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Class 2, Week 11

Name

Institutional Affiliation

Change in Strategic Leadership Understanding

A strategic leader, to be successful, ought to be a strategic thinker. I have learned a lot on strategic leadership in this line of thinking. Not just anyone can be picked out from the crowd and be made a leader, specifically becoming a strategic leader. I have now understood that for one to become a strategic leader, they ought to apply strategic thinking. Strategic thinking applies various ideas. The strategic leader considers their organization on a larger perspective and how this affects, directly or indirectly, the expectations of their role within the organization. They should also be able to understand their intention for the organization, such that they have clarity on goal achievement and prioritization (Carucci, 2016). Intelligent opportunism is yet another thought I have gained on strategic leadership, viewing the importance of including staff in the company’s strategy so that goal realization is effected by the organization as a whole. Strategic leaders are vision-driven, so that their efforts are motivated by where they are supposed to be in set time goals, while applying a creative and analytical way of thinking that provides creative ways of achieving organizational goals. In short, I have come to view strategic leadership as an all-encompassing role that considers the position and organization wholesomely.

The strategic leader, further, has to be willing to learn. This means that they disengage themselves from only delegation and submerge themselves in their role. They have to place themselves at their subordinates’ level as well as at their superiors’ level, while listening to the views of all those that make up the organization. At this point, the strategic leader is then able to make decisions, not from a skewed point of view, but in a more informed manner that is not only beneficial to the company’s growth, but is also beneficial to their growth as a leader (Kallmyr, n.d.). This creates room for change for the leader. The change and growth they experience is not only for them, but also for the organizational staff that learns from set examples. The strategic leader ends up providing a much-needed, reliable support systems and guidance for those they work with. A strategic leader provides the direction that the company should follow.

Characteristics of Successful Strategic Leaders

To make a strategic leader, I believe there are a set of characteristics that are most significant and effective. With this in mind, these characteristics may be detailed in combination with others to make sense of strategic leadership. An important characteristic of a strategic leader is their ability to balance the vision they have with the execution of the same. Being a visionary is a requirement for a strategic leader. This means they have clarity on short and long-term objectives, while ensuring that there are actions in line with this to help bring the goals to life. This also calls for effective communication with company staff for team effort on the goal realization. They also have to be focused on collaboration (Achieveit, n.d.). A strategic leader is said to be one who holds a lot of important information that comes in handy in the various decision making dockets, but it is important to note the importance of valuing the input of coworkers aside from the confidence they would have in their own knowledge. Coworkers, many times, have great ideas that would steer the company in the right direction. Having multiple perspectives helps give the strategic leader options to work with, so that the best are applied while encouraging an open environment. The organization’s vision is brought to life in the process, with the flexibility of adaptation to change.

The strategic leader should be open to learning. Knowledge can never be exhausted. They ought to be curious and be motivated to learn more about the organization itself, the competition, and the industry in general. Widening the knowledge base helps the leader anticipate better and in a more effective manner. Better planning and vision development occurs in the process. They are in a better position to anticipate challenges and opportunities in their line of work. Lastly, the strategic leader ought to be a decision maker that is not only data-driven, but is also transparent. They have to be motivated to access data that would help improve their organizational business while understanding the value that this data adds onto goal realization. The role of this data in strategy development and decision making is just as significant. Their decisions have to be based on data so that there is clarity on how decisions have been arrived at (Giles, 2016). This also means that they need to be good communicators. The staff better understands the importance of transparency in decision making. Not only is the data-driven mindset focused on effective decision making, it also helps in standing out against competitors in the market. Strategic leaders make it possible for the anticipation of challenges and opportunities, data evaluation, feedback from within and without the organization, as well as motivation to take action wherever and whenever needed.

References

Achieveit.(N.D.). 4 Characteristics of Phenomenal Strategic Leaders. Achieveit.com. https://www.achieveit.com/resources/blog/4-characteristics-phenomenal-strategic-leadersCarucci, R. (2016). Make strategic thinking part of your job. Harvard Business Review.

Giles, S. (2016). The most important leadership competencies, according to leaders around the world. Harvard Business Review, 15.

Kallmyr. (N.D.). Strategic Thinking and Strategic Leadership. Kallmyr.com. http://www.kallmyr.com/strategic-thinking-and-strategic-leadership/

References

My September 11th

On September ninth I celebrated my twenty-third birthday, which wasn’t much as I had just moved into my new one bedroom apartment the week before. My new place was in D.U.M.B.O., Brooklyn, a very unique and eclectic neighborhood located at the base of the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges, right down underneath the Manhattan bridge overpass (hence the acronym). One of the reasons that I loved this neighborhood so much (besides my fabulous new loft pad in an undercover community of amazing artists), was it’s prime location on the water front of the East River. A quick two block walk along the quiet cobble stone streets, then squeezing through the hole in the tattered fence that guards the empty lot over grown with weeds, and I was in heaven: my very own private spot on the water, where the most amazing pink, orange and blue sunsets occurred over the Brooklyn Bridge, the borough of Manhattan, and the Twin Towers. Little did I know that my semi-private sanctuary was about to become a constant visual reminder of the most dreadful day of my life. The events of September eleventh were about to unfold in front of everyone’s eyes, changing life as we knew it.

