Sunday, December 29, 2019

The Black Hand Serbian Terrorists Spark WWI

The Black Hand was the name of a Serbian terrorist group with nationalist aims, who sponsored the attack on Austrian Arch-Duke Franz Ferdinand in 1914 that both killed him and provided the spark for World War I. Serbian Terrorists Serbian nationalism and a collapsing Ottoman Empire produced an independent Serbia in 1878, but many weren’t satisfied as another ailing empire, Austria-Hungary, held territory and people that they felt should be in the greater Serbia of their dreams. The two nations, one notionally newer and the other ancient but creaking, didn’t exist together well, and Serbs were outraged in 1908 when Austria-Hungary fully annexed Bosnia-Herzegovina. Two days after the annexation, on October 8th, 1908, the Narodna Odbrana (National Defense) was formed: a society which was to promote a nationalist and ‘patriotic’ agenda  and was to be loosely secret. It would form the core of the Black Hand, which was formed on May 9th, 1911 under the alternative name Unification or Death (Ujedinjenje ili Smrt). The name is a good clue as to their intentions, which was to use violence to achieve a greater Serbia (all Serbs under Serb rule and a Serbian state that dominated the region) by attacking targets from the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires and their followers outside it. The key members of the Black Hand were mainly Serbian military  and were led by Colonel Dragutin Dimitrijevic, or Apis. The violence was to be achieved through guerrilla acts by cells of just handfuls of people. Semi-Accepted Status We don’t know how many members the Black Hand had, as their secrecy was very effective, although it seems to have been in the low thousands. But this terrorist group was able to use its connections to the (only semi-secretive) National Defense society to gather a huge amount of political support in Serbia. Apis was a senior military figure. However, by 1914 this was tailing off after one assassination too many. They’d already tried to kill the Austrian Emperor in 1911, and now the Black Hand began to work with a group to assassinate the heir to that imperial throne, Franz Ferdinand. Their guidance was key, arranging training and probably providing weapons, and when the Serb government tried to get Apis to cancel he made little effort, leading to an armed group making the attempt in 1914. The Great War It took luck, fate, or whatever divine assistance they might want to call on, but Franz Ferdinand was assassinated and World War I followed swiftly. Austria, aided by German forces, occupied Serbia and tens of thousands of Serbs were killed. Within Serbia itself, the Black Hand had become hugely powerful thanks to the military connection, but also more than an embarrassment to political leaders who wanted their own names kept well apart, and in 1916 the Prime Minister ordered it neutralized. The people in charge were arrested, tried, four were executed (include the colonel) and hundreds went to prison. Aftermath Serbian politics did not end with the Great War. The creation of Yugoslavia led to the White Hand emerging as an offshoot, and the 1953 ‘retrial’ of the Colonel and others which argued they weren’t to blame for 1914. Sources Clark, Christopher. The Sleepwalkers: How Europe Went to War in 1914. Harper Collins, 2013.Hall, Richard C. The Balkan Wars 1912–1913: Prelude to the First World War. London: Routledge.MacKenzie, David. The Black Hand on Trial: Salonika, 1917.  East European Monographs, 1995.Remak, Joachim. The Origins of World War I, 1871–1914. Harcourt Brace College Publishers, 2005.Williamson, Samuel R. â€Å"The Origins of World War I.† The Journal of Interdisciplinary History 18.4 (1988). 795–818.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson - 1195 Words

On the surface, Shirley Jackson’s short story, â€Å"The Lottery,† reads as a work of horror. There is a village that holds an annual lottery where the winner is stoned to death so the village and its people could prosper. Some underlying themes include: the idea that faith and tradition are often followed blindly, and those who veer away from tradition are met with punishment, as well as the idea of a herd mentality and bystander apathy. What the author manages to do successfully is that she actually uses the names of historical figures to add to the underlying themes of the story. Some names include the Puritan spiritual advisor Anne Hutchinson, who is banished for speaking out against Christian beliefs and traditions, the founder of†¦show more content†¦The diffusion of responsibility led to a mass bystander apathy in which, â€Å"...[the villagers] discarded their own sense of responsibility, deceiving themselves into believing that other[s]...who allowed the misconduct knew better than they did about what was right† (Gandossy). They believed in their hearts that their tradition would lead to the prosperity of their lovelihoods and for that of their families. They would be â€Å"benefiting from the current way of doing things† (Gandossy).Also no authoritative figure like Mr. Summers or Mr. Graves spoke out against the lottery. As Robert Gandossy and Jeffrey Sonnenfeld state in their journal, ‘I see nothing, I hear nothing: Culture, Corruption, and Apathy,’ â€Å"It demonstrated the willingness of the adults to go to almost any extreme if they believed they were being directed or encouraged by a legitimate authority.