Tropicana Orange Essay Example for Free

Tropicana Orange Essay They have a strong market share and their priority is to serve the best quality of fresh orange juices made from the best oranges in town. Tropicana Premium Orange Juice is one of the subsidiary of Pepsi Company. After such a long time being under the same label and packaging, in February 2009 Tropicana Premium Orange Juice changed the old packaging to a whole new design which looks completely different. Peter Arnell, the CEO of Arnell company, which is a design company that designed the new packaging of Tropicana Premium Orange Juice gave an idea to refresh the packaging of the orange juice by eliminating the orange and the straw in the old design with a cup of orange juice. The idea of the change is to give customers the look of whats really inside the carton, not the orange but whats inside the orange which is fresh orange juices. They also changed the cap into a more round-shaped cap with texture of an orange, the idea of this change is to make the customers feel like squeezing the orange before they finally open the package and drink the orange juice. They are trying to make good first impression on the new design which looks more modern. Unfortunately, the messages that Arnell trying to send was not delivered very well. Most of the customers complained about the new packaging of Tropicana, they said that the new design was not really attractive to them. The removal of the big orange and straw removes the strong message of fresh and juicy. The loyal customers of Tropicana Premium Orange Juice complained about the new picture of a cup of orange juice that gives a different look and perception about how the orange juice would taste although there is not different with the ingridients. After receiving many complains from the customers, followed by decrease of the product sales by 20% , within one month Tropicana Premium Orange finally changed the new packaging design into the old ones. This change received positive feedback from customers and followed by recovery of the sales of the product. The reason why the company changes their packaging is because they are trying to put a new concept and perception to the customer. The perceptual organization principles, figure and ground is people tend to organize perceptions into figures and ground relationship and the figure usually perceive clearly because in contrast to background. Arnell was trying to create a new image that will make a product has in the mind of the customer as consumer may rely more on the image conveyed by the brand than its actual attributes. The objective of Arnell to create the new design of the packaging is to communicate a modern and trendy lifestyle. However, the customere drink which make the consumers unwilling to purchase the ‘new’ Tropicana. This is in line with the perceived quality of products theory, where the consumers will judge the quality of a product based on the psychical characteristics of the product (in this case, the packaging).

The two approaches of accounting research

The two approaches of accounting research The positivist approach and the critical approach are the two approaches of accounting research. This article explains the concepts of positivist approach and critical approach, and then explains some of the problems of these two approaches. This article discusses the inter-relationship between accounting research, accounting standards and accounting practice. Through the research findings, this article use the case of intangible assets to illustrates how accounting research impact on accounting standards. Secondly, this article shows how accounting standards effects accounting practice. Thirdly, this article explains the inter-relationship between accounting research and accounting practice. Introduction The positivist approach and the critical approach are the two methodologies of accounting research. Hooper, Davey, Liyanarachchi and Prescott (2008, p20) described that the positivist approach is generally considered to be a combination of induction and deduction. The traditional view for the positive approach to research is to understanding and solving problems. The traditional characteristics of the positive approach are empiricism, logic and causality. These characteristics are often referred to as ontological, epistemological and methodological characteristics of a research paradigm. Positive accounting research experiments to describe what is without making any value judgments as to how things should be. The positive approach has been important in recent years. The critical approach to accounting research does not provide a particular method or methodology for research but rather a dialectic and Socratic approach to the evaluation of knowledge claims (Hooper et al, 2008, p33). T he critical research focus on the accounting theory that is concerned with resolving conflicts between the corporation and general public. The only ideology is the belief in humanness and the concomitant and emancipation of humankind. Critical theory offers processes for the consideration and evaluation of knowledge claims without providing a single way forward for the researcher. These two accounting research approaches are not mutually exclusive but are complementary. Hooper et al (2008) states that the positive approach has a number of problems, such as lack of agreement on what the positive approach actually is; appeals to the authority of science but focuses on behavior and so on. The critical approach also has some problems, such as the critical research cannot generalize findings; critical research cannot predict or replicate studies. Both of these two theories have its own advantages and disadvantages, it is necessary to combine the two methodologies in actual accounting practice environment. Accounting research helps accounting standards setters and others understand the economic world, but accounting research does not seek prescriptions of techniques to make the world better. However, knowing what works and what does not work can help corporations or standard setters choose techniques that have the best chance of working in as yet untested situations. Accounting standards have been categorized on the basis of their nature into two categories: principal-based standards and rule-based standards. Hooper et al (2008) states that accounting standards are based on a set of principals and concepts. Intangible assets defined as non-physical and non-monetary sources of probable future economic profits accruing to the firm as a result of past events or transaction (Canibano et al, 2000). Intangible assets should be accounted and reported in the financial statement. Maines,  Bartov, Fairfield, and Hirst (2003) states that for pragmatic reasons, most research on intangible assets focuses on those intangibles, intangible assets generated by RD expenditures. RD expenditures data are widely available because RD expenditures must be disclosed separately under FASB No. 2, Accounting for Research and Development Costs. Because there is no such requirement for other types of intangibles assets. Canibano et al (2000) describes that control of the probable future benefits arising from the intangible investment is considered by most accounting standards setting bodies as a basic requisite for recognition. Lev and Zarowin (1999) suggest that intangible assets should be accounted for following the same methods applied for tangible assets, but at the same time some argument arise that there are significant differences between tangible and intangible assets which make it necessary to apply different criteria for the recognition and valuation of the latter (Hendriksen, 1982). According to the SFAC6, paragraph 25, the FASB (1985a) considers the ownership or control of the future benefits as the main requisite for