Human resource development

Human resource development INTRODUCTON Human resource development is defined by Heathfield (2010) as the framework for helping employees develops their personal and organizational skills, knowledge and abilities. Human resource development involves using a range of learning and training techniques and strategies to change the work related behavior and attitudes of an employee (Megginson et al 1999) and it also engages in performance management in other to ensure that people can do things well or do new and better things (Gibbs 2008). This study is aimed to analyze the purpose of Human resource development and also using this aims to analyze how it helps organizations achieve sustained competitive advantage by using organization example. AIM OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT Human resource development according to Philbeam and Corbridge (2002:285) is concerned with enhancing organizational performance through effective development and deployment of organizational members. To enhance performance, a human resource developer has to ensure that the individuals in the organization has the knowledge, expertise and the right attitudes to execute their work (Swanson and Arnold 1996), also, human resource development aims at ensuring that the organization has the skilled, committed and well-motivated employee it needs to sustain competitive advantage by focusing on processes that develop skills, knowledge and the attitude of the employee (Swanson Arnold 1996), such as training, developing, learning, educating and mentoring the employee (Stewart and McGoldrick 1996), and also by identifying and improving the skills and motivation of employees (Philbeam and Corbridge 2002:284). In other to ensure that the organization as the right people to sustain competitive advantage, Human resource development engage in the following training, learning, development of the individual and mentoring but before the Human resource developer makes a decision on how to train, develop, teach or mentor the employee they need to have a concept on performance management in other to see how training and development will improve the effectiveness of the employee and to know what aspect in the performance of the employee needs to be trained in other to meet the goals and values of the organization (Megginson et al 1999). Performance management Performance involves what an employee does in carrying out their duty (Mathis and Jackson 2003). Before performance is managed the performance needed by the organization should be identified in other to achieve their goals which in most organization is linked to the mission statement of the organization so that the performance can be managed in line with the organizational values and some organization will manage the performance in line with the business strategy of the organization that are required in the business context to be competitive (Torrington et al 2005). Performance management is defined by Armstrong (2009:618) as a systematic process for improving organization by developing the performance of individuals and teams. Torrington et al (2005) cited Mabey and Salaman (1995) who defined performance management as establishing a frame work in which the performance by individual can be directed, monitored, motivated and rewarded and whereby the links in the cycle can be audited. Human resource development is a means to an end. That end is usually acknowledged to be getting better results from the organization, teams and individuals by understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, objectives and standards(Gibb 2008). Every organization wants an employee that performs well in their duty it is believed that an effective performance management scheme can make the likely of good performance to occur (Mathis and Jackson 2003). Performance management goes beyond the ability and motivation of the individual it involves how goals are clearly identified in enabling the employee to understand what is expected of them in the area of their job and to set their priorities (Torrington et al 2005). Performance management scheme involves processes that can be used to encourage, motivate, evaluate, reward and identify the performance of the employee (Mathis and Jackson 2003). Performance management develops the capacity of the employee to meet, exceed and to achieve their full potential for the benefit of the organization as well as themselves, it can also serve as the basis for self development and ensure that the support and the guidance need by the employee to develop and improve is available (Armstrong 2009). Megginson et al (1999) discuss the work of Ulrich (1998) who was of the view that performance management is what employees and managers do at work, that the way they act and interact is crucial to the success of the organization and in doing this it will raise the profile and value of training as a strategy for achieving competitive advantage. Training Staffs