US army leadership Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4750 words

US army leadership - Essay Example Perhaps, it is these values, principles, and system that make the soldier have the respect that is accorded him everywhere he goes. ‘An army of principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot’. The implementation of the structures however depends largely on the functions of personnel in the army. The military institution is made up several officers whose duties are to ensure that there is orderliness with within the rank of soldiers put under his control and that the structures and systems are well implemented. One of such indispensable figures in the implementation of military structures is the non-commissioned officer. The non-commissioned officer however does not work untamed: for the non-commissioned officer to succeed in his role as a leader, he needs to be guided by basic military principles. This is to say that the non-commissioned officer cannot rule within his own discretion but needs to be guided by principles such as the application of the FM 6-22, c ounseling and the seven Army Values. Roles of Non-Commissioned Officers Who is a non-commissioned officer? A non-commissioned officer is a military officer who is given authority through a commissioned officer, but he or she is not technically considered to be in command. Non-commissioned officers rise up through the enlisted ranks, generally with several years of experience to their names before they reach positions of nominal power.The rank an officer has to reach to be accorded the position of a non-commissioned officer varies from country to country and from military force to military force. Also among the ranks, there divisions such as Junior NCOs and Senior NCOs depending on which nation is in question and which military force, be it the Navy, Army or Air Force. In the United States for instance, all ranks of Sergeant in the United States Army, United States Air Force and United States Marine Corps are termed Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) as are Corporals in the Army and Ma rine Corps. However, the rank of Corporal (E-4) in the US Army is known to be a junior NCOs whereas Corporals in the grades (E-7, E-8, and E-9) are referred to as senior noncommissioned officers. The non-commissioned officer can however be generalized to be ‘an enlisted member of the armed forces, such as a corporal, sergeant, or petty officer, appointed to a rank conferring leadership over other enlisted personnel’ (The Free Dictionary, 2003). What are the roles of the non-commissioned officer in the army? The role a non-commissioned officer is supposed to play simply refers to the leadership functions of the officer that is focused on maintaining army values. ‘NCOs must maintain fundamental soldiering at the forefront of everything we do. And that means we must focus on the basics, maintain Army values and facilitate the transformation’ (Anthony, 2001). Even though all roles performed by non-commissioned officers are geared towards enhancing administratio n in the army force, there are varying roles and these roles cut across different areas of operation; defining who may be under the orders or authority of the non-commissioned officer and who may not. In a generalized system however, the role of a particular NCO depends on his rank. The FM 7-22.7 makes a list of five (5) major categories of non-commissioned officers and what their roles are. These categories are classified according to ranks of officers and they are Sergeant Major of the Army, Command Sergeant Major and Sergeant Major, First Sergeant and Master Sergeant, Platoon Sergeant and Sergeant First Class, and Squad, Section and Team Leaders. The Sergeant Major o

Comparison of Positivist and Phenomenological Methods

Comparison of Positivist and Phenomenological Methods Describe, compare, contrast, and critically evaluate the effectiveness of both positivist and phenomenological methodology adopted when studying society. Sociology is the study of human society, including both social action and organisation. Sociologists use scientific research methods and theories, and study social life in a wide variety of settings, this offers not only information but also a distinctive way of looking at the world and the position humans play in it. Whereas most people try to explain events by analyzing the motives of those involved, sociologists encourage a look beyond individual psychology to many recurring attitudes, actions and how these patterns vary across time, cultures and social groups. To look at the different ways people act and behave in society, it has to be seen from a sociological perspective. Within sociology there is no single method, but many. As stated by Haralambos and Holborn (1995) Science appeared to be capable of producing objective knowledge that could be used to solve human problems and increase human productive capacity in an unprecedented way. This assignment will look at the two main me thodologies, used by sociologists, past and present, and compare the effectiveness of the two. When the task of comparing and contrasting the two methodologies of positivism and phenomenology, adopted within the study of society, there are many things that leap to mind: Firstly, there is the factor of time or circa and secondly is the influence of certain acclaimed sociologists within the two different approaches. Methodology within sociology