the recognition of intangibles. If it is focus on the ownership of the benefits, then intangible assets such as human resource could be recognized. There is a new trend in accounting research, which seems to be providing strong support to reporting intangibles (Canibano et al, 2000). Accounting research suggests to use disclosures on intangibles assets and those intangibles expenditures have future much benefits, but that these future benefits are more like uncertain than those associated with conventionally recognized assets. Thus, there is some empirical support for the capitalization of estimated RD intangibles. Given research results, Maines et al (2003) makes the following recommendations: first, support the FASBs decision to add another project which considers the disclosure and recognition of information related to intangibles assets. Second, believe that the FASB needs to consider recognition of internally generated intangibles asset s, because current accounting standards require capitalization economic similar as intangibles assets acquired externally. Third, Despite our support for intangible assetss disclosures related to and possible recognition , we encourage the FASB to proceed carefully on disclosures and recognition information on intangibles, given significant uncertainties related to accounting research in this paticular area. Concerns related to this research include the following. Finally, while research documents associations between intangibles information and designs make causal inference difficult. All of the accounting research in this area is based on RD expenditures for data availability reasons. It is not clear how easily these accounting research results generalize to other types of intangibles assets. Accounting Standards play an important role in accounting practice. McCombie and Deo (2005) state that accounting standards provide the accountant with a guideline to reports economic transactions and events for an organization. The accounting standards are also described as a piece of delegated legislationparliament has given the power of making accounting standards to a body that has experts on it rather than developing the documents itself as a body of legislators (Ravlic, 2003). The number of companies that have to apply standards in preparing financial reports is therefore quite important. Macve (2010) states that audited accounts are part of an organization that defines the economic environment in a country, or across countries, and enables investors to have confidence in the system as a whole as one to which to entrust their money. This was justified by Edwards (1938) in his call for a revolutionary reform of UK accounting practice. It still seems as true today. In the view of the US SEC it is the overall regime of standards of corporate governance, accounting, auditing and enforcement in a country that lowers the cost of capital to firms in that economy and thereby stimulates investment and economic growth. This effect is probably greater than what any individual firm can achieve by improving its own accounting and disclosures (cf. Botosan, 2006). The accelerating growth of accounting practices over the years has changed the format of corporate annual reports. International Accounting Standards (IASs) and International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), along with other statutory requirements, have changed the way in which financial statements are reported (Gouws and Cronjà ©, 2008). All the information is generated by a diversity of accounting practices, all of which are therefore worth researching. Accounting research leads to an enhanced understanding of the fact that these practices are driven by two systems that provide the information included in corporate annual reports. This shows that practices peripheral to traditional accounting practices also have an important role to play, both for educational institutions and accounting. Accounting practices should not be seen in isolation (that is, only from an accounting perspective), as they are multidisciplinary in nature. Environmental practices and information, social practices and information, ethical practices and information, as well as management accounting practices and information, together with financial accounting practices and information, form the context within which reporting in corporate annual reports takes place ( Gouws and Cronjà ©, 2008). Accounting Research have made Accounting Practice more efficient and effective, but Accounting research and accounting practice are not always seemed to be synchrony. One of the great attractions of conducting applied accounting research in accounting practice is that the research topics extend beyond the normal boundaries. It brings worldviews into conflict, improves accounting practice, and raises doubts about professional social and values (Schiehll, Borba, Murcia, 2007). HENDRIKSEN (1982) corroborates this argument, adding that accounting theory may be defined as logical reasoning in the form of two principles that: (1) accounting research provide a general frame of reference by which accounting practice can be evaluated, and (2) accounting research guide the development of new accounting practices and procedures. However, some of the research shows results of accounting research have not led to changes in accounting practice; this may be caused by practitioners not accepting the research findings or a lag in putting new accounting theory into accounting practi ce. This has been an over-emphasis on a theory and the research results in some cases, and it is correct that standard-setters and practitioners have not accepted or have been cautious in using the accounting research results as a basis for new accounting rules and practices, such as market efficiency research. However, in other cases research appears to be quite useful to standard setters as they establish new rules and practices, such as earnings management research. Llewellyn and Sue (1996) states that theories for practice would place more emphasis on theory as a map or recipe or instructions manual which provide means by which we can do things in the world or cope with events. Auditing Practice, Research, and Education, A Productive Collaboration, published in 1995 through a joint effort of the American Accounting Association and the AICPA, set the goal of preparing a monograph documenting the successes of prior, less-harried times when collaborative efforts produced significan t insights and often solutions to challenging auditing problems (Bell and Wright, pg 178). They explain the rich heritage of practitioner or academician collaboration in addressing auditing challenges. The authors indicate the importance of a periodic review of academic research for use of those in practice. The monograph also calls for increased interaction with practitioners, the use of academic research fellows in practice, and integration of the research process into audit education (Anderson et al, 2003). Accounting practice depends on accounting research, and accounting research guide the development for accounting practice. Conclusion Both of the positivist approach and the critical approach has its own advantages and disadvantages, the best way to use accounting research is to combine the two methodologies in actual accounting practice environment. The inter-relationships between accounting research, accounting standards and accounting practice are Accounting research helps accounting standards setters and others understand the economic world, accounting research have made accounting Practice more efficient and effective, but accounting research and accounting practice are not always seem to be synchrony. Accounting standards provide the accountant with a guideline to reports economic transactions and events for an organization.

