought to improve governmental efficiency by making agencies describe their goals and create mechanisms for evaluating their goals. Another is called the Whistle Blowers Act. This was an attempt to encourage federal bureaucrats to report any mishandling of funds, fraud, and waste going on in their own and other agencies. Out of that act, the office of special council was created. Overall, our political system has proven to be stable and has succeeded. Of course, there are going to be positive and negative aspects, but, in the end, for what our nation has had to deal with in the past 228 years, we have done far better than any other country.

the dissolution of the manasteries essays

the dissolution of the manasteries essays The Dissolution of the Monasteries and the events which followed, were all brought about as a direct result of the break with Rome. The reason for the break, lies simply in Henrys frustration at his inability to secure a divorce form his wife Catherine of Aragon, and a blessing from the Pope for his new marriage to Anne Boleyn, although arguably, there was a need for reformation within the church. Prior to the break with Rome, the church was rife with pluralism, simony (one of the popes main failings) and breaches of the vows of celibacy. It is therefore clear that there were problems with the English church prior to the break, but although it was unpopular, many people including Henry remained Catholic: A firm Catholic, he was keen to have papal approval, and the more unlikely this became, the more he was forced to question the Popes jurisdiction in England [2] To accomplish a break, Henry needed some kind of justification, and he would also have to ensure that in implementing the break itself, he was not seen as supporting heresy and the Protestant reformation in particular. With the aid of advisor Thomas Cromwell, Henry aims to enact the break with Rome using statute authority; that of the king, lords and commons acting through parliament. A sequence of truly revolutionary acts of parliament now cut the bonds spiritual, legal, financial which linked the English church and state to Rome [3] There were several main landmarks in the break with Rome, the first of which was the act in restraint of appeals. This was a justification and definition of royal supremacy, and was grafted by Thomas Cromwell. It was the act of supremacy in 1534 however, that would prove to be Henrys greatest step forward in the break. It confirmed Henrys headship of the church and explicitly reserved the crown the rights to the organizing and jurisdictional powers formerly held by the Papa...

Behavior and Classroom Management in Special Education

Behavior and Classroom Management in Special Education Behavior is one of the greatest challenges a special education teacher faces. This is especially true when students receiving special education services are in inclusive classrooms. There are a number of strategies that teachers- both special and general education- can employ to help with these situations. We will begin by looking at ways to provide structure, move on to addressing behavior in general, and look at structured interventions as prescribed by federal law. Classroom Management The most effective way to deal with difficult behavior is to prevent it. It really is as simple as that, but thats also sometimes easier to say than to put into practice in real life. Preventing bad behavior means creating a classroom environment that reinforces positive behavior. At the same time, you want to stimulate attention and imagination  and make your expectations clear to the students. To start, you can create a comprehensive classroom management plan. Beyond establishing rules, this plan will help you institute classroom routines, develop strategies to keep students organized and implement Positive Behavior Support systems. Behavior Management Strategies Before you have to put a Functional Behavior Analysis (FBA)  and Behavior Intervention Plan (BIP) in place, there are other strategies you can try. These will help refocus behavior and avoid those higher, and more official, levels of intervention. First of all, as a teacher, its important that you understand the potential behavioral and emotional disorders children in your classroom may be dealing with. These may include psychiatric disorders or behavioral disabilities and each student will come to class with their own needs. Then, we also need to define what inappropriate behavior is. This helps us understand why a student may be acting out the way she has in the past. It also gives us guidance in properly confronting these actions. With this background, behavior management becomes part of classroom management. Here, you can begin to implement strategies to support a positive learning environment. This may include behavior contracts between yourself, the student, and their parents. It could also involve rewards for positive behavior. For example, many teachers use interactive tools like the Token Economy to recognize good behavior in the classroom. These point systems can be customized to fit the individual needs of your students and classroom. Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is a research-based therapeutic system based on Behaviorism (the science of behavior), which was first defined by B.F. Skinner. It has been proven to be successful in managing and changing problematic behavior. ABA also provides instruction in functional and life skills, as well as academic programming. Individual Education Plans (IEP) An Individual Education Plan (IEP) is a way to organize your thoughts in a formal manner regarding a childs behavior. This can be shared with the IEP team, parents, other teachers, and school administration. The goals outlined in an IEP should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and have a timeframe (SMART). All of this helps keep everyone on track and gives your student a very detailed sense of what is expected of them. If the IEP is not working, then you might need to resort to the formal FBA or BIP. Yet, teachers often find that with earlier intervention, the right combination of tools, and a positive classroom environment, these measures can be avoided.

Roe v. Wade, 410 US 113 (1973) (opinion of Blackmun, writing for the Essay

Roe v. Wade, 410 US 113 (1973) (opinion of Blackmun, writing for the majority, parts 5 11 or V XI ) - Essay Example Roe’s argument remains controversial throughout Supreme Court history since they are centred towards abortion rights. Blackmun argument divides pregnancies in three stages; first, second and third trimester. In the first trimester, a woman had unrestricted choice to abort if she had consulted her physician therefore; he held that the committee and hospital requirements were unconstitutional. In the second trimester, medical practitioners argue that the abortion poses a threat to the health of a woman and thus state could protect the women by regulating abortion. During the third trimester there was a need to protect a foetus by restricting abortion but Blackmun argued that since the moral and medical status of the foetus are uncertain, the state could not draw their argument on when life begins. For example, the state could not argue whether the fetus and newborn have equal rights if life begun at conception (Goldman 929). Similar justice majority in Doe restated largely and fleshed it to Roe ruling. Justice Blackmun when he wrote to the compact majority, he determined the regulations of the state could pose an obstacle to procedural abortion more specifically in this case, whether the law stipulated that the abortion could be done in a hospital or receive approval by two doctors. This was regarded as a violation to womens intention to terminate pregnancy. Many women have far and wide experience the burden of abortion as a result of the risks that result from aftermath of conception. In this regard, Blackmun argues that the government should relieve the women the burden by allowing them to make independent decisions since they are the transcendental finalist of the effects of abortion or rather not aborting. He further acknowledges the need to resolve the issue of abortion due to its emotional and sensitive nature. The subject of