are important resources to an organization in other to achieve economic and effective performance, in other to ensure that an organization has staffs that are capable of career advancement into the role of a specialist or a manager an organization needs to engage in adequate training (Mullins 2002). Training is defined as learning and development undertaken for the purpose of supporting development and maintenance of operational capability in employment: skills for work and in work, on-job or off-job, to enable effective performance in a job or role (Gibb 2008:5). Training involves modifying skills, knowledge and abilities through learning to achieve effective performance (Wilson 2005). It is believed that training makes an individual become effective managers as a result of their techniques having impact on inherent abilities, competence and skills (Hunt and Baruch 2003). Training makes the employees believe that the organization is committed to them and in securing their future in the organization which motivates the employees to Work harder and better (CIPD 2008), and it also develops the expertise of the individual in other to increase their performance in the organization (Swanson). Training and development is equipping the employee with the right skills, knowledge and competence to maximize performance (Philbeam and Corbridge 2002).Also, training improves the level of the organization as well as the individual competence and its also a key element in improving organizational performance (Mullins 2002). Competence is defined by Stensgaard (2004) as the combination of awareness, skills, knowledge and abilities that enables an individual to perform a job to the standards required for successful job performance. Competence is more than learned knowledge, skills and abilities but involves motives, traits, values and self concept of the individual (Clardy 2008). Clardy (2008) discuss the work of Spencer and Spencer (1993) who claim that training competence however expanded the focus on skills and knowledge which includes personality traits, increasing the number of variables that could explain and promote job performance as well as shifting emphasis from enabling adequate performance to producing superior ones. However, competence is based on skills rather than knowledge, in other word; competence training will convince employees of the need to give time and commitment to learning new skill in other to increase their performance and to see their role as accepting these challenges for change (Bramham). Having a well designed and structured competence based training and development program; the organization can work towards ensuring that they have the right skills and the right people to achieve their organizational goals and sustain competitive advantage which can only be achieved by having employees that can effectively and efficiently perform their job (Stensgaard 2004). Training is believed to improve the knowledge and the skills of the employee as well as change their attitudes toward work which can lead to benefits such as the increase in the confidence, motivation and the commitment of staffs, broaden the opportunity for career progression, give a feeling of personal achievement and satisfaction and help to improve the availability and quality of staffs (Mullins 2002). Training can be a source of motivation development for the employee if it is carried out as a form of support for the employee and in the process of training the employees learns what is expected of them in doing their job and what they need to do better (Thomason 1988). Learning One of the functions of Human Resource development is to assist the organization by creating an environment suitable for learning which is required to help develop staffs to meet agreed objectives (Wilson 2005). Learning is defined as a change in an individuals level of knowledge, skills or attitudes (Gibb 2008). Learning is believed to be the individuals ability to cope with change which can be acquired either through formal education or training or through informal experiences (Wilson 2005). As much as organizations are interested in ensuring they utilize the knowledge and skills of all their employees it is believed that little is gained through training provided at work but it is believed that most learning acquired by the individual is through their interaction with colleagues, clients which is said to be learning acquired through experience (Mullins 2002). It is believed that learning and development has helped develop employees skills in organizations which have prompted employees performance and lead to organizational success (CIPD 2008). Learning is believed to be linked to behavioral outcomes in other words learning does not only involve what is being taught but making sense of experiences and by doing that learning new skills (Stewart and McGoldrick 1996). Learning at work can be said to be learning for work and it is believed that what people learn will be