I woke up that morning thinking it would be like any other. It was a sunny and beautiful yet unusually warm September day. I was running late, as usual, straining to hear the morning news in the living room while in the bath room preparing myself for the day. Not only was this one of the first mornings spent in my new apartment, but this Tuesday in particular marked the first week I had spent on my new job managing the business affairs for a photo stylist. As I had spent the past few years in dot com land, I was quite enthusiastic about my new endeavor. Tuesday, the eleventh, we were scheduled to be shooting a print ad for David’s Bridal. Suddenly, in the other room, I heard the news anchor say that a plane had hit one of the towers. Curious to see what was going on, I casually walked into the living room, mascara wand in hand, and gawked at the billowing smoke. As New Yorkers are easily jaded, I blew it off thinking one of those tourist helicopter rides over the city had gone awry. They always seem to be flying so low, like awkward young birds just about to graze the tree tops. Staying home in the safety of my own apartment never even crossed my mind. Once I made my way outside and looked towards the water front, it all seemed a bit more serious, and I noticed people beginning to gather on their rooftops, struggling for a better view. I grabbed a copy of the Post and a coffee, and made my way to the subway.

The Manhattan bound F train was a bit more alert than usual. On most mornings the sporadic jerking and constant humming vibration of the subway cars seemed to put people into deep sleep. But today, people who typically chose to remain sleepy, silent and anonymous, were engaged in serious conversation with strangers. I overheard at least ten side bar conversations of passengers recounting, and often exaggerating the mornings events. I then heard someone say that a second plane had hit the other tower, and next came talk of it not being accidental. Reality was now lurking all around me, but I had no clue of the events to come. I was a bit concerned at that point, as being trapped underground on a subway car is not the best place to be during a catastrophe. Not really knowing what to be fearful of or why, I continued to read my paper, transferred to the uptown A, and got off in Chelsea on West 23rd Street.

Sweating profusely as I pounded the pavement on my way to the studio, I noticed people flocking on the corners of the Avenue’s, facing downtown towards the World Trade Center. Intrigued as I was, I sped up my pace since I was already twenty minutes late. As I walked into the quiet studio, I had no idea of the horror that had begun to unfold. The sun was reflecting off of the white washed walls, casting shadows of the window panes onto the white floor. A man whom I had never seen before came walking towards me, looking me dead in the eyes. His shirt was a faded olive color, his neatly trimmed hair was jet black, and his style screamed wardrobe guy. The look on his face seemed to be void of all emotion, except fear. This stranger placed his trembling hands on my shoulders and said with a tearful voice, “The tower fell. The tower collapsed. It’s terrible.” He placed his hand over his mouth and walked into another room. I later learned that his boyfriend worked in one of the towers, and I never did find out if he survived. Reflecting back upon that moment now, I’ve never had anyone speak to me with such emotion as he did, especially a stranger.

The studio we were shooting in, on the twenty-sixth floor, had floor to ceiling picture windows, with both southern and eastern exposure. On any given day this view of the skyscrapers, bridges and landscapes covering New York City was like a postcard, but today it was a birds eye view of mass destruction. Thinking the worst had passed, I pushed my way through the hypnotized crowd and toward the window. What felt like mere minutes was actually an hour, and I was still standing at the glass when the second tower fell. I’ve never felt so helpless, and have yet to experience a moment so surreal as that one. The great beasts that loomed over the southern tip of my city were now laid to rest.

The remainder of the day seemed a week long, even longer for those who could not immediately reach their loved ones. Communications were limited, as the main antennas for cell phone reception were located on top of one of the towers. The massive antennas now served as a road block somewhere down on Chambers Street. Being an only child, I knew my parents, at home in Michigan, were desperate to know I was safe. It took hours before I could get an outside line, and when I finally did, my mother was hysterical. She was in her office and made a conference call to include my father in the conversation. It was the first moment we’ve had as a family since their divorce four years prior. Funny how people forget their grievances amidst a tragedy. Next I was concerned about locating my best friend Amy who attended classes two blocks north of what was soon to be called ‘Ground Zero.’ She was a nursing student, and as I wouldn’t believe anything other than she was all right, I was concerned that she was possibly trapped while trying to assist others. To make matters worse, John, her husband of three months was a young police officer, one of New York’s finest, and I was sure that he had headed straight for disaster, trying to bring her and others to safety. After countless hours of trying to reach both of them, and their families in Long Island and Michigan, I finally got word from Amy’s brother that they were both fine. Amy was on the street, talking to her mother on the phone when the first plane struck. She immediately headed for safety, and followed the zombie-like masses, on foot, across the Williamsburg bridge to Brooklyn. John, after knowing Amy’s whereabouts, hopped in an emergency services van with other officers and headed straight for the scene. He helped with the rescue efforts well into the night, and continued to do so for weeks after, working many fourteen hour days. The unity and brotherhood of New York’s civil servants is something to be admired, and I am proud to call him my friend.

In today’s world of technology, it’s astounding to think that we didn’t have a television set in the studio, only radio. All day, although seeing things from my own up close and personal perspective, I had no clue of the gruesome and horrific images being broadcast nation wide. By five o’clock that evening, a few subway lines that were the major arteries of the city were opened up for scattered service. I was lucky enough to catch the train home, although it was a mental challenge to get on board – what if something else happened? What if we were stuck underground? An extra long and nerve wracking ride resulted in my returning home, safe and sound. My friends from the neighborhood had all gathered at our local watering hole, Between the Bridges. With all the news reports I watched that night, the scene that stands out the most was that of a massive cloud of smoke, rounding the corner and devouring the crowd which tried to escape it. I felt the pain of those who suffered, but was wrapped in the warmth of being surrounded by my friends. As they say, misery loves company.