† Unfortunately the villagers do not realize that they would be better off without the lottery. They follow a tradition whose parts have been long forgotten, and still carry out the most violent end result in the most barbaric way, death by stones. The people are very self-centered seeing a s how they are so quick to turn on friends and family. Like Jay Moore states in ‘Behaviorism’, â€Å"A culture thrives when it teaches its members to be concerned about the welfare and ultimate survival of theShow MoreRelatedThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson757 Words   |  4 Pagessucceed but many fail just like the main character Tessie Hutchinson in Shirley Jackson’s short story â€Å"The Lottery†. When someone hears the word â€Å"lottery†, he or she may think that someone will be rewarded with prize. But â€Å"The Lottery† By Shirley Jackson is different than what one thinks. In the story, a lottery is going to be conducted not like Mega Million or Powerball one play here. In the story, the person who wins the lottery is stoned to death instead of being rewarded with the prize. TessieRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson931 Words   |  4 PagesIn 1948 Shirley Jackson composed the controversial short story â€Å"The Lottery.† G enerally speaking, a title such as â€Å"The Lottery† is usually affiliated with an optimistic outlook. However, Jackson’s approach is quite unorthodox and will surely leave readers contemplating the intent of her content. The story exposes a crude, senseless lottery system in which random villagers are murdered amongst their peers. Essentially, the lottery system counteracts as a form of population control, but negatives easilyRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson1504 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson In The Lottery Shirley Jackson fills her story with many literary elements to mask the evil. The story demonstrates how it is in human nature to blindly follow traditions. Even though some people have no idea why they follow these traditions. The title of the story plays a role in how Shirley Jackson used some literary elements to help mask the evils and develop the story. The title â€Å"The Lottery† serves as an allegory. When people think of the lottery majorityRead More`` The Lottery `` By Shirley Jackson894 Words   |  4 Pagesshort story â€Å"The Lottery†, author Shirley Jackson demonstrates Zimbardo’s concepts in three different areas: Authority figures, Tradition and Superstition, and Loyalty. The first concept Jackson portrays in â€Å"The Lottery† is the authority figures. Jackson indicates that the lottery is being held in the town center by one authority figure, Mr. Summers, annually on June 27th. Every June 27th, without fail, townspeople gather in the town square to participate in the annually lottery even though mostRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson1510 Words   |  7 PagesShirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† illustrates several aspects of the darker side of human nature. The townspeople in Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† unquestioningly adhere to a tradition which seems to have lost its relevance in their lives. The ritual that is the lottery shows how easily and willingly people will give up their free will and suspend their consciences to conform to tradition and people in authority. The same mindless complacency and obedience shown by the villagers in Jackson’s story are seenRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson8 11 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† was published by Shirley Jackson. The story was true expression of Jackson’s genuine thoughts about human beings and their heinous competence in an annual village event for corn harvest . First, her used to word symbolized main point of the story. Second, Jackson was inspired by few historical events happened in the past and a life incident in her life. Lastly, She was able to accomplish the connection between historical and biographical with the story. Therefore, Shirley Jackson’sRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson934 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson signifies the physical connection between the villagers and their unwillingness to give up their tradition. â€Å"The Lottery† is very unpredictable and quite misleading. The black box has no functionality, except every June 27th. Shirley Jackson depicts the black box as an important and traditional tool. Although the villagers in â€Å"The Lottery† are terrified of the goal of the lottery and the black box, they are unwilling to let go of the tradition. Shirley Jackson portraysRead MoreThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson799 Words   |  4 Pagesthe mood and to foreshadow of things to come. The Lottery by Shirley Jackson is a story in which the setting sets up the reader to think of positive outcomes. However, this description of the setting foreshadows exactly the opposite of what is to come. In addition, the theme that we learn of at the end leads us to think of where the sanity of some human beings lies. The story begins with the establishment of the setting. To begin, Shirley Jackson tells the reader what time of day and what time ofRead MoreThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson1764 Words   |  7 Pagesfilled with excitement and eeriness, leaving the reader speechless. The Lottery , a short story written by famous writer Shirley Jackson, created an uproar on June 26, 1948, when it was published in the magazine The New Yorker (Ball). The gothic thriller, set in an unknown time and place, shares the tradition of a small town, a little larger than three hundred people, in which a drawing is held once a year. In this â€Å"Lottery,† each family’s husband draws a slip of paper from a black box. The husbandRead MoreThe Lottery By Shirley Jackson1391 Words   |  6 PagesMarina Grishechkina Professor Abbott English 126 April 6, 2016 â€Å"The Lottery† by Shirley Jackson â€Å"The Lottery† introduces the reader to a cruel ritual of the village where people gather together to participate in the annual elimination of a random villager. Superficially friendly mood in the town at the beginning of the story was replaced by hostile and violent human behavior at the end. Warm and sunny summer morning did