is the study of methods and deals with the philosophical assumptions underlying the research process, using scientific quantitative data collection under those philosophical assumptions. The broad methodology positions, positivism and phenomenology differ hugely. Positivism contains the underlying philosophical assumptions of research in the most pure and applied sciences, physics, chemistry and biology, based on ideas of the objective reality of the physical world, scientific method and empiricism. Just as positivism arose out of rejecting speculation an alternative view has arisen out of rejecting the view that scientific empiricism can be applied to the social world. There is no one philosophical basis, but phenomenology, which can be seen as the basis for what is the assumption that society can only really be understood through personal actions such as language, feelings and emotions. As stated by Kirby, Kidd, Koubel, Barter, Hope, Kirton, Madry, Manning and Triggs, (2000), that although not perfect the link between the methodologies is that the structuralist-minded sociologists tended to adopt a positivist approach and social action based sociologists tend to adopt a phenomenological approach. The positivist versus the phenomenological approach to the study of man and society is considered in terms of one of the major debates in social science research. Many of the founding fathers of sociology such as Marx (1818-1883), Comte (1798-1857) and Durkheim (1858-1917) believed that it would be possible to create a science of society based on the same principles and procedures as natural sciences. Positivist theorists believed that this approach would reveal that the evolution of society followed invariable laws and that it would show that the behaviour of man was governed by principles of cause and effect which are just as invariable as the subject of natural sciences. Kirby et al, (2000) states that positivists believe that only by adopting a position of total objectivity towards the subject matter or phenomena can unbiased knowledge or theories be produced. Comte believed in the hierarchy of science and that each study of science is dependent upon another. His theory ranged from the simplest to the more complex forms of science and that sciences above rely on sciences below stating that sociology was more abstract and difficult than other sciences. Originating from his hierarchy of science, as stated in Haralambos and Holborn, (2004), Comte widely believed that industrialization and the growth of scientific knowledge would lead to secularization, therefore devising his contribution to the study of social dynamics in that, the rule of societies passing through three stages defined by their social relationships. Theological law was a belief in superhuman or divine powers, Metaphysical, a belief in the powers of the individual human mind and the positive law was based on truth produced by collaborative, quantitative and scientific work. An appeal of the positivist approach is that scientific knowledge does not contradict or surprise the ex perience of the everyday world. It argues that factors, which are not directly observable, such as meanings feelings and purposes, are not particularly important and can be misleading, they therefore, form, reliable quantitative data. Phenomenological theorists such as Simmel (1858-1918) and Weber (1864-1920) propose that the consciousness is the proper area of study, for its study will reveal meaning. They seek to sense reality and describe in words rather than numbers, trying to produce convincing descriptions of what they experience rather than explanations and causes. Weber disagreed with Comtes theory, he believed there could be as many sciences as needed, Quantitative and empirical studies cannot tell people what to do, and it is important to go beyond simply recording events and to explain the reasons behind them. When referring to Webers idea of puritanism, a case study in the empirical construction of the protestant ethic, Weber, as cited by Ghosh (2003), clearly states that empirical sources are not tablets of stone, eternally available to the truth seeking historian; rather they have a history of their own. Weber believed that values play a crucial role before during and after research and that social a ction is governed by the dynamic of individual needs. Weber was committed to the study of causality, the probability that an event would be followed by another event not necessarily of a similar nature. In addition to this Weber also analysed the levels to which rationality was becoming institutionally embedded in modern industrialised societies. Marxs view of bureaucracy was according to Weber a form of organisation superior to all others, Weber wrote in one of his many books, that without this form of social technology the industrialised countries could not have reached the wealth and extravagance that they currently enjoy, (Weber, 1928) as cited in Haralambos and Holborn, (2004). He believed that this capacity for social order would lead to the evolution of the iron cage, and as a result, a society that was technically ordered, rigid and dehumanized. As stated by Giddens (1997) Weber sought to understand social change. He was influenced by Marx but was also strongly critical of s ome of Marxs major views, rejected the materialistic conception of history and saw class conflict as less significant than Marx. From a positivist stance, Marx