applied to work in other to support current and future work requirement, also, as learning at work increases the ability of the individual at work so does learning outside work increase the individuals work performance (Megginson et al 1999). Learning can be beneficial to an organization as well as the individual in the organization by increasing the capacity and the ability of everyone to contribute to the growth of the organization, by developing the individuals skills and potentials and enabling them to be able to meet the demand of change, also, it provides a solution to organizational issues, enables the organization to meet its goals and produce a wider range of solutions to organizational issues (Mullins 2002). Development Development is believed to be a form of learning and training which changes the individual intellectually and not just changing their work skill or knowledge but the individual as a whole and it also helps the individual to grow in their career and also in all aspect of life (Gibb 2008). Development is said to involve preparing the individual in the organization for expected changes in their job or for a future job or a role (Mullins 2002). Development involves the growth of an individuals ability through learning which can be conscious or unconscious (Wilson 2005). Wilson (2005:6) cited the work of Bolton (1995) who points out that development occurs when a gain in experience is effectively combined with the conceptual understanding that can illuminate it, giving increased confidence both to act and to perceive how such actions relates to its context. Employee development involves attitude which includes concepts like growth, expansion, improvement, and education (Maund 2001), and also gives the employee opportunity to develop their skills, abilities, realize their potential and to advance their career in or outside the organization (Armstrong 2009), and to change their attitude as a result of going through the process of motivational development (Thomason 1988). Development involves the acquisition of skills which is derived from learning (Thomason 1988).Employee development as wide impact on the individual and not just on the individual but also on the organization and the community in which the organization works (Maund 2001). Mentoring Mentoring is a relationship in which experienced managers aid individuals in the earlier stage of their career and such relationship provides an environment for convening technical, interpersonal and organizational skills from the more experienced to the less experienced (Mathis and Jackson 2003). Mentoring is seen as a variable in the achievement of success for both the individual and the organization who seek to manage the development of their employees who are the future leaders to engage in order to grow and to develop to senior managers (Gibb 2008). It is believed that mentoring is a form of support in enabling women to progress up the career ladder particular in the area of professions and management (Gibb 2008). Effective mentors will not only encourage individuals to reflect upon their career goals, thereby promoting a sense of purpose and control they will also help individuals acquire the skills necessary to operate within a less hierarchical structure (CIPD 2008). The skills, approaches and the general behavior of the mentor have an important effect on the employees willingness to learn and also on the commitment shown by the employees towards the learning process (Megginson et al 1999). Also, mentors can serve as a source of motivation for the individual in a way of support in the early stage of their career (Mathis and Jackson 2003). Motivation can be used to aid the employee to give their best to their job or increase their performance in the area of their job or work according to set standards, also, it is believed that people tend to work better if they understand the nature of their job and how they are suppose to carry it out and why they are suppose to carry it out in that particular way (Thomason 1988). SUSTAINING COMPETITVE ADVANTAGE THROUGH THE WORK OF HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT (ORGANIZATION EXAMPLE) Human resource development is viewed as an important necessity to Walt Disney because to them training is seen as an important investment in the success of their company, while some organizations see training as necessary but expensive, Walt Disney make it top priority (Handout). Walt Disney believe so strongly in a companys responsibility for training its employees (handout), and they believe that it is the talent, enthusiasm and the dedication of their employee that has sustained them over the years (Disneyland paris.com). they believe that in other for their employees to perform excellently and not embarrass themselves they need to go through a training program and also need to practice whatever they have been trained on (Handout). Before starting in their new job their employees go through training program