feminaw Suicide as the Only Alternative for Edna Pontellier in The Awakening :: Chopin Awakening Essays

Suicide as the Only Alternative in The Awakening   Ã‚   In Kate Chopin's The Awakening, the principal character, Edna decides to kill herself rather than to live a lie. It seemed to Kate that the time of her own death was the only thing remaining under her control since society had already decided the rest of her life for her.   Edna was a woman of the wrong times; she wanted her independence and she wanted to be with her lover, Robert.   This type of behavior would never be accepted by the society of her time.   Edna's relationship with Robert, and her rejection of the role dictated to her by society, resulted in her perceiving suicide to be the only solution to her problems.    Critics of Kate Chopin's The Awakening tend to read the novel as the dramatization of a woman's struggle to achieve selfhood--a struggle doomed failure either because the patriarchal conventions of her society restrict freedom, or because the ideal of selfhood that she pursue is a masculine defined one that allows for none of the physical and undeniable claims which maternity makes upon women. Ultimately. in both views, Edna Pontellier ends her life because she cannot have it both ways: given her time, place, and notion of self, she cannot be a mother and have a self. (Simons)      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Edna Pontellier could not have what she wanted.   There are many arguments about Edna being selfish for ending her life and leaving her children behind.   "Edna does indeed dread 'being reduced to her biological function, 'but this is what the Creole culture does to women , as Priscilla Leder suggests" (Simons).  Ã‚   She could not offer the love that children deserve from a parent.   I do not feel that she was selfish, she did not love her children the way a mother-woman would.   A mother-woman is someone who puts her children before anything else in her life.   Edna is not one of those "mother-women" who "esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels"; she is, rather a twenty-eight-year-old woman who hears 'the voice of the sea,' which seduces 'the soul to wander for a spell in abysses of solitude; to lose itself in inward contemplation'." (Toth)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Edna needed to be in control of her life.   As long as she was married and a mother she would never have total control.

Hackers and the Evolution of Intellectual Property Rights Essay

Hackers and the Evolution of Intellectual Property Rights Introduction According to Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, theft is, "The act of stealing; specifically, the felonious taking and removing of personal property, with an intent to deprive the rightful owner of the same" (Webster's 2). Before the advent of moveable type, no one had cause to apply this concept to information rather than physical property. If one were to steal a book, the act was easily recognized as of the same moral color as stealing a horse, a nugget of gold, or any other physical object. The thief?s possession of the stolen item constituted the rightful owner?s lack of it, a loss both real and measurable. Today, theft seems a hazier concept, due to the popularization and codification of Intellectual Property (IP) rights. IP rights differ from standard property rights in that they signify an individual's right of ownership over "intangible things" (Kinsella 3). Arguably, the most important such things are patents and copyrights. Patents protect inventions, and copyrig hts protect "original forms of expression" (Fisher 1). In both cases, the right to ownership amounts to ownership of an idea, not a physical object. Intellectual Property Rights in the United States The first American federal copyright law was enacted in the first year after the states ratified the Constitution. The original protection extended was for a period of fourteen years, with one renewal possible at the end of the term assuming the continued survival of the author. As famously stated in an 1853 federal circuit court ruling over Uncle Tom?s Cabin, such protections provided for government intervention only to protect the author?s, ?exclusive right to print... ...insella, N. Stephan. ?In Defense of Napster and Against the Second Homesteading Rule?. LewRockwell.com. 4 Sept 2000. URL: http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/kinsella2.html Schwartz, John. ?A Heretical View of File Sharing?. New York Times Online. 5 April 2004. URL: http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F30813 ?The Approved Licenses?. Open Source Initiative. 2004. URL:http://www.opensource.org/licenses/index.php The Mentor. ?The Conscience of a Hacker?. 8 January 1986. URL: http://surf.to/jaeger/hackman.html ?The Open Source Definition?. Open Source Initiative. 2004.URL: http://www.opensource.org/docs/definition.php ?Theft?. Webster?s Revised Unabridged Dictionary. Dictionary.com. 6 May 2004. URL: http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=theft ?Welcome to Open Source?. Open Source Initiative. 2004. URL: http://www.opensource.org

Mary Jane :: essays research papers