Friday, December 13, 2019

Educational Administration and leadership Free Essays

string(60) " fourth priority because it’s slightly easier to resolve\." These are the most salient problems that the superintendent faces in her new job. (i) Complacency This is the general contentment with the state of affairs in the district system. In my opinion this is most salient of the problems since it presents a culture that has taken time to develop. We will write a custom essay sample on Educational Administration and leadership or any similar topic only for you Order Now Its effects are that the stakeholders fail to see their vulnerabilities and do not see the need to change. This culture is deeply ingrained in Harmony district such that any effort to bring change will definitely be resisted and this is not something that’s going to be resolved easily. As it is a mind that has learnt to think in a certain pattern will not easily be taught otherwise. The areas of complacency include: Non-compliance with the teaching evaluation program – The school district management team, teachers and parents have gotten used to not complying with these rules and it will take firm action to ensure compliance. (ii) Inequities – racial and poverty segregation This presents a special problem to the improvement of the district school system. This is a major obstacle not just to the school system but to the development of the entire region. The effects segregation are deep rooted and not easily resolved. Segregation is a social evil that requires diligent and patient campaign. It adversely affects the education system because when a school is economically segregated and under funded it affects the spending and consequently the quality of a school. This in turn affects the performance. (iii) Personnel This is a countrywide problem. The majority of teachers are old and waiting for the age to retire. This means that they are not so keen on utilizing the modern methods of teaching. Their teaching style is out-dated and is not relevant to today’s changing world. They do not prepare their students to be adequately prepared for the challenges of today’s world. The superintendent has to ensure that the state mandate is followed and that teaching models used prepare students adequately. This problem is not very easy to resolve since the superintendent cannot hire or retire teachers. However one of the actions will be to ensure that the state mandate is complied with and all teachers evaluated regularly. The teaching models have to be up to date and should take into account the changing role of education in today’s world. iv) Financial mismanagement This is a form of corruption and the problem with any form of corruption is that those who practice it will always fight back any efforts to stop them. However this problem is put as the fourth priority because it’s slightly easier to resolve. You read "Educational Administration and leadership" in category "Papers" These are always laid down procedures in all financial undertakings and the superintendent will have to ensure transparency and accountability by for instance putting in place an independent audit committee that will look into the books of accounts and ensure that no funds are misappropriated. The superintendent will ensure that financial regulations that concern the school system are followed. An audit committee will also be formed to examine all the books of accounts. Another strategy is will be ensuring that the responsibility of overseeing the budgeting and appropriation of funds does not lie on an individual/person but on a board to take care of this important responsibility. (v) Lack of support from assistants The 3 associates’ superintendents have openly disclosed their diverted interests. The fact that they didn’t get the coveted position makes them not be the best working mates. Their support willingly given would go a long way in ensuring the success of the changes that need to be made. Without it the superintendent’s job becomes more challenging. (vi) Low level of education among parents Parents who have not attended college are less likely to encourage their children to seek further education in colleges. This has led to the small number of students furthering their education after high school and to some extent the low population of students attending high school in the district. (vii) Indiscipline Scholl indiscipline is reported in the schools closest to the metropolitan centre. This is a thorny issue that needs to be urgently addressed since the potential of disrupting learning and aversely affected performance. Solutions Complacency This problem will take a lot of firmness and strength of will on the part of the superintendent. It is not going to be easy to inspire change to the people especially with the three associate superintendents not promising any support. However it can be done through the following steps: – †¢ Laying down the problem of pointing the vision for the future. †¢ Ensuring proper and effective communication with the stakeholders. This will ensure that people own the process or at least understanding why the