that is based on their profession and what their job entails, in other to develop their skills (Marie). They believe that everyone that works with them from the senior to the junior employer has a right to learn, develop and to grow (Marie). According to them, training, learning and practicing has important roles to play in the in the development of their employees talent and in other for them to perform well they need to be thoroughly trained and also they need to rehearse their roles which lead to the establishment of the Disney university (Hand out). Disney University is believed to be a training process and Walt Disney makes sure that every new employee goes through a training process before starting in their new job and the training process is directed towards imparting knowledge about specific job skills, competencies and also ensures that the employee has a good understanding of the companys culture and tradition (Handout). Their training is based on developing the professional ability and the performance of their employee and they believe that the employees should be able to develop themselves and in turn develop others in the process (Marie). At the Disney University student receive complete orientation called Traditions, which includes an explanation of the companys values and traditions, on-the-job training, and procedures for advancement (Handout). Their employees are also provided with teachers who serve as mentors who has more experience and who can show the employees what should be done and what not to do (handout). The implementation of training in Walt Disney was to train their employees in other to develop their skills, knowledge and their ability and as a result, get the performance needed to be competitive and to sustain a competitive advantage by having the right employees (handout). Walt Disney sees training as the bases for Human resource and as a way of developing their business, their workers and also themselves (Marie). CONCLUSION Human resource development has an important role to play in the development of an employee and in the growth of an organization, by providing an organization with the proper employees who have undergone training and learning new skills in other to develop their skills, knowledge, abilities and their competencies Reference Armstrong, M. (2009) Armstrongs Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 9th edn, Kogan Page, London. Brumback, G.H (2003) Blending we/me in performance management [Electronic copy], Team performance management, Volume 8, Issue 7/8, Pg 167-173. Clardy, A. (2008) Human resource development and the resource based model of core competencies: Methods for diagnosis and assessment [Electronic copy], Human resource development review, Volume 7, Issue 4, Pg 387-407. Disneyland Paris (2010) Corporate responsibility Disneylandparis.com corporate.disneylandparis.com/corporate-responsibility/our-people/diverse-and-multicultural/cast-member-interviews.xhtml [Accessed 05/04/2010]. Gibb, S. (2008) Human resource development: Processes, Practices and Perspectives, 2nd edn, Palgrave, New York. Heathfield, S.M. (2010) What is human resource development (HRD) About.com humanresources.about.com/od/glossaryh/f/hr_development.htm [Accessed 27/03/2010]. Hunt, J.W, Baruch, Y. (2003) Developing top managers: the impact of interpersonal skills training, [Electronic copy]. Journal of Management Development, Volume 22, Issue 8, Page 729-752. Lasbleis, J.M. (2010) Training Disneylandparis-casting.com http://disneylandparis-casting.com/en/our-hr-philosophy/training [Accessed 03/04/2010]. Mathis, R.L., Jackson, J.H (2003) Human resource management, 10th edn, Thomson, Ohio. Megginson, D., Banfield, P., Joy-Mathews, J. (1999) Human Resource development, 2nd edn, Kogan page, London. Mullins, L.J (2002) Management and organizational behaviour, 6th edn, Pearson education, Harlow. Philbeam, S., Corbridge, M. (2002) People resourcing: HRM in practice, 2nd edn, Pearson education, Harlow. Stensgaard, A.B (2007) Competence based training and Development, Ameinfo.com, www.ameinfo.com/43457.html [Accessed 29/03/2010]. Stewart, J., McGoldrick, J. (1996) Human resource development: Perspectives, strategies and practice, Pearson education, Harlow Swanson, A.R, Arnold, D.E (1996) The purpose of human resource development is to improve organizational performance, Richardswanson.com www.richardswanson.com/publications/Swanson(1996)ThePurpose.pdf [Accessed 27/03/2010]. Swanson, R.A. () Human resource development: performance is the key cmapspublic.ihmc.us/rid=1217113903859_1440042561_12670/Overview%20of%20HRD%20-%20Swanson.pdf [Accessed 27/03/2010]. Thomason, G. (2003) A text book of human resource management, institute of personal management, London. Torrington, D., Hall, L., Taylor, S (2005) Human resource management, 6th edn, Pearson education, Harlow. Willson, J.P. (2005) Human resource development: Learning and training for individuals and organizations, 2nd edn, Kogan page, London.

