Prayer in the Public School System Essay - 4041 Words

Prayer in the Public School System Over the past thirty years or so the issue of prayer or â€Å"religious expression† in the public school system has brought on heated controversy, but the question is still open for debate---Should students be allowed to have prayer or to express their religious ideals openly in the public schools across America? Many people have attempted to come up with an answer to that question, but, so far no compromise has been agreed upon. This is due to the fact that many people hold strong opinions when it comes to religion and education. As with any argument or debate there are basically two sides, but this conflict has three sides: those people who think that are â€Å"pro-prayer† and believe that there†¦show more content†¦The applicable part of that amendment (freedom of religion) has been broken down into two major clauses which are the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. The Establishment Clause has been translated as to say the Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion (Concerned Women for America 1). The second clause deals with exactly what the title implies---the free exercise of religion. It basically states that Congress can make no law prohibiting anyone’s right to freely exercise their religious beliefs (CWA 1). Therefore, students have the same right to engage in individual or group prayer and religious discussion during the school day as they do to engage in other comparable activities (U.S. Dept. Of Education 1). Individual students are free to pray, express, religious viewpoints, read the Bible, and carry on any other form of religious expression as long as they are not being disruptive or disrespectful to the rights of other students. Students are also allowed to participate in religious clubs or groups at school. According the Equal Access Act, if a secondary school permits other extracurricular activities time to meet during non-instructional periods, then religiously affiliated groups must be given equal treatment (American Bar Association 1). Suc h meetings are protected by the Equal Access Act and may include a prayer service, Bible reading, or other worship exercises (U.S. Dept. ofShow MoreRelatedPrayer On Public Schools : The Public School System1032 Words   |  5 PagesAllow Prayer in Public Schools The public school system should allow students, all across the United States of America, to express themselves freely whenever they would like. Most Americans support the idea of allowing students to pray during school. In the year 2001, 66% of Americans voted that they favor the idea of prayer during school; however, 34% opposed the idea of praying during school. In the year 2014, 61% of Americans voted that they support the idea of praying during school; howeverRead MoreEssay on Prayer Should Be Allowed in Public Schools1727 Words   |  7 PagesPrayer Should Be Allowed in Public Schools School prayer is a very controversial issue in today’s society. The issue of school prayer is about whether the public school systems should let the students pray, at the start of the school day, as a class. The issue of school prayer began in the late sixteenth century when people in England did not approve of the way one religion was forced upon them, so the Puritans, known as the Pilgrims decided to come to the colonies. Even in the colonies theRead MoreThe Constitutionality of Prayer in Public Schools Essay698 Words   |  3 PagesMany people agree against prayer in public schools, while others think that people should be able to express their religion in their own ways. In public schools, they are not allowed to hold prayers at all during the school day due to the mixed religion students that are attending the school. Over the past few years, this has become an extremely controversial issue in our nation. Many people find it proper to pray in school but many people also agree that it is extremely wrong and that if thereRead MoreEssay on Prayer Should Not be Allowed in Public Schools1051 Words   |  5 PagesPrayer Should Not be Allowed in Public Schools School prayer is a very controversial issue in today’s society. This issue has been a problem since America was first founded, in that the country was founded on religious beliefs. The Pilgrims wanted to be able to express their beliefs freely, but in England this freedom was not found, so they decided to come to the Americas, where their beliefs could be expressed freely. As time passed they realized that having this kind of freedomRead MoreDownfall of Education System was No School Prayer649 Words   |  3 Pagesâ€Å"Since prayer was removed from public school classrooms in 1962, we have had a 6-fold increase in violent crime, our divorce rate has tripled,births to single mothers have increased 5-fold, the teenage suicide rate has tripled, and SAT scores have dropped 10%.