changes must be made. †¢ Taking firm action in areas of complacency. Ensure that areas are non-compliance with the state mandate and so forth. Personnel This is a countrywide problem. The majority of teachers are old and waiting for the age to retire. This means that they are not so keen on utilizing the modern methods of teaching. Their teaching style is out-dated and is not relevant to today’s changing world. They do not prepare their students to be adequately prepared for the challenges of today’s world. The superintendent has to ensure that the state mandate is followed and that teaching models used prepare students adequately. This problem is not very easy to resolve since the superintendent cannot hire or retire teachers. However one of the actions will be to ensure that the state mandate is complied with and all teachers evaluated regularly. The teaching models have to be up to date and should take into account the changing role of education in today’s world. Financial mismanagement This is a form of corruption and the problem with any form of corruption is that those who practice it will always fight back any efforts to stop them. However this problem is put as the fourth priority because it’s slightly easier to resolve. These are always laid down procedures in all financial undertakings and the superintendent will have to ensure transparency and accountability by for instance putting in place an independent audit committee that will look into the books of accounts and ensure that no funds are misappropriated. The superintendent will ensure that financial regulations that concern the school system are followed. An audit committee will also be formed to examine all the books of accounts. Another strategy is will be ensuring that the responsibility of overseeing the budgeting and appropriation of funds doesn’t lie on an individual/ person but forms are board to take care of this important responsibility. QUESTION 2 (i) One of the first personnel decisions the superintendent will make will be to increase the number of staff at the professional development office. This is from understanding that this office plays a crucial role in the district. It is the office charged with the responsibility of managing the school district’s teacher evaluation system. Currently teacher evaluation has not been happening in accordance to the state mandate. One staff member is not able to accomplish all that needs to be done. This office is also charged with the responsibility of giving assistance and support to new teachers. The fact that this office has not been functional in the last many years has affected the orientation process for the new teachers in the district. Having nowhere to turn to they now seek help from principals and other experienced teachers within their schools. These principals and teachers may be too busy or may not be objective in their giving of assistance. This has led to new teachers not being properly oriented. This will in turn affect their future work. Again this department will make it possible to motivate and boost the morale of the new teachers. (ii) Initiate comprehensive staff development program This program will be designed with the view of training teachers and will incorporate improvement plans. The time for planning will be set out in the program and the teachers being trained will be exempted from their normal responsibilities. The superintendent will recommend to the district board the adoption of performance pay policy for school principals who show remarkable performance. This will serve to encourage principals to spur the teacher within their schools to work even harder with their students so that they may improve their performance. This is in accordance to the human resource concept of giving incentives to outstanding performance in order to motivate them. Question 3. A curriculum philosophy refers to a set of values, beliefs and ideologies that guide educational administrators in the execution of their day to day duties. The numerous challenges facing Harmony District School system calls for a superintendent with a focused mind, one who is able to dissect through the problems of the school system and thereafter offer long lasting solutions to the inequities rampant in the area, the lax educational administrators , the dysfunctional teacher support services as well as the dismal performance of the schools , the increasingly agitated parents, the ignorant the ignorant and unsupportive parents all require a superintendent with a strong philosophy. A strong and reproducible curriculum philosophy is not only a guide to the superintendent but also serves as guidance to the whole district school system in dealing with the existing challenges and issues. The superintendent will have to borrow from similar cases in other systems especially from where they are transferring from. Additionally, the superintendent will rely heavily on the almost 30years field experience to deal with the staff as well as the parent body which clearly are not functioning in a manner likely to yield into a synergetic effect. Performance is the greatest challenge for the incoming superintendent. The statistics clearly point to a scenario whereby only very few students make it to the grade level. A comparative. As the new superintendent, the following curriculum if followed would result in the school system regaining new strengths and therefore uplifting the school performance. By emphasizing on non-compromise to quality, the superintendent will ensure that through better management staff, and especially then 253 veterans will use traditional instructional methods