Life after Guanajuato :: Personal Narrative Essays

Life after Guanajuato    My experience on the service-learning trip to Guanajuato, Mexico was one where I connected information to experience to gain true wisdom and knowledge about the people, culture, and world view of Mexico. When I began the class portion of this experience, I was unsure of how the background information on the history of Mexico we were required to read would influence my service-learning experience in Guanajuato. What I expected of the trip was assisting in and teaching some English to a class of preschoolers-all other experiences would be extraneous and `touristy.' I poured over the readings and classroom information anyway, assuming that even if it would not be useful on this service-learning trip, it was interesting information that I could apply to my Spanish major. I quickly found out once in Guanajuato that the information learned in class would apply in nearly every way to my experience, and the synthesis of it with my experiences would change my opinion of the volunteer work I w as doing, throw off my understanding of myself and my goals, make me reevaluate the motives of my future students and my country, and develop a greater understanding of the Mexican perspective.    I think the point at which everything I learned in the course previous to my time in Guanajuato formed from information into knowledge and paved that road for all the rest of my experiences there was during a meeting with some Mexican University of Guanajuato students. One student, who I later came to know as Adà ¡n, during our conversation asked our group why we study Spanish. After a few of us gave answers listing our hope to forge friendships with Mexican immigrants in the US or to be able travel in Latin and South America, we were blown away by the answer that Adà ¡n believed was the real reason in all of us-to come into their country to dominate and take over. First of all, this blew my mind! I had never thought of that as a motive for learning Spanish, but apparently this Mexican student believed it was Americans' number one reason! After first being appalled at his stereotypes of Americans, I realized that I wanted to uncover the reasons behind this strong and real belief an d to change his mind about all Americans being this way.    A few of the girls in our group and I started a small conversation with Adà ¡n and two of his friends. Life after Guanajuato :: Personal Narrative Essays Life after Guanajuato    My experience on the service-learning trip to Guanajuato, Mexico was one where I connected information to experience to gain true wisdom and knowledge about the people, culture, and world view of Mexico. When I began the class portion of this experience, I was unsure of how the background information on the history of Mexico we were required to read would influence my service-learning experience in Guanajuato. What I expected of the trip was assisting in and teaching some English to a class of preschoolers-all other experiences would be extraneous and `touristy.' I poured over the readings and classroom information anyway, assuming that even if it would not be useful on this service-learning trip, it was interesting information that I could apply to my Spanish major. I quickly found out once in Guanajuato that the information learned in class would apply in nearly every way to my experience, and the synthesis of it with my experiences would change my opinion of the volunteer work I w as doing, throw off my understanding of myself and my goals, make me reevaluate the motives of my future students and my country, and develop a greater understanding of the Mexican perspective.    I think the point at which everything I learned in the course previous to my time in Guanajuato formed from information into knowledge and paved that road for all the rest of my experiences there was during a meeting with some Mexican University of Guanajuato students. One student, who I later came to know as Adà ¡n, during our conversation asked our group why we study Spanish. After a few of us gave answers listing our hope to forge friendships with Mexican immigrants in the US or to be able travel in Latin and South America, we were blown away by the answer that Adà ¡n believed was the real reason in all of us-to come into their country to dominate and take over. First of all, this blew my mind! I had never thought of that as a motive for learning Spanish, but apparently this Mexican student believed it was Americans' number one reason! After first being appalled at his stereotypes of Americans, I realized that I wanted to uncover the reasons behind this strong and real belief an d to change his mind about all Americans being this way.    A few of the girls in our group and I started a small conversation with Adà ¡n and two of his friends.