The Simple Gift and A Child Called IT

The desire to belong to people or a place is important to individuals as it helps them develop a sense of security and identity. This statement can be seen throughout various texts but is undoubtedly shown through the texts ‘The Simple Gift’ and ‘A Child Called IT’. The free verse novel ‘The Simple Gift’ is about Billy Luckett, a sixteen-year-old boy who decides to leave home, as he felt he was isolated from everyone else. Billy finds his security, peace and identity in the natural environment but is also shown throughout the novel that he does not give up to be a part of something or someone as he continues to strive to see the good side to others. In the novel Herrick constantly uses a various array of techniques such as symbolism, flashback and first person to portray the character’s feelings. Billy â€Å"praying for morning and sunshine† gives a sign to the reader that he desires a new life, and the symbolism of the morning and sunshine signify a new day. The wind and the rain â€Å"hitting Billy in the face with the force of a father’s punch† also help to expose the mistreatment that his father had given him whilst being at home. Through these quotes it is patent that Herrick employs the techniques symbolism and flash back to show how he is not accepted by his father. When Billy finally finds his place he can call home, Bendarat, here he also discovers his first real companionship from Old Bill, the â€Å"saddest man in the world†, and Caitlin, a girl he meets at McDonald’s who is from a wealthy family. To begin Billy is presented to the, at times, judgmental Caitlin as a bum but by displaying his compassion and not only being a homeless boy on the street he changes her perspective on himself, Old Bill and people like him. When we first see Caitlin, Herrick employs first person and the change in perspective to show Caitlin’s first reaction to Billy eating scraps at McDonalds – â€Å"put that back. † However, Caitlin avoids this, and instead says, â€Å"I hate mopping† to show Billy’s already changing influence on Caitlin. Billy, ironically, acts as a role model for Old Bill, as he transforms him by giving him â€Å"simple gifts† such as coffee, breakfast and the cigarettes. Here is shown once again the compassion given off by Billy as he does not give up on a person who tells him to â€Å"piss off son†. In becoming closer with Old Bill we are aware why he is such an old bitter man: the loss of his wife and his â€Å"darling Jessie†. It is also seen how Billy influences Old Bill to change his ways; prompting him to shave, this symbolises his own personal growth. In return Old Bill repays Billy by giving him his old house to live in. The use of first person in these quotes give a deeper explanation on to how one character has ended up where he is. All these examples illustrate how Billy’s desire to belong to a place or people helped him find that security and identity. As Old Bill presents him the gift of the key to his home this gives the sense of protection as he now has his own place to live and be himself with no violence from his father. His relationship with Caitlin also shows how she has accepted him for who he is and provides each of them with a sense of identity. The text ‘A Child Called IT’ also connects and relates to the previous text. This is portrayed through the main character, David. The first chapter ironically begins with the ending to give emphasis to the reader and demonstrate the importance of the ending for the child. Various techniques are used within the text such as first person narration and personification. As the novel is spoken in first person, its effectiveness is shown as it highlights to the reader that the story is from the child’s perspective, which is also shown in ‘The Simple Gift’ with the difference that it comes from more than one characters’ standpoint. It symbolizes that the author is directly addressing the reader to have a greater impact and engages them to continue reading. Throughout his childhood David becomes an isolated victim of his mother’s violence in comparison to how Billy is a victim to his fathers violence, which in turn makes him abandon his home and run away. David is rejected by his family members and is represented as the household slave as well as being his mothers outlet for anger. The idea of isolation is conveyed throughout the novel and it becomes evident that, not only at home, but also at school David is removed from normal relationships. The entire room lets out a howl at me – the reject of the fifth grade†, this example uses the mentioned technique of personification to emphasise to the reader that David is completely segregated, lost and alone. He does not belong at home with his own family, nor does he at school among his peers. Disconnection and alienation is presented throughout the novel, while David has accepted the fact that he does not belong to anyone or anything he still desires that someday he will be capable to connect with something or someone. This is evident in the line, â€Å"I would give anything to have been there in class when they found out I’m not so bad†. The quote has impact on the reader as it identifies that, although his peers have seemed nothing but uninterested in becoming friend with him, he still longs and strives to be accepted so that he may have that sense of belonging to a place or to people. Therefore, through these examples, it can be said that the text ‘A Child Called IT’ helps develop our understanding of the fundamental human need to belong by intensely drawing the reader’s attention to a deep sense of not belonging ad also how important it is to develop a connection with people or a place.