Mary Jane A good book is one that you cannot quit thinking about. For days after you finish it, you will catch yourself daydreaming about it. That is what The Bluest Eye did to me. I can’t say that I liked the novel, because I didn’t. It left me with an empty, horrified feeling in the pit of my stomach; a realization of how harsh the world can be. I believe that this was Toni Morrison’s goal for this book. She didn’t want me to feel all warm and cozy when I finished. She didn’t want me to ‘like’ The Bluest Eye; she wanted me to learn from it. I learned about a child’s understanding, how people can react differently to a harsh environment, the importance of white symbols in a black girls life, and what could possess adults to do horrible things to helpless children. In short, I learned about the world.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Claudia narrated most of the book, though the story is mainly about Pecola. Claudia and her sister, Fridea, are, in all visible ways, exactly like Pecola. They are poor, black girls in a world where only white is beautiful and good. The difference is that Claudia and Fridea could ignore society and still love themselves, but Pecola felt that she was worthless because of her black features. The world around Claudia, Fridea, and Pecola is filled with symbols of whiteness. The first thing that is brought to our attention is the elementary school readers, where the main characters are Dick and Jane. Dick and Jane are perfect white children and they live in a perfect, white, cheery, loving, world. Morrison concentrates on this at the beginning of every chapter to bring focus on the life that Pecola wants to live. This establishes the theme of white domination over the culture. Pecola worshipped Shirley Temple. While she was at the Macteer’s she couldn’t get enough white milk, which she drank out of a Shirley Temple cup. She also loved Mary Jane candies because â€Å"Each pale yellow wrapper had a picture on it. A picture of little Mary Jane, for whom the candy is named. Smiling white face. Blond hair in gentle disarray, blue eyes looking at her out of a world of clean comfort. The eyes are petulant, mischievous. To Pecola they are simply pretty. She eats the candy, and its sweetness is good. To eat the candy is somehow to eat the eyes, eat Mary Jane.

Non-Violent Protest: Dr. Martin Luther King

Non-violent protest: Dr. Martin Luther King This morning, I woke up to turn on the 7 o clock news and listened to the reporter inform America on violence around the world. There were stories ranging from a shootout in Homewood to wars amongst territories. If violence continues to breakdown communities, there will come a time where there will be no communities left to destroy. My grandmother was telling me how today is not the same day as yesterday; when brothers and sisters helped each other progress through struggles. During the1900s, society was unjust because of color.Whites wanted to rule the nation, but this was not in the interest of black people. Blacks wanted an end to segregation, injustices, and white supremacy. There were many different leaders that used different methods to strive for the achievement of this goal and many failed. Dr. Martin Luther King made a great contribution to the conclusion of oppression for blacks. What did Martin Luther King do differently to help blacks and whites walk together after centuries of oppression? During the 1900s, blacks were faced with major obstacles that still affect people today.Blacks were not given opportunities to receive great education (Washington, M. (2006)). During that time, in Mississippi, three dollars was spent on an African American’s education and sixty dollars was spent on a white person’s education. Blacks were not allowed to vote and were not perceived as true citizens of the United States (Washington, M. (2006)). Whites sought to terrorize black people by preventing them from living life freely (Washington, M. (2006)). The world was separated and blacks were left with the trashy side of it (Washington, M. (2006)).African Americans wanted change, but they did not know how to make a huge societal change. During the time of oppression against black people, there were people, organizations, movements, and protest that aimed for black power and separation. The Black Panther Party was formed in 1966 and aimed to overthrow their white oppressors (Mintz, S. (2007)). Bookter T. Washington thought it would be a good idea to accommodate whites, integrate races economically and be separate socially. Marcus Garvey advocated a â€Å"back to Africa movement† because he saw a future with no love between blacks and whites.Black Muslims advocated racial separation and it was cultivated in their religion (Mintz, S. (2007)). Muhammad said â€Å"Your entire race will be destroyed and removed from this earth by Almighty God. And those black men who are still trying to integrate will inevitably be destroyed along with the whites (Mintz, S. (2007))† He showed much anger to white people and wanted total separation with black supremacy (Mintz, S. (2007)). Malcolm X was a leader that advocated violence if it was necessary to break down the walls of racial oppression. By any means necessary† is a famous quote stated by Malcolm X that shows his view on obtaining bl ack power (Mintz, S. (2007)). These leaders are known to be great but oppression continued to build; there was still no peace. Whites continued to oppress blacks and looked for ways to make their lives miserable. Dr. King believed society would be demolished if everything continued. He decided to take a different approach. â€Å"Darkness cannot drive out darkness: only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that† is an infamous quote stated by Dr.Martin Luther King Jr (King, M. (1998)). Dr. King lived his whole life during a time where blacks were severely mistreated and faced enormous injustices. He felt if blacks continued to fight back with violence, then there would be a world with no peace until it is destroyed. Dr. King had a dream that blacks would not be judged by the content of their skin but by the content of their character. (Dyson, M. E. (2008)) He dreamed of a world with equal opportunities and civil rights (Dyson, M. E. (2008)). He wante d this dream to become sight and many people influenced his approach.He advocated six principles to help society reach his vision. I would like to use this section of the paper to establish who and what inspired the practices and ideas of Dr. King. While pursuing a degree at the Crozer Theological Seminary, King listened to a lecture presented by Mahatma Gandhi (King, M. (1998)). Being inspired by his words, King read different books written by Ghandi (King, M. (1998)). He learned that Ghandi used non-violence against British rule in India (King, M. (1998)). King believed this was a method that could possibly settle the injustices for blacks in America.For more influence, King studied the theories of Henry David