Saving Face

Saving Face was a romantic comedy unveiling the truth about how characters identity can cause personal and cultural conflicts. Will and Ma had been keeping a secret from their family making it hard for them to come to terms with themselves and connect with others. However, between it all, motifs were seen throughout the whole movie expressing thoughts, feelings and presence. For instance, Ma’s constant calls to Will, and tight camera angles in the movie symbolize an intrusion from the outside world. Through those motifs, food was the central motif. It expressed emotion, intimacy, and true feelings for an individual without anyone‘s influence in Saving Face. Food was the central motif in the romantic comedy Saving Face because it was the only reoccurring pattern that would show an individuals identity. However, Ma’s phone calls to Will and the tight camera angles in the movie made it captive for anyone to embrace their identity. The tight camera angles were able to show pain and scorn one was facing as they started to peal their identity away. As this would happen, one saw how hard it could be in being upfront and honest about themselves to others. When Ma was faced with explaining to her father she was pregnant, with no husband , the movie captured Ma boxed in. In this shot, Ma was in a room, sitting down closed in by the narrow hallway leading to where she was sitting. Her father was in the same room as her not seen, but only heard. This shows how the â€Å"outside† influences make it difficult to accept one’s state and affects making connections with others. Ma now felt she had to marry someone, even if she wasn’t interested in him. Will had witnessed her mother getting scolded by her grandfather (superior figure to Ma), thus, making it even more complicated and intimidating for Will to tell her family the secret (being a lesbian and having a partner; Vivian). Throughout, Saving Face, Ma would call Will, ironically, just as soon as an intimate scene with Vivian would come on. This is a motif because it was a constant reminder of how big of an impact the Chinese culture and family traditions were on Will. Anything outside of Chinese tradition was frowned upon by her family. Especially with how hard Ma would try to set Will up with a date at the family gatherings, Will knew how hard it would be in being accepted. Will being a lesbian would cause havoc in her family and would have her disowned from the elders in her family. Just as they wouldn’t accept Ma, they would do likewise to Will. When Ma would call Will, while she was with Vivian, Will would randomly start acting distant towards Vivian and rush to go home. Vivian would respond to this in confusion and at a lost of words with knowing how Will felt for her. Ma’s phone calls made it hard for Will to not only be honest to her family, but to herself. If you aren’t true to who you are, no one is going to be able to see who you want to be looked as. This motif symbolized a wall in the relationship with Vivian and Will. Ma’s constant phone calls and the tight camera angles were both symbolic of Will v. Vivian, Will v. her family, and Will v. herself. These specific motifs were the block to help Will capture her true identity and share it with others. Will knowing she is a lesbian and coming out to it is hard enough on a person. However, with Will’s family and traditional culture having such an impact/influence on her life makes it even more of a complex situation because she doesn’t want to shame her family. However, this leads to food being the central motif because unlike the two other motifs food captivates sincere feelings/expression. Food was able to capture an identity of an individual in Saving Face without the fret of anyone judging you, forming it to be the central motif. Food can be seen as comfort for a person. For instance, when Ma was watching porn she had traditional comfort food alongside her. Food was capable of showing that Ma is interested in seeing/learning new things. As a result, this shows that Ma isn’t all for keeping with tradition. Also, in the beginning of the movie food was capable of capturing a mutual interest between Will and Vivian at the vending machine. Food expresses the truth in a situation. It lets one block out any outside influences. Food is the central motif because its able to form connections with others and to connect with oneself. Food shows a deeper meaning and understanding to a situation. Saving Face is a romantic comedy that shows how traditions can have an individual lead a life of lies affecting not only themselves, but others. Tradition in a family is very hard to break out of and is especially most important to elders of a family.

Crash Social Psychology - 1250 Words

Social Psychology In The Movie Crash Film Studies Essay In life people will come in contact with others, who are from a different background, culture, lifestyle or ethnicity as them, yet still every individual is equal, they’re all humans. As humans, people have the tendency to have their own unique perspectives on the world around them and everything it encounters. Psychologist Gordon Allport (1985), one of the founding fathers of personality psychology, defined social psychology as a discipline in which scientific methods are used in order â€Å"to understand and explain how the thought, feeling, and behavior of individuals are influenced by actual, imagined, or implied presence of other human beings† (Cherry).Social psychology involves†¦show more content†¦After having his store constantly being robbed Farhad started to become furious. The problem that Farhad had wasn’t that he needed his locks changed but yet he needed to invest in a brand new door and that’s exactly what Daniel tried to explain to him. Instead of taking Daniel’s helpful advice Farhad thought Daniel was trying to â€Å"cheat† him because he was an immigrant. Altruism is having an unselfish interest in helping another person (King, 2010, p. 386). Daniel’s displaced altruism in the act of being considerate and trying to explain to Farhad that he needed to buy a new door to protect his store. One’s attitude, our feelings or opinions about people, objects and ideas (King, 2010, p. 381), can affect their behavior. Throughout the movie the attitudes the characters developed towards one another played a significant role in