believed that ideas were expressions of public interest and that they served as weapons in the struggle between classes and political parties. Class for Marx, is defined as a social relationship rather than a position or rank in society. Class struggle and owners of production determined economic order. In Marxs view, classes are defined and structured by work, labour, possessions, production, and the class structures of capitalism consisted of class struggle, political power and the development of a classless society. Marxs theory of society consisted of two categories of class and that economic order was determined by the two; Bourgeoisie, the capitalist class, the hierarchy, the wealthy, the employers and the Proletariat, who are the workers or the lower class. His view was that as the bourgeoisie employed the proletariat, who has to fulfill his basic needs, the capitalist class could not exist without them. As cited by Haralambos and Holborn (1995), Marxism has sometimes been regarded as a positivist approach since it can be argued that it sees human behaviour as a reaction to the stimulus of the economic infrastructure. Although Weber agreed with Marx in part, that as methods of the organisation increased efficiency and effectiveness of production, Marxs theory threatened to dehumanise society. Webers theories, stratification and views on economic behaviour were rooted from Marxs view on the economics of a society. Another positivist view came from Emile Durkheim, whose impression of society was of structures that function apart from human purpose and will. While he considered society to be composed of individuals, his theory was that it is not individuals behaviours, thoughts and actions that construct society, but that society has a structure and existence of its own. His thought was, that society was to have developed from traditional to modern society, through the expansion and development of the division of labour, of course, it is individuals who act, but they do not act on a purely individual basis, they have obligations and duties and are strongly influenced by structure, tradition and the roles of our forefathers. Durkheim considered himself with the issue of social order and how modern society holds together, given that society is composed of many individuals each acting in an individual and autonomous manner. Durkheims classic study of suicide, (1970, first published in 1897), as cit ed in Haralambos and Holborn, (2004) is often seen as a model of positivist research and it does indeed follow many of the methodological procedures of positivism. Although supporting the two different methodologies of sociology, Durkheim was heavily influenced by Weber, who defined sociology as the study of social action between individuals. In contrast to Durkheims impression of society and view that society has an existence of its own apart from the individuals in it and so proceeds a proper object of study. As argued by Haralambos and Holborn (1995) where Marx was pessimistic about the division of labour in society, Durkheim was cautiously optimistic. Marx saw the specialised divisions of labour trapping workers in their occupational role, Durkheim saw problems arising from specialisation in industrial society, but believed the promise of the division of labour far outweighed the problems. While Simmel is generally not regarded as being as influential in sociology as were Marx, Weber and Durkheim, Simmels theories, had some similarities to Durkheims theory of problems of individuality and society, Webers dynamic of individual interests and Marxs theory of class structure. Simmel considered society to be an association of free individuals and that society could not be studied in the same way as the physical world for example, sociology is more than the discovery of natural laws that govern human interaction. His theory was that society is made up of the interactions between and among individuals and that, sociologists should study the patterns and forms of these associations rather that look for social laws. By defining sociology in this way, Simmel avoids the conflict about the nature of science whether it should be concerned with timeless, universal laws, instead, there are always multiple ways in which we can look at things. He argued that society was made up of soc ial facts, and these social facts coerce and shape the actions of individuals. He argued that in traditional societies, solidarity binds together individuals in order to allow society to operate. Social facts only come into being in an interaction, and do not exist within an individual consciousness. Durkheim (1970) as cited in Haralambos and Holborn (2004), stated that the determining cause of a social fact should be sought among the social facts preceding it and not among the states of individual consciousness, the causes of variations in suicide rates were to be found in social facts and in society rather than the individual. Therefore, social groups represent. He argued that societies that functioned well were societies that held a consensus sway over individuals; society, therefore, was something outside and inside individuals. As stated by Haralambos and Holborn (1995) to phenomenology, it is impossible to measure objectively any aspect of human behaviour, through language humans distinguish between different types of events, actions, objects and people. The process of categorisation is subjective; it depends upon