That evening I walked down to my sanctuary by the water, where others like me who live for that spot had already gathered. At the time we couldn’t notice the absence of the towers, as a massive cloud of black smoke hovered in their place. Ashes, debris, and office documents covered the concrete blocks where we sat. The smoke, the constant wailing of the sirens, and the soot resting on our shoulders weren’t the worst of it though – what I remember most was the pungent stench that lingered for a week. My favorite place in the world was now a dismal reminder of the greatest tragedy known to my generation…right there, in my own backyard.

Bibliography:

None. Personal, narrative descriptive essay.

My Shattered Dream

Living in the United States of America had been what I had wished for since my first grade. I had fancied of living the best life ever. USA had what I believed I was chasing and it was here in the world of untapped opportunities that my dreams would be achieved. I had been driven to believe that this was the land of a great breakthrough. The celebrities that I saw in the television movies, music videos and personality shows made me believe that moving to America would make my dream of becoming an all-time achiever fulfilled. My trance was to accumulate wealth, own sleek cars and live in a modern bungalow with servants a beautiful wife with kids.

The company that my father worked for appeared to be on my side. It was a multinational organization with branches worldwide. It got my dad a transfer and moved him to an American branch during my second grade when I was barely ten. We moved to a state known as Dallas and it was here that all I had fantasied on would come to a fulfillment.

My dream that I was chasing that I later referred to as the American dream was to start here. I completed my 8th grade and joined high school with no much change in my life though I had great hopes that my college life would be the turning point.

I loved studying and becoming a scholar was a part of my dream. As an immigrant to the USA that I had now known to be my home, my American dream started to break when my father got his retrenchment. It was traumatizing and shocking and having had saved little with much invested in educating the three of us myself being the first born, I saw challenges line up in front of me. Life changed drastically with my family moving to a slum into a cottage that my father could barely afford with his shoddy jobs that had little income. I successfully completed my 12th grade and I was ready to join college under an education insurance cover that had not yet expired. It was here in college where all my wishes were to come true. I went for the enrollment of my college education and that was when it dawned on me that I was undocumented and my name was nowhere in the government system. It was heartbreaking and frustrating with a lot of regrets in minds. I broke the sad news to my parents and as their hope I made them believe in me. I looked for jobs in restaurants and pubs and worked tirelessly during the day and night. Life as an immigrant youth became more challenging with threats of deportation, little payments, poor working conditions and poor housing, (Flores 1). I saved for some months and finally maneuvered to hire an immigration lawyer who led us to securing passports and went back to our native country where I was forced to live a simple life of a commoner.

Conclusion

The essay is a literary essay of a broken dream in the chase of material possessions in the United States of America. What I did not think as a teenager was that the American dream does not always go the way I wanted and that is why I ended up disillusioned with no achievement but frustrations.

Work cited

BIBLIOGRAPHY l 1033 Flores, Timmons. M. A DREAM Deported: What Undocumented American Youth Need their Schools to Understand. Journal of educational controversy. Web 26th October 2013 http://www.wce.wwu.edu/Resources/CEP/eJournal/v007n001/a003.shtml .

BIBL. O. RAPHY l 1033 Flores.T.M. (2012) A DREAM Deported: What Undocumented American Youth Need their Schools to Understand. Journal of Education Controversy. [Online] http://www.wce.wwu.edu/Resources/CEP/eJournal/v007n001/a003.shtml retrieved on 26th November 2013.

Class 2, week 12, Peer Response 1

Name

Institutional Affiliation

As the author details, strategic leaders are a significant part of any organization. Without them, then it is impossible for the organization to thrive. With the example of BP trying to balance its profits and safety for the people and environment, failed strategic leadership is seen, especially in light of the essential skills that they ought to possess. These essential skills are anticipating, challenging, interpreting, deciding, aligning, and aligning (Schoemaker, Krupp, & Howland, 2013). In the case of anticipation, for instance, strategic leaders are expected to start from within the organization growing outward. However, in the case of BP, the company began outward as a means of blinding people from the real issues. The failure to appreciate and analyze the impending risk during maintenance, as well as ineffectiveness in timeliness and communication ailed the company, so much so that the company leadership brushed off the need for continued maintenance (Pranesh et al., 2017). There were already hazardous conditions in play way before the explosion happened, and they happened due to mismanagement and lack of concern from the leaders, as the author identifies in detail.

Leadership ineffectiveness is clear in the anticipation phase, and in the same fashion, absent in the challenging phase. As the author identifies, the leadership in this case is said to have made poor decisions that led to the explosion. The Transocean leadership had a hand in this regarding the oil well’s materials coming up and resulting in the explosion. The decisions and considerations made in the process by the leaders were not challenged by other leaders or questioned for that matter, with little consideration made for the extent of impact the well would cause if it exploded (Corkindale, 2011 & US BBC, 2011). The results would have otherwise been successful. In interpreting, as the author mentions, the leaders would have been expected to have been honest with themselves and the public regarding the state of the oil well before and after the explosion. However, they either downplayed the actual state of the explosion or hid information from the public, thus losing the trust of the people. The BP leadership failed to take action at the pre-crisis stage and acute crisis stage (Heller, 2012). This would explain why the company failed to manage the situation with timeliness, which the author details on.