Country School Research Critique

Qualitative Study Evaluation Eleanor Vernice Siyon u7a1 Capella University Quarter & Year: Summer 2012 Address (optional): City, State, Zip (optional): Phone (optional): E-mail: [email  protected] edu Instructor:Pat Ryan Qualitative Study Evaluation The one- teacher country school is largely the past practice of the American educational institution. This one teacher setting was characteristic of the recitation process used by students to â€Å"recite† to the teacher what one had learned from their lessons.The teacher characteristically would ask questions of their students during their process to glean the answers and evaluate the progress of their students. Traditionally these classrooms consisted of multi-age, multi-grade level all situated in one classroom with one teacher. This evaluation is about one such educational system in the state of Nebraska. It is an ethnographic study title â€Å" Notes on a Country School Tradition: Recitation as an Individual Strategy† The stated purpose of this study was to view the practices of some of the one-teacher schools and to determine what may be learned from them.This evaluation will proceed by evaluating the validity and effectiveness of this research in its relation to the following categories within the study. The categories are as follows: the problem statement, review of the literature, the purpose statement and central phenomenon, validity of the data collection, validity of data analysis and findings, and the quality of writing and its consistency with the qualitative criteria. 1 Evaluation of the Title The title of the study â€Å" Notes on a Country School Tradition: Recitation as an Individual Strategy† This title does not reflect the central phenomenon being studied. Feature Article  Country School  Allen CurnowThe central phenomenon is the investigation of recitation in a one-teacher school as a patterned and functional response to the conditions of smallness, and it’s interrelationship to parental and community expectations, along with the inevitable transfer of these students to larger middle and secondary schools in an environment in defense of their way of life at a time of rural social and economic decline. The title does reflect the site (country school) and the people. 2 Evaluation of the Problem Statement The author does have an educational issue to study, though not clearly stated in the problem statement.It may be assumed due to the fact that many of the children taught in this recitation method in the small schools went on to do very well in the large secondary and middle school settings. Therefore, a comparison of this small school approach and the differing large school approach is worthy of further educational study. I b elieve that the author has provided evidence that this issue is important because of the research that is stated about the benefits of smaller schools and the success of the students once they leave the one class environment.There is an indication that the author has located this issue through past research as he mentions the various literature that he has read in the past about this subject matter. I feel that this study may have been more beneficial as a mixed design approach. The ethnographic design did give an excellent insight into the values of the rural people and the day to day activities of the students and teacher. It was also very helpful to see firsthand how the recitation process worked.But there are other variables in the problem statement such as: recitation as a functional response to smallness, conservatism toward knowledge and learning, and parental and community expectations. An indication of how these variables correlate to the acceptance of this method of educat ion may have been handled more effectively with a correlational approach. The assumptions of the study seem to be more consistent with a mixed methods approach. 3 Evaluation of the Review of the Literature The author does present reviews on the effects and various studies regarding class size.I do not believe he provided literature that specifically analyzes his research problem. I also felt his literature base was scant. But he does state that very little if any existed for the one teacher one class school room. The study does follow the APA style. 4 Evaluation of the Purpose and Research Questions The purpose and research questions were not fully apparent to me. I have an idea of what he was attempting to answer but I feel his questions and purpose was lost in the narrative and I felt as if I was reading a very interesting story about a rural school.Perhaps this author attempted to answer the purpose within the narrative. If he did so, I don’t feel the question was fully ex pressed or answered. I see no evidence of subquestions whatsoever 5 Evaluation of Data Collection The data collection was quite informative. It gave daily schedules and also listed the children, their ages, grades, studies, and gave backgrounds about family histories, etc. I feel that the data collection is very understandable and clearly specified with adequate titles and understandable tables. They were an easy read.The author shows evidence of using protocol as his data is arranged in an orderly and organized fashion