(Creation Today). Reasons that represent why prayer and moments of silence should be allowed in the public school system will be expressed. This essay will represent the affirmative stance when regarding this topic of school wide prayer and momentsRead MorePublic Schools Should Not Be The Place For Religious Practices1601 Words   |  7 Pagesto religious freedom. Almost immediately conflicts arose between religions, and their belief systems. No problems seem to arise with teaching religion to children in school until the 1900 s. That is when the courts decided religious instructions in public schools would be deemed unconstitutional. Court cases started around the country with people fighting against religious instruction in public schools, many accusing teachers of putting their beliefs in their teachings. The young, and impressionableRead More Supporting Prayer in Public Schools Essay1078 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Our Father†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Denied For centuries, the debate has existed whether or not to allow prayer in public schools. Many Americans feel it is not right of the schools to teach religion. With all the diversity associated with the United States, public schools cannot select one standard religion to practice, due to the cultural and religious differences in the country. Not only are schools the storm center of controversy involving religious differences, they are the principal institution charged with transmittingRead MoreWhere Liberty Meets Justice Essay1054 Words   |  5 Pagesinfringement on others’ rightful liberties. The fight for organized prayer in public schools is a small, but significant, element of this greater violation. Christians claim to be fighting for their religious rights, and attempt to validate their position by saying optional prayer is not offensive. However, this assertion does not take into account the position it creates for students opposed to prayer. Government-sanctioned prayer denies the fundamental right to freedom that its supporters claimRead MoreRuling Out School Prayer1276 Words   |  6 PagesMany people argue that school prayer is needed in schools, but I think that it is not necessary. I believe that it is not necessary to have prayer during school to please people of one religion. If a person can pray to him/herself, then there is no need for a public prayer. It has already been established in the constitution that school prayer has been banned and it should remain that way. In my opinion it should remain unconstitutional because it interferes with other student’s religion, the intentionRead MorePrayer in School Essay example1375 Words   |  6 Pagesthough public schools today are without school prayer, most schools have replaced prayer, with a Silent moment of reflection. Also, the assumption if there is a God or not is a big question as well. I think prayer should be re-instated into schools, because children should be able to express religion freely. I also feel that lack of discipline; youth pregnancy, dropouts, and violence in schools are other issues that can be more controllable if there were religious classes and school prayer. Public

Causal Layered Analysis Of A Globalisation Artifact

Assessment 2 – Causal Layered Analysis of a Globalisation artefact: â€Å"Frontline – Generation Like Social Media Documentary† (Youtube video) (Frontline, 2017) Introduction With the advent of widespread technology and increasing use of social media platforms globally, social media is becoming one of the most influential and inevitable contemporary communication tool. Some even consider it to be the biggest shift since the Industrial Revolution. There is a real shift in communicating with consumers. Consumers are becoming marketers. When kids like something online, it becomes part of the identity that they broadcast to the world. Today, we have, as what is termed in the video - A generation of ‘likes’. Teens are telling the world what they†¦show more content†¦According to 2016 Nielsen Social Media report: â€Å"Thirty-nine percent of heavy social users believe that finding out about products and services is an important reason for using a social network† (Casey, 2017). Besides, as per one survey carried out by the Deloitte firm, more than half of the respondents ranked â€Å"reviews from people within their social media cir cles† in their top three influencers (Taylor, 2016). †¢ Social causes/ Systemic views Digging a little deeper to look at the systemic causes - the analysis of why people hold to these views reveal some interesting information. The analysis level elucidates that for the above-mentioned litany: youngsters’ quest for identity through social media, was triggered because social media is easily available and accessible. It is cheap and almost free. It is the simplicity factor. There has been the technology boom and networking is on the go. Besides, according to a report done by a US market research company, there are now more mobile devices on the planet than people – 8.6 billion devices vs. 7.3 billion people (Connected-uk.com, 2015). Mobile phones companies are offering 24hours connectivity with attractive phone packages. There is also the herd mentality (greenfinch, 2017) and peer pressure – because people are craving for fame, attention, popularity, social validation and inclusion. They seek relationships with others to express their feelings. This has led to â€Å"FOMO†

Leadership Skills and Strategic Change