the decisions they made. After being denied medical assistance for his father by an African-American woman, John changed his views for all African-American women. While on duty with his partner Hansen (Ryan Phillippe), John pulled over the Thayers for performing sexual intercourse while operating a motor vehicle. Discrimination is an unjustified negative or harmful acti on toward a member of a group simply because the person belongs to that group (King, 2010, p. 403). Since his views of African-American women were changed by one woman out of the entire population John took his aggression and frustration out on Christine by sexually harassing her inShow MoreRelatedEssay Viewing Terrorism through Social Psychology1286 Words   |  6 Pagesdestruction, and social psychology can help us to do that. Social psychology is a diverse field of study, it is the scientific field that seeks to understand the nature and causes of individual behavior in social situations (Social Psychology, Baron and Byrne). In social psychology we study the social factors which influence the individual to carry out certain actions, thus it is invaluable in studying terrorism. Social psychologists study both the immediate social context (the influenceRead MorePretty Little Liars- Psychology Analaysis Paper1741 Words   |  7 Pagesstrong relationship that the girls maintain through their anxiety ridden high school career shows us that friendship can help to keep you strong. We will be looking specifically at Abnormal Behavior demonstrated throughout the girls high school days; Social identity theory demonstrated by Alison; and bulimia nervosa demonstrated by Hannah, who is targeted for being overweight. Topic #1 Abnormal Behavior In Pretty Little Liars, after Alison is murdered there is a long investigation searching for her murdererRead MoreSocial Psychology Essay2982 Words   |  12 PagesRunning Head: Social Psychology 1 Social Psychology Rebecca Freeman PSY 301 Dr. Katrina Hilton Running Head: Social Psychology 2 There are many important components of social psychology, and they all fit together. For psychology students, social psychology is probably one of the most important areas in their field of study, because it is the study of human thoughts, feelings, and behavior as they relate to and are influenced by others (Feenstra, 2011). We learn social psychologyRead MoreWe Are the Product of Nurture versus Nature2853 Words   |  11 Pages Social Psychology is the scientific study of how peoples feelings, thoughts and behaviors are influenced. It also perceives the way we think, influence people and relate to others. Our behavior is a product of Nature vs. nurture. The environment and are genes play a dynamic role, in who we are and why we behave the way we do. There are some basic aspects of social behavior that play a large role in our actions and how we see Read More Group Dynamics in Psychology Essay5695 Words   |  23 PagesQuestions and Answers About Group Dynamics in Psychology 1. How does each one of the two fit the definition of a group? Social- In my social group, it is clear that we are a collection of individuals guided by roles and norms. We, as friends, clearly influence each other, satisfy personal needs through association, and could be classified as a unit due to our commonRead MoreColonialism And Racism In Crash By Paul Haggis839 Words   |  4 Pages Paul Haggis’s 2004 melodrama â€Å"Crash† is a film depicting the way diverse societies, cultures and environments affect each other’s lives. Characters are forced to interact and assist in uncomfortable and traumatic chains of events that impact the film’s ability to create intense moments that questioned are initial perspective of a character’s sense of morality. Haggis does an excellent job structuring the story around the concept of everyday life with unexpected moments of conflict, and developingRead MoreTraumatic Brain Injury1030 Words   |  5 Pagesobtain a Bachelor’s in Science concentrated in Psychology to enhance my knowledge of the world and how we interact with it while building a foundation in the professional and technical skills needed as I continue my educa tion at the graduate level. A science designation will allow me to focus up to 50% of my attention toward both experimental research as well as clinical experiences to better assist me in clarifying the endgame. A concentration of psychology will help me to develop more expertise inRead MoreThe Stock Market Essay780 Words   |  4 Pagesrise in interest rates and kept growing setting the stage for a crash. Inflation was 4% and growing the US Dollar was falling. Today the US dollar is stronger than it has been in years and inflation that is 2.5% and falling also the shrinking national dept should keep interest rates steady. The current market has learned lessons from the 87 crash, a rise in interest rates is quickly echoed by a fall in stock prices and market psychology has changed with brokerages telling their clients to keep lessRead MorePsychology : Psychology And Psychology1161 Words   |  5 PagesThere are many branches in the world of psychology. There is the behavior psyc hology, also known as behaviorism, a leading theory of learning based upon the idea that all behaviors are acquired through conditioning. Cognitive psychology, the branch of psychology that focuses on internal states, such as motivation, problem solving, decision making, thinking and attention. Development psychology, the branch that looks at development throughout the lifespan, from childhood to adulthood. Out of the manyRead MoreCompatibility between Psychological Theories and Methodology1115 Words   |  4 PagesA commonly asked question is â€Å"what is psychology?† Even though there is no set definition there are a wide range of answers to this which consist of: the study of the mind, influence of the brain, our behaviour or even a combination of all of them. Each psychological perspective is reinforced by numerous set of assumptions of what people are like, what is important to study and how to study the issue at hand. Some psychologists will look at biological studie s of the brain, other may explore how

Spanish Punctuation Rules for Beginners