Thoreau with the intent to make a societal change (Dyson, M. E. (2008)). King was familiar with the leaders who used non-violence such as Frederick Douglass, Philip Randolph and Bayard Rustin, but King wanted everyone to get involved (Mintz, S. (2007)). King partnered up wit h Ralph Abernathy and Bayard Rustin and formed the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (Jerome, B. (2011)). King aimed for the SCLC to be attractive to the black church so that everyone would play a role (Jerome, B. (2011)). The 6 principles that King advocated 1 Do not humiliate or defeat (King Jr, M. (1957)). During this time of injustice, there was much hatred between black and white people. Blacks were always being defeated by whites, and they were tired of white supremacy. As a result, blacks aimed to defeat their oppressors to live life freely. Dr. King, the enlightened thinker, opposed the view. Dr. King said â€Å"the nonviolent resister should not seek to humiliate or defeat the opponent but to win his friendship and understanding (King Jr, M. (1957)). † Dr. King practiced what he preached. After Rosa Parks rejected to give up her seat to a white man on the bus, she was arrested.Many community leaders and Dr. King developed a bus boycott (King Jr, M. (1957)). Th is allowed King to implement what he learned from Ghandi. Dr. King was arrested and his house was fire bombed. After his house was bombed, he called out for his family (King Jr, M. (1957)). Instead of fighting back with violence he said â€Å"Now let's not become panicky, if you have weapons, take them home; if you do not have them, please do not seek to get them. We cannot solve this problem through retaliatory violence. We must meet violence with nonviolence. We must love our white brothers, no matter what they do to us.We must meet hate with love (Jerome, B. (2011)). † However, that did not stop him. For about 13 months, 17,000 black people in Montgomery refused to ride the bus (Jerome, B. (2011)). As a result, the company was losing too much money. On November 13th, 1956, the Montgomery Bus Boycott was known as a success, because the buses were desegregated. #2. Non-violent resistance is not for cowards (King Jr, M. (1957)). Some may raise opposition and believe that they have too much pride to be disrespected. Many thought it was a cowardly act, however, King believed otherwise.King said non-violent resistance is passive and always seeks opportunities to convince the opponent of advantages in forming a loving relationship (Dyson, M. E. (2001)). Although one is not violent, one continues to drive on coming together. A person, who drives on togetherness despite opposition, is brave and strong because it is not easy to go against the masses (Dyson, M. E. (2001)). This was shown during the Greensboro sit-in on February 1st, 1960. Four black students from North Carolina A;T State University decided to sit at the â€Å"whites only† counter at a local restaurant (Schlosser, J. (1998)).They did not get served and decided to stay seated in the section until they were served. They continued to return day after day and brought friends with them. After a week, hundreds were waiting to be served (Schlosser, J. (1998)). The restaurant eventually served th e students and the protest influenced many non-violent protests throughout different cities (Schlosser, J. (1998)). Instead of fighting, mirroring, and hating, the students looked to eat with other white people. The white people did not like it, but they had the chance to hear the black students. #3: Non-violent resisters attack forces of evil (King Jr, M. 1957)). African Americans believed that they were always under-attack and had to defend themselves. If people are striving for a world full of peace, evil has to be non-existent. During the 1900s, blacks and whites had evil intentions, but it was acceptable for whites to behave on their intentions (Washington, M. (2006)). King wanted the evil intentions to exit the minds of everyone and out of the world. King said â€Å"We are out to defeat injustice and not white persons who may be unjust (King Jr, M. (1957)). † Instead of hurting the person who has done evil, attack the evil forces.He wanted everyone to concentrate on att acking the evil forces of injustice, instead of trying to defeat the white man. Given you have killed a white man; the evil forces will continue to live. However, if you attack the evil forces, everyone can walk together. In 1961, the Freedom Riders abided by this principle. Black and white Freedom Riders left Washington D. C. in 1961 and rode buses, trains, and planes from city to city to protest against the forces of evil that segregated interstate transportation (Lisker, D. (2001)). They reached opposition, mobs and were arrested (Lisker, D. (2001)).After much perseverance, great support was gained from around the world. #4 Non-violent resisters accept suffering without retaliation (King Jr, M. (1957)). King believed one should accept violence but never commit it. This would enable white people to hear and listen to what they had to say (King Jr, M. (1957)). It may sound crazy because in today’s world, many problems are dealt with by using retaliation; just watch the news. However, earlier generations watched blacks accept the abuse, and later shake hands with white people. In 1963, the 16th Street Baptist Church was bombed and 4 black girls were killed (Simkin, J. (2011)).Instead of the parents and the community trying to kill Chambliss, the bomber, they accepted the suffering (Simkin, J. (2011)). They non-violently protested to let their voice be heard and Chambliss was sentenced to life in prison (Simkin, J. (2011). If they had retaliated, there would have been more than four dead girls. By not retaliating, Chambliss, who had used forces of evil, left society. As a result, there was one less force to fight against. #5 In Non-violent resistance, one loves the opponent with â€Å"agape (King Jr, M. (1957)). † Agape means unconditional love, and King expected everyone to love their opponent with it.Many people struggled with this principle because people could