On deciding, BP took the approach of trying to engage in activities to help save the environment but while still making decisions that would keep the real state of the oil well hidden from the media and public. The company failed to engage in clean-up, resulting in the government and agencies taking charge. They made the wrong decision to keep the public out of the loop. On alignment, just like the author shares, the leadership was motivated to bring back the company’s glory while hiding the truth from the people (Heller, 2012). Their denial in minimization and mitigation of environmental and safety problems hang them out to dry since their priorities and actions were not in line with their words, through which the public saw through. They had also shifted the blame to other players which led to their intentions’ questioning. Lastly, on matters learning, following BP’s approach of little consideration for the environment and the people’s safety, the leaders finally agreed to taking a wrong approach. With the company receiving criticism for its unethical and dishonest approach, it learned a lot from importance of anticipation actions to being honest with the stakeholders.

References

BBC, U. (2011). oil spill:’Bad management’led to BP disaster.

Corkindale, G. (2011). Five leadership lessons from the BP oil spill. Harvard Business Review.

Heller, N. A. (2012). Leadership in crisis: An exploration of the British Petroleum Case. International Journal of Business and Social Science, 3(18).

Pranesh, V., Palanichamy, K., Saidat, O., & Peter, N. (2017). Lack of dynamic leadership skills and human failure contribution analysis to manage risk in deep water horizon oil platform. Safety science, 92, 85-93.

Schoemaker, P. J., Krupp, S., & Howland, S. (2013). Strategic leadership: The essential skills. Harvard business review, 91(1), 131-134.

Class 2, Week 12, Peer Review 2

Name

Institutional Affiliation

Strategic leadership is an important aspect of effectively running an organization. The absence of this can only result in devastating effects on the organization. The handling of the Hurricane Katrina is no different. It would require strategic leaders to manage such environmental and natural disasters, which is where strategic essential skills and the strategic leadership framework come in (Schoemaker, Krupp, & Howland, 2013). Strategic leadership is seen in the linkage between the plans and actions conducted by organizational leaders for the sake of meeting both individual and organizational goals, as the author mentions (Jabbar & Hussein, 2017). This especially comes to light during disasters just like the author details. In anticipation, for instance, the New Orleans’ leaders were heavily criticized for failing to manage the situation in a timely manner (Buxton et al., 2017). Despite great preparedness in the previous year for the occurrence of a hurricane, the leaders failed the people due to a lot of bureaucracy and lack of cohesiveness among departments. Anticipation, as much as it had been prepared for, was difficult to put to practice. The cultural competencies come in at this juncture.

It is detailed that the government leaders to various levels had planned for a catastrophe of such a magnitude in the previous, with considerations of the various areas that would be affected. However, this same magnitude was downplayed just before the hurricane fell in Louisiana resulting in great destruction. This describes the challenging skill of strategic leaders. Not only did the leaders fail to challenge each other on the matter, but they also failed to reveal the issue or ask for assistance from leaders in other parts of government (Pao, 2015 & Senate, 2006). There was, therefore, incompletion and inadequacy in response. With confusion in the flow of information, then there would arise issues in interpretation by leaders. Social and political competencies are considered, but in this scenario, the leaders failed to have facts to enable problem solving and effective making of decisions. In this case, therefore, I agree with the author regarding failure of leadership to take control when and where needed.

Decision making would then result from interpretation of understand the challenge and issue anticipated. However, the leadership had prepared for a catastrophe of their own magnitude without considering how different some aspects would come from a natural disaster (Senate, 2006). Better decision making would have resulted from heeding to warnings that had occurred on the short and long term. This is to say that the leaders had failed to learn from the growing magnitude of hurricanes that had befallen Louisiana previously. Like the author mentions however, effective decision making is paramount even in uncertainty (Littlefield & Quenette, 2007). As was identified in FEMA’s activities, there was a lack of effective communication among the various levels of government and the government agencies (Buxton et al., 2017). Even when the leaders had prepared for the oncoming disaster, they failed to keep their activities coordinated, cohesive, and in sync leading to disaster upon disaster. With the shortcomings of the actions of the Louisiana leaders during the hurricane, it is then needed that they learned from their actions and the need to work effectively and efficiently, before and after a catastrophe, thus reducing the negative effects. It was important to learn the need for effective communication and acting quickly and with other leaders in a strategic manner with lasting results.

References

Buxton, J., Ondracek, J., Saeed, M.O., & Bertsch, A. (2017). FEMA Leadership and Hurricane Katrina. International Research Journal of Marketing and Economics, 4(8), 58-68.

Jabbar, A. A., & Hussein, A. M. (2017). The role of leadership in strategic management. International Journal of Research-Granthaalayah, 5(5), 99-106.

Littlefield, R. S., & Quenette, A. M. (2007). Crisis leadership and Hurricane Katrina: The portrayal of authority by the media in natural disasters. Journal of Applied Communication Research, 35(1), 26-47.

Pao, M. (2015). Swept Up In The Storm: Hurricane Katrina’s Key Players, Then And Now.

Schoemaker, P. J., Krupp, S., & Howland, S. (2013). Strategic leadership: The essential skills. Harvard business review, 91(1), 131-134.

Senate, U. S. (2006). Hurricane Katrina: A nation still unprepared. Rep. to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs, Washington, DC.