Spanish and English are similar enough in their punctuation that a beginner might look at something in Spanish and not notice anything unusual except for a few upside-down question marks or exclamation points. Look more closely, however, and youll find other key differences that you should learn as soon as youre ready to start learning how to write Spanish. Usually, as with other Indo-European languages, the punctuation conventions of English and Spanish are very similar. In both languages, for example, periods can be used to mark abbreviations or to end sentences, and parentheses are used for inserting nonvital remarks or words. However, the differences explained below are common and apply to both formal and information variations of the written languages. Questions and Exclamations As already mentioned, the most common difference is the use of inverted question marks and exclamation points, a feature that is almost unique to Spanish. (Galician, a minority language of Spain and Portugal, also uses them.) The inverted punctuation is used at the beginning of questions and exclamations. They should be used within a sentence if only part of the sentence contains the question or exclamation.  ¡Quà © sorpresa! (What a surprise!) ¿Quieres ir? (Do you want to go?)Vas al supermercado,  ¿no? (Youre going to the supermarket, arent you?)No va  ¡maldito sea! (Hes not going, darn it!) Dialogue Dashes Another difference youre likely to see often is the use of a dash—such as the ones separating this clause from the rest of the sentence—to indicate the beginning of dialogue. The dash is also used to end dialogue within a paragraph or to indicate a change in speaker, although none is needed at the end of dialogue if the end comes at the end of a paragraph. In other words, the dash can substitute for quotation marks under some circumstances. Here are examples of the dash in action. The paragraph mark in the translations is used to show where a new paragraph would begin in traditionally punctuated English, which uses separate paragraphs to indicate a change in speaker. — ¿Vas al supermercado?— le preguntà ³. —No sà ©. (Are you going to the store? he asked her.  ¶ I dont know.)— ¿Crees que va a llover? —Espero que sà ­. —Yo tambià ©n. (Do you think it is going to rain?  ¶ I hope so.  ¶ So do I.) When dashes are used, it isnt necessary to start a new paragraph with a change in speaker. These dashes are used by many writers instead of quotation marks, although the use of quotation marks is common. When standard quotation marks are used, the are used much as in English, except that, unlike in American English, commas or periods at the end of a quote are placed outside the quotation marks reather than inside. Voy al supermarcodo, le dijo. (Im going to the store, he told her.)Ana me dijo: La bruja està ¡ muerta. (Ana told me: The witch is dead.) Less common still is the use of angular quotation marks, which find more use in Spain than Latin America. Angular quotation marks are used much the same as regular quotation marks, and they are often used when it is necessary to place a quotation mark within other quotation marks: Pablo me dijo:  «Isabel me declarà ³, Somos los mejores, pero no lo creo ». (Pablo told me: Isabel declared to me, We are the best, but I dont believe it.) Punctuation Within Numbers A third difference youll see in writing from Spanish-speaking countries is that comma and period usage in numbers is reversed from what it is in American English; in other words, Spanish uses a decimal comma. For example, 12,345.67 in English becomes 12.345,67 in Spanish, and $89.10, whether used to refer to dollars or the monetary units of some other countries, becomes $89,10. Publications in Mexico and Puerto Rico, however, generally use the same number style as is used in the United States. Some publications also use an apostrophe to mark off the millions in numbers, such as with 12345.678,90 for 12,234,678.90 in American English. This approach is rejected however, by some grammarians and recommended against by Fundà ©u, a prominent language watchdog organization. Key Takeaways Spanish uses both inverted and standard question and exclamation parks to mark off the beginning and end of questions and exclamations.Some Spanish writers and publications use long dashes and angular quotation marks in addition to standard quotation marks.In most Spanish-speaking areas, commas and periods are used within numbers in the opposite way that they are in American English.

How Did Ancient Peoples Make Music - 1655 Words

How did ancient peoples make music? Music is the oldest language in the world and has been used since the dawn of time to give expression to emotions, feelings, and ideas that could not be put into words. The oldest known musical instrument is the flute, which is at least 35,000 years old. The flute has changed over the course of its long history, from century to century, society to society. The flute’s design, the sounds it produces, and its purpose has evolved from ancient flutes, to medieval flutes, to the Baroque and Romantic flutes, and, finally, modern flutes. The ancient flute started out as simple â€Å"hollowed out bones or sticks with an embouchure hole† (â€Å"Timeline of Flute History†), the embouchure hole being where the player blows into the instrument. Evidence of the ancient transverse flute is found in artwork from Western Europe, the Middle East, and Asia (â€Å"Timeline of Flute History†). European transverse flutes appear for the first time in Etruscan iconographs from the first to the fourth centuries B.C. (â€Å"Vienna Symphonic Library†). Ancient flutes were also made from baked clay pipes or reeds (â€Å"Flute†). Bamboo flutes were used in East Asia, Sumer, and Egypt. The ancient Sumerians and Egyptians were among the first to add 3-4 finger holes to their bamboo flutes (â€Å"Vienna Symphonic Library†). The oldest playable musical instruments yet found are from the Henan Province in China and are roughly 9,000 years old. These flutes are made from the hollow wing bones of theShow MoreRelatedThe Treasures Of The Musical Heritage965 Words   |  4 Pages In ancient Greek societies, music was definitely one of the most consequential ways of utterance in their societies. Greek mythology glorifies the richness and variety of the Greek music and instruments in many legends. Music was a way for Greeks themselves, to exemplify their religious rituals and traditions. We can have an idea of the impacts music had, in all aspects of their