not find anything within themselves to love someone who terrorized them for so long. King wanted everyone to love everyone despite the opposition and the oppression (Dyson, M. E. (2008)). The avocation of this belief brought many colors together. King said â€Å"Along the way of life, someone must have sense enough and morality enough to cut off the chain of hate (Dyson, M. E. (2008)). † King wanted blacks to shine light on breaking this chain of hate and to bring love into the relationships. #6 In Non-violence resistances, the universe is just (King Jr, M. (1957)).Evidently, there are many people who share difficulty in loving your opponent. King believes the world was created to be just, but everyone is free to act with their own free will. People acted with their own free will and brought forces of evil into the world. The forces continued to grow since the start of time. King wanted everyone to understand that the world will evolve into a just universe. King encouraged others to believe that God is moving us toward universal love and wholeness continual (Dyson, M. E. (2008)). He used this principle to reinforce to African Americans that justice will be served in God’s time (Dyson, M. E. 2008)). He wanted African American activists to have and keep faith that justice will be served in the future. All of the work for justice will result in love, peace and justice everywhere is a belief that King stood by. Some may say non-violence was not going to fix the injustices in society. In the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), non-violence was their method to help the conditions of black people (Digital Library of Georgia. (2011, July 11)). In Los Angeles in 1965, an African- American was arrested with physical force because a white police officer thought he was intoxicated (Digital Library of Georgia. 2011, July 11)). People crowded around the scene in the neighborhood of Watts and started to violate the police officers. There was great tension between the people of Watts and the white authority for days. After, SNCC used violence as their method to help relieve blacks of oppression because non-violence was not putting an end to it. They believed that blacks needed to build power instead of trying to receive accommodations from the people with power, whites (Mintz, S. (2007)). Stokely Carmichael was head of the SNCC in May of 1966 and sought to use violence to beat oppression (Digital Library of Georgia. (2011, July 11)).The non-violence approach did not work for the SNCC; however, they did not continue to persevere through the tough time. Perseverance is defined as steady persistence in a course of action despite difficulties. Dr. King is an infamous historical icon that held this trait. People should not have expected time to change immediately after many years of oppression. When Dr. King persevered and gained strong support, changed happened, and he used the method of non-violence which brought everyone together. To conclude, Dr. King’s approach to help heal society was very different from the violent retaliation that people advocated.Dr. King overcame much to achieve his vision. He dealt with blacks not wanting to support his method, but to oppose it. He dealt with whites constantly trying to prevent him from making a change in society, but Dr. King continued to advocate and practice his principles. He was able to see that blacks had been trying to make a change by using violence for many years and it did not work. He understood that if blacks fought for black supremacy then it would just cause war and corruption. Whites feared being oppressed and became threatened when blacks retaliated; which drove for more oppression. Dr.King knew if a change was going to be made, then there would have to be love in the world. His approach was successful because he got the attention of white people, and they listened to what he had to say. When blacks retaliated, whites had no time to listen because they had to look for new ways to oppress black people more. I admire Dr. Kin g because he was able to bring blacks and whites together after the hatred between the two races for many years. Presently, we have blacks killing their brothers, sisters and communities without the development of a black society. This is an issue within the black community that needs to be fixed.What should we do? We should apply the 6 principles presented by Dr. King. We have to teach our brothers and sisters not to aim to defeat each other, but to love and lift up one another. We have to teach our brothers and sisters that life is not about being the â€Å"baddest† person on the block; it is ok to walk away out of love. We need to attack the evil forces that are causing the bad behaviors of our brothers and sisters. The people within the black communities need to be taught how to accept it when someone strikes you in the face, and to retaliate with love instead of a shot to the head.We have to show our brothers and sisters that we love them unconditionally; as a result, lo ve will drive out hate. It will be hard to teach people that the non-violent principles work, just as it was hard for Dr. King. Many people are ignorant of his contribution to society and are unaware of his method. I think the ideas, values, beliefs and history of the 1900s were not passed down from generation to generation effectively enough. When I was in elementary school, my grandmother told me â€Å"if someone hits you, do not hit them back. † She was able to see how effective non-violent protests were.My parents told me â€Å"if someone hits you, then you hit them back. † These are two different philosophies from two different generations on the same subject. If my grandmother’s generation would have effectively passed down their values and beliefs, then the world would be different. The world would not be the same because retaliation may be out of the social norm. People have to educate everyone on the impact of non-violence. After we have done all we can do, we have to call on God and let his will be done. Works Cited Carman, J. (2010). 