Student’s Name

Course

Professor’s Name

Date

My Side of the Story: Scar in The Lion King

In Disney’s The Lion King, Scar is portrayed as a villain. The film begins by immediately painting him as a ruthless character, one that is focused on power, selfish gains, and personal glory. His life begins in the shadows of his elder brother, Mufasa, and later to Simba, his nephew. He is bitter and angry at the choices made regarding his life, pitting him against his own brother and consequently being exiled out of the family. No one pays attention to him, right from the start. Mufasa, the already crowned future King receives all of the attention, leaving Scar marginalized and bitter. He is forced to seek attention in other ways, and even then, he is ignored and only comes second to his own brother. In adulthood, his brother continues the same line of treatment, focusing on his role as the king. Scar desires to be seen and to be heard, even when this means turning against his own family and blood.

As a former leader of the military-like Lion Guard, Scar’s role as a leader were obvious. He commanded respect and performed his tasks with extreme efficiency. Being marginalized within the Disney society has turned him into an intelligent and always-on-the-defence individual. He is always ready for a confrontation and has his claws extended at all times. He is aware of his poor genetics and takes pride in being different. Marginalization, according to Duchak (72), leads to an urge for power and attention. These two are some of the consequences of Scar’s lonely and isolated adulthood. He was not always angry, resentful, greedy, and jealous. These qualities were brought out by the powerful cobra bite. At the time, he had no one to talk to and he could only deal with his pain and loss of strength alone. Emerging out of the experience stronger, Scar begins to look out only for himself, to create the best outcome for his own life, to put his interests first, and to march forward with the knowledge that he had no one else to turn to for help.

The marginalized and deviant positions in the constructed Disney society fails to mention the role of every other character in Scar’s life that contributed to shaping him as an antagonist. This should be better mentioned because Scar was a very different character in his youthful days. He was a revered leader, a loyal servant, and an efficient manager in the Lion Guard. He executed his role with minimal effort, commanding other lions and delivering results. He was aware of the command chain and respected it. Yet, he was left out of decisions, was made to feel unequal, and was never appreciated for his efforts in keeping the kingdom safe. The sort of treatment he received created an atmosphere of resentment, disgust, and loathing to his brother and the nephew who was already crowned as the next King even before he could walk. He sees the world differently from what the Disney society portrays. First, he is all alone and left to fend for himself. After his role as a Lion Guard leader expired, he was left without a position of power, despite being of royal blood. He therefore seeks all of the elements that were never accorded to him, despite his success: respect, obedience, power, authority, and control. He was tired of always coming second, being compared to his successful brother, rejection, criticism, incompetence, disrespect, and failure.

In the eyes of the lion kingdom, Scar has weaker genes and therefore disabled. He cannot be the king with such notable qualities. He is excluded from leadership on the basis of inequality, biasness, and discrimination. All his life, the society had ignored him and never took the time to understand who he is as a leader and as an individual. He grew up always coming second to his more abled brother. Mufasa, in contrast, has the right genes. He is the “right” leader in the eyes of the society because he fits the societal constructs of what is required. He is not dark, weak, or of a frail appearance compared to his brother Scar. These characteristics and qualifications are open for every one to see. They create a low sense of self-esteem in Scar because they are mentioned from a very early age. Hurley (221) talks about self-image and how it affects young ones in ways they see themselves in relation to what the society constructs. Scar carries some lifetime scars inflicted upon him by the very society he fights to protect. He is openly discriminated and expected to take the treatment with his mouth shut while laying down. If Scar could retell his story, he would talk about the open discrimination, the unappreciative nature of his lion family, how his appearances and shortcomings were used against him, the manner in which “good” and “bad” genes determined the next leaders, and how effort and merit were awarded on the basis of a bias outlook. He is right to be angry and resentful. The discrimination against him due to his appearance and genes, things he had no control over, was uncalled for and a reason to become tougher in order to survive.

Scar is angered by the way Mufasa’s looks, age, and appearance give him an edge over him as the next leader and the favorite to rule the Pride Lands. Mufasa and Scar are brothers, yet the poor treatment that Scar continues to receive in comparison to his brother teaches them both to discriminate. Lippi-Green (79) discusses the role of society in creating a spirit of discrimination. No individual is born biased or with a desire to discriminate. These are elements that are inculcated in societies using the culture, popular belief, and actions. They are easily reflected on the next generation who inherit stereotypes, biases, and other discriminatory views on different matter. Scar was a victim of such a society. The privileged position held by Mufasa made Scar an automatic failure. He was viewed as a lesser lion, despite possessing abilities and leadership qualities that were not very evident in his brother. Scar’s bitterness is arguably understandable seeing that he was discriminated on the basis of a more privileged brother.

The deviant identity that defined Scar led to him being labeled an outlaw, the antagonist, coldhearted, and wicked. Overcome by the demands of the society and always being in the shadow of his brother, he intelligently plots for the elimination of the latter and assumes control of the kingdom, albeit short lived. Upon the return of the young Simba, he is forced into exile, partly as a strategy to plot for another hostile takeover and partly because of Scar’s need to regroup. His nature as a less-attractive and least likely to rule pushes him to the edge. He believes that he was unfairly left out of the reigns of power. He opposes the leadership of his brother and that of the younger Simba. He sees the two as the main reasons why he could not become a legitimate king. He associates all of his childhood issues with the selection of Mufasa and Simba as kings over him. He uses any means necessary to remain in power and to defeat the inner emotional and psychological issues that emerge as a result of years of playing second fiddle to a much talented brother and nephew. His inferiority complex is a direct result of the society’s construct regarding what a leader is supposed to look like and what he should possess. The discrimination based on his genes and brute strength haunts him and has, inadvertently, created a monster. He uses his intelligence to plot and execute in ways that no other lion is able to comprehend. Ultimately, even in isolation and exile, he remains a threat to the Pride Lands throne. He is giving the protagonists a taste of the bitter treatment and living in constant fear, elements that have been present in all of Scar’s life.