lives. Music was a part of many events, rituals, and even played huge rolls in education. This essay will look at theRead MoreGreek God Apollo Research Paper1689 Words   |  7 Pagesonce said about the idea of all Greek Gods and myths. The people of ancient Greece would look up to various gods, depending on what they were seeking. Apollo’s name translates to â€Å"strength†, as he displayed this trait throughout his lifetime and had to be emotionally and physically stronger at times for the people of Ancient Greece. Apollo was a man of trust who excelled and supported all of the fine arts of the Greek civilization such as music, art, and poetry (God Apollo). One of the most underestimatedRead MoreLiving Together with Diversity by Valuing Our Differences931 Words   |  4 Pagesvalues and background from different people from the past time to our future. Thus, diversity and ancient time shows how much the world has change through time it also shows how history repeats itself. People use different culture and ancient methods in todays society that gives us the tools that we use in everyday routines. These statements acknowledge the facts of Paul Grahams essay â€Å"what you cant say as correct when he discuss the values of modern society and how taboos and beliefs effect cultureRead MoreThe Master I Picked Was Maurice Ravel1038 Words   |  5 Pagesof the performance is Daphnis et Chloà ©, No. 2. I chose this performance because the description interested me. The music is described as being a piece from a performance inspired by a Greek love story. I had no idea what to expect before listening to the music, but I was not disappointed in the slightest. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by this orchestral performance. The music was performed by an instrumental-only orchestra. The orchestra was made up of string, wind, brass, and percussion instrumentsRead MoreMusic In Ancient Mesopotamia And Egypt1528 Words   |  7 PagesIn ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, much like modern human, there was a passion for music. The Mesopotamians and Egyptians incorporated music into most festivities, celebrations, and even funerals. That being said, there was a vast number of different instruments that were used such as; idiophones, membranophones, aerophones, and chordophones. This showed that even in one of the world’s earliest civilization, music played an important role in people’s everyday lives. One of the most known instrumentRead MoreLegalism, Taoism, and Confucianism in Ancient China1049 Words   |  4 PagesLegalism, Taoism, and Confucianism in Ancient China Philosophies dictate the most basic beliefs, concepts, and attitudes of individuals or groups, even entire civilizations. Since the beginning of time there has been great debate among men over which philosophies to live life by. The list of philosophies that exist in the world today is nearly endless, making it difficult to decide which one is the most suitable to live by. Ancient China was arguably among one of the most philosophical culturesRead MoreAncient Egypt and Copyright Slater1717 Words   |  7 PagesCONTENTS INTRODUCTION UNIT 2 READING The IELTS Reading Test Instructions for Test Practice Reading Test 1 Reading Test 2 Reading Test 3 Reading Test 4 Reading Test 5 Reading Test 6 Fast Track Reading Learn from your mistakes How can I improve? Tips from test-takers Sample Answer Page (Listening and Reading) 2 3 4 18 30 42 54 66 79 81 82 84 85 86 APPENDIX Answer Key: Listening IELTS PRACTICE TESTS 6 COMPLETE READING TESTS Topics that are interesting, durable and even controversial have beenRead MoreTheatre As A Form Of Entertainment1460 Words   |  6 PagesThe coming together of all those components make up theatre, but there’s also a small piece missing. Theatre is complete when an audience comes together to experience the play. Theatre to many people is a form of entertainment. Just like now a days people go to the movies to indulge in a form of amusement, that’s what people did as early as in the 6th century BC. When it comes to the question, â€Å"when did theatre begin,† this is still a mystery to people. Theatre differs widely from one culture andRead MoreThe Indus Valley Civilization1488 Words   |  6 PagesThe Indian society adopted a class or caste system from the Indus Valley people. Just like the Indus society had priest rulers, the Indian society has the high class Indian Brahmins, which are seen as the priestly class. Trade was a very big part of the Indus Valley society, everything that they did, everything that they made was to ensure that they were able to create and trade more effectively. The class system during the Indus Valley civilization is extremely similar to the class system seen inRead MoreIt Sometimes Can Be Very Hard When Trying To Understand1482 Words   |  6 PagesIt sometimes can be very hard when trying to understand the roles and responsibilities an ancient Egyptian woman has, mainly because there is not much information about woman that is not biased. Luckily information can be found in tombs or through religious documentation. It is also worth noting that these writings did not include any emotion, however, this is typical for Egyptians anyways. In Egypt, people wrote only to keep a record of events, not to tell a story. Men who were wealthy and had

Analysis of Destructive Leadership-Free-Samples-Myassignmenthelp

Question: Define Destructive Leadership. Answer: Leaders are there to guide the employees and workers of an organization. There are different forms of leadership and they should be implemented effectively. The essay analyses the destructive leadership style and the reasons of adopting the same. After gaining knowledge in the destructive leadership style we can state there is little valid reason for adopting this type of leadership style. It highlights the worst aspects of the leadership style. The worst aspects include the abusive style of treatment, enforcement of tyranny and exertion of supervision. The essay reviews and integrates the extant literature on destructive leadership. I opine for the fact that the destructive leadership includes the volatile behavior by a leader. The leader adopts the destructive leadership style when he intends to harm the organization of a leader. The leader following the destructive leadership style provokes to the