that matches what one is reading at the time. 6 Evaluation of Data Analysis and Findings The author did an excellent job in putting the text into themes. I am not convinced that his categories did enough to relate his central phenomenon. The author did get a lot of useful quotes from the teacher, parents, and students which showed support for this way of life. Multiple layered themes were derived in terms of why the parents and the teacher thought this was the best f orm of education. I did not find that the findings fully answered he research questions. In the end the question of recitation as a functional response to smallness was just not clear to me. In fact I saw it more as a function of tradition and a desire of the community to stick with what works for them. The findings were did not match the research problem therefore they were not accurate. The author in my opinion, started with one central question and somehow put together something else which amounted to a view of a country school and the impact on the cty and students and teacher on a daily basis. Multiple perspectives were not explored in terms of those outside of this community.All findings were represented in narrative discussions. 7 Evaluation of the Writing This account was written persuasively and convincingly. It was written from a first person point of view consistent with the qualitative research design. The writing was lively and there was use of the various literary appr oaches such as metaphor, simile, and various other literary details. The author carefully and figuratively describes the settings in a number of instances. He also carefully describes the physical appearance of at least one child to the delight of the reader.I enjoyed reading it as it read like an exciting story and gave me a delightful look into the educational, and daily life of the participants. The study is written from a personal point of view and it is written appropriately for the intended audience which is a journal entry. 8 Conclusion I really enjoyed reading this study. But in the end I felt that the author did not present his research in such a way that shed any light on his central question. If his purpose was just to show us the workings of the one-class system and why the rural community wanted it to stay he accomplished his mission.But his central purpose states that: â€Å" I investigate the residual form of the recitation in a modern one-teacher school in rural Neb raska as a patterned response to the conditions of smallness. Conservative in its orientation toward knowledge and student learning, the recitation is explored as a functional response to the context of smallness, implicit parental and community expectations, inevitable student transfer to large graded middle and secondary schools, and its symbolic defense of community at a time of rural social and economic decline. I could not find any indication that recitation was a patterned response due to conditions of smallness or as a functional response to the context of smallness. References Barker, R, & Gump, P. (964). Big school, small school: High school size and student behavior. Stanford CA: Stanford University Press. Cohen, D. K. (988). Teaching practice: Plus ca change †¦ In P. W. Jackson (Ed. ), Contributing to educational change: Perspectives on research and practice (pp. 27-84). Berkeley, CA: McCutcheon. Cuban, L. (1994). How teachers taught: Constancy and change in American classrooms.New York: Teachers College Press. Darling-Hammond, L. (1997). The right to learn: A blue-printfor creating schools that work. San Francisco: jossey-Bass. DeWalt, M. (997). One-room school: Current trend in public and private education (Research Report). Rock Hill, SC: Winthrop University. Drabenstott, M. (1999, 1st Quarter). Consolidation in U. S. agriculture: The new rural landscape and public policy. Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City Economic Review. Elmore, R E (996). Getting down to scale with good educational practice. Harvard Educational Review, 6

The Role Of Sex And Gender As A Cultural Norm - 1507 Words

The role of sex and gender as a cultural norm is everchanging. From definition to terminology to legality and politicization, these topics vary from one culture to the next and one era to the next. One of the strongest examples of a culture carrying very different ideas of sex and gender is an early Northern European Culture. Carol Clover, in her essay â€Å"Regardless of Sex: Men, Women, and Power in Early Northern Europe,† identifies a â€Å"one-sex, one-gender model †¦ that plays out in the rawest and most extreme terms a scheme of sexual difference that at the level of the body knows only the male and at the level of social behaviour, only the effeminate, or emasculate, or impotent† (Clover, 19). This model of sex and gender most contrasts the†¦show more content†¦Defining queer as one large non-normative category allows it to account for not only sexual non-conforming people but also gender non-conforming transgender people. This is important because throughout much of the 20th century and even into the mid 1990’s, the fight for transgender liberation is misunderstood and not taken as seriously as the fight for gay liberation. During this time, strict labels and lack of recognition of intersectionality causes the liberation movement to fragment and â€Å"draw a distinction between ‘orientation queers’ and ‘gender queers’† (Stryker, 147). Susan Stryker, in her writing Transgender History, argues that this distinction in type of queer causes a sense of homonormativity, disenfranchising transgendered people even more than originally, by refusing to acknowledge the similarities between the two groups. This split definition of queer continues to affect liberation in relation to collective memory and mnemonic capacity, analyzed by Elisabeth Armstrong and Suzanna Crage’s article â€Å"Movements and Memory: The Making of the Stonewall Myth.