In conclusion, Scar’s story would be very different from what Disney has created and disbursed to the whole world. He is judged as a coldhearted murderer and a power-hungry menace, yet all he wanted was to be accepted as a legit member of the society. The society has created and fueled a monstrous individual, one who is angry, bitter, resentful, and does not understand why all others are presented as holy and unblemished. Scar’s thoughts on the society he was alienated from would be in the lines of an ungrateful and evidently discriminatory group. He remembers the days he fought faithfully to keep the entire Pride Lands safe. He is quick to retell of his loyal service to the throne without complaint. He waited patiently for his turn to be a leader and performed his roles as expected. Now, the very society he fought for sees him as a menace. The bold presence of a discriminatory and an unequal system of leadership has risen to a point that it does not care who is hurt in the process.

References

Duchak, Oksana. “Marginalization of young people in society.” International Letters of Social and Humanistic Sciences 18 (2014): 70-79.

Hurley, Dorothy L. “Seeing white: Children of color and the Disney fairy tale princess.” The Journal of Negro Education (2005): 221-232.

Lippi-Green, Rosina. English with an accent: Language, ideology, and discrimination in the United States. Routledge, 1997.

My Sister’s Keeper

Have you heard of “designer babies”?  Or perhaps you saw or read My Sister’s Keeper, a story about a young girl who was conceived through In Vitro Fertilization to be a genetically matched donor for her older sister with leukemia? The concept of selecting traits for one’s child comes from a technology called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD), a technique used on embryos acquired during In Vitro Fertilization to screen for genetic diseases.  PGD tests embryos for genetic abnormalities, and based on the information gleaned, provides potential parents with the opportunity to select to implant only the “healthy”, non-genetically diseased embryos into the mother.  But this genetic testing of the embryo also opens the door for other uses as well, including selecting whether you have a male or female child, or even the possibility of selecting specific features for the child, like eye color.  Thus, many ethicists wonder about the future of the technology, and whether it will lead to babies that are “designed” by their parents.

Today’s post is an exploration of the ethical issues raised by prenatal and preimplantation genetic diagnosis, written by Santa Clara Professor Dr. Lawrence Nelson, who has been writing about and teaching bioethics for over 30 years.  Read on to examine the many ethical issues raised by this technology.

Prenatal and Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis

Background:

The overwhelming majority of people on earth, due to a wide range of reasons, beliefs, bodily motives, and attitudes–some good, some bad, and some in the moral neutral zone–reproduce.  They are the genetic, gestational, and/or social (rearing) parents of a child.  Birth rates in some countries are at a historic low (Japan‘s is beneath replacement with the consequent deep graying of an entire society).  In others, mostly in the developing part of the world where infant and maternal morbidity and mortality (not to mention poverty and disease) are quite high, birth rates remain similarly high.

In the economically developed part of the world, the process of making and having babies has become increasingly medicalized, at least for those fortunate enough to have ready access to the ever more sophisticated tools and knowledge of obstetrical medicine.  From the time prior to pregnancy (fertility treatments, in vitro fertilization) to birth (caesarean delivery, high tech neonatal intensive care) and in between (fetal surgery), medical science and technology can help many to reach the goal any good parent should want: the live birth of a healthy child to a healthy mother.

“Medical and biological sciences can together determine whether a fetus will (or might) have over a thousand different genetic diseases or abnormalities”

Parallel to obstetrical medicine, science and technology have progressed immensely in another are over the last 30 or so years.  The Human Genome Project (and the related research it has stimulated) has generated an amazing amount of knowledge about the nature and identity of normal–and abnormal–human genetic codes.  Now the medical and biological sciences can together determine whether a fetus will (or might) have over a thousand different genetic diseases or abnormalities.  Ultrasound examination can look into the womb (quite literally) and see developmental abnormalities in the fetus (such as neural tube defects like spina bifida and anencephaly).  Even a simple blood test done on a pregnant woman can determine whether the fetus she is carrying has trisomy 21 (down syndrome), a genetic condition associated with mental retardation and, not infrequently, cardiac and other health problems.

Pregnant women who have health insurance that covers obstetrical care (and many millions of American women do not), particularly if they are older (>35 years), are more or less routinely offered prenatal genetic diagnosis by their obstetricians.  Chorionic villus samplingis a medical procedure that takes a few fetal cells from the placenta and can be done around 10 weeks after the woman’s last menstrual period.  These cells can then be analyzed to determine the presence of genetic abnormalities.  Amniocentesis is a medical procedure that obtains fetal cells from the amniotic fluid and is usually done later in pregnancy, typically after 14 weeks following the woman’s last menstrual period.  When done by experienced medical professionals, both procedures carry about a 0.5% risk of spontaneous abortion.  The genetic analysis done on these fetal cells can determine the presence of fatal genetic diseases (such as Tay-Sachs, trisomy 13 and 18), disease that can cause the born child much suffering (children with Lesch-Nyan, for example, compulsively engage in self-destructive behavior like lip chewing, while children with spinal muscular atrophy have severe, progressive muscle-wasting), and conditions that typically cause mental retardation (such as Fragile-X and Emanuel syndrome).