followers to contravene the legitimate interests of the organization. It is done adopting the leadership methods and styles that is harmful for the organization. The justification of such behavior is neglected in such form of leadership (Collins Jackson, 2015). However there is a huge confusion between the ineffective leader and the destructive leaders. The destructive leaders lead to negative actions and negative goals. The ineffective leaders lead to neglect of the goals. By ineffective leaders we mean the passive behavior of the leaders (Lam, Walter Huang, 2014). The ineffective leaders do not respond to any situation and does not work for the goals and targets of the company or the organization. While we perform the destructive leadership style then we need to concentrate on the harmful behavior that we can perpetrate. It is done to include in the process of leadership (Schyns Schilling, 2013). I felt the need to argue to establish the point that the destructive leadership is different from the other harmful leadership style. In the harmful process of leadership the leaders themselves perform the actions that are harmful for organization. On the contrary the destructive leadership program includes provoking the followers to perform some wrong actions. The consequences of such actions lead to harmful consequences. There are certain manifestations of Destructive leadership style. The first and foremost manifestation is the instance is when the leaders encourage the followers to pursue the goals that undermine the legitimate interest of the organization. For example, if the priority of the organization is the best quality of the products the leader who follows the destructive leadership style opposes it and inspires the followers to encourage doing the opposite for the same (Krasikova, Green and LeBreton, 2013). Therefore from the above essay this can be concluded that the destructive leadership can be termed as a volitionally harmful behavior. The leaders aim towards the betterment of the organization. The leaders who follow the destructive leadership process aims at the destruction of the company. The choice of the harmful methods of the influence in such cases is both volitional and intentional. The leaders voluntarily choose actions. The final conclusion that can be made by analyzing the above discussed forms of leadership is that a leader must aim at improving the organization. The leader is an important agent of motivating the employees. Thus destructive leadership is not a desirable process and a negative process. References Krasikova, D., Green, S. and LeBreton, J. (2013). Destructive Leadership.Journal of Management, 39(5), pp.1308-1338. Schyns, B., Schilling, J. (2013). How bad are the effects of bad leaders? A meta-analysis of destructive leadership and its outcomes.The Leadership Quarterly,24(1), 138-158. Collins, M. D., Jackson, C. J. (2015). A process model of self-regulation and leadership: How attentional resource capacity and negative emotions influence constructive and destructive leadership.The Leadership Quarterly,26(3), 386-401. Lam, C. K., Walter, F., Huang, X. (2014). Antecedents and consequences of destructive leadership: a resource depletion persp

Pluralist and Power Elite Approaches

Introduction to Pluralist and Power Elite Approaches Human society is one of the most complicated aspects of the analysis regarding the relations between individuals, groups of individuals, and other entities that can be allocated in terms of resources of influence. Sociology of power emphasises the power relations between different communities and identifies the real influencing aspects that can alter a situation and the governance as well as the process of rule making.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Pluralist and Power Elite Approaches specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More In this respect, it is necessary to dwell on the principles of rule making and different approaches to this process as related to the political rule and social power that can be considered the most important factors while assessing the influence of certain resources on the power, governing power, and resulting in the political regime. Different t heories of power distribution can be analysed with regard to the power of influence and the amount of resources to influence others or situation. Though history saw many examples of both approaches, pluralist and power elite, it is necessary to enlarge on the principles of power distribution in society in different periods of human civilization’s activity with regard to the economic situation and social movements. Moreover, the political power and the power of influence cannot be analysed as a single and the only aspect for the political regime establishment; these two concepts can be even opposed to each other or exist at the same period making one of those principles more important than other. In other words, the distribution of power in society cannot always be analysed in terms of theories of political rule making. Besides, the power to make political decisions does not always arise from the real objective interests and can be characterised by the interests and preference s of the political participants (Lukes 2005: 29). The pluralist approach is largely opposed to the power elite one in terms of ‘the business of rule’ and the process of rule making due to discrepancies in the regime’s strengths and the overall theoretical advantages of a definite approach. In other words, the pluralism approach highlights the equality of influencing powers regardless its real situation whereas the power of elite approach enables the most influential individuals to make rules. So, the main idea of the current paper consists in analysing and assessing the contradictions between the pluralist and power elite approaches taking into account the distribution of power in society and allocation of resources compared to the political power and the process of rule making.Advertising Looking for essay on natural sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Theories of Political Rule and Social Power Theo ries and the power elite approach.The power elite approach is mostly referred to as the one existing in the era before the French Revolution and is largely opposed to the democracy of the contemporary United States