the opinions of the observer. Statistics are simply the product of the opinions of those who produce them. The distinction between positivist and phenomenological approaches is not as clear-cut as this assignment implies. There is a considerable debate over whether or not a particular theory should be labelled positivist or phenomenological. Often many of the theorists lie somewhere in between, some taking views from either side. Haralambos and Holborn (1995) argue that in terms of sociology, the positivist approach makes the following assumptions; the behaviour of humans, like the behaviour of matter, can be objectively measured, just as the behaviour of matter can be quantified by measures such as weight, temperature and pressure. Methods of objective measurement can be devised for human behaviour, such measurement is essential to explain behaviour. Early Positivists such as Comte, and Durkheim argued that objectivity was attainable by adopting a scientific methodology. Marx also believed that his sociology was objective and scientific, although he saw society very differently. Weber did not think complete value freedom was possible, but he did believe that once a topic for research had been chosen, the researcher could be objective. He argued that sociologists should not make value judgments, that is, they should not state what aspects of society they found desirable or undesirable. It is plainly nonsensical to throw into one big pot labelled sociology all those researches which could have been satisfactorily conducted by national economy, history of civilisation, philosophy, political science, statistics, demography and ethics. That gives us a new name, but no new knowledge. Simmel, G (1858), cited in American Journal of Sociology [online]) (1898) Reference List Ghosh, P, (2003), Max Webers Idea of Puritanism: A Case Study In The Empirical Construction Of The Protestant Ethic, History of European Ideas, [online], 29;2, 183-221, Available at: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL_udi=B6V9C-48D2RD7-1_user=10_rdoc=1_fmt=_orig=search_sort=dview=c_acct=C000050221_version=1_urlVersion=0_userid=10md5=10803212fe05d9a06d9a7ce5cfaec919 [Accessed November 21, 2008] Giddens, A, (1997) Sociology, 3rd Edition, Polity Press, Cambridge Haralambos, M, Holborn, M, (1995), Sociology, Themes and Perspectives, 4th Edition, Collins Educational, London Haralambos, M, Holborn, M, (2004), Sociology, Themes and Perspectives, 6th Edition, Collins Educational, London Kirby, M, Kidd, W, Koubel, F, Barter, J, Hope, T, Kirton, A, Madry, N, Manning, P, Triggs, K, (2000), Sociology in Perspective, Heinemann Educational, Oxford Simmel, G (1898) The Persistence of Social Groups, American Journal of Sociology, [online], 5; 3, 662-663. Available at: http://www.brocku.ca/MeadProject/Simmel/Simmel_1897a.html [Accessed November 11th 2008]

Invisible Man :: essays papers

Invisible Man Invisible Man: Ralph Ellison Ralph Waldo Ellison was born in Oklahoma on March 1, 1914. From 1933 to 1936, Ellison attended Tuskegee Institute, intent upon pursuing a career in music. Like the protagonist in the novel, Ellison grew up in the south, then later moved to New York City. In New York he met the leading black figures of that day, such as Richard Wright and Langston Hughes, who he said encouraged his own writing ambitions. Ellison became associated with the Federal Writer's Project, where he published short stories and articles in such magazines as New Challenge and New Masses. Since 1970, Ralph Ellison has been professor of the humanities at New York University and has lectured extensively on black folk culture. The influences of his early interests in music helped to create a richly symbolic, metaphorical language of his novels, which he is most known for. In his works, Ellison well-spokenly describes the problems of American racism that continue to plaque the country in all areas today. In 1952, Ralph Ellison's novel The Invisible Man gave voice to the feelings of many black Americans who felt that they were not "seen" by American society. The novel won the National Book Award in 1953 and was also published two years before the Supreme Court ruled the Brown vs. Board of Education to outlaw separate but equal education in America. While the Civil War freed the slaves, it did not integrate blacks into the American mainstream. As did so many from this generation, the nameless protagonist of Invisible Man leaves the South for New York City. Here he becomes a pawn for a political group, and he discovers he is not seen as an individual human being. After becoming involved in a Harlem riot, he realizes that he must deal with people of both races. He also realizes that many people see him as a Black Man, and therefore his real nature is unseen by them-- this makes him "invisible". Many times, people, often introverted and alienated from the rest of society, have found themselves in situations in which they are on the outside looking in. These people often have a feeling of being "invisible" and unidentified to the rest of society and therefore undergo a need to search for their identity in order to be recognised and have a place at the "social table". In this particular novel, our character which calls himself the "invisible man", is faced with the challenges of being a young African American male from the south, living in the north, who encounters a number of baffling experiences while on the road to self-discovery.