Although tremendous strides have been made in genetic science’s ability to detect chromosomal abnormalities, precious little success has been achieved in treating genetic disorders directly either prenatally or postnatally.  Some symptomatic treatment may well be available, but almost nothing that will actually cure or significantly ameliorate the effects of the disease.  A pregnant woman who wishes to avoid the birth of a child with genetic disease has little alternative but to seek termination of the pregnancy.

The science and technology of assisted reproduction (in this case in vitro fertilization [IVF]) meets the science and technology of obstetrical medicine in preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD).  Embryos are created in vitro by mixing oocytes taken from the woman who intends to gestate one (or more) of them from a donor, and sperm taken from her partner or a donor.  Genetic analysis is performed on one or few cells from each embryo, the loss of which does not affect the embryo’s ability to develop normally once implanted in a womb.  Only those embryos free of detectable genetic abnormalities are then implanted in the woman’s womb in the hope that they will then attach to the uterine wall and develop normally.  While success rates for implantation vary, many women have given birth following PGD.  The main advantage of PGD over chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis for many women and couples is that it avoid the need for a surgical abortion to end an undesired pregnancy, although it does result in discarding the affected embryos.

Should people be able to select the sex of their baby?

5.  Both PrGD and PGD identify the sex of the embryo or fetus.  This raises the question of whether it is ethically permissible for an embryo to be discarded or a fetus to be aborted because of sex.  The selection of an embryo’s sex via PGD is done for two basic reasons: (1) preventing the transmission of sex-linked genetic disorders; and (2) choosing sex to achieve gender balance in a family with more than one child, to achieve a preferred order in the birth of children by sex, or to provide a parent with a child of the sex he or she prefers to raise. [2]  While little extended ethical debate exists regarding the former, sex selection for the purpose of preventing the transmission of sex-linked genetic disease, the latter is the subject of heated ethical disagreement.

The ethical objections to sex selection for nonmedical reasons can be grounded both in the very act of deliberately choosing one sex over the other and the untoward consequences of sex selection, particularly if it is performed frequently.  Sex selection can be considered inherently ethically objectionable because it makes sex a determinative reason to value one human being over another when it ought to be completely irrelevant: females and males as such always ought be valued equally and never differentially.  Sex selection can also be ethically criticized for the undesirable consequences it may generate.  Choice by sex supports socially created assumptions about the relative value and meaning of “male” and “female,” with the latter almost universally being considered seriously inferior to the former.  By supporting assumptions that hold femaleness in lower social regard, sex selection enhances the likelihood that females will be the targets of infanticide, unfair discrimination, and damaging stereotypes.

Proponents of the ethical acceptability of sex selection would argue that a parent’s desire for family balancing can be–and typically is–morally neutral.  The defense of family balancing rests on the view that once a parent has a child of one sex, he or she can properly prefer to have a child of the other sex because the two genders are different and generate different parenting experiences.

To insist [that the experience of parenting a boy is different from that of parenting a girl] is not the case seems breathtakingly simplistic, as if gender played no role either in a person’s personality or relationships to others.  Gender may be partly cultural (which does not make it less “real”), but it probably is partly biological….  I see nothing wrong with wanting to have both experiences. [3]

An opponent of sex selection for family balancing can argue that good parents–whether prospective or actual–ought never to prefer, favor, or give more love to a child of one sex over the other.  For example, a morally good and admirable parent would never love a male child more than a female child, give the male more privileges than a female, or give a female more material things than a male simply because of sex or beliefs about the child’s “proper”gender.  A virtuous and conscientious parent, then, ought not to think that, or behave as if, a child of one sex is better than one of the other sex, nor should a good parent believe or act as if, at bottom, girls are really different than boys in the ways that truly matter.

“Sex selection is at least strongly ethically suspect, if not outright wrong”

The argument in favor of sex selection for family balancing has to assume that gender and gender roles exist and matter in the lived world.  For if they did not, then no reason would exist to differentiate the experience of parenting a male child from that of a female.  However, it is precisely the reliance upon this assumption to which the opponent of sex selection objects: accepting–and perpetuating–gender roles inevitably both harms and wrongs both males and females, although females clearly suffer much more from them than males.  While some gender roles or expectations are innocuous (e.g., men don’t like asking for directions), the overwhelming majority (e.g., males are–and should be–aggressive, women are–and should be–self-sacrificing) are not.  Consequently, given that sex selection is inevitably gendered and most gender roles and expectations restrict the freedom of persons to be who they wish to be regardless of gender, sex selection is at least strongly ethically suspect, if not outright wrong.

[1]  Steinbock B. Disability, prenatal testing, and selective abortion. In Parens E, Asch A (eds): Prenatal Testing and Disability Rights 2000; Washington DC, Georgetown Univ. Press: 108-123.

[2]  Ethics Committee of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Sex selection and preimplantation genetic diagnosis. Fertility and Sterility 1999; 72(4): 595-598.

[3] Steinbock B. Sex selection: not obviously wrong. Hastings Center Report 2002; 32(1): 23-28.

Claim: Practice is Essential

Practice is essential in every aspect, most importantly towards feedback and improvement. Accordingly, the article provides that practicing enables individuals to give better feedback. Giving feedback provides an opportunity to be extremely helpful through the describe, evaluate, suggest framework. Moreover, practicing gives students better ideas as they can be able to go through their specific responses and correct where possible. It is also vital in developing a revision plan hence having a standard and well-structured work. In addition, its essential in review as it helps in communicating to writers on their work and giving opinions that contribute to development of written work.