of America (Bull 2002: 8-9). However, it is necessary to note that the concept of state and the problem of rule making are closely connected to the distribution of power because the power exist in a certain society while a society has certain rules and common interests. In this respect, some states can exist regardless of a definite territory or a restriction of rules to a certain territory because the main concept of power distribution happens among individuals and groups that can be situated within the territory (Bull 2002: 9). Nevertheless, though political power is spread over the population, it is often limited to a certain territory and can change regarding the interests of the same nation and preferences existing in various regions of the same state. The main theor y of power elite approach in rule making concerns the command as the way to allocate the process of distribution of power in society; however, it is necessary to emphasise the principle when the interests or rules are characterised as good or legal contrasted to the objective principles or unification of preferences that is typical of a power elite approach (Poggi 1978: 2-5). In additions, the existence of visible diversity and other so-called advantages of the pluralist approach can be considered irrelevant because these concepts do not guarantee the appropriateness of political power or genuine equality in the power allocation principles (Lukes 2005: 47). State and society are approached in different ways in by a power elite principle whereas the process of unification is more obvious taking into account the principles typical of the pluralist approach. So, the theory of differentiation is the core of the power elite approach because it enables a single leader to make decisions an d make laws (often in association with another part of social elite) and there is no necessity to fight for political power as the main concept of influence is the command.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Pluralist and Power Elite Approaches specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Theories and the pluralist approach. The pluralist approach to the rule making process makes the United States of America the most prominent example of this principle in action. Though there is a number of irrefutable evidence of this method’s inappropriateness and secrecy (regardless of the observable openness), its benefits are largely promoted and supported by the global community and international society. Collective behaviour tradition can be considered the core concept for the pluralist approach to the process of rule making (Gamson 1975: 131). This causes the unification of the relations between individuals, groups, and individu al-group/group-individual relations in society. As social relations are commonly unified in accordance with the pluralist approach, inequality arises from the democracy as it appears in a contemporary society because interests are unified as well as preferences though the resources of influence can differ greatly which can result in relocation of political power and, hence, the change of the principles of rule making. The main theories of the pluralist approach include the inferiority of the social preferences compared to the preferences and interests of the political power. As a rule, the pluralist approach is aimed at meeting the requirements of the democracy regardless the genuine principles of power allocation and the amount of resources of influence. Thus, collective goals unify the social interests and make common rules serves the reaching of those goals; the political behaviour can be analysed with regard to the goals of a community opposed to personal interests and preferenc es (Gamson 1975: 138). Benefits of the pluralist approach can be neutralized with the differentiating nature of the contemporary policy in the international society opposed to the principles of unification brought about by other communities that popularize the differentiation concepts. As the core aspect of the pluralist approach to the rule making is the unification, this theory can fail to address all existing interests and preferences topical for the current members of a society. Distribution of Power in Society Discussing the contradictions of the pluralist and power elite theories is incomplete with the consideration of the distribution of power in society.Advertising Looking for essay on natural sciences? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In particular, these issues matter when applied to common analysis of presented theories either approving or disapproving the leading role of society in forming the power relations. Another difficulty arises when dealing with the problem of democracy and inequality. In this case, there is the necessity to make an emphasis on the character of the leading power and the triggering principle of power relations. The major controversy appears when considering distribution of power in society in terms of pluralist views. Due to the fact that this approach is based on meeting the needs of democracies, social power is distributed according to the principle of equal impact on the government. The problem is that equal distribution of power among physical entities is not always possible because of irrational resources allocation presented by material object, social status, and ethical considerations (Dahl 1961:3). In response to this problem, the necessity to introduce the elite power approach to social order is inevitable due to the rigid inequality of property, knowledge and social position, and publicity between the members of society (Dahl 1961:6). In order to reconcile the needs of power elite and the constellations of influenced groups, it is necessary to consider power distribution with reference to institutional arrangement and command. These two concepts presented by Poggi (1978:3) seem to be quite reasonable from the perspective of political order and legitimacy. Indeed, favorable distribution of resources on the basis of command is more effective that that based on custom and exchange. This is explained by the ideas that the body of custom end exchange cannot sustain the exploration and mobilization of new resources and values. In addition, it does not allow society to prevent various contingencies enabling the members to choose