Question: Write an essay on leadership skills and strategic change. Answer: Introduction The modern day business rivalry is marked with constant changes within resource allocation and subsequent deployment so as to achieve the needed objectives. Different virtues of effective leadership will be discussed that are inherent in implementing successful change agenda in organisations leading to growth and development. Different stakeholders are associated with an entity all of whom have an inherent interest in the functioning of the organisation. As such change management is implemented based upon assessing opportunities, designing approaches and effective leadership skills for successful implementation. Week 1 It has been rightly opined that the only thing that is constant is change. I have observed that strategic change is ushered in by the help of the strategic leader and managers. Forces for change can be classified broadly into two types: Internal and external. Within external forces factors of economy, politics, culture, demography and technology exists. Internal forces comprises of factors of performance, leadership, satisfaction, mission and conflict (Burnes, 2004). Any change agenda brings with it resistance. This resistance stems from managerial response, communication, empathy, support and others. I have also observed that there are 4 phases of the transition to the change process which are denial, resistance, commitment and exploration Example of successful change management can be seen in British Airways in 1981. More recent instance of change management can be seen from the example of California State University when the IT system changes at the main campus were to be synchron ised with the 23 campuses. Week 2 Individual change is brought in by the help of the behavioural as well as psychodynamic approach (Conway and Monks, 2011). Within the behavioural approach actions that are both positive and negative are utilised in order to evoke the necessary change within an individual. Reward is associated with any changes so as to make the change process rewarding. Punishment is also applied for undesired behaviour that also reduces resistance to changes. Within the psychodynamic approach old status quo is gradually replaced by the process of accommodation and integration. The culture shock curve is also helpful in depicting the process of acclimatisation starting with the honeymoon period and reaching a stage of adaption (Farh et al, 2007). Week 3 Aspect of leadership plays a vital role in the process of change management. It has been stated that key to resolve resistance and make individuals conform to change agenda. Both the universalistic and contingency approaches stresses on the attributes of leaders for bringing in desired outcomes among subjects. The universalistic approach focuses on the present circumstances and deals with universal applicability of the change doctrine whereas the contingency approach contemplates future uncertainties and prepares recourses for dealing with it (Gelfand et al, 2007). In this vein it can also be stated that both task oriented and relationship oriented approaches are highly solicited for bringing in the needed change. Four styles of individual behaviour have been classified. These are low readiness level, moderate readiness level, high readiness level and very high readiness level. The appropriate leadership style for each of these characteristics are telling, selling, participating and delegating (Gill, 2003). Week 4 There are different attributes of a successful leader. Some of the attributes of a successful leader is intelligence, honesty, enthusiasm, desire to lead, interpersonal skills, diplomacy, inner drive, tenacity and flexibility. It can be stated that change management is created as a result of team work and organisation. Effective are those leaders that give the employees the freedom to use his own analytical skills in problem solving. For a leader to be effective it is imperative that he focuses on strengths of the people rather than their weaknesses. Therefore effective leaders are those individuals that treats mistake as opportunities for learning (Harris and Ogbonna, 2002). Aspect of leadership and successful change management can be seen from the change management at Shell in 2004 when the new CEO Jeroen van der Veer engaged on some drastic change management for tackling the crisis. Week 5 Usually planned changes take place within organisations that are goal oriented. Two main objectives of planned change are: i) To improve the ability of an organisation to adapt to external changes in the environment. ii) To change behaviour of the employees and make them flexible in order to make them supple. Analysis of the macro level factors is also imperative while planning for change. Macro level analysis takes into account the examination of political, environmental, social, technological, environmental and legal. Thus changes that are planned are implemented in organisations taking in account the factors of PESTLE. Also the organisations also seek to enhance the flexibility of organisations and the employees with an aim to make the organisation lither. Another highly challenging change process can be seen from the formation of Direct Line Group, the former insurance division of the RBS group. Week 6 Lewins three stage model of planned change is quite useful in understanding the change management process. It starts with unfreeze stage, moves onto change stage and finally the refreeze stage (Lundy and Morin, 2013). In the unfreeze stage it is ensured that the employees are ready for change. The change stage involves the execution of the intended change and the refreeze stage ensures that the change is ingrained. The positive model associated with the change management is also effective. In the positive model focus is on creating a positive vision, greater motivation and commitment to the change process. Again organisational change strategies are based upon participative evolution, forced evaluation, charismatic transformation