Project: First Aid Kit Essay

First aid kit was invented by Johnson in the late 1890’s. First aid kit got its name is by Johnson’s first aid kit. The first aid kit formed in the 11th century, to help the pilgrims and knights and also train the other knights and pilgrims to help cure the injured people. So that’s how and why many of us now use Johnson first aid kit to cure illness and injured people. We all have our first aid kits in cabinet’s rooms or offices and some in cars. But it is helpful and safe to keep a first aid kit with us in our car, homes, jobs, and everywhere we might go that might be dangerous for us or little ones and is good to have one in your purses or children’s backpack when they go camping or go to school or walk home or walk to school. The first time that the first aid was ever used was in the middle ages. Then in the 1859 the trained villagers came back to help the illness and injured ones in the battle of the soldering. Then, four years later, more villagers were trained and they formed a new group that we now call the Red Cross to help others during illness or injury but also through losing their homes in a hurricane, like the one in New Jersey with the hurricane Sandy. So there is where we are using the first aid, many developments in the first aid have been used by the wars in worldwarI, worldwarII, and American Civil War. Clara Barton was prompted to organize the American Red Cross during Civil War. Today, there are many groups that use the Johnson first aid kit, so many of us use it in the military and the scouting movement. New techniques and equipment have helped make today’s Johnson first aid kit simple and effective. What is first aid? Well, first aid is not always to be used to cure injured or illness animals or people; it can also be used to help those who have  lost their homes in a hurricane or fire. And is most of the time to cure the sick ones and injured ones. What did I learn while I was typing this essay? I have learned a lot! Most of all I learned that the first aid is not always used to cure illness or injury people it is used to help those in need that have lost their homes or need help to keep their homes. I also learned where the first aid name came from it came from the inventor named Johnson, first aid in the late 1890’s and then formed the American Red Cross. I also accomplished that where and who the inventor was and how the name was formed so there we all know if you’re like me wondering where those answers are of who, when, and where was the first aid came from well there you go because I found all those answer for you.