the most appropriate patterns to act (Poggi 1978:4). Arising from everything mentioned above, the main principle of power allocation s hould be based on unanimous legitimate arrangement on the two-polar power system. Therefore, society should be directed by one or a specific set of goals that would encompass social and political order. Alternatively, the disposition of views and approaches, which is typical of pluralistic order, will lead to appearance of different values and beliefs (Bull 2002:4). Bull’s approach to the distribution of power is predominantly based on monopolistic views that exclude the pluralist techniques for the decision-making process. Therefore, the introduction of democratic approaches will strike the balance within the domain of social and political dimensions (Emerson 1962:32). Comparative Assessment of the Strengths and Weaknesses of the Pluralism and Elite Power Approaches Highlighting the strengths of the pluralist and elite power approaches. Each of the approaches under consideration has some strong sides due to their great contributions to the arrangement of social and political order. Considering the pluralist theory, the positive side of pluralist approach implementation consists in its focus on social relation as the leading factor of power formation. In particular, the main underpinning of social power is not the leading actor, but the relation itself (Emerson, 1962: 33). The leaders possess power only when they have a specific group to impose power on. In addition to this, the pluralist approach is more effective as far as a decision-making process is concerned. Lukes (2005:17), thus, places an emphasis on the social behavior as the triggering factor of social relations and as an indicator of power. Consistent and successful process of decision making generates a healthy competition that, in its turn, positively contributes to social, economical, and political development of a state. In contrast, the main merit of the elite power approach in the process of rule making is also valuable. According to this theory, the social relations are governed by one purpose where all decisions are made with regard to this purpose. The success of such monopolistic approach is possible in case the state is headed by the leader who has sufficient resources and who is able to allocate them within society in a reasonable way. The governing of one leader fosters the accomplishment of the established goals and decreases the possibility of disagreement within society (Bull 2002: 9). More importantly, the elite power theory contributes to the formation of social and political integrity. Considering the elite theory of power through the prism of social order, this approach is more efficient in arranging rules and orders within a state, particularly if the flow of social activities is based on the principle of command (Poggi, 1978:5). Indeed, the exploration and advancement will be considerably facilitated under the auspices of a monopolistic power. Highlighting the weaknesses of the pluralist and elite power approaches. Although the pluralist approach t o the process of rule-making is more productive for meeting the needs of society, it encounters the difficulties when dealing with the equal allocation of sources (Dahl 1961:5). In particular, excessive democracy dictating equal participation in governing can lead to greater discrepancies between communities. Discussing pluralism from the point of view of order formation, this method of rule making is irrelevant, because the social order cannot be based on the divergent positions. What is more important is mixed views cannot satisfy legal, moral, and economic aspect of decision making as the essence of political decision consist in the necessity to promote specific goals. The problem of decision making arises when dealing with elite power approach to the process of rule making. By promoting the leaders’ rules and preferences, the government deprives society of political significance and minimizing its role in providing viable solutions. In other words, the suppression of poli tical role decreases the importance of social relations (Emerson: 1962: 32). As a result, the government can lose the object of power and, therefore, it cannot be considered to owner of the power itself. In addition, the concentration of power can even lead to great inequality of resources distribution. Conclusion The pluralist and elite power approaches constitute opposite sides of a two-polar system with regard to the process of rule making. This is primarily predetermined by opposite focus on the political systems and conceptual priorities of both approaches. Hence, the pluralist approach is more concerned with influencing powers and social relations whereas the power of elite approach argues the necessity to establish a unanimous goal to pursue. On the one hand, a pluralistic approach considers social relations as the underpinning of governing and resources allocation. It also strives to establish the equality in the process of decision-making. On the other hand, elite power con cept is more effective in reaching the policy of unification where the international order is subjected to the prevailing superiority-inferiority relations. Taking into consideration all strengths and weaknesses, both approaches simultaneously provide viable solutions and serious controversies when applied to the distribution of power in society. Works Cited Bull, Hedley. The Concept of Order in World Politics. The Anarchical Society. A Study of Order in World Politics. UK: Palgrave, 2002, Print. Dahl, Robert A. Who Governs? Democracy and Power in an American City. New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Emerson, Richard M. â€Å"Power-Dependence Relations†. American Sociological Review. 27.1. (1962): 31-41. Print. Gamson, William A. â€Å"the limits of Pluralism.† The Strategy of Social Protest. Homewood: The Dorsey Press, 1975. Print. Lukes, Steven. Power: a Radical View. London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2005. Print. Poggi, Gianfranco. Introduction: The Business of R ule. The Development of the Modern State. California: Stanford University Press, 1978, Print. This essay on Pluralist and Power Elite Approaches was written and submitted by user Wayne Garza to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.