and have gone un-inspected for 5 years are inspected and such incidences do not recur in future. Usually such occurrences are caused by laxity on the part of the associate superintendents as well as the superintendent. If such a problem occurs at the superintendent’s office, this can only mean that matters are worse off in the schools. This has a bearing on the motivation of teachers as well as of the students and therefore performance is affected. Specifically, to bring the poor performing schools in the north area feeder system would simply require; adherence to state mandate on inspection and evaluation, addressing the inequality issues such as resources, enough teachers and enough administrators. Integration as a curriculum philosophy calls for amalgamation of the school system into the needs of the students and parents with an aim of ensuring that the schools provide and impart self sustaining education. By achieving the above, the superintendent is able to save the whole school system. The involvement of the local community in all of the above measures is of core importance in that the community is a big stake holder of the school and therefore all measures must get the approval of the community in the sense that it is the community that naturally should benefit from the school system. Currently that is not the case because the school system has ceased to adhere to state mandate rules and regulations. 4) You are to assume that Harmony School District is in a state with precisely the same laws as yours. You are concerned that the student performance data is evidence of inequities in the system and you are concerned that the school district has become complacent with these inequities. What problems presented in this case are related to issues of power and domination? Harmony school district must be made to deal with the rampant cases of inequities. The worst thing is the fact that this inequities currently happening do happen under the watch of the law enforcers. The superintendent is mandated to oversee the whole school system in the district. The law has to some degree protected the marginalized communities from discrimination and unfair treatment but at the same time it has failed to freely address the problem which studies have shown as a major contributor to poor performance in some schools in the Harmony school district. The above mentioned problems can only be addressed through the implementation of the state laws regarding education and which calls for and guarantees equal opportunities in the school system regardless of ones racial background. Although the law has been in place for decades it is evident that, it has not dealt and addresses the problems conclusively and effectively. Therefore there is a need for a more concerted effort towards the protection of the minority groups especially in the African-American community whose entry to grade – level is pathetic and wanting. The other legislation which needs urgent review is the school administration Act which calls for all education officials to be vigilant in making sure that the laxity observed in the school system for the past 5 years is done away with. Specifically, the following issues need urgent attention from the superintendent; Resource allocation is another issue, the fact that there is only one professional development staff is an indicator of neglected and dysfunctional school system. This can only be referred to as lack o human resource and it is a pointer to inequality in the resource distribution in the Harmony schools districts. The fact that, the schools have not had, their classroom buildings repaired for the past 5 years is a further testimony that the system is fully mismanaged and there is inequity in resource allocation. There is a need for equitable resource allocation from the state education department with an aim of ensuring that all schools no matter their locations or the social class have access to equal and adequate learning facilities including all necessary resources such as teachers, staff and materials. Without equitable resource distribution the pertinent issues of poor performance as well as other challenges facing the school system shall continue to haunt the school system and the superintendent in charge. Therefore the funding of the schools in the country need to be looked at afresh with an aim of helping out places like Harmony schools districts which is facing unprecedented challenges. The numerous sit-ins by parents is something which the superintendent needs to be wary about mainly because the trend may lead to general disturbances in the schools further affecting performance. This becomes a reality due to the fact that, if the parents are taking part in sit-ins or strikes then the children may take after them and the situation may further complicates an already complicated situation. The issue of power and domination is evident in the school system. The fact that, the white students perform better than others from other backgrounds is a pointer of power wars in the schools which may imply a dominance by children from well to do parents. Dominance is also evident in the way the parents who work in the nearby town in professional jobs are more active in the affairs of the school and even have seconded representatives to board meetings. This is an indicator that, the above are advantages as compared to their colleagues who do blue-color jobs who do not actively participate in the day to day running o the schools. Finally this is reflected in the performance of students therefore resulting into inequities. 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