and dictatorial transformation (McCann et al, 2008). Week 7 Five virtues that go into effective change management are vision, skills, incentives, resources and action plan. Without vision there will be confusion in the change process. Without skills there will be anxiety. Without incentives there will be resistance in the change process. Without resources there will be only frustration and lack of action plan will lead to false starts. Personal leadership calls for authenticity, integrity and purposefulness that go a long way in ushering the needed change. Leadership calls for involvement, ownership and commitment. Again there are two forces at play within a change management process. This are driving forces that are positive and restraining forces that are obstacles to change (Conway and Monks, 2011). Case study of Ooredoo can also be evaluated to understand change management for the purpose of consolidation. In 2012 the company started a drive to integrate its 17 diverse telecom operators under one umbrella telecommunication brand Ooredo. Week 8 Resistance to change occurs from organisational causes, group causes and individual causes. Within organisational cause inertia, culture, structure, deficiency in rewards and poor timing are the main causes. Group causes for resistance to change are norms, cohesion and leadership. Individual reasons are fear of the unknown, failure, job security, personal characteristics and previous experiences. Overcoming resistance to change includes the factors of education, communication, participation, involvement, support, negotiation, cooperation and coercion (Lundy and Morin, 2013). Some of the responses to change are working with the individual, trust building, reward, compromise, concrete act and alleviating fears. Cultural values and organisational customs are also influential in bringing changes in an organisation. Organisational culture is emboldened by the behaviour of leaders within an organisation. Week 9 There are five leadership qualities that support change. These are classified as the edgy catalyser, the visionary motivator, the measured connector, the tenacious implementer and the thoughtful architect (Harris, and Ogbonna, 2002). These five leadership styles are unique and operate distinctively so as to enthuse the followers and achieve the results. As such effective leadership skills needed for guiding a change is to embrace the subjects with positive benefits of the change. Communication skills are inherently important skill and element within change management in organisations. The aspect of organisational culture is also evident by the behaviours and individuals within that organisation (Burnes, 2004). Week 10 Experts have pointed out that the process of change is arduous at the beginning, disorganized in the middle and satisfying at the end. Change process has been divided into four stages: Planned, unplanned, evolutionary and revolutionary. Within organisations focus is on implementing planned changes so as to ensure competitive advantage within the business environment. Planned change also calls for specific decision making with an eye on the precise issue. Poor change management is associated with ineffective leadership and managerial inefficiency. For effective change management free flow of ideas and communication is mandatory (Conway and Monks, 2011). As such creative culture in an organisation helps in generating greater conformity and constructive deviance. Conclusion The module on leadership and strategic change was spread over 10 weeks covering diverse aspect of leadership and covered topics that will help me in the future. From the module I have learned about different aspect of leadership and the various facets that go on to make a successful leader and their subsequent application on strategic change. Successful change management in real life scenarios have also been stated by illustrating cases of British Airways, Shell, Ooredo, Direct Line and so on. I have also learned that communication plays a vital role in driving successful change process in organisations leading to growth and development for organisations. References: Burnes, B. (2004) "Emergent change and planned change competitors or allies?: The case of XYZ construction",International Journal of Operations and Production Management, 24(9): 886 902. Conway, E. and Monks. K. (2011) Change from below: the role of middle managers in mediating paradoxical change. Human Resource Management Journal, 21(2): 190-203. Farh, J. L., Hackett, R. D., Liang, J. (2007). Individual-level cultural values as moderators of perceived organizational supportemployee outcome relationships in China: Comparing the effects of power distance and traditionality. Academy of Management Journal, 50(3), 715-729. Gelfand, M. J., Erez, M., Aycan, Z. (2007). Cross-cultural organizational behavior. Annu. Rev. Psychol., 58, 479-514. Gill, R. (2003). Change management or change leadership.Journal of Change Management, 3(4), 307318 Harris, L. C. and Ogbonna, E. (2002) The Unintended Consequences of Culture Interventions: A Study of Unexpected Outcomes.British Journal of Management, 13(1): 3149. Lundy, V. and Morin, P.-P. (2013), Project Leadership Influences Resistance to Change: The Case of the Canadian Public Service.Project Management Journal, 44 (3): 4564 McCann, L., Morris, J. and Hassard, J. (2008) "Normalized Intensity: The New Labour Process of Middle Management." Journal of Management Studies 45(2): 343-371