† Armstrong and Crage consider the riot at Compton’s Cafeteria in 1966 to lack memorability in part because â€Å"homophile activists were mostly white, middle class, gender-normative men with more social resources than the patrons of Comptons† (Armstrong and Crage, 10). These men viewed themselves as homophile, not queer, and therefore did notShow MoreRelatedGender And Gender Identity1648 Words   |  7 PagesIn light of performativity, political transformation via hegemon ic cultural practices continues to advocate for gender parody. Overall, the recent exploration of alterity ethics complements performativity politics by exploiting the subversive potential of gender identity as well as female identity. 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Today many gay couples are victims of people imposing gender roles upon them, and if you answered yes to the above question. Isn’t it still ridiculous to do this within a same-sex relationship? In this point in time, we as humans are struggling with redefining positions in history, such as; gender roles upon gay couples, and author Stephen Mays builds this claim in his article, What about Gender Roles in Same-Sex Relationships? It’s no secretRead MoreGender Roles : Gender And Gender1587 Words   |  7 Pagesbetween gender and sex. Sex is anatomical and biological. Gender role can be defined as a person’s inner sense of how a male or female should feel and behave. Culture and society are two important factors in relation to this particular topic. 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The cultural construct of what the person is supposed to be, presupposes a perimeterRead MoreWomen And Gender Roles During The Maghreb Come From Narratives That Depict Cultural Norms1005 Words   |  5 PagesMaghrebi women are in a set gender role because of years of tradition and cultural norms. This gender role forms an identity that most women conform to in order to avoid conflict. Some women break free of these roles and cultural norms but usually encounter struggles. Some narratives that highlight situations like these and demonstrate depictions of women and gender roles are The Arabian Nights and In the Country of Men. These narratives expose the reality of gender roles through identity and OrientalismRead MoreCausal Thinking Based On Correlational Findings1533 Words   |  7 Pages(Dr. Miller, 1/30/17, UC Berkeley). This overestimation of biological factors and a disregard of developmental and cultural factors is very similar to the desire for sex researchers to find one master gene to explain sex differentiation, not understanding the complexity and range of both genetic and phenotypic expression. In the case of Morton’s skulls, he embellished the biological role of skull size and ignored the more precise factor of environment, this quickly was used to justify racism, providingRead MoreGender Is Socially Constructed By Society861 Words   |  4 PagesWhen they say that gender is socially constructed, it is related to the notion that gender is created and influenced by society. Feminine and masculine norms are constructed by what society defines as appropriate for both males and females. These characteristics then, create gender roles and gender stereotypes in which society places both females and males into and accountable for fulfilling. An example of this, is how society perceives females to be more delicate and more suited for caregiving orie ntatedRead MoreGender Differences Between Sexuality And Gender888 Words   |  4 PagesIn sociology, we make a general distinction between sexuality and gender. Sex is the biological trait that we use to determine whether or not a person is a male or a female, whether it be through chromosomes, genitalia, or some other kind of visual physical description. When society talks about the obvious differences between men and women, they are often drawing on sex rather than gender, which is now an understanding of how society helps to shape our new understanding of these biological categoriesRead MoreImportance of Sex(Gender Role)1672 Words   |  7 PagesA gender role is a theoretical construct in the social sciences and humanities that refers to a set of social and behavioral norms that, within a specific culture, are widely considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific gender. Proponents of gender role theory assert that observed gender differences in behavior a nd personality characteristics are, at least in part, socially constructed, and therefore, the product of socialization experiences; this contrasts with other models