Making a commitment to practice is essential to maximize the impact of learning in any environment. After all, practice is the only way to become proficient in a new skill or behavior. As learners, we therefore need to embrace the discomfort of being beginners, to allow us to continue growing and improve as best as possible in any learning environment. Writing is a process that requires a lot of practice to be proficient. One needs to keep writing, various articles and work and through it, one improves and becomes qualified. Also, in providing feedback of work of other writers, practice is vital to ensure the writer receiving the feedback understands the information given and is able to implement in their work and develop better articles. In learning environment, practice in writing is helpful to fellow students and also one benefits through the feedback received.

Practice is essential and we should therefore consider improving on the claim. We can do this by using, deliberate or mindful practice. This form of practice is systematic and highly structured activity, that is more scientific. Instead of mindless trial and error, deliberate practice is an active and thoughtful process of hypothesis testing where we relentlessly seek solutions to any problems. Due to many challenges in the learning environment. Mindful practice ensures one is able to solve the challenges and find a way to move forward and improve their learning. Proficiency in both learning and teaching comes from more practice done during the learning processes. However, the success of learning has to involve other parties suggestions and feedback, in order to know where to change and improve.With increased technology currently, practice helps to make people fast in using them and perform many of their operations through the technological systems. This is also applicable in the learning environment as assignments and classwork require technological devices to accomplish them. Regular practice makes students skilled and increase experiences, hence making activities easier and faster. Student achievement is also dependent on the writing skills as clear information requires flow of information, organization and easy understanding by the recipient. To achieve this, students need to practice a lot and ensure the incorporate the feedback received from peers and the reviewer of the course works done by students. Practice helps give a conductive, respectful and specific feedback and reviews that is constructive and helpful to recipients.

Student’s name

Instructor

Course

Date

Claire’s Policies on Piercing

Claire’s is a company that provides piercing services. It is a company where Raylene Marks had been working before she quit her job. The main reason as to why she quit her job was because she believed that her manager handled a case she was involved in inappropriately. The girl whose mother wanted pierced did not want to be pierced and in fact she clearly stated that she needed personal space. Marks did not pierce the girl despite the desire of the mother that the child be pierced even against her will. Later marks manager told marks that she was supposed to pierce the girl even though she did wish to be pierced since the company only stipulated that a piercing could be stopped in case the piercing was not good. However, her manager interpreted this wrongly and stated that she should have pierced her. She left her job and wrote to the company.

This is an instance whereby Marks is correct while the manager wishes to push the believes the manager has concerning the business. It is not okay to pierce a person who does not want to be pierced and Marks does the right thing. Therefore, even though the business corporate office states that they are looking for a way to understand the case and deal with it, the manager represents the business and this means the business is not completely fine if it such people as their managers.

What Would You Recommend to Claire’s Regarding Their Store Policies on Piercing?

I would recommend to Claire’s that they get well trained managers on ethics and handling people and that such managers should also go for in-service training on how to present the business and how to handle different issues to avoid doing such things which are completely not fine and do not please the works or the customers.

My personal strengths

Introduction

Personal strengths or values are defined as qualities that distinguish one person from the other in terms of positive influence on an action, something or someone. Person with strength is believed to be full of life and does everything that he ought to do with a lot of caution and is success oriented. Therefore, responsibility and strategic are some of my exclusive strong qualities that define my inner self in terms of strength.

Being responsible simply means exercising control or having authority over something or someone. This barely defines the positive side of me, I believe in being responsible as this is the gateway to greater success and you get honored by simply portraying the value of having control over something or someone. Another quality that defines my strengths is strategic; I am a believer in success, I always aim to achieve greater heights in everything that I involve myself with as this will distinguish me from the crowd. By being strategic, I simply mean I am futuristic and optimistic about the future; the future is full of life, therefore, one need to organize oneself and have a set of long-term goals that he sets in order to achieve. One should always work handy in working towards achieving despite the challenges or setbacks that he will achieve along the way. In my personal capacity, I always exercise responsibility over my siblings as I have been entrusted by my parents to do so. Also, my strategic goal is to be a managing director of a multinational companies someday, this is what motivates me to advance in my education.

Every sky has a silver lining, therefore, my strengths isn’t an exception in attracting possible downfalls in terms of personal commitment. My art of being responsible usually attracts possible setbacks such as; I always memory lapse hence a times when am left to exercise control over something then due to my forgetful nature, I end up forgetting the task that I have been assigned and this messes up my value of being responsible. Similarly, in real life am a strategic person, I focus on the future I order to achieve my goals, the setback that I always encounter is sticking to the set goals that I need to work upon in order to achieve my goals, as a result this always has an impact on the set objectives that I need to achieve.

It is always said that a bird in hand is worth two in the bush. My strengths clearly defines whom I want to be, being a managing director of a multinational firm isn’t an easy task hence, responsibility and strategic qualities need to be applied. I believe I can always influence my seniors for a promotion by sticking to the set rules of operation, through this; I can always exercise my responsibility over my juniors and every task that is committed to. Companies always have set goals and objectives that work hard to achieve each and every financial year, therefore, I can always help them in planning and setting out this goals depending on the companies strategies.

In conclusion, my strength guides me towards achieving my goals, thus being a strategist as well as a responsible person will help me to achieve all the desires in my career world. Hence, this needs to be sharpened and monitored each and every day of my career life. I would love to be a managing director of a multinational company someday so that I can work to realize my strength qualities.