6 facts about non-violent resistance.Retrieved from http://www. care2. com/greenliving/martin-luther-king-six-facts. html Dyson, M. E. (2008). April 4, 1968, martin luther king, jr. ‘s death and how it changed america. Basic Books. Dyson, M. E. (2001). I may not get there with you: The true martin luther king, jr. Free Press. Jerome, B. (2011). martin luther king: Biography. Retrieved from http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/USAkingML. htm King, M. (1998). The autobiography of martin luther king, jr. New York: Warner Books. King Jr, M. (1957). Teaching american history. org. Retrieved from http://teachingamericanhistory. rg/library/index. asp? document=1131 Mintz S. (2007) America in ferment: The tumultuous 1960s â€Å"black nationalism and black power. Retrieved from http://www. digitalhistory. uh. edu/database/article_display. cfm? HHID=370 Digital Library of Georgia. (2011, July 11). Watts riots. Retrieved from http://crdl. usg. edu/events/watts_riots/? Welcome Nonviolence: The only road to freedom. (2006). Retrieved from http://teachingamericanhistory. org/library/index. asp? document=1426 Washington, M. (2006). American experience. Retrieved from http://www. pbs. rg/wgbh/amex/1900/filmmore/reference/interview/washing_obstaclesfaced. html West Virginia Department of Education. (2011, November 15). https://wvde. state. wv. us/. /02technicalwritingpowerpoint. ppt. Retrieved from http://citationmachine. net/index2. php Simkin, J. (2011). 16th street baptist church bombing. Retrieved from http://www. spartacus. schoolnet. co. uk/USAC16. htm Schlosser, J. (1998). Greensboro sit-ins launch of a civil rights movement. Retrieved from http://www. sitins. com/story. shtml Lisker, D. (2001). A brief history. Retrieved from http://www. freedomridersfoundation. org/id16. html

A Teacher Fosters Social Competence with Cooperative Learning

To cite this article: Magnesio, S. & B. Davis. A Teacher Fosters Social Competence With Cooperative Learning. San Clemente, CA: Kagan Publishing. Kagan Online Magazine, Fall/Winter 2010. www. KaganOnline. com Miss Mag, do we have to work in groups? † â€Å"Miss Mag, I can’t work with him. † â€Å"Miss Mag, can I work alone? † Dodgeball tactics—duck, dart, and flee—seemed to be the game plan in my classroom whenever I wanted my students to work in groups. â€Å"Just try to work together! † I would say again and again. As a new teacher, I was shocked to find that most of my students didn’t know how to work in a group. Many of my 4th-grade students had been together since kindergarten, yet they interacted as strangers. They struggled to keep their heads above water when it came to social skills and group work. And I was drowning, treading back and forth, student to student, trying to keep up. Week after week, I found myself spending more time talking about being team players and working together than I spent teaching multiplication strategies and writing good leads. My soapbox was becoming old and worn, and I was overwhelmed and tired. Week after week, I found myself spending more time talking about being team players and working together than I spent teachingmultiplication strategies and writing good leads. My soapbox was becoming old and worn, and I was overwhelmed and tired. Many teachers experience challenges when they place students in a group and expect them to cooperate. As Johnson and Johnson (1990) point out, â€Å"Simply placing students in groups and telling them to work together does not, in and of itself, produce cooperation† (p. 29). Trying to get students to work cooperatively was one of the most frustrating aspects of my first two years of teaching. The easy solution would have been to throw my hands up and say, â€Å"These kids just can’t work together! † I could have given in and assigned individual projects and allowed the students to work alone and be done with it. However, I was learning about cooperative learning structures (Kagan & Kagan, 2009) in a graduate mentoring and induction program for beginning teachers, and I wondered if these structures would work in my classroom. This wondering became the focus of a classroom-based research project I conducted as part of the graduate program. I hoped this study would help my students build positive social skills and become successful working together. In particular, I wanted them to listen to each other, to solve problems collaboratively, and to teach one another. I focused my inquiry project on the following questions: 1) How does a structural approach to cooperative learning influence the social skills of 4th graders? 2) How do cooperative learning structures influence awareness of others’ feelings and encourage appropriate choices in social settings? , and 3) What influence do student reflections have on social interactions? Related Literature Cooperative learning has been defined as groups of students working together to complete a common task (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 2002). Numerous studies have measured the success of cooperative learning as an instructional method regarding social skills development and student achievement across all levels, from primary grades through college. The general consensus is that cooperative learning can, and usually does, result in positive student outcomes in all areas (Johnson & Johnson, 1990; Kagan & Kagan, 2009; Marzano, Pickering, & Pollock, 2001; Slavin, 1996). Social interaction theory (Piaget, 1970; Vygotsky, 1978) and motivational theory (Maslow, 1954) both help explain the effectiveness of cooperative learning. Social interaction theory views learning as a social activity in which people learn by listening and talking to others. As Kauchak and Eggen (2007) explain: Piaget views this social interaction as a catalyst for students to reevaluate their own beliefs about the world; Vygotsky sees social interaction as a vehicle for more knowledgeable people to share their expertise with others. In both instances, students learn by listening and talking. (pp. 305-306) In his theory of motivation, Maslow (1954) described a hierarchy of needs that moves from lower needs (e. g. , hunger, safety) to higher needs (e. g. , esteem, belonging). He argued that people strive to meet their lower needs before attempting to meet the higher needs. In Kagan Cooperative Learning, Kagan and Kagan (2009) explain the relationship between Maslow’s motivation theory and the effectiveness of cooperative learning: If students do not feel safe and included, their energy is directed to meeting those deficiency needs and is not free to meet the need to know and understand. . . . When we put cooperative learning in place the need for safety is satisfied through social norms (no put downs; disagreeing politely). The need for inclusion is satisfied through teambuilding and classbuilding. . . . With the needs of safety and security satisfied, the students have more free energy to move up the hierarchy, striving for esteem and knowledge. (p. 4. 