Guide to Designing Qualitative Research

Guide to Designing Qualitative Research When you are asked to design a qualitative research and write your dissertation or research study using this method, you might be confused where to start. Many students simply assume that qualitative research is based on interviews or observation, and does not need to include literature research, or theses. This is the first misconception of qualitative research methods, and there are many more to come. If you would like to be confident that your qualitative research study will be suitable for submission, and you will get great grades, you will need to understand all the requirements of research, studies, structure, and design. Read the below guide to help you understand what qualitative methods entail and how to make the most out of your research. The Role of Qualitative Research Qualitative research is usually carried out to understand the different perspectives of issues and phenomena. It is concerned about human behaviour and experiences. In many cases, it measures attitudes, therefore, the information gained cannot be quantified. Qualitative methods are usually applied in the following fields of study: Health and social care Social studies Humanities Marketing Psychology Teaching Qualitative research, in short, is a research method that focuses on findings that reflect on the complexity of a problem or issue and do not provide statistical or quantifiable information, but – instead – answer the initial research questions of the study. Qualitative research attempts to answer the questions: â€Å"what?† and â€Å"why?†, while quantitative methods focus on â€Å"how many?†. Methods of Qualitative Research There are different methods that researchers can apply to conduct qualitative studies and answer the research questions. Some of them are listed below. Direct observation This method takes into consideration the environment and setting, however, the researcher’s bias might affect the reliability of the information gained. Participant observation This approach requires the researcher to take part in the activities of the group researched and participate in their routines. This method allows a deeper understanding of the issues faced by the group, but can be costly and lengthy. Qualitative interviews There are three main types of interviews used by researchers: Informal Semi-structured Open-ended This approach allows the researcher to take into consideration the individual differences of participants and tailor the questions to their profile. The main disadvantage of qualitative interviews is that the results are hard to analyse. Focus groups This data collection method is often used to predict attitudes of groups towards an issue or product Action research This collaborative method allows the author of the study to manipulate the situation and measure the outcomes, while designing interventions for improvement. Case studies This method is usually applied when a researcher is focusing on one organisation, group, or institution and provides an in-depth analysis of phenomena based on the research question. When to Apply Qualitative Research Qualitiative research can be used when the author would like to test a hypothesis, understand the attitude of individuals or groups towards a service or product, try to develop interventions, meet the needs of a certain consumer or peer group, or capture the language used by the participants. Presenting the Results of Qualitative Research The main goal of presenting the results of the qualitative study is to answer the research questions. Therefore, the interview questions observation strategies need to be built around the research aims and objectives. When presenting the qualitative research results, the author needs to focus on answering the questions and identifying trends. As an example, when researching people’s attitudes towards a new health care service interviewed, the most important emerging themes that were mentioned by participants need to be listed and discussed in the context of the literature. To successfully present the results of the study in qualitative research, you need to: Read the answers or transcripts closely Use sequential text interpretation Take into consideration individual differences and the impact of the setting To identify trends, you might need to use coding that captures the essence of the content Structure of a Qualitative Study The best way of designing a qualitative research method is to use a research protocol. This will help create a methodology that is fit for the purpose of the study. The main parts of the research protocol are: Aims and objectives Background of the study Methods Ethical issues Resources needed to conduct the research Timescale for the research Dissemination plan / output Once the qualitative research protocol is drawn up, you need to get it approved by the supervisor before the study can take place. When structuring the final research paper, you need to have the following sections: Title Using the keywords that represent the purpose of the study, you need to create a title that sums up the content. Abstract Write the abstract after the paper is finished, to summarise the content Background and Context List the information on the topic available through theories and recent research studies, and signify the importance of carrying out the research Design and Methodology Provide the research questions, setting, research methods, epistemological commitments, and the data analysis methods Findings Present the results of the study in a structured, logical format, focusing on the research questions Discussion and Conclusion Reflect back to the research questions and literature research, to present how the results can be interpreted and used to make improvements in your field. Do You Need Help Conducting Qualitative Research? If you already have an idea of what you would like to research, and need help with developing your research questions, protocol, timeline, or choose the right research methodology for your study, you can get in touch with our friendly team at our site who will assist you with your research or dissertation. Alternatively, you can submit your question online and our professional writers will discuss your options and provide personalised answers based on your research topic and field of study.Related Articles:Different Research Methods Used in the Aviation Industry A Critical Discussion of research methods and approaches Dissertation – Different Research Strategies you can use in your dissertation Summary Reviewer Dissertation Ideas – Qualitative Review Date 2017-08-26 Reviewed Item our site – Admin Author Rating 5