13) Moreover, in many classrooms, the majority of interactions are teacher-student, which can create a competitive environment as students vie for the teacher’s approval. Cooperative learning helps balance this environment by encouraging students to work together to achieve learning goals. As Kagan and Kagan (2009) point out, â€Å"We live in an interdependent world in which, somewhat paradoxically, the ability to compete depends on the ability to cooperate† (p. 1. 18). Several prominent researchers have developed various models of cooperative learning. For example, two brothers, David and Roger Johnson, created the Learning Together and Student Controversy models (Johnson, Johnson, & Holubec, 2002); Robert Slavin (1996) developed the Jigsaw II and Student Teams-Achievement Division models; and Spencer Kagan (1994) developed the Structural Approach to cooperative learning. Although different, these models each contain four defining elements of effective group interactions: 1) positive interdependence, 2) individual accountability, 3) equal participation, and 4) simultaneous interaction. Johnson, Johnson, and Holubec (2002) include a fifth element—group processing. Numerous practitioner studies have examined the impact of cooperative learning on student achievement and social skills development. For example, Nesbit and Rogers (1997) describe the benefits of integrating cooperative learning with science, reading, and writing instruction. Using several of the different cooperative learning models, the authors found that each method was successful in helping students work together in science to solve problems while using the tools of reading and writing. They suggested, however, that teachers begin with the Kagan structural approach before attempting the more complicated models of cooperative learning. Similarly, Muth (1997) found that cooperative learning could be used effectively during mathematics instruction to increase student comprehension of word problems, as well as to help them develop problem-solving skills. In the article â€Å"Using Cooperative Learning To Improve Reading and Writing in Mathematical Problem Solving,† she provides examples of how to implement cooperative learning in the mathematics classroom. Based on her experiences, Muth concludes that cooperative learning can improve reading and writing, as well as interpersonal skills, during mathematics instruction, particularly when students are working on problem-solving strategies. Bromley and Modlo (1997) found that cooperative learning helped maximize student learning in language arts instruction. A descriptive study of four teachers who implemented the Kagan Structural Approach during reading and writing instruction demonstrated the following benefits: 1) higher level thinking, 2) better communication between students, and 3) positive social relations. More recently, Law (2008) conducted two separate experimental studies on the effects of cooperative learning on 2nd-graders’ motivation and comprehension of text. In the first study, students in cooperative learning groups (n = 160) were compared with their counterparts in traditional instruction groups (n = 107). The results showed a significant difference between the two groups, with more favorable perceptions of teachers’ instructional practices and better reading comprehension in the experimental groups than in the control groups. In the second study, 51 second-graders participated in the instructional intervention program (cooperative learning). The results showed that students’ positive cooperative behavior and attitudes were related to their motivation and reading comprehension. When students perceived that their peers were willing to help each other and were committed to the group, they tended to be more motivated and performed better in reading comprehension. Numerous school-based studies in various grade levels have investigated the effects of using the Kagan Structural Approach to cooperative learning (Cline, 2007; Dotson, 2001; Howard, 2006; Murie, 2004). Consistently, these studies have shown positive effects on student achievement, attitudes, and engagement. Cline, for example, investigated the effects of using Kagan cooperative learning structures in her 5th-grade classes. During the 16-week study, she implemented the structures (e. g. , RallyCoach, RoundTable) during guided practice in one math class; in a comparison group, she used a more traditional method of instruction (e. g. , students working alone). Data collected from pre- and posttests revealed that the experimental group outperformed the comparison group on all measures of math achievement. Several studies have focused on the role of the teacher in implementing cooperative learning (Ding, Li, Piccolo, & Kulm, 2007; Leonard & McElroy, 2000; Lotan, 2003; Siegel, 2005). These studies concluded that the teacher’s decisions about how group tasks are set up, as well as his or her interventions during the group processing, are crucial to the success of cooperative learning in the classroom. In summary, findings from numerous studies demonstrate the positive outcomes of using cooperative learning throughout the curriculum. These benefits include improved academic performance, as well as enhanced social skills development.